We Would Be Dead

On April 3, 2004, 23 year old Alonzo Brooks left his home in Gardner Kansas with three friends to attend a party. He said goodbye to his mother, Maria, and hopped into a friends car. This was the last time Alonzo’s mother would ever see him alive. The next day when Alonzo hadn't returned home, Maria knew something was wrong, she contacted his friends and tried to retrace his steps to see where he could be. Instead of finding her son however, Maria discovered a tangled web of disjointed. It seems that Alonzo was left alone at a party an hour away with no car and no way to get home. After a month long police investigation turns up nothing, Alonzo's family organized their own search. Scarcely an hour into their search, in an area that had been cleared many times, Alonzo's family discovered his body. How does a person disappear without a trace, only to reappear a month later as if by magic, dead? We don't know, but one thing is for sure, there is more to this case than meets the eye. Click to learn more https://kansaspublicradio.org/local-news/2021-03-02/racist-history-still-haunts-hays-and-other-kansas-towns https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2021-03-02/what-the-history-of-noose-road-tells-us-about-kansas-race-and-the-lynchings-of-black-men https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1993/11/20/431093.html?pageNumber=26 https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/06/us/alonzo-brooks-case-ruled-homicide-unsolved-mysteries-trnd/index.html https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/new-autopsy-report-reveals-2004-death-alonzo-brooks-was-homicide-n1263108 https://www.abhmuseum.org/sundown-towns-the-past-and-present-of-racial-segregation/ https://www.britannica.com/place/sundown-town https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/marion-indiana-lynching-1930/ https://www.abhmuseum.org/an-iconic-lynching-in-the-north/ Cold Case Kansas Blog Unsolved Mysteries 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 Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

On April 3, 2004, 23 year old Alonzo Brooks left his home in Gardner Kansas with three friends to attend a party. He said goodbye to his mother, Maria, and hopped into a friends car. This was the last time Alonzo’s mother would ever see him alive. The next day when Alonzo hadn't returned home, Maria knew something was wrong, she contacted his friends and tried to retrace his steps to see where he could be. Instead of finding her son however, Maria discovered a tangled web of disjointed. It seems that Alonzo was left alone at a party an hour away with no car and no way to get home. After a month long police investigation turns up nothing, Alonzo's family organized their own search. Scarcely an hour into their search, in an area that had been cleared many times, Alonzo's family discovered his body. How does a person disappear without a trace, only to reappear a month later as if by magic, dead? We don't know, but one thing is for sure, there is more to this case than meets the eye. Click to learn more Cold Case Kansas Blog Unsolved Mysteries Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

On April 18th 1943 in Worcestershire England, (yes like the sauce no one can pronounce) 4 young boys looking for birds eggs crept into Hagley Wood. Hagley wood was a mysterious place. Located on the grounds of the partially abandoned Hagley Hall, Hagley woods were dotted with neglected temples and statues, overgrown landscaping and ancient stately trees. But one tree stood out among the rest. A tree almost entirely comprised of sharp, leafless twigs jutting out at severe angles, a gnarled, menacing, leafless wych elm. Most people would steer clear of such a thing, but the boys knew this kind of tree was the perfect place to hide nests. When they looked inside it's large and hollow trunk however, they didn't find birds, they didn't find eggs, they found a body, and unearthed a mystery that hangs over the village of Hagley to this very day. Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? This story may be familiar to some, but our dive is DEEP. Click to learn more From the Worcestershire county council Josef Jakobs Blog British Newspaper Archive, create a free account to see all original articles Explore Hagley Hall Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

Discord: D I S C O R D. A lack of agreement or harmony. A combination of sounds that strikes the ear harshly. Discord. 6:45 AM, on July 14th 2019. The eastern united states is beginning to wake up and scroll through their social media. The day was warm and sunny and a group of young adults in Utica New York was about to unwillingly witness a step by step account of a terrible murder. After a series of cryptic posts on Instagram from the user @yesjuliet and similar posts on Discord from the user @aperatia, both accounts (same user) posted a picture of a beautiful young girl lying dead in his car. The user was a man named Brandon Andrew Clark, and friends and internet acquaintances immediately recognized the girl as Bianca Michelle Devins. This week's case takes us on a journey through every parents worst nightmare. We've said it before and we'll say it again, the internet is a scary place. Click to learn more 48 hours episode Rolling Stone "17 year old girl was murdered. How did photos of her death go viral?" * no more links this week. We don't want to inadvertently lead you to traumatic photos that do not belong online. Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

