Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised this episode includes discussions of murder and sexual violence that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13.

52 year old Stephen Zellick glanced at the clock, perched on the nightstand. The morning was passing quickly and it was almost time to check out of the hotel. He had to act fast.

Stephen stepped closer to the queen sized bed where 37 year old Laura Simonson knelt before him. She was naked, blindfolded and her hands were tied behind her back. Stephen let out a long breath as he took her in the sight of her. Powerless was utterly intoxicating, but he didn't have time to waste. He stretched the length of rope between his hands and looped it around Laura's neck. Then he started to tighten it inch by inch, slowly restricting her oxygen.

Stephen panted in excitement. This was his favorite part. She couldn't escape now, even if she wanted to, she belonged entirely to him.

Hi, I'm Greg Pulsing, this is Serial Killers, a Spotify original fun podcast. Every episode we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're concluding the story of Steven Sellick, the Milwaukee suitcase murderer. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Last time we examined how former police officer Steven Sellick nursed a growing desire to control and overpower women, we also detailed how he lured his first victim to meet him in person before he squeezed the life from her body.

Today, we'll discuss the aftermath of Stephen's first kill, as well as the grim details of Stephen's second murder.

We'll also explore how investigators built their case against him, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the victim's friends and family.

We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us.

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In August of 2012, 50 year old Steven Zollitsch enticed 19 year old Jonny Gomes to visit him in Wisconsin. When she arrived, he took her to a hotel room in Kenosha County, where they spent the weekend conducting BDM sessions. But hours before they were due to check out, he looked a piece of rope around her neck.

For his entire life, Stephen had been filled with the desire to dominate women. Now, with Jenny's life in his hands, he had complete control.

Stephen began a process called Breath Play, a sexual activity that involves the restriction of oxygen.

He alternated between tightening and loosening the noose around Jenny's neck, cutting off her airway for longer and longer periods of time until finally he stopped loosening it altogether and Jenny's lifeless form keeled over onto the floor.

Stephen could have called for help right then and there. He could have even performed CPR since he'd received training during his years as a police officer. Instead, he just emptied out Jenny's suitcase and stuffed her corpse inside.

Then he retrieved the luggage cart and stacked several bags on top of each other. He wheeled the cart outside and loaded the suitcases into his trunk.

Stephen left the hotel and drove to his apartment in West Allis, Wisconsin. There, he brought the suitcase inside and began to remove everything from his refrigerator, all of the food, the shelves and the drawers.

Then he took Jenny's naked and bound body out of her suitcase and put her inside the cold, dark fridge.

It was a gruesome reminder of his first kill, a prized possession he wasn't willing to part with, so much so that over the next year he left her right there in his fridge just to keep her close. But as Jenny's body began to decompose before him, Stephen realized that merely her presence wasn't enough. He needed to relive the thrill that he'd felt when he had total control. So he returned to various BDM websites searching for someone new, someone he could easily manipulate.

He seemed to have an instinct for singling out the most vulnerable. Perhaps this was because he knew what it felt like to be lonely. Throughout his life, Stephen had very few friends or social connections. As a result, it's likely that he knew how to identify with women who were also feeling alone.

He knew exactly what to say to lower their guards and made sweeping statements he knew he couldn't or wouldn't keep. He promised to take care of them for the rest of their lives, giving them not only companionship but an escape from their problems and responsibilities.

And by vowing to become their master, he wasn't just indulging their fetish. He was building himself up as someone these women could trust with their lives.

Vanessa is going to take over and the psychology here and throughout the episode. As a note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show.

Thanks, Greg. According to author Meredith Jean Scannell, online dating comes with many risks. In her 2019 study published in the Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal, Scandal explored how predators exploit the Internet to entice potential victims. She writes, Sexual predators can create an anonymous profile and engage with potential victims under false pretenses.

Some perpetrators will try to make their profiles more desirable and falsify their appearance, age or employment in efforts to appear to be a better dating candidate to attract others. Over time, online relationships develop with emotional attachment and trust, thereby increasing vulnerability for all.

Stephens talk about enslavement and domination. His Mr. Handcuffs profile picture made him look disarming harmless in his photo, one that had been taken when he was years younger. He seemed relaxed. He sat casually on a couch, sporting an earnest smile. He looked trustworthy enough. At least some women must have thought so, in particular the vulnerable women Stephen targeted. According to psychologist Jeff Gardere, people with low self-esteem and self perception issues may be particularly susceptible to online lies.

