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In today’s March Bonus Episode, Ash & Alaina sit down to unpack , the new documentary that takes a long, hard look at , the world of reality TV, and the price paid by young contestants chasing swift fame. This isn’t a criminal case but it Morbid: power dynamics, exploitation, public scrutiny, looking back with adult hindsight… so, yeah, we had to discuss it! Join in the conversation on socials by clicking the episode post on MORBID Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morbidpodcast/! What parts of this documentary left your jaw on the floor? Get ready for next month's BOOK CLUB BONUS EPISODE by reading https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/postmortem-patricia-cornwell/1100364522?ean=9781668229637 by Patricia Cornwell wherever books are sold! We are THRILLED to have CHEF REILLY https://www.tiktok.com/@chefreillymeehan/video/7554094735330184503 joining us on the day his book comes out (3/31/26) to discuss all things Scarpetta! Preorder his book! https://www.chefreillymeehan.com Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weirdos! Get ready to get abducted by this month's batch of listener tales brought to you By you FOR you and ALL ABOUT YOU! This month Listeners are giving the deets of encounters from visitors from other planets, with a few ghostly and all-out-jumpscare stories! Because of the MASSIVE blizzard, we're kicking it OG style, with audio only and sans Nicholas, but fret not!! Both will be coming back in March! If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to DEB by emailing us at Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :) MENTIONS: Follow Sarah James https://www.tiktok.com/@underthecapricornsun?lang=enon TikTok! Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the news cycle, an elderly woman attempting to poison her husband would have garnered a pretty small amount of attention from the press, then faded away when a larger story came along. But it didn’t take long for the press to learn that the poisoning of Melissa Ann Shepard's new husband wasn't the first time she had been suspected or convicted of attempted murder. In fact, Melissa Ann Shepard had a criminal history in two countries that went back decades, including many crimes that were very similar to the one she had just perpetrated only with a much worse outcome. RECOMMENDATIONS Follow @itsmartymiller https://www.tiktok.com/@itsmartymiller?lang=en on TikTok REFERENCES As It Happens. 2016. March 16. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.3492260/victim-questions-release-of-notorious-internet-black-widow-she-ll-never-change-1.3492579. Associated Press. 2005. "'Black Widow' pleads guilty." , March 15: 2005. Canadian Press. 2013. "'Black Widow' pleads guilty to drugging husband's coffee days after wedding." , June 11. —. 2016. "Internet black widow off the hook." , December 23: 10. —. 2013. "'Black Widow' gets 3 1/2 years for drugging husband." , June 12. —. 2013. "Alleged victim of 'Black Widow' holds no ill will as trial set to start." , June 7: 35. 2012. Television. Directed by CBC News. Performed by CBC News. Elash, Anita. 2012. October 5. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/police-were-asked-to-warn-husband-of-internet-black-widow-1.1163836. L'Heureux, Catie. 2016. "The real-life Gone Girl is 80, and terrifying." , April 13. McMahon, Tamsin. 2005. "Robert Friedrich was alive and well, then he met this woman." , April 9: 1. O'Connor, Joe. 2012. "Romancing the 'Black Widow' ." , October 3: 1. Sherren, Reg. 2013. "Internet Black Widow 'will do it again,' says former husband." , September 16. Starnes, Richard. 2005. "'Black widow' arrested in Florida." , January 13: 7. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Since the late nineteenth century, amusement parks have been providing countless hours of enjoyment for people all around the world. Often driven by the latest technology and advances in mechanical engineering, the thrill rides at parks like Disney Land, Great America, and other independent parks offer a controlled environment to experience terror and excitement. While these rides, and the parks in general, are very safe and held to strict safety standards, there are times when the unthinkable happens—a cable snaps, a safety harness breaks—and the once safe ride becomes a nightmare for passengers. Far more often than not, tragic amusement park accidents are the result of human foolishness or, far less often, operator error. But other times, they are a bizarre fluke; a one in a million mechanical problem no one saw coming. Either way, the results can be shocking, horrifying, and even deadly. RECOMMENDATIONS: Jawsh on tikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@chickenjawsh%0A%0A REFERENCES Adler, Eric, and Katy Bergen. 2016. "Questions swirl as grief befalls family of boy killed on slide." , August 9: 1. Associated Press. 2016. "Slide complaints surface." , August 10: 2. Bella, Timothy. 2019. "How a freak accident happens." , January 29. Boston Globe. 1923. "Couple injured on Derby Racer." , May 31: 14. 1935. Unknown (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, January 16). Daily Item. 1911. "Fatal accident on Revere Beach roller coaster." , June 9: 19. —. 1911. "Fatally hurt on roller coaster." , May 22: 9. Merrill, Jamie. 2015. "The funfair disaster that Britain forgot." , June 7. Omaha Evening Bee-News. 1930. "Ban coaster after plunge kills four." , July 25: 1. —. 1930. "Survivor tells story of tragedy." , July 25: 2. O'Neil, Elise. 2023. July 27. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://douglascohistory.org/9743-2/. Pound, Cath. 2022. August 21. Accessed February 3, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220818-the-surprisingly-scandalous-origins-of-disneyland. Saner, Emine. 2024. "The rollercoaster I was on hurtled backwards and crashed." , September 23. Standard-Times. 1922. "New Bedford man, thrown from roller coaster, on danger list." , September 12: 1. The Times. 1973. "Big dipper a death trap, Crown says." , November 6. —. 1973. "Engineer says many parts of big dipper were unsafe." , March 2. —. 1972. "Two teenage boys and a girl killed in Battersea big dipper crash." , May 5. Vockrodt, Steve. 2018. "The making of Schlitterbahn’s Verrückt water slide: Too much, too fast? ." , April 3. Yesterday's America. n.d. Accessed February 4, 2026. https://yesterdaysamerica.com/the-early-history-of-theme-parks-in-america/. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the summer of 1998, eighty-two-year-old New York socialite Irene Silverman disappeared from her Manhattan townhouse without a trace. Silverman’s friends were immediately concerned, as it was completely out of character for Irene to leave town without telling anyone. Coincidentally, on the same day Irene Silverman disappeared, authorities in New York arrested Sante Kimes and her son, Kenny, on a charge of check fraud. Unbeknownst to investigators, these two events were directly linked. In the wake of the arrest of Kimes and her son, investigators discovered a number of links between the mother and son con artists and Irene Silverman that would not only lead to the discovery of Silverman’s body, but also to a years’ long crime spree that included everything from check fraud and impersonation to arson and murder. In the annals of American crime, it’s rare to find a series of violent crimes committed by a woman. And among those women, it is rarer still to find one so brutal, cunning, and manipulative as Sante Kimes. References Associated Press. 1985. "Couple charged with slavery." , August 6: 4. Bashinsky, Ruth, and Larry Sutton. 1998. "She lived in the present, belebrated ballet past." , July 8: 2. Finkelstein, Katherine. 2000. "Mother and son are given life sentences." , June 28. Kirsta, Alix. 1999. "The lady vanishes." , November 20. Kocieniewski, David. 1998. "Deed ceding widow's house to suspects is found, police say." , July 25. NBC News. 2025. "The devil wore white." , January 1. Rohde, David. 1998. "2 now face murder charge in widow's disappearance." , December 17. —. 2000. "Jury hears a murder defendant's outburst; a woman screams for fairness." , April 29. Rohde, David, and Julian Barnes. 2000. "Without a body, murder case of widow relies on circumstantial evidence." , May 16. 1989. 86-1267 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, October 31). Walker, Kent. 2001. New York, NY: William Morrow. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(Part 3 of 3) On the morning of February 8, 1983, a plumber working in London’s Muswell Hill neighbor opened a drainage cover behind a Cranley Gardens apartment building and made a horrific discovery—the drain was blocked by pieces of bone and human tissue. Upon investigation, detectives traced the blockage back to one apartment in the building, where additional evidence suggested things were far worse than they’d initially thought. When the occupant of the apartment, Dennis Nilsen, was confronted with the human remains, he began telling investigators a shocking story and when he was finished, Nilsen had confessed to murdering and dismembering at fifteen men over the course of five years. In the annals of British crime, Dennis Nilsen ranks among the worst serial killers the country has ever seen, not only because of the number of people he killed, but also the method of disposal and the motive. MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE Read Jay Manuel’s Fictional book inspired by ANTM https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wig-the-bitch-the-meltdown-jay-manuel/1136851738?ean=9781946274434 REFERENCES Barlass, Tim, and Robert Mendick. 2006. "Killer: This was my first victim." , November 9: 1. Davies, Nick. 1983. "A nice person, says the man who escaped." , October 26: 5. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'claimed to have no tears for victims, bereaved, or himself'." , October 26: 5. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'enjoyed power of his victims'." , November 1: 4. —. 1983. "Nilsen tells of horror and shame at killings." , October 28: 2. Henry, Ian. 1983. "'My fury if visitors didn't listen to me'." , October 27: 3. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'has admitted 15 or 16 killings'." , October 25: 3. Liverpool Echo. 1983. "London body: Man in court." , February 12: 1. Masters, Brian. 1985. London, UK: J. Cape. McMillan, Greg. 1980. "Family scours Britain for missing son." , January 31: 10. Murphy, Fin. 2021. "I struck up a friendship with serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Then I edited his memoirs." , January 29. Nicholson-Lord, David. 1983. "Doctor tells jury of Nlsen's false-self." , October 28: 1. —. 1983. "Nilsen given 25-year sentence." , November 5: 1. Tatchell, Peter. 2022. January 24. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/24/police-dennis-nilsen-victims-homophobic-murders. The Guardian. 1983. "State of mind issue put to Nilsen jury." , November 3: 3. The Times. 1983. "Nilsen strangled, cut up and burnt men he met in pubs, jury told." , October 25: 1. —. 1984. "Prisoners live in fear of Nilsen." , June 21: 3. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
PART 2 OF 3) On the morning of February 8, 1983, a plumber working in London’s Muswell Hill neighbor opened a drainage cover behind a Cranley Gardens apartment building and made a horrific discovery—the drain was blocked by pieces of bone and human tissue. Upon investigation, detectives traced the blockage back to one apartment in the building, where additional evidence suggested things were far worse than they’d initially thought. When the occupant of the apartment, Dennis Nilsen, was confronted with the human remains, he began telling investigators a shocking story and when he was finished, Nilsen had confessed to murdering and dismembering at fifteen men over the course of five years. In the annals of British crime, Dennis Nilsen ranks among the worst serial killers the country has ever seen, not only because of the number of people he killed, but also the method of disposal and the motive. __ __ REFERENCES Barlass, Tim, and Robert Mendick. 2006. "Killer: This was my first victim." , November 9: 1. Davies, Nick. 1983. "A nice person, says the man who escaped." , October 26: 5. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'claimed to have no tears for victims, bereaved, or himself'." , October 26: 5. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'enjoyed power of his victims'." , November 1: 4. —. 1983. "Nilsen tells of horror and shame at killings." , October 28: 2. Henry, Ian. 1983. "'My fury if visitors didn't listen to me'." , October 27: 3. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'has admitted 15 or 16 killings'." , October 25: 3. Liverpool Echo. 1983. "London body: Man in court." , February 12: 1. Masters, Brian. 1985. London, UK: J. Cape. McMillan, Greg. 1980. "Family scours Britain for missing son." , January 31: 10. Murphy, Fin. 2021. "I struck up a friendship with serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Then I edited his memoirs." , January 29. Nicholson-Lord, David. 1983. "Doctor tells jury of Nlsen's false-self." , October 28: 1. —. 1983. "Nilsen given 25-year sentence." , November 5: 1. Tatchell, Peter. 2022. January 24. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/24/police-dennis-nilsen-victims-homophobic-murders. The Guardian. 1983. "State of mind issue put to Nilsen jury." , November 3: 3. The Times. 