Panic True Queer Crime

Road Rage A late-night drive home in Commerce City ended in gunfire after an alleged confrontation involving an e-bike rider. Police say a gay couple was followed to their apartment gate, where one man was critically wounded; Jacob Sifuentez has been charged in connection with the case. Hyde Park Killing 2026 Police are investigating a series of shootings in Philadelphia's Hunting Park as potential hate crimes. Three attacks targeted three gay men in May and June 2026. Philadelphia police are searching for the suspect in the Hunting Park case as the investigation continues. If you have any information, you can call or text the Philadelphia Police Department's tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334. Laura Schuler was a much-loved and deeply respected activist and friend; her murder adds to the index of misery and death for black trans women across the United States. If you are struggling, please know you are not alone. Refer to the resources below for additional support. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or local emergency services. For trans-specific crisis support, Trans Lifeline offers peer support by and for trans people at 877-565-8860. The Anti-Violence Project provides a 24-hour hotline at 212-714-1141 for LGBTQ people and survivors of violence. For domestic violence support in LGBTQ communities, The Network/La Red is available at 800-832-1901 or 617-742-4911. FORGE also provides resources for trans survivors of sexual violence and related safety planning. Updates A mixed progress report on five cases covered on Panic: Sam Nordquist, Marcus Freiberger, Eduardo Xol, Jacob Zieben-Hood, and Jonathan Joss. Some are now partially resolved, some remain open, and others are still moving through the courts. Watch the full cases here: Sam Nordquist: https://youtube.com/shorts/Qusq6qR-qgQ Marcus Freiberger: https://youtube.com/shorts/1s-eI3rELw4 Eduardo Xol: https://youtube.com/shorts/in9MFwZWyfs Jacob Zieben-Hood: https://youtube.com/shorts/pYV92LwAz8I Jonathan Joss: https://youtube.com/shorts/7vjbCYFc_GA

This episode contains cases covered on the channel that remain unsolved. Unsolved homicides are not unique to the queer community, but the vestiges of bias remain and can sometimes hamper investigations and prosecutions. If you'd like to view the original videos, follow these links. Darrin Tharp: https://youtube.com/shorts/IyTr1uH5Yr0 Ed Cornes: https://youtube.com/shorts/UwI75VZIeAU Bubbles: https://youtube.com/shorts/IyTr1uH5Yr0 Gaurav Gopolan Levi Davis: https://youtube.com/shorts/6rfsKMnqNgM Lisa Stone: https://youtube.com/shorts/6rfsKMnqNgM Samuel Del Brocco: https://youtu.be/LzxT4vvJhXM Stephen Smith: https://youtu.be/vE7oeWhlY4g Please Subscribe and Share these Stories. Panic Queer True Crime, uncovering hidden queer history through true crime. The channel covers crimes in two categories: violence fueled by hate and intimate partner violence. These stories deserve our loving attention, because sometimes being queer can be murder.

This is one of those stories whose details are almost too surreal to believe, but they also provide a sharp insight into what can happen when a group of people is ostracized and treated like pariahs. In 1952, 34, Dale Jennings went into a public restroom and was propositioned by a vice cop. When Jennings showed no interest, the cop followed him home, barged his way inside, and attempted to seduce Jennings before finally just arresting him. Unbeknownst to the vice squad, Jennings was one of the founding members of the Mattachine Society, which later evolved into the Mattachine Foundation. The members banded together, raised money for Jennings' defense, and launched a campaign to end the practice of entrapment. Years Before Stonewall: The Dewey's Sit-In In 1965, activists staged a sit-in at a popular spot for queer folks, Dewey's in Philadelphia. Dewey's, like lots of spots across the USA, would often allow queer folks in, take their money, then call the police when they were tired of their custom. Two Encore Stories How Chris Bearchell Led a Toronto Bathhouse Uprising. In 1981, Toronto police raided 4 gay bathhouses in Operation Soap—arresting 253 men. Activist and organizer Chris Bearchell turned rage into revolution. Bearchell stood up at the protest and started the iconic proclamation. A chant that led 3,000+ demonstrators in Canada's first massive gay rights uprising. The Black Cat Raid On New Year's Eve 1966, undercover LAPD officers raided the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, triggering one of the earliest LGBTQ civil rights protests in U.S. history. There was another bar raided on the same night as the Black Cat, two patrons were arrested bring the total to 16. The protest against police violence across Los Angeles was one of the first protests where LGBTQ+ folks joined in common cause with members of the African American and Latino communities, also protesting violence at the hands of police. To watch any of these episodes, check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic Thanks to Million Podcasts for including this podcast in its list of top 100 podcasts. To see the complete list: https://www.millionpodcasts.com/california-true-crime-podcasts/ Thanks to Freespot for including Panic in the top ten queer podcasts: https://podcast.feedspot.com/queer_true_crime_podcasts/ Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you follow your favorite podcasts alongside blogs and news in one place.

Susan Hyde In 1978, the women's tennis team at California State University, Northridge was rocked by a grisly murder borne out of jealousy. Susan Hyde and her partner of several years, Janis Hasse, lived and worked together on campus, but Hasse's relationship with 21, Loni Andersen, carried on even though Hasse lived with Hyde. When Hyde was out of town, Hasse and Andersen would get together. Finally, Hasse ended the affair, and though Andersen seemed to move on, she was silently plotting and planning to get back together with Hasse, but it would all end in murder. Robert Evans In 1986, Robert Evans went missing until his body was found beaten, battered, and bruised. His killer would be a young man who had developed a penchant for cruising gay men and robbing them; in this case, a victim stood between him and what he wanted. The trial's ending might surprise you. Fred Pletka In 1977, the nude bodies of Robert Schmeckpeper and James King were found in their Sioux City trailer, setting off a case that would spiral into a brutal trial and a disturbing legal defense. Fred Pletka was eventually convicted, but the way the crime was framed says as much about the era's prejudice as it does about the murders themselves. The Black Cat On New Year's Eve 1966, undercover LAPD officers raided the Black Cat bar in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, triggering one of the earliest LGBTQ civil rights protests in U.S. history. There was another bar raided on the same night as the Black Cat, two patrons were arrested bring the total to 16. The protest against police violence across Los Angeles was one of the first protests where LGBTQ+ folks joined in common cause with members of the African American and Latino communities, also protesting violence at the hands of police. To watch any of these episode check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic

In this episode, the murder of Richard Heakin for whom San Francisco's Butterfly Brigade was named. On June 6, 1976, 21-year-old Richard Heakin of Lincoln, Nebraska, was leaving Tucson's Stonewall Tavern, a gay bar, when a group of teenage boys attacked him in the dirt parking lot. They had reportedly gone there "looking for fags to beat up," and witnesses saw them kicking Richard on the ground before one landed a brutal blow to his neck that proved fatal. He died shortly afterward at the University of Arizona Medical Center. In April of 2023, in 48 hours period, Jer Auntey Pleasant lured San Antonio, Texas, Larry Wilson, and Joseph West. In April 2023, two gay men were lured through Grindr and murdered days apart, leaving a terrified community and a digital trail of evidence. In this short, we break down how the killer targeted his victims, what went wrong in those final meetings, and how investigators finally connected the dots. Ed (Edward) Cornes was a 19‑year‑old gay first‑year history student at University College London who was found dead in a King's Cross hotel basement room in October 2021. The two men arrested for death were released, and the case was closed. The Cornes' family believes the investigation into their son's death was tainted by homophobic assumptions on the part of the Metropolitan Police. On February 22, 2026, at 2:31 a.m., Orlando Police responded to a shooting outside Savoy Orlando nightclub on N Orange Ave. 33-year-old Julien Emmanuel Cruz was found with a gunshot wound during chaotic closing time—patrons scattering as cars passed and tensions boiled over into deadly violence. To watch any of these episode check out the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@queerpanic