Assassinations

Revisit ten of the worst fathers in true crime history in this special collection from Parcast Network. From the father who turned his son into a spy, to the dad whose long business trips turned out to be mafia hits, these dads will definitely not be getting any Father's Day gifts this year. Devious Dads is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Listen free on Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wayne Simmons had a dramatic 27-year career with the CIA taking down cartels and busting arms smugglers — or did he? The ex-CIA military analyst and cable news star stands accused of being a fraud. Hosted by the reporter who broke the story, Impostors follows the investigation into who Wayne Simmons really is… Hero, or conman? Impostors is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Produced by Topic Studios and Transmitter Media. Hosted by Alex French. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This awards season, pull back the curtain on Tinseltown’s most infamous controversies in the new Spotify Original from Parcast, Hollywood Scandals. You can hear the first episode on Hollywood’s sordid beginnings right here, then follow Hollywood Scandals for an episode every Monday. Listen free, only on Spotify!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creepypastas, frightful TikToks, online horror stories… Loey Lane and Eleanor Barnes are taking you into the spookiest corners of the web in their new Spotify Original from Parcast, Internet Urban Legends. Meet the hosts and hear their debut episode on the Watcher House — a terrifying saga that unfolded in 2014 after the Broaddus family bought their dream home in New Jersey. Listen free on Spotify, and follow Internet Urban Legends for new episodes every Tuesday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve heard the rumors. Trembled at the tales. Maybe even have some stories of your own… on what it’s like to enter adulthood. In the newest Spotify Original from Parcast, best friends and performers Teala Dunn and Nia Sioux compare notes on their first forays into the magical world of independence and responsibility — where mistakes are made and naps are taken, frequently. Listen here to Episode 1: Getting Through A Breakup for details of their most memorable splits, and (better) ways to bounce back after a relationship ends. Then search and follow “Adulting” to catch new episodes every Wednesday, free on Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dracula wasn’t the only frightful fiction conjured by Irish author Bram Stoker… In this retelling of “The Judge’s House,” a Cambridge student is overcome with curiosity — then dread — as he faces an evil man’s terrifying legacy. Listen to Part 1 right here, then search “Haunted Places: Ghost Stories” to hear Part 2, when the Judge himself comes calling…  Haunted Places: Ghost Stories is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Every Thursday, find a new tale of terror from some of history’s greatest authors. Listen free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This season, “L” stands for love… and lawless… and lethal. Beginning February 1st, uncover history’s most infamous couples in this collection of episodes from across Parcast Network. Follow the misdeeds of married mafiosos. Enter the transgressions of casanova cult leaders. And demystify the lives of coupled kingpins, pirates, and spies… Because in this limited series, romance takes a sharp turn into the radical.  Get a preview of Criminal Couples right here, then search “Criminal Couples” to find and follow the series. Episodes air every Monday. Listen free, only on Spotify.

The clock’s winding down on the final moments of the year and people around the world are putting their charms and traditions to work, shoring up good fortune for the future. But it’s not always our own personal luck that’s on the line… In this story, a night of superstitions weaves together the fates of merrymakers eager for fresh starts.  This episode is presented by Superstitions, a Spotify Original from Parcast. Follow Superstitions free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You know you can find love in a bar… on an app… Why not a podcast? Every week on Blind Dating, one hopeful single is introduced to two potential matches in a virtual hangout — no cameras allowed. This week, listen in as Pauler, a 33-year-old dancer from Australia, meets a tutor who falls for mama’s boys and a one-time swinger who’s “lived and learned” in LA. Is personality enough to spark a lasting connection? Listen to find out… and don’t miss the twist at the end! Blind Dating is free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

They’re natural-born leaders, hungry for absolute power. Every week on Dictators, delve into the minds and motives of history’s most infamous rulers — people who rose through the ranks toward radicalism, eliminating anyone who stood in their way. This week, track the rise and fall of Nero, an emperor who led Rome to destruction. Hear a clip from Part 1 here, then head to Dictators for the rest of the episode. Dictators is free to listen on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How do complete strangers turn into perfect pairs? On the new Spotify Original from Parcast, Our Love Story, hear from real-life couples themselves as they share the intimate, funny, joy-filled moments of their relationship — without skipping over what’s been hard. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes featuring people like David, 41, and Samantha, 36, whose improv-fueled friendship led to a fateful first date and the sweetest park bench proposal. Listen now, and follow Our Love Story free on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Parcast Network is spinning a web of new shows and special programming to celebrate our favorite season. Follow us into the darkest depths of history, mystery, and the human mind — starting with this episode of Crime Countdown! Hosts Ash and Alaina are ranking the top 10 haunted crime scenes, including an Irish castle with a deadly trap door and the home of a ghostly bride.  If you enjoy this episode, search Crime Countdown to find more passionate takes on top-ten rankings. Listen free on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! 

