TRUE

Anyone can start a marathon, but not everyone crosses the finish line. Whether you’re competing against other runners or perhaps a horse, while running underwater, or with a glass of wine in hand, it really doesn’t matter as long as you give it your best. Some marathons are serious and proper, while others are complete madness! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Thornton II had everything. He was born into a wealthy family in the bluegrass state of Kentucky, went to the best schools, and had all the opportunities in the world ahead of him. He wanted to serve his country, so he joined the US Army. He wanted to serve his community, so he joined the police force. But when the excitement of busting bad guys became boring, he looked for it elsewhere. Andrew Thornton II found it on the other side of the law. It didn’t end well for him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Professional surfer, glamourous jewel thief, convicted murderer, reformed evangelist. Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy’s life took on many forms. Yet, Murf the Surf was best known for his daring robbery of rare gems at the Natural Museum of History in New York City in 1964, which turned him into a folk hero. That was just a few years before he was convicted of beating, stabbing, and shooting a woman to death aboard a boat in Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During a 3-week period in October 2002, a team of snipers went on a killing spree in and around the Washington DC area. Bizarre clues were left at several crime scenes, including a tarot card with the words “Call Me God”, adding a chilling twist to an already twisted case. With 17 people already dead and almost a dozen more wounded, police were in a race against the clock to capture the DC sniper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In October 2002, residents of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC became targets for a team of snipers. The two-person group was responsible for killing 17 people and injuring almost a dozen more. The kill team was well trained and stayed well hidden, making them incredibly difficult to locate or identify. Over several months, they terrorized millions of people and were the subject of one of the largest manhunts ever in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In July 1976, the small town of Chowchilla, California was rocked by the largest mass kidnapping in US history. A school bus carrying 26 students, along with its driver, was ambushed by a group of armed men. They were taken to a remote rock quarry and stripped down to their underwear. Each one was then ordered down a ladder into a container truck that had been buried 15 feet underground. They had no idea where they were, who had taken them, or why they had just been buried alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When police in the UK received a panicked phone call from a teenage boy in the summer of 2003, it seemed fairly routine. His friend had been stabbed and was in need of medical attention. Authorities were told it was a random, unprovoked attack, but that could not have been farther from the truth. In fact, the attack had been meticulously planned for months. The perpetrator was so unexpected and the whole situation was so strange, authorities almost dismissed the case entirely. England had never seen a crime like this before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In March 1989, when a 21-year-old student from Texas went missing while on spring break in Mexico, it sparked a federal investigation on both sides of the border. The search led authorities down a bizarre and gruesome rabbit hole of mysticism and the occult that included everything from drug running to human sacrifice. It’s cases like this that make you want to sleep with the light on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a man was found dead on a South Australia beach in 1948, it kicked off one of the most bizarre cases that country’s authorities had ever seen. With no identification and all the labels cut out of his clothing, police did find a torn piece of paper with two mysterious words. The words led to an unbreakable code in the back of the book. Had he committed suicide or was it murder? Why had no one come forward to identify him? That was just the beginning of what would become one of Australia’s strangest cold cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They can be high-tech or unsophisticated, but either way, the purpose of a booby trap is the same, to surprise the target. In 2002, a retired engineer in Belgium thought he would surprise his estranged family with not one, but 19 hidden traps around his house. Each one was lethal and each one was cleverly disguised. Oh yeah, and to find them, you needed to crack a series of codes. In 2018, a man in the US created what authorities would dub the Indiana Jones house. It might have something to do with the massive hot tub turned on its side rigged to roll down the steep driveway. That was just the beginning! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Fall of 1982, taking something as simple as a pill for your headache could have been fatal. That’s because someone was tampering with Tylenol capsules and filling them with cyanide. When it comes to risky pain relief treatment, taking an over-the-counter pill usually doesn’t rank at the top of the list. For those living in the Chicago area, however, it was gambling with death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s something both terrifying and fascinating about explosions. Basic curiosity demands that we see what’s going on, while our survival instinct tells us to run. When a fireworks factory in the Netherlands went up in flames back in 2000, onlookers thought the multi-colored sparks and smoke would be the extent. They had no idea it would become one of the largest disasters in that country’s history. Almost a hundred years earlier, a ship in the busy port of Halifax, Nova Scotia detonated, becoming the most powerful human-made blast prior to the atomic bomb. The thing about an accidental explosion is, you’ll never see it coming! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are accidents and then there are freak accidents. The difference is that when it comes to freak accidents, the victim will never see it coming. Whether you’re lying in bed, eating a carrot, sitting on the toilet, or out for a quiet day of fishing, it doesn’t matter how many safety precautions are taken or how simple the activity. In the end, there’s no way to predict when or how it will happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever been mistaken for somebody else? It’s one thing to share a resemblance, but what if the likeness is so uncanny that you could be a twin. In the case of three strangers in New York, it turned out they were actually identical triplets who had been separated at birth. The heart-warming reunion quickly turned to shock when the dark truth surrounding the circumstances of their separation came to light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As long as criminals have been breaking the law, authorities have been coming up with clever ways to catch them. From dressing up in ridiculous disguises to developing sophisticated technology, there’s apparently nothing law enforcement won’t do to get their man. What’s even more incredible than the crazy sting operations conceived by police are the crooks that fall for them! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re a fan of reading murder mysteries, you might be familiar with the concept of a ‘locked room’ scenario. It’s when the victim is killed under seemingly impossible circumstances, leaving the reader questioning how the perpetrator was able to get away with it. It’s essentially the literary recipe for the perfect crime. Yet, stories like this are not just limited to words on a page. There are plenty of ‘stranger than fiction’ cases that have left police scratching their heads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For over a decade during the 1940s and 50s, an unassuming man named John Christie was quickly becoming one of Britain’s most infamous serial killers. He hid the bodies behind the walls of his apartment, under the floorboards, and in the garden. But it’s not just the murders that makes this one of the worst in the country’s history. If you ever wondered why England doesn’t have the death penalty, it’s because of this horrific case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It must be a strange experience to wake up one day to find out that you’ve been declared dead. It’s something that celebrities know well. From Paul Rudd to Jeff Goldblum, it can’t be pleasant to find out the news outlets have killed you off. It’s not just the misinformation they have to deal with in the aftermath of such announcements, it’s all the conspiracy theories that come along with it! Fun times for the famous! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It started as a military outpost in the middle of the North Sea, but the small British stronghold once called Fort Roughs would soon become the world’s smallest nation – sort of. It might not be recognized as a sovereign country, but the Principality of Sealand has seen its share of international conflict over the years. From, pirate radio stations and mercenary invasions, to Guinness Records and its own royal family, this tiny territory is no stranger to excitement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the 1920s to the 1950s, nothing was more fashionable for the rich and famous than adopting a child. Unlike the Hollywood fairytale endings, thousands of children during that time were bought and sold in a real-life baby black market. For decades, the undisputed boss of that underworld was a charming and pleasant woman from Tennessee named Georgia Tann. To this day, she remains the most prolific child predator in US history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When neighbors disagree, it can often be the start of some pretty serious passive aggressiveness. Anonymous notes, dirty looks, and all-around juvenile behavior often ensues. But if that’s the most it escalates, consider yourself lucky. You could have a neighbor who decides to build a spite house. This is a structure designed with one purpose in mind, to annoy one’s neighbor by blocking daylight, views, and access to other areas. From Boston’s famous Skinny House to the Richardson Spite House in New York City, it’s amazing how far some people will go to show their frustration! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who doesn’t love a good movie? Whether it’s a romcom or an action adventure, sometimes there’s no better escape from reality. Behind the scenes, however, the reality is that movie making is a pretty risky business. From crewmembers being eaten by sharks to actors literally losing their heads for the perfect shot, the industry is not for everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes making it out in one piece comes down to good old-fashioned luck. In maritime history, the award for luckiest person goes to a woman named Violet Jessop. She not only survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but she also survived the sinking of another famous ocean liner, Britannic, four years later. Incredibly, Violet Jessop was aboard the RMS Olympic when it almost sank years earlier after colliding with a military vessel. The Queen of Sinking Ships eventually earned the nickname Miss Unsinkable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you've ever been in the North End of Boston on a hot day, you might have noticed the sweet smell of molasses. That’s because in January 1919, over 2 million gallons of the sticky liquid burst from a massive holding tank killing 21 people and injuring more than 150 others. Over 100 years later, the smell lingers. Or how about in 1914, when a beer tsunami killed several people in London? The wave was 15 feet high and contained enough beer to fill millions of pint glasses. And then there’s the burning river of whiskey that set fire to homes and businesses as it flowed through Dublin. Not all deadly floods are made of water! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2010, the body of 55 year-old Greg Fleniken was found inside a hotel room in Beaumont, Texas. It was initially assumed that he died of a heart attack. After all, he tended to enjoy life to the fullest, and there was no sign of foul play. When the medical examiner started the autopsy, he expected no surprises. So, it came as a shock that the body’s internal damage was so severe that it had to be from blunt force trauma. It wasn’t. A private investigator and the lead detective teamed up to uncover what really happened in the curious murder of Greg Fleniken. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Olympic games have always been the ultimate competition. It showcases the very best of human athletic achievement. But what happens when scandal overshadows epic performances? From a marathon runner who rode as a passenger in a car for most of the race to a skier who made the Olympics by switching countries 3 times. Usually, legends are forged in the heat of competition, but not in these cases! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1974, police in Iceland were dealing with two separate disappearances in just the span of months. In a country where violent crime was almost unheard of, the pressure was on to solve both cases. With no bodies, eyewitnesses, or forensic evidence, authorities were getting desperate for a lead. When a suspect in an unrelated case said she had a nightmare about one of the missing people, police seized the opportunity. That nightmare turned into confessions from six people. The only problem was, none of them had any idea what they were talking about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was one of the largest manhunts in the history of French law enforcement. In 2011, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes vanished after murdering his wife and four children and burying them in the backyard. Authorities were confident he hadn’t left the country, but after years of searching, he was nowhere to be found. When a body hanging from a tree was found in the woods, police thought they had their suspect. When human remains were found inside a cave, they were sure it was him. Each time, it turned out to be someone else. So, where could France’s most infamous fugitive be hiding? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a family of 6 and their 2 dogs went missing from their home in France in April 2011, authorities were stumped. When they checked the house, there was no sign of a disturbance and everything was neat and orderly. Police thought the family had simply gone on vacation. That was until a letter arrived stating they were suddenly in the US federal witness protection program and further communication would be dangerous. Seemed odd to family. When investigators returned to the empty home and scoured for clues, they found a lot more than they expected. What followed became one of the most intriguing and infamous cases in French history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In January 2012, over 4,000 passengers and crew boarded the Costa Concordia cruise ship for a week of fun off the coast of Italy. The luxury ship was called “the Ferrari of the seas” and like any sport vehicle, you have to see what it can do every now and then. That is, of course, unless it’s a 1,000 ft long, 150 ft tall floating city on water. In that case, maybe don’t steer too far off course? Solid advice that, unfortunately, was not taken by the captain. The result was a disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Like everyone else, even nuns just want to have fun. After devoting their lives to helping those in need, it’s hard to blame them for wanting to let loose every now and then. Some sisters find peace along the Las Vegas strip, trading Rosary beads for casino chips. But their holy connection doesn’t always pay off. To fund her gambling addiction, one nun in California is currently facing up to 40 years in prison after stealing close to $1 million from the grade school where she was principal. Across the ocean, a woman in Italy has avoided police for over 2 years by moving from convent to convent posing as a holy sister. There are tons of stories about nuns doing amazing work, but this episode is not about them. This one is all about when good nuns go bad! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to air travel, no one enjoys long layovers or flight delays. Now imagine being stuck inside an airport terminal not just for a few hours, but for years. That’s exactly what happened to a traveler who ended up stuck in France’s busiest airport for an incredible 18 years. Even more amazing, that’s not the only person this has happened to, nor is it even close to the longest! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Behind the innocent jingles and delicious frozen treats, the beloved ice cream truck isn't always what it appears. In the 1980s, criminal organizations in Scotland used the friendly neighborhood vehicles to conduct drug deals and sell stolen merchandise. Like any typical gang, protecting your turf often meant resorting to violence. It’s not always sunshine and smiles when it comes to serving up cones. Sometimes it can be sprinkled with arson, robbery, baseball bats, and even murder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Carlina White was a child, she was kidnapped from a hospital by a woman disguised as a nurse. It was 1987 and the case would make history, becoming the first infant abduction from a hospital in New York. It took over 20 years to solve the mystery of her disappearance and it wasn’t police or the FBI that figured it out. Carlina White is part of a rare group of people who were fortunate enough to solve their own kidnapping. These are some of their stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coal mining is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Explosions, collapses, and flooding are just some of the ways a miner could lose their life on the job. But in the early 1900s, not being a member of the coal miner’s union could get you killed just as easily. The Coal Wars, as they were called, saw striking union members carry out some of the most violent protests in the history of labor relations in the United States. Over the course of 2 days in June 1922, the town of Herrin, Illinois became the scene of a real-life horror movie as hundreds of armed strikers brutally murdered dozens of their replacements. The media quickly dubbed the killing spree the Herrin Mine Massacre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 lost power to both engines half way through its flight. The Boeing 767 with 69 passengers and crew onboard was flying at over 40,000 feet when the incident occurred and the chances of survival were not looking good. Without power, the flight crew would have to fly the 315,000 lb commercial airplane like a glider. It was a seemingly unwinnable situation with zero margin for error, and that’s when things got worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the motto "Money, Sex, and Joy", you could be fooled into thinking that being part of The Order of the Solar Temple sounds fun. Their motto might have sounded attractive, but the strict rules, complete loyalty, and oh yeah, dying at the whim of your leader might be a turn off. In October 1994, the world watched as the bodies started to pile up in Europe and Canada. Members and their families were ritualistically murdered before being ceremonially set on fire. This club is not for everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the new homeowners arrived at their dream house, they were touched to find a welcome letter in the mailbox. It was such a thoughtful and old-fashioned custom for 2014. But what they read was terrifying and marked the beginning of a nightmare that lasted for years. "Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood. My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know what lies within the walls? You have children. I have seen them. Once I know their names, I will call to them and draw them to me. Welcome my friends, welcome. Let the party begin.” It was signed The Watcher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s all fun and games … until you get caught. In the 1950s, game shows were all the rage. Producers were under immense pressure to make the shows entertaining to keep audiences tuning in. They quickly realized the guaranteed way to create drama was to rig the outcome. But when a disgruntled “loser“ blew the whistle, the hoax was revealed and the genre almost disappeared forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a boy growing up in Germany in the late 1880s, Hans Schmidt enjoyed some pretty disturbing past-times. If he wasn’t hanging out at the town’s slaughterhouse mesmerized by the carnage, he was slicing the heads off animals just to watch the blood flow. Years later, as a priest within the ranks of the Catholic church, he would go on to do far worse. By the time he was arrested in 1913, Father Schmidt had committed a long list of crimes, but it’s what he did to a young woman in New York City that sent him to the electric chair. To this day, he is the only Catholic priest in US history to be executed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever since the invention of the freezer, people have been using it for imaginative ways to store stuff. Why not? Why would you expect to find anything other than frozen dinners and stale ice cubes in there? But if you need safe and secure storage for things you don’t want people to find, there’s no better place. From the congressman who stashed almost $100k in frozen pie crust boxes to the 97-year-old woman whose granddaughter wanted to continue to collect government assistance, the freezer is the one place people don’t look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When two police officers arrived at the side entrance of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the early hours of March 18th, 1990, the night guard buzzed them in. They said they were responding to a disturbance call and had a few questions. Before he had time to react, the officers had him in handcuffs. Just over an hour later, the two men dressed in police uniforms exited the side door, loaded their car, and drove off with over half a billion dollars in artwork. Over 30 years later, the stolen items have never been found and no one has ever been charged. To this day, it’s the most valuable property theft of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s incredibly rare for astronauts to make headlines for anything other than their epic space adventures. But in 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak changed that when she drove 900 miles across the country to threaten her astronaut ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. With a successful career in the US Navy and NASA’s elite space program, she wasn’t one to take rejection lightly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Like any small community, it's hard to keep anything secret. But in the late 1970s, the quiet town of Circleville, Ohio found out just how deadly secrets could be. In a series of anonymous letters that brings new meaning to the old saying, the pen is mightier than the sword, a mystery writer used whatever information they could find to terrorize their targets. The letters, which number in the hundreds, have ruined lives, destroyed families, and left the people of Circleville terrified of skeletons in the closet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the only known case where a ghost helped police solve her own murder, the Greenbrier Ghost is not the only time the deceased have spoken from beyond to identify their killer. In their online blog, a victim documented the minutes leading up to his murder. And when a Russian spy was poisoned by a radioactive substance, he was able to tell officials where, how and when he was killed. Just when they thought they got away with murder, the dead had more to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1968, while most of the world was looking toward space as the new frontier, a group of adventurers back on earth was embarking on an intrepid voyage of their own. The goal was to be the first person in history to sail around the world solo…. non-stop! It was called the Golden Globe Race and would test even the most experienced sailor, both physically and mentally. No assistance, total isolation, and mother nature constantly trying to sink them, racers risked it all for the excitement and glory. Some would die trying. Nine boats entered that year. Only one crossed the finished line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most people have watched a high-speed police chase on television. There’s excitement and drama, but most of all, it’s the anticipation of how and when it will end that captures our attention. While most pursuits conclude with the driver pulling over and surrendering, some end in such spectacular fashion that even the police are left shocked. From driving straight off the edge of a cliff into the ocean to trying to get away backwards in a limo, some people will do anything to escape a hot pursuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It can be a zoo out there, especially in the world of crime. Just when authorities think they’ve seen it all, they’re reminded that, no, they really haven’t. In 2018, a man was kidnapped and held for ransom in a hotel room… by an alligator. Not weird enough? How about a parrot that helped put a murderer behind bars? Or the Florida Gators fan that used an actual Florida gator as a weapon? So yeah…that happened. You