Criminal · Podcast summary
Family Secrets, Part 1
In the first part of a two-part series, we delve into the strange and unsettling story of Fritz Klenner, a doctor's son who spun a web of elaborate lies, leading to a shocking triple homicide.
Listen on the show ↗Key takeaways
- 💊Dr. Fred Klenner was a highly respected physician known for his unconventional use of high-dose vitamin C to treat various ailments, including polio and multiple sclerosis.01:14
- 🤥Fritz Klenner, Dr. Klenner's son, cultivated a fabricated life, claiming to be a medical student at Duke and a CIA operative, despite dropping out of college.01:55
- 🔫Fritz's father, Dr. Klenner, was rumored to be a Nazi sympathizer and maintained a farm with bunkers and weapons, where he practiced shooting with Fritz.02:52
- 🕵️Fritz convinced Ian Perkins, a younger family friend, to join him on a supposed CIA mission to Texas, which later changed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.06:07
- 🔪After the mission, Fritz confessed to Ian that he "had to kill three people" and took steps to dispose of evidence and alter his appearance.09:00
- 🩸The victims of the triple homicide were identified as Bob Newsome, his mother Hattie, and Florence Newsome, who were shot and stabbed in their home.26:27
Chapters
- 1:53Introduction to Dr. Klenner
- 3:38Fritz Klenner's Early Life and Lies
- 5:36Fritz and Ian Perkins' Relationship
- 8:20The Alleged CIA Mission
- 11:53The Journey to Winston-Salem
- 13:33The Aftermath of the Murders
- 40:44The Crime Scene Discovery
- 42:00Initial Investigation and Family Connections
The digest
This episode of Criminal, titled "Family Secrets, Part 1," explores the bizarre and ultimately tragic story of Fritz Klenner, the son of a respected doctor, whose life was a carefully constructed facade that eventually unraveled into a horrific crime.
The Renowned Dr. Klenner and His Son, Fritz
Dr. Fred Klenner, a physician in Reidsville, North Carolina, was quite famous, known for his unconventional medical practices. As Susan Speer, a reporter for the Greensboro News and Record, explains, Dr. Klenner "had for many decades touted a theory that megadoses of vitamin C... would cure polio and diseases such as multiple sclerosis." He even successfully treated his wife's bleeding gums with vitamin C and later used it to treat pneumonia, measles, spider bites, arthritis, and even cancer. His reputation drew patients from all over the United States and beyond to his small clinic, which he opened in 1939. The sign on his door read, "Fred R. Klenner, Diseases of the Chest, Limited General Practice." People came from far and wide, with one person even saying his patients thought he was "right next to Christ." Dr. Klenner's office was peculiar, adorned with hornets' nests, a leather-bound Bible, and a large grandfather clock. He also maintained segregated waiting rooms.
Fritz, Dr. Klenner's youngest child and only son, grew up in the shadow of his domineering father. Dr. Klenner, whose parents had immigrated from Germany, was rumored to be a Nazi sympathizer during World War II. He collected a vast amount of World War II memorabilia, including weapons, and even kept a farm in Rockingham County with bunkers and large stores of ammunition for shooting practice with his son, Fritz. By the time Fritz was 11, his father had given him his first real gun, a German Luger pistol, having already given him hundreds of toy guns. Fritz developed a huge interest in guns and was also fascinated by German military history, often wearing an army fatigue jacket to school.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 7-minute article, 3 more sections, and every new episode from Criminal and the creators you follow.
- Fritz's Fabricated Life and Ian Perkins
- The CIA Mission and the Triple Homicide
- The Crime Scene and the Victims
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