In Part 2 of our deep dive into the life of Charles William Yukl, we explore the years that followed his shocking manslaughter conviction.

After serving just a portion of his time, Yukl was released on parole, and what happened next is a chilling reminder of how the justice system can fail.

Set in 1970s Manhattan, this episode traces Yukl’s disturbing reentry into society: his fake credentials, psychological manipulation, therapy sessions, and how he infiltrated New York’s struggling artist scene under the guise of casting a fake film.

And as he lured aspiring actresses with false promises of stardom, Yukl’s violent urges and delusions began to resurface, all while he presented himself as a rehabilitated model citizen.

Featuring firsthand details from The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer, this is a story of deception, danger, and missed red flags. If you're into true crime, serial killers, parole system failures, and 1970s New York noir, this is an episode you won’t forget.

In this chilling episode of Almost Fiction, we begin the disturbing story of Charles William Yukl, a classically trained pianist, teacher, and, ultimately… convicted killer.

From his troubled upbringing and intense musical training to his years of hidden darkness, we uncover how a seemingly mild-mannered man led a double life.

Based heavily on the book The Piano Teacher by Robert K. Tanenbaum and Robert Greenberg, this episode dives deep into Yukl’s past, his manipulations, and the brutal 1966 murder of Suzanne Reynolds. It’s a terrifying portrait of depravity hiding under a mask of weakness.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/25/archives/-village-slaying-laid-to-paroled-killer.html

https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/people-v-yukl-893896295

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/03/archives/sexslaying-case-posing-questions-to-justice-system-sexslaying-case.html

https://mail.murderpedia.org/male.Y/y/yukl-charles.htm

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/spontaneous_exclamation

Tanenbaum, Robert K., and Peter S. Greenberg. The Piano Teacher: The True Story of a Psychotic Killer. eBook ed., Simon and Schuster, 1987.

In this gripping episode of Almost Fiction, we dig into one of the strangest true crime cases in American history, the disappearance and murder of Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the woman once dubbed “The Most Hated Woman in America.”

From her rise as an infamous atheist activist to her mysterious vanishing in 1995, this story is steeped in ideology, betrayal, greed, and ultimately, tragedy.

We follow the twisted path of David Roland Waters, an ex-con turned office manager at American Atheists, whose dark past and vengeful motives led to one of the most chilling crimes of the ‘90s.

With extortion schemes, missing gold, mutilated bodies, and a multi-year-long investigation that finally unearthed the truth, this is a story that sounds too wild to be real, until you realize every word of it… is true.

Sources:

The Atheists' Cold Case Gets Warmer, By Paul Duggan. Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, August 16, 1999.

Mysterious Disappearance of Madalyn Murray O'Hair By Tori Richards for TruTV.com

Wikipedia page for Madalyn Murray O’Hair. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O%27Hair

O'Hair death mastermind dies in prison, SAN ANTONIO NEWS. By John MacCormack. March 21, 2017.

Murderpedia.org David Roland Waters.