Family Plot

Follow Family Plot
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

An odd dad and his 11 year old daughter exploring the strange and unusual in a peculiar world. Discussions will be kept PG-13. Hosted by Dean Boese and Krysta Williams.

Family Plot Podcast

Donate to Family Plot


    • Jun 5, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 58m AVG DURATION
    • 252 EPISODES

    Ivy Insights

    The Family Plot podcast is a refreshing and entertaining show that brings together a father and daughter duo to discuss strange and macabre topics. Dean and Krysta have a wonderful chemistry that shines through in their discussions, making this podcast an enjoyable listen. Whether you're into true crime or have an interest in the weird and unusual, The Family Plot delivers engaging content that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

    One of the best aspects of The Family Plot podcast is the unique dynamic between Dean and Krysta. As a father/daughter team, they bring a fresh perspective to their discussions, with Dean providing insight and knowledge while Krysta offers her own input and curiosity. Their relationship adds an extra layer of charm to the show, as it's clear how much fun they're having spending time together to produce this podcast. Their enthusiasm is infectious, making it easy for listeners to become invested in their conversations.

    Another great aspect of The Family Plot is the selection of topics they cover. Dean and Krysta tackle a range of interesting subjects, always managing to find something unique and intriguing. From exploring eerie locations like catacombs to diving into true crime stories, each episode offers something different yet equally captivating. They provide interesting insights and information on these topics, making it an educational experience for listeners as well.

    On the flip side, one potential downside of The Family Plot podcast is that some listeners may find themselves wanting more from Dean's comedic side. While he has a history in stand-up comedy, his humor seems toned down in this particular format, potentially due to trying to maintain a PG-13 rating or appeal more broadly to his audience. Some fans may miss the full dose of Dean's funny bone that they've come to love from his previous endeavors.

    Overall, The Family Plot podcast is a breath of fresh air in the true crime and weirdness genre. It offers engaging conversations between a father and daughter team who clearly enjoy exploring these topics together. With an excellent balance of information and entertainment, this podcast is a great option for those looking for something different to listen to. Dean and Krysta have created a show that is both educational and entertaining, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the strange and macabre.



    Search for episodes from Family Plot with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Family Plot

    Episode 251 The Inevitable Return of Sharon Kinne

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2025 79:45


    Like a good candy bar, this episode is chock full of nutty goodness!  In Arthur's corner he discusses (among other things) a concert he recently attended featuring Staind and Breaking Benjamin, among others.  Dean suggests that it was a butt rock concert, promptimg stares from Laura and Arthur.  Plus we go back to episode 18 to discuss famed Independence fugitive Sharon Kinne, discussing her life and crimes and her capture in Mexico.  We talk her trials and her escape from a Mexican prison and the last time we told this tale , that is all we knew.  Now, however, we have been able to find out where she went after she escaped Mexico, and the men she married.  Plus Arthur gets unleashed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 250 Eliza Hamilton with a special introduction by Edward October.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 52:50


    Our very special 250th Episode begins with a word of congratulations from the one and only Ed October from OctoberpodAM.  The show itself is full of goodness about the life of Eliza, not Alexander Hamilton.  We cover this sutprising and interesting woman in our special episode of the Family Plot Podcast.  This week's subject was chosen by Laura so we lead off with her and learn so much about this beautiful, supporting loving woman who may just be the reason her husband is so well known todaay.  So join us as we talk Eliza Hamilton in this very special 250th episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 249 Valiant Thor, Phil Schneider and the Guardian UFO Tape - The Weird History of UAPs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 68:00


    This episode comes with a Trigger Warning as we discuss potential victims of suicide as well as infant mortality in the section After Arthur's Corner and again in our final thoughts.  If these things are too much for you, feel free to skip, you matter.That being said, this episode gets weird as we discuss the strange life of Phil Schneider, the myster of Valiant Thor and the interesting events captured on the Guardian UFO Tape.  Are these incredible hoaxes or is there some truth to be had here.  So join us as we dig deep into these conspiracy laden tales surrounding some famous folks who are said to encounter alients, spacecraft and the Great Beyond in this weirdly fun episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 248 James MacLaine and William Plunkett - Gentleman Bandits of the 1700s

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 55:44


    Well, we have a gem of an episode here, where we look into the life of James MacLaine and William Plunkett.  We follow what we can of their births and young lives as we discuss how the pair came to be the Gentleman Bandits that they were, what famous people they robbed, how they got caught and their final, if quite different, fates.  We also discuss what a blunderbuss is and why it would make a good brand name for underwear, whether James is related to John of the Die Hard Franchise, and so much more in this 1700's historical episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 247 Victoria C. Woodhull - Spiritualist, Stockbroker, Presidential Candidate and Icon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 45:10


