Join Hannah and JoAnna on Cosmic Crimes, where chilling true crime tales intertwine with astrology. Each episode, we dive into a haunting case and then explore the birth charts and astrological influences of those involved. Could planetary alignments or cosmic events have played a role in the crime? Discover the intersection of fate and free will as we blend gripping narratives with celestial insights. Sometimes, the truth isn't just stranger than fiction—it's written in the stars. The Cosmic Crimes Podcast is a production of Cosmic Frequency, LLC.
Richard "The Torso Killer" Cottingham lived a seemingly conventional life in New Jersey, working as a computer operator, marrying, and raising children. Behind that public identity, investigators linked him to a series of murders spanning New York and New Jersey from the late 1960s through 1980. He was convicted of multiple murders and remains imprisoned on multiple life sentences; in later years, he made additional confessions that helped close long-unsolved cases.wikipedia+1
Astrologically, Cottingham's Gemini rising suggests an outwardly adaptable, communicative presentation and a capacity to move through different social settings. His retrograde Mercury and retrograde Venus in Scorpio in the sixth house place thought patterns, attachments, secrecy, control, and daily behavior in a private, inwardly processed part of the chart. In this context, the Scorpio emphasis points to compulsive emotional undercurrents and concealed relational dynamics, with the sixth house drawing attention to routine, compartmentalization, and the hidden patterns embedded in ordinary life.
SHOW NOTES
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Cosmic Crimes Podcast Linktree
If you are new to astrology and/or are getting lost or confused during the episodes, we created a free guide of all-things-astrology on Substack for you to reference so you can listen along with ease. Click the link below!
Astrology Basics
SOURCES
https://nassauda.org/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1464 (https://nassauda.org/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/1464)
https://www.aetv.com/articles/richard-cottingham-today (https://www.aetv.com/articles/richard-cottingham-today)
https://www.aetv.com/articles/torso-killer-convicted-5-murders-confessed-more-than-20
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/infamous-torso-killer-admits-to-another-new-jersey-womans-murder/6439757/
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/crime/serial-killer-richard-cottingham-rx5hldhu
https://people.com/times-square-killer-richard-cottingham-people-magazine-investigates-7969588
https://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Cottingham,%20Richard%20_spring%202007_.pdf
https://www.nynjpd.org/CottinghamStats.htm (https://www.nynjpd.org/CottinghamStats.htm)
https://richardcottingham.com/ (https://richardcottingham.com/)
https://richardcottingham.com/victims.htm (https://richardcottingham.com/victims.htm)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cottingham (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cottingham)
11 Sept 2026
Episode 58: Elaine Parent - The Woman With Many Names
In our very first true-crime-only episode we cover Elaine Parent, one of the most wanted fugitives in the United States after she was suspected of killing Beverly McGowan in 1990 and assuming her identity. Known as "The Chameleon," Parent allegedly moved through several states using false names, stolen identities, and convincing disguises as investigators worked to trace her movements. Her case ended in 2002, when police confronted Parent at a Tennessee motel and she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
SHOW NOTES
Connect with us across streaming platforms and social media, and explore ways to support our work through our Linktree.
Cosmic Crimes Podcast Linktree
If you are new to astrology and/or are getting lost or confused during the episodes, we created a free guide of all-things-astrology on Substack for you to reference so you can listen along with ease. Click the link below!
Astrology Basics
SOURCES
www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/12/12/decapitation-murder-remains-unsolved/
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1391705/Chameleon-Killer-cheats-the-Florida-police-by-ending-her-many-faced-life.html
www.vault.fbi.gov/elaine-parent
www.thesun.co.uk/news/30213072/chameleon-killer-true-crime-identity-fraud/
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/chameleon-killer-real-story-behind-29821703
www.casefilepodcast.com/case-160-beverly-mcgowan/
www.podscripts.co/podcasts/casefile-true-crime/case-160-beverly-mcgowan
www.tv.apple.com/us/show/the-hunt-for-the-chameleon-killer/umc.cmc.4uqjkasikjr0hi7yriioagij4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CysWMFOxLBA
28 Aug 2026
Episode 57: Pamela Smart - A Teen Lover and a Murder Plot
Pamela Smart became the center of one of America's first nationally televised murder trials after she was convicted in 1991 of being an accomplice to first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and witness tampering in the 1990 killing of her husband, Gregg Smart. Prosecutors said Smart had an affair with her teenage lover, Billy Flynn, and persuaded him to carry out the murder. She is serving life without parole and is currently seeking to overturn her conviction.
