Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - "Last Call Killer" Richard Rogers Pt. 1

Episode Date: June 20, 2022

Before he became a cardiac surgical nurse, Richard Rogers killed his grad school roommate and got away with it. Twenty years later, he turned local NYC watering holes into his hunting ground.  Parcasters, we have exciting news! Our first book hits bookshelves July 12th. Don’t miss this chilling summer read that takes you deep into the darkest sides of human nature. Learn more at www.parcast.com/cults! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa. For years, Parcast has worked tirelessly to bring you an unprecedented look at history's most radical true crime events. Your support has not only allowed us to keep exploring these stories, but has driven us to keep expanding as well. So as a thank you to the Parcast listeners, I am honored to announce the release of our first book, Cults, Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups, and Understanding the People Who Join Them. It's available on July 12th and you can pre-order it today at parcast.com slash cults. The Branch Davidians, the Ant Hill Kids, Heaven's Gate and more. Cults combs through the terrifying details never explored in any of Parcast's series before.

This is a passion project only made possible by you. So we truly hope you'll enjoy it. Visit parkast.com slash cults to pre-order your copy of Cults inside the world's most notorious groups and understanding the people who join them. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of kidnapping,

gore, dismemberment, and murder. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On July 8, 1992, 42-year-old Richard Rogers sat in the corner of the townhouse bar. He liked this place. It was quiet and classy. For him, it was unlike so many of the gay bars in New York. He saw it as a place for a civilized man.

As Richard scanned the room, his eyes met Thomas Mulcahy's gaze. The 57-year-old was talking with someone else, but kept glancing in Richard's direction. Richard offered a shy smile, and Thomas grinned back. Eventually, Thomas set his drink down, excused himself from his conversation, and crossed the bar to introduce himself. Richard was flattered. It wasn't every day a handsome man made such an effort. He couldn't waste this opportunity. After less than an hour of small talk,

he invited Thomas back to his apartment on Staten Island. Once they arrived, Richard went to the kitchen to fix them both a drink. Calmly, he poured his guest's beverage, then grabbed a kitchen knife hiding it in his clothes. Richard returned to the living room where Thomas drained his glass. He turned to face his host. But instead of the shy, playful smile, Richard's face had transformed. It was more rigid and dark.

Before Thomas could ask what was wrong, Richard lunged at him. He plunged his knife into Thomas's chest. His victim couldn't fight back. Over and over again, Richard stabbed until the light had left Thomas's eyes. But even then, he'd just begun. Richard stripped Thomas naked, then arranged his limbs like he was on an opposite. braiding table. Fetching a keyhole saw, Richard rested the blade against Thomas's shoulder. Richard grinned. Time to play doctor. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Serial Killers,

a Spotify original from Parcast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today we'll step into the shoes of Richard Rogers, otherwise known as the Last Call Killer. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. In today's episode, we'll uncover Richard's tumultuous childhood and explore his involvement in the mysterious death of his grad school roommate. Then we'll watch as Richard moves to New York City and spends late nights stalking his prey. Next time, we'll learn more about Richard's disturbing rituals and follow authorities on their desperate search for the last Call Killer.

We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels. But you don't need to break any laws to find your perfect business partner

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start your gut health ritual. Try Activia today. Enjoying Activia twice a day for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive discomfort, which includes gas, bloating, rumbling, and abdominal discomfort. The human body is one of the most impressive machines on earth. The intricate systems of nerves, blood, bone, and muscle fit together like a perfect puzzle. Everything works in harmony so that we can walk, run, breathe, live. While the human mind is often a mystery, the body is a neat and beautiful science. Maybe that's why Richard Rogers, as a perioperative nurse, was so taken by cardiac surgery, he never related to his fellow humans, but their bodies were another story.

But for Richard, surgery wasn't just about preserving life. Every time he helped open someone up, he felt a rush of power. They needed him to put them back together again. It was like he was God, deciding who lived and who died. And to understand that twisted fascination, we need to know about everything that led him to those dark desires. Richard was born in the summer of 1950 in Plymouth, Massachusetts to two hardworking parents. They had four more kids and at some point moved to Florida so the father could find a better-paying job.

The move south gave Richard's dad more opportunities to build a relationship with his son, specifically through traditionally rugged activities like hunting, fishing, and sports. But Richard wasn't interested in the outdoors, though he begrudgingly learned how to gut fish and skin deer, he preferred to spend his time inside reading. Eventually, his father gave up and started taking one of Richard's more willing sisters on hunting trips. Instead, Richard often accompanied his mother and sisters to Girl Scout meetings, something his classmates love teasing him about. As a teenager, Richard stuck out from the other kids.

