We Would Be Dead

Happy Pride Month Fiends! This week we are going to rebroadcast some of our previous pride month episodes before releasing a brand new episode. If you are all caught up with WWBD, please take the time to relisten to this tragic episode on kitty Genovese and historical significance of her case.  ----------------- On March 27th 1964, the headline: "37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police; Apathy at Stabbing of Queens Woman Shocks Inspector" was splashed across the cover of the New York times. The story behind it was the horrific rape and murder of a young woman named Kitty Genovese. But the story doesn't focus on Kitty, or even her murderer, it focuses on her neighbors, who allegedly saw the murder in real time and did nothing. This story stirred an enormous reaction to a phenomenon that was dubbed Urban Apathy. This case also inspired all the research that lead to a psychosocial theory called "the Bystander Effect". There's just one problem, the New York Times lied.  Most of you will know this case, but there is so much about it that has been hidden from the public for so long that we felt it deserves re-examining. Kitty, her devoted family and long time girlfriend Mary Ann lived their lives for a great many years believing that Kitty was the girl no one cared about, but she wasn't. She isn't. We decided to take a fresh look at this classic morality tale and find the truth behind the lessons.   Click to learn more Original New York Times Article LA Times article on Sophia Ferrar Winston Moseley's NYT Editorial *The Witness - Documentary on Amazon Prime *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

  We've all heard the sinister stories of mental healthcare's terrifying past. The Snake Pits, the cages, the overmedication, but nothing is cloaked in more mystery and dread than the ice pick lobotomy. Whether it's that terrifying scene in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or the heartbreaking story of Rosemary Kennedy, we all can conjure up a horrifying image of this barbaric procedure with little effort. The Man in the white lab coat and cap, his sunglasses gleaming, ice pick in hand. The patients with black eyes and blood mottled tears. That's gold standard nightmare fuel, and it's hard to believe any of it was real, but it was. So how did the mental health care industry end up taking a dip in the darkest of places? Well, hang on because we're going to tell you. In this week's episode we explore the history of the lobotomy, begininning with mankind's earliest attempts to sooth a savage brain, and culminating in the story of the ice pick lobotomist himself, Walter Freeman Jr.  Click To Learn More     WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

In the summer of 1726, In the little Village of Godalming, a 25 year old servant woman claimed to give birth to rabbits. Surgeons, nobles, and even the King believed her at first, but the truth, or a version of it that the public can embrace, always has a way of coming out. For years, history thought they had solved the mystery of "The Rabbit Breeder", but beneath the hoax lies a darker tale of pain, power, and control.This is the true story of monstrous birth — and the woman behind it. This is the story of Mary Toft.   Click To Learn More Mary Toft, Monster and Mason By Karen Harvey University of Glasgow Library — The Curious Case of Mary Toft A digital exhibition exploring the archival material and cultural impact of the Toft hoax. The Public Domain Review — Mary Toft and Her Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbits History Extra — Who Was Mary Toft & How Did Her Rabbit Hoax Capture Georgian Society? Nathaniel St. André — A Short Narrative of an Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbets (1726) The original pamphlet published by one of the royal physicians who believed Mary Toft.

She was smart, athletic, and full of life — until one summer night in 2015 when 18-year-old Tiffany Valiante vanished from her family's New Jersey home. Just hours later, her body was found miles away on train tracks under suspicious circumstances. Was it suicide, as authorities claimed — or something far more sinister? In this, our second most requested episode, we dig into the tangled timeline, mysterious evidence, and the burning questions that still haunt this case. What really happened to Tiffany Valiante?   Click To Learn More Tiffany's episode of Unsolved Mysteries Casefile Initial medical examiners report         WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Hey fiends! This week we are rebroadcasting one of our fan favorite (and ours) episode on Elmer McCurdy. We will be back next week with an all new episode. ENJOY! -------------- On December 8th, 1976, the crew of the hit televisions show The Six Million Dollar Man made a gruesome discovery. While shooting in a fun house in Long Beach, California, they accidentally broke the arm off an orange day glow dummy only to discover that is wasn't a dummy at all, it was the mummified remains of a human man. Through a fascinating forensic investigation, they would discover that this man was Elmer McCurdy, the worst train and bank robber in American history. Elmer's story is wild, and we guarantee that this week, there's something for everyone. This is one of Holly's favorites, so you know it's going to be super weird.  Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Often, case we cover continue to evolve long after we close the book on them. That's why periodically we check in and update them! This week we have updates on the Dephi Murders, Sheila Keen Warren (the clown killer), and the disappearance of Asha Degree. Special thanks to all our fiends who pass along articles so we can stay up to the minute on everything! Here's hoping 2025 gives us even more answers in its second half. Click To Learn More Updates on Asha Degree https://www.wbtv.com/2025/02/18/new-asha-degree-warrants-text-messages-revealed-possible-admission-fault-more/ Updates on the Delphi Murders (TW these are graphic, and may be disturbing to some listeners. We elected not to discuss everything in these articles in the episode because the information in them is quite upsetting and not necessary for understanding the event in question.) https://abcnews.go.com/US/delphi-murder-trial-libbys-blood-mixed-tears-expert/story?id=115229024 https://abcnews.go.com/US/delphi-double-murder-trial-graphic-crime-scene-photos/story?id=114989103 https://fox59.com/news/former-delphi-murders-suspect-made-detailed-confession-to-killings-attorneys-say/ https://fox59.com/delphi-trial/state-says-inmate-who-claimed-ron-logan-confessed-to-delphi-killings-failed-polygraph-test/ Updates on Sheila Keen Warren https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/wellington/2024/11/05/killer-clown-sheila-warren-pleaded-guilty-free-from-florida-prison/76048124007/ https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/03/us/florida-killer-clown-sheila-keen-warren-release/index.html WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

