Strange occurrences start to plague a family on a remote farmstead in Germany months before they are brutally murdered with an axe. This is a case that is shrouded in mystery. Was the house haunted? Was there someone creeping around in the attic without the family knowing? Or did the family’s dark secrets have deadly consequences?

Sources:

“The Hinterkaifeck Murders – Part One; an Introduction to Hinterkaifeck.” Two Queens True Crime, 4 Jan. 2024, twoqueenstruecrime.wordpress.com/2022/12/29/the-hinterkaifeck-murders.

“The Hinterkaifeck Murders – Part Two; the Timeline.” Two Queens True Crime, 11 Jan. 2024, twoqueenstruecrime.wordpress.com/2024/01/11/the-hinterkaifeck-murders-2.

“Hinterkaifeck Part Three; Evidence and Suspect List.” Two Queens True Crime, 14 Jan. 2024, twoqueenstruecrime.wordpress.com/2024/01/13/hinterkaifeck-part-three.

“Maria Baumgartner, Portrait of a Maid.” Two Queens True Crime, 14 Jan. 2024, twoqueenstruecrime.wordpress.com/2024/01/14/maria-baumgartner.

“Der Mythos Hinterkaifeck • Hinterkaifeck.” Hinterkaifeck, 26 Aug. 2023, www.hinterkaifeck.net.

Wikipedia contributors. “Hinterkaifeck Murders.” Wikipedia, 1 June 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinterkaifeck_murders.

Serena, Katie. “Hinterkaifeck Murders: The Unsolved German Massacre.” All That’s Interesting, 20 Oct. 2023, allthatsinteresting.com/hinterkaifeck-murders.

---. “Municipalities of Germany.” Wikipedia, 7 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Germany.

Kennedy. “20 Facts About the Hinterkaifeck Murders: Germany’s Most Notorious Unsolved Case.” Discover Walks Blog, 25 Sept. 2023, www.discoverwalks.com/blog/germany/20-facts-about-the-hinterkaifeck-murders-germanys-most-notorious-unsolved-case.

McNairn, Alan, et al. “The Mystery of Germany’S Hinterkaifeck Farmhouse Murders.” Historic Mysteries, 19 Sept. 2022, www.historicmysteries.com/major-crimes/hinterkaifeck-murders/14960.

“Germany | Facts, Geography, Maps, and History.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 June 2024, www.britannica.com/place/Germany/Years-of-crisis-1920-23.

“Evidence and Clues.” Hinterkaifeck - Mordfall Gelöst, www.hinterkaifeck.ch/en/indications.

Farmhouse Layout: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=hinterkiefck+layout&fr=mcafee&type=E210US91088G0&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.modding-welt.com%2Fattachment%2F34219-39486-16b3905a-jpg%2F#id=2&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Fce%2Fdb%2Fa7%2Fcedba7a3735be7359b09794d5243f59a.png&action=click

In this episode, we cover Sandy Melgar’s trial and how the prosecution says she committed a seemingly impossible crime. The videos mentioned in the episode are linked below.

Sources:

KHOU 11. “Watch: Could Sandra Melgar Have Locked Herself in the Closet?” YouTube, 29 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-5ZUfLJqoU.

KHOU 11. “Missing Pieces: What Does the Blood Evidence in the Melgar’s House Show?” YouTube, 30 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=waZKIHDrlLY.

KHOU 11. “Could Sandra Melgar Have Tied Herself up the Night Her Husband Died?” YouTube, 30 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1XwozdhMLo.

KHOU 11. “Court Denies Sandra Melgar’s Appeal, Upholding Murder Conviction.” YouTube, 8 Jan. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-OWy_ZuxQ.

Sandy Interrogation Transcript

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZzwNC6e83sNtxe1oeqZYWESnLC-K50j_/view

Matt Orchard - Crime and Society. “The Curious Case of Sandy Melgar.” YouTube, 25 Dec. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrCHj-LNjYQ.

True Crime Recaps. “Was Sandra Melgar Wrongly Convicted? | True Crime Recaps.” YouTube, 21 Aug. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=78QG2QPV_OE.

“Sandra Melgar - Innocence Project of Texas.” Innocence Project of Texas, 20 Dec. 2022, innocencetexas.org/cases/sandra-melgar.

“Sandra Jean Melgar V. The State of Texas Appeal From 178th District Court of Harris County (Opinion).” Justia Law, law.justia.com/cases/texas/fourteenth-court-of-appeals/2020/14-17-00932-cr.html.

“MELGAR, SANDRA JEAN Appeal From 178th District Court of Harris County (Original per Curiam).” Justia Law, law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2022/pd-0243-20.html.

