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 and Alexis Linkletter 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. (Plus, join them every Thursday for Killing Time, the light-hearted, true crime-adjacent aftershow!)
Episodes
October 22, 2026 • 45 mins
Jac pulls the string of the Kelly Clarkson / $15K mechanical bird drama and (SHOCKER!) it leads to Epstein adjacent children’s books about secret pizza parties??? Plus, the girls chat about Jonestown opening for tourists, Kate Gosselin’s alleged abuse, and not being able to get away from the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
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October 21, 2026 • 38 mins
This week, Firstober continues with a collection of chilling listener stories, unexplained encounters, and a real-life Halloween nightmare. From eerie apparitions to a mysterious death on Halloween night, Lex and Jac explore the things that haunt us, both supernatural and all too human.
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October 15, 2026 • 46 mins
The world is going crazy and we’re just trying to keep up. This week we are talking about a woman sneaking into high school to pretend to be a substitute teacher just to talk shit to students, a possible serial killer in Michigan, a brand new cute Trump statue, a new cat species, and what the hell is Susan Dell?
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October 14, 2026 • 46 mins
In this special Halloween episode, Lex and Jac share chilling paranormal encounters from Firsties who swear they’ve experienced something they can’t explain. Then, they unravel the incredible true story of a murdered woman who may have found a way to identify her own killer from beyond the grave.
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October 8, 2026 • 51 mins
You asked for it, you got it. This week we are going down the rabbit hole that is the atrocious man named Caleb Flynn. Alexis’ new obsession has been courtroom tv, and she has been watching the entire trial in real time. We go through texts with his mistress, the embarrassing AI songs he wrote for her, and how one man can go from hot to Frankenstein in less than a year. Plus, we discuss Erika Kirk’s new bizarre photosho...
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October 7, 2026 • 47 mins
Today, Jac and Lex are taking us on a spooky adventure into the places where true crime and the paranormal collide. From chilling listener encounters to a historic murder case with a supernatural twist, they’re leaning all the way into spooky season. Plus, they unpack the bizarre story of a true-crime author whose unexpected encounter with police quickly spiraled into a case of its own.
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October 1, 2026 • 45 mins
This week we are diving into one of the most bizarre cases of the year, Dr. Tomasz Kosowski. You may have seen clips circulating online of his insane courtroom behavior, or maybe of him trying to suck DNA off his fingers in the back of a cop car. No matter what you’ve seen so far, it only gets weirder the more you go down the rabbit hole. Buckle up, it’s a wild ride.
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September 30, 2026 • 55 mins
In June 2022, a 19-year-old woman calls 911 after someone enters her apartment and shoots her in the middle of the night. She survives long enough to tell the dispatcher she doesn’t know who shot her or why, but dies from her injuries shortly afterward. As investigators search for answers, they uncover a series of strange circumstances surrounding the apartment, including an unsettling incident just two days before the murder...
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September 24, 2026 • 46 mins
If you thought humans were weird as hell, buckle up because animals are FREAKS. We’re bringing you all of the creepy, strange, murderous facts about the animal kingdom. Prepare to learn things you didn’t want to about dolphins, spiders, birds, pandas, anglerfish, and so much more!
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September 23, 2026 • 33 mins
On March 15, 2005, police respond to a 911 call from a home in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Inside the residence, the body of a 24-year-old woman is found in bed, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. The number one suspect is already accused of crimes against a child. But when he fails to attend the sheriff’s office to turn himself in for the offenses against a minor and can’t be located, it’s a five-alarm fire....
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September 17, 2026 • 47 mins
Things are feeling a bit spooky this week and we are barely halfway through September. We are discussing all of the weird shit going on in the AI world (like if it gonna kill off humanity in 10 years or what?????). Plus, some updates in the Lindsay Clancy trial, Mormon Wived drama, and who the hell does Armie Hammer think he is??
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September 16, 2026 • 47 mins
In August 1989, a 13-year-old girl leaves her home in Aransas Pass, Texas, for a short walk to meet a friend at a nearby elementary school. But she never makes it there, and investigators soon theorize she was abducted somewhere along that short route. In episode 420, Jac and Alexis examine the disappearance of Elisa Roberson, the investigation that followed, and her family’s decades-long fight to find out what happened to he...
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September 10, 2026 • 45 mins
We’re bouncing all over the place this week, so put on your seatbelts and get ready for the ride. A new lawsuit alleges that Frederic Fekkai was an integral part to Epstein’s trafficking ring, the new teaser for Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes doc is out and it is INSANE, and the announcer on Wheel of Fortune got caught in illegal chatrooms on an airplane. Plus, cyborg cockraoches!
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September 9, 2026 • 33 mins
In August 2012, two young women spend a summer night together in Berkeley County, South Carolina, before accepting a ride from someone they know. Hours later, Dana Woods and June Guerry are found murdered in the remote Francis Marion National Forest. As investigators work to identify those responsible, a seemingly ordinary night begins to unravel, revealing just how close a small community can be to something horrifying. In episode...
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September 3, 2026 • 47 mins
It’s another variety show type of week over here at the Deep Dive and we’ve got something for everyone. D4VD’s lawyers dump him, Laura Owens pleads guilty, a budding serial killer is out on the streets doing god knows what, and the Los Angeles butt sniffer strikes again. We warned you.
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September 2, 2026 • 72 mins
The Lindsay Clancy case has brought renewed attention to postpartum psychosis, a rare but potentially devastating condition that, when left untreated, has been associated with an estimated 5% risk of suicide and 4% risk of filicide. This week, Alexis and Jac are joined by Dr. Erin Davidowicz, a perinatal psychiatrist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, to discuss the case, the lack of public aware...
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August 27, 2026 • 48 mins
No, for real, what is wrong with everyone lately? This week we’re discussing a woman who was giving sex eyes to the camera during the Lindsay Clancy trial, Hilary Duff feeding her children pizza on stage at her concert, Alcohol being advertised to kids, and a very messed up golf ad. Keep those tin foil hats on, people.
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August 26, 2026 • 40 mins
Growing up in suburban Chicago, a young girl is raised to trust the adults around her. Her church, her school, and her family all feel like safe places. But years later, she learns that two people she once looked up to and loved are accused of horrific crimes against children, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew about trust, faith, and the people closest to her. In episode 417, Jac and Alexis explore Courtney's ...
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August 20, 2026 • 47 mins
Today we are discussing the tragedy of Hayden Panettiere’s sudden passing and everyone who failed her throughout her life, Anthropic and Amazon destroying rare and ancient texts to basically rewrite history however they want (1984 anyone?), and Howie Mandel being a perv in front of his daughter. For real, what is wrong with EVERYONE?!
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August 19, 2026 • 45 mins
In May 2018, a 25-year-old woman suddenly disappears while living with a childhood friend in Grafton, New Hampshire. Her family immediately knows something is wrong, but for months, they are left searching for answers. Then investigators make a devastating discovery: a small piece of her dismembered body is recovered from a nearby pond. As her loved ones begin uncovering disturbing allegations about what she endured before her deat...
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