Nothing Surprises Me Anymore

This week when PCubed and I recorded our most recent episode of our Murder and Mysteries with Massnick podcast we talked about another local case and of course he was a serial killer. I am beginning to think these guys grow on trees!!! Eugene McWatters, Jr. raped and strangled three women in Port Salerno, Florida.

We chose this case because it was just ANOTHER example to those who think these things could “never happen here.” The McWatters case isn’t that old. These murders occurred in 2004. At the end of the episode PCubed posed an interesting challenge/assignment or whatever you want to call it. He asked each listener to look at their original hometowns and see what they could find that happened there. What secrets are buried in your backyard that you don’t know about? A serial killer, maybe two or three…. something heinous in it’s history.

We will be posting this question on the Murder and Mysteries with Massnick Facebook page so that we might talk about them on the next episode. Be prepared, you might just get a private message from either myself or PCubed to see if you want to discuss your town’s history on air.

I just looked up what has happened in and around my hometown…. my actual town was on an episode of Snapped! What?!? I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.

Dr. M

Thankful

Every time I log on to blog I realize how quickly the time has passed. I can’t deny this fact as my blogs are dated so I can clearly see how long it is between posts. Instead of being upset by this I have decided that I am truly blessed beyond measure to be so busy that I allow my blogs to get away from me.

I have the gift of creativity, imagination, hard work and somehow opportunity. With these traits I have been able to meet the most interesting people, have been able to helps others, feel compassion without pity and scare the heck out of some people because I love to be challenged, try new things and LOVE going “outside of the box.”

I write but I usually keep it to myself. I am now being asked to share that. I am still pondering my options there. Maybe I will keep the poetry to myself as it is an outlet for my feelings and thoughts. Maybe I will take the offer given by a well known local to co-author a book with him.

CrimeCon is always an event I look forward to presenting at and meeting true crime fans and legends alike. I am thankful for CC as it has opened many doors. I feel as if opportunity doesn’t just knock anymore - it comes through the windows, and cracks (and since my house is only 7 months old I had better NOT find a crack), it might as well huff and puff and blow me over.

I believe we are going to re-open the college for classes in less than a month and I can NOT wait to interact with students again. It is hard to tell tone, humor and sarcasm that seem to be synonymous with my name when you are completely online. I learn as much from those students as I hope they do me.

Well, I guess I better stop trying to vent because I have a podcast to prep for. For those of you who could never attend True Crime and a Glass of Wine because you were not local, we have been doing them virtually through Zoom every Wednesday night at 8:00 pm. I have had special guests on many of them. One person was even offered a job from someone who watched one of the recorded versions. You just know never.

I guess I truly am blessed. I live by allowing the wind to blow me in the direction I am most wanted or needed and so far, I have loved every place that I have landed. Enjoy life…..

Catching Up

Not that I am one bit thankful for this pandemic that has turned the whole world upside down but I decided to look for my lesson or a silver lining to it. What I realized was both scary and exciting. I had NO idea how far behind I had gotten on special projects that I wanted to introduce to my students and actually how stressed that had me.

Not having to drive to work has given me an extra 90 minutes every day to work on anything and everything that I need to, wanted to or should. I have been wanting to go on my daily walks but hadn’t found the time and now I have AND I take my students right along with me. We may be live or usually recorded so where is the benefit? I have been getting healthier and usually end up walking longer and the students get to see me in the real world and relate classroom material to real life.

I found my silver lining today. Have you found yours?

Going Back to School

When you read that you were probably thinking that I am in the process of getting ready for the next summer term which starts soon. BUT….WRONG - I am going back to Grad School! I applied and was accepted to a Forensic Linguistics Masters program. One of my teachers is Jim Fitzgerald…..how the heck could I not go back to school for that?!?!

Oh and by the way, this is how I am telling my husband and my Dean that I am going to have my own homework again…lol

Why go back to school? I already have a terminal degree. I LOVE to learn and I believe this program will become a skill that will be in command in the future. So, if I jump in now then I will be able to share bits and pieces with my own students which will make them more marketable.

