Hold My Sweet Tea

Where True Crime collides with chilling ghost stories and Southern folklore. Join us, sip sweet tea, and uncover shocking tales of murder, mystery, and the supernatural, all with a healthy dose of Southern charm and a touch of sass!

Hold My Sweet Tea is a history podcast hosted by Pearl & Holly, with 141 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Pearl & Holly hosts Hold My Sweet Tea, a history show with 141 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #131

  Ep. 131-The House on Chew Avenue: The Eugene Horsch Investigation

  Aug 17, 202636 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail This episode discusses an active criminal investigation. Some information presented is based on law-enforcement statements and reporting from multiple news organizations and may change as investigators review additional evidence. Eugene Horsch has not been charged with the deaths of the missing women discussed in this episode, and allegations should not be interpreted as findings of guilt. A routine-sounding call near Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia turns into something far darker when a U.S. park ranger approaches a parked BMW and hears a woman say, “You’re gonna hurt me.” From there, investigators zero in on Eugene Horsch and a trail of reported evidence that escalates fast: illegal firearms, obliterated serial numbers, fraudulent federal law enforcement credentials, and links to a missing woman’s identification. What starts as a stop becomes a widening investigation that lands at a house on West Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood and refuses to stay contained. We walk through what police have publicly said they found during weeks of searches at the Chew Avenue property, including ammunition, narcotics, chemicals, containers, and urns believed to contain cremated remains, plus extensive digital media storage. Then we slow down and talk about the difficult context investigators have to untangle, including the history of Eugene’s father, Raymond Charles “RC” Horsch, whose background as a photographer, filmmaker, and writer involved sexually explicit and violent imagery. That context doesn’t excuse anything, but it matters when investigators must separate fictional shock material from potential documentation of real harm. The most gut-punching turn is digital forensics. Police report recovering roughly 600,000 images, 70,000 videos, and more than 10,000 pages of writings and drawings, while having reviewed only about 5% at the time of their latest update. Investigators say they identified missing women Maribel Fraces and Gabrielle on footage that appears to show them alive inside the house and later appearing deceased, opening a death investigation even though bodies have not been recovered. We talk about why proving a homicide without remains is so hard, why internet speculation can damage real cases, and what questions still have to be answered before anyone can responsibly claim they “know” what happened. If you care about ethical true crime, careful reporting, and following the facts where they lead, hit play, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s the first question you want investigators to answer next? Sources: Philadelphia Police Department Official statements and August 12–13, 2026 press briefing regarding the investigation, digital evidence, missing women, search warrants, and death investigation. 6abc / WPVI Action News “Images from home on West Chew Avenue in Olney appeared to show 2 missing women dead, Philadelphia police say” By 6abc Digital Staff, John Paul, Amanda Pitts and Elizabeth Worthington August 13, 2026 6abc / WPVI Action News — Article NBC10 Philadelphia “‘Graphic' videos at Olney house show 2 missing women believed dead, police say” By Emily Rose Grassi and David Charns August 12–13, 2026 NBC10 Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “‘Graphic and dark’ evidence found inside Olney home suggests 2 missing women are dead, Philadelphia police say” By Laura Fay, Joe Holden, Tom Gardiner and CBS News Philadelphia staff August 12, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “Detectives looked for evidence of wet cremation at house in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood, sources say” By Joe Holden July 28, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “Police excavate pipes around house in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood as investigation continues” By Dan Snyder and Nate Sylves July 22, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “Investigators likely looking for DNA in pipes at house on Chew Avenue in Philadelphia, expert says” By Dan Snyder and Casey Kuhn July 23, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “Grand Jury indicts Eugene Horsch after he was arrested with loaded guns, fake DEA and FBI badges” By Alexandra Simon July 9, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “Man charged after investigation uncovers ‘laboratory’ of chemicals, drugs and guns in Olney home, police say” By Tom Ignudo June 27, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article CBS News Philadelphia “Missing Philadelphia woman's last known location was Olney home at center of complex investigation, family says” By Tom Ignudo June 28, 2026 CBS News Philadelphia — Article The Philadelphia Inquirer “Raymond Horsch's criminal past and obsession with violence weighs on investigations of Philly's missing women” By Barbara Laker, Ryan W. Briggs, Max Marin and Ellie Rushing August 2, 2026 Philadelphia Inquirer — Article FOX 29 Philadelphia “Photos show 2 deceased women in Philly home investigation: What we know” August 13, 2026 FOX 29 Philadelphia — Article PEOPLE “‘Graphic and Dark’ Photos Show 2 Missing Women Seemingly Dead in Philly Home as Police Find 10,000 Pages of Drawings, Manuscripts” August 2026 PEOPLE — Article New York Post “‘Graphic' videos found at Philly house of horrors show 2 missing women dead: ‘It's dark. It's real dark’” August 13, 2026 New York Post — Article

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  Episode #130

  Ep. 130-Jacques Saint Germain And The Blood-Wine Mystery Of The French Quarter

  Aug 10, 202638 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail A handsome stranger moves into the New Orleans French Quarter, starts throwing the kind of dinner parties only the elite can access, and somehow becomes the toast of the town almost overnight. Then one woman ends up injured in the street after a desperate leap from his balcony, claiming she was bitten and barely escaped. By morning, the host is gone and the house is quiet, but the rumor he left behind is loud: police allegedly find bottles that are not filled with wine at all, but wine mixed with human blood. We walk through the full New Orleans vampire legend of Jacques Saint Germain, including the address lore, the late-night strolls, the lavish hospitality, and the detail that makes everyone side-eye the whole thing: he never appears to eat, only to drink from an ornate chalice while he entertains the room. From there, we zoom out into the deeper paranormal history with the Count of Saint Germain, the 18th-century European enigma tied to royalty, secret societies, endless aliases, and persistent claims that he never really died. When the Count’s portrait looks uncannily like Jacques, it raises the question New Orleans does best: is this history repeating, or something hiding in plain sight? We also talk about why stories like this turn darker when the alleged victim is someone society is quick to dismiss, and how that dismissal can shape the narrative just as much as any supernatural claim. If you love New Orleans lore, vampire mythology, Anne Rice vibes, and the blurred line between true crime and paranormal mystery, press play, then share your take with us. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find Hold My Sweet Tea.

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  Episode #129

  Ep.129-The Disappearance and Murder Of Jimmy Wood In Ponchatoula Repost

  Aug 2, 202632 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail A quiet stretch of River Road in Ponchatoula, Louisiana doesn’t feel so quiet when a man disappears and the search turns into something far worse. We’re talking about James “Jimmy” Wood, 43, last seen on camera June 19 and reported missing days later after his keys and belongings are found at the house where he was living and remodeling. Months pass with more questions than leads, and the uncertainty becomes its own kind of heartbreak for everyone who loved him. This conversation is more unscripted than usual because the case is real-time and close to home. We explain what’s been publicly released, what we can’t share because it’s an active investigation, and what it’s like to look at a wooded area and realize how much a drone can miss when the trees are dense, the ground is hidden, and the Louisiana heat works against you. We also unpack why people saying “at least they have closure” can land wrong when the most important answers are still missing. When remains are discovered and later confirmed by DNA, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office transitions the case into a homicide investigation, citing evidence of gunshots. That fact raises the stakes for the community and for anyone who might be sitting on a detail they’ve brushed off as “probably nothing.” If you care about true crime stories that prioritize victims and real outcomes, listen closely, share this episode, and help keep attention on Jimmy’s case. Subscribe, leave a review, and send it to one person who can amplify it.

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  Episode #128

  Ep. 128-Danny Rolling The Gainesville Ripper

  Jul 27, 202633 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail It's a Summerween Re-Mix!! We are dropping one of my favorite past Spooky Season Cases for your listening pleasure! A quiet college town. Freshmen hauling boxes into a new apartment. Parents doing that first-day check-in. Then, almost overnight, Gainesville becomes a place where people stop walking alone, roommates pile into the same living room to sleep, and every knock at the door feels loaded. We’re Pearl and the crew from Hold My Sweet Tea, and we’re telling the true story of Danny Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper, whose short spree in 1990 shattered five young lives and changed the University of Florida community forever. We dig into Rolling’s background and the long chain of escalation: a childhood ruled by violence and shame, years of drifting crime, and a shift from “peeping” to obsession and control. From the earlier Shreveport murders to the Gainesville attacks, the details reveal a chilling pattern, including forced entry, careful cleanup, and crime scenes staged with a slasher-film brutality that felt almost “designed” to be remembered. We also talk about the fear that spreads faster than facts, the media frenzy, and why investigators suspected they were dealing with someone experienced long before a name was attached. Then the case turns on a break that feels painfully ordinary: an unrelated arrest, property found in the woods, disturbing recordings, and DNA that finally locks the truth into place. We also unpack the unsettling link to pop culture and how the Gainesville murders helped inspire the tone behind Scream, reminding us that the scariest stories aren’t always invented. If you’re into true crime, criminal psychology, and the real history behind horror movies, hit play, then share this with a friend, leave a review, and message us your favorite scary movie or a story you want us to read on the pod.

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  Episode #127

  Ep. 127- The Bourbon Street Cold Case Revisit: Dan Bettencourt Jr.

  Jul 20, 202628 minS1

  Send us Fan Mail Summer is at it's PEAK and our job is all consuming. Please come with us as we revisit a past episode that could use a little more attention. Fret not we will return soon! A crowded New Orleans nightclub, a sudden death, and a story that seems to evaporate almost as soon as it hits the news. We’re going back to 2015 and the suspicious death of Dan Betancourt Jr., a former bartender at the Oz Nightclub on Bourbon Street, found unresponsive in the early morning hours during Southern Decadence weekend. Friends describe Dan as social, funny, and steady, which makes the official framing of him as “uncontrollably irate” feel like a record scratch that demands a closer look. We walk through what’s publicly known: Dan’s last hours, the claim that he was restrained and possibly placed in a headlock by a former coworker, and the confusing shift from “fight or disturbance” to “medical call” to a situation that briefly draws homicide detective attention. We also dig into the details that don’t sit right, like how a packed French Quarter bar ends up with key moments not on surveillance footage, and why a case with this many potential witnesses winds up with so little follow-up reporting. Then we get into the coroner’s early findings, including the note about no gross anatomical trauma and a possible cardiac abnormality, plus the toxicology results that are described as pending and then seemingly disappear from the public narrative. If you care about true crime, cold cases, and accountability in New Orleans investigations, this one is a reminder that silence isn’t the same thing as closure. If you know anything about what happened at the Oz that night, we share how to report it. Subscribe, share this with someone who loves New Orleans true crime, and leave a review so more people hear Dan’s name and this case gets another look.

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