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The First Degree

The First Degree

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be friends with a murderer? Or escape a kidnapping? Or have a father who was a serial killer? Join Jac Vanek, Alexis Linkletter, and Billy Jensen on a chilling ride into the darkest corners of your worst nightmares. Murders, cults, kidnappings, and conspiracies—all told through the eyes of a guest who is one degree of separation from the story itself. From infamous serial killers to the unbelievable unknown murder in your own backyard, The First Degree delivers a new perspective to the already fascinating true crime landscape. And who knows... you may be our next guest.

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42 min•
18 Dec

Episode 330: Nikki Cheng Saelee-Mccain

In the early hours of May 18, 2024, a 39-year-old mother of four vanishes after last being seen at her mother-in-law’s home in Redding, California. Just days earlier, she had shared plans to divorce her abusive husband and rebuild her life. When her family stops hearing from her, alarm bells ring, especially given her husband’s history of violence and erratic behavior. Detectives soon discover her truck abandoned in a remote area, raising even more questions about her disappearance. In episode 330, Jac and Alexis delve into the unsettling details of Nikki Cheng Saelee-McCain’s disappearance, her fight to escape an abusive marriage, and the unanswered questions that still haunt her family. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 

Episode 330: Nikki Cheng Saelee-Mccain
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40 min•
11 Dec

Episode 329: Timothy Haslett Jr.

On October 7, 2022, a 22-year-old black woman is frantically knocking on doors in a suburban neighborhood on the outskirts of Kansas City, Missouri. When police arrive, they find the distressed woman with duct tape around her neck, wearing a trash bag, and a metal collar with a padlock. She tells police she had been held against her will and sexually assaulted by a man at a home nearby. But this is just the beginning. City law enforcement knows - but has consistently denied - that local black women have been going missing. When another victim turns up murdered, the lies and cover-ups begin to be exposed. And things turn uglier when a retired former detective is implicated in other local murders, with misconduct and malfeasance more prevalent than many realised. In episode 329, Jac and Alexis detail the alleged case against Timothy Haslett Jr, and how his supposed crimes have been enabled by a police department rife with systemic racism. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 

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38 min•
4 Dec

Episode 328: Dr. Blatti

On March 22, 2016, a 50-year-old woman passes away in Baldwin, New York. She had been suffering from chronic pain for almost 10 years following surgery, and was found to have died from an opioid overdose. It’s a tragic yet not uncommon story in a country in the grip of a sweeping prescription opioid epidemic. It wouldn’t be until almost two and a half years later that an investigation commenced into not just the woman’s death, but that of three other people who had also died in similar circumstances in the meantime. As law enforcement looks into how the deceased obtained the prescription drugs which had caused their deaths, it became clear that they were all provided by the same physician. But before the doctor could be charged, a fifth person lost their life. In episode 328, Jac and Alexis discuss the shocking case of Dr George Blatti, someone with no regard for the Hippocratic oath, the patients he was obligated to help, or their families. 🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:patreon.com/thefirstdegree📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree 

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