Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - "The Southside Dentist" Glennon Engleman Pt. 2

Episode Date: January 6, 2022

Glennon Engleman had claimed two lives during his insurance fraud schemes and escaped police detection with ease. His love of deceit and murder propelled him forward as he continued to manipulate those around him. But eventually, his inflated ego would lead to his downfall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this episode, listener discretion is advised. This episode contains discussions of murder, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and assault that some listeners may find disturbing. Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13. On a rainy spring day in 1979, 52-year-old Glennon Engelman crouched over a table in his garage. He yawned as he fiddled with a tangle of wires. He was exhausted from a long day at his dental clinic. No matter how tired he was, though, he had to get this right. One wrong move could spell disaster.

A cluster of dynamite sat in front of Glennon, eight sticks tied together by hand. He was putting the finishing touches on a bomb, one far more powerful than it needed to be. Glennon only wanted to kill one person, a woman who'd become a nuisance to him. He just needed a little TNT to make her go away forever. That's all it had taken to kill Eric Frey, the last person Glennon had blown up. But he wanted to send a message to his victim and her family. No one messes with Glennon Engelman and gets away with it. 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're returning to the Sorted Life of Glennon Engelman, the friendly neighborhood dentist, and bloodthirsty 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.

Last time, we discussed Glennon's first two murders. In both cases, he killed his mistress's husbands to collect on their life insurance. Today, we'll follow Glennon as his money-making schemes become more intricate and increasingly destructive. And despite avoiding suspicion for years, It's his irrepressible ego that finally brings him undone.

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 because you have Shopify. It's the commerce platform that can help you with literally everything.

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or caps your sun-kissed bliss with limonada gelada, where zesty Brazilian lemonade accord meets coconut milk and golden brown sugar. Don't miss Sol de Janito's limited edition perfume mist collection only at Sephora. In 1965, 38-year-old Glennon Engelman was on the verge of another divorce. He and his wife, Ida, lived in a quiet neighborhood, but their life was far from idyllic. Ida had plenty to be upset about. Glennon had been having an affair with her teenage niece Sandy. Ida found out about the relationship when Sandy fell pregnant and insisted Glennon, was the father. Even worse, Glennon had sunk all of his and Edda's money into a drag strip

outside of town. Desperate for cash, he killed Sandy's new husband to collect his life insurance payment, but the business still failed. Eventually, Sandy left St. Louis with the baby. By that point, though, Edna and Glennon's marriage was doomed. Although Glennon continued working as a dentist, their bills kept piling up and they argued every night. After a particularly bad fight in 1965, Glennon physically threw his wife out of the house. With nowhere else to go, Eda fled to her family's home in North Carolina. She claimed that Glennon had tried to kill her by force-feeding her barbiturates. Ida's story wasn't that far-fetched. By this point, her husband had killed two men.

And even if she didn't know everything about what he'd done, she definitely knew he was dangerous. If Glennon wanted her dead, he could make it happen. Despite this lingering fear, Eda demanded a divorce. Luckily for her, Glellan was too distracted to chase after her. For months now, he'd been sleeping with one of his dental clients, Ruth Jolly. Glennon had met Ruth when she was just 21 years old and broke. She needed dental work and Glennon provided his services at a discount. Shortly after that first visit, the two began their affair.

With Eda out of the picture, the lovers were free to make. make things official. Shortly after his divorce was finalized, Glennon proposed to Ruth, and from the outside, it looked like a pretty good match. Both Glennon and Ruth were intelligent chatterboxes who could talk endlessly. As a bonus, Glennon trusted Ruth. He even told her about the crimes he'd committed. It seems that initially, Ruth wasn't scared away by Glennon's stories. It's entirely possible that she was intrigued by Glennon's bloody past, and she decided she wanted to stick around to see what came next. In April of 1967, Glennon and Ruth officially tied the knot.

For a brief moment, their marriage was happy. Work was going well, and Glennon was having fun thinking up illicit money-making ploys with his new wife. However, their potential criminal enterprise was put on pause when Ruth found out she was pregnant around 1970. She gave birth to a baby boy who will call Marcus, and the event signaled a. shift in Glennon. After Marcus' birth, Glennon no longer crave the excitement his murder plots had once given him.

Instead, he enjoyed spending time with his son. Parenthood seemed to have changed Glennon. His aggressive tendencies disappeared, at least temporarily. Those early years with Marcus were some of the few times in Glennon's adult life when he wasn't plotting a murder. Vanessa is going to take over in the psychology here and throughout the episode. As a note, Vanessa's not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg.

It's possible that Marcus's birth altered Glennon's disposition, making him less prone to violence. A 2011 study from proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined the link between fatherhood and testosterone levels in men. The study found that fatherhood lowers testosterone levels, because testosterone is directly related to male aggrave. depression and libido, this correlation might explain Glennon's newfound quietude. This decrease in testosterone may have also lowered his sex drive and thus prompted Glennon's momentary faithfulness to Ruth. But this period of relative tranquility didn't last long. By 1975, 48-year-old Glennon had begun to return to his old ways.

This time he was scheming with the help of his dental assistant, 23-year-old Carmen Miranda. Glennon had taken Carmen's older brother Nick under his wing several years ago. Nick had often worked for Glennon, fixing up the dental office and assisting in his more criminal activities. He'd even been there the day Glennon killed Eric Frey. Through Nick, Glennon had gotten to know Carmen, who was just a child when they met, and he started grooming her from a young age. According to a study published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse,

there are several psychological and physical stages of grooming. Broadly speaking, the abuser isolates and develops trust with their victim before the actual abuse begins. Then the abuser maintains the relationship through some form of control. As Carmen matured from child to young adult, Glennon paid more and more attention to her. He gave her money and other gifts. She and her brother struggled to make ends meet,

and they were eventually financially dependent on Glennon. Even though Carmen only had a 10th grade education, Glennon insisted that the 23-year-old work at his dental clinic. That way they could be alone. Over time, he had Carmen completely under his influence. Although Carmen was likely frightened by Glennon's advances, she literally couldn't afford to declare her independence from him. Glennon was well aware of Carmen's financial situation,

and after a while her plight awakened a familiar longing in Glennon. He craved the rush of a well-executed murder plot. When Carmen told him that she'd run into an ex-boyfriend, Peter Hall met a party. Glennon's mind went into overdrive. He wanted to know all about Peter's finances. Carmen said that Peter had a solid job at the telephone company and even owned his own home. Glennon smiled. Peter was the perfect mark for another life insurance scam.

With that in mind, he pushed Carmen to... rekindle her romance with Peter and even coached her on how to please him sexually. Eventually, Glennon's priming paid off. After only a few months of dating, Peter asked Carmen to marry him. He'd fallen right into Glennon's trap. Peter and Carmen wed in October of 1975. Afterwards, Carmen took out a hefty life insurance policy on her new husband, just as Glennon had ordered.

Less than a year later, Glennon was. ready to make his move. It was simple. Carmen would lure Peter to an isolated location and then Glennon would shoot him dead. Carmen wasn't happy about the plan, but she couldn't say no to Glennon. On September 5, 1976, Carmen and Peter were strolling along the lakeshore near Pacific Missouri. She'd surprised him that morning when she insisted they go see a beautiful grotto in the area. She told Peter that Peter, it would be the perfect spot for a romantic afternoon. He was caught off guard, but happily obliged. As they walked towards the picturesque cave, Carmen noticed they were alone, save for a

family walking in the opposite direction. It seemed like Glennon had chosen the location wisely. It was quiet and somewhat remote. When they approached the grotto, Carmen's heart rate skyrocketed. There were several makeshift gun targets surrounding the rocky opening. She knew Glennon was close. close by. Peter had barely taken his first step into the chamber when suddenly a shot rang out. The sound ricocheted through the hollow cavern and back out to the lake. With the bullet lodged in his back, Peter collapsed to the ground. Struggling to breathe, he called out for Carmen, but she was frantic herself.

Carmen howled with terror. She'd hoped Glennon's plan would fail and wasn't prepared for the reality of the thing. Although she didn't really love Peter, she couldn't stand the sight of him writhing in pain. She watched helplessly as he died right in front of her. Just then, Glennon emerged from a nearby cluster of trees. He was holding a rifle and had a crazed look in his eye. He yelled at Carmen to shut up, and she did as she was told, terrified that she might be his next victim. Glennon told her he was going to run away before someone called the police. Then he threw his gun into a pile of leaves and took off. His timing was spot on.