Not only was he bookish, quiet, and neat, but his classmates considered his mannerisms effeminate. For instance, his peers constantly made fun of his high-pitched voids. In junior high, the shy Richard also refused to shower with his classmates after gym class, presumably because he was nervous to be seen naked. On one occasion, some boys ganged up on Richard after PE and dragged him into the showers. They held him under the water as he struggled to escape. Graduating to Miami Palmetto High School a few years later didn't improve Richard's situation. Most days, he nervously walked the halls, hoping to go unnoticed.

he couldn't escape constant harassment over what his peers guessed about his sexuality. The thing was, Richard was attracted to men. He was just terrified to say so. In the late 1960s, homosexuality, the term used at that time, was considered a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Not to mention Richard lived in a conservative area where a coming out would put a giant target on his back. At the same time, keeping the secret also had its own consequences. Vanessa is going to take over in the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Because of his classmates' bullying, it's possible

Richard faced a personal struggle with his sexuality. Internalized homonegativity, commonly known as internalized homophobia, is what happens when a queer person internalizes societal messages regarding their sexuality as part of their self-image. And according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Homosexuality, this internalization can lead to negative feelings about oneself, including low self-esteem, guilt, and shame. It's possible that Richard harbored negative feelings about his sexuality, which would have influenced him to keep to himself,

retreat into literature, and refuse to be seen naked in showers after gym class. Unfortunately, these actions only made his class, classmates pick on him more, throwing him into a cycle of negativity. With no clear way out, Richard may have felt like he was about to burst. Though we don't know exactly what happened or when, Richard became the object of gossip after one bizarre rumor started in high school. Years later, several of his classmates shared the story with journalist Elon Green for his book, Last Call. According to them, Richard experienced an intense, nervous breakdown and took out his feelings on

whoever was closest. He grabbed a knife from his home and stabbed his older female neighbor. The same people claimed that Richard was never arrested for the incident, but was institutionalized as a result. It's not clear if there's an official record of any attack or of Richard being institutionalized, so it's possible that the story was just the result of an overactive rumor mill and bigotry against the school outcast. Despite this, Richard graduated from high school in 1968. By the time Richard got to college, it seemed he'd finally figured out how to blend into the background. He still had plenty of nervous tics, like heavy breathing and stammering, but he was otherwise polite and friendly. The Richard's rumored violent past didn't follow him to school,

whispers about his sexuality did. Just a few weeks into his freshman year at Florida Southern College, Richard and his roommate were practically inseparable. We don't know if the relationship was actually romantic or how long it lasted if it was, but many fellow students assumed the pair were a couple. As far as we can tell, this seemed to be Richard's only close relationship for the duration of his undergraduate studies. He wasn't interested in the social clubs or fraternities. Instead, he only focused on academics. In 1972, he graduated with a BA in French. It seems whatever romance he might have had with his roommate came to an end, because Richard decided to move North alone. In late 1972, the 22-year-old enrolled in graduate school at the University of Maine,

where he pursued a master's degree in French studies. But this change didn't go as smoothly as Richard's first university experience. At first, things looked pretty good. Richard moved into an apartment with three other grad students. His studies were going well. He enjoyed working as a TA, and even joined a choir. But there was one person in the apartment who seemed to get under his skin. Fred Spencer was a smart, social outdoorsman studying at the University of Maine's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. According to their housemate, William Mazurl, there was always a current of tension simmering between Fred and Richard. Fred seemed contemptuous of Richard's cleaning habits, nervous nature, and effeminate mannerisms. While he never teased Richard outright, he made sure his roommate knew just how he felt about him.

Though reports claim their relationship was always civil, Maserol recalled a coldness in their interactions. That's a telling detail given what happened in the spring of 1973. Around April 30th, the group of housemates noted that no one had seen or heard from Fred for a few days. At first, William wasn't concerned. After all, none of them were particularly close to begin with. Fred was probably just visiting friends from his hometown or camping somewhere. However, on that day, two cyclists were biking outside Old Town, Maine,

when they spotted a pile of green canvas material about 20 feet from the road at the edge of a forested area. At first they thought nothing of it beyond mild annoyance that someone had littered, but on second glance they noticed something was inside the wrapping. Something horrible. The cyclists called the police who came to the scene immediately. They pulled back the canvas to find a young man's dead body, shirtless and covered in blood.

