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Jac Vanek

Alexis Linkletter

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!)

The First Degree

In February 2006, a newly married 29-year-old man is walking home from a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans when a black truck nearly strikes him and his wife. One block later, the truck circles back, runs him down, and flees, leaving his wife screaming in the intersection. Detectives call it a deliberate burst of road rage. But as weeks turn into months, the homicide investigation loses momentum. Years pass without an arrest, and his family is left questioning whether the urgency this case deserved was ever truly there. In episode 394, Jac and Alexis examine the unsolved murder of Toby Beaugh, and the years-long fight his sister has taken on to keep his case from being forgotten.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

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📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

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📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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Episode 394: Toby Beaugh

We’ve been pulled into a few different rabbit holes this week, and it’s yet again a crazy ass ride. First, we look into Epstein’s ties to the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer camp in Michigan, and its infamous “Epstein Lodge”. We also learn the whistleblower’s identity who worked at the jail who posted on 4Chan the night of Epstein’s death (and what he said was pretty damning to say the least!). And lastly, we discuss the fact that the FBI willingly wiped the jail cell tapes to destroy all of the evidence from the night. Not sketchy at all!

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 5

On October 29, 2010, a 50-year-old woman is shot at her home in Cresson Township, Pennsylvania. The same day, her college aged son is also involved in a car crash. The tiny community where the family lives is thrown into a state of turmoil as residents grapple with the incomprehensible news. The much-loved school nurse, wife, and mother of two leaves behind a heartbroken family and school community who are left to pick up the pieces. But when the killer’s identity is revealed, the profound sadness and disbelief everyone is experiencing is magnified. Could this tragedy have been avoided? The victim seemed to have everything. But there was one threat she couldn’t contain. One that bubbled and festered under the surface, in her periphery. In episode 393, Jac and Alexis detail the devastating case of Sharon Choros, and how those who appear to have it all can be more at risk of violence and heartbreak than we think.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

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👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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Episode 393: After The Crash

Another week of chipping away at the iceberg. Today we’re diving into the Gislaine sighting in Canada, Bill Gates admitting to affairs with two Russian women, Trump releasing the alien files (anything but release the Epstein files we guess), Epstein’s FedEx account being used after his death, and apparently Epstein’s autopsy findings (apparently the dude can grow new body parts?). Tin foil hats ON.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 4

On a quiet February morning in an upscale Virginia suburb, a 911 call shattered the quiet. An au pair reported an intruder. A federal agent said he fired his weapon to protect his family. By sunrise, two people had lost their lives. At first, it sounded like a tragic act: a heroic husband trying to protect his wife, Christine. But as investigators began pulling at the threads, the story started to unravel.In episode 392 of The First Degree, Jac and Alexis walk you through the double murder that gripped northern Virginia — and the arrogance, betrayal, and devastating choices that left a child without her mother and two families forever changed.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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Episode 392: The Au Pair Catfish

Firsties, we are so excited to introduce you to an amazing true crime podcast hosted by some new friends to The First Degree, Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton. The Knife is a journalistic, true crime podcast with immersive, narrative interview episodes and additional episodes where producers and hosts Hannah Smith and Patia Eaton tell eachother a crime story. Hannah and Patia formerly produced The Opportunist before launching The Knife in 2025.We have become huge fans and we know you'll love them too. Find them whenever you listen to podcasts.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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TFD Special Episode: Introducing The Knife

And we're back for round three... This week, we're diving into the latest updates surrounding the Epstein files, discussing the DOJ's recent release of documents and the implications of missing information. Then, Ghislaine Maxwell's testimony, the bizarre obsession with jerky in the files, and the potential for Epstein's offspring. Zorro Ranch, scopolamine, it just goes on and on!

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 3

On October 26, 2007, a 55-year-old military veteran was found murdered in his home on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee. The family of the father of four was heartbroken. They, along with investigators, wondered who could be responsible for the brutal beating. Within days, the perpetrators were identified, charged, and eventually convicted. But for at least one family involved, something was amiss. Soon, cracks in the investigation revealed that someone had been wrongfully convicted while the real killer walked free; it sets Stephanie Tinsley on an unrelenting quest to expose the truth. In episode 391, Jac and Alexis detail the haunting murder of Danny Harris, and Stephanie’s journey towards the truth, which she chronicled in her hit podcast, Everything They Missed.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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Episode 391: Danny Rex Harris

This week we continue to chip away at the Epstein files, starting off with the top headlines of the week. We dive into bizarre code words throughout the files (shrimp, cheese, sushi, white tuna), learn about Gislaine’s dad owning the company that produces American textbooks, and did you know Epstein won the lottery? Yep, nothing surprises us anymore. 

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree

📓 Substack: http://thefirstdegree.substack.com
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DEEP DIVE: THE EPSTEIN FILES, PART 2

After more than a year of stalking, threats, and repeated pleas for help, the danger in Peggy Klinke’s life reaches its breaking point. As the criminal case against her stalker inches toward trial, she does everything she can to stay hidden - even moving a thousand miles away to protect herself. But her stalker refuses to stop. He searches relentlessly, exploiting gaps in the system, until he finally finds her. In episode 390, Jac and Alexis examine Peggy Klinke’s preventable murder and her sister Debbie’s determination to ensure Peggy’s death saves as many lives as possible.

🎟 Catch up to FOUR bonus episodes per month plus full video episodes over on Patreon:

patreon.com/thefirstdegree

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/thefirstdegree

🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@thefirstdegreee

👤 Facebook: facebook.com/thefirstdegree
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 392: The Au Pair Catfish

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