    What an episode!!! In Arthur's Corner, he discusses fudge, chocolate chip cookies and 12 Angry Men.  We also discuss the neurodivergent line that seems to run through our family.  Then we settle down and begin to discuss this week's subject, Victoria California Woodhull.  This woman, born to a devout spiritualist and a con man that got them ran out of their Homer Ohio home.  She's married to a 'doctor' at 15 and works travelling medicine shows and spiritualist spectacles which eventually leads her to meet Cornelius Vanderbilt.  She becomes a powerful figure, who believes in women's suffrage, the Free Love Movement (which in the 1860's is very different from the similarly named movement of the 1960's).  She starts a newspaper and so much more in this about to be a movie starring Brie Larson episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 246 The Story of Hans Island and the Whisky Wars

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 71:14


    Well this episode is a ton of fun.  We are joined by longtime friend of the Fam, Stand Up Comic and Dutch Uncle Dale Hilton.  He requested we cover a topic called the Whisky Wars and it is a doozy.  In 1973 Canada and Denmark were unable to agree as to which country owned the kidney-shaped nothing of an island called Hans Island.  With neither side willing to set aside their claim to the island, this led to an interesting 'conflict' of a sort.  Over the next several years, the countries would take turns visiting the island leaving their flag, a bottle of liquor and a sign.  They went back and forth leaving liquor and flags in a passive agressive conflict that only ended when the nations divided the island down the middle.  We also talk about times we (the adults, Arthur listens patiently) got drunk and what we used to get drunk on in the days before the interwebs.  So join us for this ever so slightly not quite PG-13  episode of fun and frolic from the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 245 The Greenbrier Ghost - The Murder of Zona Shue

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 76:05


    This episode has so much going on, we don't know where to begin.  Arthur discusses a recent family visit to Kansas City's Case Park and some rather naughty grafitti he discovered.  The family discusses their favorite Kansas City Barbecue joint and Arthur discusses making Spanish Tortillas.  All that plus we cover the strange case of the Greenbrier Ghost, the only ghost in American history to implicate her killer in this amazing story about the early days of West Virginia.  You can't make this stuff up in this amazingly historic and hysterical episode of the Family Plot Podcast.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 244 Woman on Trial - The Laurie Bambenek Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 58:43


    We cover soooo very much in this episode.  The Seven Layer Dip of Hell.  Author S. J. Tilly. Stuffed Austrian Shepherds.  Sponsor Girls.  And so very much more as we head, in spirit, to Milwaukee Wisconsin to talk about the life, trial, and conviction of Lawrencia 'Laurie' Bembenek.  We cover her life's story and how she was brutally railroaded into a murder conviction for a murder that it is impossible for her to have committed.  We cover her appeals, and finally her desperate escape which made her a folk hero.  We cover all this and her brutal bad luck in the rest of her life in this did this REALLY happen episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 243 The Great Chicago Fire - A city wide tragedy in 1871

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 58:56


    This episode we have so much to talk about, that we barely have time to talk about the episode.  We discuss Mrs. O'Leary's cow, the movie 'Near Dark', the Independence Center Mall, more stuff in Arthur's Corner, what it must have been like to be an inmate freed because of the fire and so, so much more.  We examine the histroy of the city around the time of the fire and whether or not the fire played into the rise of the Chicago Mafia in this deeply historical 'Now that's a fire!' episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 242 Fairy Tale Origins III - Rapunzel, Bluebeard, Jack & The Beanstalk and Rip Van Winkle

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 78:35


    We are joined in this episode by member of the Fam, longtime friend and writer extraordinaire Dan B. Fierce as well as Lexi Boese as we discuss the origins of four more fairy tales.  We divide & conquer as Dean takes Rip Van Winmkle, Arthur covers Jack & the Beanstalk, Dan covers the tale of Bluebeard and Laura tells us the story of Rapunzel.  Afterwards, we talk about the tales origin,what it;s based on and so, so much more in this highly cool episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 241 The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - Bad Business in America

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 55:23


    What can I say about this episode?  It runs the gamut.  The main topic is the Triangle Shirtwaiste Fire and how two businessmen who were in the habit of locking doors while employees worked doomed 147 mostly immigrants and women to their deaths.  We talk the history of the company, the state of the US for workers in 1911 and the fire itself.  We also cover the trial and the legacy of the fire.  Arthur reminisces about his trip to Planet Comicon, and talks the Roblox sensation Dandy's World as we discuss why it's so important why there needs to be laws in place to protect workers in this whole lotta historical, little bit silly but a lotta bit sad episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 240 - Inventions We Lost to History