Every Wednesday, meet us at the intersection of chaos and fate… We’re unveiling the backstories and hidden lessons inside superstitions from around the world, and telling the stories of those who dare to defy them. Are these eerie codes of conduct simply about exerting control in an unpredictable world? Or can we truly sway supernatural forces to work in our favor? Enjoy this exclusive clip from our episode on black cats. Then search Superstitions to find more episodes, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Flickering lights… Clanging metal… A sudden, cold rush of air… Parcast Network’s all-new original series is here—and with it, the scariest, most hair-raising ghost stories ever imagined. Join host Alastair Murden as he reaches into the cob-webbed collection of ghost stories from all over the world and brings to life a new, heart-racing tale every Thursday. Enjoy this exclusive clip from our first episode on “The Kit-Bag”—a murder trial that takes a turn for the supernatural. Then search Haunted Places: Ghost Stories to find more episodes, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Can you meet the love of your life doing a socially distanced podcast in your living room? There’s only one way to find out! Every Wednesday on Blind Dating, host Tara Michelle introduces one hopeful single to two strangers in a voice-only virtual hangout. They’ll chat, flirt, and make the case for why they deserve a second date. But once a match is made and the cameras are turned on, will the new connection be strong enough to last? Enjoy the first episode of Blind Dating, then follow Blind Dating free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! 

Humanity’s most daring achievements are coming together in the new Spotify Original from Parcast! Every weekday, Incredible Feats introduces you to a new story of jaw-dropping physical strength, mental focus, and bizarre behavior. Join comedian Dan Cummins as he profiles the people who turned the impossible into the incredible, breaking records and making history along the way.  Enjoy this exclusive clip from our first episode, and stay tuned for episodes on daredevils, ultramarathoners, performance artists and more! To find more Parcast Network originals, search “Parcast Network” on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

We all know that medical professionals are trained to give exceptional care. But in the new Parcast Original, Medical Murders, you’ll discover a disturbing diagnosis… that not every doctor wants to extend your life. Every Wednesday, meet the men and women who used their expertise to develop sinister specialties. Host Alastair Murden examines the formative years and motives of history’s most infamous killer doctors, dissecting their medical backgrounds with expert analysis provided by practicing M.D., Dr. David Kipper.  Enjoy this exclusive clip from our first episode of Medical Murders! Then search Medical Murders to find more episodes, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! 

Uncover the dirty dealings of history’s most badly behaved presidents in the NEW Spotify Original from Parcast, Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers. Every Tuesday through the 2020 election, Ashley shines a light on the darker side of the American presidency… From secret love affairs and all-night ragers to blackmail schemes and excessive drug use, she’ll expose the personal and professional controversies you may never knew existed.  Enjoy this exclusive clip from our first episode of Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers!  Then search Very Presidential to find more episodes, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

True crime fans: There’s a new Parcast original on the roster, and it’s packed with passionate opinions on the worst serial killers, creepiest cults, coldest cold cases, and all things criminal… Every Monday, co-hosts Ash and Alaina from the hit podcast Morbid rank ten true crime stories centered around a common theme—debating each case and their rankings with a hint of humor to lighten the mood. Enjoy this exclusive clip from our first episode of Crime Countdown! Then search Crime Countdown to find more episodes, free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

To commemorate its fourth anniversary, Parcast and the team behind Unsolved Murders are taking a closer look at what it takes to catch a killer. In the new series Solved Murders: True Crime Mysteries, you'll follow the clues and uncover the missing pieces to some of history's most gripping cases. Every Wednesday, join hosts Carter and Wenndy as they explore the days, months, and even years leading up to a killer being caught. Each episode plays out like a classic murder mystery—where the final reveal is nearly as shocking as the murder itself. Solved Murders: True Crime Mysteries is only available on Spotify. Enjoy this exclusive clip from the first episode on the infamous “in cold blood” murders of the Clutter Family. If you want to listen to the full episode, follow Solved Murders: True Crime Mysteries, free and only on Spotify.

If you enjoy the true stories told in Assassinations, check out this episode from our series Dictators: Il Duce’s ineffective economic policies left Italy completely unprepared for World War II, and yet he forced the country into it anyway. What followed was a defeat so embarrassing that it remains legendary for its incompetency to this day.

If you enjoy the true stories told in Assassinations, check out this episode from our series Dictators: The Italian "Il Duce" had one of the most dramatic transformations of any politician in history. An ardent socialist for the first three decades of his life, he abruptly left the party and developed his own brand of nationalist, totalitarian belief. This system would become known as fascism, and it would change the course of history.

Undiagnosed schizophrenia and misplaced religious beliefs all conspired to lead Mark David Chapman to believe he was destined for great things. In 1980, he read a magazine article that seemed to point him toward his fate—he was going to be the man to murder former Beatle John Lennon.

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: In the last years of his reign, this Emperor was known for his frequent and extreme executions. When his mistress discovers her name on his list of people who should be killed, she takes matters into her own hands.

Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: Known as one of the most egotistical Roman emperors, Commodus famously commissioned statues depicting himself as the mythical hero Hercules. Ultimately his megalomania would be his downfall when in 192, a conspiracy formed by his mistress and the praetorian prefect went into action.

After Bonnier de la Chapelle confessed to the murder of Admiral Francois Darlan it appeared police had an open and shut case. But that was only the beginning as a series of conspiracy theories surfaced as to who was really behind the assassination.

When German forces occupied France during World War II, French leaders such as Navy Admiral leader Fançois Darlan sided with Adolf Hilter and joined forces. The French government was fractured, and a resistance was soon forged, targeting the Admiral toward his removal from power.

The death of Park Chung Hee would remain in the minds of the public for years after his assassination as citizens debated how his years in the Blue House influenced generations of politics in South Korea.

From humble beginnings to becoming South Korea's second president in 1963, Park Chung Hee’s time in office pitted the booming economy against the rigid censorship of his authoritarian regime. But not everyone would endorse his brand of politics...

On July 8, 1905, Walter Smith turned himself in to authorities after admitting to shooting Guy Bradley. The bizarre events that transpired after Bradley’s killing would spark nationwide outrage—helping usher in the Conservation Movement of the early 20th Century.

Once good friends, the conflicts that developed between Walter Smith and game warden Guy Bradley would ultimately grow into an obsession for revenge and murder. Track the events leading up to Bradley’s horrific death in the Florida Everglades in 1905.

The 2001 assassination of Phoolan Devi devastated Indians at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and served to highlight the continuing issue of inter-caste violence. In the wake of her murder, Sher Singh Rana’s decade-long trial would further impact the community.

India’s so-called “Bandit Queen,” assassinated in New Delhi on July 26, 2001. Sher Singh Rana confessed that he killed Phoolan to avenge her 1981 massacre of over 20 upper caste men. But Rana’s vengeful killing was part of a far bigger battle.

The death of Arkansas Congressman James Hinds in 1868 emboldened the Ku Klux Klan to commit even more acts of violence, spurring other equal-rights activists to fight all the harder. The century to follow would be marked by continued clashes between civil rights advocates and hate groups.

Following the American Civil War, Congressman James Hinds advocated for civil rights legislation to help former slaves integrate into American society. The Ku Klux Klan took notice, ultimately making him the first sitting Congressman ever assassinated.

Prime Minister Boutros Ghali's murder signalled that the time for revolution was nigh. Egyptian nationalists staged protests, rioted, and even resorted to even more assassinations in an attempt to overthrow the colonialist British. 

After centuries of colonial rule, newly elected Prime Minister Boutros Ghali strove to build bridges with the native Egyptian people and their British overlords. But his many compromises marked him as an enemy to the state in the eyes of nationalists like Ibrahim Nasif al-Wardani.

After being shot by Charles Guiteau, President James Garfield manages to survive for 80 days. However, because his doctors failed to adhere to modern medical practices, Garfield suffers a long and painful death. Meanwhile, the delusional Charles Guiteau eagerly awaits his rescue by Chester A. Arthur as the gallows pole comes closer and closer into view.

On the morning of July 2, 1881, President James Garfield entered the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, DC ready to leave for vacation. As he walked through the waiting room, he was suddenly shot in the back by a man angry that he hadn’t received a position in Garfield’s administration, Charles Guiteau.

When Sam Cooke’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 33, two funeral services were held in separate states to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people who wanted to pay their respects. His music would serve as a guiding light through the second half of the 1960s as America negotiated a new relationship with race, identity, and culture. Parcasters - The Dark Side Of continues its exploration of the music industry this week with an episode on K-Pop and the pressure placed on the genre’s biggest stars by their management companies. Listen to The Dark Side Of on Spotify!

On the evening of December 10, 1964, singer Sam Cooke checked into a motel expecting a sexual dalliance with one of his fans.  In the early hours of the next morning, he was shot to death by the motel manager.  While she later claimed self-defense, many believe Cooke was assassinated for his civil rights activism. Parcasters - If you enjoyed this episode you’ll love our current series on The Dark Side Of! Check out our recent episodes on the lesser known stories surrounding Jackie Wilson, and Elvis Presley. Search for The Dark Side Of on Spotify today!

Jeremias Chitunda spent his adult life fighting to liberate colonial Angola, and then battling against communist rebels. But he continued to sacrifice his ideals to his president's ego and US interests until a deadly massacre erupted in late Halloween, 1992. Parcasters - This week on The Dark Side Of...Music, we take a look at the Man in Black, Johnny Cash! Give it a listen today on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

The Good King Wenceslaus, or as he was originally known, Duke Václav I, sought to bring Christianity to Bohemia and maintain peace with the Holy Roman Empire. He was thwarted in both these efforts when his brother, Boleslav the Cruel, stabbed him to death on the steps of a church in Prague in 935. Sponsors! Care/of - For 25% off your first Care/of order, go to Take Care Of dot com and enter NATIONS.

Harvey Milk's abrupt murder left the gay community of the late 1970s reeling.  Tensions only mounted when his killer was acquitted after mounting the so-called, "Twinkie Defense" sparking San Francisco's infamous White Night Riots. Parcasters - On tomorrow’s episode of Mythology, we take on the legendary Odyssey, bringing the incredible journey to life! Subscribe to MYTHOLOGY today to hear the most notable stories in human history as you never have before.

In 1978 Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man to ever win an elected office in the US. He was initially friends and allies with fellow City Supervisor Daniel White, until a grudge spurred White to sneak a gun into city hall and commit a double homicide. Parcasters - This week on The Dark Side Of, we move on from Hollywood and start our exploration of the music industry. Our first episode details the myth of the 27 Club, you won't want to miss it! Subscribe to The Dark Side Of on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

In March 1969, James Earl Ray pled guilty to the murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel. Three days later, he rescinded his confession and declared that he was a fall man for a larger conspiracy.  His claims sparked dozens of conspiracy theories that persist to this day. Parcasters - Don’t miss all of our special Summer of ‘69 episodes by subscribing to Parcast Presents: Summer of ‘69, on Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Two martyrs were made in Delhi on October 31, 1984: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was shot to death by her bodyguard Beant Singh; and Singh, who was shot to death by other members of the Prime Minister's security force. Both sides of the conflict between the Indian government and the Sikh religion were rallied to action, but there was much more bloodshed to come before they could find peace. Parcasters - This week on Survival we cover the experiences of two brothers in the Civil War, and the way their lives changed in an instant. Tune in today on Spotify or wherever you listen to Parcast Originals!

Every member of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's security team was hand-picked and thoroughly vetted to ensure their loyalty. One of her most trusted bodyguards, 25-year-old Beant Singh, protected the Prime Minister's life with unwavering devotion for years - until 1984, when Gandhi authorized an attack on the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the holiest site of the Sikh religion.  Parcasters - The Red Scare infiltrates the movie industry in our new episodes of The Dark Side Of...Hollywood. Listen now on Spotify, or wherever you get your Parcast Originals!

When Joy Adamson's body was discovered by her assistant in 1980, it was quickly assumed that she had been attacked by a lion. But when the investigation led to former employee, Paul Ekai, his confession and retraction only added to the mystery.  Parcasters - How do you delegitimize a queen? Ensnare her in a diamond heist, of course! Tune in to GONE this week to hear about the plot to steal Marie Antoinette's diamond necklace. Listen to GONE on Spotify or wherever you get your Parcast Originals!

In 1960, Joy Adamson published her book Born Free, which chronicled her time raising an orphan lioness to be able to survive the Kenyan wild. But for Paul Ekai, a former employee, Joy's tyrannical approach to how she handled her staff drove him to do the unthinkable. Parcasters - This week on The Dark Side Of we dig into the trial of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and the media frenzy that followed. You might think you know the story, but the truth is much darker! Available now on Spotify or wherever you listen to Parcast!

When he took aim at the Archduke on June 28th, 1914, Gavrilo Princip hoped to end the Austrian Empire’s reign and cement his place in history as a revolutionary. He succeeded - and started a world war in the process. Parcasters - This week on The Dark Side Of.. we cover the tragic story of “The Hollywoodland Sign Girl” an upcoming actress who succumbed to the pressure of stardom, and forever changed what we think of when we see the sign up on the hill. Available now at parcast.com/darkside