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Alternative Interests

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Join Crystal and Kat as they take turns each week diving into all things weird, dark, and spooky. From True Crime to Cults and Conspiracies and all things Supernatural, this show is sure to capture all of your alternative interests.
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Episodes

Episode 148: Mark Van Dongen

Mark had been dating his girlfriend Berlinah for several years before he decided the relationship wasn't what he wanted; he broke things off, moved out, and started dating someone new. Berlinah could not accept Mark's decision and made repeated demands that he hear her out and talk to her about their relationship. She planned her retaliation that would assure Mark could never be with anyone else if he wouldn't be with her. The resulting months of suffering are more than anyone should ever have t...

Jun 18, 202556 minEp. 155

Episode 147: Cherish Perrywinkle

Cherish was 8 years old when absolute scum from the depths of hell befriended and gained the trust of her mother, Rayne, while they were out doing some last minute shopping. This heartbreaking case is difficult to tell but is an important lesson in staying vigilant no matter how charming a stranger may be. This episode discusses the murder of a young child and while we did not share explicit details of the horrors she endured, listener discretion is still advised.

May 28, 202557 minEp. 154

Episode 146: Benjaman Kyle

Benjaman Kyle was the assumed name of a man who was found naked and nearly unconscious behind a Burger King in 2004. For over a decade he knew nothing of his life before he was found, and despite efforts on several fronts for answers, he struggled to find his identity while also struggling to make a life for himself. The Last Unknown Man: https://newrepublic.com/article/138068/last-unknown-man Finding Benjaman: https://vimeo.com/34589969...

May 14, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 153

Episode 145: PSA - Sextortion

Sextortion is a steadily rising form of online blackmail, primarily targeting teenaged boys. The warning signs are easy to spot if you are aware of what they look like; we are aiming to increase awareness and create the opportunity for more discussions about this dangerous scam. Please be advised, this episode discusses suicide and several cases of children who completed suicide resulting from sextortion. For more information, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's webpag...

Apr 23, 202549 minEp. 152

Episode 144: Ben & Melissa Oxley

Melissa Oxley was suddenly jolted awake in the middle of the night after hearing a loud noise. She went to investigate and found the front door of the home wide open, and returned to find her husband, Ben, dead in the bed where they had just been sleeping together. The story she told dispatch, police, and detectives seemed odd and didn't make sense to investigators. After years of surveillance, investigation, and interviews, Ben's murderer was identified.

Apr 09, 20251 hr 21 minEp. 151

Episode 143: Jailyn Candelario

In 2023, 16 month old Jailyn suffered for 10 long days while her mother simultaneously enjoyed herself on a vacation with her friends. Content Warning: This episode is rough and involves discussion of neglect/abuse of a young child.

Mar 19, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 150

Episode 142: Colleen Ritzer

Colleen was one of those bright souls who worked hard daily to uplift those around her and lived her life being a positive influence to everyone lucky enough to know her. In her second year as a teacher, one of her students took her life and to this day we don't have a legitimate reason for his behavior. Colleen's friends and family live in her memory and celebrate the lasting mark she left on this world in her short time with us.

Mar 05, 20251 hr 22 minEp. 149

Episode 141: Ryan Waller & Heather Quan

When Ryan and Heather didn't show up on Christmas day and phone calls went unanswered, worried family went to their home to check on them. Police eventually made their way inside, and thus began one of the most grossly mishandled situations we've ever discussed.

Feb 19, 20251 hr 20 minEp. 148

Episode 140: ABCs of Cryptids - B is for...

Everyone knows B is for Bigfoot when we're talking Cryptids, but we're sharing a couple lesser known beasts including a Wisconsin canine, an adorable (if sensitive) Scottish friend, and a Pacific Northwest hybrid.

Feb 06, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 147

Kate Webster

Another woman of many names: born Catherine Lawler, resurfaced as Kate Webster, playing at Kate Thomas... One thing that remains consistent is that she lies.