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2025 50:21


    We have so MUCH rich muchness in this episode.  A veritable souffle of things to learn and family banter!  Lexi stops by to tell us she feeels sponsored.  Gotta love our 7 year old.  Arthur lets us know about his upcoming trip to Planet Comicon in his corner and we talk about being without water as the trailer court we live in ;upgrades' their pipes.  And none of that is even the show topic!!!  Ever heard of Starlite?  Not Starlink, Starlite?  (Pay attention bunkie).  It's an incredible compound that if it was put on an egg, and an acetylene torch was then used on the egg, it would remain cool to the touch, completely uncooked.  It could be spread over a human hand and if exposed to flame or heat, the hand remained unharmed!  Or what about a grenade used in the days of the Babylonian empire that would burn on top of water and even couldn't be put out with water?  This was Greek Fire!  We discuss Sylphium, Mithridatium, Nepenthe, flexible glass, the Lycurgus Cup, Damascus Steel, Stradivarius Violins and Roman Cement, all amazing inventions, or plants that were in common usage in their time that have become simply lost to history.  So come on in, sit down a spell and learn about some cool inventions with us!!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 239 - Aqua Tofana - 'Miracle' Poison of the 17th Century

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 75:50


    So in the 17th Century, in Rome, Giulia Tofana led a group of women who made devotional oils, cosmetic liquids and of course, poison.  This poison was a famed untraceable and undetectable poison for it's time and it was dubbed Aqua Tofana.  4 doses they said, could put any man in his grave.  It was a way for women, who could not get a divorce to get out of some very bad situations and over 20 years, these women claimed to have killed over 600 men,  We discuss the poison, the time, the place and famous folks who felt they were victims of this strange brew.  We also talk bodily autonomy, the trend 'Make Aqua Tofana Great Again', Dandy's World, The Princess Bride, (Princess Buttercup has entered the chat), iocaine powder and just plain being decent to one another in this, wait, they REALLY did that episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 238 Lucille Ball - Why We Still Love Lucy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 78:12


    In this episode we cover the life of actress, comedienne and producer, Lucille Ball.  We talk about her life, her time with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, her time as the queen of Television and the legacy she left behind.  We talk her marriage to Desi and her second husband Gary Morton.  We talk her time as the head of Desilu studios, shows she discovered and her legacy today.  Plus in Arthur's corner we talk more Dandy's World, and we talk about Arthur's latest foray into voice acting thanks to Edward October and so much more including the family banter you all love!  So stop procrastinating and start listening to your new favorite episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 237 Black History Month - The Big, Big Life of Robert Smalls

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 67:17


    What an episode!  This week we go back to 1839 to attend the birth of a young Black man named Robert Smalls.  We watch him grow and learn how he loved the sea, how he came to work on a Coinfederate Navy Ship called the Planter and how, in the dead of night, he stole that ship, picked up his family and the families of his crewmates and guided the ship to the Union Blockade and in doing so became a hero.  He later bought his former 'master's' home and became a member of Congress in this man we love learning, never judge a book by it's cover or a man by his skin color episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 236 Love Gods and Goddesses w/ Cam Sully of the Jacked Up Review Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 71:59


    There is so much to this episode!  First, Cam Sully of the Jacked Up Review Show joins us as we talk ancient Gods and Goddesses from different cultures around the world.  Is Ishtar the goddess of the worst movie ever?  Maybe.  We also discuss gods of homosexuality and 'filthy' sex.  We also talk some of the Gods holidays.  Plus, Valentines at Cirilla's with cats.  It'll mean more when you listen to the episode.  Plus we talk Josh Gates, computer connection issues (thanks Comcast) and so much more in this giant burrito of love episode, so good you just have to shove it in your ears...or something like that!  Enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 235 The Mysterious Disappearance of Agatha Christie

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 64:24


    Whole lotta love going on in this episode!  Arthur talks being trans in these interesting times in his corner as well as Invader Zim, the Moomans and snow days.  Dad gets so excited he bleeps himself, and he is the only one who knows what a rimshot (hint it's NOT dirty), Laura talks reading smut, we celebrate being a family AND discuss the life of British mystery writer Agatha Christie and her strange 10 day disappearance in this little bit historical and whole lotta family episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 234 The Murder (and Ghost) of Captain Joseph White