It's a Leslie-sode!!! Happy New Years and welcome back after our little holiday break. We have a case filled with twists and turns. So settle in, because it's going to be a wild ride. Dr. Joseph Sonnier was a well respected pathologist from Lubbock, Texas who was found shot and stabbed in his home on July 11th, 2012. Investigators quickly theorized this had not been a robbery gone wrong, but a personal attack. But who would want the doctor dead and why? With a list of family and friends to talk to, investigators were left with more questions than answers. Someone had to know something, and luckily someone did... Click to learn more Inside Texas Doctor’s Plot to Kill Rival Doctor in Love Triangle Day Twelve: Thomas Dixon Murder Trial, Sonnier autopsy results revealed Where Is Ex-Plastic Surgeon Dr. Thomas Michael Dixon Now? Dateline NBC: Lone Star Obssession The Murder Project 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 Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

Gather 'round the fire fiends and let's bring back a time honored tradition...again! Christmastime ghost stories. Another episode perfect for a chilly and festive evening. Merry Christmas, fiends! Buy the book here WWBD Merch WWBD MERCH SHOP Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

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

What do a ceramic duck, watermelon plates, an episode of 20/20 and a bunk bed have in common? It may seem like nothing, but they're are all integral turning points in one of the twistiest cases we have ever covered. Oh, and this one is extra shocking because it involves a serial killer Holly had never heard of...which doesn't happen too often. In the second part of our deep dive into serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells we tell the incredible survival story of Krystal Surles, the most bad ass little girl to ever walk the planet. Krystal not only survived having her throat slit, but in the end she single handedly brought down a tornado of hate and violence, cheers Krystal, cheers forever! Then we tie it all together in one big horrifying bow. Click to learn more CBS interview with Krystal, Marques and officer Johnny Allen https://dianefanning.com/ Tourists aid victim slashed in violent Fourth Street Live knife attack Clint Malarchuk Neck Injury Full Video Buy the book here: The Cross Country Killer: Life of Serial Killer Tommy Lynn Sells WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

What do a ceramic duck, watermelon plates, an episode of 20/20 and a bunk bed have in common? No guesses? Well we won't reveal everything but let's just say that they're are all integral turning points in one of the twistiest cases we have ever covered. Oh, and this one is extra shocking because it involves a serial killer Holly had never heard of...which doesn't happen too often. We begin the exploration of this long and winding road with three stories. 1. The grizzly, terrifying and unexplained murders of the Dardeen family. 2. The murder of Joel Kirkpartric and subsequent wrongful conviction of his mother, Julie Rae. 3. The jaw dropping survival story of Fabienne Witherspoon. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

Happy Thanksgiving fiends! We’re taking the week off to spend time with our loved ones (let’s be real, Holly’s leaving the country), but we couldn't leave you hanging on a holiday! We know a lot of you will be spending time in the car so here’s a little treat we recorded for our patrons a year ago. This is, by far the strangest, sickest, most turkey-centric film we have ever seen, and that’s saying something. Please enjoy this fast paced, incredibly chaotic fever dream! Gobble Gobble ********** ! Click to learn more Thankskilling 3 on Rotten Tomatoes WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

This week we’re taking on a case that had a super important update recently. In 1974 while on vacation with her family in Provincetown Massachusetts, 12 year old Leslie Metcalf stumbled upon a gruesome murder sense, one that would remain a mystery for nearly fifty years. The victim was simply known as “the lady of the dunes". No one knew who she was, what happened to her, or if anyone was looking for her... But thanks to DNA analysis and modern genealogy websites this decades old cold case is one step closer to being solved. The victim has been identified as 37 year old Ruth Marie Terri, and her story is far from over. Click to learn more Original article on Guy Muldavin WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

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! Sponsors Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

Happy Halloween fiends! Today we have a very very special treat for you all. A few days ago Holly got the opportunity to chat with the original face of Michael Myers, actor, legend and horror icon: Tony Moran. Now, if you’re a long time listener here you know how exciting and meaningful this was for us. We here at WWBD are huge Michael Myers fans. If you like behind the scenes stories and one of a kind insights into the meteoric rise of a little horror movie that could, well then this interview for you. I’m Holly, My guest is Tony Moran and this is a we would be dead special episode! Click to learn more Tony's website WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

There’s nothing that creeps our hosts out more than demonic possession. October is all about scares though, so this week we decided to wade back into those holy and turbulent waters, and what better way to do that then in another installment of our Based on a true story series! This episode we will be telling you the true stories behind two of the scariest films ever made, both of which are about a possession. Leslie brings us the true story behind the Netflix horror film, Veronica. Veronica was loosely based on "The Vallecas Case", which refers to the town in Spain where it occurred, but the story is that of a young woman named Estefania Gutierrez. Estefania's terrifying behavior and unexplained sudden death left not only her family, but also Spanish authorities wondering if this otherwise healthy young woman could have simply passed away out of nowhere, or if perhaps, there were darker forces at hand. Holly will be digging into the true story behind the iconic horror film, one that many people refer to as the scariest movie of all time, The Exorcist. For years it was relatively common knowledge that Regan MacNeil was based on a young boy referred to as Roland Doe who lived in Maryland and underwent a dramatic exorcism in the late 1940's. Less than a year ago Roland Doe's true name and story were finally uncovered and today holly will let you in on the whole truth. If those terrifying tales aren't enough to keep the lights on in your house tonight, we also have a couple listener stories about Ouija boards that are sure to do the trick. Happy Haunting! Click to learn more NY Post Ronald Hunkeler coverage The Ouija that unleashed the nightmare. The Vallecas case by Alberto Romero The Vallecas Case The Vallecas Case Demonic Possession WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