In a 2013 interview, Dr. Gardere remarked that these victims, quote, don't think as much of themselves as maybe they should, and they're perhaps trying to find redemption in this dream person. It's possible.

That's exactly what Steven's next target hope to find in him. In the fall of 2013, Steven scoured a BDM website called Calame Dotcom and connected with a woman named Laura Simons. Him, Laura was a 37 year old mother from Farmington, Minnesota, when she met. Even online, she was going through a particularly difficult period in her life, according to Laura's father, she had lived with mental health issues since adolescence. However, her struggles were compounded by a number of personal problems in adulthood.

In the late 2000s, after several rocky years of marriage, she divorced her husband, Troy, she lost custody of their seven children and stayed with her mother for a brief period. But the greatest tragedy of Laura's life occurred in the summer of 2013. That June, her 13 year old daughter, Alyssa, died suddenly. Laura was devastated. In those months of grief, she withdrew from her family and began to spend more and more time online. She developed a fascination with BDM and found herself chatting with complete strangers who shared similar interests.

It's likely she saw this type of activity as an outlet for or an escape from what seemed to be a lingering depression, as unusual as it might seem. There's science to back up this kind of thinking. According to psychologist Brad Sagarin, BDM play can actually alter a person's consciousness by putting them in a state of euphoria similar to one experienced by endurance runners, artists and people under hypnosis. In a 2006 study, Dr. Sagarin and a team of researchers studied seven couples who engaged in BDM play.

They discovered that these participants experienced lower levels of stress following BDM activities. Their subjects also reported a better mood and an increase in arousal. Sagarin and his fellow researchers suggested that these changes may be caused by a reduction in the brain's prefrontal cortex activity. When people partake in BDM activity, their overall blood flow to this region appears to slow down in order to focus on sensory and perceptual processes as well as other basic needs. Or, as Sagarin describes it, the rest of the world drops away and someone is completely focused on what they're doing, considering the tragic loss of her daughter.

It's possible that BDM play helped Laura Salmonsen escape the tremendous grief weighing down on her. As a result, she may have found the altered mental state she gleaned from BDM activity immensely appealing.

Whatever the reason for her interest, Laura began frequenting BDM websites like Calame Dotcom, and by the fall of 2013, she connected with Stephen Salik. Stephen expressed his desire to enter a master slave relationship, just like he told Jenny.

He reportedly said he wanted someone he could keep in permanent confinement with, quote, no expectation of release.

Laura was drawn to his proposal, and the two began making plans to start a new life together. But first, Stephen had a few stipulations. He sent Laura a list of tasks to complete before they met.

He asked her to remove all her body hair and paint her nails, his favorite shade of pink. He also told her she should sell all of her belongings, liquidate all of her property and delete all her social media profiles.

He wanted her to erase all traces of her former existence. Laura agreed to everything she knew. Stephen desired an obedient slave, and she wanted to prove she could be that for him.

At one point, she asked him if it was really possible for her to disappear, to escape her life completely. Stephen assured her that she could he would make sure of it. On the morning of November 2nd, 2013. Laura left a note for her mother. It read, I'm sorry I'm this way. I'm no good for the kids either. The best thing I can do is to stay away. I'm going to find a place to go so no one has to deal with me again.

I love you all and always will.

Then she drove her van to her mother's house and parked it on the street. Laura hadn't been able to find a buyer for her vehicle, so she abandoned it. From there, she walked a few blocks to a nearby elementary school.

Just as she was approaching the school, Stevens White Sadan pulled to the side of the road, Laura hurried to his car, eager to meet the man who had promised her a new beginning. She climbed inside and the two headed southeast toward Stevens apartment in West Alice, Wisconsin. But Steven had no intention of bringing Laura home to stay with him forever. He wasn't even thinking past the weekend.

Shortly after they left Farmington, he told Laura that the five hour journey was too long to make. In one day, about an hour into the drive, he suggested they pull off the highway and stay at a hotel a little after noon.

The pair arrived at the Microtel in suites in Rochester, Minnesota. Laura checked in, paying cash for the room. Meanwhile, Steven hung back, keeping an eye on her while she filled out the paperwork.

While they didn't call attention to themselves. They still stood out to the hotel's front desk manager, Kristy Bogdanoff, according to Christie. Laura appeared to be anguished. She didn't smile much, and her eyes were filled with worry.