1983. "Nilsen strangled, cut up and burnt men he met in pubs, jury told." , October 25: 1. —. 1984. "Prisoners live in fear of Nilsen." , June 21: 3. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the morning of February 8, 1983, a plumber working in London’s Muswell Hill neighbor opened a drainage cover behind a Cranley Gardens apartment building and made a horrific discovery—the drain was blocked by pieces of bone and human tissue. Upon investigation, detectives traced the blockage back to one apartment in the building, where additional evidence suggested things were far worse than they’d initially thought. When the occupant of the apartment, Dennis Nilsen, was confronted with the human remains, he began telling investigators a shocking story and when he was finished, Nilsen had confessed to murdering and dismembering at fifteen men over the course of five years. In the annals of British crime, Dennis Nilsen ranks among the worst serial killers the country has ever seen, not only because of the number of people he killed, but also the method of disposal and the motive. Want to help out the people of Minneapolis? Click here https://www.minneapolis.org/support-local-businesses/online-shopping/ to help small business owners impacted by current events! REFERENCES Barlass, Tim, and Robert Mendick. 2006. "Killer: This was my first victim." , November 9: 1. Davies, Nick. 1983. "A nice person, says the man who escaped." , October 26: 5. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'claimed to have no tears for victims, bereaved, or himself'." , October 26: 5. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'enjoyed power of his victims'." , November 1: 4. —. 1983. "Nilsen tells of horror and shame at killings." , October 28: 2. Henry, Ian. 1983. "'My fury if visitors didn't listen to me'." , October 27: 3. —. 1983. "Nilsen 'has admitted 15 or 16 killings'." , October 25: 3. Liverpool Echo. 1983. "London body: Man in court." , February 12: 1. Masters, Brian. 1985. London, UK: J. Cape. McMillan, Greg. 1980. "Family scours Britain for missing son." , January 31: 10. Murphy, Fin. 2021. "I struck up a friendship with serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Then I edited his memoirs." , January 29. Nicholson-Lord, David. 1983. "Doctor tells jury of Nlsen's false-self." , October 28: 1. —. 1983. "Nilsen given 25-year sentence." , November 5: 1. Tatchell, Peter. 2022. January 24. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/24/police-dennis-nilsen-victims-homophobic-murders. The Guardian. 1983. "State of mind issue put to Nilsen jury." , November 3: 3. The Times. 1983. "Nilsen strangled, cut up and burnt men he met in pubs, jury told." , October 25: 1. —. 1984. "Prisoners live in fear of Nilsen." , June 21: 3. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the early hours of March 3, 1993, someone snuck into the Maryland home of Millie Horn, where she lived with her disabled eight-year-old son, Trevor, and his nurse, Janice Saunders. After shooting both women in the head multiple times, the intruder smothered Trevor Horn to death, then quietly left the house. Hours later, the bodies of all three were discovered by Millie’s sister, who stepped by to check on them. Almost immediately, suspicion fell on Millie Horn’s ex-husband, Lawrence, who lived thousands of miles away in California, but with whom she’d spoken just hours before the murders occurred. In time, investigators were able to establish a financial motive, linking Lawrence Horn to the murders, yet they were unable to place Horn in Maryland when the murders occurred. Ultimately, Lawrence Horn would be tried and convicted for all three murders, but by that time, he wasn’t sole perpetrator of the crime. And when prosecutors were finally able to pin down the men responsible for the deaths, it turned out the killers received guidance from a very surprising source. __ __ REFERENCES Associated Press. 1993. "Man says he wasn't involved in slaying of ex-wife and son." , March 10: 5. Baltimore Sun. 1993. "Murder suspect denies threatening former wife." , April 9: 27. Brooke, James. 1996. "Lawsuit tests lethal power of words." , February 14. Hermann, Peter. 1994. "Father arrested in 3 murders." , July 21: 21. 2002. 0667, Sept. Term, 2001 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, November 7). 1996. 119, Sept. Term, 1995 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, December 16). Smolla, Rodney. 1999. New York, NY: Crown. Sullivan, Kevin. 1994. "Accused went from glamour of Motown to a life of modest means." , July 20. Vick, Karl. 1996. "Horn convicted for three murders." , May 4: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weirdos!! It's here! the second deep dive into the twisted world of the Twilight Saga! Grab your brown-tinted filters and emotional support glitter, because Ash and Alaina are back in Forks for a full-throttle deep dive into . For this month’s BONUS EPISODE we’re unpacking Edward’s dramatic exit, Bella’s months-long depression montage (hello, spinning seasons), and the introduction of a jort-wearing werewolf jamborees: Jacob Black. We debate whether ghost Edward is helpful or wildly unhinged, and try to make sense of the Volturi’s whole vibe! There’s chaos, hot takes, and Bella imitations that will make you howl! Light a candle, stare moodily out a window, and join us, because the angst is real, the wolves are howling, and we’re all #TeamMessy! 🖤 Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weirdos! We invite you to don your softest apparel, get comfy, and settle in for a batch of haunted listener tales! Nicholas DEFINITELY took note of the theme, and set the mood! This episode POPPED OFF before we even officially started the show. Curious to hear what freaked us out? Listen after the ending theme for the wild moments that didn't make the audio version! LISTEN on all podcast platforms OR WATCH on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/@morbidpodcast Want to watch the episode on Sam & Colby's- Click Here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hij-U_onHXg&pp=2AayBA%3D%3D Want to book at the SK Pierce Mansion? Book Here! https://www.skhauntedmansion.com If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to DEB by emailing us at Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :) Huge shout out to our video edtitor @aidanmcelman Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Lizzie Halliday was known in the late nineteenth century as “the worst woman on earth” and ended up being the first woman EVER to be sentenced to die in the electric chair. References Brooklyn Citizen. 1893. "Mrs. Halliday guilty." , September 10: 4. Buffalo Conmmercial. 1894. "Murderess Lizzie Hallidfay sentenced this morning." , June 22: 1. Buffalo Courier. 1891. "An interesting Newburgh pair." , June 24: 1. —. 1893. "Her first connected story anent the recent tragedy." , October 21: 2. Buffalo Evening News. 1895. "Crazy murderess, assisted by another maniac, tries to kill an attendant at Matteawan." , September 2: 6. —. 1894. "Lizzie Halliday sentenced to die by electricty." , June 22: 7. Buffalo Sunday Morning News. 1894. "Lizzie's crazy antics." , June 24: 1. Evening World . 1894. "A weird murderess." , June 20: 1. Evening World. 1894. "Lizzie Halliday's trial." , June 18: 1. Levine, David. 2020. August 25. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://hvmag.com/life-style/lizzie-brown-halliday-serial-killer/. New York Times. 1918. "Lizzie Halliday dead." , Junbe 29: 20. —. 1893. "Lizzie Halliday makes statement." , October 21: 9. —. 1894. "Lizzie Halliday soon to be tried." , June 10: 8. —. 1906. "Mrs. Halliday, insane, stabs nurse 200 times." , September 28: 5. Owen, Kevin. 2019. Unknown: Independent. Sun and Erie County Independent. 1893. "A triple tragedy; awful crimes charged against Mrs. Halliday." , September 15: 2. The World. 1893. "Lizzie Halliday in Philadelphia." , November 8: 2. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the afternoon of March 26, 1997, the San Diego County Sherrif’s Department received an anonymous call through 911 reporting a mass suicide at an address in Rancho Santa Fe, California. A single sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the address and knocked on the front door, but got no response. Finding a side door to the home unlocked, the deputy entered the house and was horrified to discover nearly forty bodies of adults, all of whom appeared to have taken their own lives in what appeared to be some kind of ritual. Not since the terrible mass deaths at Jonestown decades earlier had Americans seen such a bizarre and ultimately tragic occurrence and few were able to understand how such a thing could have happened in the modern age. What could have caused so many people to willingly give up their lives, and who was he enigmatic man who’d convinced them to do it? REFERENCES Ayers, B. Drummon. 1997. "Families learning of 39 cultists who died willingly." , March 29. CNN. 1997. March 29. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/US/9703/29/applewhite/. Lamotte, Greg. 1997. April 18. Accessed January 5, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/US/9704/18/cult.911/index.html. Locke, Michelle. 1997. "Comet cult's stairway led to downfall." , March 31: 1. Miller, Craig. 1997. "Web page business supported sect's life." , March 28: 1. Perry, Tony. 1997. "Cult left no survivors, police say." , April 1: 3. Perry, Tony, Michael Granberry, and Anne-Marie O'Connor. 1997. "39 dead in apparent suicide." , March 27: 1. Purdum, Todd. 1997. "Videotapes left by 39 who died described cult's suicide goal." , March 28. Steinberg, Jacques. 1997. "From religious childhood to reins of a U.F.O. cult." , March 29. Weinraub, Claire, Christina Ng, Acacia Nunes, and Haley Yamada. 2022. March 14. Accessed January 7, 2026. https://abc7.com/post/cult-next-door-diane-sawyer-special-heavens-gate-2020/11642749/. Wilkens, John. 2017. "Cilt sought to 'exit' via spaceship." , March 20: B2. Zeller, Benjamin. 2014. New York, NY: New York University Press. —. 2014. "Anatomy of a mass suicide: The dark, twsited story behind a UFO death cult." , November 15. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the early hours of March 13, 1964, twenty-eight-year-old Kitty Genovese returned home from work and parked her car in a lot near her Queens apartment, completely unaware that someone was following her. As she approached the door to her apartment building, Kitty’s stalker ran up behind her and stabbed her in the back twice before being scared off by a neighbor who yelled from his window. Wounded, Kitty managed to get to the back of the building, but her attacker soon returned and brutally assaulted her. By the time an ambulance arrived an hour later, it was too late; Kitty Genovese died before she reached the hospital. Kitty’s murder and the arrest of her killer, Winston Moseley, were quickly overshadowed by what were believed to be the facts of the attack, primarily the widely held belief that at least thirty-eight neighbors had seen the assault or heard Kitty’s cries for help and did nothing. Despite there having been no evidence to support that belief, the narrative quickly became about urban apathy, with the death of a Queens bartender merely a footnote. The murder of Kitty Genovese is one of the most notorious violent crimes in modern American history—not because of the details or circumstances of the crime, but because of the legend and mythology that has built up around it. REFERENCES Cook, Kevin. 2014. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Gallo, Marcia M. 2014. "The Parable of Kitty Genovese, the New York Times, and the Erasure of Lesbianism." 273. Gansberg, Martin. 1964. "37 who saw murder didn't call the police." , March 27: 1. New York Times. 1964. "Queens man seized in death of 2 women." , March 20: 21. Pearlman, Jeff. 2004. "'64 murder lives in heart of woman's 'friend'." , March 12: 4. Peltz, Jennifer. 2015. November 17. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/kitty-genovese-killer-denied-parole-notorious-1964-stabbing-new-york-city/1274332/. Roberts, Sam. 2020. "Sophia Farrar dies at 92; belied indifference to Kitty Genovese." , September 10. Rosenthal, Abe. 1964. "Apathy is puzzle in queens killing." , March 28: 21. —. 1964. "Study of the Sickness called apathy." , May 3: 24. Simon, Scott. 2016. May 28. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2016/05/28/479824705/-the-witness-tells-a-different-story-about-the-kitty-genovese-murder. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the early summer of 1984, seventeen-year-old Gary Lauwers was murdered by his friend Richard “Ricky” Kasso in the small Long Island suburb of Northport, New York. Lauwers was stabbed more than thirty times in the attack and his body showed signs of what appeared to be torture. The death itself was shocking to the tiny community of Northport, but the details that emerged in the wake of Kasso’s arrest would shock the entire nation. REFERENCES Breskin, Davkd. 1984. "Kids in the Dark." , November 22. Cassidy, Jerry. 1984. "Cops say 2 teens sought corpses for satanic rites." , April 26: 352. Gruson, Lindsey. 1985. "L.I. jury acquits defendant in killing of youth in woods." , April 26: B2. —. 1985. "L.I. murder trial opens; confession is described." , April 5: B2. Maier, Thomas J., and Rex Smith. 1984. "2 teens arraigned in murder." , July 7: 3. McFadden, Robert. 1984. "Youth found hanged in L.I. cell after his arrest in ritual killing." , July 8: 1. Newsday. 1984. "Police reports; Grave robbing." , April 25: 33. O'Neill, Jim, and Dennis Hevesi. 1984. "2 Northport youths charged in 'Satanic' killing of teen." , July 6: 3. Pollack, Jesse P. 2018. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In late 1916, while treating a group of patients at his psychiatric clinic at the University of Vienna, Dr. Constantin von Economo began noticing the appearance of strange symptoms that he could not account for. At the same time, in France, Rene Cruchet began noticing similarly strange and unexpected symptoms in his patients. Though the two men had never met and knew nothing of one another’s patients, they would come to learn they were both witnessing the emergence of a new mysterious disease that would soon affect millions of people around the world. The illnesses documented by von Economo and Cruchet would eventually come to be know as encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness, a strange condition that caused profound lethargy, hypersomnia, and a wide range of other frightening symptoms. Between 1919 and the early 1930s, millions of people all around the world contracted the illness, with nearly half of all cases resulting in death, and many more suffering long-term effects; yet a cause of the illness has never been established and the terrifying epidemic appears to have faded from memory not long after the disease itself ostensibly disappeared. REFERENCES Brook, Harry Ellington. 1921. "Care of the body." , March 6: 18. Crosby, Molly Caldwell. 2011. New York, NY: Penguin Publishing Group. Hassler, Dr. William. 1919. "No sleeping sickness in S.F." , March 10: 1. Hoffman, Leslie A., and Joel A. Vilensky. 2017. "Encephalitis lethargica: 100 years after the epidemic." 2246-2251. Montreal Star. 1920. "Sleeping sickness puzzling doctors." , January 15: 3. New York Times. 1936. "Awakens from sleep continuing 440 days." , June 14: 13. R.R. Dourmashkin, MD. 1997. "What caused the 1918-30 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica?" 515-520. Sacks, Oliver. 1973. New York, NY: Vintage. San Francisco Examiner. 1919. "New sleeping sickness hits S.F. residents." , March 14: 1. —. 1921. "Ten succumb to sleeping sickness." , August 18: 13. Western Morning News. 1919. "Notices." , January 1: 1. Williams, David Bruce. 2020. "Encephalitis Lethargica: The Challenge of Structure and Function in Neuropsychiatry." 255-262. Wright, Oliver. 2002. "His life passed in a trance but his death may solve medical." , December 14. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weirdos!! On today's episode Alaina announced the third chapter in the Wren Muller series- e sure to visit to PREORDER NOW by visiting butcherlegacy.com https://butcherlegacy.com . Order NOW to get exclusive SIGNED EDITIONS from BN.com AND the SPECIAL EDITION from Target! In the winter of 1980, wealthy socialite Martha “Sunny” von Bulow was found unconscious in the bathroom of the mansion she shared with her husband, Claus, in Newport, Rhode Island. An ambulance was called and Sunny was rushed to the nearest emergency room, but paramedics and doctors were unable to revive her and Sunny would remain in a coma until her death in 2008. At first, Sunny’s coma was a mystery to doctors, but soon suspicion fell on her husband, Claus, who appeared indifferent to her condition and was openly carrying on an affair with another woman. The family launched a private investigation and eventually turned up strong evidence they believed implicated Claus in the attempted murder of Sunny, but, as they soon learned, believing it and proving it were two very different things. REFERENCES Associated Press. 1985. "von Bulow stepchildren sue him for $56 million." , July 20: 30. Burton, Tony, and William Kutik. 1981. "Charge socialite tried to kill wife." , July 7: 4. Clendinen, Dudley. 1982. "von Bulow trial going to the jury." , March 11: 20. Friendly, Jonathan. 1985. "von Bulow's mistress told of plea not to tesitfy about their affair." , June 6: B15. Kutik, William. 1981. "Claus returns to the scene." , July 9: 4. —. 1981. "In her will, $35M for hubby." , July 8: 189. Nemy, Enid. 2019. "Claus von Bulow, tarred by scandal in the death of his wife, dies at 92." , May 31. —. 2008. "Sunny von Bulow, whose near death started a society drama, dies at 76." , December 7. New York Times. 1982. "von Bulow lover testifies on affair." , February 19: B14. 1984. 82-462-CA (Supreme Court of Rhode Island, May 24). The Economist. 2019. "Did he or didn't he?" , June 15. 1997. Performed by Towers Productions. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the afternoon of August 23, 2003, Erie, Pennsylvania pizza delivery driver Brian Wells walked into the local branch of the PNC Bank and handed the teller a note warning that he had a bomb and they had fifteen minutes to hand over $250,000 or it would detonate. Unable to access the vault, the teller gave Wells all the cash on hand and he left as the employees triggered the emergency protocol. Fifteen minutes later, Wells was spotted by police and placed under arrest. However, when they went to put handcuffs on the suspects, the officers discovered that Wells did indeed have an explosive device on him—it was strapped to his neck and rigged to explode. Officers cleared the area, but failed to alert the bomb squad in time and the device eventually exploded, killing Wells just three minutes before the bomb squad arrived. The bizarre death of Brian Wells seemed to bring his brief criminal career to an end; yet as investigators began digging into the background of the delivery driver-turned-bank robber, they discovered the plot to rob the PNC Bank was far more elaborate than anyone had imagined. REFERENCES Associated Press. 2003. "Witness also helped in 1977 slaying." , September 25: 5. —. 2003. "Woman charged in roomate's death." , September 23: 2. Dao, James. 2003. "A childlike pizza deliveryman at the center of a puzzling crime." , September 5: A12. Fuoco, Linda Wilson. 2003. "Robber, co-worker death query." , September 1. Fuoco, Michael. 2007. "Feds say collar bomb victim was part of plot." , July 12: 1. Lin, Judy. 2003. "Erie bank robber explodes in police custody." , August 31: 5. —. 2003. "Bomb-case probers urge patience." , September 5: B5. —. 2003. "Man may have been forced to rob Erie bank." , August 31: 3. Mandak, Joe. 2011. "Woman gets life plus 30 in collar-bomb death." , March 1: 1. Nephin, Dan. 2003. "Woman acquitted of boyfriend's death 15 years ago charges with killing another." , September 23: 14. Schapiro, Rich. 2011. "Collar bomb." , Janaury. Times-Tribune. 2005. "Woman pleads guilty in killing." , January 9: 2. 2009. 1:07-cr-26-SJM (United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, September 8). 2012. 11-1601 (United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, September 25). Wire News Service. 2003. "Neighbors say bank robber led quiet life." , September 4: B3. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
When firefighters discovered the body of forty-year-old Terry King inside the charred remains of his Cantonment, Florida home in November 2001, they assumed the man had been asleep when the fire broke out and died as a result. Upon further inspection, investigators found that King hadn’t died as a result of the fire, but from severe blunt force trauma to his head. And even more alarming than that was the fact that King’s two boys, thirteen-year-old Derek and twelve-year-old Alex, were missing. Having occurred immediately in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Terry King’s murder could have easily been one of many tragedies lost in the fog of national trauma and grief; however, when King’s killers were arrested and identified in the days that followed, the story was so shocking, and the motive so heartbreaking, that it managed to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks. REFERENCES Associated Press. 2002. "Convicted molester denies urging boys to kill dad." , February 1: 33. —. 2002. "Convicted child molester accused of writing love letter to boy in jail." , April 4: 363. —. 2001. "Grandmother: Boys couldn't have killed dad." , November 29: 438. Canedy, Dana. 2002. "Judge throws out brothers' murder conviction." , October 18. —. 2002. "Reject sympathy, jury is told in boys' trial." , September 6. CBS News. 2002. November 7. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/. Clark, Lesley. 2001. "Boys accused of bluedgeoning father, setting home on fire." , December 4: 1. Gomez, Alan. 2002. "Boys take stand against friend." , August 28: 1. —. 2002. "Chavis judge denies request for acquittal." , August 29: 1. Graybiel, Ginny. 2002. "Slaying suspect vows he could hurt no one." , August 4: 1. Kaczor, Bill. 2002. "Sons change story, still to be tried for murder." , August 25: 970. Keith Morrison. 2009. September 7. Accessed December 6, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32664652. 2003. Performed by Bill Kurtis. Midico, Kathryn, and Mollye Barrows. 2004. New York, NY: Avon . New York Times. 2002. "Boy, 13, testifies he and brother didn't kill their father." , September 5. Scandlen, Monica. 2002. "Testimonies quiet, simple." , August 28: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
When firefighters discovered the body of forty-year-old Terry King inside the charred remains of his Cantonment, Florida home in November 2001, they assumed the man had been asleep when the fire broke out and died as a result. Upon further inspection, investigators found that King hadn’t died as a result of the fire, but from severe blunt force trauma to his head. And even more alarming than that was the fact that King’s two boys, thirteen-year-old Derek and twelve-year-old Alex, were missing. Having occurred immediately in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Terry King’s murder could have easily been one of many tragedies lost in the fog of national trauma and grief; however, when King’s killers were arrested and identified in the days that followed, the story was so shocking, and the motive so heartbreaking, that it managed to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks. REFERENCES Associated Press. 2002. "Convicted molester denies urging boys to kill dad." , February 1: 33. —. 2002. "Convicted child molester accused of writing love letter to boy in jail." , April 4: 363. —. 2001. "Grandmother: Boys couldn't have killed dad." , November 29: 438. Canedy, Dana. 2002. "Judge throws out brothers' murder conviction." , October 18. —. 2002. "Reject sympathy, jury is told in boys' trial." , September 6. CBS News. 2002. November 7. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/. Clark, Lesley. 2001. "Boys accused of bluedgeoning father, setting home on fire." , December 4: 1. Gomez, Alan. 2002. "Boys take stand against friend." , August 28: 1. —. 2002. "Chavis judge denies request for acquittal." , August 29: 1. Graybiel, Ginny. 2002. "Slaying suspect vows he could hurt no one." , August 4: 1. Kaczor, Bill. 2002. "Sons change story, still to be tried for murder." , August 25: 970. Keith Morrison. 2009. September 7. Accessed December 6, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32664652. 2003. Performed by Bill Kurtis. Midico, Kathryn, and Mollye Barrows. 2004. New York, NY: Avon . New York Times. 2002. "Boy, 13, testifies he and brother didn't kill their father." , September 5. Scandlen, Monica. 2002. "Testimonies quiet, simple." , August 28: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Happy Holidays Weirdos! For Alaina's Second Episode Revisit, she wanted to choose an episode that introduced us to a true hero! OG NOTES: Guys, this Alaina "Mini" Morbid is a doozy. How did we never know about this harrowing tale of 26 children and their heroic bus driver who survived over 24 hours of terror while being buried alive? Seriously, this one if intense but it has a happy ending that will leave you satisfied....at least somewhat satisfied. RESOURCES: https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/19/us/rewind-chowchilla-school-bus-kidnapping/index.html https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hero-bus-driver-ed-ray-saved-kidnapped-children-1976-dies-91-article-1.1081059 https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-the-1976-chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-20190709-htmlstory.html https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/ajp.138.1.14?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed& Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
For Alaina’s first EPISODE REVISIT this week, we are hopping into the way back in time machine and transporting ourselves to 2018! In the first MiniMORBID, Ash & Alaina talk about some of the spooky figures of the holiday season! OG Notes: "It's the holidays, weirdos! Time to get freaky, brutal and murderous. Tonight on our first mini-Morbid episode, we are covering Santa's scary helpers who will beat you, eat you and maybe steal your candles.” Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Weirdos! Get ready to welcome the holidays with Krampus and tales brought to you By you FOR you and ALL ABOUT YOU! This month we're talking holiday related tales, and Nicholas was so engaged, that it was impossible to edit him out! We're talking near death experiences, phantom hikers and two instances of neighbors being the absolute worst! LISTEN on all podcast platforms OR WATCH on Youtube! If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to DEB by emailing us at Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :) Huge shout out to our video editor @aidanmcelman Music: Www.purple-Planet.com http://www.purple-planet.com/ Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
During the second decade of the twentieth century, an unidentified serial killer was believed to have operated in Atlanta, Georgia, brutally killing at least twenty Black woman. Due to the similarities between the Whitechapel victims and the victims in Atlanta, the Georgia press dubbed their killer “the Atlanta Ripper,” an anonymous monster whose presence held the city’s Black population in a grip of fear. For a period of roughly five years, the Atlanta Ripper killed with regularity on the city streets, slashing, mutilating, and otherwise brutalizing the bodies of the women they killed. Despite having at least six viable suspects, investigators were never able to conclusively identify the Atlanta Ripper and the murders remain unsolved. REFERENCES Atlanta Constitution . 1912. "Negro woman slain; suspect arrested." , January 21: 5. Atlanta Constitution. 1912. "Jack the Ripper believed to be a modern Bluebeard with 12 wives as victims." , August 11: 1. Atlanta Journal. 1910. "Deaths." , April 5: 10. —. 1911. "Antoher negress killed; black butcher at work?" , June 16: 14. —. 1911. "Black 'Jack the Ripper' slays another negress." , July 2: 7. —. 1911. "Has 'Jack the Ripper' fallen into dragnet?" , July 13: 4. —. 1912. "Jack the Ripper caught at last, say detectives." , August 10: 1. —. 1911. "'Jack the Ripper' foiled in 8th attempt Saturday." , July 9: 3. —. 1912. "Negro woman murdered just outside the city." , April 8: 20. —. 1911. "One of the Ripper crimes is no longer a mystery." , August 4: 11. —. 1911. "Rosa Trice foully murdered." , January 23: 9. —. 1911. "Will "Jack the Ripper" claim eight victim this Saturday?" , July 8: 8. —. 1911. "Young negro is held for 'Ripper's' crime." , July 12: 17. Constitution, Atlanta. 1911. "Negro woman killed; no clew to slayer." , May 29: 7. Franklin Evening Star. 1912. "Nineteenth horrid crime of Atlanta's Jack the Ripper." , April 9: 2. New York Times. 1911. "Eight victims now of Atlanta Ripper." , July 3: 3. —. 1906. "Rioting goes on, despite troops." , September 24: 1. Wells, Jeffrey. 2010. Cheltenham, UK: The History Press. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
It’s a paranormal crossover for the ages 👻 In this very special bonus episode, we’re joined by YouTube’s resident ghost-hunters Sam & Colby as we talk about our investigation of one of the most infamous haunted locations in America: the S.K. Pierce Mansion. Known for its dark history, aggressive energy, and “absolutely not” vibes, this house did not come to play. To take things to the next level, Sam & Colby brought in three psychics to independently tap into the mansion’s energy, and what they uncovered was chilling, emotional, and occasionally “we should probably leave right now.” From unsettling validations to shocking overlaps in what each psychic sensed, this investigation got intense fast. Grab your EMF readers, light a protection candle, and join us for a bonus episode where we go behind the scenes of the investigation on SAM & COLBY'S Youtube Channel! Subscribe to Sam & Colby's Channel here and WATCH the episode! https://www.youtube.com/@samandcolby Want to visit the S.K. Pierce Mansion? Click here to experience it firsthand! https://www.skhauntedmansion.com Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Just before midnight on December 6, 1991, an Austin, TX patrol officer called in a fire at a yogurt shop and requested firefighters and additional officers. Once they managed to get the fire under control, firefighters discovered the bodies of four teenage girls in the burned out remains of the building, all having been shot execution style and the building torched to cover up the crime. Almost immediately, investigators on the case ran into a dead end, as leads were scarce and the fire and efforts to extinguish it destroyed or compromised critical evidence. In short time, the case went cold and the residents of Austin moved on. To their surprise, nearly ten years later, Austin detectives announced they’d arrested for young men for the crime, two of whom confessed, and it seemed like, after a long delay, justice would finally be served; however, in this case, justice was still a long way off and when it finally arrived, it came tainted by police misconduct. REFERENCES Associated Press. 1992. "Arrests no relief to families of slain teen-agers." , October 23: 43. Austin American-Statesman. 1999. "American digest quotes of the week." , October 10: 1. CBS News. 2009. "Deadly encounter." , March 9. Copelin, Laylan, and Leah Quin. 1999. "Police say 2 confessed to killings at yogurt shop." , October 7: 1. Gamboa, Suzanne. 1999. "16-year-old told police in 1991 he had weapon." , October 7: 8. Garcia, Kimberly. 1992. "In the shadow of death." , March 6: 1. —. 1991. "Profiles of killers released." , December 18: 27. Haglund, Kerry. 1991. "More than 1 raided shop, police say." , December 10: 1. —. 1991. "Officials say they have few leads in yogurt shop killings." , December 24: 11. —. 1991. "Slayings of teens stun friends, families." , December 8: 27. Hall, Michael. 2001. "Under the Gun." , Janaury: 94-115. Lindell, Chuck, and Kerry Haglund. 1991. "The spark of fear." , December 15: 1. Lowry, Beverly. 2016. New York, NY: Vintage. Martinez, Sylvia. 1991. "Teens' violent deaths mourned." , December 9: 1. 2007. PD-0862-05 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, June 6). Pettaway, Taylor. 2022. December 12. Accessed October 23, 2025. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Austin-yogurt-shop-killings-17648880.php. Quin, Leah. 2000. "Video could damage yogurt shop case." , May 31: 1. Rivera, Dylan. 1999. "'A decent kid' with a new family and a job." , October 7: 8. Stanley, Dick. 1991. "Robbery may be motive in teens' slayings." , December 8: 1. Vine, Katy. 2025. "How police finally solved Austin's most notorious cold case." , October 3. Ward, Pamela. 1991. "Classmates try to cope with slayings." , December 10: 1. Wilson, Janet. 