know it’s a jungle out there when animals get involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the events leading up to someone’s death raise more alarm bells than the actual cause of death, you know there’s a rabbit hole just waiting to be explored. The more chaotic and random the victim’s movements are prior to their demise, the more challenging it can be to put the pieces together. If the case doesn’t go cold, that is. The strange last days of both Blair Adams and John Wheeler top the list of bizarre cases of erratic behavior that still have investigators puzzled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a German convent near the River Rhine in the 15th century, a nun started biting her fellow sisters who, in turn, began biting other nuns. Soon, the convent was full of holy servants uncontrollably biting each other. From there, it spread to other convents throughout the region. Physicians at the time could find no medical reason to explain the bizarre behavior and it would be a while before the term “mass hysteria” was coined. The biting eventually subsided, but that wouldn’t be the last time a large group of people experienced a collective psychological episode, nor would it be the strangest. Not even close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s the short con and there’s the long game. The short con is quick, over in the blink of an eye while the long con can take days or even weeks. Then there’s Christian Gerhartsreiter. The game he played was on a whole different level. His con took place over the course of three decades and involved one of the most famous and wealthy families in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On January 25, 1972, an explosion ripped through the baggage compartment of JAT Flight 367. The plane tore apart at 33,000 feet. Metal, luggage and people fell to the earth. When the fuselage was found moments later, people were stunned to hear a scream coming from inside. They found flight attendant Vesna Vulovic, broken and battered, but still alive. She has the distinction of surviving a fall from the highest recorded height. She’s not the only one, however, to have fallen thousands of feet and survived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the world of medicine, there are plenty of curious cases that keep doctors guessing. Every now and then, however, there are things happening with a patient that simply can’t be explained. Such is the case of Gloria Ramirez, whose mysterious condition transformed her into a chemical weapon. With medical staff falling like dominos all around her, the patient would become known as “The Toxic Lady”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At first sight, Marilyn Hartman looks like the quintessential grandmother – white hair, petite, with a friendly smile and overall disarming disposition. You don’t really give her a second look. However, over the years, her unassuming natural camouflage has enabled her to sneak past security and onto numerous commercial flights, earning her the nickname “the serial stowaway”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since 1927, giant inflatable character balloons have been an iconic part of the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloons can be a staggering 6 stories tall and are maneuvered through the streets of Manhattan by groups of almost 100 strong people below. That may seem like a large number of people to handle a helium-filled balloon, until something goes wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They say that funerals are for the living, not for the dead. While traditions may vary, the sentiment remains the same, sending departed spirits off to their next adventure. For some of these rituals, the only limit, beyond the law, is the imagination. From extreme embalming, otherwise known as corpse posing, to Tibetan sky burials, where the entire body is devoured by vultures, there’s no shortage of fascinatingly macabre practices. Oh, did we mention erotic funerals? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In January 1935, just 24 hours after Roland T. Owen checked into room 1046 at the Hotel President in Kansas City, Missouri, he was found beaten and tortured. His wrists and ankles were bound with a cord, he had a skull fracture on the right side of his head, and had been stabbed multiple times in the chest. He was only semi-conscious and barely able to speak when police asked him if anyone else had been in the room, but he did manage to say one word before dying, “nobody.” That was the beginning of one of the strangest and oldest murder mysteries in US history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In late December 1980, a series of unexplained lights appeared near a US military base in England. The events took place over two nights and were captured by security personnel in detailed written documents and audio recordings. The case has been dubbed ‘the British Roswell’, but unlike the events in New Mexico, what happened in Rendlesham Forest wasn't classified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Think the solid ground you’re on is safe? For thousands of years, water has been slowly eroding the rock beneath your feet creating a chasm underground. Over time, that chasm became so large that it couldn’t hold up its roof. The roof that used to be your solid ground. So, it collapsed in on itself, taking you and everything around you with it. This is a sinkhole. Terrifying, unexpected, and in some cases, deadly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With over 53,000 world record categories, there’s no shortage of people wanting to be a title holder. Whether it’s stuffing hundreds of drinking straws in your mouth or free falling to earth from the stratosphere, there’s something for anyone looking to get their name in the record books. And these are just the tip of the iceberg for some of the coolest, most bizarre and incredibly ridiculous world records out there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Throughout history, there are reported cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion, but are these stories real? Can people simply burst into flames with no apparent source of ignition? In 1951, Mary Reeser’s body was found completely incinerated, with only a pile of ash, her skull, and her left foot still in her slipper remaining. Curiously, her apartment was untouched by the fire. Was she a victim of this bizarre phenomenon or is the truth too hot to handle?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2010, when eccentric art collector Forrest Fenn announced that he had buried a chest filled with precious gems and rare jewelry estimated to be worth millions, a modern-day treasure hunt began. The chest was located somewhere in the vast Rocky Mountains and with only 9 mysterious clues hidden within the lines of a poem, finding it wouldn't be easy. In fact, for some intrepid explorers, it would be their final earthly adventure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes there are clear reasons why a town is deserted. Perhaps it was a natural disaster like a drought or a flood. There may have been a man-made event, like a chemical spill. Maybe a once thriving economy dried up. However, sometimes it’s not always obvious why a place is deserted. Take Centralia, Pennsylvania, for example. You would never know from driving through this mostly deserted small town that a Hell-like inferno is roaring beneath the streets. The fire was started in 1962 and is expected to continue for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fifteen years ago, there were only a handful of priests approved to perform exorcisms in the US. Today, there are almost 10 times that. One of the most famous possession stories is that of Anneliese Michel who, in the early 1970s, underwent almost 70 exorcisms. Despite doctors insisting she had medical issues, the priests performing the rites believed otherwise. In the end, casting out the demons would cost her life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who came up with the crazy idea of traversing a rope hundreds of feet above the ground? It’s all about balance, not only on the wire, but also between risk and reward, adventure and insanity, life and death. If you're going to try walking the tightrope, remember not to look down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s hard to imagine anyone regretting winning the lottery. For an unlucky few though, hitting the jackpot was a curse, a disaster, and a horrible twist of fate that resulted in bankruptcy, injury, and even death. As the saying goes, sometimes a lot of money can be very expensive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carlos Rafael, the largest commercial fisherman in the US Northeast, found himself at the center of an investigation involving Russian mobsters, duffel bags full of cash, and fish. Millions of pounds of fish. The media nicknamed this charismatic seafood kingpin “The Codfather”.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Animals have been unwillingly dragged into human combat for millennia. Sure, you’ve heard of horses, dogs, and even dolphins fighting beside soldiers, but over the years there's been some curious out of the box thinking when it comes to animal warfare. Armored elephants, flaming pigs, bat bombs, and more. When we start involving animals in battle, things can get a little wild. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s scary to hear the question “is there a doctor on board?” when you’re thousands of feet in the air. But it’s terrifying to hear someone ask “is there a pilot on board?”. It doesn't happen often, but when passengers with little to no piloting experience are forced to take the controls, they better stay calm, have a pretty good sense of humor, and, most importantly, figure out where the button for the radio is located. In April 2009, a passenger flying home with his family found out why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some people watch superhero movies and appreciate the story. Others walk away inspired to become a real-life crime fighter. Wearing a handmade costume and mask, these crusaders patrol the streets every night, fighting for justice and keeping crime at bay. For every homemade superhero there is a homemade supervillain seeking to control the city. The battle for good and evil could be happening right outside your front door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Didn’t know there was big money to be made in pigeons? Yeah, neither did we. In one of the craziest money-making schemes ever, an unlikely mastermind known as the Pigeon King managed to swindle hundreds of millions of dollars from eager investors. Move over Wall Street, the scams are going to the birds! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From lawnchairs attached to giant balloons to homemade flying saucers, people have tried to fly in bizarre and creative ways. In this episode of TRUE, listen to the story of a 20ft wide flying saucer built by the Heene family that was launched while accidentally carrying their 6yr old son. As the balloon hit an altitude of 7000ft, the country watched in shock waiting to see what happened to the little boy everyone thought was on board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A podcast that features strange stories and bizarre tales that you won’t believe are real… but they are, because they’re TRUE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A lot of cool things have been happening behind the scenes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People quit their jobs all the time. Maybe it’s over money, or long hours, or maybe it’s because of a stressful work environment. Whatever the reasons, the process of quitting typically starts when the employee provides their employer with a notice of resignation. There may be some hugs and a few tears, but usually that would be the extent of any real drama. Then there are the not so normal departures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the 1970's and 1980's, you couldn't watch a televised sports game without seeing him. The most recognizable fixture in sports actually despised everything about it. He was there for the network cameras. He was there to deliver a message to the world, a dire warning of impending doom. But wearing a large multi-colored Afro wig and a fur loin cloth didn't help his credibility. However, the triple life sentence he received dramatically changed that image. The world would come to know him as Rainbow Man.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year, Santa leaves his base of operation to bring Christmas cheer to billions of people around the world. However, the holiday season can also lead to Santa going a little crazy. Here are some stories that will make you think twice about messing with Santa Claus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When a wealthy Manhattan socialite turned her mid-town mansion into luxury apartments, famous writers, musicians, and politicians lined up. The palatial brownstone, with its attractive address near Central Park and Madison Garden, was a New York City landmark and valued at almost $10 million. For years, things had been going well until a mysterious, yet charming businessman showed up one day offering cash for a short-term lease. Three weeks later, New York City police would launch one of the largest and strangest missing person cases in its history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's all fun and games until someone unwittingly assassinates a world figure. That's exactly what happened in 2017 to a couple of people who thought they were on a reality television show. Turns out they had unknowingly been recruited by a foreign government to carry out a deadly mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Dr. Michael Mastromarino lost his license to practice dentistry, he found a new calling in a dark corner of the medical world, modern-day grave robbing. He and his crew of organ and tissue harvesters set up a vast network to collect and sell as much bio material as they could find. Too bad none of the families of the deceased knew about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before Jack Idema became a tour boat captain in Mexico, the self-described super soldier moved to Afghanistan where he started a private prison. He ran it out of his rented townhouse and his team, Task Force Saber 7, used it to detain and interrogate suspected terrorists. Idema told everyone who asked that he worked for the US government. Problem was.......he didn't.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Swedish journalist Kim Wall began writing a story on amateur rocket building in Denmark, there was no way for her to know that it would lead to her death....inside a submarine. The bizarre circumstances and surreal conclusion captured headlines around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Using military-grade weapons and gear, two bank robbers turned the streets of North Hollywood, California into a war zone. For nearly 45 minutes, Los Angeles police faced one of the most violent and prolonged gun battles they had ever experienced. The police may have had them greatly outnumbered, but the gunmen had the police completely outmatched. As if taken right from a Hollywood movie, the drama was captured live on camera and quickly had a nation glued to the TV. This was reality television on a whole new level and would go on to forever change the way law enforcement operates in the US.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is a little different. It's a collection of bizarre stories not quite long enough for their own episodes, but are so strange that they deserve a place in the podcast. Most importantly, these stories were submitted by listeners like you! From a cross-dressing voodoo priest with major relationship issues to a Vatican cocaine-fueled orgy, these true crimes are truly bizarre. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The situation would have seemed absolutely normal had it not been for the location. Two women, casually walking together, both carrying bags. CCTV cameras followed the women on their precarious journey, six lanes of speeding cars and trucks just a few feet on either side. Without warning, the women jumped over the guard rail and ran straight in to the fast lane. One of them was immediately hit by a red sedan, and in the seconds of chaos that followed it’s amazing that the other was untouched. As the sound of screeching tires stopped, the one just hit by a car in the fast lane stood up and brushed herself off. Amazingly she had sustained only minor injuries in what should have been a fatal collision. When the police arrived, the situation appeared to be calm and under control. As the women chatted with an officer who stood between them and the highway, one of them suddenly made a dash into traffic. The officer managed to quickly grab a hold of her green jacket and, at least for a moment, was able to hold her back. She slipped out of her jacket and into the path of an oncoming transport truck. A moment later, the other woman, wearing a hat that read “Time to believe”, also inexplicably ran straight into traffic. The extraordinary events left authorities baffled. Incredibly, the strange and horrifying incident on the highway pales in comparison to what happened next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early morning hours of August 14, 2011, police were called to an apartment complex to investigate a reported assault. They arrived to find a man in the parking lot growling and hissing and wearing nothing but boxer shorts. When police attempted to restrain him the man took off running. As he tried to escape, he scaled two tall fences which, according to officers, he did with minimal effort. The man was cornered shortly after and taken into custody. Minutes before police arrived on scene, the man had broken into the apartment of a total stranger. The only occupant awoke to the sounds of hissing and growling right next to her and the moment she opened her eyes, the mostly naked intruder began biting her neck. Running for her life, the terrified woman was picked up by a passing car. As police were arresting the attacker, he yelled repeatedly that he did not want to feed on humans. When authorities put him in a jail cell, he told officers that they had to keep him handcuffed for their own protection. An officer was quoted saying, “He was begging us to restrain him because he didn’t want to kill us. He said he needed to feed.” He told them that he was a 500 year old vampire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As people in Chicago gathered around their TVs for the nightly news, sportscaster Dan Roan was reporting the day’s highlights when the screen suddenly went black. Seconds later, a new image appeared on the screen. There was no sound and viewers were no longer looking at Dan Roan. They were now looking at a strange figure in a rubber mask, sunglasses, a brown jacket, tie, and white shirt. Behind the figure was a corrugated metal sheet moving up and down giving the amateur effect of a 3D background. The figure moved erratically from side to side, back and forth, as if laughing hysterically. The lack of audio only added to the weird spectacle. It lasted for half a minute before station engineers were able to regain control of the broadcast. Two hours later their screens once again lost reception and turned black. The creepy masked figure took over the airwaves again. This time however, there was audio and what happened over the 90 seconds that followed is still described as one of the most bizarre television hacking crimes in broadcasting history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 year-old Terra Newell parked her car on the top level of her apartment building’s lot. Collecting her dog and purse, Terra exited her car and walked to the rear. The 5'2" tall Terra was immediately confronted by the 6'2" tall man who had been a few spots over only moments earlier. The large man put one of his hands over her mouth revealing a long knife in the other. He stabbed at her repeatedly, slicing deep into her forearm and another into her chest. She was able to knock the knife from his grip and the blade landed within her reach. Blade in hand, Terra went into all-out survival mode and attributed the popular TV show The Walking Dead for her sudden kill-or-be-killed mentality. She began stabbing wildly at the man, inflicting 13 wounds in all. If she learned one thing from the end of the world zombie show, she understood that the only way to kill a zombie is to destroy the brain. The final strike went right through his left eye, the long knife driven deep into his brain. As the man lay unconscious and convulsing on the parking lot pavement, the injured Terra called her mother and said “I’m really really sorry. I think I killed your husband.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One day in October 1997, several police stations across the US received phone calls from a youth center in Spain. The caller identified himself as the director of the facility and stated that a teenage boy from America was there asking for help. The police in the US put the caller in touch with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The caller from Spain went on to give a brief physical description of the boy and asked if there were any missing teenagers matching their records. The agent checked the database and provided the caller with the name of a teenage boy who had been reported missing several years earlier. The descriptions were similar enough to be a possible match, so the case details were sent over right away. Not long after the file arrived, the center for missing children received a follow-up call from the person claiming to be the director of the youth facility. He told the agent that the missing boy in the file and the scared boy standing in his office were in fact the same. When the call ended, the man calling himself the director studied the missing boy’s file carefully. It wouldn’t be long before he would have to convince the world that he was the missing teenager. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 year-old Gareth Williams was, by all accounts, an incredibly private person who disliked office small talk and did his best to avoid social events. In 2001, Williams went to work for the British intelligence agency known as the Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ. Nine years later, Gareth Williams would become the focus of an extraordinary mystery. His intensely private life became very public when the government agent was found dead inside a padlocked duffle bag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the mental disorder defense, otherwise known as the insanity plea, to the more common ones like self-defense, judges and juries are tasked with deciding if these arguments are believable. They listen to experts and witnesses, pour over exhibit A and exhibit B, and ponder whether or not there’s reasonable doubt. They do this for every case brought before them. Even more so, perhaps, for those few who claim they killed while sleeping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of the Barefoot Bandit continues. More stolen planes. More stolen speedboats and luxury cars. How much longer could he possibly elude authorities?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The legend of the Barefoot Bandit is the story of an epic crime spree involving hundreds of burglaries and millions of dollars of stolen luxury cars, planes, and boats. The crimes went on for years and crossed state and international borders. The crimes earned the Barefoot Bandit the unenviable title of FBI’s Most Wanted. But what makes the story legendary is that the Barefoot Bandit - was a teenager.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ahhhh maple syrup! The perfect addition to a stack of pancakes. Tapped from the good old maple tree, this sweet condiment is poured over millions of breakfasts every single day. Add to that the countless tasty treats and delicious recipes that use maple syrup and its popularity becomes crystal clear. With popularity comes demand and with every commodity comes a black market. Like moonshine during the dry days of prohibition, maple syrup is no different and with a value over 10 times that of crude oil, the market has become highly regulated. So when a group of thieves decided to steal some sweet liquid gold from a storage warehouse in Quebec, Canada, they weren’t about to stop at a couple of bottles or cases. Far from it. This would go down as one of the most lucrative and perhaps most unusual robberies in Canadian history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On a grey rainy morning, a white car drove up the driveway to a house in a quiet South Florida neighborhood. The driver parked and casually walked to the front door carrying balloons and a bouquet of flowers. When 40 year old Marlene Warren greeted the stranger in the bright orange wig, red foam nose, and painted face, she smiled pleasantly. Marlene had loved clowns since she was a child. When the grinning stranger handed her the festive balloons and flowers, Marlene remarked, “Oh, how pretty.” A second later, Marlene was dead and the clown bearing gifts would calmly walk back to the car, drive away, and disappear.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the afternoon of June 4th 2004, the small mountain town of Granby, Colorado would bear witness to a destructive scene that would last over two hours and leave their streets in ruins. Find more information about this episode: www.beyondbizarretruecrime.com Follow us: www.facebook.com/beyondbizarretruecrime/ twitter.com/BeyondBizarreTC Contact us: beyondbizarretruecrime@gmail.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices