Hey cryptic cuties, we thought it was about time we took it back to our roots, our Canadian roots that is. This time we bring to you 2 very interesting unsolved cases that couldn't be more different from each other. Kicking things off, Kelsey dives into a robbery that takes a surprising turn when the thieves return some of the items to prove they were the real robbers. Alanna shares the tragic tale of the babes in the woods, 2 unidentified children's remains, and the decades long search for answ...
Apr 19, 2024•1 hr 56 min
Ok, we could have called this episode a pseudoscience and a psychic horse, but I liked the alliteration so there we are. We love any fringe science, powerwe don't quite understand and stories about wild history with a dash of animal hijinks. This one has it all! So grab your furry friends and a nice apple for two wild rides! Kelsey covered the history of lie detector tests and their rise and fall in the courts and what we think of them today. We pick apart the science from the not- so science pa...
Apr 12, 2024•2 hr
Qué pasa cryptic cuties, are you ready to dive into some true crime and Spanish history? Kelsey kicks things off with a frustrating and cryptic case involving a disco, a vacant lot, and an unbreakable code. Alanna takes things back in time with a lesson on conquistadors and some of the crimes of the Spanish Inquisition. If you haven't already, check out our interview with Creepy Confidential, we had so much fun! Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mH3l8NBBXo Audio https://open.spotify.com/epi...
Apr 05, 2024•1 hr 55 min
Hey Cryptic Cuties, Happy Tuesday!! A very happy one indeed, with extra content! We hope you enjoy our guest episode on the incredible Creepy Confidential's After Dark series, where host Noelle, resident Weirdo Wisconsinite talks to cool indie pods with a dark side! Her show tickles all the same spots of conspiracy, cults, true crime and cryptids so be sure to check it out for your cryptic fix!! https://open.spotify.com/show/58snZTiijgk148GlrzZ0s2?si=ecd5472e776b4c5d Promo: Creepy Confidential...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 39 min
It's Cursed Gems: Bigger, Longer and uncut! This topic had been requested before and we just couldn't resist the magic anymore! Perhaps we're enthralled to the jewels pull already.... First we take you to the Stone of Awakening, aka the Purple Sapphire, which carries the weight of many deaths, other wild afflictions, etc., hence the curse. Then we tell you the tale of two "Black" Gems, aka once you go Black, you never come back! To life! but that's history for ya. Check out our Patreon bonus con...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 44 min
Howdy cryptic cuties, are you ready for an ep featuring two very different cases that both end with the ultimate betrayal. Kelsey takes us back in time to the wild, wild west, where outlaws ruled the land and bounties pitted friend against friend. Alanna covers the tragic case of Shanquella Robinson, where what should be an amazing trip to Mexico with friends has unexpected consequences for all those involved. How does a video come into play, well you'll have to listen to find out. Until next ti...
Mar 22, 2024•2 hr 10 min
(Hey Cryptic Cuties, so sorry this is out a little late, it was my birthday yesterday and I did not get my editing done. I know I'm a bad girl, ironically we talk about late episodes at the end of the recording, how odd!! Hope you forgive me my sins lol) Happy Freaky Friday, let's see how well you know your fairies! But be warned, most are not teacup-sized or full of pure goodness and pixie dust! Don't worry, we get to the pixies too. Kelsey teaches an overview of the motley crew of fey-type cre...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 54 min
Hey everyone, did you miss us? We hope you enjoyed our unexpected Darkcast feature last week. We are back and ready to dive right into two cases where what a person knew may have put a target on their back. Kelsey details how multiple witnesses disappeared just before they could testify against one very dangerous man, it's crazy just how many crimes he got away with. Alanna covers the life of a woman who became entangled with one of the most famous families of the 1960's. Did this lead to her ev...
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr 43 min
Hey cryptic cuties, we had to postpone this weeks ep due to scheduling issues. We hope you enjoy this Darkcast takeover from Hands off my podcast, hosted by Jasmine Castillo, were she details the continued disappearance of Matthew Jay Broncho. We will catch up with you next week! https://open.spotify.com/show/0mezp46XyIwEF5JKgiQqdK?si=fd7c2600b89641e3 Welcome to Hands Off My Podcast, your go-to source for ethical true-crime stories. We're dedicated to amplifying the voices of those who've been s...
Mar 01, 2024•23 min
Hell yeah it's time for another Haunted AF series episode! It's a tour of haunted abodes from the Hotel Coronado, to the village of Beauty and the Beast (Maurice, Jacques, all so very Francais there!), to a castle crawl of dark pasts and ghostly encounters! So you can check out, but can you ever really leave?? Not if you stay in a historic hotel or ancient castle! there is a possibility you will end up there for eternity! Mwah ha hahah! Ok but really we kinda want to go to all of the places, but...
