Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes · Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Murder on the Range PT 2

August 27, 2025·51 min·5 clips

Kate uncovers how the Espinosa brothers were wronged by U.S. marshals, sparking their murderous rampage.

Hosts Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes return for Part 2 of their investigation into a series of murders in the Colorado Territory in 1863. Paul opens by recapping the five victims identified in Part 1: Franklin, Henry, John Adleton, Jacob Binkley, and Abram Shoup. A critical forensic observation is that each victim was shot exactly once, which is significant given the era: black powder firearms of the 1860s required reloading after each shot, making rapid multi-target kills extremely difficult for a single shooter. This pattern suggests either multiple perpetrators operating simultaneously, or a situation where victims were isolated and ambushed one at a time. The hosts discuss the geography of the Colorado Territory in 1863 — a lawless mining frontier with minimal law enforcement, where disputes over gold claims and cattle were frequently resolved through violence. Paul examines the wound characteristics: single close-range shots suggest the victims knew their killers or were approached under the pretense of normal interaction before being shot. The financial motive theory posits that the killings were connected to land or cattle disputes, but Kate and Paul question whether greed alone explains the pattern. The episode explores whether the killings show signs of a calculated crime organization versus impulsive frontier violence. The tone is analytical and investigative, balancing historical context with forensic methodology. The audience is true crime enthusiasts who appreciate both narrative storytelling and forensic science applied to cold historical cases.

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