In the early morning hours of May 1st 1849 Ellen Poe Langley drew her last breath. Once a wealthy doctor's wife, she passed away alone, locked in a tiny room in a stifling attic. For years Her husband Dr. Charles Langley had gotten away with keeping her locked away, desperately ill and slowly starving, and now it seemed, he would get away with murder. Or would he?   This year's St. Paddy's day episode shows the importance of one's truth and the miraculous way Ellen's has survived all these years. Oh, and don't forget: if mess with women, you unleash a lifetime of the banshee's cry. Sláinte fiends! Click To Learn More Click to purchase The Doctor's Wife is Dead by Andrew Tierney Irish Times Article: "Diagnosis: murder. How a Tipperary doctor disposed of his wife"   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Ok fiends, it's almost St. Patrick's day so this month we're recapping the 1993 classic (and this one really is a classic) Leprechaun! This Episode is one that our patrons have had access to since 2021 and we are now very excited to make it available to everyone. We did record a new 30 Minute Horror Movie on Leprechaun 4: In Space and you can find it over on our Patreon!  Back to this episode on the very first Leprechaun - The film features a very young Jennifer Anniston, the guy that played Francis in Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Warwick Davis (the hardest working little person in show business) in a horrible mask. Leprechaun takes us on an insane journey that asks the question "what would happen if we made leprechauns awful?" quite a lot, as it turns out. This film was surprisingly funny, whether it meant to be so or not is up for interpretation. Either way, it's great, crazy, seasonal fun and we recommend you give it a watch after listening to us yell about it in a real hurry. Enjoy fiends!    WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation         

This is the story of Abraham Shakespeare, the man who won the lottery then disappeared. This case is a rags to riches story, a mysterious disappearance, an episode of Catfish and a murder mystery all rolled up into one. This case case has so many twists and turns that we cab't even summarize it, you just have to hear it to believe it. Click To Learn More Hulu Documentary: Web of Death, Jackpot Murder ABC News article Probable Cause Affidavit   Florida Woman Marries Ferris Wheel Florida woman accused of attacking man with garden hoe after plans to 'hang out' fell through Florida man breaks into woman's home to pet family cat Florida man dressed in Dalmatian onesie outruns troopers, shakes off tasers before he's caught at girlfriend's home Murder suspect confesses to decades-old Florida cold case after DNA leads to arrest, sheriff's office says   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Hey fiends! This week's rebroadcast goes out to all our Yellowjackets fans! If you're knee deep in fan theories but you're unfamiliar with the Wendigo, you need to give this episode a listen! If you have no idea what I'm talking about...listen anyway, this episode is one of our best! Be prepared to sleep with the lights on for a while though, because this is a scary one! _________________________ "The Wendigo lives in the most frightening of places, a place from which there is no escape. Once the Wendigo awakens, it tears through this place with unimaginable patience and force, creating a path of nightmares, and consuming everything it sees. It is a place so close and familiar, yet so mysterious and difficult to explore that only a fraction of it is known to humankind. " This week we explore North America's most famous folkloric monster, The Wendigo. We discuss it's human origins and the kind of world that created it. This episode is a deep dive into a monster with surprisingly real and deep roots, culminating in the true story of an horrific event. The wendigo is an extremely fascinating and blurry line between fantasy and reality and we're still not sure what to think of it. Perhaps the scariest thing about a Wendigo is that it is impossible to tell whether it is real, or just a figment of the imagination. Either way, this monster leaves a trail of destruction unlike any other cryptid.  Click to learn more   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

It's our 200th episode (part 2) , so today we will be covering our number one most requested case, The Disappearance of Mark Himebaugh. On November 25th 1991, Mark disappeared from the Sunray Beach neighborhood in Del Haven NJ. The only evidence search teams ever found was his left sneaker. He has been missing ever since. Anyone with Information regarding the disappearance of Mark Himebaugh is urged to contact the Middle Township Police Department at 609-465-8700, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-463-2800 or the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office at 609-465-1135. You can also leave an anonymous tip by text 888777 and put “tips mtpdtips” in the text field. "In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state." In other words, one little thing can change everything.     Click To Learn More https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/convicted-sex-offender-person-of-interest-mark-himebaugh-thomas-butcavage-video-sex-abuse/60570/ https://people.com/people-magazine-investigates-where-is-mark-himebaugh-7563991 https://www.max.com/shows/people-magazine-investigates-2016/87d7ccf9-ab08-4d22-b216-4ea000fa2eb4 Many of sources used this week are located behind archival news outlet paywalls. We will happily share them upon request.    WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

It's our 200th episode, so today we will be covering our number one most requested case, The Disappearance of Mark Himebaugh. On November 25th 1991, Mark disappeared from the Sunray Beach neighborhood in Del Haven NJ. The only evidence search teams ever found was his left sneaker. He has been missing ever since. "In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state." In other words, one little thing can change everything.   Click To Learn More https://london-overlooked.com/charles-bravo/ https://paulineconolly.com/2013/the-buscot-bride-sydney-born-florence-campbell/ https://www.sueyounghistories.com/2008-07-18-james-manby-gully-and-homeopathy/ https://www.britannica.com/technology/pharmaceutical   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

