Unexplained

Perhaps one of the strangest cases of an unidentified body occurred in Kenora, Canada, in 1974 when an unknown man walked into the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on Main Street with disastrous consequences... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late November 1970, in a valley just outside of Bergen in western Norway, a 12-year-old girl stumbles upon the burned remains of a body. The discovery will spark one of the most enigmatic true-crime mysteries of modern times. Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In last week's episode, we learned about Baba Vanga, whose apparent psychic abilities are said to have been analysed by a number of parapsychologists. As for mainstream scientists, you might think they prefer to stay away from such things. In fact, there is a long and fascinating history of well-respected academics, many of whom have made significant contributions in their field, putting such people to the test, with often startling results.    Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blinded in a freak storm, Baba Vanga from Strumica in present-day North Macedonia is believed by some to have been the most gifted psychic of the modern age.  Her life story is almost as extraordinary as her supposed gifts.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of all the strange aviation related disappearances, perhaps the spookiest of all are those in which the aircraft return, but the crew do not... Stories like that of US Navy scouting blimp L-8, which in 1942 became the locus of one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time.   Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Second Officer Donald Repo was one of the 101 people killed when Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crashed in the everglades just west of Miami in December 1972.But then, according to numerous apparent witnesses, he came back… Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early in the evening of November 23 1953, USAF pilot First Lieutenant Felix Moncla and radar operator Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson were scrambled in an F-89 Scorpion to intercept a UFO flying over Lake Superior. They and their plane were never seen again.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In May 1967, Stefan Michalak was spotted walking along Trans-Canada Highway 1, just west of Falcon Lake in Manitoba, Canada.  Bleary-eyed and holding a briefcase in one hand, while clutching at his stomach with the other, the story of what he was doing there exactly, is one of the strangest in Canadian history.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remorse, guilt, and the ghosts of the English Civil War. Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1898 a story written by Mildred Darby was published in London’s Belgravia magazine titled, “A House of Horrors.” Darby later claimed it was in fact a true reflection of the many strange goings-on that occurred during her time living at Leap Castle in Ireland. This episode is an adaptation of “A House of Horrors” by Mildred Darby. Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we look at the history of criminal profiling and how the practice first came about. But more importantly, just how effective is it anyway? The answers might surprise you.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode contains deeply disturbing scenes of violence, murder and sexual violence toward children. Parental discretion is advised. Third and final part of Season 6 Episode 12: A Darkness on the Edge of Town  With many giving up hope of ever finding the killer, Detective James Wilkerson is convinced he has the guilty man in his sights.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode contains deeply disturbing scenes of violence, murder and sexual violence toward children. Parental discretion is advised. Part Two of Season 6 Episode 12: A Darkness on the Edge of Town  In the wake of the horrific murders in Villisca, investigators struggle to find a culprit. But is the killer already in their midst? Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode contains deeply disturbing scenes of violence, murder and sexual violence toward children. Parental discretion is advised. In June 1912, one quiet rural community in southwest Iowa, USA, became the scene of one of the most brutal and inexplicable unsolved murders in American history. It remains no less shocking today than it was over 100 years ago.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps the strangest and most mysterious story to come out of the 'Bennington Triangle' was that which took place in the early 1800s, which ultimately led to the first officially recorded case of a wrongful conviction for murder in the United States, but was it?   Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between 1945-1950, four people vanished without trace in an area of Vermont dubbed the Bennington Triangle due to the array of strange and weird occurrences said to have taken place there.  In 1946, 18-year-old Paula Jean Weldon became the second of those four people disappear in a case one investigator described as the most baffling he ever came across. Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some look for gold in rock seams and mineral deposits. Others prefer their search for riches served with a healthy side order of deep and mystical conspiracy...  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 1892, 29-year-old Julia Thomas headed out into the heart of Arizona's Superstition Mountains in search of an apparently lost gold mine, after having its location disclosed to her by a dying man. Said to have been the richest mine in the world at the time it has since become known as The Lost Ducthman's Mine. Some say it still lies out there, just waiting to be discovered... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just like Miguel Jose Viana and Manual Pereira da Cruz, 32-year-old Granger Taylor, from Vancouver Island, Canada, also had extensive knowledge of electronics and a burning desire to visit another world.   And just like Miguel and Manuel, his too is a tragic tale clouded in mystery. Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Brazil, in August 1966, two years into a military dictatorship, there was every reason to assume the bodies of two men, found dead on a hill outside the city of Niteroi, could well be victims of the country's cruel new reality. Within minutes of surveying the apparent crime scene, however, it quickly became clear to police that something far more bizarre was going on.   Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may seem far-fetched to believe that a vampire had been living at the site of London's Highgate Cemetery since the 18th century. But did you know the so-called vampire plague said to have ravaged parts of eastern Europe in the 1730s was in one way or another, entirely real... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 1960s, a large number of acts of vandalism perpetrated in English churchyards were thought to be linked to a resurgent interest in black magic.  In Highgate Cemetery in North London especially, the evidence was becoming increasingly difficult to deny.  Something dark and sinister, it seemed, was brewing... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Elliot O’Donnell wrote widely about all manner of apparent hauntings in Britain and the United States, but there was one story – or rather location, for which he had a particular soft spot.   The place, a mid-terraced Georgian townhouse in London’s Berkeley Square is often referred to as quite simply the most haunted house in London... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Please note: the following episode is adapted from the live episode I presented at the London Podcast Festival in 2016 and later released on this stream, so may be familiar to some listeners). In the English north western town of Runcorn in 1952, like most typical working families of the time left dealing with the economic aftershocks of the second world war, the Jones and Glynns of 1 Byron Street had little choice but to keep calm and carry on regardless.  But nothing could prepare them for the extraordinary events that were soon to engulf their lives... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost every culture it seems has a story of wild mythical creatures living out in the woods and mountains.  Sometimes they break out from the myth, to be apparently captured on film, recorded on audio, and seen in real-life. And in 1850, one was even said to have been caught... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In July, 1924, a group of prospectors returned from a trip working their claim in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, with an incredible tale to tell having apparently come face to face with some kind of terrifying ape-like creatures... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More on Kaspar Hauser with some thoughts on the myth of the 'noble savage', the Allegory of the Cave, and the problem with 'Original Sin'... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two of Season 06 Episode 5: The Boy Who. As Kaspar Hauser’s mind begins to expand, so too does his sense of self and the world around him. Meanwhile, as rumours begin to swirl about his true identity and where he had really been all his life, things take a deeply sinister turn. Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One afternoon in May 1828, a mysterious boy stumbled into a quiet square in the picturesque city of Nürnberg, in what was then the German Confederation. Unable to utter more than a few words and seeming as though he had just arrived from another planet, when the apparent truth of the boy's provenance eventually came to light, it was even more extraordinary than anyone could possibly have imagined.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The strange story of British teenager Matthew Manning who achieved worldwide fame in the 1970s after he was determined to possess incredible psychic powers.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third and final part of Season 6 Episode 4: The Widening Gyre As the bizarre events at 284 Green Street show no sign of abating, things reach a fever pitch in December 1977 with a series of even more seemingly incredible events, as Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair struggle to make sense of it all.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two of Season 6 Episode 4: The Widening Gyre  As Guy Lyon Playfair joins the fray at 284 Green Street, the bizarre activity plaguing the Hodgson family starts to intensify. And soon, things begin to take a more sinister turn.   Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was back in May 2020 that the body of Ben Williams was found in his flat on Fountain Road in Tooting, London. When police found him, those who saw the state of his body had no doubt he had been murdered. After a more thorough investigation, however, the cause of Ben’s death was judged unknown and labeled simply ‘death by misadventure'. And then they discovered the tapes; an audio diary that Ben had been recording of the pandemic, in the months before he died. These are those tapes, raw and unadorned. Make of them, what you will. Happy Halloween and remember, wherever you are, it is always the witching hour, somewhere... https://thefountainroadfiles.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the night of August 31st, 1977, the Hodgson family of 284 Green Street in Enfield, London, fled from their home in terror after a series of strange and inexplicable events.  Today, the 'Enfield Poltergeist,' as it would come to be known, is considered to be the most documented, compelling, and terrifying supposed poltergeist haunting the UK has ever known... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A huge apology to all my listeners but sadly due to my daughter being quite ill over the last few weeks, I've been forced to postpone this week's episode until next Friday, October 29th.  It's nothing serious but eventually, something had to give, and finishing the episode in time has proved a small step too far... Very sorry again but rest assured we will be back next week!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the morning of August 11th, 1676, Benedictine Nun, Sister Maria Crocifissa della Concezione was found on the floor of her bedroom, lying disheveled and covered in ink, next to a strange indecipherable letter.    With no idea what it said, or how it had got there, Sister Maria knew only one thing for certain. It had been written by the devil... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the evening of February 16th 1981, in Brookfield, Connecticut, 19-year-old Arne Johnson, wanted in connection with a stabbing incident, was arrested by police after being found aimlessly wandering along a main road. When Arne finally began to speak, he claimed not to remember the incident because he hadn't been inside his mind at the time. The Devil had.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1952, George Adamski inadvertently created the alien contactee movement.  In this week's Extra, we take a brief look at the lives of Georgia Lee and Dorothy Martin, at two early proponents of the movement.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two of Season 06 Episode 2: Valleys of the Uncanny  A few months after the mysterious death of Zigmund Adamski, PC Alan Godfrey sets out on a routine night patrol around the town of Todmorden in North England.  That night will change his life forever... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once in a while something so extraordinary occurs that can leave its mark so deeply on a place that it appears destined to shape our impression of it forevermore.    For the town of Todmorden, in the North of England, that something occurred just over forty years ago today. It’ll be sometime before it’s forgotten... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode looks at the strange and mysterious Houska Castle, a place that has long fascinated people on account of its peculiar location and supposedly dark origins... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In July 2009, at the height of war in Afghanistan, US and British forces struggle to get to grips with fighting a mostly invisible enemy, while simultaneously trying to win the hearts and minds of the people whose land they have invaded.   As part of Operation Khanjar, the US government's latest roll of the dice in their efforts to beat back the influence of the Taliban in Helmand Province, 4000 marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment have been deployed to the region.  Among them are eight Marines, tasked with occupying a strange and isolated observation post, known simply as The Rock.  Their war is about to get far stranger than they could ever have imagined.   Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexplained returns with Season 06 on Friday, September 3rd...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whatever you believe about the use of Hurkos’ supposed talents, it is hard to deny the extra layer of fascination his involvement brings to a police investigation. With that in mind, there is one case in particular that makes for intriguing listening. Not least of all, because it also happened to involve one of America’s most curious and shocking crimes of the 20th century... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two of S05 Episode 18: Learning to See  After accepting a call from the Strangler Taskforce, Peter Hurkos arrives in Providence, Rhode Island to see what he can do to help... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1964 the eleventh in a series of brutal murders occurred in and around the city of Boston, Massachusetts, that police had come to believe were all perpetrated by the same individual - referred to in the press as The Mad Strangler.    No closer to finding the culprit after 18 months of investigations, an incredible decision was made in an attempt to crack the case... Featuring the extraordinary story of self-proclaimed psychic Peter Hurkos.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many are fascinated by Heinrich Himmler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party's (NSDAP) association with the occult.  It is an association that in ways, along with the term 'Nazi,' has clouded one of the fundamental truths about Himmler and the NSDAP.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By all accounts, Robert Taylor wasn’t a man prone to exaggeration. Certainly, encounters of the strange were the furthest thing from his mind when he headed out to work on the outskirts of Livingston, in Scotland, one chilly morning in November 1979.  Soon, it would be all people would want to talk about... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The issue of relying on the memory of individuals to recall events in criminal matters, particularly eye-witnesses to a crime, is one that continues to plague the criminal justice system. Pioneering psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, who's spent the last fifty years looking into the subject, has arguably done more than anyone to help us understand why.  Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part Two of S05 Episode 16: Built On Shifting Sands The discovery of George Jayne's phone number among the belongings of Pat Blough, Ann Miller, and Renee Bruhl, found at the Indiana Dunes State Park, takes the story of their disappearance on a wholly unexpected path... Go to twitter @unexplainedpod, facebook.com/unexplainedpodcast or unexplainedpodcast.com for more info. Thank you for listening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.