Christie sensed that Laura was troubled, but she never imagined that she'd be the last person to see her alive.

Coming up, Steven sadistic urges turned deadly once again. Hi, it's Vanessa from Pakistan, they say there's someone for everyone, a soul to share your secrets with, a companion to grow old with, a conspirator to commit crimes with starting this February on Spotify, learn about the lethal and legendary lovers who fought the law in the past limited series Criminal Couples'. If you've ever referred to your best friend or beloved as your partner in crime.

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This episode is brought to you by Uber, it's figuring out what's for dinner, why not eat local? Tonight, I'll be eating a turkey burger with lettuce, tomato pesto, caramelized onions, pepper, jack cheese, no pickles.

Yes, mayo, all on a brushed butter sesame bun, toasted from my favorite neighborhood place. Whatever you're in the mood for, Uber Eats offers a wide selection of local restaurants from what's new in town to old local favorites. Eat Local with Uber eats tonight. Now back to the story. On November 2nd, 2013, 37 year old Laura Simonson checked into a hotel about an hour away from her hometown in Farmington, Minnesota. She was there with 52 year old Steven Sellick, a man she'd met on a BDM website.

He convinced her to leave her whole life behind and come live with him indefinitely in Wisconsin as his slave.

But Stephen was lying to Laura. He wasn't planning to bring her to his home in West Allis at all if Laura moved in with him. She would be sure to find the body of 19 year old Jenny Gamez hidden inside his refrigerator. He couldn't let that happen.

Perhaps Jenny was on his mind as he and Laura checked into the Rochester Hotel. Stephen certainly seemed intent on recreating the same deadly encounter from the previous year over the next 24 hours.

Steven acted out his every fantasy on Laura. He had her stripped naked place, a ball gag in her mouth, handcuffed her wrists behind her back, taped her ankles together and blindfolded her.

By Sunday morning, he wanted to assert even more control and began the act of breath play or the restriction of oxygen for erotic pleasure. As Laura knelt on the bed, Stephen wrapped his hands around her neck and used his fingers to pinch her nostrils shut. But he didn't stop there.

He retrieved some rope and looped it around her neck, increasing the pressure as he tightened it. Eventually, Laura keeled over and fell off the bed.

But when Stephen picked her up from the floor, he realized that she was dead. She had just killed his second victim.

According to Stephen, he was immediately stricken with panic. Memories of Jenny flooded into his head, and he knew exactly what to do next, just as he'd done during his first murder.

Stephen emptied Laura's suitcase and placed her naked body inside. She still had the ball gag in her mouth and a rope around her neck. Then he went downstairs and grabbed a luggage cart.

Stephen stacked the bags on the cart, then brought everything downstairs to his car. He loaded the suitcase into his trunk and headed home.

And just as before, he made no attempt to dump Laura's body. He had plans to keep the remains. These corpses were his prized possessions, and he had no intention of letting go of these priceless trophies.

Sociologist Nicole L. Mott discusses the behavior of trophy taking in the Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime. In her entry, Matt wrote that a trophy is, in essence a souvenir in the context of violent behavior or murder. Keeping a part of the victim as a trophy represents power over that individual. When the offender keeps this kind of souvenir, it serves as a way to preserve the memory of the victim and the experience of his or her death. By taking possession over Laura's body, Stephen exerted complete control over her even after her death.

But maintaining such a trophy was no easy task.

For starters, Steven had no where to store the corpse. There was no more room left in his refrigerator, so he decided to keep her remains inside the suitcase and leave it in the trunk of his car. Fortunately for Steven, the frigid Wisconsin winters were cold enough to keep the body from decomposing too quickly, at least for now.

As long as nobody discovered the two corpses, Steven knew he was safe. After all, he had avoided getting caught after his first murder for more than a year. But Steven soon learned that he couldn't make everything in life go his way.

Steven had found something of a perfect victim and Jenny. She had grown up in the foster care system and had few family ties when she disappeared, nobody reported her missing. Her friends assumed she had wanted a fresh start, that she began a new life somewhere else.

However, Laura Simonson was different. She had a mother, a sister, children, friends and even an ex-husband who deeply missed her. They didn't ignore her disappearance when Lori's family found her goodbye letter in November of 2013.

They assumed that the grieving mother just needed some space. It wasn't uncommon for Laura to disappear for a few days when she was feeling overwhelmed and they assumed that she was off visiting a friend. But as days turned into weeks, they grew more and more concerned.