Thankfully not all horror movies are based on a true story, but if we look hard enough we can almost always find that if art isn't imitating life, life will imitate art. In the case of Michael Meyers, finding a real life equivalent wasn't easy, but I think we did it this year. (No it's not Stanley Stiers, that one is made up. Sorry guys). Charlie Brandt was a quiet man, a loving husband and a good friend. All in all Charlie was what you might call normal. His sudden death however, was anything but. In the process of investigating what appeared to be a gruesome murder suicide, law enforcement discovers a horrifying secret that Charlie and his family kept buried for decades. CBS news Deadly Obsession Angela's Police Interview ATI Charlie Brandt WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Sponsors Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation

In this special episode Holly and Leslie speak with co author of the book Death on The Devil's Teeth Jesse P. Pollack. Jesse is an author, a documentary film maker, a writer for Weird NJ and an all around smart and interesting guy. Please enjoy this eye opening look behind the scenes at that it takes to unravel the truth, when it's spend years tangled up in rumors and lies. This interview deals with the still unsolved 1972 murder of 16 year old Springfield NJ resident Jeannette DePalma. Jeannette went missing on August 7th 1972, just another runaway according to the police. We've seen this all before, but when Jeannette's decomposing body turned up 6 weeks later atop a large and perilous rock formation in the local quarry known as "the devil's teeth", people began to wonder, had Jeannette been murdered, or sacrificed? Click the link below to pick up a copy of Jesse Pollack and Mark Moran's definitive exploration of Jeannette DePalma's case today, and listen to the Devil's Teeth podcast wherever your podcasts are found. Death on the Devil's Teeth WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This two part episode and our subsequent special episode have been in the making for a long time. Our next two episodes we are covering the still unsolved 1972 murder of 16 year old Springfield NJ resident Jeannette DePalma. Jeannette went missing on August 7th 1972, just another runaway according to the police. We've seen this all before, but when Jeannette's decomposing body turned up 6 weeks later atop a large and perilous rock formation in the local quarry known as "the devil's teeth", people began to wonder, had Jeannette been murdered, or sacrificed? In this second installment we discuss the investigation, theories, evidence that did not see the light of day for nearly 40 years, and the suspects the police kept a little too close to the vest. Don't miss our special episode with one of the writers of the definitive source on Jeannette's case, the novel Death on the Devil's Teeth: the strange murder that shocked Suburban New Jersey, Jesse Pollack. Click the link below to buy your copy now! Don't forget to support Weird NJ as well, their work on this case has been invaluable and as fellow odd balls from the Garden State, we love to see them doing good work and being recognized for it. Death on the Devil's Teeth book From Weird NJ WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This two part episode and our subsequent special episode have been in the making for a long time. Our next two episodes we are covering the still unsolved 1972 murder of 16 year old Springfield NJ resident Jeannette DePalma. Jeannette went missing on August 7th 1972, just another runaway according to the police. We've seen this all before, but when Jeannette's decomposing body turned up 6 weeks later atop a large and perilous rock formation in the local quarry known as "the devil's teeth", people began to wonder, had Jeannette been murdered, or sacrificed? Stay tuned for the full story. Then don't miss our special episode with one of the writers of the definitive source on Jeannette's case, the novel Death on the Devil's Teeth: the strange murder that shocked Suburban New Jersey, Jesse Pollack. Click the link below to buy your copy now! Death on the Devil's Teeth book WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In our second installment of Based on a Fictional Story" we explore the Scary Stories to tell in the dark series by Alvin Schwartz. This week we'll take a few of these legendary scary stories and pull on the possible threads of truth. Did a possessed scarecrow really skin people in a field? Can a green ribbon really hold on a human head for decades? And what about the viper, did he really vash and vipe the windows? Let’s find out… *Oh! Thanks for giving me a reason to write and read my own scary story to tell in the dark, fiends. it was a dream come true. XO Holly Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books 1-3 WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Deep in the Hollywood Hills lies the stunning neighborhood of Los Feliz. There you'll find a diverse array of beautiful homes ranging from charming little bungalows to sprawling early 20th century Spanish revival mansions all tucked neatly into palm tree lined streets and sloping hills. In the middle of all this beautiful real estate sits one such mansion, long since abandoned but never empty, 2475 Glendower Place is a testament to our fascination with murder and the paranormal, it is both a legend and a nightmare. On December 7th 1959 Dr. Harold Perelson woke up early to commit an unthinkable and bloody act. Since that day, 2475 Glendower Place has sat unoccupied, frozen