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 82:42


    Another episode that is just so full of goodness, you'll wonder how we were able to pack it all into one episode!  We go to Salem for this one, specifically the Gardner-Pingree House, which was once owned by Captain Joseph White.  White was a a fair bit unsavory due to some of his business practices as a captain, but once he retired, he was murdered by four men who frankly, were not criminal masterminds by any stretch of the imagination.  We talk his life, his murder, his murderers and their trial.  They even had a special prosecutor, a celebrity lawyer of his time, Daniel Webster.  We also talk how the former Captain became a ghost haunting his former home in this little bit spooky, whole lotta true crime historical episode of the Family Plot Podcast!  Plus we crammed in a whole lot of love.  Trigger Warnings for Suicide and mentions of slavery.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 233 The Importance of Being Ernest Hemingway w/ Brenda from Horrifying History

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 96:12


    We have an episode so chockful of goodness you won't believe it.  We are joined by Brenda from the Horrifying History Podcast as we discuss the life of Ernest Hemingway.  We meet his parents, his family, his children and his many wives.  We look into his fascinating life, the things he did as a soldier and a sportsman, his life as both a journalist and a writer.  We also talk about his many injuries, how they impacted his life and writing and so much more in this heavy on discussion episode of Ernest Hemingway.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 232 The Cursed Treasure of Tolosa featuring Edward October

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 42:01


    In this episode, we are joined by Edward October of Octoberpod AM, a retro horror podcast for bold individualists!  He voices the elevator of history for us as we get down to discussing the treasure of Tolosa.  We talk about it's origins, where it might have come from, how much it would be worth and the sad fate of any who seemed to possess the treasure for any length of time.  We meet some interesting historical personages and ask the all important question...is it still out there?  Check it out!  Let's Learn something?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 231 John F Kennedy - American Icon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 73:59


    In this episode, we look back at the life and times of John F. Kennedy.  We talk about what life was like for the Kennedy's, how he grew up, how he injured his back and dealt with the pain of that the rest of his life.  We discuss his travels and how a strap in his teeth and a carved coconut made him a hero.  We are joined in this episode by the amazing and funny Keb Pound of the Stupid History Minute and we of course discuss Kennedy's presidency, the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis and briefly discuss Kennedy's assassination in this biography of an American President and an American Icon.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 230 The Catacombs Redux - Secrets of the Parisian Necropolis

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 54:09


    In this episode, we revisit the subject of our second episode, the Catacombs.  The empire of the dead lying beneath the streets of Paris.  We discuss their odd and unique history, the stories of those who have become lost there, crimes that occured within, we talk cataphiles and cataflics and so much more as we go down in the Underground and find out just how interesting this place really is.  Also, while Dean is talking about ugly Americans he quotes an old Howie Mandel bit.  Credit where credit is due and all that.  So come along on this magical and occasionally smelly trip beneath the streets of Paris to find out what, if anything, lurks in the dark in the Empire of the Dead!https://family-plot-podcast.creator-spring.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 229 New Year New Weird 2025

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2025 52:52


    Our first episode of 2025 where we do a review of our year in 2024 including topics, guests and surprises and we look ahead to 2025 and what we have planned for the coming year.  We also take time to share our love for each other and our listenership as a whole.  Long live the Fam!  So come ride along with us on this memorable and lovable review of the year that was and the year that will be!https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161888972758614&set=gm.2011260299347366&idorvanity=934906080316132Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 228 - Christmas with the Fam

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2024 44:23


    This episode we celebrate Christmas!  Our special guest is Lexi, the youngest member of our Family making her podcast debut at 7!  We each take turns picking a favorite movie and a favorite Christmas song (well two songs and a spoken word piece.  We discuss their history and what they mean to us.  We also discuss whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie?  All this and some special greetings from special friends (including our good friends at Witches Talking Tarot who not only give us a swell Christmas message but they DO NOT behave, which is, admittedly, part of why we love them) in this very special Christmas episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 227 Operation Paperclip - America Repurposes Nazi Scientists

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2024 39:01


    In this episode, we dig into the end of World War II to discuss Operation Paperclip, what began by the German government as an attempt to overturn their fortunes as they were losing the war, eventually became a brain drain as America (among others) tried to hire brilliant scientific minds like Wernher Von Braun away form the Nazi regime.  We also discuss Bob Berdella, pangolins, Bob Newhart and why Operation Paperclip was so very controversial in this man, we did WHAT? episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Note from Dean:  At some point, during the episode, I say something about Hitler not playing Risk when he was a kid.  It was a phrase from a MUCH longer bit by British comedian Suzy Izzard and I do not believe I properly credited him within the show itself, so I DEFINITELY want to credit him here.  Credit where credit is due and all that.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 226 Katherine Johnson - NASAs Math Prodigy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 45:11


    In this episode, we talk about some of the email weve been getting at familyplotpodcast@gmail.com and some of the messages on our socials.  Arthur and Laura promise to talk more as we slide into Arthur's Corner to discuss his day.  Then we tear into  the story of Katherine Johnson, how she was such a math whiz that one of her professors had to make courses just for her.  She entered high school at just 10 years old!  We cover her life, how she came to work at NACA which later became NASA, how she got her name on a report, how she enjoyed playing bridge at lunch, We also discuss what Dean made for dinner (meatballs in brown gravy, mashed potatoes made with French Onion Dip instead of milk and green beans) and more in this Laura-chosen, man-we-like-smart-women episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 225 Emma LeDoux - Scandal and Murder in Stockton California

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 50:19


    In this episode we go way back to the early 1900's to meet a California beauty named Emma LeDoux, recount the shocking murder and 'scandals' she became famous for, and in his corner Arthur explains how he knew he was trans and we give some love and shoutouts to members of the Fam who have either helped us or are having a rough go of it.  So join us as we go VERY old school true crime as we discuss Emma LeDoux!  Let's Learn Something!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 224 The Challenger Shuttle Disaster - An American Tragedy

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 59:51


    In this episode we return to Dean's senior year and find him sitting in science class watching the shuttle take off just before it exploded 73 seconds later.  We discuss the Challenger itself, the crew, NASA at that time and the launch and what happened.  Arthur also talks Genshin Impact, and we talk about Settlers of Catan in this nerdy yet tragic episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 223 The Witch of Taskee and Queen Bevers - Two Missouri Witches

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 50:08


    In this episode we go back to the 1800;s to meet two Missouri witches.  First we meet the Witch of Taskee who lived in Taskee Station Missouri and astounded those who saw her with her clairvoyance, that came when she was possessed by a spirit that called itself Little Joe.  Josie Forbes was reported far and wide for her abilities, even using them to solve crimes!  Then we head back to the turn of the 19th Century and meet the Wild Witch of Victoria Missouri in one Prudence Bevins, a part Cherokee woman who seemed to be able to curse the locals and when confronted about being a witch would merely laugh.  She was called Queen Bevers and her power was legendary, only occasionally thwarted by the country magic of a local witch charmer.  We cover their histories and the folk tales that inevitably rose up surrounding these two strange figures from Missouri history in this special episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 222 Indiana State Sanitorium - Horrors in a Haunted Hospital

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2024 51:20


    TRIGGER WARNING:  There is a brief mention of suicide during our discussion of the hospital's history.  If this is too much for you, feel free to skip this episode.  As Kate from Ignorance Was Bliss used to say, You Matter!  And if you need mental health resources, 988 will connect you with so much.  Thank youThis week we discuss the Indiana State Sanitorium.  In an episode chosen by our very own Arthur, we look into the history of tuberculosis in America, the history of the hospital itself, it's time as a mental health institute as well as the Lee Allen Bryant Psychiatric Center.  We cover it's fall into disrepair and it's many, many hauntings and odd occurences in this spooky fun episode of the Family Plot Podcast!!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 221 Mary Ann Cotton - When Love is Poison

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 39:22


    So in this episode, we once more return to Victorian London where we meet Mary Ann Cotton (nee Robson) a lovely wife and mother with the unfortunate curse of having her husbands and children die around her.  Digging deeper,  we begin to discover she is a poisoner with a body count somewhere in the range of 15 to 20, mostly her children, husbands and lovers,  We discuss her life, her history, how easilty arsenic was available to people at that time.  We give our thoughts and along the way even manage to touch on a few other things in this Victorian true crime episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 220 The Vampire of Dusseldorf Peter Kurten

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 82:56


    This week our final proper week of spooky season, we release a tale of a violent maniac with a literal lust for blood.  We discuss Peter Kurten, psychopath, serial murderer and all around bad guy.  A man whose life was almost a blueprint for creating a serial murderer he committed his first killings at the age of 9.  We cover his life, his crimes and his death in this very dark and bloody episode of the Family Plot Podcast!TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains brief mentions of sexual assault and incest.  If these are deal breakers for you, please feel free to skip this episode.  As always we keep our descriptions of the violence of these assaults to a minimum.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 219 Spending a Spooky Evening at McPike Mansion

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 46:08


    Welcome to yet another spooky season episode of the Family Plot Podcast!  This week we go to the McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois.  We talk about the history of this beautiful showplace, how it was built by Henry Guest McPike a Civil War soldier, a man who owned a box making company, produced his own grape that became popular in wine making, was an executive for an Insurance company and even sold real estate.  We cover McPike's history and the home's and then settle down to talk about the spooks that still haunt the place.  Arthur has a lot in his corner after managing to break one foot and sprain the other while dancing in a clean room.  How?  He's Arthur.  And he has more cool tidbits to tell you in his corner (including how he plays the role of Satan in Octoberpod's 'The Satanic Rites of Doctor Frankenstein'!  Then we talk about the ghosts who make McPike Mansion their home in this spooky season episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 218 A Killer hides at Hinterkaifeck

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 49:39


    TRIGGER WARNING:  This episode mentions both sexual assault and incest.  If these subjects are triggering for you, please feel free to skip the episode.  As our friend Kate used to say:  You Matter.This week we go full spooky True Crime as we visit a German farmstead called Hinterkaifeck where we discover a particularly spooky and gruesome series of murders.  Murders that were likely committed by someone hiding within the home.  We discuss the area, events that happened around the time of the murders (committed March 31st 1922.  We discuss the fact that the killer or killers hid on the farm after killing the family, feeding their animals and eating their food.  We discuss possible suspects, theories of the crime and so much more in this weird and spooky historical true crime episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 217 The Haunting History of Weston Missouri

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 55:44


    We are back with another spooky season episode, this time, we go to nearby (to us) Weston, Missouri where we learn about the charming little town's history, we discuss a few haunted locations as well as a few of the more famous 'residents' of the town's Laurel Hill Cemetery.  We discuss the town's beginnings and it;s modern spookiness, the most delightful place to have a cup of hot cocoa or hot apple cider while discussing things that go bump in the night with friends.  We visit a rustic home and the spirits the family has encountered, a local business that is still frequented by a few long dead spirits and a local hotel that houses a few spooky spirits as well as some guests in this second spooky season 2024 episode of the Family Plot Podcast.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 216 Phantom Trains and a Headless Signalman

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 62:56


    So this episode is the first of our 2024 Spooky Season and we begin with a few haunting tales of phantom trains.  We begin in Washington DC for a story about Lincoln's Funeral train and how it would reappear at night years afterwards chugging it's way down the tracks attended by skeletons and sepulcheral figures.  Then we go to Maco Station in North Carolina to meet a signalman killed during a crash whose signal light would appear again and again forcing the company to put a signalman with two lanterns at Maco Station to stop trains from stopping for the phantom signalman.  Then we go back to North Carolina and examine the Bostian Bridge train wreck, and it's phantom that still appears crossing the old bridge.  Finally we go to Frenchtown Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and see a ghost train that is still seen to this day.  Arthur talks Detroit: Become Human in her corner and packed full of the usual banter and insanity.  Enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 215 Boudicca Battle Queen of Early Britain

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 43:07


    Well this week we go back and meet a woman who revolted against the Romans around the time of Jesus.  Boudicca has become a legendary figure but we do our level best to track down what she was really like.  We dig into this enduring historical figure who has become an enduring figure of empowerment as well,  We discuss what we could discover of her early life, how she rose to power among the Iceni people and how she led a revolt that came darn close to pushing the Romans out of Britain entirely.  Plus Arthur introduces us to Thunderstorm, her new cat in her corner as we go all girl power in this historic episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 214 The Kray Twins - Murder and Mayhem in 60's London

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 58:15


    We go full Mod in this historic true crime episode set in 60's London.  We discuss the Krays a pair of twins who came up in London's East End and eventually made names for themselves as they built a criminal empire that is probably the most famous one in London. Arthur talks photography in his corner which winds up tying into the main narrative. We discuss their young life, how they became criminals and crimelords, how they ruled London and how they were eventually brought down in this man these guys were kinda cray cray episode of the Family Plot Podcast.  Let's learn something!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 213 The Rasputin Redux - Revisiting the Mad Monk

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 54:00


    8his week is a flash to the past, like our very first episode, the past!  In this episode, we revisit Rasputin, now that Dean has learned how to do better research, Arthur is four years older and now we have Laura on the show.  We examine his life, what we know, what scholars believe and the legacy of the Mad Monk, including a daughter who emigrated to America and was a dancer and then became a lion tamer!  Arthur in his corner introduces us to the leafy seadragon a fascinating relative of the seahorse and the pipefish that lives in Western Australia  Plus we discuss our appearance on 89.7 WKMU Paranormal Pursuit, a combination Paranormal Podcast and Game Show that had us on!  What a great week in the world of the Fam!  Enjoy!https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HTli7xw5zgvccyvPm28Gg?si=d52d3d534fb6433cBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 212 The Radiant Life and Science of Marie Curie

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 63:32


    Well this episode is loaded up with so much history and excitement, we just can't wait to share it!  We discuss the life of Marie Slobodowska Curie aka Marie Curie or Madame Curie.  But we also stop off in Arthur's corner to discuss differences between moths and butterflies (for example did you know butterflies rest with their wings closed while moths rest with them open) and then goes on to discuss the Rosy Maple Moth, which apparently is not as delicious as it sounds.  However it is impressive and beautiful  We cover Curie's family life, her husband, her 'scandal' and her strength.  Listen to how this woman that Albert Einstein once described as the only person he ever met to be immune to the effects of fame, made her way in the xenophobic France of the 1900's and be surprised at how she spent World War I in another girl power history episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 211 The Lambeth Poisoner - Doctor Thomas Neill Cream

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 54:27


    Man, we just got so much to say in this episode!  Arthur, who has returned to school, takes us through his class schedule in a short but entertaining Arthur's corner and then we dig down into Doctor Thomas Neill Cream...who did not invent Cream Soda, sadly, but instead was a doctor trained in Canada and England who poisoned several women, mostly sex workers and women who wanted abortions.  He was married briefly but his wife died of consumption...or perhaps poison.  We cover his arrest, his incarceration, his parole and his arrival in England where he continued his poisoning ways in this guy really CAN'T be Jack the Ripper episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 210 Judith Barsi - A Light Gone Too Soon

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 46:16


    In this episode, we discuss the murder of child actress Judith Eva Barsi and her mother, by of all people, her father.  It's a rough episode as we discuss this family annihalator Joe Barsi and his slide into madness and stalking all brought on by the fact that he was not out earning nor could he control his wife and daughter.  Arthur gives us a brief corner and catches us up before he returns to school next week.  Join us to learn about this little girl who was able to bury her pain and fear to work on roles both onscreen and providing voices for cartooon characters.  We bring you this sad tale in this true crime can be painful episode of the Family Plot Podcast. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 209 Strange Days in France - The Beast of Gevaudan

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 63:08


    So there is so, so much good in this episode.  First, we discuss the Beast of Gevaudan, a crazy cryptid/ wolf that terrorized the countryside in Gevaudan, an area where the French believed the dark enchantments of the forest still held sway.  The beast seemed to terrorize the French countryside in the area known as Gevaudan, striking from out of nowhere and disappearing just as quickly.  Many tried to catch the beast, and many claimed they had but the attacks only stopped after a local man shot a large wolf on the slopes of a nearby mountain.  We discuss what kind of animaal the beast might have been, look into the history surrounding the beast and even give our own thoughts on what we think it might have been in this fantastically wolfy episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 208 The Poet and the Musician - The Story of Bonnie and Clyde

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 72:13


    This episode is full of goodness, badness and old timey sirens!  Arthur discusses Therianthropes in the modern world and her relationship to them while Dean creates the pun-ishing term 'Therial Killer'.  We are joined by Debbie Baker from ShopJobie and a long time member of our extended family to discuss the story of Bonnie and Clyde.  Their births, their meeting, their relationship and their long fight with the law.  We also discuss their family, and so much more.  We discuss how they had the makings of what could have been a popular couple of entertainers.  We also discuss the lawman that brought them down in this True Crime and Love are weird historical episode of the Family Plot Podcast!ShopJobe Link:  www.shopjobie.comDiscount Code - PODCASTBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 207 The Apollo 11 Moon Landing

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 61:43


    In this episode, we make our first foray into outer space as we cover the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, what led to it, and how there are now people who doubt that we ever made the trip.  We discuss the astronauts on the flight, their histories and how they combined to make the Moon Landing the success that it was.  In his corner, Arthur discusses Aardwolves and a whole host of colorful fancy people get discussed on this week's episode of the Family Plot Podcast!  You should listen, it's outta this world!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 206 Anne Bonny and Mary Read - Piracy and Freedom

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 40:01


    In this episode we sail round the Horn and back again as we look into the lives, trial and mysteries of the Naussau Pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read.  Part of Calico Jack Rackham's crew, these two dressed as men, cursed, drank, fought and killed with their pirate brethren and for two months lived completely free, a rare thing for women in the Early 1700's.  We dig into what little is known about their early lives, what led them to become pirates and how their two months as lawless pirates made them so famous they are still talked about to this day.  Laura has Covid AND the Flu, she never does anything by halves.  Arthur discusses people mocking the trans movement by identifying as helicopters and toasters and in the end, we are forced to admit that Anne Bonny disappeared sometime after she had been imprisoned on the Bahamas and we do not know how or where her life ended.  So join us for this special episode all about these two pirates and so much more in this Jolly Roger Episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 205 Doctor Sam Sheppard - Wrestling with Loss featuring 'Chronic' Chris Page

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 70:20


    So much good stuff in this episode!  First, we are joined by Chris Page, the man who produces Travis Orndorff's podcast and has multiple wrestling podcasts and twitch streams.  Chris and Dean discuss their history and their friendship and Arthur has a new sting to introduce her corner.  (Courtesy of our new sound engineer, Blue Boese)  We also focus this week on Doctor Sam Sheppard, a doctor from Ohio who was accused of murdering his pregnant wife.  However, the carnival-like atmosphere of his trial and even the judge publicly saying he was guilty eventually earn him a new trial and his freedom.  After ten years in prison, wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder, he tried to make a new life for himself even wrestling and inventing the 'Mandibular Nerve Pinch' a move Mankind repackaged into 1996 into the Mandible Claw.  Still, he eventually passed away from the effects of alcoholism in this special, man I wonder where they got the idea for the Fugitive movie and TV show episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Links to find CCP online:Twitch - www.Twitch.TV/CCPEPodcastingYouTube - @ccppodcastingproductions5890Instagram - ccp_podcastingTwitter/X - @FiresidePageBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 204 Stand for Something - The Life of Rosa Parks

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2024 48:45


    This powerful episode of the Family Plot Podcast is so full of stuff, we should wrap it in a bow!  Krys announces this week that she prefers to go by Arthur with male pronouns.  She also talks about dingoes, which Dean claims are his baby, or maybe just Merryl Streep's.  Then we focus on the life of Rosa Parks.  Her childhood, her first experiences with racism, her education and how she became a lifelong activist.  And while she was not the first to get arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger, doing so made her the face of the Freedom Movement.  We discuss her struggles and her continued activism later in life and so much more in this episode examining one of the people integral to the Freedom movement in the United States on this powerful episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 203 The Saga of One-Eyed Charley - A PRIDE month special episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 59:36


    There is so much goodness in this episode you can eat it and it will be sweet, filling, healthy and sugar-free!  We are joined this week by Krysta's non-binary sibling, Blue Boese!  Krys goes to her corner to finish telling us about the cartoons that influenced her most as a child.  We also focus on telling the tale of One-Eyed Charley Parkhurst.  Charley was one of the roughest, toughest, hardest-drinking, most coarse and foul-mouthed fellow to ever drive a six horse coach.  Charley was famed on the west coast for his abilities.  So it was with some womder that when he died a few years later, his neighbors were quite shocked to discover that Charley had been born a woman.  One of the greatest 'whips' of his age being a woman was so incredible that it made national news.  We cover all this in this very special PRIDE episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 202 Aliens at the Ariel School

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 61:29


    This episode is crammed so full of wonderment, your mind will expand!  Or maybe not!  In Krysta's Corner, we discuss some of her favorite shows growing up (including Sofia the First and Daniel Tiger amongst others) we comment briefly on Dan Schneider and other not good people in Children's Programming before getting into the meat of this week's topic, The UAP's seen above and on the ground by the Ariel School in 1994.  We discuss the event, the reactions of adults to the children's claims as well as skeptical explanations of the event.  All this and more in this watch the skies episode of the Family Plot Podcast!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Episode 201 The Curious Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 50:33


    Man do we have a wonderful 201st episode for you!  Ever heard of the Hammersmith Ghost Murder?  Neither had we but oh, do we get into it!! And in her corner Krysta introduces us to poodle moths!  Beautiful, well, unless you look at them up close.  We also discuss Hawk Moths, Death's Head Moths and of course, Lunar Moths before diving back into this case where a ghost was troubling the Hammersmith area of London in 1804!  During this harrowing time, Francis Smith shoots and kills bricklayer Thomas Millwood, thinking he is the ghost.  This leads to an important case in British Law in this true crime, English Law Episode of the Family Plot Podcast.  PS:  The name of the British show in the Law and Order franchise is Law & Order:  UK.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

    Claim Family Plot

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel