Not Today

Jennifer Holliday picked up her 18-year-old cousin, Anna Franklin, up from a babysitting job, late one night in May of 2005. The two decided to make a quick stop at a gas station to grab some snacks before heading home, however their worlds were about to collide with an evil man who was fueling his rage with exorbitant amounts of drugs and alcohol. They didn't know it at the time, however after leaving the gas station, Eric Parnell followed close behind.

Psychiatric hospitals in the 20th century were a really terrifying place to be. In this episode we're going to discuss the conditions and treatments in mental institutions during that time, as well as a few people who experienced them and lived to tell the tale!

In the fall of 1961, Julian Harvey had been pulled out of the ocean from a dinghy. He claimed the Bluebell, a ship he had been the captain for, had hit an unexpected squall which caused the ship to sink, taking everyone on board down with it. That story was believable until 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault was found near death on the open ocean after 4 days on a small cork raft. Terry Jo had a much different version of events from the night the Bluebell sank.

When a Hollywood camera crew set out to film an active volcano they end up in a helicopter crash into the volcano.

On Friday the 13th of October 1995, best friends Misty Cockerill and Tanya Smith were walking to a friends birthday party around midnight when a man emerged from the bushes and attacked them with a baseball bat. Hours later, Misty woke up in the grass dazed and confused but managed to stumble her way to the nearby emergency room. However the Abbotsford killer was only getting started. Terry Driver spent the next seven months taunting the police with phone calls and letters and terrorizing the city of Abbotsford, Canada.

Blake Stanfeild and his father Neil planned to go on a six day rafting trip in the remote Alaskan wilderness, sixty miles from civilization, to celebrate Neil's 65th birthday. But when their raft hit an unexpected patch of ice, the strong current sent the men underneath. The two managed to find a pocket of air under the ice covering the raging river, however this was only the start of their fight to stay alive.

In 2015 Victoria Cilliers nearly plummeted to her death after jumping out of an airplane and discovering that both her initial and reserve parachute had malfunctioned. Victoria miraculously survived the fall, however an investigation was promptly opened after experts had been lead to believe that her kit had been tampered with. After uncovering more of what was going on behind the scenes in Victorias life, investigators discover the person responsible for the faulty parachute may have attempted to take Victoria’s life on another occasion.

In Part 2 we're going to discuss the 51 day stand off between the Branch Davidians and the United States government; and all the major mistakes that were made.

In early 1993 in Waco Texas, a 51-day stand off between a religious apocalyptic cult, called the Branch Davidians, and the US government took place. In part one we're going to discuss David Koresh, the leader of this cult, and take a look into what this religious group believed and practiced.

Join us this week as we read one of our listeners first hand accounts of their journey through Hurricane Katrina.

In 2012, two members of the Staudte family passed away in a six month span. Both of them experienced flu like symptoms before death and were found with a ring of blood around their mouths, however their deaths were determined to be from natural causes. But when a third member of the family fell ill not long after, the local police received an anonymous tip suggesting the mother of this family may be behind these untimely deaths. Go to https://hellofresh.com/nottoday60 and use code nottoday60 to get 60% off plus free shipping!

On the afternoon of May 20, 2013, a large and extremely violent EF5 tornado ravaged through Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people and injuring 212 others. The survivors of this tragedy came together to pull whoever they could from the rubble and over time rebuild their community.

In November of 2000, three masked gunmen broke into the home of bank manager Michelle Renee. They took Michelle, her seven year old daughter Breea, and her roommate Kimbra hostage for fourteen hours, strapped dynamite to their backs, and demanded that Michelle rob her own bank for them. And if Michelle didn't deliver all of the money in the vault to them, they would be killed. Go to https://hellofresh.com/nottoday65 and use code nottoday65 for 65% off plus free shipping!

Melissa Armstrong and David Tomlinson set out to have an easy 30 minute dive around an active volcano. But when unexpected bad weather caused stronger currents, they were pulled way off course. When Melissa and David resurfaced, they were much farther from the boat than planned, which made them impossible to spot. The two were then left out in the middle of the ocean to fend for themselves. The divers had to endure dehydration, a twenty mile swim, and all the sea life between them and the land.

At the age of sixteen, Erin Caffey masterminded a plot to kill her entire family.

Sergeant Jill Evans is a small-town cop in Wales with an impressive record in her job, and a less than impressive record in her love life. After three engagements, two divorces and one affair, she’s beginning to worry that love is only true in fairy tales. That is until she meets: Dean. He’s a wealthy beauty entrepreneur with his own range of toiletries.Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. They kiss and fall in love. Roll credits.But that would be boring, wouldn’t it? Instead, this is a love story like no other. It’s all going so well for Jill and Dean, until Halloween night, when Dean disappears. And Sgt. Jill is left to pick up the pieces.From Wondery and Novel, comes a new series. Hosted by Kerry Godliman.Follow Stolen Hearts on Amazon Music of wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App. Listen to Stolen Hearts: Wondery.fm/SH_NT

In 2018, 31-year-old Spencer and 24-year-old Jessica Christiansen decided to take a trip into the Darby Canyon wind and Ice Cave in Wyoming. They believed this would be perfect for them since they were constantly searching out new adventures. But this cave would be different because, once you go in, you cant go back from where you came. The only way out is forward; meaning whatever obstacles you face, you need to overcome to make it out the other side.

On July 24th 2013 Matt Dyer took a trip into Canada's Torngat Mountains National Park. He thought he would be extremely lucky to see a polar bear on this trip. And as it turned out, he did see one, but it was much more up close and personal than he ever expected.Go to Hellofresh.com/nottoday21 and use code nottoday21 for 21 free meals plus freeshipping!

On April 10, 2009, 29-year-old Trisha Leffler, an escort, was gagged, bound, and robbed at gunpoint at a Westin hotel in boston by a man who had responded to an ad she placed on Craigslist. In the days that followed, two other women would post ads on craigslist and come into contact with that same man. This man was soon to be known as The Craigslist Killer.

Katrina Cooke Brownlee was 18-years-old when she got into a relationship with corrections officer, Alex Irvin. In that abusive relationship, Katrina was ignored by police for years before she was shot 10 times, and left for dead. She was told she'd never walk again, however to say Katrina overcame her obstacles is an understatement.

On November 22, 1997, Caleb Record drove his friend, George Place, home from basketball practice. After hitting a patch of ice, the car went over a ledge, and flipped five times down a hill before landing upside down in the icy West River. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/nottoday and get on your way to being your best self.

This week we're diving into the stories that you sent us!

On April 27th 2006, 17-year-old Ashely Reeves went missing. Following a job interview she had scheduled that day, she had planned on playing basketball with a friend, however when she didn't make it home for curfew, her parents were immediately concerned. Ashley was left to die in the woods for 30 hours, and the person to blame was someone she trusted.

In 2003, Greg Rasmussen crashed his small plane in the African savannah while searching for a lost rhino. After sustaining multiple broken bones, internal injuries, and some really terrible luck, Greg had to endure the brutal African sun as well as multiple predators on the prowl for an easy meal.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/nottoday and get on your way to being your best self.

On the night of July 23rd 2013, Tiffany Mead called 911 claiming she had injured herself in an attempt to take her life, while her ex husband Kris sat in the car with her. However when the detectives arrive on the scene, things weren't adding up. Something much more sinister had occurred, and Tiffany wasn't to blame.

Long time friends and mountaineers Jim and Mike were on a trip to summit one of America's highest peaks, Mount Rainer. With a lot of effort, and some encouragement from Mike, the pair was able to make it to the top, and take in the immaculate views. However, on their way down, the snow was melting and hiding many of the treacherous crevasses. Jim was being very careful to make sure that every step he took was on solid ground, but made a life altering mistake.

Backpackers Lena and Beatrice were looking for a lift and a little adventure when they accepted a ride from a man they had never met, named Roman Heinze. However when Roman unexpectedly drove the girls to a remote beach, they were in for a lot more than the innocent impromptu camping trip. This excursion very quickly turned into a fight for their lives. *I forgot to mention this at the top, however this story does contain some discussion of sexual assault*

In the summer of 1975, Linda Skvarna set off on a solo road trip across the United States with her dog Coco Gin. Her last stop of the trip was the Grand Canyon, and after seeing an enticing waterfall on a post card, she decided that would be her destination. Linda set off knowing nothing of the intensity or length of the hike, and thanks to poorly maintained trail signs, she was soon hopelessly lost in the never ending maze with no food or water. Support the show

On Halloween 1974, five children were given Pixy Stix laced with potassium cyanide. After consuming the candy that night, Timothy O'Bryan was killed in only a matter of minutes. The man behind this evil became known as the real life Candyman. Support the show

In Spring of 1961, Alcatraz inmates Frank Morris, Alan Clayton West, and brothers, John and Clarence Anglin, began planning what would be one of the most famous prison escapes of all time. After a full year of preparation and a lot of teamwork, these men got away with some pretty ridiculous feats. Three of the four men successfully got away, and to this day have never been found. Check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcast Instagram Tik Tok Support the show

For access to this episode and more exclusive bonus content check out the link below or go to patreon.com/nottodaypodcast http://patreon.com/nottodaypodcastSupport the show

Noela Rukundo was happily living life with her eight children and husband Balenga in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. As a refugee from Burundi, she thought that she had left her problems behind. Unfortunately though, her step mother passed away, and she traveled back to Burundi to attend the funeral. After a draining ceremony, Noela went back to her hotel, only to find that her problems in Burundi were far from over. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik TokSupport the show

This week we're going to read the stories that you have sent in to us! We're gonna talk about creepy men, murderous pets, and one very spooky summer camp. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power) https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcast Instagram Tik Tok Support the show

In 1971, the Uruguayan Old Christian's rugby team was flying to Chile to defend their most recent championship win a year earlier. In the air, spirits were high as almost the entire plane consisted of players, family, friends, and fans. However things took a turn for the worse, when the pilot made a fatal mistake. After hitting extremely rough air the plane was flying only feet away from the mountain tops. The pilots tried to regain altitude, but the plane crashed, tearing off both wings and the entire tail of the plane. What was left of the plane hurtled down the slope of a mountain before coming to a stop. The survivors were left stranded with no choice but to consume the bodies of the dead to stay alive.

During the height of the Great Depression in New York City, speakeasy owner Tony Marino and his friends were desperate for cash. They needed quick money and decided that the best bet was to commit life insurance fraud. Mike Malloy seemed like the easiest target. He had no family or friends, no consistent job, no home, and was by all accounts a severe alcoholic. Tony and his thugs hatched a plan for Mike to drink himself to death, but they would slowly learn how shockingly resilient Mike was. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik Tok

We continue where we left off last week, with the police all over John Esposito. However, they can't seem to find any trace of Katie, despite searching John's house three separate times. All the while, Katie is still locked up feet from where they are. She eventually manages to break John down in an incredibly inventive way, securing her freedom, and ultimately setting up an ending that is everything that we wanted for her. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik Tok

Katie Beers was dealt a bad hand from day one. For the first 9 years of her life she endured severe neglect from her mother, and constant abuse by her aunt and uncle. Which was bad enough, however days before her 10th birthday, Katie was abducted by a family friend and kept in a bunker underneath his house. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik Tok

John and Jean Silverwood set out to sail the world with their four children. The family was on the last leg of the two year journey when their sailboat struck a reef stranding them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. To make matters even worse, the gigantic 2,500 lb mast snapped and fell directly onto John pinning him down and severely injuring him. As the sailboat was torn apart by black waves, all they could do was wait and hope that the distress signal they sent out was received by anyone.PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik Tok

Eastern Airline's Flight 401 from New York to Miami was about to touch down, when their landing gear malfunctioned. The crew promptly engaged autopilot and climbed back to 2000 feet to try and fix the problem. Eventually, after failing to fix the gear immediately, they had to send someone down underneath the plane to manually check. Unbeknownst to the crew, the autopilot had been disengaged, and the plane was slowly losing altitude. The descent was so gradual that no one had noticed, until it was too late.

In 1997 there had been a string of robbery/homicides throughout some of the fast food restaurants around Nashville Tennessee. The perpetrator always had the employees empty the safe, before he would take their lives, and swipe the tape out of the surveillance cameras. The plan was to not leave any evidence behind and especially no witnesses. But in March of 1997, the fast food killer unknowingly left behind a witness named Jose Gonzalez.

Julian and Carolynne had been dating for 2 years, and planned to have a picnic on the 1200 acre property that Julian's mom owned in Budgeree, Australia. They were having a great time by the casual, yet natural, 10 foot waterfall at the end of one of the trails. They were supposed to be home in a couple of hours, and wanting to be on time, they packed up and headed out. On the way back, Julian was looking for some roadkill that he saw on the way in so that he could get a closer look at what it was. He stopped at the end of the road, asking Carolynne if it was ok if he went to look. She agreed as long as he came back quickly. Julian was gone for 5 minutes, then 10, as Carolyn started to worry about what had happened. Right before she was about to get out of the car, she saw a man dressed in all black sprinting toward the car in her rearview mirror. Before she could even react, he had pulled her out of the car, and hog tied her.

When a rockslide pins Warren Macdonald and prevents him from moving, he must hold out in hopes, through rain and rising water levels, that his new friend will be able to climb down the mountain and return with help. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

In Newburgh, New York, cousins JJ and Pappito were having fun with their friend Cathy in the snow the day before Thanksgiving. There was a snowbank that was 8 feet tall in a nearby parking lot, and a snow fort was being built. As you might imagine, it was lit. That was until their parents noticed that JJ and Pappito had not come home before their curfew. Mild concern turned into an intense panic as the parents realized that the kids were nowhere to be found. It was especially concerning because Newburgh had one of the highest rates of crime in New York state, and a five year old had turned up dead in a suitcase not long ago. The police were called and the K9 unit shortly after to turn the neighborhood upside down to find JJ and Pappito. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

In a small rural community in Illinois, Julie Rae and her son Joel were sleeping in their home when Julie was awoken by a scream. She dashed out of bed to find an intruder wearing a ski mask. She tried to chase him down, assuming he was kidnapping Joel, but the man knocked her on the ground, beat her head while she was down, and walked off into the night. When police arrived on the scene, Julie learned that things were much worse than she originally believed, and she was their number one suspect.PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Auburn Calloway, a flight engineer for Fed Ex, boarded cargo flight number 705 with a guitar case and a sinister plan. Shortly after the flight stabilized at a cruising altitude, Calloway put his plan into action. He attacked the flight crew, sparking an intense fight to survive, thousands of feet above the ground. The tactics the crew used to gain the upper hand, pushed their bodies and the aircraft to their absolute limit. PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

It's been a while. Let's talk about the stories you sent in! PATREON ($2/mo ad-free early access episodes + discord server, $5/mo extra episode + voting power)https://www.patreon.com/nottodaypodcastInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Gabby McKenzie was only 16 years old when she met 20 year old Andy Wilson. At first everything with him was great, the two had started dating and soon enough, had moved in together. But things changed when Gabby got pregnant. Andy became extremely possessive and violent. Gabby got up the strength to leave him, but he told her if she ever found a new boyfriend, he'd kill the guy. And he meant it. Ad free early episodes, and an extra episode a month --> PatreonInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Jim Holly and Jens Lundy wanted to get closer to both of their fathers, and decided to plan a joint fishing trip to Mexico. However, instead of taking a commercial flight, Jim would fly all of them down in his own plane. The flight went well until they got over the Gulf of Mexico, where there was an unexpected storm system. Jim decided to fly through it, thinking it was small enough to power through., but the storm never let up. Jim pulled the plane up to get above the storm, and just a few moments after breaking free, the plane's engine failed. Jim and Jens were about to have a bonding experience with their fathers in a way they never expected.Ad free early episodes, and an extra episode a month --> PatreonInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

19-year-old Jennifer Asbensen desperately needed a ride to work after missing the bus one evening in September of 1992. When a seemingly kind stranger pulled up and offered one, Jennifer hesitated, but ultimately decided to get into the car to avoid being late and losing her job. However Jennifer was about to be abducted, tortured and almost killed in a remote desert by one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Ad free early episodes, and an extra episode a month --> PatreonInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

We start off part 2 where we left off, at the beginning of what was the longest shootout in LAPD history. The SLA are cornered, and Patty is still at large with Bill and Emily Harris. Unsurprisingly, the shooutout does not end well for the SLA, but Bill, Emily, and Patty continue to escape capture for over a year after this. This party crosses state lines, and by party I mean domestic terrorism. It culminates in their most grotesque forms of "activism" with a new cast of characters. Will anyone be held accountable? Unfortunately money talks quite loudly. Ad free early episodes, and an extra episode a month --> PatreonInstagramTik TokChatAholicInspiring conversations with one aim to help others, we all have a storyListen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show