in time, blood spatter still on the walls, dishes still in the sink. But why? Why would no one live in this gorgeous estate? Why did all the Perelson's belongings stay put? And why, did Dr. Harold Perelson do what he did. This week, we'll find out the answers to those questions and so much more. It's Murder house week fiends! Click to Learn More The Los Feliz Murder Mansion Podcast The Murder House by Jeff Maysh The Terrible Curse of Griffith Park WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On Monday August 21'st 2005, two Onodoga County NY police officers respondrd to a 911 call from a woman named Stacey Castor. Stacey presented an unusual story about her husband locking himself in their bedroom and refusing to come out. When police kicked down the door and made their way into said bedroom, they discovered David Castor, facedown on a filthy mattress, completely naked, dead. A glass of bright green antifreeze sat on his bedside table. It seemed pretty obvious to everyone what had happened. David completed suicide, leaving his devastated wife and their blended family of three behind. Something just wasn't right about this crime scene though, and it would take 3 years for officers to find out exactly what it was. In this episode we explore the slow and painful process of antifreeze poisoning, naked suicide and why it's a red flag, Black Widows of all kinds, and the story of a woman who seemed to have everything but chose to destroy it all.... twice. Click to Learn More 20/20 episode Naked Suicide Killer Wives: 8 Most Infamous Black Widow Murderers WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Welcome to our second installment of Based on a True Story, where we tell you the real events that inspired and created some of your favorite scary things. This week we tackle one of the most popular video games of all time, a game that dares to scare you with characters an settings that may have delighted you as a child, Five Nights at Freddy's. We take you behind the ball pit to discuss the psychology behind why this game is a finely tuned nightmare machine. Then we take a dip into the fascinating history of the business behind Freddy Fazbear's Pizza joint, Chuck E Cheese .Finally, we unravel the case many believe to have inspired Freddy's urgent, after hours, scramble for survival: The 1993 Aurora Colorado Chuck E Cheese Massacre. If you're confused, not a gamer or a person with a child, don't Worry! We brought in a real live youth to clear it all up. *This episode is aimed to be fun for everyone, no prior game knowledge is required to listen, seriously. Click to Learn More The Rock-afire Explosion "live" Five Nights at Freddy's game trailers WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On February 20th, 2015, friends of Darren Galsworthy were met with an unsettling sight while scrolling through their Facebooks feeds. Darren had posted a large photo of his teenage daughter Becky along with the following caption “PLEASE SHARE!!!!! missing 16 year old girl. please private message if you have seen her or know anything.” This is every parent's worst nightmare, but it pales in comparison to what detectives would discover happened to Becky in the place she should have been the safest, her own bedroom. When the only people home are your immediate family, it's horrifying to realize that calls are coming from inside the house. Click to Learn More The Evil Within (Becky's Father's Book) The Murder of Becky Watts: Police Tapes (Documentary) WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This week we have something just a little different to offer you. Holly and Leslie play a little game of two truths and a lie! Each host will tell three short stories, two of them are true and one is a lie! See if you can guess which is which, they don't make it easy. All six stories are the wildest, weirdest, scariest, silliest, and most unbelievable tales we have come across in our two years of bringing WWBD to you, so listen closely and don't forget to play along on our social media accounts when you're done! *These stories were originally aired during a YouTube live campfire stories event in September of 2020, but they were too good not to share with you all. WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On December 7th 1971, the Westfield police department made one the the most bizarre and terrifying discoveries in New Jersey history. After numerous reports of lights slowly shutting off at historic Breeze Knoll mansion, the police had been summoned to check on it's occupants. The List family, who had purchased the sprawling manse in 1965 had not been seen or heard from in nearly a month. The Lists were reclusive and peculiar people, with not many local friends or any family near by, there had been no one to notice what should have been a very conspicuous absence. Upon entering Breeze Knoll police discovered 5 members of the List family dead, and their patriarch, John, nowhere to be found. Leaving only a chilling confession letter to his pastor, John List went on the run and managed to evade capture for eighteen long years. Join WWBD as we examine one of the world's most infamous family annihilators, and New Jersey's most famous boogeyman, John List. Leave the lights on and lock your doors, because this one is sure to leave you wondering just how well any of us know our neighbors. Click to learn more Father Wants Us Dead Podcast and more Original newspaper articles FBI - D. B. Cooper Hijacking Wiki - D. B. Cooper Hijacking *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