Paparella, Andrew, et al. “Amateur Sleuths Take on Case of Woman in Prison for Stabbing, Bludgeoning Husband to Death: ‘There Were No Bones Behind’ Conviction.” Good Morning America, 23 Aug. 2019, www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/amateur-sleuths-case-woman-prison-stabbing-bludgeoning-husband-59477363.

Vanapalli, Viswa. “Sandra Melgar: Where Is the Convicted Killer Now?” The Cinemaholic, 16 Dec. 2023, thecinemaholic.com/where-is-sandra-melgar-now.

Pelisek, Christine. “A Daughter'S Outrage After Mom Is Convicted of Murdering Dad in Staged Home Invasion: Why She Says the Verdict Is Wrong.” Peoplemag, 7 Sept. 2017, people.com/crime/sandra-melgar-murder-verdict-daughter-says-is-wrong.

“Texas Woman Convicted of Murder After Prosecutors Say She Killed Husband Then Staged a Home Invasion.” Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2017, people.com/crime/sandra-melgar-guilty-husband-murder-fake-home-invasion.

FreeSandyMelgar. “The Wrongful Conviction of Sandra Melgar.” FreeSandyMelgar, www.freesandymelgar.com/the-melgar-murder-case.

Palin, Megan. “Woman Staged Home Invasion and Locked Herself in Closet After Brutally Murdering Her Husband.” NZ Herald, 22 Sept. 2020, www.nzherald.co.nz/world/woman-staged-home-invasion-and-locked-herself-in-closet-after-brutally-murdering-her-husband/JNHGGBRTYZGQCZY5HMXYDD6XJM.

The Houston police are faced with a bizarre murder case that reads like a riddle. A man is beaten and stabbed to death in his own home, while his wife is found barricaded in a closet, bound by her ankles and wrists, with no memory of what happened. There is no evidence of anyone else being in the house. Is it possible that the wife, who walked with a cane and was chronically ill, could have overpowered her husband, barricaded herself into a room from the opposite side of the door, and tied herself up? Or was there a stranger in the house that night?

Sources:

Sandy Interrogation Transcript

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZzwNC6e83sNtxe1oeqZYWESnLC-K50j_/view

Matt Orchard - Crime and Society. “The Curious Case of Sandy Melgar.” YouTube, 25 Dec. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrCHj-LNjYQ.

True Crime Recaps. “Was Sandra Melgar Wrongly Convicted? | True Crime Recaps.” YouTube, 21 Aug. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=78QG2QPV_OE.

“Sandra Melgar - Innocence Project of Texas.” Innocence Project of Texas, 20 Dec. 2022, innocencetexas.org/cases/sandra-melgar.

“Sandra Jean Melgar V. The State of Texas Appeal From 178th District Court of Harris County (Opinion).” Justia Law, law.justia.com/cases/texas/fourteenth-court-of-appeals/2020/14-17-00932-cr.html.

“MELGAR, SANDRA JEAN Appeal From 178th District Court of Harris County (Original per Curiam).” Justia Law, law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2022/pd-0243-20.html.

Paparella, Andrew, et al. “Amateur Sleuths Take on Case of Woman in Prison for Stabbing, Bludgeoning Husband to Death: ‘There Were No Bones Behind’ Conviction.” Good Morning America, 23 Aug. 2019, www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/amateur-sleuths-case-woman-prison-stabbing-bludgeoning-husband-59477363.

Vanapalli, Viswa. “Sandra Melgar: Where Is the Convicted Killer Now?” The Cinemaholic, 16 Dec. 2023, thecinemaholic.com/where-is-sandra-melgar-now.

Pelisek, Christine. “A Daughter'S Outrage After Mom Is Convicted of Murdering Dad in Staged Home Invasion: Why She Says the Verdict Is Wrong.” Peoplemag, 7 Sept. 2017, people.com/crime/sandra-melgar-murder-verdict-daughter-says-is-wrong.

“Texas Woman Convicted of Murder After Prosecutors Say She Killed Husband Then Staged a Home Invasion.” Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2017, people.com/crime/sandra-melgar-guilty-husband-murder-fake-home-invasion.

FreeSandyMelgar. “The Wrongful Conviction of Sandra Melgar.” FreeSandyMelgar, www.freesandymelgar.com/the-melgar-murder-case.

Palin, Megan. “Woman Staged Home Invasion and Locked Herself in Closet After Brutally Murdering Her Husband.” NZ Herald, 22 Sept. 2020, www.nzherald.co.nz/world/woman-staged-home-invasion-and-locked-herself-in-closet-after-brutally-murdering-her-husband/JNHGGBRTYZGQCZY5HMXYDD6XJM.