Overview of Rewind with Karen & Georgia
In this Rewind episode, Karen and Georgia revisit their live Salt Lake City recording from Kingsbury Hall, adding present-day commentary, corrections, and updates. The episode blends behind-the-scenes memories, audience interaction, and two true-crime stories: the violent, chaotic life of Ronnie Lee Gardner and the dramatic Salt Lake City Library hostage incident involving Clifford Draper and librarian Gwen Page. The rewatch also includes a moving hometown story from an audience member whose friend was murdered, plus later updates on those cases.
Episode Highlights
- Karen and Georgia reflect on how fun and high-energy the Salt Lake City live show felt.
- They revisit the episode’s many in-the-moment jokes, including:
- chatter about Jennifer Aniston and celebrity breakups
- thrift-store fashion and the legendary Brad Pitt clothing story
- 1990s perfumes and “smell memories”
- the “zombie contingent” and other live-show audience energy
- They discuss how live shows amplify audience participation, corrections, and spontaneous tangents.
Story 1: Ronnie Lee Gardner
Who he was
- Ronnie Lee Gardner was a Utah-born criminal with a deeply unstable and abusive childhood.
- He experienced neglect, addiction, abuse, and repeated involvement with the juvenile justice system from a very young age.
- Despite some attempts at stability, his life escalated into violence and repeated criminal behavior.
Major crimes and prison escape
- Gardner was convicted of robbery and imprisoned.
- In 1984, he faked illness to get transported and then escaped custody, seriously injuring an officer during the process.
- He later committed a fatal armed robbery at a bar, killing bartender Melvin John Otterstrom for less than $100.
- At the funeral, Gardner showed up pretending to be a childhood friend, reinforcing how manipulative and unsettling he was.
Trial, sentencing, and execution
- During a 1985 trial, Gardner smuggled in a revolver and attempted another escape, shooting multiple people in the courthouse.
- He was convicted and sentenced to death.
- Gardner chose execution by firing squad.
- After decades on death row, he was executed in Utah in 2010.
Key takeaways
- The episode emphasizes the grim combination of trauma, violence, and Gardner’s own choices.
- Karen and Georgia repeatedly note that while his upbringing was horrific, his later actions were still brutal and inexcusable.
- One update notes that Gardner’s brother, Randy Gardner, has since become an opponent of the death penalty, especially firing squad executions.
Story 2: The Salt Lake City Library Hostage Incident
Setting and setup
- On March 5, 1994, the Salt Lake City Public Library was hosting a Tibetan mandala ceremony.
- Librarian Gwen Page notices a suspicious man near the reference desk: Clifford Draper.
The hostage crisis begins
- Draper reveals a “bomb” that turns out to be a curling iron rigged as a dead-man switch.
- He orders people into a conference room and begins controlling the situation with threats.
- Gwen becomes a key player, repeatedly moving between Draper and other people while trying to keep calm and think strategically.
Lloyd Prescott’s heroics
- A man named Lloyd Prescott enters the scene and pretends to be an accountant.
- In reality, he is a police officer who quietly but bravely helps turn the situation.
- When Draper is distracted, Prescott draws his weapon and shoots Draper multiple times, helping end the standoff before the “bomb” can detonate.
Media and negotiation chaos
- Draper tries to force publicity by demanding airtime on Z93, the local classic rock station.
- Program director Trisha Griffith ultimately helps manage the crisis and buys time by telling Draper the broadcast button is broken.
- The episode highlights how librarians, radio staff, and law enforcement all played unexpected roles in the resolution.
Resolution
- The dead-man device does not go off, and the hostages survive.
- Karen and Georgia praise Gwen’s composure and Prescott’s courage.
- They emphasize Gwen’s line about survival: when bad things happen, you can be a victim or a survivor.
Audience Hometown Story
Holly’s emotional story
- An audience member named Holly shares a devastating hometown story from Utah/Wyoming.
- Her friend Cammie was murdered by her fiancé very close to where Holly was staying.
- Holly describes hearing the noises that night and later learning the truth.
Why it mattered
- The moment is one of the most emotionally heavy parts of the live show.
- Karen and Georgia respond with empathy and support.
- Holly also shares that she and Cammie had quit smoking together and later started again, a small but poignant detail that grounded the story in real friendship and grief.
Updates and Follow-Up
Ronnie Lee Gardner
- The episode notes broader ongoing debate around firing squad executions, including efforts by Gardner’s brother to oppose them.
- The hosts criticize the return of firing squad methods in some states.
Cammie Mae Edmunds
- A later update confirms that Anthony Christensen pleaded guilty to Cammie Mae Edmunds’ murder and obstruction of justice in 2020.
- He admitted he beat her to death and staged the scene.
- Cammie’s mother later founded the Cammie May Foundation to raise awareness about domestic violence.
Notable Themes
- Live-show chaos and chemistry: The episode thrives on crowd reactions, improvisation, and inside jokes.
- Survival and resilience: Gwen Page and Holly’s story both underscore surviving traumatic events.
- True crime with context: Karen and Georgia focus not only on crimes, but on systems, trauma, and the people affected.
- Dark humor and humanity: Even while discussing awful events, the hosts use humor and warmth to keep the conversation grounded.
Bottom Line
This Rewind episode is a strong example of why the live show format works so well for My Favorite Murder: it mixes absurd banter, audience energy, and deeply human storytelling with two intense true-crime cases. The standout moments are Gwen Page’s bravery in the library hostage crisis, the disturbing arc of Ronnie Lee Gardner’s life and crimes, and the emotional hometown story that brings the episode back to the real-world impact of violence.