I use the word marketable but I have been accused of being “competitive” when it comes to my students and jobs or well pretty much anything. I might be SLIGHTLY guilty!

Other than getting that first bill…..it was a pretty darn uneventful day and in my world, that is almost unheard of.

So Many Options

There comes a point in life for some or maybe even most people where he/she needs to decide what is most important and doing what will really make them happy. I have hit that point in my life and I have never been more excited, frustrated, anxious and confused.

My career, my REAL one… I am a college professor who teaches criminal justice at the school I said decades before that I would teach at. I earned an Endowed Teaching Chair and was able to start the Institute for Cold Case Investigations (ICCI) at Indian River State College. What makes ICCI so different and exciting? We chose to only work cases within the four counties that our school services, which to me is the ultimate in giving back to our community. AND….. each case is worked directly with the cold case detective with jurisdiction over the case. I will give no more details as you never know when too much is too much but let’s just say that it is the opportunity of a lifetime for these students that very few people ever get.

So where does all of this other professional insanity come into play? Having a major prosecutor ask you to co-author a book on his most famous case, being asked to appear on true crime shows commenting on various topics, my own podcast, guesting on other podcasts and guest speak all around the country and now an invite to Europe.

All of this is flattering and overwhelming and beyond my imagination let alone my dreams but do you have any idea of not only the doors this has opened for me but who I have been able to introduce my students to and the doors that this has opened for many of them?

As I sit here and grade for what is the last weekend of the Summer A term, I am thankful that I worked to get the job I have. A job which allows me to be and do so much more than the small town, Ohio girl ever thought was possible.

Dr. M

WOW - Another 9 months with no BLOG?!?!

You might think that I am not keeping up with my blog because I am lazy or I forget but neither could be further from the truth. I have been absolutely swamped with my professor job. Our Institute for Cold Case Investigations has been a tremendous success and the students have been learning so many tools of the trade and employability skills that I am afraid one of them may snag my job someday before I am ready! Oh and don’t forget the other courses I teach concurrently.

Up until March, I was still holding the True Crime and a Glass of Wine events twice a month. Which are always fun for me. I was planning on taking a break because I was prepping for my presentation for CrimeCon in Orlando but then that got put on hold. Oh, did I say one presentation? No, it was going to be two because Oxygen also called me directly and asked me to be on a panel to promote one of their new shows, Mark of a Killer. It was a three person panel with a moderator, and all panelists are people who appear throughout the season on the new show.

OH WAIT??? Did I say Oxygen called??? Yes, yes I did. So I added that little morsel to my plate as well. Mark of a Killer has already started it’s Season 2 so you can catch everyone who was announced on that panel on the shows that have already aired….. some you will be seeing more than once. Check it out Saturdays at 7:00 pm EST on Oxygen.

I enjoyed that experience and hope you will be noticing me more often on different venues. School first then these other ventures. I am excited about the potential new students, attention and opportunities that these opportunities bring to my existing students.

Obviously, I figured with the COVID issue, I would be getting a nice, long rest from learning new cases for True Crime and a Glass of Wine but nooooo….. you guys decided that you are stressed and needed it so you asked me to do it virtually! lol So now it is virtual AND weekly, except the few weeks I had to take off.

This is where my CrimeCon and Oxygen presentations have truly been a blessing because I have been able to call True Crime Producers, Retired (influential) correctional officers, the FBI agent who created all of the FBI dive teams as well as some well known true crime actors. These people are interacting with you albeit virtually. They are sharing stories and answering questions. Some of you have earned internships with them while others are discussing employment opportunities.

The doors that are opening for me, I am picking and choosing carefully which ones to walk through. The ultimate goal is to give my students the best educational experience that I can. Everyone is different and everyone is special. I have just somehow stumbled like Alice in Wonderland into this amazing world that we get to share together.

Dr. M