For the fifth day of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas, we are headed north to Anchorage, Alaska, where we meet 52-year-old Mindy Schloss. Mindy had moved to Anchorage back in the 1980s by accident. Mindy came for a visit and never left. Mindy worked as a nurse practitioner in Fairbanks' psychiatric department. The commute from Anchorage to Fairbanks was a long one-hour flight, but Mindy had to make the trip twice a month. Her good friend Gerri would care for her cat Willy while she was gone wo...
Dec 17, 2024•43 min
It is day four of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas, and we are headed to the Midwest. Every city has trouble with crime. Just watch the news for an hour, and it’s pretty evident that violence occurs even in small communities, no matter how many disbelieving residents claim otherwise. However, some cities statistically have a higher crime rate than others, and many reasons and factors contribute to that. According to the U.S. News Real Estate website, Kansas City, Kansas, located in the middle ...
Dec 16, 2024•36 min
It is day 3 of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. In December 1995, 19-year-old Conan Wade Hale and his accomplice, Jon Susbauer, unleashed a wave of terror in Oregon. It began on December 4, when they ransacked a woman’s home, stealing valuables worth thousands and slashing furniture before fleeing. Days later, on December 16, they drove a stolen silver Chevrolet Suburban through Eugene and encountered two teenagers, Kara Krause and Jesse Jarvis, parked on a desolate road. After Susbauer posed...
Dec 15, 2024•28 min
We are headed west on day two of our 12 Nightmares Before Christmas. It was pitch black on a gorgeous night in the middle of the Arizona desert in October 2003. There was not a cloud in the sky, but billions of stars were observable by the naked eye because Bumble Bee Road is in the middle of nowhere. In every direction, there was nothing but 90,000 acres of rolling hills dotted with Saguaro cactus spikes. Brandon Rumbaugh, age 20, a personal fitness instructor, and his girlfriend, Lisa Marie Gu...
Dec 14, 2024•32 min
On the first day of our Seventh Annual "12 Nightmares Before Christmas," we are heading just north of us to Fairfield, Iowa. On November 2, 2021, the community of Fairfield, Iowa, was devastated when beloved Spanish teacher Nohema Graber, 66, went missing. She hadn’t been heard from since she set out for her daily walk in Chautauqua Park. Just one day later, on November 3, her badly beaten body was discovered—mere hours after she was reported missing. Authorities found her remains concealed bene...
Dec 13, 2024•38 min
We’re heading to Hinckley, Utah—a remote place tied to one of the most heinous crimes in Utah’s history. It was October 14, 1979, a crisp autumn afternoon in Salt Lake City, when four-year-old Alonzo Daniels was last seen playing in the courtyard of his apartment complex. When his mother checked on him, he was nowhere to be found. Alonzo had simply disappeared. Desperation set in as relatives and neighbors combed the grounds and nearby streets; their search turned up nothing. Police arrived, que...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 2 min
The summer of 1975 found the United States obsessed with Magic 8 Balls, mood rings, and disco music. People partied and danced to ”The Hustle,” all while wearing their hip-hugging bell bottoms. The movie Jaws dominated the box-office, and a new horror writer named Stephen King had just appeared on the scene, scaring anyone who dared to read his books. The people of Florida were going through a real-life horror story: Women, some as young as fourteen, were disappearing and turning up dead in cana...
Dec 04, 2024•47 min
On June 10th, 1983, the decomposing body of a well-dressed man was found in a desolate canyon near Los Angeles. John Doe #94 would soon be identified as missing variety show producer Roy Radin. He'd last been seen after meeting with a mysterious woman in a gold dress. Her name was Lanie Jacobs. Jacobs and Radin were obsessed with becoming Hollywood movie producers. And when their paths collided, it led them to a tantalizing film deal promising fame and fortune. But then, a twisted script unfolde...
Dec 02, 2024•5 min
The Memorial Day weekend brought swarms of tourists to Niagara Falls, eager to celebrate under the sun. Just an hour away, a group of local teens gathered at Wayne Fleet Quarry, diving into the water and marking the unofficial start of summer. Alison and her friends, thrilled to leave the school year behind, decided to up the ante by jumping from an old bridge spanning the quarry. But as they reached the top, something unusual in the water caught their eye: a large, bulky bag emblazoned with "US...
Nov 27, 2024•37 min
It was frigidly cold in January of 1994, with snow drifts a foot high, as twelve-year-old Rebecca Savarese made her way to Notre Dame Middle School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Suddenly, there was a man at her elbow. She was completely taken off guard because he had approached her from behind. She gave a startled jump, and the man said to her, “Do you see this gun I have?” Rebecca said that she had seen it. The man then pointed at his truck and instructed her to get in. Rebecca balked, and alth...
