Today, we're riding into one of the most infamous events in the history of the American Old West—the robbery of the Clay County Savings Association in Liberty, Missouri. This event marks one of the earliest bank heists in American history and set the stage for the legend of Jesse James, a man once called "the worst man without any exception in America."

On February 13, 1866, the quiet town of Liberty, Missouri, was forever changed when the Clay County Savings Association became the target of what is believed to be the first successful daylight bank robbery in American history. With military precision, a gang—suspected to be led by Jesse and Frank James—executed the heist, making off with a staggering $60,000.

In this episode, we dive into the details of this audacious crime, the tragic killing of a young student during the getaway, and the rise of Jesse James from Confederate guerrilla to notorious outlaw. We also explore Ron Hansen’s portrayal of Jesse James in his novel "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," which captures the dual nature of James as both a charismatic leader and a ruthless criminal.

Join us as we unravel the facts, myths, and legacy of Jesse James, the complex figure whose exploits continue to captivate and divide opinions even today. Whether seen as a Robin Hood-like figure or a cold-blooded killer, the tale of Jesse James is inseparable from America's outlaw history. Get all the details (including the cocktail recipe) from our website: www.killingcitypod.com

Thanks to this month's sponsor, West Bottoms Whiskey!

We're back for season 2! Our summer hiatus was great and we are so excited for the following announcements: This episode is sponsored and supplied by J. Rieger & Co. !

We are also excited to say we are working with a local tour provider to put together a tour of some of our most memorable episodes. email us at: killingcitypod@gmail.com if you're interested.

All our show notes can be found on our website: https://killingcitypod.com/

It's our one year anniversary and we delve into what is arguably the most famous murders in the city's history. When a routine prison transfer turns into a gun battle of epic proportions at one the city's biggest landmarks, Union Station. Go to our website for more information on the case and for the killer cocktail recipe: https://killingcitypod.com/

We are taking June and July off, but feel free to email us at: killingcitypod@gmail.com. We are discussing doing a mini-bus tour of some of these historic landmarks described in our podcasts if we get enough interest.

It's April and that means it's baseball season here in Kansas City. For this episode, we go WAY back to 1900 to discuss a forced marriage, a professional mandolin player AND how a baseball player figured into all of this. This one is a Lulu!

Go to the website to read the episode notes, and to get the recipe for this month's killer cocktail:

www.killingcitypod.com

We're back for our March episode - this one is all about myths and how they become perceived reality. Go to our website to read the show notes AND the drink recipe for this month's episode:

https://killingcitypod.com/

We're going back almost 100 years for this one. The fall of 1929 Kansas City and the world were riding high. No one knew the Great Depression was only a month away- and our murder victim did not know that a card game he was playing would turn deadly.

This case, known as "The Bridge Murder" would captivate the nation. AND, several of our previous episodes will intertwine with this one! Murder or self-defense- you decide!

For the show notes, the killer cocktail recipe and other fun details head over to our website:

https://killingcitypod.com/

Happy 2024 everyone! We are back with killer episode that you won't want to miss! 3 young women disappear from Johnson County, without a trace.....

Visit our website for complete show notes, including links and our Killer Cocktail recipe!

Our December episode is a special one! We recorded it live in front of an audience at Buffalo State Pizza!

This month's episode is a doozy. We have a Kansas City murder, the Plaza Flood, stolen identities, two fugitives on the lamb AND a crazy twist that takes us to Chicago for a horrifying and shocking ending! You won't forget this one, that's for sure!

Chicago Tribune Article about killings: https://www.chicagotribune.com/tylenolmurders/

Footage of the 1977 Plaza Flood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_ew2bEKxw4

A great blog about the Chicago killings AND the Kansas City murder: https://www.trulyadventure.us/poison-pill

The Killer Cocktail:

"The Painkiller"

Ingredients

2 ounces Pusser’s rum

4 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed

1 ounce cream of coconut

Garnish: nutmeg, freshly grated

Garnish: pineapple wedge

Steps

Add the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut to a shaker with cubed ice and shake vigorously but briefly to combine.

Strain into a hurricane glass or snifter over crushed ice.

Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a pineapple wedge.

Serve with a straw.