When it looked like Laura might miss Thanksgiving, her mother and sister knew something was wrong. Laura would never miss the holidays with her children, so they called the Farmington Police Department to report her missing. Around November 25th, Detective Sergeant Lee Harlettes paid Lauras family a visit, at first glance, the case didn't seem like a police matter. Laura was an adult free to go where she pleased. And given the No Child Left Behind, it appeared that she'd left voluntarily.

But while Detective Harlettes was there, he asked to search the van. Laura had left in front of her mother's house. Inside the vehicle, he found Laura's cell phone and bank card, which gave him pause, surely if Laura were really visiting a friend, she would have taken her phone and a way to access her money. Hollett said something was wrong and decided to pursue an investigation.

Authorities began by questioning Laura's ex-husband, Troy Laura had previously leveled accusations of domestic violence against him during their turbulent marriage. If Laura had been harmed, police believe that Troy was the most likely suspect. They had no reason to guess that the real culprit was someone Laura barely knew, someone who lived more than 300 miles away.

But there was another man, a friend of Laura's named Jeff, who had information. The police didn't. Laura and Jeff were extremely close and she'd confided in him about her online activities. She even trusted him with her account usernames and passwords.

When Jeff learned of her disappearance, he became particularly worried. He logged into Laura's social media profiles, including the site Calame dot com, and combed through her messages, searching for any bit of information that could help the investigation.

Along his diligence paid off. Jeff discovered dozens of communications between Laura and Stephen's handle. Mr. Handcuffs. Crucially, the messages included plans for Laura to move in with him and become his slave.

When Detective Harlettes read these messages, he was convinced that Laura was in real danger. He suspected that she was being held captive by an abuser who had taken advantage of her vulnerable position. Most importantly, he now knew that she may have traveled out of state to meet this man.

Detective Harlettes released an all points bulletin that went out to nearby law enforcement agencies, hospitals and hotels notifying them of Laura's disappearance. Two days later, he received a call.

Kristi Bowden, off the front desk manager at the Microtel in an suites in Rochester, had seen the flier. She recognized Laura's picture and promptly called in.

Kristi recalled the date that Laura had checked in and that she was accompanied by a man who she described as gruff. Unfortunately, Christie didn't have any information on who the man was, as he hadn't filled out any paperwork.

To make matters more difficult, the hotel security footage from that day was lost. However, the hotel did have footage from the following day, the day that Steven Solich checked out. When Detective Harlettes reviewed the footage, he didn't see Laura, but he did see a man leaving the hotel with a cart full of luggage. Sadly, police couldn't I.D. Steven from the security footage, and the case began to slow.

Luckily, Laura's friends and family continue to investigate new leads on their own, especially her friend Jeff. Once he discovered the username, Mr. Handcuffs just spent hours searching the Internet for any hints about this person's identity. Jeff found the same username on other BDM websites, including one that listed an email address with some careful Internet sleuthing, he finally connected the e-mail account to 52 year old Steven Zellick.

Once again, Jeff passed this information to Farmington authorities. But when Detective Harlettes ran a search on Steven, he realized they weren't dealing with a regular citizen. Steven was a former police officer who had a history of exploiting his position of power for his own pleasure.

Harlettes reached out to the West Allis Police Department, and they agreed to assist in the Farmington investigation. So in January of 2014, a few officers from the West Allis PD went to Steven's apartment.

Steven recognized one of the officers immediately and allowed just that one to come inside. The officer did a cursory search of the apartment to see if Laura was there, but found no sign of her. The apartment was noticeably dirty with an obvious mold infestation. It's possible that this helped disguise any odor emanating from the two corpses Steven had stored on his property.

Steven was friendly and cooperative. As the officer questioned him, he calmly admitted to chatting with Laura online, but said that he'd never met her in person. He also claimed to know nothing about her disappearance. So the West Dallas police officers were forced to leave Empty-Handed without any direct evidence linking Steven to Laura's disappearance. There wasn't enough to make an arrest even still.

Authorities weren't ready to stop their investigation. In February of 2014, the FBI offered to help with the case shortly after an FBI agent paid a visit to Steven's apartment.

The agent grilled Steven about his relationship with Laura, but Steven feigned innocence and still insisted that he knew nothing about her whereabouts to prove his case.

He readily agreed to give a sample of his DNA.