The family that was walking nearby had heard the gunshot and called the authorities for help. Officers arrived on the scene soon after Glennon fled. The cops took notice of the targets around Peter's body and assumed that a group of drunk teenagers had accidentally shot him and ran away. It was exactly what Glennon had hoped would happen. As investigators looked into the incident, Glennon returned home. The police might be digging into what happened, but they didn't suspect Carmen. They had no way of linking the murder to Glennon either.

While Glennon celebrated, Carmen fell apart. The guilt consumed her. A few days after Peter's death, she suffered a nervous breakdown. She was hospitalized. Perhaps she thought it was the same. safest place for her to be at that moment. After she was released from the hospital, Carmen moved to California to live with her brother Nick. He'd recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. She wanted nothing

more to do with Glennon, but he wasn't through with her yet. He constantly badgered her for Peter's life insurance money. Getting away with Peter's murder had reminded Glennon why he loved deceit and destruction. He would never go back to the quiet life he'd settled into after his son's birth. Once again, he was hooked on crime. Next time, he wanted an even bigger payout, and he didn't care how many people had to die for him to get it. Coming up, Glennon Engelman's most elaborate scheme yet. The most urgent mysteries in the world are missing persons cases. The stakes are too high not to pursue every plausible possibility, and some implausible ones, too. I'm Sarah Turney, host of the new podcast Disappearances.

In 2020, after spending years searching for the truth, I use social media to help bring justice to my sister Alyssa's nearly two decades long disappearance. Now, every Thursday on Spotify, I'm exploring the many reasons people disappear, and the impact their absences can have on those left behind. from child abductions and mystifying murders to those who took drastic measures to start over. Each episode of disappearances journeys through a different high-profile missing persons case, ripped from the headlines and ripe for explanation, because no one just vanishes into thin air.

The answers are out there waiting to be found. Follow the Spotify original from Parcast Disappearances. Hear a new episode every Thursday, free and only on Spotify. Snoring, gasping during sleep, feeling fatigued, ask your doctor about Zepbound, terseptite. The first and only FDA-approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and adults with obesity. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and obesity to, improve their OSA. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 milligram injection. Zepound contains terseptitide and should not be used with other terseptitide containing products

or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it, or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer, or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills.

Taking Zep bound with a sulfonel urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsening. kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-9 or visit Zepbound.lily.com. Now back to the story. In 1976, 49-year-old Glennon Engelman appeared to be living an average middle-class life in St. Louis. He had a wife, a young son, a semi-success career as a dentist, and a nice condo in South County. But it was all a facade. Glennon's latest scheme with his assistant, Carmen, had ended with a bang. Glennon killed Carmen's husband

to collect his life insurance money and she ran away to California. She eventually sent Glennon $10,000 and never spoke to him again. While Glennon's wife, Ruth, was busy taking care of their son. Glennon was cozying up to a divorcee named Barbara Jean Boyle. Barbara lived not too far from the Engelmans

and often stopped by to see Glennon. Her divorce had left her with little, money, and eventually she started asking him for cash, and Glennon seemed more than happy to hand it over. Even with the money he gave her, she still complained to him about her financial situation, and he eventually suggested another life insurance scam. Glennon usually had to manipulate women into becoming his co-conspirators, but Barbara was happy to partner with him.

She was bitter after her divorce, and apparently keen on fooling a gullible man into marrying her. Barbara's motivations were simple. She needed the money, but Glennins were more complicated. He claimed he needed the extra bucks to pay off his taxes. There was more to it than that, though. His day job technically should have brought in enough to cover his bills, so we probably just enjoyed murdering. With Glennon raring to go, Barbara started looking for marks. In 1976, she spotted 30-year-old Ron Goosewell eating alone at a diner. He looked lonely, and Barbara figured he'd enjoy some company, so she walked up to his table and turned on the charm.

Barbara was beautiful with a curvy figure and long blonde hair. Ron didn't stand a chance. They got to talking, and she was pleased to learn that, yes, he was single, and what's more, he had a decent paying job at an oil refinery. Ron quickly asked Barbara out on a date, and she said yes. After that, it only took six weeks for him to propose. Her instincts had been impeccable.

Ron was the perfect target for her and Glennon's arrangement. The couple married in May of 1976. Then, before the ink was even dry in their marriage certificate, Barbara took out a large life insurance policy on Ron. However, as Barbara got to know Ron and his family, a new plan began to form. She discovered that Ron's parents who owned a farm near St. Louis were loaded. Knowing that, she and Glennon decided to set their sights even higher.

