We Would Be Dead

Well fiends the Snowvid got us. To thank you for your patience while Leslie heals and we dig out from under the winter wonderland in our driveways, Holly put together this special bonus episode. Enjoy some of the best true crime shorts from "What the Friday". WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! 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! WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

We’re back once again to ruin Christmas! This year we’ll explore the dark and fascinating origins of everyone favorite jolly gift giver, Santa Claus. We’ll explore where our modern Santa came from and meet his merry gang of elves, reindeer, monsters and ham babies. So mind your manners and be sure to watch out, Santa Claus is coming to town! Click to learn more Helpful hints for holiday family stress WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

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

For most of us, our childhood home is a sacred place; it holds our memories, our daydreams, our secrets. It's a place where we learned and grew and discovered who we were. Your childhood home should radiate safety especially, around the holidays. It should be a place that appears in your dreams and photographs for the rest of your life. It should never be the scene of your worst nightmare come to life. That is, unfortunately, exactly what the Guy family of Knoxville, Tennessee, had to face. Just after spending a wonderful thanksgiving together, Joel and Lisa were brutally murdered in their home. On Monday November 28th, 2016, The Knox County sheriff's department was called in to do a wellness check on 55 year old Lisa Guy and her husband Joel, but what they found has gone down in history as one of the worst crime scenes imaginable. The officer's who found Joel and Lisa could only describe it as "A diabolical stew of human remains". What kind of monster could do this you might ask? Only one who was very close to home, a monster that one could say, hid under the bed... A monster that Joel and Lisa spent 28 years caring for... their son. Click to learn more Helpful hints for holiday family stress WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

The holiday season has come upon us yet again, and to kick it off, we thought we would give you all a special treat. In Honor of this day of thanks we decided to hold the true crime and serve up a heaping helping of insanity. We hope you enjoy our recap of, what it is in our opinion, the best of the heartwarming holiday classics about a murderous turkey. Patrons have had access to this one for a whole year, but because it was so fun and so nuts we decided to give it to you all free of charge. Don't worry though precious patrons, you're still getting something extra, a 30 minute ThanksKilling 2 is coming at you this month! We are so very thankful for all of you, enjoy this wild gravy soaked ride and we'll be back with a new case next week! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

"The Wendigo lives in the most frightening of places, a place from which there is no escape. Once the Wendigo awakens, it tears through this place with unimaginable patience and force, creating a path of nightmares, and consuming everything it sees. It is a place so close and familiar, yet so mysterious and difficult to explore that only a fraction of it is known to humankind. " This week we explore North America's most famous folkloric monster, The Wendigo. We discuss it's human origins and the kind of world that created it. This episode is a deep dive into a monster with surprisingly real and deep roots, culminating in the true story of an horrific event. The wendigo is an extremely fascinating and blurry line between fantasy and reality and we're still not sure what to think of it. Perhaps the scariest thing about a Wendigo is that it is impossible to tell whether it is real, or just a figment of the imagination. Either way, this monster leaves a trail of destruction unlike any other cryptid. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This week, Leslie gets her revenge by scaring the bejesus out of Holly with her worst fear: aliens abducting humans and probing them. On December 26th, 1985, at a secluded cabin in upstate NY, Whitley Strieber, his wife and son headed to bed early after a lovely day spent sledding and enjoying Christmas dinner leftovers. Hours later Whitley would wake up in the middle of the night and his whole life would change forever. Unfortunately, it would take weeks and months for him to remember what exactly happened that night. With the help of several doctors, including a hypnotist, Whitley would discover that his lost time, terrifying flashbacks, and painful ailments were caused by something out of this world. WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On November 13th 1974, in the quiet village on Amityville NY a horrible tragedy befell the residents of 112 Ocean Avenue. A tragedy that many would say set into action a dark presence that resides within that house to this day. In this live episode we tell the story of the DeFeo Family murders and Lutz family hauntings. We take a deep dive into the Amityville horror house and the events that inspired countless books, movies and documentaries. This is a live show so there will be noise from the crowd at some points, but we think that adds to the fun! Hope to see you all at future live events in a city near you! *Recommended Documentary "My Amityville Horror" can be found on Amazon Prime. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Halloween is right around the corner, and everyone is entitled to one good scare. This week we decided it was Leslie's turn, so Holly is bringing us all a tale of mysterious murder, a shadow figure, things that go bump in the night, and the most terrifying home invasion yet... all of Leslie's least favorites. We don't want to reveal any more in the description, as that would spoil the twists and turns that this story is famous for. Just listen, and maybe sleep with the light on. Happy Halloween! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Hundreds of murdered girls. Bath tubs filled with blood. Torture, mutilation, cannibalism, and some of the most nightmarish imagery we have come across to date, this weeks tale has it all. Join us for a trip into war torn medieval Hungary where you will hear the story of perhaps the most prolific serial killer of all time, a woman who's obsession with youth and beauty was only outweighed by her lust for blood. Countess Erzsébet Báthory has inspired countless legends and tales including Bram Stoker's Dracula, but in this case, the truth may be ever more terrifying than fiction. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Time for a little spooky season fun, fiends! This week we tell you the terrifying true stories behind the classic horror films A Nightmare on Elm Street and Candyman. Hope you all sleep well tonight! Click to learn more Original Chicago Reader article WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On September 11th, 2021, 22-year-old Gabby Petito was reported missing. Photos, posters and desperate pleas to find the young blond-haired, blue-eyed traveler began to take social media by storm. Gabby had gone on a cross country road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie; Brian had returned from trip in her van, eleven days prior, alone. Even more confusing, he refused to speak to the police. As the whole world watched with bated breath, a strange story began to unfurl that ended in Gabby's death and the furious manhunt through the United States for Brian that is raging on to this day. In this episode, we will break down the copious information circulating about this up-to-the-minute case. Then, we will finish with an interview with mental health professionals Andrew Jarema and Jess Sprengle. We discuss the reality of mental illnesses that have attached themselves to this case as buzzwords, the influence social media has on our self image and relationships, and what exactly life might have been like for Gabby and Brian in that van. At the end of the day we were all left to wonder, how could something like this happen? I know we can't answer that question, but we have given you all the information possible to try. WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

