Conspiracy Theories

Whether you know the full story or not, you’ve probably heard the name Enron before. In the summer of 2000, the energy company, renowned for their innovation, was on top of the world with a market value of almost $70 billion. But a year later, they filed for what was, at the time, the largest bankruptcy in American history. What happened? And why? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1950 Enrico Fermi sat down to have lunch with his friends and colleagues at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. While discussing UFOs, Enrico asked a simple question: if aliens exist, where are they? This conflict between the high likelihood of alien life and the lack of evidence of such confounds scientists to this day. Tune in as Carter guides us through the science and attempts to resolve the ‘Fermi paradox’. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In July 1997 the National Guard announced their explanation for the Phoenix Lights. But we’re not convinced...if the lights weren’t military in origin, could they have been extraterrestrial? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm MST, in a space of about 300 miles from the Nevada state line, thousands of people across three states witnessed bizarre lights in the sky — including actor Kurt Russell. What’s really happening in the American Southwest that makes it such a beacon for UFO activity? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harry Houdini was one of the greatest entertainers of his time. He was constantly reinventing himself to stay on top. In the last few years of his career, he became dead-set on debunking people claiming to be psychic mediums who communed with spirits. And when he figured out how these “flim-flammers” were pulling off their tricks, he revealed their secrets. But there was one medium – Margery Crandon – who nearly gave Houdini a run for his money. And depending on who you believe, his fascination with exposing her and other mediums might have led to his untimely death. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benno Ohnesorg was shot in 1967. Uwe Barschel was poisoned in 1987. Despite the twenty-year gap, these two mysterious deaths could be murders with the same culprit: The East German Secret Police, or the Stasi. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where do we stand with UFO disclosure in 2024? Does NHI contact represent a looming threat? On this episode of Conspiracy Theories, we look to the skies with author, television producer, and podcaster Bryce Zabel, answering your most pressing questions on entities that may be visiting our planet. As co-host of Need to Know with Coulthart and Zabel, Bryce gives his firsthand evaluation of whistleblower David Grusch, and so much more. If you are interested in this topic, this episode is a must listen! Check out Bryce's work related to this subject: Book: A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact by Richard M. Dolan and Bryce Zabel Podcast: Need to Know with Coulthart and Zabel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Granby, Colorado, a petty feud with neighbors and the town council left Marvin Heemeyer feeling backed into a corner. Little did they know that he had his own plans for justice, and revenge. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

October 9th, 1995, Amtrak's 12-car Sunset Limited train was powering through the Arizona desert with 258 passengers on board when it suddenly separated from the tracks. The horrible derailment left one person dead and dozens of passengers injured and stranded in the desert. But it wasn't an accident. And more than 25 years later, investigators still have no leads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In September 1944, as World War II raged overseas, the small town of Mattoon, Illinois felt under attack. Dozens of people reported smelling a sickening sweet odor drift into their bedroom at night. It allegedly smelled like gardenias and left them feeling ill and, in some cases, paralyzed. The town’s leading theory was that a madman was running around town spraying a toxic gas through people’s windows at night. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“You have been watched: Failure to comply and you shall suffer: no one can help: no one can protect you: Obey: Obey:” In 1976, anonymous letters started appearing in mailboxes around Circleville, Ohio. Someone was watching the town’s residents. They called themselves the Circleville Writer and claimed to know intimate details about their private lives: secrets they threatened to expose. Investigators tried to find the person responsible, but the letters continued for almost twenty years. Has the culprit finally been identified? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when a teenager goes missing in the world’s smallest, and supposedly safest, country? Emanuela Orlandi’s sudden disappearance remains the only missing person’s case in Vatican City, yet more than 40 years later we still have no idea what really happened behind the papal state’s walls. After the story, stick around for an exclusive interview with the director of The First Omen, Arkasha Stevenson! This episode is brought to you by Twentieth Century Studios' the First Omen. Experience the most terrifying movie of the year, and what critics are calling “deliciously disturbing” only in theaters April 5th. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1948, an unknown man died on Somerton Beach near Adelaide, Australia. He carried only the clothes on his body, cigarettes, and a hidden cipher. For decades, experts have been trying to identify the Somerton Man, and how he ended up dead on that beach. Over 70 years later we may finally have an answer. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the winter of 1978, a group of friends caught a college basketball game about an hour north of where they lived. That night, none of the men returned home. What happened to them next is a complicated mystery that still haunts the Sierra Nevada mountains. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone knows the CIA headquarters holds many secrets... But their most public secret might be the riddle encoded in Kryptos, a giant outdoor sculpture. As of 2024, the code remains uncracked… at least, as far as we know. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the most controversial figures of the 2010s, Julian Assange is either a criminal, a hero, or both. Carter dives into Assange’s story, examining what it really takes to bring government secrets out of the shadows. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, someone began mailing envelopes containing a deadly form of anthrax, reigniting a national panic. The FBI spared no expense on the years-long investigation before naming a suspect and closing the case…but not everyone believes they got the right guy. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A man identifying himself as Mel Waters called into the nationally syndicated talk show, Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell, claiming a hole on his property was unfathomably deep and had supernatural attributes. To this day, neither the hole nor the real “Mel Waters” have ever been located. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does the Taylor Swift of the swing era just... disappear? That’s the question Carter tries to answer in this episode alongside Dennis Spragg, one of the foremost experts on Glenn Miller’s life and career. Join them as we uncover the mysteries surrounding the celebrated bandleader. Miller’s involvement in the US war effort during WWII (5:02) His infamous flight over the English Channel (10:08) The theories begin (18:25) Dennis and Carter break down the most popular theory (27:45) Final thoughts (30:05) Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carter examines alternative explanations for the famous alien sighting, including a government experiment gone wrong, a cold war conspiracy, and time travel. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicknamed “The British Roswell,” it’s one of the most controversial UFO sightings. Carter presents the accounts of US Air Force Officers from December, 1980 – and then examines allegations that the government concealed the truth. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By 2012, undercover DEA agents had cracked holes in an underground criminal conspiracy. It was the “Amazon.com of Drugs” – the Silk Road. But to take down its shadowy founder, they’d have to team up with a surprising number of federal agencies – and go to criminal lengths themselves. The audiobook edition of American Kingpin by Nick Bilton is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Secret societies have long been the subject of conspiracy theories. But this one was very real, just a few keystrokes away – if you knew where to click. Carter explores the Silk Road — a “shadow Amazon.com” — and its founder, who used it for a secret double-life. The audiobook edition of American Kingpin by Nick Bilton is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Conspiracy Theories: Book Club, we are joined by tech journalist and author Taylor Lorenz to discuss the creator economy, social media, and what it means to be extremely online. After the interview, we’re joined by Carter for a wrap up conversation, where we discuss social media’s influence on our own lives. (22:41) The audiobook edition of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. To buy the hard copy, you can visit: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Extremely-Online/Taylor-Lorenz/9781982146863. Thank you so much for tuning in to Conspiracy Theories: Book Club! We hope you enjoyed this special set of episodes. Carter will be back next week with a brand new episode of Conspiracy Theories. *Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The state of crypto seems to change every day. Millions of people have made, and lost, money in what some consider a scam and others a golden investment opportunity and the future of currency. In this interview, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Jacob Silverman, investigative journalist and co-author of Easy Money, on the various value propositions of crypto and what it might mean for your digital wallet. The audiobook edition of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman is available for Spotify Premium Subscribers in our Audiobook catalog, where you can check it out after listening to this episode. To buy the hard copy, you can visit: https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/easy-money. Be sure to join us next week as we explore more conspiracies in our Book Club series. We will be back with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories on January 10th! *Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plenty of conspiracies surround John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In this episode we sit down with Jefferson Morley, investigative journalist, author, and co-founder of JFK Facts to discuss ongoing disclosure efforts, and his mission to separate fact from fiction. In this interview, we explore how clandestine intelligence agencies continue to withhold information, recent revelations regarding the CIA’s knowledge of Lee Harvey Oswald before November 22nd, and the lasting legacy of JFK’s approach to foreign policy. Check out JFK Facts at jfkfacts.substack.com and Jeff’s books on the CIA: The Ghost The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton, Our Man in Mexico: Winston Scott and the Hidden History of the CIA, and Scorpions' Dance: The President, the Spymaster, and Watergate. Be sure to join us for the next two weeks as we explore more conspiracies in our Book Club series. We will be back with new episodes of Conspiracy Theories on January 10th! *Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the next three weeks, we’ll be putting out a special series we’re calling Conspiracy Theories: Book Club. Every week for the past five years you’ve heard Carter tell captivating stories researched and written by our talented team. On Conspiracy Theories: Book Club, you’ll hear our producers interview authors and researchers committed to uncovering the truth behind some of our favorite topics. We’ll be back with brand new Conspiracy Theories episodes on January 10th! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the fallout at the PNC Bank, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Bill Rothstein scrambled to cover their tracks. But the FBI was already closing in, working to reveal the mastermind behind the entire plan. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In order to deactivate the bomb, Brian’s co-conspirators set up an elaborate scavenger hunt around Erie, Pennsylvania. But as police started to follow the clues, tragedy struck. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In August 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Wells strapped a collar bomb to his neck and chest and entered a PNC Bank demanding $250,000 in cash. He thought it was the perfect bank robbery, and that the bomb on his chest was fake. He was wrong on both counts. Keep up with us on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Officially, the exiled French emperor died of stomach cancer in 1821. But for hundreds of years, controversy courted that narrative, and new possibilities arose. What if Napoleon had actually been murdered — poisoned by an assassin? And what if he never died on that island at all? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sidney Reilly returns to his unfinished business in Russia, only to be dealt a final deadly hand. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He's a legend in the world of spycraft, the “Ace of Spies”, and the inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s James Bond. Sidney Reilly traveled the world taking on covert missions and uncovering dangerous plots, all while enjoying a now-legendary lifestyle filled with gambling and womanizing. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode, Carter sits down with Justin to discuss his new podcast, The Wedding Scammer (00:46). Then, we get into the story of infamous wine con-artist Rudy Kurniawan, who sold counterfeit wine to some of the world’s most prestigious clients (13:50). Finally, Justin and Carter give their final thoughts on the nature of scams and the people that scam us (47:11). (00:46) - Introduction (13:50) - The Wine Con (47:11) - Final thoughts Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carter examines a cursed Connecticut neighborhood, its rumored royal origins, and the town’s ghostly connection to The Conjuring movie franchise. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The true story behind Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon: Members of Osage Nation are being targeted for their high-priced oil headrights. There’s so many murders that the small local police department can’t investigate thoroughly, so the tribe turns to the newly-formed FBI to get the job done. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast and @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The true story behind Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon: In the early twentieth century, Oklahoma’s Osage Reservation was rich in oil and spread the wealth across the tribe. But in the 1920s, it became clear that someone was killing members of the tribe. Was it a serial killer? A ploy to grab rights to the oil money? Or was it both? Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast and @theconspiracypod! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After dozens of UFO sightings plagued Exeter, New Hampshire in 1965, a skeptical investigative journalist named John G. Fuller came to town. The hours of interviews he conducted changed his mind – and led to the first Congressional hearing that discussed UFOs. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s cited in war rooms and boardrooms, but perhaps the most important lessons from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War are about the art of espionage. This 6th century guidebook has inspired organizations around the world, from the CIA to the KGB, making it one of the most important texts in human history. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Detective Sébeille begins to uncover the secrets of the Dominici family, but has his single-minded focus led him down the wrong path? What secrets are the victims hiding? And could he have been investigating the wrong family this entire time? Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A dogged detective travels to rural France in 1952 to investigate the murders of three British tourists. At first no one will talk to the big city cop, but as he dives further into the investigation he can’t seem to get away from a single suspect: the Dominici family. Conspiracy Theories is now on Instagram @theconspiracypod and TikTok @conspiracy.pod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A disembodied arm, a man-eating shark, and multiple rumored mob hits. It’s one of Australia’s most famous and bizarre murder mysteries, but the pair of unsolved deaths might not be murders at all... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2018, a study ranked it as “the most influential film of all time.” Rotten Tomatoes certifies it as 98% fresh. And yet, theories abound that the perennial classic might be hiding something. Today, Carter follows the yellow brick road to the dark side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The only question bigger than “Who is the Isdal Woman?” is “Who’s keeping her identity secret?” Found in 1970, her body was burned beyond recognition. And what started as a murder case quickly led to a web of international crime rings, espionage, and conspiracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1483, the rightful king of England and his heir apparent vanished. Popular opinion says they were murdered by their uncle, but could he have been framed by another relative? Or were the princes forced into exile, with descendants who could one day come forward to claim the throne? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To some, he was a hero of the Mexican Revolution. To others, a “bloody soul, born from evil.” In 1923, when he was gunned down in the streets of Parral, everyone wanted to know: Who killed Pancho Villa? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does King Burr sound? While he’s most infamous for shooting a Founding Father in a duel, Aaron Burr’s crimes extend even further: The former Vice President was once tried for treason after allegedly plotting to invade Mexico and create his own country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

July 26th was quite a day in Congress. The House subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs met to discuss...UFOs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 1988, a top Soviet scientist, Valery Legasov, died by suicide. Before his death, he recorded a series of chilling deathbed confessions concerning one of the world's deadliest disasters: the Chernobyl nuclear explosion. Over four hours, Legasov confessed terrifying truths and disturbing realities from the nuclear power-plant, revealing secrets that had been hidden for two years and lies which had been repeatedly spun. His death left the world with a dangerous collection of information that could finally answer the question the Soviets sought to suppress for years: What really happened at Chernobyl in 1986? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 1938, a brilliant physicist boarded a ship from Palermo to Naples, Italy. When the ship docked, he wasn’t on it. What happened to Ettore Majorana? And did his research group’s work on nuclear reactions have anything to do with his sudden disappearance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices