The Murder of Teresita Basa
Morbid
07/17/23
•83m
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On the evening of February 21, 1977, Chicago firefighters responded to a call at the Pine Grove apartment complex. Once they’d extinguished the fire, they discovered the nude body of forty-eight-year-old Teresita Basa with a kitchen knife protruding from her chest. The apartment looked as though it had been ransacked during the commission of what they assumed was a sexual assault or robbery gone wrong. With little evidence or leads to work from, Teresita’s murder investigation quickly went cold.
But then five months later, it seemed like it was Teresita herself who led investigators to discover the man who murdered her. What followed was a truly sensational investigation and trial where not only murder, but belief was up for debate.
References
Boston Globe. 1978. "Did Voice of the Dead Name Murderer?" Boston Globe, March 6: 2.
Decatur Herald. 1979. "Man Pleads Guilty; Named by 'Voice From the Grave'." Decatur Herald, February 23: 9.
O'Brien , John, and Edward Baumann. 1978. "Accused of Murder By a Voice From The Grave." Ebony, June 01: 56-63.
O'Brien, John. 1979. "'Voice From Grave' Case a Mistrial." Chicago Tribune, Janaury 27: 3.
O'Brien, John, and Edward Baumann. 1992. Teresita: The Voice from the Grave. Los Angeles, CA: Bonus Books.
Toledo Blade. 1978. "'Voice From Grave' Suspect Ordered to Trial for Murder." Toledo Blade, September 7: 38.
Warden, Rob. 1978. "'Voice From the Grave' Evokes a Murder Trial." Washington Post, September 17.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Previous Episode
Bobby Mackey's Music World
July 13, 2023
•87m
When musician Bobby Mackey opened Bobby Mackey’s Music World in 1978, he had hoped for nothing more than to open a small nightclub where audiences could enjoy the traditional country music he had devoted his life to for decades. Yet before the club was even opened, it was apparent to Bobby, his wife Janet, and manager Carl that whatever the new night club was going to be, it would be anything but normal.
In the decades since it opened, Bobby Mackey’s Music World has gained a reputation, not just as a one of Kentucky’s enduring country western clubs, but as one of America’s supposedly most haunted locations. Indeed, Bobby Mackey’s is said to be the home of several spirits whose lives revolved around, and in some cases ended on the property, including the ghosts of a lovesick showgirl, a headless pregnant woman, and the two Satan-worshipping men who took her head.
Thank you to the glorious David White for research assistance :)
References
Associated Press. 1978. "State to probe fire at club near Newport." Courier-Journal, July 10: 6.
—. 1993. "Legality of lawsuit blaming bar for ghost antics to be decided." Messenger-Inquirer, October 23: 17.
Caraway, Robin. 2006. "Wilder nightclub site has storied past." Cincinnati Post, July 17: 14.
Chicago Chronicle. 1896. "Pearl Bryan's story." Chicago Chronicle, May 10: 33.
Cincinnati Enquirer. 1979. "Kentucky closes Mackey's club, citing faulty wiriing, sprinkler." Cincinnati Enquirer, December 16: 26.
—. 1978. "Wilder police chief wants state to close Hard Rock Cafe." Cincinnati Enquirer, January 17: 17.
Hensley, Douglas. 2005. Hell's Gate: Terror at Bobby Mackey's Music World. Denver, CO: Outskirts Press.
Moores, Lew. 1993. "Court filing by club's lawyer is poetry in motion." Cincinnati Enquirer, October 22: 26.
2005. A Haunting. Television. Directed by Joe Wiecha. Performed by New Dominion Pictures.
Wecker, David. 1991. "Bobby Mackey demon story: truth or bull." Cincinnati Post, July 9: 11.
Wolfson, Andrew. 2022. "A twisted tale: A failed abortion, a beheading and pennies left heads up at a grave." Courier Journal, May 4.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Next Episode
Listen Now: Suspect "Five Shots in the Dark"
July 18, 2023
•6m
Leon Benson spent 24 years in an Indiana state prison for the 1998 murder of a young man named Kasey Schoen. His conviction hinged on the testimony of two eyewitnesses – but what if their memories turned out to be wrong? And what if the people who knew what really happened had never been allowed to speak? Suspect Season 3: Five Shots in the Dark is the story of two victims: one murdered, one sentenced to life. Follow host Matt Shaer and attorney Lara Bazelon as they investigate how the justice system failed both Leon and Kasey, and who the real killer might be. Join this unprecedented look inside the attempt to overturn a wrongful conviction and find out if justice will finally be served.
Listen to Suspect wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge Suspect ad-free on Wondery Plus. Find Wondery Plus in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts: Wondery.fm/Suspect_S3
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