The Blue Moon Killer: Donald Hartung and the Ritualistic Family Massacre

The Blue Moon Killer: Donald Hartung and the Ritualistic Family Massacre

🌕 Bodies buried under blankets in a ritual scene… but it was all for money.
He was the half‑brother with a grudge—and a chilling jailhouse confession.
🎧 Now streaming: The Blue Moon Killer – Inside Donald Hartung’s atrocity.
#TrueCrime #BlueMoonKiller #DonaldHartung #Podcast

In July 2015, a seemingly routine welfare check in Pensacola, Florida turned into a nightmare. Police found three members of the Smith family—Voncile (77), Richard (49), and John (47)—brutally murdered, their bodies buried under piles of clothing and blankets, surrounded in a scene that hinted at dark ritual 

The suspect? Donald Wayne Hartung, half‑brother to two of the victims and his estranged mother’s son from a previous marriage. Hartung, who practiced Wicca, claimed he merely cooked them meals—but his DNA on cigarette butts, his motives tied to inheritance, and jailhouse admissions detailing torture and attempted extortion—painted a chilling portrait .

Far from ritual, prosecutors said Hartung killed the family for money—he’d been written out of a $900K estate and stood to inherit only if they were gone. In February 2020, a jury convicted him of three counts of first‑degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole 

In this episode, we examine:

The bizarre crime scene dubbed the "Blue Moon" massacre

Family tension and financial motives behind the killings

Forensic breakthroughs linking Hartung to the scene

His chilling jailhouse bragging and lack of empathy

The trial, verdict, and ongoing ramifications for the community

Content Warning: This episode includes graphic details of violence, family betrayal, and torture. Listener discretion is strongly advised.


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