 Tighten up your corsets and starch those high collars because this week we're going old timey! The mystery of who killed Charlie Bravo has captured the minds of both armchair and career detectives, as well as numerous true crime authors for over a century. This case has it all, money, accents, love affairs, victorian pseudoscience and a murder most foul.  On April 18th, 1876 Charles Bravo leapt from his bed in the middle of the night and cried out to his wife for hot water. Within minutes he was unconscious on the floor. 6 different physicians visited a deathly ill Charles over the next two days before he mercifully passed away. All 6 doctors came to the same conclusion: Poison! So who killed Charles Bravo? Let's see if we can find out! Click To Learn More https://london-overlooked.com/charles-bravo/ https://paulineconolly.com/2013/the-buscot-bride-sydney-born-florence-campbell/ https://www.sueyounghistories.com/2008-07-18-james-manby-gully-and-homeopathy/ https://www.britannica.com/technology/pharmaceutical   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

This week we are rebroadcasting our episode on Count Dracula! The Nosferatu craze has gotten ahold of us too.  Enjoy! -----------  There is much about the myth of the vampire that science will never understand. They crawl from their graves, blood running from their mouths trailing mist in search of innocent victims to join them in monstrosity. They are alluring in their terror and terrifying in their allure, and human kind will never cease to wonder if they are simply a legend, or if there is much more. This week we explore the origins of most famous and enduring vampire of all time: Count Dracula. If you're thinking this will be a whole episode on Vlad The Impaler, think again. There is so much more to the iconic count than one Transylvanian tyrant with a pointy nose.  Click to learn more     WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On Christmas Eve 1945 in the quiet little town of Fayetteville West Virginia, Jennie Sodder awoke just after one in the morning to find her little farm house filled with smoke, flames licking the walls of her husband's office. She rushed to wake and alert her husband and 9 children. It was clear that they needed to escape quickly. Once out on the lawn Jennie saw her husband, two daughters and two son's, which left 5 children in the house, trapped, or so they thought. No trace of those five children has been found to this very day. In the seventy nine years since five of the ten Sodder children disappeared during the fire that destroyed their home, no one can say for sure what happened to them and it has driven devoted true crime fans into the deepest rabbit holes.   Click To Learn More Article 1 Article 2 Local West Virginia Coverage Smithsonian Article                 WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

We promised we aren't becoming a rebroadcast podcast haha. We will be back soon with a brand new episode! Until then, enjoy our holiday spooky cheer with another best of Christmas WWBD episode! ----------- There is no phrase one can utter that draws a more visceral christmas response, than Bah, Humbug. And so it is with great joy and depth of feeling that this holiday season we bring you an exploration into this the most famous and meaningful of ghost stories. It may be decked with Holly and frosted with snow, but at it's heart a Christmas carol is a most glorious ghost story, and we hope all the things you learn today will haunt your house pleasantly forever more. Click to learn more Washington Post Tiny Tim article   WWBD Merch WWBD MERCH STORE  Join the Conversation         

Hello Fiends! With the new Netflix documentary, "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey", we thought we should rebroadcast our coverage of the case! We will be back next week with an all new episode!  ---------- "People ask me all the time how I think of such dark stories every week. Well, I say, I just take any scenario and think of the worst possible outcome. It's there if you want it, but you have to want it." This week we take a look at a crime that captured a nation. The murder of 6-year-old "beauty queen" (their words, not ours) JonBenét Ramsey. The murder that has dominated the covers of tabloid periodicals ever since the day it happened, all the way back in December of 1996. A beautiful, wealthy, 6-year-old girl brutally murdered in her own home on Christmas night while the rest of her family slept in their beds... or did they? The worst part about this story is that we know very little, the rumors are many and the facts are few, and so, it remains unsolved. So who killed her? Why bring such a violent end to such an innocent little creature? Well, we can give you all the credible information available, but what we can't give you is an answer. You'll have to decide what you think yourself... but be careful, your answer could say more about you than it does about the crime.   Click to learn more Helpful hints for holiday family stress   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

