Curator #135

Send us a textEpisode 87 of the podcast covers days 8, 9, 10, & 11 of the Pesce Family Murder Trial and chapters 17, 18, & 19 of the book, A Wolf in Suburbia - The Pesce Family Murders.Some important witnesses are called to the stand, and health issues delay the trial by nearly one month.  Support the show

Send us a textIn Part 5 of the series, we cover days 6 and 7 of the trial and chapters 15 and 16 of the book, A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders. These two days were important ones in the trial as attorneys finished up with Betty Faye Smith before moving on to a Copa Lounge bartender and the Letts family. Finally, at the end of day 7, Diane Pesce is called to the stand. Support the show

Send us a textEpisode 85 covers chapters 12, 13, and 14 of the book, "A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders.The trial commences with the presentation of some key witnesses, including Doreen Beauchamp (Wolfenbarger's Girlfriend) and Betty Faye Smith (Wolfenbarger's Mother). Support the show

Send us a textPart 3 dives into chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11 of the book "A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders". The arrests of John Wolfenbarger and Dennis Lincoln, the Pesce family funeral, the community response, and the beginning of a long trial. Support the show

Send us a textPart two of the story continues with chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the book, "A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders."These chapters discuss the actions of Wolfenbarger and Lincoln before and after the murders and we meet William "Billy Wadd" Smith, notorious West Side Boss of the Devil's Diciples and uncle to John Wolfenbarger. Support the show

Send us a textIn 2002 John Wolfenbarger and Dennis Lincoln committed one of the worst crimes in Michigan's history. Five were dead, including three children, just four days before Christmas. It was, for the most part, an open-and-shut case but when you add in a dangerous biker gang, a drug-addicted mother, and a questionable parole policy, things can get a little murkier. Back in 2014-2015, Nathan began a nearly five-year journey of compiling information on this case for a true crime book. After countless interviews and thousands of documents, he finished the book. Only now, 10 years later, is he sharing everything he learned.Part one covers chapters one through four. Support the show

Send us a textIn Episode 81 of the podcast, we take a look at the three-year racially motivated killing spree that covered at least 11 different states. From 1977 to 1980, Joseph Paul Franklin killed an estimated twenty-one people while injuring scores of others and creating an unease that spread throughout the country. What fueled his hatred towards blacks and Jews and how was he finally brought to justice?Support the show

Send us a textIn this spine-chilling episode, we unravel the mysterious and eerie story of the Greenbrier Ghost, one of the most unique cases in American legal history. Discover how the spirit of Elva Zona Heaster allegedly returned from the grave to reveal the truth behind her untimely death, leading to a landmark court case in 1897. Join us as we explore the chilling details of this haunting tale and the fascinating intersection of folklore and justice.Support the show

Send us a textIn the early 1900s, young men sometimes wanted to get out of their boring hometowns and out from under their parents' thumbs. The flashy lights, roar of the animals and the big top tents often seemed to call to them offering a more exciting life. Countless teens ran off and joined the circus, some made a career out of it, some came crawling back home to their parents never wanting to leave again. Others, like the two boys discussed in this episode had their lives changed forever. Learn about Sheridan Justus and Ross Habernick and their brief times with the Ringling Bros. Circus caravan. An unbelievable true story pulled from newspaper headlines in 1910 and 1911. Support the show

Send us a textIn this chilling dive into the history of psychiatry, we uncover the controversial legacy of Dr. Henry Cotton, the medical director of the New Jersey State Hospital for the Insane in the early 20th century. Driven by a misguided obsession with infection as the root cause of mental illness, Cotton's radical treatments, including tooth and organ removal, left a trail of suffering and death in their wake. From his meteoric rise to his shocking methods and eventual downfall, we explore the man, his madness, and the dark chapters he wrote in the history of mental health care.Support the show

Send us a textIn the rugged hills of post-Civil War Missouri, a group of masked men set out to restore order in a lawless land. Led by the towering and enigmatic Nat Kinney, the Bald Knobbers began as vigilantes seeking justice in the absence of reliable law enforcement. But as their power grew, so did their reputation for brutality, leading to deadly feuds, splintered loyalties, and a fall from public favor.In this episode, we dive deep into the rise and fall of the Bald Knobbers, exploring the turbulent world of Taney County in the 1880s, the dark turn from protectors to villains, and the sensational trials that marked their end. Along the way, we'll also look at why vigilante groups emerge, other famous examples in American history, and how the spirit of vigilante justice persists even today.Join us as we untangle the thin line between justice and vengeance in this gripping tale of power, morality, and the consequences of taking the law into your own hands.Support the show