It was Fred Spencer. On May 1st, officers arrived at Fred's home to take a look around. Richard was at his TA job on campus, but William was home. The authorities questioned him about Fred's disappearance as they searched the house. They didn't have to look hard to see that a violent altercation had occurred in the house. Investigators found small traces of blood in the upstairs hallway and bathroom, plus a bloody footprint. All these led into Richard's room, where police found a hammer they believed might just be the murder. weapon. Immediately, the cops pulled Richard out of his class and brought him to the station for

questioning. Within hours, he'd told them the full story, or at least his side of the story. According to Richard, he had walked into his room a few days prior to find Fred going through his stuff. When Richard confronted him, Fred threatened him with the hammer. Then the two allegedly came to blows. Finally, Richard ripped the weapon out of Fred's hands. As Fred charged him again, he swung the tool full force into his roommate's skull. Then he did it again and again. He admitted to bashing Fred's head eight times. But even that wasn't enough.

Richard said that Fred was still struggling, so he grabbed a plastic bag and wrapped it over the 22-year-old's head, then held it closed until Fred stopped breathing. Despite the incredible violence of the attack, Richard told police that he had only wanted to knock Fred out, but once he realized that he had died, he panicked. The way Richard explained it, he cleaned up as much of the blood as possible before wrapping the body in the tarp. Then he drove Fred 15 minutes north of campus and dumped his body near the forest. Richard told the police he wanted to come clean and report himself, but was too afraid.

Now all he could do was confess and plead not guilty, hoping a jury would believe that he'd genuinely been fighting for his life. Obviously, there were some glaring issues with this story. First, there seemed to be no motive for Fred to attack Richard. Second, it was hard to believe that Richard could outpower his fit, outdoorsy housemate and wrestle a hammer out of his hands. Most importantly, hitting someone in the head eight times and then suffocating them, did not seem like act of self-defense. Though we'll never know what truly happened the night Richard killed Fred, authorities today believe that the death was no accident, that for whatever reason, Richard snapped and intentionally ended Fred's life. If this was the case, Richard's actions could

have been examples of psychopathic tendencies. Though it seems Richard was never diagnosed, a psychopathic disorder could explain his seeming lack of remorse and masterful lying skills, And because psychopaths are typically considered impulsive, this could explain how a seemingly harmless person could commit such a heinous act of violence on a whim, then return to normal. Even though Richard was sloppy in covering up the death, his confession seemed extremely strategic. Now it was just a matter of waiting to see how the chips fell. Coming up, Richard goes on trial for murder for the first time. Hi listeners, it's Carter from Parcast Network.

It's the perfect time to grab yourself a second helping of the Spotify original From Parcast, Devious Dads. Our limited series is back with a new collection of episodes from across the network, exposing the unfortunate families whose patriarchs had a pension for causing pain. Criminal masterminds, spies, murderers. Every Sunday on Spotify, Devious Dads features the fathers who chose to put the fear of God into those they tormented, including their own families. Some men raise children. Others raise hell. Be sure to follow Season 2 of Devious Dads free and only on Spotify. Are you looking for support in your weight management journey?

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Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-99 or visit zepbounds.lily.com. Now back to the story. After about six months in county jail, Richard Roder, Roger's trial began in late October of 1973, and his testimony, character witnesses, and arguments from his defense attorney combined to create a compelling case. During the trial, Richard's lawyer made a motion to reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter. The motion was granted because the judge found that the state had convincingly shown that Rogers had acted under sudden provocation. This change dramatically reduced the punishments on the table, and things continued to go

his way from there. On November 2nd, 23-year-old Richard was found not guilty of manslaughter. Every person in the courtroom seemed stunned by the verdict, except the jury who were convinced that Fred, not Richard, had been the only one with violent intent. And so, after walking away Scott Free, Richard felt like he needed a fresh start. After the trial, he enrolled at Pace University in New York City. During this time, the grad student also decided to switch his area of study. After years of mastering French, he decided to enroll in nursing school. It's unclear why Richard made this change. Sure, he was smart enough to tackle any subject, but it doesn't seem he'd ever shown any particular interest in medicine. Still, Richard moved his entire life to Yonkers, New York, and made the hour-long commute

into the city. And after being bullied about his sexuality for years, Richard arrived in the Big Apple during an exciting time for the queer community. Just years prior, the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village helped launch a wave of LGBTQ-plus activism that sparked the first gay pride parade, numerous gay rights organizations, and eventually more freedom for queer people. As a result, New York's queer party scene exploded in the early 70s. Leather bars, dance clubs, and piano bars no longer faced police raids,

