I want to introduce you to the podcast Mama Mystery. From true crime to current events, mom of three, Kelly Evans, offers relatable and research-based storytelling for when a mama just needs a minute. Whether you listen in the pickup line or with a glass of wine, you'll always feel like you're just chatting with your best friend. Here's a short clip from one of her recent episodes. I hope you enjoy.
So in November of 1995, Julie was working at one of the Save-A-Lot locations and a cashier told her that someone was up front asking to see her. So she goes up to the front of the store and it's a detective. And apparently they had received a tip about a man named Brian who allegedly brought a man back to her property and assaulted him years prior.
So according to the victim, whose name is Tony, Tony met this guy, Brian Smart, at a local gay bar. And Brian told Tony, hey, let me take you back to my boss's place.
So they left in Brian's car and Brian drove a long way to seemingly the middle of nowhere. And when they got there, Brian brought him inside and Tony described the place as being really dusty. And the further he made his way into the house, he began to notice that there were mannequins all over the house, like in various poses and various outfits, but
One mannequin was standing behind a bar like a bartender. One was dressed in a dress and a scarf. Another was in a sailor's outfit. Just mannequins all over this house. Just mannequins. That's weird. Yeah. So Tony's like, hey, Brian, what's up with all the mannequins? Good question. And Brian just brushed it off saying, yeah, my boss, he's just old and he doesn't like to be alone. And these just make him feel less lonely. Yeah.
So Brian brought him into the room with the indoor swimming pool and they get into the pool together. And Brian started kind of coming on to Tony. And before he knew it, Tony had a hose around his neck. And Brian is asking him, like, are you into this kind of thing? And Brian essentially alludes to the fact that he's into erotic asphyxia, being choked during sex. Oh, man. So he... This is such a strange episode. I mean, it's a roller coaster.
This is true crime as a freaking roller coaster. It's like one second I'm kind of chuckling and the next second it's like, okay. You never know when you can laugh or not. And you can't make comments about somebody in the story and then you'll feel like shit later. Trust me, it's happened to me. Egg on your face. It's happened to you so many times because you truly don't know what stories are coming at you. So you have these genuine reactions and I just let it happen. Yeah, most of the time. Yeah, most of the time.
So anyway, he alludes to the fact that he's into this, you know, kind of thing. And he asks Tony to choke him. And Tony does. He puts his hand around his neck and squeezes until Brian appears to lose consciousness and kind of drift off into the water. That makes me uncomfortable to even think about.
I know. And I feel like it's really especially dangerous when they're in a swimming pool. Like he drifts off into this unconsciousness in the pool. He could drown. Yeah. Dangerous situation. Yeah. But then Brian kind of comes back to life essentially. And he's excited about the rush that he just experienced.
So he's like, here, let me try it on you. And Brian's trying to kind of sell it on Tony and tells him about the times that he has strangled men in the past and what it felt like to watch their eyes bulge out of their head and their lips swell to the point of almost cracking. But Tony is just not into it. And he's like, Brian, this isn't cool. Like you could really hurt someone by doing this. And it sounds like you already have. Sounds like you have a lot of experience doing this.
So, Ryan just kind of laughs it off and Tony tells him like, no, I'm going to have to like tell the authorities that you're doing this because Tony is well aware of an ongoing problem in Indianapolis and
Nearly a dozen gay men have been disappearing left and right for the past few years, but due to a lack of leads and an apparent lack of concern among police, the perpetrator had not been caught. So he just basically said, hey, I'm this dude. Yeah, he basically said it without saying it. That's crazy. And now Tony is standing in a dark pool in the middle of the night, surrounded by creepy mannequins.
with a guy that he believes might be a serial killer. - Okay, I got the goosebumps, that's weird. - I'm sending my Aunt Tina money directly to her bank account in the Philippines with Western Union. She's the self-proclaimed bingo queen of Manila, and I know better to interrupt her on bingo night, even to pick up cash.
Sending money direct to her bank account is super fast, and Aunt Tina gets more time to be the bingo queen. Western Union. Send money in-store directly to their bank accounts in the Philippines. Services offered by Western Union Financial Services, Inc., NMLS number 906983, or Western Union International Services, LLC, NMLS number 906985. Licensed as money transmitters by the New York State Department of Financial Services. See terms for details.