Astrologically, her Cancer rising can project softness, emotional sensitivity, and a guarded private world, while a Capricorn Moon reflects control, restraint, and a need to manage vulnerability. Her Leo Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter add charisma, confidence, and a powerful need to be seen, believed, and heard, creating an image-conscious combination where attention can feel like validation and influence can feel essential.
SHOW NOTES
Connect with us across streaming platforms and social media, and explore ways to support our work through our Linktree.
Cosmic Crimes Podcast Linktree
If you are new to astrology and/or are getting lost or confused during the episodes, we created a free guide of all-things-astrology on Substack for you to reference so you can listen along with ease. Click the link below!
Astrology Basics
SOURCES
https://history.lanememoriallibrary.org/hampton/biog/pamsmart/pamsmart10.htm
https://inns.innsofcourt.org/media/190406/state_v_smart__3_.pdf
https://history.lanememoriallibrary.org/hampton/biog/pamsmart/equinox2006_1.htm
https://history.lanememoriallibrary.org/hampton/biog/pamsmart/equinox2006_8.htm
https://history.lanememoriallibrary.org/hampton/biog/pamsmart/19900803hua.htm
https://history.lanememoriallibrary.org/hampton/biog/pamsmart/20050220bPH.htm/
https://history.lanememoriallibrary.org/hampton/biog/pamsmart/greggsobit.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Smart
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/03/22/pamela-smart-jurys-task-find-the-real-pamela-smart/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/08/21/Long-prison-term-imposed-in-Smart-murder-case/9027714369600/
https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/05/28/youth-involved-in-smart-murder-case-sentenced/
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/hampton-union/2015/04/09/paroled-but-not-forgiven/34801171007/
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/21/309/2577820/
https://www.nhd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/Opinions/02/02NH174.PDF
https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2023-03-29/nh-supreme-court-dismisses-latest-pamela-smart-petition
https://law.justia.com/cases/new-hampshire/supreme-court/2023/2022-0198.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/pamela-smart-takes-responsibility-for-husbands-1990-killing-for-the-first-time
https://indepthnh.org/2025/05/29/ayotte-nixes-latest-pam-smart-request-for-commutation-hearing/
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/unionleader.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/7a/07af5748-e146-4bd4-8cc4-f5b6692c900b/695d79328efa2.pdf.pdf
https://indepthnh.org/2026/01/06/pam-smart-claims-prosecutors-misled-jurors-in-latest-bid-for-freedom/
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/06/us/pamela-smart-seeks-overturn-conviction
https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/habeas-corpus-hearing-for-pamela-smart-postponed/article_bc96400d-8cc0-462a-92e5-8a7c972d3c67.html
https://indepthnh.org/2026/05/27/state-asks-court-to-dismiss-pam-smarts-latest-bid-for-freedom/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/pam-smart-expected-attend-hearing-224600262.html
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2026/07/20/pamela-smart-latest-bid-for-freedom-petition-greggory-smart-murder/90958078007/
https://indepthnh.org/2026/07/20/pamela-smart-says-transcripts-doomed-her-to-prison/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/judge-says-decision-pamela-smart-170831013.html
https://people.com/pamela-smart-today-what-to-know-11961640
https://www.detpress.com/abcnews/pressrelease/20-20-revisits-the-case-of-pamela-smart-who-sits-down-for-an-interview-after-spending-more-than-three-decades-in-prison-for-her-involvement-in-her-husbands-murder/
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23 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100
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