1999. "For families, excruciating memories reawakened." , October 7: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the night of March 9, 1963, officers Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell made a traffic stop on the corner of Carlos Avenue and Gower Street and Hollywood. Early that day, the officers had been instructed to seek out and bust anyone they suspected of being engaged in gay sexual activity, and that night they were confident they’d found two men that fit the bill. However, after Campbell instructed both men to step out of the car, the driver, Gregory Powell, pulled out a pistol and held it on Campbell, effectively disarming him, while other man, Jimmy Smith, disarmed Hettinger. The two officers were then forced into Powell’s car and driven more than one hundred miles away, where they executed Ian Campbell, while Hettinger escaped into a nearby onion field and managed to find help at the home of a farmer. The murder of Ian Campbell in the onion field shocked residents of California, not only because it was so cold-blooded, but also because of how the incident unfolded. By yielding to the demands of their hostage taker and handing over his gun, many people felt that Hettinger was at least partially responsible for Campbell’s death. Powell and Smith were quickly captured, tried, and convicted for the murder, but the consequences of that night in the onion field would have a profound and lasting effect on police policy all over the country for years to come. RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS EPISODE Follow @themhoffers https://www.tiktok.com/@themhoffers?lang=en Follow @annaleegrace15 https://www.tiktok.com/@annaleegrace15?lang=en( YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo4oxWjOB7gjy3AT4Hi-h_Q or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annalee15/) Follow @ChefRileyMeehan https://www.tiktok.com/@chefreillymeehan and Purchase his book A Little Bit Extra https://www.chefreillymeehan.com REFERENCES Associated Press. 1963. "2 policemen are kidnapped; 1 is slain." , 03 11: 1. Los Angeles Times. 1963. "Cold-blooded slaying of detective re-enacted." , March 12: 1. —. 1963. "Officer slain by accident, says former convict." , August 21: 27. —. 1963. "Pair guilty of slaying policeman." , September 5: 1. —. 1963. "Partner of murdered officer tells of ordeal." , March 20: 29. Malnic, Eric. 1994. "Karl Hettinger; survived 1963 'Onion Field' attack." , May 5: A32. 1967. 7739 (Supreme Court of California, July 18). Turan, Kenneth. 1979. "The Onion Field caper." , October 13. United Press International. 1963. "2 thugs admit kidnap-killing." , March 12: 4. Waldie, D.J. 2013. "The Onion Field at 50: 'This is about the tragedy of police work'." , March 11. Wambaugh, Joseph. 1973. New York, NY: Dell Publishing. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
When Ron and Nancy Stallings found the old Victorian on Evergreen Street in Baltimore, they thought their dreams had come true. With each bringing three kids from a previous marriage into the relationship, they needed to find a house large enough to accommodate their large family, but their limited income made that seem impossible. So, when they learned that the house was being offered at a bargain price, Ron and Nancy didn’t hesitate to put in an offer—a decision they would soon come to regret. In the years that the Stallings family occupied the home on Evergreen Street, they encountered a variety of paranormal activity, from the faucets and lights turning themselves on and off to the disembodied voices and apparitions of strangers in the home. Rather than be captives in their home to forces they could neither fight nor understand, Ron and Nancy decided to take action to rid themselves of the other worldly presence, but quickly realized they were woefully unprepared for the battle that lay before them. REFERENCES Amodio, Joe. 2005. Directed by Stuart Taylor. Produced by New Dominion Pictures. Constable, Pamela. 1979. "Psychics tell of UFO trips, ghiost hunts." , February 4: 201. Geiselman, A.W. 1968. "Weird home happenings plaguing family of 9." , August 2: C24. Stallings, Nancy. 1996. Baltimore, MD: Noble House. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the morning of January 31, 1857, the body of Dr. Harvey Burdell was discovered in his Manhattan townhouse with fifteen stab wounds, and his killer had also strangled him to guarantee his death. Suspicion quickly fell to one of Burdell’s tenants, thirty-nine-year-old mother of four Emma Cunningham. A few days after Burdell’s death, Emma presented herself as his wife and attempted to collect his estate worth $100,000, but before she could get her hands on the money, Emma was indicted for Burdell’s murder. The coroner’s inquest and Emma’s subsequent murder trial dominated the front pages—and then some—of nearly every newspaper in and around New York for weeks and was the “trial of the century” long before the term was even coined. Yet as sensational as it all was, there was no physical evidence tying Emma to the crime and the prosecution’s only argument was that the killer was left-handed and so was Emma Cunningham. Despite the lurid details of affairs, multiple abortions, and constant domestic violence, without evidence the jury moved to acquit Emma after deliberating for just two hours. The story should have ended with the acquittal, but Emma wasn’t content to walk away with just her freedom; she still believed she was entitled to Burdell’s estate, and she intended to get it one way or another. What followed was a protracted battle for Burdell’s money and property that took place in the courts and the press, with a variety of antics that ranged from forging marriage documents to faking a pregnancy and even buying an infant that, when all was said and done, would end up in P.T. Barnum’s sideshow. REFERENCES Feldman, Benjamin. 2007. New York, NY: Wanderer Press. Kappman, Edward W. 1994. Detroit, MI: Gale. New York Daily Herald. 1857. "Horrible and Mysterious Murder in Bond Street." , February 2: 1. —. 1857. "The Bond Street tragedy; the close of the investigation." , February 16: 1. New York Daily Times. 1857. "The Burdell murder: Second Day." , May 6: 1. —. 1857. "The Burdell murder; Dr. Carnochan's testimony." , May 8: 1. New York Times. 1857. "Terrible Tragedy." , February 2: 1. —. 1857. "The Bond Street murder still a mystery." , February 7: 1. —. 1857. "The Bond-Street murder; John J. Eckel and Mrs. Cunningham indicted." , February 23: 5. Serratore, Angela. 2013. June 13. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-desperate-would-be-housewife-of-new-york-140748/. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
For Ash's second Episode Revisit, we are heading back to the most wonderful time of the year, SPOOKY SEASON back in 2022! Alaina gives us Southern Gothic while Ash confirms that she's a #HannaTruther! Urban legends for Halloween? YOU BETCHA! Alaina brings us an urban legend straight out of the Louisiana Bayou- she really can’t get enough of that place, eh? Le Feu Follet is a really pretty set of words, but don’t you go following them into the dark. Even if you are listening to Death Cab For Cutie. And while we’re on this path of warning you about things you should and shouldn’t do, let me tell ya don't mess with Queen Hannah Cranna. She’s not noble, but she is a witch and she will fuck with your ability to make a good pie. If that's a little vague press play and Ash will clear it all up for you! Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