To start off the holiday season we are sharing one of our favorite episodes from a few years ago, in which we ruin Santa for you. ENJOY! -------- We're back once again to ruin Christmas! This year we'll explore the dark and fascinating origins of everyone favorite jolly gift giver, Santa Claus. We'll explore where our modern Santa came from and meet his merry gang of elves, reindeer, monsters and ham babies. So mind your manners and be sure to watch out, Santa Claus is coming to town! Click to learn more Helpful hints for holiday family stress   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Gainesville Florida is the biggest college town in the sunshine state, but in August of 1990 a dark cloud descended over it. Five people were brutally mutilated and murdered in four short days. All the crime scenes bore the same graphic hallmarks, and local police quickly realized they had a serial killer on their hands. As the media descended on Gainesville, the police were racing the clock to uncover the identity of the so called Gainesville Ripper.  This week we bring you part two of the horrific crimes of a man named Donny Rolling, crimes that served as the basis for the incredibly popular Scream movie franchise. So go get your blanket and pull it close, because this one is way scarier than any movie.    Click To Learn More ABC news article Murderpedia's collected articles. (Not all of these are fact checked) Statement from the prosecution       WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Gainesville Florida is the biggest college town in the sunshine state, but in August of 1990 a dark cloud descended over it. Five people were brutally mutilated and murdered in four short days. All the crime scenes bore the same graphic hallmarks, and local police quickly realized they had a serial killer on their hands. As the media descended on Gainesville, the police were racing the clock to uncover the identity of the so called Gainesville Ripper.  This week we bring you part one of the horrific crimes of a man named Donny Rolling, crimes that served as the basis for the incredibly popular Scream movie franchise. So go get your blanket and pull it close, because this one is way scarier than any movie.    Click To Learn More ABC news article Murderpedia's collected articles. (Not all of these are fact checked) Statement from the prosecution       WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Poison artisans Giulia Tofana and Gironima Spana took all the power held hostage in their time by men and placed it in the hands of women. Join us as we go deep into the rise and fall of the world's most infamous poison and sought after skin care line: Aqua Tofana. Last week we told Guilia's story and this week we tell Gironima's.  Gironima Spana was a savvy business woman who took the recipe for Aqua Tofana and created an empire run by women for women. Empires however, have a tendency to fall. In its own time the Spana Prosecution as it came to be known was a sensational, news worthy event, but after the pope locked away all the documents from the trial, the true story of the women poisoners of Rome disappeared and all that remained was a half baked legend. Thankfully the documents resurfaced over 200 years later and they revealed a nuanced, intelligent and incredibly dramatic tale that we cannot wait to share with you. Click to learn more *The Black Widows of the Eternal City: The True Story of Rome's Most Infamous Prisoners A famous and incredibly thorough article by Mike Dash *Affiliated link Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation       

We wanted to end women's history month with a bang, so we decided to deliver this much requested case in a way you've probably never heard it before, the way it actually happened. What was once thought to be the story of one woman, is actually that of a mother daughter dynasty. Poison artisans Giulia Tofana and Gironima Spana took all the power held hostage in their time by men and placed it in the hands of women. Join us as we go deep into the rise and fall of the world's most infamous poison and sought after skin care line: Aqua Tofana.   Click to learn more *The Black Widows of the Eternal City: The True Story of Rome's Most Infamous Prisoners A famous and incredibly thorough article by Mike Dash Leiden Medievalists Blog - Female Make Up and Beauty Standards of the 1600s Evie Magazine - The Weird and Dangerous Beauty Standards of Renaissance Italy *Affiliated link Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation       

In a quiet rural village in China, a respected local doctor, Su Hong, harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine. When two brothers suddenly vanish, a police investigation reveals twisted layers of deceit, desperation, and revenge buried in the doctor's root cellar. What starts as a missing person's case unravels into a chilling tale of betrayal, hidden violence, and a woman pushed to the edge by the very people she trusted. As the truth comes to light, the village—and the nation—must reckon with the haunting story of Su Hong and the lengths she went to escape her pain.   Opening Monologue - written and read by Jon Katity Click to Learn More YouTube: A betrayal turned her into a serial killer. The case of Su Hong. Reddit True Crime Forum - Two Brothers Went Missing From Their Village The WWBD Team Holly Knapp, Co-Host  Leslie Weidel, Co-Host Jon Katity, Composer & Audio Engineer   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Dear Fiends, We cordially invite you to spend some time with the terrifying spirits of Thrill house. We hope you enjoy this original gothic horror story! Consider it a treat from us to you. Happy Halloween! Click to Learn More The WWBD Team Holly Knapp, Co-Host  Leslie Weidel, Co-Host Jon Katity, Composer & Audio Engineer   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On a sunny day in November of 1990 three young boys decide to sneak off and play in the gravel pits at a local landscaping store for the afternoon. Little did they know that they were about to open a doorway into the world of colonial American vampires.  This week we plunge head first into the strange and mysterious practice of vampire exhumations. Along the way we'll uncover the stories of a serial killer hiding in a sleepy Connecticut town, an ancient family graveyard that seemed to appear from out of nowhere, and finally we'll share the tale of Mercy Lena Brown, the last American vampire.  Happy Hallowmonth fiends! Click To Learn More Article on Mercy Brown from NewEngland.com The Smithsonian's coverage of The New England Vampire Panic How Tuberculosis shaped fashion NY Times article on the discovery of JB 55 The Walton family graveyard Article on the last American vampire Vintage Chicago Tribune Article on Mercy Brown Ötzi the Iceman Children of Llullaillaco Sister Mary Wilhelmina Lancaster         WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

We're starting off spooky season with one of the most haunting cases in true crime history. This case, referred to internationally as “The Burari Deaths” walks the thin line between devotion and madness, faith and delusion, mortal and paranormal.  At 7:15 AM on July 1st, 2018  Gurcharan Singh went outside to meet his neighbor, Lalit Chundawat, for their morning walk. That morning however, Lalit was not waiting for him. The normally bustling Chundawat household and general store stood dark and quiet. Realizing that something must be terribly wrong Gurcharan entered the Chundawat's house to see if they needed help, and what he found was nothing short of a nightmare. Ten people, including Lalit Chundawat, were hanging from the ceiling in the livng room. The Chundawat family had been wiped out in one fell, silent swoop as their neighbors slept peacefully. This case begs us to examine how one person, everyone and no one were all to blame for the deaths of eleven people in one fell swoop.  Click To Learn More House Of Secrets         WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Sorry for leaving you all with a crazy cliff hanger last week but it had to be done! When we left off Laci Peterson had gone missing from her Modesto CA home on Christmas Eve day 2002. After a cursory investigation authorities had their eyes on her husband scott. This week we'll see how a pair of burglars with the worst luck in the world threw this case for a loop, a loop that could only be closed by a starting confession from Scott's unaware lover Amber Frey. We'll reveal what became of Laci  and Conner  and examine how one woman's bravery allowed justice to be served. Click To Learn More Susan Medina's testimony Watch American Murder: Laci Peterson click here to learn what happened to the dog local article on the burglary additional burglary information The People Versus Peterson transcript (this is everything) Excerpts from "For Laci" by Sharon Rocha Witness by Amber Frey Comprehensive Rolling Stone Article CNN's Coverage of Karen's Testimony Autopsy details, TW we do not go into this in either episode. It is very disturbing.       WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On Christmas Eve morning 2002 Scott Peterson said goodbye to his pregnant wife Laci, got in his car and left to go golfing. When he returned home late that afternoon Laci was gone. Friends and family members leapt into action furiously trying to find Laci. Little did they know that they would find themselves launched into a horrifying media circus.  Soon after, Laci's loved ones began to realize that maybe they devil they knew was far more terrifying than the devil they didn't.   Click To Learn More References will be listed in part 2. No spoilers!   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

OH MAN! IT'S FRIDAY THE 13TH!! Remember last year when Leslie had just had her baby so she sent her husband, our composer and editor, Jon, in to take her place?! If you don't, well lucky you, because we are rebroadcasting our Friday the 13th episode that Holly and Jon recorded on 10.13.23. And if you do remember, well you get to enjoy twice!!! Jon's knowledge of the Friday the 13th franchise is reason enough to listen to this episode (again)! HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH FIENDS!!!!!!!! ----- Hey there fiends, Leslie is taking a little time off to be the cutest and spookiest new mom in all the land, which means...(imagine a drum roll) guest hosts! Happy Friday the 13th! This week in honor of this the luckiest unlucky of all days we brought our editor and composer Jon Katity on to help tell the story of the horrific murder of Sharon Gregory by a man named Mark Branch. Mark was obsessed with horror films, and aren't we all? Mark however took the concept of life imitating art to a new level when  he decided to act out his own horror movie in real life. Knock on wood and cross your fingers because this is the story of the Friday the 13th killer.  Click to learn more https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Lake-Memories-Complete-History/dp/B00ETHN9L2 https://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2006/07/26/sharon-gregory-murder/       Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation       

It's a Lesliesode!!! This week's double sized TLDR takes you through the murders of Emily Hoffert & Janice Wylie, deemed the Career Girls Murder. It's a windy, twisty road that finally leads us to justice - but not without really f-ing up first.    Click To Learn More https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1963/08/29/89957611.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Whitmore_Jr.#:~:text=(May%2026%2C%201944%20%E2%80%93%20October,1966%20ruling%20in%20Miranda%20v. https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,898388,00.html https://ifearbrooklyn.com/2014/07/06/moving-on-a-tale-of-being-young-dumb-black-in-america/ https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/not_guilty/career_girls/5.html https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/26/archives/youth-is-accused-in-wylie-slaying-theft-suspect-charged-with.html https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/29/archives/brooklyn-indicts-3slaying-suspect-accuses-youth-in-stabbing-of.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150210060034/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/career_girls/3.html https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/23/archives/in-shadow-of-brother.html   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Shortly after midnight on May 14, 2008, 19 year old Brandon Swanson left a going away party for a friend. He started off on the half hour drive home to his parents house in Marshall Minnesota, taking back roads through dark cornfields when he found himself in unfamiliar territory. Brandon tried to turn his car around but ended up stuck off the road in a ditch. He called his parents to come and get him, being sure to give them what he suspected to be his rather remote location. Over the next three hours they would try desperately to find each other. During this search Brandon and his father stayed on the phone until Brandon suddenly uttered "Oh shit" and was never seen again.   Anyone with Information regarding Brandon Swanson or his disappearance should contact Agent Derek Woolford at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (651) 793-7000 or the FBI VICAP at 1-800-634-4097. click the missing poster below for case numbers and more information. Click To Learn More Missing Poster Case Report   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

  This week's super sized TLDR takes you through the complicated, one sided love story of Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson. It's the story that inspired the much talked about Netflix Documentary: Tell Them You Love Me. Click To Learn More Click here to watch "Tell Them You Love Me" on Netflix   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Mitchell County Iowa, July 12th 2021, 5:27 PM. A local girl was taking a walk down the Greenbelt River Trail when something strange and terrifying caught her attention. She looked once, rubbed her eyes thinking she must be seeing things, and then looked again. Upon further inspection it was clear that no she wasn't seeing things, there among the lush grass and stately trees was a human skull dangling off a wooden spike. Police rushed to the scene immediately and interviewed everyone who had been along the trail that evening. Among the briefly interviewed was Nathan Gilmore, a man who authorities would eventually find out followed his satanic delusions down a murky rabbit hole to murder and dismemberment.    Click To Learn More Church of Satan Sigil of Baphomet https://lawandcrime.com/crime/nathan-gilmore-sentenced-to-decades-in-prison-for-angela-bradbury-murder/ https://www.radioiowa.com/2023/10/16/father-of-mason-city-woman-speaks-out-as-osage-man-sentenced-for-her-death/   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Happy Pride Fiends! Alright we know it's July, but we had one more pride episode on the books so we're giving it to you anyway. This one is for the musical theater fans! Before The stonewall there was the Edorado Cabaret, a german, multi locational, enlightened, anything goes wonderland where liberation was was abundant. We have learned that you cannot talk about LGBTQ+ history without mentioning Weimar Republic era Berlin. There, for a time, life really was beautiful. This is the story of the real  Kit Kat Club and the glittery, tragic history that inspired the musical Cabaret. This episode had us riveted, and if you like it as much as we did, be sure to watch the Netflix documentary Eldorado: Everything the Nazi's Hate, link below.    Click To Learn More https://about.netflix.com/en/news/eldorado-everything-the-nazis-hate https://www.ilholocaustmuseum.org/celebrating-queer-joy-in-1920s-berlin/ https://adventuresintimeandgender.org/stories/the-club-history/ https://perspectives.ushmm.org/item/photo-of-the-eldorado-club   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Happy Pride Fiends! WWBD whole heartedly supports the LGBTQ+ community and so, we decided that it was time we covered the event that launched what we know today as Pride, The Stonewall Uprising. As we all know, Pride was first and foremost a protest, but the events that lead up to that protest might just surprise you.  Click To Learn More https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps https://blog.smu.edu/ot8317/2016/05/11/leviticus-1822/ https://abcnews.go.com/US/lgbt-activists-remember-stonewall-riots-50-years-fighting/story?id=63083481 https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-timeline   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Happy Halfoween fiends! It's time once again to brin you stories that explore our deepest, darkest, squirmiest fears!  Join Holly, Leslie and fiend favorite John Rattacasa as they bring you a smorgasbord of scary stories.   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

WEEKLY CONTENT IS BACK! Ever wish you knew more about the cases the rest of the world has analyzed without you? Often, when cases are fully developed and researched, there's just too much information to take in at once. It can be overwhelming! Don't worry, you've come to the right place. Welcome to Case File TLDR! Every other week we'll provide and quick and comprehensive catch up on cases that should be in your mental library but aren't, strange stories that made a huge but quick impact, or frequently used true crime terms and tropes you meant to look up but never got around to. You'll never have to nod along again. Have you ever wondered why it's called an AMBER alert? Have you just been pretending to know because it seems like everyone else already does? We got you. This is everything you need to know about the tragic disappearance turned unsolved murder of 9 year old Amber Hagerman, the little girl who inspired a huge change.    Click to learn more https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2021/still-searching-for-ambers-killer https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/remembering-amber-hagerman-27-years-later/ https://allthatsinteresting.com/amber-hagerman https://amberalert.ojp.gov/   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On April 12, 2018, 43 year old Steven Walter Pladl, murdered his father in law Tony, His infant son Bennet and his 20 year old wife Katie, then called her mother, told her to notify the police, and turned the gun on himself. Days prior to this horrific event  Stephen's wife Katie had ended their brief marriage by way of a phone call and Stephen, it seemed had become so distraught he did the unthinkable. We've seen this sort of nightmarish scenario before, haven't we? "If I can't have you, no one can". This case however, is a bit different. Just a short time before their tele-breakup, Stephen and his wife stood trial in a court of law, and were ordered apart by a judge. You see, 20 year old Katie wasn't just Stephen's his wife, she was also his daughter.    murdered his biological daughter, 20-year-old Katie Rose Fusco Pladl, with whom he had been engaged in an incestuous relationship, and her adoptive father, 56-year-old Anthony Charles Fusco, in New Milford, Connecticut. He later committed suicide in Dover, New York. He had murdered his and Katie's seven-month-old child, Bennett Kieron Pladl, the day prior in Knightdale. Click to learn more   https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/mountpleasant/obituaries/incest-case-arrangements-announced-for-three-murdered-family-members/735725/   https://nypost.com/2018/05/01/mom-of-incest-murder-suicide-victim-describes-fathers-abuse/   https://www.mamamia.com.au/genetic-sexual-attraction-personal-story/   https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/04/23/biological-mother-katie-pladl-fusco-steven-pladl-incest-deaths/541402002/       WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

In 1937 Pin up party girl Veronica Gedeon was a fixture in the pages of many true crime magazines. Her blond hair, bright eyes and slender figure were sure to sell more copies of whatever pulp periodical cover she graced on any given week that all of its competitors combined. So, when Veronica was discovered nude and strangled to death on the bed of her New York apartment that Easter evening, the whole city began to buzz with speculation. The killer had not only killed Veronica, they also brutally murdered her mother and their young border, but things were not exactly as they seemed. This week we take a closer look at this rollercoaster ride, crime of the century case that time has forgotten. Sometimes called "the case of the Mad Potter" or "The Beekman Hill Maniac Murders", the crimes of a strange young man named Robert George Irwin are hard to explain and even harder to forget. This week's case is the stuff of film noir dreams and beautiful young girl's nightmares.  Click to learn more https://tampabay.newspapers.com/article/cumberland-evening-times/136771383/?locale=en-US   https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bridgeport-telegram-veronica-gedeon/3747708/   https://casetext.com/case/people-v-irwin-22   https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/who-killed-this-pretty-east-side-model-in-1937/     WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Welcome to our live game of Irish True Crime Roulette! This year's St. Patrick's Day livestream featured 3 classic Irish true crime stories from the book Foster's Book of Irish Murder. All three were picked at random, live, with the help of our fiends, and as usual feature some lively color commentary. We are happy to bring you "One Sock" read by Leslie, "The Cake of Death" read by fiend favorite John Rattacasa, and "The Axe Woman of Fedamore" read by Holly. Enjoy fiends, Toast! Click to learn more Foster's Book of Irish Murder   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

It's our Irish episode fiends, and boy did we find an eerie tale this year! Just before Christmas in 1835 the British merchant ship, The Angerona, was on it's way from Newfoundland to Teignmouth when the captain spotted something strange. Off in the distance he saw a large vessel, ravaged by a storm, with no masts. Normally this would have signified a total loss of life, but as they got closer the captain saw something that would be burned into his brain for the rest of his life. There were men on the deck of this ruined ship, and they were jumping up and down, waving dismembered human arms and legs. The ship was called The Francis Spaight, it was an Irish transport ship from Limerick. The men aboard had been stranded for 20 days without food or water in freezing tempretures. Of the 18 original crew members, just 11 had survived... and 4 had fallen victim to an ancient tradition called: The Custom of the Sea. Click to learn more http://www.irelandoldnews.com/Clare/1836/JAN.html https://www.rte.ie/radio/doconone/1314029-the-custom-of-the-sea https://www.rte.ie/culture/2022/0812/1315357-irish-cannibals-on-the-high-seas-documentary-on-one/ https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71608919 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Spaight-24     WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On November 3rd 2018, 40 year old Tamla Horsford of Cumming Georgia,  attended a birthday party with nine fellow football moms. The party took place at Jeanne Meyers' Spacious 6 bedroom home in a well to do local subdivision called Quail Hollow. Since there would be alcohol at the party, everyone was invited to stay the night, everyone meaning nine white women and Tamla.  The next morning the Forsyth County Sherrif's office would respond to a 911 call from Jeanne Meyers at her home. She awoke that morning to find Tamla lying dead in the grass below the second floor balcony in her back yard.  No lifesaving measures were taken, no ambulance was sent, and no immediate investigation of the scene occurred. According to the the Forsyth County Sheriff's office, a horrible accident occurred and that was that. When faced with any good evidence that this was the truth, Tamla's family, on the other hand, was not so sure.  This case is filled with conflicting information, corrupt officials, and a stunning lack of competence all of which has left us and many others wondering: Would any of this have happened if Tamla had been white? Click to learn more   TamlaHorsford.net ^ Michelle's Graves's Website. She has done a ton of comprehensive work but please proceed with caution, there are unobstructed sensitive photos on this page. Rolling Stone 1 Rolling Stone 2 Local News Article Letter from the Horsford's Attorney Justice For Tamla Facebook page Sign the petition!       WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On February 12th 1971, young lovers Patricia Mann and Jesse McBane attended a Valentines day dance, they left at approximately 11:30 PM to go parking and never returned. The next morning's Jesse's car was discovered but there was no sign of him or Patricia anywhere. After two weeks of searching their bodies were found 3.9 miles away from their car. They had been tortured, murdered and left in a wooded area. 53 years later we're still left wondering, what happened to Patricia and Jesse and who was responsible for their deaths?  Click to learn more The Long Dance Podcast https://www.newsoforange.com/news/article_b9e5fb30-377c-11e8-89de-2f9c73bd334f.html https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/couples-abduction-torture-murder-remains-a-valentines-day-mystery-in-durham-almost-4-decades-later/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/statesville-record-and-landmark-valentin/19678272/         WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

On April 1st 2014, Dutch Students Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon hiked into the Panamanian cloud forest and never returned. Months later all that authorities would find of were a few scattered bones, a pair of shorts, and a backpack containing their cell phones and a digital camera. The story that camera told was nothing short of an ambiguous nightmare. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened to Kris and Lisanne. Theories are plentiful in this case, but simple facts are elusive and hard to uncover. Keep your wits about your fiends, because this episode is a real journey, one that I hope we all return from. Click to learn more https://imperfectplan.com/2021/11/21/panama-expedition-2021-complete-overview/   https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-lost-girls-of-panama-the-full-story   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

This episode is a special one fiends, We decided to give you a little peek inside something new we're doing! Welcome to the first meeting of Let's Talk Docs, our patrons only true crime documentary discussion club!  Once a month we'll be discussing a true crime documentary via live stream and our patrons will be invited to participate. We'd like these events to have a book club vibe where we can all deep dive, and share opinions together. It's going to be really fun, so if you liked this episode or found yourself screaming opinions at your phone, or hopefully both, you're definitely going to want to become a patron ASAP. We decided to start off with the new Max documentary, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God so that we could give all our listeners a sneak peak, AND update the case at the same time. Remember this is all about conversation so don't be shy, for this episode's discussion, join our facebook group and let us know what you think, then hop on over to patreon so you don't miss out on the next one! Click to learn more 5d Full Disclosure official website Original Love Has Won website (archived) Personal account from "Commander Buddha's" pre cult friend Reddit Feed, Michael and Faith Referenced article in The Independant Reddit Feed, Jason   The following three articles contain all pulled quotes from Hannah Olson. https://people.com/love-has-won-hbo-docuseries-amy-carlson-love-has-won-8407664 https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-28/love-has-won-amy-carlson-hbo-director https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/11/love-has-won-mother-god-cult-amy-carlson click for support if you or someone you know has been affected by Love Has Won             WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

This week, we are releasing a special episode where we discuss the new Max documentary, Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. In preparation for that episode, we are rebroadcasting our coverage of the Love Has Won cult for you all to catch up on! And if you haven't already, go watch the documentary, and then listen to Holly and Leslie have some feelings about it.  ----- On April 28th 2021, Miguel Lamboy walked into the Saguache county police department and told officers that he had returned from spending a night out of town to discover a dead body in his home. The body was on and bed, it appeared to have been dead for quite some time, it was wrapped in sleeping bags and Christmas lights and covered in glitter. Miguel said that he expected the body was that of a 45 year old woman named Lia Carlson, also known as Amy Carlson, but better known as Mother God, the leader of a group he belonged to known simply as "Love Has Won". In the investigation that followed authorities uncovered a bizarre new age cult who's beliefs combined homeopathic healing, faith healing, astrology, reincarnation theories Christianity, Buddhism, new age mysticism and every conspiracy the internet has to offer. The cult, then called "Love Had Won" used dangerous tactics to keep their members loyal, and daily YouTube live streams to recruit new followers / customers.  This week we go down the extreme internet rabbit hole that is a modern cult, and introduce you to a frightening woman many knew only as "Mother God".  Click to learn more 5d Full Disclosure official website Original Love Has Won website (archived) 5D Full Disclosure official YouTube Love Has Won Vice Documentary Amy Carlson and family on Dr. Phil click for support if you or someone you know has been affected by Love Has Won             WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation       

Whether they're singing of Silver and Gold, Holding the ghost of your dead father, dreaming of summer or running here and there all around the square saying catch me if you can, The snowman has become an enduring symbol of wintertime holidays. But, as you might have guessed, snowmen weren't always the jolly happy souls we know and love today. The humble snowman started out his life his life as something much more shocking. We hope you enjoy our yearly mythical holiday offering, it took us to some very weird places to be sure!  Click to learn more The Illustrated History of the Snowman by Bob Eckstein   Validate Us: Become an official Fiend WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Join the Conversation         

*This is a part 2, so if you haven't listened to part one, do so now* In this Part of the strange saga of the Blanchard women we take a in depth look at the copious medical disorders Dee Dee claimed Gypsy had, and the treatments she suffered because of them. We follow the thin pathway of logic Dee Dee used to convince doctors of Gypsy's imaginary ailments, and attempt to demonstrate how she arrived at the illnesses she chose. Most importantly we will explore just how a case like Gypsy's could have slipped through the cracks for as long as it did and reveal what became of Gypsy and Nick in the aftermath of the crime. This is the good stuff fiends, there's a lot to learn in this one and we hope you enjoy it. Click to learn more Websleuths feed 1 Websleuths feed 2 How to investigate medical child abuse Original Buzzfeed article Crime Scene photos (NSFW) Mommy Dead and Dearest (Documentary) Research and Resources from Dr. Feldman       Validate Us: Become an official Fiend WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Join the Conversation         

Community darling Dee Dee Blanchard had been through it all, divorce, abuse, poverty and a medically complicated child who required too many procedures to count. To top it all off Dee Dee and her young daughter Gypsy Rose lost their home and all their belongings during hurricane Katrina, so when habitat for humanity built them a beautiful little home in Springfield Missouri it seemed like heaven on earth. Poor little gypsy was unable to walk and eat by mouth. She had compromised hearing and vision and was developmentally and intellectually disabled. Gypsy was slight from years of liquid nutrition only, bald from chemotherapy, missing many of her adult teeth and yet through it all she was always able to greet the world with a smile. Everyone in Springfield and beyond looked out for the Blanchards, it was the least they could do, so when both women went missing on June 14, 2015 it seemed clear that something was very wrong. Little did their friends and neighbors know that for this little family, things were most definitely not always as they seemed. The investigation that followed their disappearance uncovered one of the strangest cases the American Public has ever seen.  This case has been heavily requested for a long time so we took our time, and two episodes, to cover it! Click to learn more This case might be new to some of you so we're saving the links for next week. Don't want to spoil anything for anyone! Validate Us: Become an official Fiend WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Join the Conversation         

It's that festive time of year again, fiends!  To kick off your holiday season, we thought we'd share one of our favorite Christmas episodes.   Validate Us: Become an official Fiend WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Join the Conversation         

A whirlwind romance, a handsome stranger, a mysterious death, and a ghost that solves her own murder? It's no wonder the legend of the Greenbrier Ghost is one of America's most beloved ghost stories. This week we explore the many things in this time honored tale that have been lost in translation for over a century. If you think you know this story, think again. The story of Zona Heaster Shue the Greenbrier Ghost,  is the most thrilling example of a woman who will stop at nothing to find justice that we've ever heard. We hope you enjoy!  Click to learn more The death, resurrection and retribution of Zona Heaster Shue, The Greenbrier Ghost Greenbrier Ghost, Zona Heaster Shue Greenbrier Ghost (Newspaper article) Validate Us: Become an official Fiend WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Join the Conversation