It's likely that Steven felt the DNA was a dead end for investigators, even if he had left evidence on his victim. He knew they didn't have the most important piece. Lori's body was still locked in the trunk of his car. Stevens thinking was spot on. Following the second interview. There was little left law enforcement could do. They had no conclusive evidence to make an arrest, and the case languished for months.

The lack of progress frustrated Laura's loved ones. They were certain that Steven was dangerous, yet he was allowed to walk the streets a free man. But one of Laura's friends was determined to find some measure of justice.

In April of 2014, an anonymous person placed a classified ad in the West Dallas newspaper. The ad read, Steven Mark Zellick is a sadist who has enslaved a petite female named Laura Jean. Simon said the police have not been able to locate where Stephen has Laura in prison.

Please join our effort to find and free Laura Simon in the classified posted Steven's personal details, including his email address and cell phone number. It also warned anyone browsing BDM websites to be on the lookout for the username Mr Handcuffs.

But it seems not everyone saw the warning. By the summer of 2014, Steven was communicating with a new woman online, someone with the username Petra.

They hadn't been chatting for very long, but Steven was already sharing his fantasies with her.

He told Petra that he was searching for a, quote, torture slave with no limits, no safe words, no possible way out, just like Jenny Gomez and Laura Simons and Petra seemed intrigued by the idea and Stephen couldn't wait to meet her in person.

Coming up, Steven scrambles to cover up his crimes. This episode is brought to you by three a.m. What are the adhesives used in both Post-it notes and airplanes have in common? They're both made with innovations from 3M. In fact, there are lots of 3M products hiding in plain sight that you might not realize, including a ninety five respirators in response to covid-19 Pyramus increased respirator production to make more respirators than ever before, helping those on the front lines continue the fight.

Learn more at 3M dot com slash covid. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime video. What if you thought you killed someone but you just couldn't remember in the new Amazon original series? Tell me your secrets, Emma. The girlfriend of a serial killer is trying to figure out what role she played in the disappearance of a missing girl. If you're the girlfriend of a serial killer. Chances are you probably had something to do with it, right?

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Now back to the story. Fifty two year old Steven Selvidge had a disturbing, deadly habit of seducing vulnerable women on BDM websites in the summer of 2014. He started chatting with a user named Petra, asking her to come live with him as his permanent slave. Steven had made the same offer to 19 year old Jenny Gamez and 37 year old Laura Salmonsen, both of whom he strangled to death with rope, now their remains were stashed in his refrigerator and his car where they were beginning to rot.

Around this time, a few neighbors in Stevens building noticed a distinctive smell emanating from his apartment. One neighbor even remarked on an unusual number of flies and maggots. Stephen had wanted to keep Jenny's corpse for as long as he could. However, her body had become so swollen from the decomposition process that Stephen couldn't even keep his refrigerator door shut. He had to get rid of her.

He placed her corpse back in the suitcase he first used to transport her. Then he unloaded it in the trunk of his car right next to Laura's remains. This at least kept the odors out of his apartment. But unsurprisingly, another problem arose. His car now reeked of death. For a while, Steven drove around with the bodies inside, spraying deodorizer whenever the smell became too overpowering. But as the weather grew warmer, Stephen realized that the situation was untenable.

Around this time, Stephen worked as a security guard at a high end building. Whenever he drove to work, his co-workers complained about the stench coming from his car, so much so that his boss ordered him to take care of it. Much to his displeasure, Stephen knew the time had come to relinquish his trophies. On the night of June 4th, Stephen drove about 40 minutes southwest of his home to the quiet town of Geneva, Wisconsin. He pulled to a stop on North Commo Road, choosing a stretch of pavement without any streetlights under cover of darkness.

Stephen took the two suitcases from his trunk and abandoned them in a ditch. Then he got back into his car and drove away when he returned home. Steven immediately resumed chatting with his new online target, a woman with the username Petra. It seems that with his prized possessions gone, he was eager to collect another between one murder and the next. Serial killers typically experience a cooling off period that might last anywhere from several hours to several years. The length of a killer's cooling off period may be determined by many factors, but it's not unusual for these time intervals to shorten with each kill.

Criminologist Arnon Edelstein posited a theory about such cooling off periods in his 2019 paper published in the Journal of Psychology and Behavior Research, he wrote. As in other antisocial behaviors, the more a person engages in murder, the easier it becomes. Each subsequent act is easier, and the loss of inner conflict enables them to act more quickly than before. Stephen's initial cooling off period lasted about 14 months. But now, just seven months after Laura's death, Stephen was already looking for his next kill.

On June 5th, he wrote in a message to Petra, I want you here in absolute captivity. I want to start planning that. Meanwhile, the very same day he was exchanging messages with Petra, a highway worker in Geneva made a ghastly discovery as he was cutting the grass, he found the two suitcases next to the road covered in flies.

He wasn't sure what to make of the discovery, so he moved the bags to the shoulder of the road and continued his work.

Later that day, a passing motorist spotted the suitcases and stopped to investigate when he approached them. The smell was unmistakable. It was the stench of death. The driver immediately called the Walworth County Sheriff's Office. When detectives arrived, they found the bodies of Laura Simonson and Jenny Gomez inside the bags.

A medical examiner determined that both women had been strangled to death and were able to identify Laura from a tattoo of her daughter's name. However, identifying Jenny proved more difficult. She'd been dead for almost two years and her remains had nearly mummified. But while they work to identify her using dental records and help from the public, Janiva, law enforcement officers had plenty of other evidence to work with.

The crime lab analyzed the suitcases and their contents, including all the items that had been affixed on the bodies. When the corpses were discovered, Laura still had the ball gag lodged in her mouth and Jenny's hands were tied behind her back with rope.

That rope led to a breakthrough. Investigators found DNA trapped within the knot and it was a match for Steven Zellick. On June 25th, 2014, Walworth County authorities drove to West Allis to confront Steven at work as the officers approached him. He was subdued and cooperative. He even agreed to answer their questions. It's possible that he thought his compliance would prove his innocence.

However, once inside the interrogation room, detectives informed Steven that he wouldn't be returning to work any time soon. They'd already found his DNA and the two bodies discovered in Geneva.

Steven knew the jig was up. As a former police officer, he understood how the justice system worked and changed his entire approach.

He reportedly spoke nonchalantly as if he were discussing the weather and told authorities everything how he'd killed the two women and hidden their remains.

Meanwhile, officers dressed in hazmat suits gathered around Stephen's apartment building and broke down his door with a battering ram.

Stevens neighbors watched stunned as investigators spent hours removing potential evidence from his apartment, including the refrigerator, as officers built their case.

Steven worked on establishing his defense, although he continued to cooperate with interrogators and answer their questions, though he freely admitted that he killed Jenny and Laura. He described the deaths as unintentional.

He calmly told the Walworth officers that he had engaged in consensual BDM breath play with the two women. But in a state of arousal and excitement, he'd gone too far and lost control. According to Stephen, it was all a horrible accident, not premeditated murder. However, when investigators asked why Laura's murder followed the exact same pattern as gennies, he didn't have a plausible explanation. He told officers he must have subconsciously repeated his behavior and denied ever planning it out.

He also couldn't explain why he didn't try to call for help or administer first aid, nor could he justify why he'd kept their remains for so long.

Although Steven attempted to take control of the interrogation, his story simply didn't add up. In the end, he faced several charges, including first degree murder and two counts of hiding a corpse in January of 2016.

He reached a deal with prosecutors pleading guilty to first degree reckless homicide for Jenny's death. In exchange, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. A year later, he pled guilty to second degree murder and Laura assignments and staff and was given an additional 25 year term to serve immediately after the first. Then, in October of 2017, he received a final 10 year sentence for the crime of hiding the bodies altogether. He was to spend 70 years behind bars.

However, after his sentencing, Steven attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. His case is currently pending in the courts.

If Steven is able to prove his counsel was ineffective, he may be allowed to withdraw his plea and stand trial for his crimes. In the meantime, he remains a prisoner at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin, where he has forfeited all control over his own life. To quote Mr. Handcuffs, he's experiencing permanent confinement with no expectation of release. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers.

We'll be back soon with the new episode.

You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from past cast for free on Spotify.

Will see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from podcast.

Executive producers include Max and Ron Cuddler Sound, designed by Michael Motian with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden and Joshua Kern. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Christina Pigmies with writing assistance by Joel Kaplan and Gaono, fact checking by Bennett Logan and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Polson and Vanessa Richardson.

Hi, it's Vanessa again. Before you go, don't forget to check out the new Parkhurst Limited series. Criminal couples from apocalyptic cult leaders to bank robbing bandits to married mafiosos. These couples give new meaning to till death do us part. Enjoy two part episodes every Monday starting February 1st. Follow criminal couples free and exclusively on Spotify.