It’s a Leslie-sode and it is sure to spook ya. We are talking about hexes! On November 28th, 1928, Pennsylvania potato farmer Nelson Rehmeyer was accused of witchcraft (and wizardry) and subsequently murdered. Three men were suspected of the murder and happily confessed to the crime, believing they had broken a hex that had plagued their lives. Click to learn more Trials of Hex by J. Ross McGinnis (Amazon) Hex Hollow (Documentary on Amazon Prime) WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This week's case is more like three cases in one, fiends. In 1928, Los Angeles county experienced a chilling string of disappearances. On March 10th,10 year old Walter Collins had gone to the movies with his friends and never came home. Then on May 16th the Winslow brothers aged then and twelve attended a meeting of their model boat club, they too never came home. Arriving on the heels of the grisly murder of Marion Parker, a ten year old local girl, these events sent the people of Los Angeles into a panic, but the disappearances would pale in comparison to what actually became of those poor boys. What was once thought to be high profile kidnappings turned out to be a back woods nightmare at the hands of a man named Gordon Stewart Northcross. If that isn't enough for you, the strange story of Walter Collins takes us on a wild ride into identity theft and a some of the most corrupt police work we've seen so far. Don't believe us? The story is SO wild it served as the basis for the 2008 Clint Eastwood movie: The Changeling. Hang on to your hats this week fiends, it's going to be an old timey bumpy ride! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On the morning of July 13th, 2011, Adam Shacknai walked across the courtyard of his brother's stately summer home in Coronado, California. Adam had been staying in the guest house and thought he might pop into the main residence in search of a cup of coffee. But before Adam could make it inside, he made a gruesome discovery. Hanging from a small second story balcony, completely nude, gagged and bound at the wrists and ankles, was his brother's girlfriend, 32 year old Rebecca Zahau. Join us as we explore the winding road that lead to Rebecca's untimely death and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Click to learn more Rebecca Zahau’s Autopsy Report Adam Shacknai's 911 call Information on Maxie’s house, the charity Dina Shacknai is creating in Max’s honor Justice for Rebecca Facebook page, run by her sister WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In this campfire re-do Leslie tells the story of The Stratford Knockings, an eerie series of seemingly paranormal occurrences that happened at 1738 Elm Street in Stratford Connecticut. In 1848, the Reverend Phelps and his family move to 1738 Elm Street in the quaint New England town of Stratford, Connecticut. The Phelps family thought their biggest worry would be fitting in, but after an experimental night of holding a seance within their home, the Phelps had more than the neighbor boys to worry about. Holly tells us of the Barnes Mystery, the story of a missing skull that showed up in the most unlikely of places ,131 years after Kate Webster murdered her employer Julia Martha Thomas in the most brutal manner. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