They wanted more than just his life insurance. They wanted his inheritance, which was sure to be a fortune. Over the next year, Barbara gathered information as she and Glennon plotted the Goosewell's deaths. First, they'd murder Ron's parents, then when Ron received his inheritance, they'd kill him too. Towards the end of 1977, Glennon was ready to strike. On November 3rd, a light mist engulfed the Goosewell's farm in Edwardsville, Illinois. Seventy-year-old Arthur and his wife, 55-year-old Vernita, watched the rain shower over their cornfields. Arthur and Vernita lived a modest life, and had saved every penny they made. Thanks to their careful planning, their estate was valued at

more than $500,000, which would be over $2 million today. Verneeda was cleaning up after dinner when their peaceful evening was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Without a second thought, Arthur opened the door to find Glennon Engelman on his porch, smiling sweetly. Glennon explained that he was with the Farm Bureau and said he had a few questions for the goosewells. While Arthur looked him up and down, Glennon peeked back at his idling car. His buddy, Bob Handy, sat in the passenger seat. Bob was an ex-felon and friend who helped him out from time to time. Today, he was serving as lookout.

Arthur ushered Glennon inside. As soon as he walked through the door, he pulled a pistol out of his jacket and demanded that Arthur and Vernita lie face down on the floor so he could tie their hands behind their backs. Verneeda cried out that he could take anything he wanted. She thought they were getting robbed and was desisting. to give away their belongings in exchange for their lives. But Glennon was after more than their possessions. He needed them dead.

Glennon pushed the gun up against Vernitas Temple. Then he fired three times. With Vernita motionless on the ground, Glennon turned to Arthur and shot him once in the back of the head. Then he stood back and admired his work. Then Glennon tore up the house, ripping cushions off furniture and emptied. the contents of the freezer onto the kitchen floor. They wanted the murders to look like a robbery gone wrong. Once the place looked substantially disheveled, Glennon ran out of the door and into the idling car.

They peeled away, thinking both Vernita and Arthur were dead. It turned out that they were wrong. Arthur was still alive. Although he'd been blinded by the gunshot wound, he managed to crawl to the telephone and dial 911. When the paramedics and police arrived, Vernita was already dead. Arthur held out a little longer, but passed away within a few hours. Initially, investigators fell for Glennon's ruse.

They thought that Arthur and Vernita were killed by deadly robbers. However, another look at the evidence suggested otherwise. There was no sign of forced entry, and there were still over $70 in Verneeda's pocketbook. Despite their hunch that there was more to the Goosewell's murder, detectives weren't able to pinpoint any suspects. So just like that, Glynon had gotten away with killing his fourth and fifth victims. The first part of Glellan and Barbara's plan had gone off without a hitch.

Now they just had to wait for Ron to receive his inheritance. Once that happened, they could move on to phase two. Only one more murder stood between them and their bloody prize. In the meantime, they continued their affair. They had to be even sneakier than before. They couldn't risk anyone finding out they were in cahoots. Barbara wore disguise when she came to Glennon's office and gave them updates on the inheritance money while they got frisky.

While Barbara and Glennon snuck around, Ruth was stuck at home. Not only was she trapped in a loveless marriage, but she was terrified of her husband. Ruth didn't understand his mood swings. He was always kind to the son Marcus. He took him on road trips and even, served as his Boy Scots troop master, but he could be downright nasty to Ruth. He would yell and call her names. And when he was particularly heated, she feared for her life. She'd tried

to divorce him multiple times to no avail. Glennon loved his son and still enjoyed sleeping with Ruth when he felt like it. She was in a tough spot. Eventually, Ruth proposed a compromise. They would still have sex and Glennon could see Marcus whenever he wanted to. She was She just didn't want to be married to him anymore. At some point, Glennon finally agreed. And now that he was about to get a huge chunk of change from Ron's upcoming murder, this arrangement ensured that he wouldn't have to share his plunder with Ruth. As 1978 came to an end, things with Ron progressed.

By early 1979, he had collected more than $200,000 of his parents' savings. The other half went to his brother. Suddenly, Barbara and Ron had a hefty sum of money, but she wasn't willing to share. When the cash landed in her husband's account, Barbara called Glennon to let him know. With the wheels in motion, they couldn't meet in person anymore. It was too dangerous. As the year wore on, they prepared for the final act of their plan. Glennon was gleeful and could hardly wait for the big finish. However, an issue at work killed his buzz. Glennon outsourced his lab work to a local company owned by Sophie Marie Barrera.