Nov 20, 2024•40 min
Like many Americans, Thanksgiving is a cherished occasion—a time to gather with family, indulge in turkey and stuffing, and celebrate the bonds that hold loved ones together. This Thanksgiving event hosts three generations of family ready to enjoy a day of food and good company. After a busy day of food preparation, the guests all take their seats to eat the giant feast. A tradition that the family has been doing for many years starts right after everyone is stuffed from eating, a singalong by t...
Nov 13, 2024•40 min
A listener requested episode. Thank you, Katherine! Thank you to Ana, who helped me with some pronunciations. I'm still not sure I got it right. By the time twenty-four-year-old Stephen Anderson stood in the doorway of the dining room on the 8th of February 1997 and announced, “I’ve had sex with a dog,” paused, and then added, “And a cat, too.” It was already too late for any intervention. The fates of the people seated around the breakfast table were already sealed. Moments later, Stephen Ander...
Nov 06, 2024•39 min
In the heart of Albuquerque, Pastor Greg Griego often stood before the fire department and the local jail, sharing his powerful testimony of redemption. Once entangled in the world of gangs in California, he had found a new path through faith, a transformation that resonated with those who listened. He was well-known and well-liked in the community. Greg Griego. Once a soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division, Greg had led a life marred by drugs and gangs. However, during a stint in jail in Califor...
Oct 30, 2024•36 min
This case is shocking. Shocking in many ways and I can't believe it's not talked about. The only place I've seen this is on Southern Gothic from our friend Brandon. When he first saw a small blurb about it in a book, he didn't even think it was true so he asked Lauretta to do some research. Sure enough, it is 100% true. As sensational as it was and is, I can't believe it's been forgotten. So after you listen, make sure you catch the Southern Gothic episode "The Curious Case of Knox Martin." In l...
Oct 23, 2024•56 min
It is January 8, 1981, and we going to Lassen County, California, where we encounter 21-year-old Kevin Thorpe. After completing high school, Kevin enlisted in the Navy, serving for three years before returning to his hometown of Ridgecrest, California. Upon his return, he met a young woman named Laura Craig at a social gathering. Laura, a mother to a young child, captivated Kevin, who was undeterred by her circumstances; his affection for her was profound. Their relationship developed quickly an...
Oct 16, 2024•49 min
In Logan County, West Virginia, there have been sightings of the ghost of a murdered woman that haunts 22 Mine Road. But underneath the spooky legend and sightings is a chilling story about the free-loving, warm-hearted Mamie Thurman who knew too much. It was the height of the Depression, and America saw the lowest numbers recorded on the stock market exchange. Prohibition was in full swing, and speakeasies and gambling houses permeated the town of Logan. On Wednesday, June 22nd, 1932, a berry p...
Oct 09, 2024•57 min
Today we are headed to Laurelwood, Oregon where we meet a young woman named Margo Compton. Margo grew up in Solano County, California. She was a bright child who made good grades and had good friends. Things started to change for Margo. Margo ended up getting married in August of 1969 to Doug Compton at just 16 years old. At first, all seemed good in their marriage. Things changed when Doug met new friends from the Nomads motorcycle club, an offshoot of the Hell’s Angeles. When Margo got pregnan...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 2 min
On a frigidly cold night in 1976, in a western suburb of Chicago, sixteen-year-old Pamela Maurer was hanging out at her friend’s house in Woodridge, Illinois. Around 9:45 p.m., Pam decided she needed a pick-me-up and told her friends she was heading out to get a soda. Pam put on her plaid coat and headed out into the frozen night, her breath billowing and catching on the wind. She pulled her coat close and made her way through the snow-covered neighborhood. When Pam did not return to her friend'...
Sep 25, 2024•42 min
On the morning of January 7, 2018, at 9:25 a.m., a chilling call was made to the 911 dispatch in Belgrade, Montana. A distressed woman reported that her neighbor had just come to her home in a panic, explaining she had returned to her residence to discover her two roommates had been shot. One roommate, she believed, was gravely injured but still clinging to life. Terrified, the neighbor had fled the scene and sought refuge, desperately asking for help. Law enforcement officers were immediately d...
Sep 18, 2024•52 min
On Saturday, February 20th, 2016, Matt called for an Uber driver around 4:00 in the afternoon in Kalamazoo, Michigan. When the Uber driver arrived at about 4:20 p.m., Matt noticed a dog in the backseat.. The Uber driver began driving recklessly, ignoring stop signs and driving into the median. He sped into an oncoming traffic lane, blew through a stop sign, and sideswiped a Ford Taurus. But outwardly, the driver acted like nothing was wrong. Matt was terrified. “Dude, you just hit that car!” he ...
Sep 11, 2024•42 min
On Sunday, August 23, 1992, Tammy Jo Zywicki, a 21-year-old college student, had just dropped off her 19-year-old brother, Daren, at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The siblings had been traveling from the East Coast, and Tammy was eager to return to college. During their journey, the car, a white 1985 Pontiac T1000, had been experiencing issues, requiring frequent stops to add oil or water. After staying the night, Daren advised Tammy to monitor the vehicle closely on her journey...
Sep 04, 2024•38 min
On the afternoon of September 19th, 1978, Carl Bridgewater, 13, hopped on his bike and started his paper route. In fifteen minutes, he arrived at Yew Tree Farmhouse, owned by Mary Poole, 79, and Fred Jones, 75, who were roommates at the farm. Both were elderly and answering the door often took them a long time. So, Carl was instructed to leave the paper in a basket outside. But if the door was open, he was supposed to take the paper inside and deliver it to them directly. However, Mary and Fred ...
Aug 28, 2024•44 min
It is May 24, 2000, and we are going to Tuscarawas County in Ohio to New Philadelphia. It is exactly what you think of when you say small-town America, with lots of farmland and friendly people. Elizabeth Reiser who goes by Liz is a 17-year-old high school student who is looking forward to graduating and finding out all that life has to hold for her. Her good friend 18 year old Brandi Hicks asked Liz to come over and stay the night with her. On this day Brandi who was in the school choir was goi...
Aug 21, 2024•27 min
Thank you to Nick for the episode suggestion. Content warning: Child death 2017 was a wondrously magical Christmas season. Heaps of heavy white snow had piled on top of Oak Bay on Vancouver Island, and everybody, except maybe the most die-hard winter haters, was excited at the prospect of building snowmen and sledding. On Christmas Day, Sarah awaited the arrival of her daughters, Chloe and Aubrey. They had been with their father, Andrew, the days before the holiday and were due to be home at noo...
Aug 14, 2024•46 min
It is just after 10:30 p.m. on June 3, 1999, and we go to 23-year-old Bobby Bornt's home in Perry, Oklahoma. He sleeps on the couch, and his 9-month-old baby boy sleeps in a nearby room. Suddenly, a loud noise startled him awake. Three men entered the house after kicking in the front door. The three strangers beat Bobby mercilessly, but not all were strangers; Bobby recognized 23-year-old Clayton Locket as the tattoo artist who had recently done some artwork on him. The other two men were 26-yea...
Aug 07, 2024•33 min
Thank you to Stacy for requesting this episode. After 32-year-old Rebecca "Becky" Klein didn't show up for work on March 16, 2007, her wife of seven years, Nicole Abusharif, set off looking for her. After driving around their neighborhood, she found Becky’s car, a white work van, parked on the side of the road near their home. The van was unlocked, and the keys were in the ignition. Nicole then called the police to report her wife missing. The next day, police found Becky's body locked inside th...
Jul 31, 2024•36 min
Today’s case takes us to Mason City, Iowa. It's July 25, 1993, and like most school-aged kids, summer is the reward after being stuck in a classroom for nine months. Six-year-old Amber Duncan was no different. After an afternoon of playing on a Slip 'n Slide with her best friend, Brittney, Amber headed home around 3 PM, still wet from a day of fun in the water. As the little girl waved goodbye to her best friend, no one could have known it would be the last time she'd be seen. But Amber wasn’t t...
Jul 24, 2024•48 min
On a warm, partly cloudy night in Vidor,(ViE Dur) Texas, a newspaper boy, up early for his route, noticed that a black 1991 Mercury sedan was pitched forward in the ditch just off Interstate 10. The ditch was located between West Bolivar and the freeway access road. He immediately called the police to report the vehicle and that he was pretty sure there was a body in the front seat. When the police arrived on the scene at West Bolivar and I-10, they immediately saw that there was a body of a wom...
Jul 17, 2024•51 min
Today, we are headed to Riverdale, Georgia, on August 2, 2004, where the Fayetteville Sheriff’s office gets a call from a 16-year-old named Sara Polk, who informs them that there had been a murder or two, to be exact, and proceeds to give them the address of the location where the killing had occurred. Det Bruce Jordan takes the call and arrives on the scene to find two people savagely murdered. The first victim, 74-year-old Carl Collier, was located in the kitchen, which had blood spatter every...
Jul 10, 2024•41 min
Greg stared at his phone and wondered why Joanna, his girlfriend and flatmate, wasn’t answering his calls. Greg had spent the weekend with his family in Sheffield, U.K., which was about four hours north of Bristol, where he shared the apartment with Joanna. Maybe she was just busy. It was, after all, the weekend before Christmas. But still, it wasn’t like her to not reply to him at all. Could her phone be dead? If it was, it had been dead all weekend because she hadn’t responded to his calls or ...
Jul 03, 2024•45 min