ushering in a new era of fun. The Richard remained secretive about his sexuality. The city seemed to unlock the curiosity he'd kept hidden for so long. In short order, he began visiting gay bars and didn't have much trouble finding men to bring home. He was tall, with dark, wavy hair and a set of thick eyebrows that framed his eyes. While he was still an outwardly nervous person, the queer community accepted and embraced the qualities that had made him an outcast and target to bullies. In this crowd, Richard finally felt not only safe,

but desirable. While Richard's social and sexual life changed drastically during this time, his career also started taking off. He graduated from Pace University in 1978 and was immediately hired as a nurse at Mount Sinai Medical Center, a prestigious hospital in Manhattan. For the next several years, Richard worked the night shift at Mount Sinai. He didn't even mind giving up his newly minted nightlife.

Work quickly became his everything, and his dedication eventually earned him a promotion. In August of 1985, the 35-year-old was moved to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit where he worked with children and newborns. The job required meticulous attention to detail, and Richard's skill and dedication were obvious to his coworkers. He also received consistent effusive praise for his empathy while working with his young patients and their parents. As someone who possibly displayed psychopathic tendencies throughout his life, this could suggest Richard, was extremely good at pretending to understand and care about the feelings of others, or he truly connected with his patience.

Since he dedicated so much time to his work and had little time for socializing after hours, he managed to save enough money to buy his own place. In June of 1986, Richard moved into a co-op on Staten Island. In short, Richard was thriving. He likely felt socially validated, appreciated, and respected at work, and successful. and on the surface he seemed like a saint. But beneath that lay a darker, hidden desire. Ever since the rumors about him stabbing his neighbor in high school,

then killing his former housemate, perhaps Richard was preoccupied with what it felt like to hurt another human being. And maybe those hidden feelings were overwhelming. On July 11, 1988, Richard took the night off. According to Elon Green's book, Last Call, instead of going to work, he wandered into a bar and took a seat. The group next to him was discussing real estate and the stock market, so Richard jumped in. One man in the group, who will call Colin, caught Richard's attention.

He was older, but the 38-year-old didn't mind that. The two got wrapped up in their own conversation, not minding when the rest of Colin's friends left the bar. After telling Colin all about the co-op, Richard asked him if he wanted to see it for himself. They made the drive back to Richard's building, where the pair got into the elevator to his fifth-floor apartment. That's when Richard warned his guests that it was usually hot in the upper levels. They'd probably want a drink. Once they'd gotten comfortable in the admittedly stuffy apartment, Richard offered Colin a glass of orange juice.

He accepted the drink and drained it quickly, and according to Colin, moments later, things started getting fuzzy. One moment, Colin was standing in the living room, feeling completely. slightly fine. Suddenly, he was falling toward the rug, the edges of his vision growing black. As soon as Colin hit the ground, Richard got to work. First, he stripped him naked, then using hospital bracelets that he took from work, he wrapped Colin's ankles and wrists tightly. Colin regained consciousness a few hours later, feeling dazed. Realizing he was naked and restrained, he began to yell for help. Within seconds, Richard appeared above him. In his most soothing tone, the nurse calmly assured Colin he'd be just fine.

Then he pulled out a hypodermic needle. Holding Colin's arm, Richard stuck the needle into the top of his hand. Colin passed out again. The next several hours were foggy for Colin, but he was aware of a few small things. Someone picking him up, dressing him, driving in a car, then being pushed into his apartment's lobby. We don't know if Colin was the first person that Richard alleged. drugged and tied up, but it's possible the only purpose of the kidnapping was for Richard to exhibit power over Colin. According to a 2007 paper published by the U.S. Department of Justice,

this is known as expressive kidnapping. Instead of holding someone for a specific purpose, like ransom, the kidnapper's motivation is simply to overpower the other person. This desire can stem from the enjoyment of power dynamics, victimizing or even harming another individual. So the act of drugging and binding Colin's hands constitutes a dominating move. Colin woke up in a haze on July 12th. The events from the previous night were strange enough to seem like a dream, but he knew with absolute certainty that he didn't make up the nightmare. Immediately he went to the police.

Panicked, he explained the whole story and gave them Richard's name and address. He also requested a rape kit. It was 1988 and the AIDS epidemic was still spreading rapidly through the gay community, So Colin was scared of what might have happened while he was unconscious. Thankfully, it came back negative. The police investigated Colin's claims for the next five weeks, then arrested Richard in August. However, he was released just two days later and returned to work like nothing happened.

And for a person who usually got nervous about everything, Richard didn't seem concerned by his situation at all. The trial began in February 1990, over a year and a half later, And just like the last time he was in court, Richard presented his own version of events. The way he told it, Colin tried to pressure him into having sex and even asked to be tied up. When the shy nurse politely declined, Colin got upset and left in a huff. Essentially, Richard suggested that Colin's accusation was the twisted revenge plot of a spurned lover. Although Colin had evidence that backed this story up, like a doctor's report of the bruised vein on his hand,

indicating a needle, the case largely rested on the two dueling testimonies. Richard's lawyers poked holes in Colin's story, suggesting he had dreamt the strange encounter and hinted that he was promiscuous. Unfortunately, their strategy succeeded. In late February 1990, Richard was once again acquitted for a serious crime and walked out of the courthouse a free man. It seemed that people just couldn't see him as a villain. This almost certainly made him feel.

even more powerful, more compelled to indulge in his violent desires. After all, it felt like he could get away with anything. And soon, those urges would grow much, much darker. Coming up, Richard develops a terrifying ritual. Transport your senses with Saltigenado's limited edition perfume mist collection. At Sephora, spritz on lush notes of rainforest orchid and crisp seabrees with Have fresco paraizzo. Embrace a floral and fruity scent inspired by Rio's nude beach with cheeky bikini.

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only at Sephora. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session. And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, Irresistible love stories and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice.

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for a second time, leaving him free to enjoy his life as a homeowner and cardiac surgical nurse in New York City. But the truth was, Richard wasn't satisfied with his life. There was something dark inside of him that he wanted to explore, something even worse than what he'd already done. Up until this point, Richard seemingly had displayed sadistic urges, like controlling, possessing, and dominating others.

According to a 2011 article published by the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, sadism has less to do with actual violence. and more to do with the humiliation of a victim through power and control. This could be why Richard may have derived satisfaction from simply watching Colin lie naked and tied up on the ground. But now he would push the limits of what he could accomplish. He just had to wait for the right moment.

On May 3rd, 1991, 54-year-old investment banker Peter Anderson stepped out of an upscale gay bar called La Townhouse. Peter had come out to his family and left his wife. wife only a year earlier. While he'd always been a drinker, this upheaval seemed to have caused an uptick in his consumption. It seems he was both celebrating, finally living his truth, and trying to manage the chaos that hiding it for so long had brought. That night, the bartenders at the townhouse cut Peter off, so his friend put him in a taxi with instructions to go to a hotel. But Peter caused a scene at the front desk and walked right back out into the city. Nobody knows for certain

what happened to Peter that night. But according to Elon Green's book, his friend has since assumed that he returned to the townhouse, perhaps looking for a nightcap. It was possibly there that he ran in to Richard Rogers. Given how much Peter had already had to drink, there would have been no need for Richard to trick or sedate his victim that night. He could do what he wanted. Whether he took Peter back to his place on Staten Island or found another secluded spot in the heart of the city is unclear. But somewhere private, Richard stabbed his victim in the chest several times, leaving giant gaping gashes.

Peter died from the stab wounds, but Richard wasn't finished yet. We'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that he brutally mutilated his victim's body. Richard then folded Peter's body into the fetal position and shoved him inside several garbage bags. He lugged the package into his car and drove down the Pennsylvania turnpike. He eventually stopped and placed Peter into a trash barrel on the side of the road. Then he drove home as if nothing had happened. Two days later, on May 5th, a maintenance worker pulled over to empty the trash. Noticing the odd shape of the package, he checked inside.

Seeing the body, he recoiled in horror and called the authorities immediately. The police didn't know what to make of the case. They identified Peter and retraced his steps on the night of the night of the night. May 3rd, but the last people to see him alive had no helpful information about where he went or with whom. There was also a lack of physical evidence, no clues to follow. After exhausting their resources, the police knew only one thing about Peter's killer. They were twisted beyond belief.

Over a year passed and the case went cold. Richard, on the other hand, was just warming up. He had enjoyed killing and mutilating Peter, but he wanted to. wanted more. It's possible that Richard spent time planning his next attack. He may have felt like he was close to the ultimate feeling of power and control. He just needed to figure out how to grasp it. He might not have realized it, but he was looking for the perfect ritual.

According to a 2010 study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, a ritual is a repetitive set of behaviors a killer enacts during their murders, usually to achieve sexual gratification. However, killers don't always understand their own ritual. They typically experiment first, and Richard was about to discover his own. On July 8, 1992, 57-year-old tech sales representative Thomas Mulcahy was in New York on business. Though he was married to a woman and had four children, Thomas often had romances with men. That's likely why he went to the townhouse that night.

At the bar, Thomas started talking with one of the regulars, a man named Douglass. Douglas was interested in Thomas, but noticed that the businessman kept looking over his shoulder at someone else. Douglas didn't think the other man was really competition. To his eye, Richard Rogers was just average looking. But average or not, Thomas eventually excused himself to go talk to Richard. Douglas just shrugged off the rejection. Richard, on the other hand, was thrilled that Thomas had chosen him. The 42-year-old chatted, flirted, and finally invited the older gentleman back to his building. Once Richard had his victim alone, likely back in his apartment, it's unclear if they chatted

for a bit or if he attacked Thomas outright. Using a knife, Richard stabbed the 57-year-old in the chest multiple times, just like he did to Peter. He watched the life drain out of his victim, basking in the power he felt taking a life. Then he got to work. As a warning, what comes next? is disturbing. Using his surgical knowledge from his education and years in the operating room, Richard disarticulated all of Thomas's joints, making it easier to physically remove the limbs from his body. It was exactly the kind of meticulous work that Richard loved, and it gave him a twisted thrill to dismember a fellow man. Richard severed Thomas's head as well, then cut his torso in two.

With his victim in literal pieces around him, Richard knew he had finally discovered his ritual. Now he just had to deal with the cleanup. Using gloves and garbage bags, Richard double-bagged and double-knotted the bags. When everything was neatly bundled, the nurse hauled the bags into his car and took off down Route 72. After driving south for about two hours, Richard saw two trash cans along the highway. He pulled to the side of the road and dumped the bags into the drums. Then he sped away. Two days later, government workers were emptying the highway garbage.

cans when they noticed the peculiar identical bags. They were all unusually heavy, and there appeared to be blood on the outside. Cautiously, they opened one of the bags, only to find Thomas's head staring back at them. Local authorities had seen lots of murder scenes, but they'd never seen anything quite like this. Among the body parts, investigators found bloody rubber gloves and the box they came in, as well as the keyhole saw and its packaging. Clearly, these were the two. tools used to carry out the gruesome murder. Authorities were able to lift 28 fingerprints and three palm prints from the bags, but when they ran the prints through their systems, they came back with no matches.

The cops also found Thomas's shoes, briefcase, and wallet in the trash cans, and were able to use his credit cards to track his movements on the night he disappeared. Once they placed him at the townhouse, they talked to Douglas Gibson, the man who had been flirting with Thomas. Douglas told them that Thomas had left the bar with another man, but unfortunately he hadn't looked at the stranger long enough to offer a useful description. But the authorities had one last hope. The packaging from the gloves and garbage bags still contained their barcodes, which could be

traced back to the store where they were purchased. Detectives found that they came from a CVS in Staten Island. Assuming the killer lived nearby, police canvassed the area surrounding the store, putting out warnings, questioning residents, literally anything they could think of. It seemed like investigators weren't interested in being subtle. They just wanted to prevent another horrible murder. If that meant scaring the killer underground, so be it. But after weeks of searching the neighborhood for clues, the police had to admit they were at a dead end.

They sent a message to all other departments in the region, asking for information. But nothing came back. Eventually, Thomas Mulcahy's murder was declared. a cold case, but the detectives didn't forget about the heinous killing. They knew a person capable of such a crime would never stop after just one victim. And Richard Rogers would soon prove them right. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back soon with part two of Richard Rogers,

as authorities pick up the intensity of their search for the last call killer. For more information on Richard Rogers, amongst the many sources we used, we found Last Call, a true story of love, lust, and murder in Queer New York by Elon Green, extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of serial killers

and all of the Spotify Originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Alex Button, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro,

Williamson, Carly Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of serial killers was written by Kit Fitzgerald, edited by Tony Goodman and Joel Callan, fact-checking by Adriana Romero, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial Killers stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. Hi, it's Carter from Parcast Network. Devious Dads is back for a second season and a new collection of hair-raising episodes from across our catalog of shows. Every Sunday, meet the parents who were anything but protectors.

Follow Devious Dads free and only on Spotify. Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Exciting news, Parcast's first book, Cults Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Join Them, is now available for pre-order at parcast.com slash cults. Thanks to your support, we've compiled years of research, insights, and a catalog of case studies to expose more about these cults and the people behind them than ever before. Details which haven't even been explored in our cults podcast.

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