Sophie, a middle-aged lab tech, constantly hassled Glennon over late payments. Glennon blew off her notices, assuming Sophie wouldn't do anything more than pester him. But he underestimated her. Eventually, Sophie sued him for nearly $15,000 in fees. Glennon fought the suit, but that wasn't enough for him. Even if he had the money, Glennon wouldn't have given it to Sophie. He thought she was just greedy, which was ironic for a man who literally killed people to make a quick buck. Glennon vowed to teach Sophie a lesson, but he didn't have time to deal with her right now.

He needed to put the finishing touches on his and Barbara's plan to get Ron's inheritance. On the night of March 31st, 1979, it was finally showtime. Glennon drove through the darkness to Bob Handy's house to pick up his trusty accomplice. As soon as Bob got in the car, Glennon showed off the 38 revolver he'd hidden in his pocket. Glennon's body trembled with anticipation as they headed towards a nearby parking lot, where Barbara would pick them up and take them the rest of the way to her Illinois home. His intense excitement suggests that he could be categorized as a thrill killer. Dr. Peter Vronsky is an academic.

expert in criminal justice and author of the book Serial Killers, The Method and Madness of Monsters. He explains that thrill killers often enjoy the lead-up to a murder more than the act itself. After making a kill, they typically lose interest in their subject. This profile matches Glennon's behavior to a T. He seemed to relish the process of formulating his murder schemes. However, once his target was dead, he was ready to move on to his next, elaborate plot. After being picked up by Barbara, Glennon's enthusiasm only grew.

When they got to her home, she told the two men to wait in the garage. Ron would be back from work in a moment. A little after 11 p.m., 33-year-old Ron pulled up to his garage. He parked his car and climbed out, tired from a long day at the oil refinery. As he turned towards the front door, he saw two figures lurking in the shadows. stomach dropped. This wasn't good. Glennon stepped into the light and raised his revolver. He told Ron that he'd never touch Barbara again and shot him in the chest.

Ron collapsed to the ground, but Glennon wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed a sledgehammer and bashed in Ron's skull. Now it was time for the cover-up. Glennon and Bob grabbed Ron's watch and wallet and planted a gun. condom in his pocket. They lugged Ron's body into his car and stuffed him into the back seat. Then they covered him with trash bags. The two men got into the car and drove to a motel in a crime-riddled part of East St. Louis.

They left the car in the parking lot and hoped the police would assume Ron had been killed in a fatal mugging. Authorities found Ron's body five days later. They thought that he'd been murdered while cruising for sex, but there were a few leads to follow. That left Barbara to collect almost half a million dollars in insurance and inheritance, making it by far the biggest payout of Engelman's many schemes. Glennon was riding the high of his latest success, and work was the last thing on his mind. But soon he'd be forced to deal with his poor bookkeeping,

and there was only one way he knew to handle his problems. Coming up, Glennon Engelman's schemes finally blow up in his face. Every outfit starts with a choice. What am I wearing underneath? Something comfortable? And let's be honest. Something that keeps everything looking smooth. That's where Vanity Fair lingerie comes in.

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In March of 1979, 52-year-old Glennon Engelman had pulled off his most profitable murder scheme yet. He and his lover, Barbara Boyle, had killed her husband, Ron Goosewell, and claimed his inheritance. Glennon wanted to enjoy his bounty, but an issue at work just wouldn't go away. Earlier that month, Sophie Marie Barrera, a local abtec, had sued Glennon for nearly $15,000 in unpaid fees. Glennon refused to give in so easily. What had started off as a mere annoyance was now a much bigger issue. Glennon was enraged that Sophie would disrespect him in such a public way

and decided he needed to make her pay for her arrogance. He decided to build a bomb powered by eight sticks of dynamite. Once his masterpiece was complete, he placed the device in a plastic garbage bag outside of Sophie's garage. He planned to detonate the explosive that evening. However, his plan was foiled. That night there was heavy rain in St. Louis. The dynamite got soaked and wouldn't explode.

The next morning, Sophie discovered the homemade explosive outside of her house. Sophie had a feeling that Glennon was behind the bomb, but even though she was spooked, she still wasn't ready to abandon the lawsuit fully. She contacted her lawyers and asked them to try to settle the case. Glennon refused the request. He was much too proud to give up now. Glennon's behavior was ego-driven and excessive. This tracks with his later diagnosis of sociopathy, which is an outdated term. These days, he'd likely be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. According to the DSM-5, people with antisocial personality disorder are often prideful and egocentric.

They're easily angered by minor insults or perceived. slights and may seek revenge. Glennon's plan to blow up Sophie was a disproportionate reaction to her lawsuit against him. What's more, he was the one in the wrong. But Glennon didn't care about that. Sophie had offended him and he wouldn't let her get away unscathed. As Glennon's anger bubbled, his and Sophie's trial was set for the week of January 21st, 1980. Glennon wouldn't admit it, but he knew his defense was weak to say the least.

to say the least, he'd never win in court. Glennon wanted to get rid of Sophie and fast, so he decided to make another bomb. South St. Louis had seen several gang-related car bombings recently. He hoped the cops would write off Sophie's death as collateral damage of the ongoing fighting. On January 14, 1980, Glennon stopped by Sophie's place of work on the way to his dental practice. He placed the bomb under her car along with a single practice. car along with a set of pressure plates that would detonate on their own. Then he headed to his clinic to solidify his alibi. That evening, 59-year-old Sophie left her dental lab and walked to her

Fort Pinto. She couldn't wait to get home and unwind. The stress of war combined with her ongoing legal battle with Glennon had taken its toll. Sophie popped the trunk and placed her briefcase inside. Then she slid into the driver's seat and put the car in reverse. Suddenly, a huge explosion ripped through the vehicle. The blast was so strong it shattered the windows of nearby businesses. The car was blown to pieces, and the steering wheel even landed on the roof of a six-story building. Sophie died instantly. Police and paramedics were on the scene within minutes. They thought the attack might have been another example of gang violence, but their theory changed. when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives arrived.

The ATF said the blast had been much larger than any of the previous bombings. Special Agent William McGarvey was one of the lead detectives with the Bureau. At first, he couldn't make sense of the explosion. The only thing he knew for sure was that whoever killed Sophie Barrera really hated her. When Sophie's adult son heard about his mother's death, he immediately pointed Agent McGarvey to Glenn. His mom had been a mild-mannered businesswoman and a loving grandmother. The only person who could have possibly wanted her dead was Glennon Engelman.

Investigators agreed with him and brought the dentist in for questioning later that day. But Glennon was uncooperative. He refused to take a polygraph or have his hands analyzed for explosive residue. When officers asked him about Sophie's lawsuit, Glennon told them he hadn't been worried about the outcome. he knew he would win. But he couldn't help himself. He went even further.

For three whole hours, Glennon railed against Sophie, yelling about how greedy and cruel she'd been. He also cursed her lawyers with a string of anti-Semitic slurs. While it seemed unwise for Glennon to attack Sophie, it's possible he couldn't stop himself. Anti-social personality disorder is associated with increased hostility and a lack of self-control. Research suggests this might be because people with ASPD have less serotonin than other individuals.

A 1999 psychopharmacology study bolstered this idea. It found that reduced serotonin function is linked to increased aggression and impulsivity. If Glennon had lower levels of serotonin, this could explain why he continued attacking Sophie despite being a suspect in her murder. Although Glennon's behavior was suspicious, his analysis. was airtight. He'd been at his office seeing patients all day, which meant that investigators didn't have enough evidence to arrest him. But that didn't stop the press from speculating about who was behind the attack. Two days after the murder, the St. Louis Globe Democrat named

Glennon as a potential suspect. When Glennon's ex-wife Ruth Jolly saw the media coverage, she felt sick to her stomach. She knew right away that Glennon was responsible for Sophie's death. He complained about her every time he came to visit their son, Marcus. When investigators showed up on her doorstep to ask questions about her ex-husband, Ruth was hesitant to open up. Glennon had threatened to kill her multiple times and said she'd be worthless to him when Marcus grew up. She was terrified that he'd make good on his warnings.

However, over the next few days, Special Agent McGarvey managed to get Ruth to trust him. Once Ruth got going, she didn't stop at social. Sophie's death, she told him about every single murder Glennon had committed. That's when Agent McGarvey asked her to testify against her former husband. Ruth was willing to do so under one condition. She wanted witness protection for herself and her son, which Agent McGarvey happily arranged. The next day, Ruth gave a 56-page testimony about Glennon's crimes. Agent McGarvey and his fellow investigators were shocked. They had been looking to solve one murder. With Ruth's help, they might have solved seven. But most of what Ruth knew about Glennon's killings,

he'd told her while they were married. Now that she was his ex, a jury might think she was biased. McGarvey needed to find others to back up Ruth's claims, and they needed Glennon to talk. Ruth knew the only way to get him to gab was to make him angry. When Glennon was upset, said he ranted and said things he normally wouldn't. So Agent McGarvey leaked a story to the press. On February 14, 1980, the Globe Democrat published a defamatory piece about Glennon. It hinted that he'd teamed up with his dental assistant, Carmen Miranda, to kill Peter Holm in 1976.

Later that night, Ruth spoke to Glennon while wearing a recording device, and he was furious. He complained about the article. lambasted Carmen. Apparently, she still owed him more money for Peter's murder. Bingo. Ruth's testimony and tape from that night were enough for Agent McGarvey to issue an arrest warrant for Glennon. He also served his three accomplices, Carmen, her brother Nick, and Glennon's right-hand man,

Bob Handy. Investigators couldn't afford for any of the suspects to go on the run, so Agent McGarvey arrested them all on the same day. Glennon didn't put up a fight and didn't seem worried. He was arrogant enough to believe that his cronies wouldn't dare testify against him. He was wrong. Carmen, Nick and Bob all eventually turned on Glennon. The disgraced dentist had no one left to intimidate.

Nick refused to talk unless he and his sister were given immunity. Eventually, Agent McArvey and the assistant U.S. attorney caved. Although Carmen was directly implicated in her. husband's death. They needed Glennon locked up more than they needed her off the streets. Guaranteed of their immunity, Nick and Carmen both confirmed that Glennon had shot Peter Holm. Nick also recounted Glennon's role in the deaths of Eric Frey and James Bullock. Glennon's first trial was on August 4, 1980, for mail fraud. And he came out of the gate firing, insisting he was innocent. He claimed that he told Ruthie's fictitious murder stories to scare her

out of taking the son away from him. The jury didn't believe him and found Glennon guilty on the fraud charges. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Glennon's next trial for the murder of Peter Haum was held in the following month, but Glennon couldn't keep his cool during cross-examination. He screamed that Ruth was evil and the judge had to order him to keep quiet. The second jury found Glennon guilty and he was sentenced to another, 50 years, and the trials kept coming. Eventually, he was given a life sentence. But the convictions

weren't over. To reduce his own prison time, Bob Handy told the police all about the Goosewell murders. He even told them that Barbara Boyle, Glennon's former lover, had been involved. Barbara had managed to lay low for the last five years, but her time was up. She was arrested in 1984. By then, Glennon had been in jail for four years. He and Barbara were tried for killing Arthur, Vernita, and Ron Goosewell. And at last, Glennon had no more fight in him. He confessed to all three murders. He received three more life sentences while Barbara got 50 years. Glennon spent the rest of his life behind bars. In 1999, the 72-year-old died from complications related to diabetes. After the truth came out, the Globe Democrat ran a front-page story about Glennon's

arrest. However, there were also articles describing how kind and generous Glennon had seemed to everyone who knew him. It's a familiar anecdote, the killer hiding in plain sight. But maybe people like Glennon go undetected for so long because others don't look beneath the surface. His murderous instincts were just as much a part of him as his generosity. Unfortunately, it took 22 years for the world to see the truth. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back next week with a brand new story. For more information on Glenn and Engelman, amongst the many sources we used,

we found Appointment for Murder, the Story of the Killing Dentist by Susan Crane Bacchus, extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other 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 Michael Motion, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Bruce Kitovich. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Matt Hartman, with writing assistants by Natalie Pertzowski and Joel Callan, fact-checking by Bennett Logan, and research by Brian Petrus, and Chelsea Wood.

Serial killers stars Greg Poulson and Vanessa Richardson. I'm Sarah Turney, host of the new Spotify original from Parkcast, Disappearances. Every Thursday, join me for an exploration into history's most gripping missing persons cases. Following timelines, analyzing clues, and piecing together as many answers as possible to find the truth. From prison breaks and child abductions to second chances, and even murder. We'll journey through the many reasons people disappear.

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