THAT’S RIGHT STRANGER THINGS FANS, it was real! Not the actual hell beasts, but the misplaced fear and anger for sure. In the nineteen eighties and early nineties the United States was locked in a full scale panic. Law enforcement was convinced that cults of child raping, child murdering, animal sacrificing, pro suicide, ritual sacrificing, goat man loving, devil worshiping Satanists were bubbling up in every state. These monsters were on the loose, taking children at will, and summoning the dark forces with their seductive role playing games and country preschools. Did the devil actually take up residence in a bunch of little towns? No, of course not, but people were scared, and where there’s fear there’s panic, and where there's panic there is blame, and when misguided fear leads to blame, we have a good ole fashioned witch hunt. Join us as we examine how the devil took a hard right into the beloved hobby of everyone’s favorite Hawkins Highschool students, Dungeons and Dragons. Click to learn more Quoted New York Times Article Get your Dungeons and Dragons on *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

The New Jersey Pine Barrens hold so many wild and dramatic secrets that we know this won’t be the only episode we devote to them. This week we’ll take a little walk through Piney history before focusing on the main event, Jersey’s very own monster… (not all state’s have one, so we’re very proud), the Jersey devil! Many of you will be familiar with the story of Mother Leeds and her cursed 13th child, but hang on to your hat because the origins of this dark and stormy tale are not what you might expect. Join us on quite the wild ride straight into the heart of the weird state we call home. Click to learn more The story of Lord Cornbury Norman Jeffries Devil madness The Devil’s Government page Information on forced Piney sterilization *The Domestic Life of the Jersey Devil: or, BeBop's Miscellany - A book by Bill Sprouse (a descendent of the Jersey Devil) *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In this, the first installment in our “Not a Runaway” series we discuss the mysterious disappearance of 19 year old Katelin Akens. “Katelin Michelle Akens was last seen on December 5, 2015, in the vicinity of Oak Crest Drive in Partlow, Virginia. She was visiting family in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and was scheduled to fly home to Arizona on December 5, 2015. However, she did not board her flight and has not been seen since. On December 7, 2015, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recovered a piece of blue luggage from a roadside ditch, unzipped, empty, and with a missing wheel. A wallet was located inside the luggage with Arizona identification belonging to Akens.“ Right now, In the United States there are 194,673 reported missing girls and women under 21, and that only accounts for the time that has elapsed since January first, according to national statistics by the end of the year there will be twice as many. 91% of these women and girls are classified as Runaways. It's comforting to assume these women and girls just decided to go somewhere else, but ask their families how many of them actually did that, and I think you'll get a vastly lower percentage. We need to believe these families, we need to give these girls the importance they deserve, we need to find them. All of them. Anyone with information about Katelin or her disappearance should call the Spotsylvania county sheriff's office at (540) 582-7115 or Spotsylvania's Crime Solvers at (540) 582-5822 or 1 (800) 928-5822 Click to learn more FBI official listing for Katelin Help Find Katelin Akens Facebook Group *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Blaze Bernstein was good. He was a good kid who grew into a good teen and was making a pretty smooth transformation into a good adult. Blaze was kind and talented. Blaze was adventurous and intelligent. Blaze was gay and Jewish. Sam Woodward was angry. Sam was an angry kid who grew into an angry teen and transformed into an angry adult. Sam was aggressive and isolated. Sam was confused and hungry for attention. Sam was a homophobic white supremacist. This is the story of 2 boys who grew up just an hour away from one another. Both boys were raised in affluent families, both attended the same prestigious art school, and had many advantages in life. So how did one end up violently stabbing the other to death in an empty park in the middle of the night? Well, it seems that one can take two very different paths and still end up at the same destination. One chose hope, and the other chose hate. Click to learn more Blaze Bernstein Memorial Fund Blaze it Forward Facebook group *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

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

At 1:00 p.m. on April 23, 2006, 6 year old Garret ran over his neighbors house anticipating an afternoon of playing Star Wars. After knocking on the door several times Garret decided to peek into the window to see where his friend might be, but what he saw sent him running back home as fast as his little legs would carry him. Police were summoned and discovered the bodies of the houses occupants, with the exception of their 12 year old daughter Jasmine. Authorities were terrified that Jasmine may have also been a victim but in time they discovered something far worse. Click to learn more JUSTICE STORY: The sick, sordid tale of Souleater and the Runaway Devil *Runaway Devil: How Forbidden Love Drove a 12-Year-Old to Murder Her Family A Rare Report of Clinical Lycanthropy in Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders *Affiliate Link WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