Feb 23, 2024•2 hr 7 min
Hi everybody, we hope you had a good Valentine's Day! To help celebrate the day of luv, we decided to some times when love went wrong, sometimes very, very wrong.... Kelsey covers a love triangle involving some unexpected members of the community, listen to find out what happens when a woman splits up 2 long time friends. Alanna closes out the ep with a love confession that takes a super dark turn and changes the lives of both people forever. This story of survival is inspiring, and not somethin...
Feb 16, 2024•1 hr 24 min
This week we bring you a very special hand-picked, Fan-picked theme of Satanic Panic! It's catchy, it rhymes, but what's really behind the moral panic of the evolving eighties and into the nineties? Well that's what our Patreon member Patrick E. wanted to know, and boy are we glad, cause it's a wild ride! From the musical messages from the devil to the massive allegations of child abuse and wrongful convictions, it's a deeper dive than we ever imagined. Just how much harm came from it is equal p...
Feb 09, 2024•2 hr 7 min
What's up cryptic cuties? Welcome to what was planned as Kelsey's birthday ep, (but she went to Los Angeles instead) so here it is. Kelsey cover's a famous Serial Killer who has been compared to Jack the Ripper. Don't worry she doesn't get into all the grisly details this time, there were sadly too many victims to cover. Alanna lightens the mood with a very wild and entertaining tale of a prank that goes beyond anything you may have heard before. Listen to find out how 2 men's bet effected a who...
Feb 03, 2024•1 hr 39 min
After a brief bit of book talk, the gals put on their scrubs for some insane stories of mysterious medical mishaps. Which may be putting it too mildly... Kelsey kicks us off as usual, with a wild case of a Minnesota woman who defied doctors and all logic by surviving a sub-zero night spent outside. Having just barely survived our own polar vortex, ya darn tootin' this one shook us! Then Alanna leaves us with the strange story of Brazil's very own so called "Melting Man". Which got us asking ours...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 40 min
You guys, this episode is right out of this world(and may sound vageuly liek a 90's talk show, we're aware!)! Originally planned as part of our ET episode 106: A close Encounter of The Canadian Kind, it was cut due to length. And by that I mean, damn can we (I mean me, who are we kidding) talk our asses off sometimes! So it has been in the Illuminaughty/ Patreon vaults until now, when alas we didn't get a new one out to you in time, we decided to release it. Apologies, friends, and hope this sne...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 36 min
Happy 2024 cryptic cuties! We hope you missed us as much as we missed you. This week we have two interesting cases for you, starting with the disappearances of two young friends who went missing after attending a huge New Year's party. Did police catch the right person in the end, or is there an innocent man behind bars? Alanna wraps things up with the tragic and brutal deaths of the Petit family, who were targeted and suffered for hours at the hands of their attackers. Don't worry, next week wi...
Jan 12, 2024•2 hr 8 min
Well it's a wrap on 2023, can you believe it? We can't fathom how we just did Krampus last year only! LOL. Time for some urban legends, some of our favorite tales to revisit, our bread and butter baby!! We've all seen the movie versions from Western culture, like the hook man and the check-your-backseat-cause-it-looks-like-you-have-a-killer-in-there gas station story. We wanted to see if other countries have specific legends, or just what your local tales of horror might be. We spoke of the Slit...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 41 min
Welcome to our 2nd last ep of 2023, and the last true crime ep of the year! (insert confetti cannons and air horns here) For this weeks ep we each chose cases where a person decided to kill the rest of their family members, depressing we know... Kelsey tells the story of the Fisher family, a seemingly normal family with a few problems from the outside, and even more on the inside. Friends and coworkers are shocked after a sudden explosion rips through the neighbourhood, bringing about The Fall o...
Dec 15, 2023•2 hr 3 min
Magic Mirror on the Wall, who has the strangest tale of all? If you are anything like us, you like hearing odd and bizarre fairy tales and creepy "children's" stories! They are often short with simple characters and trumped up tropes- stepmothers are always evil! The poor boy turn hero and marries the princess, or prince! Short dude has long name like Rumpelstiltskin! Kelsey and Alanna curated a short list of strange stories for round one of what's sure to be a fun series we can keep coming back...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 44 min
Hello and here is part two of our Rogue Darkness takeover, talking about the tale of Hanna Cranna. Witch she may have been, however she rivaled Dean Winchester for her love of pies and watch yourself if you should deny her pie! Don't deny pie! That's the true lesson here. Hope you enjoy, and catch you next week!
Dec 02, 2023•17 min
Hey Cryptic Cuties, Kelsey and I had to postpone our fairy tales episode this week due to illness, we're sorry. But we picked a Darkcast Network pro to keep you company- Rogue Darkness, hosted by Raven. Check out their coverage here of Enriqueta Marti: the Vampire of Barcelona, and the second part will be the tale of the "Witch" Hanna Cranna. Clearly a cryptic conspiracy exists, or else that witch just really likes pie. Speaking of conspiracies, part 2 will be out later today as it's not letting...
Dec 01, 2023•15 min
It felt like forever since we did an international true crime ep, so this week we decided to cover 2 unsettling cases all the way from Kenya! (shout out to our Kenyan listeners). Kelsey kicks things off with the details of the Kenyan Starvation Cult, this recent and ongoing case has touched hundreds of families across Kenya. Alanna overs the strange death of Mercy Chepkosgei Keino, whose death has been attributed to a hit and run. But this case may be more than it seems, as the events leading up...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 55 min
Happy Friday, hope you're ready for more tales from the Rock, this time the haunts that linger after the homicides... Alanna takes us through some history of prisoners held here, which dates back to the Civil War era, so there's been tons of death and tragedy on the island. The solitary confinement cells pack a particular paranormal punch, so we get into what went on in the cells and who haunts them now. Kelsey tells us about all of Al Capone's activity after death, we talk about why he hangs ou...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 27 min
We have a special 2 part episode for you all, this week we cover some of the most famous prisoners to ever set foot on Alcatraz Island. Kelsey kicks things off with the Karpis-Barker gang, known for robbing banks and later for kidnappings, these criminals gained a lot of attention for their crimes. Everything came to an end when they chose the wrong person to target, someone who had a few friends in some very high places. Alanna gives us the run down an a handful of some other notorious inmates,...
Nov 10, 2023•2 hr 15 min
After cutting out 10 hours of cat cajoling, we have a short and neat episode about unexplained spheres, ghostly lights in the sky and other random oddities! Some subjects just can't be shoved into one category, or explained easily away. Unless you say its always aliens, which to be fair it probably is. Kelsey covers one of the lesser known phantom lights phenomenon of the USA, the Gurdon light. Why do these hovering lights seem to show up in places all over the country? Where's Canada's mystery ...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Happy Halloween! The best day of the year has arrived and so has the last installment of our Wicked Week. Today's traditions and folklore comes from Misty Mysteries, Horrifying History, Sinister Story Hour, Creepy Tapas and Cause of Death: 100 Seconds to Midnight. Happy Haunting, and thanks for tuning in!!
Oct 31, 2023•40 min
Hey Cryptic Cuties, of course we had to make an appearance on behalf of the cryptic community for this very special episode! Along with Alanna's story of the Nuckleavee from Scotland, you will hear from Book of the Dead, Misty Mysteries, Autumn's Oddities, Creepy Confidential and Creepy Tapas! We did the monster mash, it was a graveyard smash!!
Oct 30, 2023•50 min
We love witches here at Castles & Cryptids, so we're excited to bring you a Darkcast Cauldron of delights and Witch lore! There may even be a vamp in the mix, so grab your garlic for a very supernatural Sunday! Featuring stories from Beyond the Rainbow, Autumn's Oddities, Sinister Story Hour, Scottish Murders, Rogue Darkness, and Paranormal Peeps. Stay Tuned- tomorrow is Monster Mash Monday!
Oct 29, 2023•45 min
Saturday's special theme is true crime, so get ready for some horror stories to send shivers down your spine. Kelsey's featuring, or should we say, frightening us with the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, inspiration for some scary movies of its own. We also have stories from our fiends, I mean friends, at Darkcast like: Beyond The Rainbow, And Then They Were Gone, ODFM, Hands Off My Pod, Mythical True Crime, and Crime Over Cocktails! Hope you are enjoying our Halloween episodes so far! Keep it crim...
Oct 28, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Happy Haunted Friday! Today's ghost stories and horrible hauntings are brought to you by Book of the Dead Pod, Horrifying History, Autumn's Oddities, Burnt Marshmallows, Hands Off My Pod, and Paranormal Peeps! Buckle up, grab your Ouija board or maybe some protective crystals?? and let's take a trip where we will go as far as Edinburgh's haunted castle, but also visit Haunted Donkey Lady Bridge...it's bound to be a good ghosty time! Thanks for listening to #Darkcast Network!! Keep it Haunted AF!...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min
