Families Who Kill

Trooper Entertainment

In the era of some of the most heinous serial killers of all time, one murderous family went curiously unnoticed: The McCrarys. Led by a psychopathic patriarch and his cunning son-in-law, this Texas clan roamed the country robbing, kidnapping, and killing up to 20 people, most of them taken from donut shops. “Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders” recounts the wild and deeply disturbing story of an unhinged American family and the terrible brutality they unleashed. The podcast features the taped confessions of one of the killers, given when he was serving a life term in Colorado.

All episodes of Families Who Kill are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

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Our Editor's Take

In the 1970s, a single American family murdered over 20 people in just two years. Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders is the podcast that uncovers that chilling tale. Documenting the story of the McCrary family, this podcast details this family's crimes.

This podcast outlines how the McCrarys traveled from donut shop to shop to find their victims. Every time, their crimes became a bit more elaborate. This horrific series of murders became known as "the donut shop murders."

Veteran crime documentarian and Emmy-winner James Carroll brings listeners on a riveting journey. He begins on location, driving along the same highway the McCrary family traveled. As rain hits the windshield, Carroll first introduces the family who "slayed together."

Career criminal Sherman McCrary took his family all over the country. His son-in-law, Carl, shared his sadistic drive to kill. The rest of the family was just as guilty. Daughter Ginger McCrary egged her father and husband on. Sherman's wife may have been either under her husband's control or a passive bystander. Son Danny also joined in the murders. Together, this murderous family tore through the countryside, robbing, raping, and murdering.

Listeners of Families Who Kill will hear from James Carroll and other investigators. The podcast even includes prison confessions from Carl. In measured tones, he recounts each murder. To provide context, the podcast also tells the story of the Bloody Benders, a similar family from the 19th century. What drives families like these to kill? This podcast looks for answers.

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Introducing - Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders

Introducing - Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders

In the era of some of the most heinous serial killers of all time, one murderous family went curiously unnoticed: The McCrary family. Led by a psychopathic patriarch and his cunning son-in-law, this Texas clan roamed the country and his cunning son-in-law, this Texas clan roamed the country robbing, kidnapping, and killing up to 20 people, most of them people taken from donut shops. “Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders” recounts the wild and deeply disturbing story of an unhinged American family and the terrible brutality they unleashed. The podcast features the taped confessions of one of the killers, given when he was serving a life term in Colorado.All episodes of Families Who Kill are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episodes

Introducing - Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders

Introducing - Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders

In the era of some of the most heinous serial killers of all time, one murderous family went curiously unnoticed: The McCrary family. Led by a psychopathic patriarch and his cunning son-in-law, this Texas clan roamed the country and his cunning son-in-law, this Texas clan roamed the country robbing, kidnapping, and killing up to 20 people, most of them people taken from donut shops. “Families Who Kill: The Donut Shop Murders” recounts the wild and deeply disturbing story of an unhinged American family and the terrible brutality they unleashed. The podcast features the taped confessions of one of the killers, given when he was serving a life term in Colorado.All episodes of Families Who Kill are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Donut Shop Murders | Donuts and Death

The Donut Shop Murders | Donuts and Death

Lifelong petty thieves Carl Taylor and Sherman McCrary, facing heat in their hometown of Athens, Texas, gather their family and take to the highways in search of criminal opportunities in the American West. In Utah, Carl and Sherman’s small-time cons suddenly escalate when they rob and kidnap 17-year-old Sheri Martin from a Winchell’s Donut Shop, killing her in the Nevada desert. The men’s bloodthirst is awakened.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Donut Shop Murders | A Detective Named Fanciulli

The Donut Shop Murders | A Detective Named Fanciulli

Carl, Sherman, and the fam head to the peaceful suburban community of Lakewood, Colorado, and strike again — this time robbing, raping, and killing 20-year-old donut shop cashier Leora Looney. As police circle the McCrary family they skip town and return to their homebase of Athens, Texas. A razor-sharp young detective, Joe Fanciulli, is on their scent, but his efforts are hindered by glacially slow 1970s police forensics.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Donut Shop Murders | One Terrible Night in Texas

The Donut Shop Murders | One Terrible Night in Texas

Carl and Sherman, now accompanied by Sherman’s son Danny, kidnap a young couple, Forrest and Jena Covey, from a Mesquite grocery and ruthlessly murder them in an old barn. In harrowing testimony from Carl, we learn how Forrest was killed first as Jena was forced to look on. Jenna Covey’s niece recounts the brutalizing effects her aunt’s murder had on her father and her family in general. Meanwhile, we learn the tale of the Bloody Benders, a 19th century clan of killers who bear similarities to the McCrarys.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Donut Shop Murders | What is a Serial Killer, Exactly?

The Donut Shop Murders | What is a Serial Killer, Exactly?

An intriguing debate emerges: Were the McCrarys, in a technical or criminological sense, serial killers? Or were they spree killers, or something else? Experts debate the similarity of the McCrarys’ killings to those of John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and Andrew Cunanan. The family heads to the Pacific Northwest, where Carl and Sherman kidnap and kill a bizarrely nonchalant young hippie named Cynthia Glass. The Bloody Benders story continues as the family kills a dozen people at their inn in Labette, Kansas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Donut Shop Murders | The Traveling Criminals Bulletin

The Donut Shop Murders | The Traveling Criminals Bulletin

After their murder in Portland, the police probe begins to tighten like a vise around the McCrarys. They stop the killings and move to Santa Barbara, CA, to focus on armed robberies. As Sherman’s alcoholism spirals out of control, Carl attempts to rob a large supermarket on his own but screws it up and winds up shooting a patrolman at the scene. Meanwhile, Texas police issue a nationwide “Traveling Criminals Bulletin” fingering the McCrarys as a violent clan who may have committed up to 20 murders in six states. Finally, the Benders story concludes as the murderous family is run out out of Kansas.Please support us by supporting our sponsors!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Donut Shop Murders | Cornered in California

The Donut Shop Murders | Cornered in California

Santa Barbara cops chase Carl Taylor and his wife all the way back to Texas, where Carl and his wife are cornered and arrested. Sherman and his wife are arrested back in California. During the trial, Carl and Sherman, once close partners, turn on each other, each saying the other pulled the trigger. Carl mounts an insanity defense, claiming he was not of sound mind during the killing spree. The family’s brutal saga comes to an end.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.