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

In 2016 a scandal came to light that rocked the world of elite women's gymnastics. Olympic United States National Team doctor Larry Nassar had been sexually abusing gymnasts during treatments for 29 years. What was worse, USAG was well aware of what had been going on, and had a thick file of predatory coaches they had failed to report over the years buried in a filing cabinet. This is a story of a group of extraordinary children who's safety and wellbeing was ignored for a great many years in exchange for medals and sponsorships. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of gymnasts have suffered at the hands of predatory men they thought the could trust. It is shocking and heart breaking and quite honestly this was hard story to tell, but it's so important to hear. 154 brave women stood up in a court room and told their stories. We applaud their courage and hope to do their stories justice. Click to learn more Rachael Denhollander's full victim impact statement the IndyStar's initial article on predatory coaches the IndyStar's article on Larry Nassar Donate to SafeSport Athlete A At the heart of Gold WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Well fiends, this is an episode we sorely hoped we wouldn't have to do, but here we are. With the rise of swirling misinformation, the delta variant, back to school looming in the not so distant future and a large amount of unvaccinated citizens folded inconspicuously into the population, it's time once again, to talk about Covid-19. We brought back our doctor friends, Dr. Lisa Di Enno and Dr. Stephen McBride to answer all of your updated questions about Covid-19 and to give us some up to the minute information. This is a powerful listen fiends, you don't know what things are really like until you sit down with a healthcare professional. It was illuminating to say the least. Please get vaccinated if you are able. Click to learn more HealthyChildren.org CDC resource for families and children WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Welcome to a sneak peek into our patrons only content, fiends! This week's episode is a bit of a diversion from our usual content. The episode starts with an opening written by all of you! We had so much fun in our Facebook group playing pass the scary story that we decided to bring our creation to life and give it the full opening treatment. Then Holly and Leslie attempt to summarize the movie Twilight in thirty heart pounding, hilarious, minutes. They both still have hives. We hope you enjoy this summer vacation of an episode, and for more content like it, come support us on Patreon! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In the late summer of 2016, in Essex county New Jersey, women began showing up in abandoned houses, dead. These women had their faces covered eyes to chin in duct tape, they had been sexually assaulted, then strangled with an article of clothing and left to disappear into the ether. These crimes all had a direct but circumstantial trail back to a clean cut, twenty year old, orange county man named Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, but, his victims were sex workers who lived in the most depressed parts of town. We've seen this before, so it should come as no surprise to any of us that the police did not pursue Khalil based on his clean cut and harmless appearance, and let the deaths of these women fall between the cracks in turn, based on theirs. But that's not the end of our story this week. When authorities failed to solve this case, the women effected by it, did. In a time when we all feel helpless, and at the mercy of our circumstances, this story shows that with a little ingenuity even the most seemingly impossible justice can be served. Click to learn more NorthJersey.com 's excellent coverage of this case. Our primary source. Video coverage featuring interviews with Family Members and survivor Tiffany Taylor Insight on this case and "the absence of sympathy for black women" By Raven J. James WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On Sunday June 5th 1960, at Finland's scenic Lake Bodom, the sun had risen at 4:04 AM. By 11:00 AM the heat of the day had already set in and carpenter Esko Johannson and his son were ready for a swim. While floating along happily the pair noticed something strange on the Lake's far shore. A tent appeared to be laying trampled on the ground. Esko went to investigate, and upon further inspection realized the the little campsite was soaked in blood and four bodies lay tangled in the fallen canvas of the tent. The investigation that followed uncovered one of the most baffling mysteries in Finnish true crime history. Before Sleepaway Camp, Before Friday the 13th, Before AHS 1984, there was Lake Bodom. What makes this story the most frightening entry in the summer camp murder cannon, is that it's all true. Click to learn more Further reading. Some details are hazy due to the translation WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