Send us a textThey say that each of us has a doppelganger somewhere in the world. Someone who looks just like us... maybe acts just like us... or maybe, is us. Do you believe in doppelgangers? Do you believe in the idea of bilocation? These people from history certainly do. Learn about how various dignitaries, politicians, and artists from history and their run-ins with their very own doppelgangers. Support the show

Send us a textFind out what Halloween was like during the Great Depression. 1929 to 1939 was a tough decade for folks throughout the United States. Halloween offered a chance to come together and help children have an enjoyable evening with their friends. It also served as a time for older kids to rebel and cut loose, causing the night before Halloween to be named 'Mischief Night', and eventually 'Devil's Night'. So how did people celebrate and what legends spawned from that era that are still discussed today? Support the show

Send us a textI have created a new podcast section for YouTube and Curator135.com called "Down the Wiki Rabbit Hole" where I look up a search term on Wikimedia Commons. From there I find a photo related to the search term and then research the photo to find as much information as possible.The search term for this episode was "Crime Scene".In the 1940s someone was killing women and children in Chicago. The police were feeling the heat as lead after lead fell through. When they encountered a young burglar, arrested for the third time, they decided he was their man. Did he do it? Maybe... but there was no doubt in the police or the public's eyes that 17-year-old William Heirens was guilty. He spent 65 years in prison and died there for crimes he says he didn't commit.Support the show

Send us a textThe Hope Diamond, The Busby Chair,  The Hands Resist Him, the Crying Boy paintings and the Dybbuk Box are five of the most cursed items in our history. Learn how these curses grew over time and the factors behind believing something is cursed. Is it all in our head or is there some truth to the fears? Support the show

Send us a Text Message.In the early 1890's Samuel Minshall left Chicago in search of a better opportunity in Pentwater, Michigan. Pentwater was a small, up and coming village in Western Michigan along the shores of Lake Michigan. There he met William Sands who promised him enough work to support his family. That promise was broken and it drove Minshall mad. He couldn't stand to see the rich get richer while his family struggled to make ends meet.So he took action. Horrible, murderous action. Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.In 1964 three elderly siblings were brutally beaten, robbed and left in a closet to die. Learn about the Parsons; William, Hilda and Lenore, their lives and what led up to the unsolved murders that are still on the Livonia Police Department's Cold Case list sixty years later.  Support the Show.

In 1982 Kimberly Louiselle disappeared from Livonia and was found deceased weeks later in a wooded area of state-owned land miles away.  The following year, one day shy of exactly a year, Christina Castiglione went missing while in Livonia. She was also found deceased later on in a remote area near Howell. From the start, police knew that the two cases were likely the work of the same man. It took 40 years and a group of college kids from Michigan State University to make it official. Listen to Episode 71 to learn about these two cases that took over the news in Southeastern Michigan in the early eighties. It's the beginning of the 'Suburban Crime' series on Curator135.  Support the Show.

The crew of the Essex left Nantucket on a whaling expedition in August of 1819. They knew that they might be at sea for as long as three years but they had no idea what they were about to encounter.Find out how 20 men survived a whale attack that sunk their ship only to be forced into three small boats in the middle of the ocean. What happens when starvation hits? When your fresh water supply is drained? Or when madness sets in? This is a reading of Owen Chase's book Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex. Support the show

In the early 1940s, a well-liked man was brutally murdered in his home while his wife recovered from hip surgery in a nearby hospital. There were no signs of forced entry, plenty of cash around the home, and every door and window was locked from the inside. So who did it? And more importantly, where did the assailant go after the murder? The house quickly gained the reputation of being haunted as neighbors noticed lights going on and off and the silhouette of a man being seen numerous times. It would take Denver, Colorado detectives nearly 10 months to get to the bottom of it and when they did, they wished they hadn't. Support the show

The games of the Third Olympiad were the first Olympics to be held on American soil. After St. Louis wrestled away the chance to host the games from Chicago, they lumped the event in with the Louisiana Purchase Expo and World Fair. The Olympic Marathon, an event that everyone looked forward to, was a mess from start to finish. Full of comedy, danger, and cheating. Travel back in time with Curator 135 and learn about all of the shenanigans that took place. It got so bad that the International Olympic Committee tried to have marathons removed from further Olympic games. Support the show

The early 1920's was a time that saw numerous vessels vanish in the Atlantic Ocean. The Carroll A. Deering didn't vanish, but its crew did, and then washed up on the dangerous Diamond Shoals off the coast of North Carolina.Was it mutiny? Captain Wormell and his first mate did not get along and everyone knew it. German U-boats were a thing of the past, and so were pirates, right? Was it Russians? Or the work of the not-yet-known Bermuda Triangle? We may never know. The Carroll A. Deering (along with the nearby disappearance of the S.S. Hewitt) may go down as one of the greatest unsolved mysteries ever. Support the show

Arthur "Gypsy Bob" Harper (b. 1880) was one of Michigan's most notorious criminals. Murder, theft, and assault were part of his everyday life outside of prison. Luckily he only spent 15 of his 73 years out in the world. The rest of his time was spent locked up in various prisons in New York, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. Even that didn't stop him from committing heinous crimes. Let's learn about the man who holds the record for the most consecutive years in solitary confinement and the most tattoos.Support the show

What happened at the Attica Maximum Security Prison in September 1971 should have changed how prisons were run forever.  Unfortunately, the 'tough on crime' 80's and 90's erased any of the steps that were taken. Find out what went on during the four days inside of Attica as Governor Nelson Rockefeller battled from afar to win back the prison... at any cost. Support the show

What are some of your Christmas-time family traditions? Elf on the Shelf? Boots on the windowsill? Hiding brooms? KFC?Curator135 looks at some of the strange but mostly meaningful Christmas traditions around the globe. Come along for a wild ride, and learn about everything from scaring children to radishes to straw goats. Support the show

Before iPhones and the internet, before television and radio, people went out of their way to find entertainment. If something newsworthy was happening, they wanted to be a part of it. Floyd Collins and the caves below Kentucky gave the nation just that in January 1925.  Hear how one man, trapped 60 feet below the surface, brought in thousands of onlookers from across the country for a two-week period. He wanted to be a winner in the Kentucky Cave Wars but may have sealed his fate while exploring one day. Support the show

W.W. Jacobs, was an English author best known for his short stories, particularly the classic tale "The Monkey's Paw."Jacobs' writing often delved into the realm of humor and the supernatural. "The Monkey's Paw," published in 1902, remains one of his most celebrated works. This chilling story revolves around a mysterious monkey's paw that grants its owner three wishes but comes with unintended and tragic consequences, illustrating Jacobs' skill in crafting suspenseful and thought-provoking narratives.Listen to it in its entirety, read by Curator135.Support the show

In the late 1800's getting away with murder was a whole lot easier than it is today. Men like H.H. Holmes and Jack the Ripper made families lock their doors at night and prostitutes want to change professions. One man, who some believed could have been the infamous Jack the Ripper, managed to murder in three different countries. His reign of terror continued even after he was given life in prison. Episode 61 is about a man known as Dr. Cream, and later, the Lambeth Poisoner. Get to know Thomas Neill Cream. Support the show

Everyone knows about John Wilkes Booth and his dastardly plan to weaken the government and breathe new life into the Confederacy. It didn't work and Booth was killed days later. But who killed him? Thomas "Boston" Corbett, that's who. Boston Corbett was an interesting character who lived a hard life but leaned on God to get him through everything. In some people's eyes, he was a hero, but his actions almost got him in a lot of trouble, and he lived in fear of Booth's ghost for the rest of his days. Learn more in episode 60! Support the show

In 1971, deep in the Sierra Nevada, near the tiny village of Weimar, California, 17 campers experienced an event that changed their lives. By the next morning, Sheriff Wayne Brown and his deputies found three folks seriously injured and two dead. A manhunt that took them to Mexico ensued.Clarence Otis Smith was accused of the horrific event and rightfully so. However, he had demons along with a mail-order preacher in his ear the whole time.  Find out what happened and what led up to the Sickle Slayings at the Bear River Campground.Who was Reverend Everett T Richardson? Where did he come from? And could he of possibly been the Zodiac Killer? Support the show

Whether you are a believer in extraterrestrial beings or not, 1979 gave us one of the most well-documented cases of a UFO in our recent history.Val Johnson was out doing his job, patrolling the back roads of northwestern Minnesota, just minutes from the North Dakota border. When he went to turn onto Highway 220, a light appeared before him. Seconds later it was hitting his vehicle, causing damage to the patrol car and himself.  Some people believe it was ball lightning and that he was lucky to be alive. Others know that lightning would have done a different kind of damage. Johnson lost 39 minutes that night. What happened? We may never know. Support the show

In the 1930's the science of forensics was still in its infancy.  When Dr. Buck Ruxton's wife and nanny went missing, the police were forced to come up with new ways to identify the bodies... which had been cut up into numerous pieces. How did they do it? Learn all about Britain's 'Jigsaw Murders' in Episode 57 of the podcast. Support the show

Michigan has only 13 recorded executions in its history. They'd long ago taken the death penalty off the table. So why was Anthony Chebatoris hung within Michigan's borders in 1938?Find out what led up to Michigan's final execution. The life of Tony Chebatoris, his partner in crime, the targeted bank, and the hero dentist. Support the show

In 1942, just months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, tensions were high all along the west coast. Might the Japanese invade California? It sure seemed like a possibility. After a submarine surfaced and shot at a nearby oil well, the city of Los Angeles was on alert. In the early morning hours of February 25th, something caused numerous stations to fire anti-aircraft guns toward the sky. Was it the Japanese army? Alien Invaders? A spy balloon? We may never know. Support the show

With dozens of well-known classics, beloved by children and adults everywhere, what caused so many to become upset with Dr. Seuss? Why did Seuss Enterprises pull six of his books off the shelves?Was Theodor Seuss Geisel more of a Lorax or a Grinch? Episode 54 dives into some little-known (darker) facts about one of the country's best-selling children's authors.  Support the show

Jack be nimble... Jack Sprat... Jack and the Beanstalk... Why is the name Jack used so often in English folklore and fairytales? And then comes Jack the Ripper and finally Spring-Heeled Jack. Dive into episode 53 and learn about the terror of the 1800s who could breathe fire and jump over 10-foot walls.  Spring-Heeled Jack, man, monster or myth?Support the show

In 1929 a little-known case rocked the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Eugene and Pearl Burgess believed that an old neighbor and family friend, Mrs. Etta Fairchild, was a witch and would soon put hexes on their household or worse yet, murder them one by one. They did the only thing they could think to do. Murder her first. The case rocked the city and soon spread across the nation. Not since the Salem Witch Trials had a woman been put to death for being a witch. After months of research into the case, Curator 135 has turned the tale into a non-fiction short story.  Support the show

Hear the last written letters from some important people in history. While sad, they are evidence of the power of handwritten letters over what modern technology offers today. The last written thoughts of Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette, Wild Bill Hickok, Sullivan Ballou, Vincent van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, and Ernest Hemingway are featured in this episode. Support the show

We celebrate our 50th episode and Halloween with a reading of "The Red Room" by science fiction legend, H.G. Wells. Few people know that Wells liked to dabble in horror from time to time. Hear Curator135 read one of his spooky tales from the late 1800s. This story explains that sometimes the scariest moments in life are created in your own brain. Support the show

Where did Halloween come from? Why am I so afraid of Haunted Houses when I love everything else about the holiday? And... Why do so many strange murders and deaths happen around the end of October? Join Curator 135 as he discusses Halloween-themed murder, tragedy, and events that have shaped what we know as Halloween today. From Devil's Night to a psychic vision from David Berkowitz, this episode is all over the map but all Halloween.Support the show

Truth is often stranger than fiction. Maybe that's why so many of your favorite scary movies were inspired by actual events. From 'The Birds' to 'Scream', every great idea comes from somewhere. Find out about some of Curator 135's favorite horror films based on actual events and dive into one in particular. "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" is based on an actual series of murders carried out by a masked individual in the early months of 1946. Texarkana, Texas would never be the same again. *May not be suitable for younger listeners*Support the show

Nowadays, epidemics and pandemics can travel the globe in days. But how did things like the Plague travel from continent to continent in the late 1800s? Learn about the S.S. Nippon Maru and how it carried the Bubonic plague from China to Japan to Hawaii before finally reaching the port of San Francisco. When you think of the plague, you think of medieval times and the Black Death, but the Bubonic plague was here (and is still here) as recently as 1900.Support the show

From codpieces to leeches, poison facial cream to crocodile poo, the fashion and beauty worlds have seen it all. Travel through the ages and find out what some of the strangest and most dangerous fashion and beauty trends were. If you want to be like Queen Elizabeth, shave your eyebrows. If you want to be like Marie Antoinette, where thin, skin-tight dresses in the winter. Be careful, this one gets gross. Support the show

The 1980's were fun for some. Not so much for others. Hear how the Satanic Panic took over a nation and potentially took the lives of a young boyfriend and girlfriend in Texas. A story that grabbed the attention of a nation thanks to Unsolved Mysteries. A story that has still never been solved. Part 3 of the 1980's Series.Support the show

In 1982 a madman brought the nation's economy to its knees. By pulling apart Tylenol capsules and placing a substance inside that killed seven people without warning, Johnson & Johnson lost million dollars and began a nationwide recall of a product that nearly every household owned. Learn about the con-man they thought was responsible and the nearly 40-year investigation of seven murders in and around Chicago, Illinois that remains unsolved. Part 2 of the 1980's SeriesSupport the show

What happens when a town bully pushes residents past their breaking point? Find out what became of Ken Rex McElroy after thirty-some years of feeling invincible in the tiny town of Skidmore, Missouri. When a town or city has no law enforcement of its own, is it safe to leave the citizens in charge of handing out justice? Part one of a series of bizarre stories from the 1980s. Do you remember your school or city's bully? Support the show

In our last episode we touched on the first half of our top ten music related curses. Episode 42 delivers the top 5 curses in music history. Buddy Holly, Fleetwood Mac, the Glass Armonica, Robert Johnson and the 27 Club. Do you believe? Or is it all just a series of coincidences? Can songs be haunted? Can one death cause countless more? Can an instrument created by Ben Franklin drive you insane?  Support the show

In part one of the Musical Maledictions episode, we will learn about John Lennon's history with the number 9. How Jan and Dean created a song that jinxed one of the members so bad they nearly died. We'll discuss the Devil's Trill, Sonata No. 6, and a whole lot more. Curses in music, real or really made up? Apologies for my voice in this one, I'm on my eighth day of Covid. Support the show

In the early 1900s alternative healing practices and occult beliefs were all the rage. Voodoo and Satanism washed over the United States as people began to look outside of the church for answers. Benny Evangelist and Aurelius Angelino were two Italian immigrants looking for a fresh start in America. Both became interested in the occult and both of their families suffered for it. Learn all about the horrific tragedies that struck their households and the roles they have played in them. Aurelius broke free from an insane asylum and was never heard from again. Benny lost his head. *May not be suitable for childrenSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/curator135)

Chuck E. Cheese. Where a kid can be a kid and adults can be absolute animals. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, had another money making idea. Bring arcades out of pool halls and bars and place them inside family restaurants. When Disney wouldn't hire him, he decided to bring Disney style animatronics to his restaurants. Chuck E. Cheese, Mr. Munch, Pasqually and the rest of the crew were soon putting on shows for countless kids across the country. Somewhere along the way, Chuck E. Cheese restaurants became magnets for murder, fights and a host of other legal issues. Nearly forty years later, they're still going strong. What is it that we love... and hate... about Chuck E. Cheese. And how did one man take the idea of animatronics coming to life and turn it into a million dollar video game, movie, toy and book franchise with Five Nights at Freddy's?  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/curator135)

When you're a ghost, nowhere is off limits not even schools. While Curator 135 uses an old American Girl doll to scare his students, schools around the world have experienced the wrath of much scarier spirits, specters and phantoms. Travel to schools from Japan to New Jersey as we discuss some of the creepiest school haunting stories of the past few decades.  Headless ghosts who render you unable to move, long dead football players looking for a little competition, a school built on a cemetary and a young woman who might lure you into the bathroom to give you a swirly.  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/curator135)