Jan 08, 202553 minEp. 146

Episode 138: The Kunz Family Murders

In the small rural town of Athens, Wisconsin, the Kunz family were known as strange loners at the center of decades worth of rumors. On July 4th, 1987 the entire family save for one member was murdered in their home, stirring up more rumors that still exist today. There was a conviction in relation to their deaths, but there is much speculation as to whether true justice was served.

Dec 04, 202447 minEp. 145

Episode 137: The Porco Family

One morning Peter Porco went about his daily routine, waking up, getting dressed, making coffee and breakfast, and ultimately succumbing to devastating injuries sustained in a horrific attack on both he and his wife the night before. This highly unusual crime has a not altogether surprising culprit, though the star witness in his defense makes this story truly memorable.

Nov 20, 202448 minEp. 144

Episode 136: Elyse Pahler (Revisited)

Elyse Pahler was a spunky 15 year old girl in 1995, enjoying all the perks of being an adventurous teenager. She had a wide variety of passions and interests and had an entire bright future ahead of her. Unfortunately, three boys she trusted and thought were her friends took it upon themselves to use her in their twisted violent scheme which they believed would bring them the success they couldn't be bothered to actually work for.

Nov 06, 202452 minEp. 143

Episode 135: Yorkshire's Pathetic Crossbow Killer

Stephen Griffiths fancied himself a criminal mastermind, and a superior creature above the lowly human race. He is best known for a moniker he gave himself in the courtroom, widely believed to be a publicity stunt. Stephen targeted women struggling with addiction who were working toward getting their lives in order, and he relished the attention he got from his confession.

Oct 23, 20241 hrEp. 142

Episode 134: Max DeVries

Max DeVries went missing while on a family vacation in Aruba on May 12th, 2004. His mother has worked tirelessly the last 20 years searching for her son and trying to get any kind of law enforcement involvement to move the search forward. Please share his story to bring justice for Max. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ycdevries Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62321359000/...

Oct 09, 20241 hr 3 minEp. 141

Episode 133: Hannah Upp (Revisited)

Hannah Upp is a bright, beautiful soul missing from St. Thomas. She went missing in September of 2017 in the days between Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. Due to the chaos surrounding the island in those days, she could be anywhere. Furthermore, due to a neurological condition, she may be unaware that she is Hannah. Hannah is 5'7" with light brown hair and eyes and as of the release of this episode she would be 40 years old. Her family remains hopeful she will be found. Find Hannah Upp Facebo...

Sep 25, 202450 minEp. 140

Episode 132: Appalachian Cryptids

There is no shortage of cryptids in the Appalachian region of the United States, and guest host Jane came back to talk about a few! We discuss Bigfoot's Appalachian cousins in the north and south, as well as a reptilian cryptid famous in Ohio.

Sep 11, 202456 minEp. 139

Episode 131: Unsolved Murders on Bumble Bee Road

On October 17, 2003 Lisa Gurrieri and Brandon Rumbaugh were celebrating their one year anniversary by recreating their first date. They drove out to Bumble Bee Road just north of Phoenix, Arizona to spend an evening stargazing and camping out. Tragically, Lisa and Brandon were murdered that night, and their families have gone over 20 years without answers of who or why. If you or someone you know was camping in the vicinity of I-17 and Bumble Bee Road on October 17, 2003 and know anything or thi...

Aug 30, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 138

Episode 130: The Chung-Gerrish Family

In August of 2021, Jonathan Gerrish and his wife Ellen Chung took their young daughter Miju out for a typical family nature outing and didn't come home. When their nanny came for her scheduled shift and found a suspiciously empty home, she immediately knew something was wrong. When the young family along with their dog were all found dead in the middle of a hiking trail, law enforcement worked to figure out the mystery of where they had been and what had happened.

Aug 14, 202441 minEp. 137

Episode 129: Tatiana Tarasoff

When one young man's vision for the dream relationship with the love of his life is stripped away, his obsession and inability to move on led him to murder the woman he adored. Today's case is one that many may not know, but almost everyone is aware of the legislation changes that came as a result of this terrible murder.

Jul 31, 202450 minEp. 136

Episode 128: Natasha Ryan

17 year old Natasha Ryan disappeared one day without a trace after leaving for school one morning. Despite a history of running away in the past, her family felt this time was different and spent years searching for her. When other young women in the small Australian town of Rockhampton also went missing a man was brought to trial for their murders along with Natasha's. In a baffling turn of events, criminal proceedings brought to light the surprising truth of Natasha's disappearance.

Jul 10, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 135

Episode 127: Tsutomu Miyazaki

This poor excuse for a human is truly one of the worst we have covered on this podcast and so we must give a warning now that this episode discusses murder and sexual abuse of young children, please listen at your own discretion. Tsutomu Miyazaki held zero remorse or regret for his actions, and actually blamed a minor developmental deformity as well as an unsubstantiated alter-ego for what he did to the sweet young girls he victimized. We had nothing positive to say about him at the end of this ...

Jun 26, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 134

Episode 126: Lacey Fletcher

Many of us know what it is like to hit a rough patch with our mental health and are familiar with the struggles that can overwhelm someone in the midst of a mental health crisis. In this episode we discuss the tragic and senseless death of Lacey Fletcher, whose mental health struggles went far beyond anything imaginable and leaves us questioning where the line is between family support and enabling behavior. We don't have answers, but we know this went far beyond that line.

Jun 12, 202449 minEp. 133

Episode 125: Sweepstakes Life

Reality television has been popular for decades, with some shows taking more risks than others in the chase for viewers; in the late 90s in Japan, one game show network pushed boundaries to extremes. One season of the show featured 22 year old Tamoaki Hamatsu, following his journey living in a small apartment for months. Tamoaki's months in this show illustrate the very worst of what network producers will do to someone for the sake of entertainment.

May 29, 202441 minEp. 132

Episode 124: Hell on Wheels

This week's episode discusses the recent case resulting in the loss of the potential of three vibrant young lives after a car crash. The driver, dubbed "Hell on Wheels" by the judge, changed the trajectory of not only the people in the car, but countless other lives touched by them.

May 15, 202455 minEp. 131

Episode 123: The Samaritan Foundation

The Samaritan Foundation was a short lived organization of individuals that shared the beliefs of their leader, Linda Greene. We discuss how Allen Ross became involved with the Samaritans, and ultimately how that connection resulted in his murder, as well as the George family's dissolution at the influence of the Foundation.

May 01, 20241 hr 17 minEp. 130

Episode 122: Hannah Clarke

Hannah Clarke and Rowan Baxter had what appeared to be the picture perfect marriage, cultivating a public image of a family of fitness enthusiasts in love with each other and their three beautiful children. We must remember, however, that social media is only one small look into someone's life, and the secrets hiding in this family came to a devastating and horrific end no one could have seen coming.

Apr 17, 202457 minEp. 129

Episode 121: Oba Chandler

Part 2 of 2 After Jo, Michelle, and Christe Rogers' bodies were found in Tampa bay, investigators searched for leads to find their killer. After one woman's tips repeatedly went overlooked, they finally found a lead suspect in Oba Chandler. In this episode we discuss Oba's background, the trial, and the aftermath for Hal Rogers and a postmortem discovery involving Oba.

Apr 03, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 128

Episode 120: Jo, Michelle, and Christe Rogers

Part 1 of 2 Jo and Hal Rogers raised their daughters Michelle and Christy on their dairy farm, working hard together to keep things running. In 1989, after a year dealing with lawyers, police, and the legal system, Jo decided to take the girls on a cross country road trip to get away from the small town rumor mill. Unfortunately, they would never return home. Link to "Angels and Demons" by Thomas French: https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/classics/angels-and-demons/chapter-1-sunset/...

Mar 27, 20241 hr 17 minEp. 127

Episode 119: Bobbie Jo and Lisa

In this episode we explore one of the most inexplicably horrible crimes that can be committed, and the two women involved. We discuss Lisa's troubled and traumatic upbringing, the circumstances that led Bobbie Jo to cross paths with her, and ultimately Bobbie Jo's murder.

Mar 13, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 126
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