*Graphic Content Warning* This one is not for the feint of heart or weak of stomach. On June 3rd 1928, ten year old Grace Budd left her family home in Manhattan with a friendly old man who had promised her mother he was taking her to a birthday party. The old man had offered Grace's brother a job on his farm in Farmingdale the week before. His name was Mr. Howard, and his soft voice, generosity and grandfatherly manner made it easy for little Grace to trust him. Unfortunately Grace would never return from this trip, and the police would reveal that a farm owner named "Mr. Howard" never existed. The five year search to find Grace and her killer would open the most vile can of worms in American true crime history. Albert Fish was the monster under the bed. The most terrifying man to ever lurk in the shadows. All of his other nicknames, "The Werewolf of Wisteria", "The Brooklyn Vampire", "The Moon Maniac", fail to capture what he was. Only one title truly fits him, Albert Fish was The Boogeyman. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This episode examines curious case of the rise, fall, and inexplicable captivity of Britney Spears. We talk about who Britney is, where she came from, what she has accomplished and how she got to be in such an impossibly binding conservatorship. We delve into the #FreeBritney movement and explain what a conservatorship is and how it should be used. If you or someone you know is being abused by a guardian, please follow the link below to the National Association to stop Guardian Abuse. It's Britney time b*tch. Click to learn more An official word from the ACLU Dr. Phil's formal statement The National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse website WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On Thursday February 2, 1933, retired solicitor René Lancelin returned home from a dinner party to find his house had locked from the inside. He had been waiting for his wife Léonie and daughter Genevieve to join him at the party, and became concerned when they never arrived. The house, it seemed, had also been plunged into complete darkness. The only glimmer of light visible was the flicker of a candle glowing from the window of the maid's quarters. After calling the police and fighting their way inside the house, René and the officers discovered the bodies of both Lancelin women on the home's first floor landing. The women had been brutally murdered and horrifically mutilated. Now, fearing for the safety of the household maids, sisters named Christine and Léa Papin, whose candle he had observed upon arrival, René had the police break into their room. When they did, they were met with a sight that French criminologists are still struggling to explain today. The two sisters were sitting in silence on their shared bed, completely naked, with a blood soaked hammer on the bed side table. What drove these two mild mannered house maids to commit an act so violent and vile? This week we dig into the complicated conundrum of the Papin Sisters to see if we can find out! Click to learn more The second wound (resource for victims of familial abuse) WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On October 3rd, 2002, Gwen Amber Rose Araujo was at home in Newark California, getting ready to attend a party. She put on her brand new skirt, borrowed a floaty peasant blouse from her mother, and said goodbye to her family. Little did anyone know, this would be the last time Gwen ever saw her family alive. Later that night she would be brutally murdered by 4 men who claimed to have gone into a panic after discovering she was trans. Gwen Araujo's landmark case would go on to change the laws in California, making the gay and trans panic defense invalid in a court of law. Gwen's murderers may not have faced the justice they deserved, but her legacy has sparked nation wide change. This week we celebrate Pride month by telling her story. We hope you all feel outraged and inspired by the end. In honor of Gwen, We Would Be Dead has made donations to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, and Gwen's mother, Sylvia Guerrero's GoFundME, We encourage you to to do the same. Links Below. Click to learn more Sylvia Rivera Law Project Sylvia Guerrero GoFundME WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This week we bring you two stories, with a twist! These are the cases from our live show on June 19th. We initially wanted to release live audio, but the recording was not up to our standards, so please enjoy the full podcast treatment! Leslie brings you the story of "TalHotBlond" which takes catfishing as we know it to the next level. Holly brings you "Prince Charming" The story of a supposed love triangle that turns into something far more sinister. Stick around after the credits for a clip of the actual live event. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Fiends! It’s a Lesliesode!!!! On May 28, 1980, Dorothy Jane Scott disappeared. The next day they found her car on fire. The search continued for 4 years until they found her body buried underneath animal bones, just miles from where she was last seen. Prior to her disappearance Dorothy received phone calls from a mysterious man confessing feelings of love, hate, and violence. Who was Dorothy’s stalker? Holly may have figured it out… Click to learn more Crime Clipping from Santa Ana Orange County Register, Thu, Aug 16, 1984. Freelance Star Newspaper Clipping - August 20, 1984 Telephone Games from True Crime Diary WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On April 25th 1973 the Santa Cruz California police department received a strange call from a phone booth in the little town of Pueblo Colorado. Ge claimed to have killed his mother and her best friend, and then gone on the run, but that was just the beginning of it. Edmund Kemper, also known as (shudder) the coed killer, is the most notorious serial killer you may have never heard of. Ed brutally murdered eleven women and one man, but he didn't just kill them, oh no, he had a particular interest in decapitation and necrophilia. Ed's crime's began when he murdered his grandparents at just fifteen years old and ended with his mother's hideously gruesome murder just 9 years later. Ed is not just a cold blooded murderer though, he is master manipulator, a legal genius and the reason criminal profiling is as advanced as it is today. Edmund Kemper is arguably the most influential case is modern crime, and one that is referenced time and time again. File this one away in your crime primer fiends because you'll see pieces of it appear time and time again. Ed is credited as one half of the inspiration for the character of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs (the other half being one of our former subjects, the ghoul of Plainfield, Ed Gein) and his story is prominently featured in the hit Netflix true crime drama series Mindhunter. Click to learn more 1984 prison interview 1991 extended prison interview Kemper on Kemper: Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On April 28th 2021, Miguel Lamboy walked into the Saguache county police department and told officers that he had returned from spending a night out of town to discover a dead body in his home. The body was on and bed, it appeared to have been dead for quite some time, it was wrapped in sleeping bags and Christmas lights and covered in glitter. Miguel said that he expected the body was that of a 45 year old woman named Lia Carlson, also known as Amy Carlson, but better known as Mother God, the leader of a group he belonged to known simply as "Love Has Won". In the investigation that followed authorities uncovered a bizarre new age cult who's beliefs combined homeopathic healing, faith healing, astrology, reincarnation theories Christianity, Buddhism, new age mysticism and every conspiracy the internet has to offer. The cult, then called "Love Had Won" used dangerous tactics to keep their members loyal, and daily YouTube live streams to recruit new followers / customers. This week we go down the extreme internet rabbit hole that is a modern cult, and introduce you to a frightening woman many knew only as "Mother God". Click to learn more 5d Full Disclosure official website Original Love Has Won website (archived) 5D Full Disclosure official YouTube Love Has Won Vice Documentary Amy Carlson and family on Dr. Phil click for support if you or someone you know has been affected by Love Has Won WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On September 29th, 1978, 15 year old Mary Vincent found herself hitchhiking across California. She had run away from her parents home in Las Vegas and was looking to make her way to her Grandfather's house. Mary had made it as far as Berkeley when an older man in a blue van named Lawrence Singleton picked her up in his blue van, offering to take her all the way to Los Angeles. The shocking events that played out that night would leave Mary forever altered, but through sheer will power, she survived. Prepare to be in awe of Mary's strength and determination. When faced with such an immeasurable struggle, we would be dead, but Mary Vincent would not. Click to learn more Mary's famous People Magazine article WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

This week, we have an update, and an exciting interview for you! We brought on our friendly neighborhood mental healthcare professional, Andrew Jarema, to discuss the recent possibility of Slenderman stabbing perpetrator, Anissa Weier's parole. If you are unfamiliar with the Slenderman stabbing, please refer back to episode 4 of this podcast, we'll catch you up. This is a very complex topic with no concrete answers. When a child commits a crime, everybody loses, and they lose for a long time. It's easy to pass judgement on an adult attempted murderer, but when it's a child everything changes. In this interview we explore what happens after a child is convicted, where their place in the world can be, and how we continue to evaluate their evolving mind. Should a child ever be put away forever? Who has the capacity for change and how do we judge? Enter this one with an open mind and your compassion umbrella at the ready. Andrew was wonderful and really shed some light on this very murky issue for us. We hope you learn as much as we did, and enjoy! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

"You've read the story of Jesse James Of how he lived and died; If you're still in need Of something to read, Here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde. Now Bonnie and Clyde are the Barrow gang, I'm sure you all have read How they rob and steal And those who squeal Are usually found dying or dead." - Bonnie Parker, 1934 Ok fiends it's time for a classic! In honor of Leslie's wedding this week we will be telling the ultimate story of true love and true crime. This is the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who robbed and murdered their way through their early twenties before dying in a haze of bullets. Bonnie and Clyde were young, gorgeous, and deadly. We hope you enjoy this thorough exploration into true crime's most infamous couple! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On Friday May 24th 1996, Kristin Smart, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University just wanted to find a party. She went out for the night, just like so many other students had done before, and still do today, but Kristin never came back. 4 days later a missing persons report would be filed, but it would take 24 years, 3 county sheriffs, a relentlessly dedicated family, and ultimately, a clever and tenacious podcaster to uncover just what happened to Kristin that night. This is a frustrating one fiends, but hopefully Kristin and her family are finally seeing a glimmer of justice. Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

It's that time of year again fiends! Dust off your seasonal allergies and get ready to be truly terrified because it's Halfoween! If you're new to WWBD allow us to explain: we celebrate the halfway point to the undisputed best holiday ever by having the girls try to terrify one another with stories that lean into their worst fears. This year Holly will make Leslie shrink into a little horrified ball with stories of the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, one of the most haunted locations in America. Then, Leslie will make Holly wish she was dead by telling her about the alien abduction of Betty and Barney Hill. Happy Halfoween fiends! Click to learn more WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Monday February 13th, 2017 was an unseasonably beautiful day in Delphi Indiana. Best friends Liberty German and Abigail Williams had a rare day off of school and wanted to enjoy the weather, so they decided to take a walk on Monon High Bridge trail, a prime location for the kind of artful, moody social media photos that the youths are so fond of. At approximately 2 pm Liberty would post a snapchat of Abby, alone on the bridge, and that would be the last time anyone saw or heard from the girls alive. Less than 24 hours later their bodies would be discovered in the underbrush near the trail, just 50 feet shy of the embankment to Deer Creek on private property. Their killer is still at large. Video recovered from Liberty's cell phone shows the grainy image of a man following them on the solitary railway trestle bridge, this, accompanied by a tiny snippet of eerie audio the Indiana State police have released, which is a man's voice instructing "Guys...Down the hill." has captured the interest of every true crime follower the world over. Police believe this man is responsible for the murder of both girls. This is a sad one fiends, they're all sad but there's something about this one that really gets to a lot of us. We have uncovered every possible rock for you guys, and we hope there will be developments for us to report in the future. If you gave any information regarding this case please contact the Indiana State Police. All tips can be given anonymously. e-Mail: [email protected] Tip Line: (844) 459-5786 Indiana State Police: (800) 382-7537 Carroll County Sheriff: (765) 564-2413 Click to learn more Link to audio and video from the Indiana State Police Get Noonlight Here! WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Greetings Fiends! Last year we all entered into a strange and dark time. WWBD wanted to find a way to bring our community together and provide a lantern's worth of spooky light into your week, and so we began having Facebook live weekly campfire stories events. The plan was to do them as long as quarantine lasted, how long could it be a month? Well as we all know it just never really ended, and our campfires became a beloved institution. They are a moment for all of us to check in with one another and share our reactions to a few good scares. Over the past year we have told quite a few awesome stories on campfire nights that we realized deserve the full podcast treatment, so we decided to do just that. In this first edition, Leslie tells us about the New Orleans Trunk Murders and Holly covers the Westfield Watcher house. We hope you enjoy the first installment in out "Best of Campfire" series, and don't worry if you heard us cover these stories live, they have been expanded for the full podcast format and we put a little extra treat in the middle. WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In 1888, in the Whitechapel district of London, a strange and awful series of events occurred. Women began turning up dead and graphically mutilated right out in the open air. It wasn't long before these horrific murders were all linked to the same unknown man, a man in dark coat and a hat, a man who targeted female sex workers who were down on their luck, a man who would come to be known as, Jack The Ripper. This is it fiends, the granddaddy of all true crime cases and we are diving deep, but not just into "Jack", into the women who's lives he tragically cut short. This is it fiends, the finale of our Ripper coverage! This week we examine the police investigation, evidence and suspects to try and figure out just who Jack the Ripper was, and then we take all of this information to an expert. Our special guest, forensic scientist The Corpse Reviewer, breaks down the science of death for us, and helps shed some light on what exactly the ripper crime scenes do and don't reveal. Links to the Instagram accounts at which our guest is an active contributor, "The Corpse Review" and "Bride of the Corpse Review" are below! We hope you enjoyed this intense deep dive into the most famous serial killer of all time. https://www.instagram.com/thecorpsereview/ https://www.instagram.com/bride.of.thecorpsereview/ Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In 1888, in the Whitechapel district of London, a strange and awful series of events occurred. Women began turning up dead and graphically mutilated right out in the open air. It wasn't long before these horrific murders were all linked to the same unknown man, a man in dark coat and a hat, a man who targeted female sex workers who were down on their luck, a man who would come to be known as, Jack The Ripper. This is it fiends, the granddaddy of all true crime cases and we are diving deep, but not just into "Jack", into the women who's lives he tragically cut short. This week, in our second Ripper episode we will cover the remainder of the ripper's victims, beginning with the final three of the canonical 5: Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly, and finishing with debatable ripper victims: Rose Mylett, Alice McKenzie, "The Pinchin Street Torso", and Frances Coles. In week three we will be covering evidence, investigations and suspects, AND we will have a special guest to break down all the science for us. A real live forensic scientist will be joining us to help sort through which theories have weight and which we can discount, and give us his expert opinion on who exactly "Jack the Ripper" was. Links Instagram accounts at which he is active contributor, "The Corpse Review" and "Bride of the Corpse Review" below! https://www.instagram.com/thecorpsereview/ https://www.instagram.com/bride.of.thecorpsereview/ Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

In 1888, in the Whitechapel district of London, a strange and awful thing began to happen. Women began turning up dead and graphically mutilated right out in the open air. It wasn't long before these horrific murders were all linked to the same unknown man, a man in dark coat and a hat, a man who targeted female sex workers who were down on their luck, a man who would come to be known as, Jack The Ripper. This is it fiends, the granddaddy of all true crime cases and we are diving deep, but not just into "Jack", into the women who's lives he tragically cut short. This week, in our first installment, we'll talk about what it was like to live in Whitechapel in 1888, how the killings began and the lives and terrible deaths of Emma Elizabeth Smith, Martha Tabram, Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman. Next week we'll cover the remaining victims, evidence and the investigations, and in week three we have a special guest to break down suspects and theories. A real live forensic scientist will be joining us to help sort through which theories have weight and which we can discount, and give us his expert opinion on who exactly "Jack the Ripper" was. Link to an Instagram account at which he is active contributor, "The Corpse Review" below! https://www.instagram.com/thecorpsereview/ Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

I'm sure we're all familiar with Jameson's Irish whiskey, especially at this time of year, but how much do we really know about John Jameson and his extremely large family? This week we'll dive into the story James Sligo Jameson, the member of the family that the Jameson's would rather we didn't talk about. James Sligo Jameson had a fortune at his disposal, a penchant for stomping around jungles with other rich white boys, and a dangerous obsession with cannibals. This sinister cocktail of attributes would eventually cost an innocent young girl her life. Join us on an expedition into one of the darkest corners of whiskey history. Sláinte fiends! Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On the morning of March 1, 2000 Aberdeen, New South Wales police arrived at the home of Johnathon Price. They had gotten reports that Mr. Price hadn't shown up at work that morning, and coworkers expected foul play. Foul couldn't begin to describe the bloodbath police found when the broke down that door. One might expect, that at the center of this unholy nightmare, one would find the darkest, most depraved man imaginable, but that is where one would be wrong. At the center of the chaos, there was no man, but a woman named Katherine Knight, snoring in her bed. Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

The human race has a strange relationship with death, but some of us just take it to the next level. On November 2, 2011 in the town of Nizhny Novgorod Russia, police raided the home of local linguist, historian, and cemetery enthusiast, Anatoly Moskvin. For two long years Russian authorities had been searching for the person responsible for disturbing the graves of a great many local children, and they suspected they had finally found their culprit, but what they found in his apartment exceeded even the strangest of expectations. Click to Learn More Amazon Prime Documentary Pre-arrest interview with Anatoly Daily Mail article about Olga's murder WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Well fiends, we've made it to one whole year and you know what that means, it's time to cover Ted Bundy. This podcast came from a conversation Holly and Leslie had where they put themselves in the place of the victims of infamous crimes, namely those who died at the hands of Ted Bundy. It's so easy to say that when faced with a killer you would know better and get away, but the simple fact of the matter is that most of us wouldn't, and we would be dead. In part two we dive into the costly phenomenon of identifying with a killer. A great many officers and investigators refused to believe Ted could possible be the man they were looking for simply because he reminded them of themselves, and if he could do those horrible things, did that mean that deep down inside, they were capable of them too? We want our monsters to be scary, to wear their murderous nature on their filthy, blood soaked sleeves, but what happens when they don't? During his time Ted Bundy violently murdered 28 women, we have all read his story and watched the documentaries, but we're going to try remove the sensationalism and expose the unfiltered picture of who Ted was, who he killed, and what happens when a predator knows exactly how to attract and exploit his prey. Strap in fiends, because we're navigating some perilous waters. Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Well fiends, we've made it to one whole year and you know what that means, it's time to cover Ted Bundy. This podcast came from a conversation Holly and Leslie had where they put themselves in the place of the victims of infamous crimes, namely those who died at the hands of Ted Bundy. It's so easy to say that when faced with a killer you would know better and get away, but the simple fact of the matter is that most of us wouldn't, and we would be dead. Ted Bundy was a real man, not a mythical monster and he killed real women not beautiful illustrations. This week we focus hard on that fact, and explore the danger in what we perceive to be "safe". During his time Ted is said to have violently murdered over 28 women, we have all read his story and watched the documentaries, but we're going to try remove the sensationalism and expose the unfiltered picture of who Ted was, who he killed, and what happens when a predator knows exactly how to attract and exploit his prey. Strap in fiends, because we're navigating some perilous waters. Click to Learn More WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

Fiends, Leslie is back with her 2nd episode! And this one is full of eye rolls but also very heartbreaking. On the evening of November 25, 1996, Naomi Ruth Wendrof and Richard Wendrof were senselessly beaten to death in their home in Eutis, Florida by 16 year old Rod Ferrell. Rod Ferrell was the cult leader of Vampire Clan in Murray, Kentucky. He claimed to be a 500 year old vampire named Vesago, but he just really liked playing Vampire: The Masquerade. His small group of teenage clan members were also into the game and believed they too could be vampires like Rod. When Rod suggested they could all leave their mortal lives behind and join the Vampires of New Orleans, the clan packed their bags, piled in the car, and drove off. But they first needed to make a stop in Eutis, Florida to pick up Rod's friend, 15 year old Heather Wendorf, who also wanted to run away and join the clan. Little did heather know, that her plan to start a new life would lead to the brutal end of her parents life. Click to Learn More Kentucky Teenage Vampires Rod Ferrell Documentary: The Vampire Diaries Deadly Cults - Episode 1, Season 1: Vampire Clan The Embrace: A True Vampire Story by Aphrodite Jones WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

2020 was a lot, fiends. We know that you're all overwhelmed, and that this year has taken a lot out of you. Just because a number has ticked over on the calendar doesn't mean the stress has stopped either. Now that we have a vaccine for the dreaded COVID-19, a lot of us are wondering: Is it safe? Is it effective? What about our children? Knowing who to trust when the internet is buzzing with the current of a thousand panicked butterflies can be very hard, but let us ease your mind. In this episode, we recap 2020 and have a few laughs before giving you two extremely informative and thorough interviews (begins at 34:27) with actual doctors that cover everything you want to know about the COVID-19 vaccine. It is so important for you to give this one a listen, fiends. We promise it will put your mind at ease. Special thanks to our guests Dr. Stephen McBride and Dr. Lisa Di Enno, and to all of our fiends who sent in questions. Stay safe, everyone. Click to Learn More Critical Updates on COVID-19 HealthyChildren.org COVID-19 Vaccine in Pregnancy Decision Aids Dr. Lisa's TikTok WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On November 2nd 2007 Amanda Knox went home to her Italian Villa to take a shower and pack her bags before leaving on a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, but something was off. When Amanda arrived home she noticed blood spots in the bathroom sink, blood on the bath mat and her roommates were nowhere to be found. Shortly after that, the police would discover that Amanda's roommate Meredith had been brutally murdered in their home. In the series of events that followed, police would mistake Amanda's behavior as that of a guilty woman and send her down 4 year spiral of wrongful convictions, imprisonment and a scorching media character assassination that would change the way many of us view the legal system, and make many of us pause and think about which people in our lives we could actually trust. In the second installment of this case we will cover Amanda's time in prison, her trials, appeals and ultimate exoneration. We also explore theories as to what actually happened to Meredith and the person (people) who committed this crime. Click to Learn More Amanda's website with links to what she's doing now Dr. Saul Kassin explains false confessions WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation

On November 2nd 2007 Amanda Knox went home to her Italian Villa to take a shower and pack her bags before leaving on a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, but something was off. When Amanda arrived home she noticed blood spots in the bathroom sink, blood on the bath mat and her roommates were nowhere to be found. Shortly after that, the police would discover that Amanda's roommate Meredith had been brutally murdered in their home. In the series of events that followed, police would mistake Amanda's behavior as that of a guilty woman and send her down 4 year spiral of wrongful convictions, imprisonment and a scorching media character assassination that would change the way many of us view the legal system, and make many of us pause and think about which people in our lives we could actually trust. Click to Learn More Waiting to be Heard by Amanda Knox Honor Bound by Raffaele Sollecito Meredith by John Kercher WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here! Join the Conversation