The death of Mary Rogers is known to many as America's first murder mystery. Published by Edgar Allen Poe as "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt in 1842, Mary's story became America's introduction to true crime, but for all it's retelling, and the country's brief and feverish fascination with the "beautiful cigar girl" Mary's case still remains technically unsolved. Mary, known as a legendary beauty, unknowingly set a standard the the rest of the country would run with for centuries to come, but her untimely, brutal death, which should have served as a warning, seems to have fallen on deaf ears. No amount of adoration kept her from turning up in the Hudson River, dead. Click to learn more Article from the Smithsonian The Mystery of Marie Rogêt Full Text WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Our second round of Cursed Objects is international! This time Holly and Leslie both head over the pond to take a look at two objects so spooky, we guarantee you'll be repeating their stories around your next campfire. First Leslie tells us about Old Nick, The Swansea devil.... you're going to want to check out our Instagram for the photos of this one. Holly follows up with the tale of the Thomas Busby Stoop Chair, a chair so cursed with violence that it is currently displayed high on a wall, so that no one can sit in it. Make a blanket fort and get out your flashlights because this one is SPOOKY! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Ok fiends, so many of you enjoyed the first "thirty minute movie" installment of Twilight that we decided to share the next film in the saga with the whole class. In this wild (normally patrons only) series Holly and Leslie summarize a movie in thirty minutes in a frenzied game of hot potato. Here's how it works: the girls set the timer for five minutes and trade back and forth telling the story until 30 minutes has elapsed and hopefully the whole story has been told. During the narration you'll also get their thought, weird observations and frequent frustrations. It's a good time. If you like this episode, join our Patreon to get access to a whole catalogue of 30 minute horror movies! Things have been so heavy and scary the past few weeks we decided to have a little laugh. Enjoy! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

From 1970 until present day 73 women and girls have gone missing or turned up dead on Canada’s highway 16, otherwise known as the highway of tears. A disproportionate number of these women and girls are indigenous. Most of their cases remain unsolved. Most of their faces remain unseen. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police assembled a task force in 2005 in the hopes of solving 18 of these cases. The name of the task force is E-Pana. 18 is not enough. But it’s a start. We could never endeavor to tell all of their stories today, we've told as many as we could and in time we will tell more. We also start to unravel the cultural genocide of indigenous people that has been going on in Canada and the United Stated for hundreds of years, and trace the generational trauma that is deeply rooted in the horror of residential schools. May 5th is Red Dress Day, so wear your red in honor of the missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and 2 spirit people. For more on the red dress project, click the link below. Click to learn more Finding Cleo Podcast Who killed Alberta Williams Podcast Red dress project Ways to help https://www.amnesty.ca/what-we-do/no-more-stolen-sisters/ https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw https://www.csvanw.org/mmiw/ Affiliated Links Legends of the Iroquois (Myths and Legends) (Leslie read the Song of the Hermit Thrush tale from this book) WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Happy Halfoween fiends! Normally Holly and Leslie take this opportunity to tell stories about their worst fears, but this year they decided to use YOURS! We compiled quite the list from our listeners, and from that list your hosts surfaced 4 tales so terrifying, they're sure to have you sleeping with the lights on. Leslie shares the stories of Cleveland's 1986 Balloonfest disaster, The strange death of of Jose Rey Escobedo, and a creepy crawly story that is too disturbing to summarize, you'll have to listen for yourself. Holly tells us the story Edward Paisnel, the masked rapist and home invader known during his 14 year reign of terror as "The Beast of Jersey." Good Luck fiends, we hope you make it through this one without screaming... Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Annie Le was a brilliant scientist studying for here PHD at Yale University. She had infinite potential and her whole life ahead of her until she disappeared inexplicably, just 5 days before her wedding. A few days later she was found dead in the most terrifying and unbelievable of places. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Daniel Robinson was a bright, ambitious, 24 year old geologist with an extremely promising life ahead of him, so when he disappeared without a trace, leaving everything behind, even the clothes on his back, his family was left with a huge puzzle to solve and one simple request from the public "Please help find Daniel" Shadowed in the missing white girl syndrome wake of Gabby Petito's disappearance Daniel's case just gets more perplexing with every detail that is uncovered. With a story that rival's Elisa's Lam's for mystery and complexity, it's hard to believe that is wasn't on the cover page of every news outlet. Ultimately, Daniel's family simply wants his case to get the attention is deserves so that one day they might be able to bring him home, we want that for them too. From the website "Please Help Find Daniel" run by the Robinson family: Daniel Robinson was last seen the morning of June 23, 2021 leaving his worksite in Buckeye, AZ. He was last seen the morning of June 23, 2021 leaving his worksite in Buckeye, AZ. He was driving his 2017 blue-grey Jeep Renegade and is believed to have headed west, deeper into desert terrain. On Tuesday, July 19, 2021, Daniel’s vehicle was found by a rancher a little over two and a half miles from the worksite in a remote part of the desert. On that day, the Rancher reported the vehicle to Buckeye Police Department who later did a search by ground and drone. The vehicle was recovered; Daniel was not found. Click to learn more https://pleasehelpfinddaniel.com/ Donate Sign The Petition WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

It is estimated that 460,000 children per year go missing in united states, and that one out of every ten thousand of those children is murdered. Nearly 700,000 incidences of child sexual abuse were reported in the united states in 2021, but it is estimated that 80 % of actual incidences go unreported… which means the real number is more like 3.5 million. Lastly, it is estimated that one in four girls and one in nine boys in the United States will fall victim to sexual abuse before they turn 18. Megan's Law is a federal law in the United states that requires law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Every law with a name has a person behind it. This is the story of Megan's Law. Click to learn more For court transcripts and police report files click: here and here WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Recording of our March 17th Live stream campfire stories event! Our friend John Joined us for some Irish fun and a spooky game of two truths and a lie! Play along with us as we weave tales of Irish haunted lore, True Crime and mythological creatures all while enjoying a good Irish Whiskey and the company of our fiends who tuned in live. *This was recorded with no mics, equipment or soundproofing, just a laptop and YouTube live. It's not glitchy or difficult to understand but if you're wondering why it lacks the polish we usually take pride in providing, that's why. If you would like the full video experience, click here WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

"Today Copper Alley will mourn its best mistress, and wives the town over will breathe a small sigh. Today is a sad day for vandals and misfits, today Darkey Kelly is going to die" Happy St Patrick's Day Fiends! This year we bring you the dark and stormy Legend of Darkey Kelly, A brother owner and murderess who was hanged and burned at the stake (that's right, hanged AND burned at the stake) for sacrificing her baby in a deal with the devil. Dorcas AKA "Darkey" Kelly's story takes us into the brothels of eighteenth century Dublin, down the poverty stricken gutters known as "Hell" behind Copper Alley, through the rich hunting dens of the mysterious Hellfire Society, deep into the woods near St. Stephens Green and along the narrow cobblestone road to the Gallows where a crowd has gathered to watch the most notorious execution of it's time. Pour yourself a Guinness Slammer and leave some treats our for the fairies, because we have a wild one for you this year! Click to learn more This two part podcast special is THE top source for information on Darkey Kelly, these guys went into every newspaper and historical record available in Dublin to find the true story that had been wrapped in years and years of legends. They really did the damn thing. No smoke Without Hellfire Podcast WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On April 10th 1834 a fire broke out at 1140 Royal Street in the city of New Orleans. The estates mistress, local socialite Delphine Lalaurie was attempting to retrieve her most valuable possession in a hysterical daze. Meanwhile, a crowd had formed to behold the spectacle, and sensing nothing had been done to stop it, they sprang into action. Soon the police and fire department arrived, and what they discovered in that house would go down as one of the most gruesome scenes in US history. The actions carried out by Madame Delphine therein haunt the land underneath her historic manse to this very day. This week we explore cruelty, entitlement, the history of the enslaved people of Louisiana, and just for good measure, the youngest doctor ever. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This week Leslie tells us the tale of the Axeman of New Orleans, who was possibly an American serial killer active in New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding communities, including Gretna, from May 1918 to October 1919. However, similar murders occurred as early as 1911 that may hold some connection. He mainly targeted Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans. The Axeman was never identified, and the murders remain unsolved. But one thing is for certain, the Axeman was fond of Jazz Music. Click to learn more The Axeman of New Orleans: The True Story by Miriam C. Davis Axman Jazz (Don't Scare Me Papa) WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Time for some fun fiends! This week we telling you true tales that we were inspired to find by Goosebumps novels! These are not the stories RL Stein based his work on but they are similar and the exercise took us on quite the wild ride. Leslie takes on "Piano Lessons Can Be Murder" with the mysterious and multilayered case of the murder of Darlene Sitler. Holly was inspired by "Say Cheese and Die" to share with us a true ghost story from the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francis Louisiana. Holly can never choose just one story so she was also inspired but "Night of the Living Dummy" to tell us about a famously haunted ventriloquist's dummy named Mr. Fritz. And, it wouldn't be an episode about WWBD without s few little extras along the way, so look for a fun little bio on RL Stein, A random exploration of the Whiskey rebellion and a game! Cheers to nostalgia! Click to learn more Click here to purchase Night of the Living Dummy Click here to purchase Say Cheese and Die Click here to purchase Piano Lessons Can Be Murder WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

It's our 100th episode and you picked this absolute beast of a topic! Kurt Cobain, the iconic and ephemeral alternative rock deity meant and continues to mean a great deal to a great many people. As the front man of ground breaking nineties band Nirvana, Kurt changed the landscape of music. We have done our best to tell the emotionally complicated story of his misunderstood childhood, meteoric rise to fame and tragic death. Someone killed Kurt, whether that person existed within his own head or outside of it is what the grieving multitudes want to know. We think the only way to make a fair assessment is to know as much about the man himself as humanly possible. This week we look at Fame, Family and Kurt's final days, AND you'll get an in depth look at some of Nirvana's music, the grunge era, and why not all journalism can be trusted. We hope we've honored Kurt's memory with truth and candor, and that you, our dear fiends will listen to a little Nirvana and meditate on everything we learned on this long and winding journey. "What else could I write? I don't have the right What else should I be? All apologies" click here to learn more *Affialated Links *Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain *Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana *Journals My Time With Kurt Cobain, Article in the New Yorker by Michael Azerrad WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

It's our 100th episode and you picked this absolute beast of a topic! Kurt Cobain, the iconic and ephemeral alternative rock deity meant and continues to mean a great deal to a great many people. As the front man of ground breaking nineties band Nirvana, Kurt changed the landscape of music. We have done our best to tell the emotionally complicated story of his misunderstood childhood, meteoric rise to fame and tragic death. Someone killed Kurt, whether that person existed within his own head or outside of it is what the grieving multitudes want to know. We think the only way to make a fair assessment is to know as much about the man himself as humanly possible. Stay tuned next week for part 2! "What else could I write? I don't have the right What else should I be? All apologies" click here to learn more *Affialated Links *Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain *Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana *Journals My Time With Kurt Cobain, Article in the New Yorker by Michael Azerrad WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

It's a Leslie Episode! In the early morning hours of December 3rd, 2016, police found an abandoned car with the keys left in the ignition on the Route 35 bridge, crossing the Shark River in Belmar, NJ. The car belonged to 19-year-old Sarah Stern, but she was no where to be found. Sarah Stern was a local, who was attending college nearby and planning to move to Canada to pursue an education and career in the arts. Unfortunately, with not much to go on, investigators feared that Sarah may have jumped off the bridge into the freezing waters where her body would have been pulled out to the Atlantic Ocean. But after talking to friends and family, the investigators were left with more questions than answers. Especially once they learned that Sarah had found a large sum of money that only a select few knew about, not including her father. Could this money have more to do with Sarah's disappearance? Did she run away to start a new life? was this life to much for her? or did something much more sinister happen to her? This is a tale of friendship, betrayal, and karma. Click to learn more Dateline's Episode on Sarah Stern https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-betrayal-of-sarah-stern-s-27-ep-33/id1244348213?i=1000439125577 20/20's Episode on Sarah Stern https://abc.com/shows/2020/episode-guide/2019-03/01-with-friends-like-these Liam McAtasney Confession Video https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1859252/Video-Murder-suspect-Liam-McAtasneys-secretly-recorded-confession.html WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in the rolling hills of Germany's Black Forest. For a time he had a charmed life, he lived in a huge manor house, he had many friends, a doting father and brothers who he looked up to and loved. Then one day, everything vanished, everything except the boy and the manor house, and the boy began to change. It seemed that everyone he loved wanted to leave him, and this frightened the boy, which would not do. The boy thought and thought and thought, and in the end it seemed that the only way he could keep someone forever.... would be to eat them. This week we take a deep dive into the graphic and startling case of Armin Meiwes, the German internet cannibal who killed, butchered and ate a willing victim. We're walking a strange moral tightrope this week fiends, so try to keep your balance. Click to learn more This Week's main source "Interview With a Cannibal: The Secret Life of the Monster of Rotenburg" By Gunter Stampf WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

R E Q U E S T! (we hope you sung that in your head to the tune of Respect by Aretha Franklin) You asked, we listened, this week we cover our first true missing persons case, the frustrating and yet unsolved disappearances of Brian Shaffer. On March 31, 2006 second year medical student at Ohio State University, Brian Shaffer, went out to celebrate the beginning of spring break with a few friends and was never seen again. In the span of just 4 minutes Brian seems to have evaporated into thin air, to this day no evidence has been found and no theories can be confirmed. Anyone with information about this case can call the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-2358 *Quotation in the title is from the song "Off He Goes" by Pearl Jam. Click to learn more FBI listing for Brian WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On July 16th, 2011, a troubled 17 year old named Tyler Hadley managed to throw the house party of the year and every high school / college aged kid in Port St. Lucie Florida was talking about it. At this party, anything went. No rules, no restrictions, no parents, it was a teenage paradise, but one question remained, where were Tyler's parents? Tyler told anyone who asked that they had gone out of town, knowing full well that in reality, his parents had never left the house, and that nearly a hundred people had been unknowingly dancing on their grave. Tyler Hadley's case may sound like the story of another run of the mill angry young man, but it's much more than that. It poses terrifying question, how well do any of us know our own kids? Click to learn more Tyler Hadley's Killer Party by Nathaniel Rich Link to purchase 1000 Fireflies by Ryan Hadley and Dan Yearick WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation