A new funeral home scandal brings us back to Colorado yet again- a putrid smell leads investigators to find 190 improperly stored bodies littering Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, CO. This state's unique and liberated death culture seems to have a dark side, and we're finding out why. References: "Colorado hasn't licensed funeral practitioners since 1983. Now some want change." by Michael Abeyta, CBS News "Grisly discoveries at Colorado funeral homes fuel push for tougher state regulati...
Apr 05, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 2
We're starting out season 3 with a (very belated) Valentine's Day tribute to two couples whose deaths did not separate them. We visited the grave of the tallest couple on record, and we're also diving into an ancient love story with a terrifying ending. You'll also get to hear about the bizarre adventure we're starting out on for 2024...
Mar 04, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 1
If you listen to enough true crime podcasts, you've probably heard multiple cases where cadaver dogs played a role. But we wanted to know what happens before a dog even gets to its first case... we're looking into how they're trained and some examples of how cadaver dogs fit into the justice system. Resources: Cid Torrez vs. State of Florida, casetext.com "Cadaver detection dogs: A review of their capabilities and the volatile organic compound profile of their associated training aids" by Rushal...
Dec 04, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 14
American universities are giving a new meaning to dark academia with the rise of on-campus burials. We’re discussing our feelings about spending eternity at our alma maters, and revealing a conspiracy behind a historical college cemetery. Don’t miss our stories about the people who never left their college campus! References: “College Campuses with Cemeteries”, college times.co “Fordham University History”, Fordham.edu “Jesuit Cemetery, Fordham University” by Mary French, New York City Cemetery ...
Nov 10, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 13
For our second annual Halloween mini episode, we brought our friend John along for the cemetery shenanigans as we try to out-spook each other with (somewhat) true ghost stories.
Nov 01, 2023•21 min
How can we make the funeral industry more environmentally friendly? We took a trip to one of only ten conservation cemeteries in the United States to find out! Morgan will go over some of the most glaring problems when it comes to human burials, and Jenelle will explain some greener options (and debunk some myths too).
Sep 08, 2023•56 min•Season 2Ep. 12
An underground body snatching ring revealed? The body snatching story we covered in episode 9 goes deeper than we thought. We have some inside information as a recent suspect in the case has been right under our noses all along. References: "Bullitt County Man Arrested and Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon" Press release from U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky "Harvard Medical School Morgue Manager Sold Body Parts, U.S. Says" by Michael Levinson, New Yor...
Aug 03, 2023•49 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Ever wonder how bodies are handled after a nuclear accident? Radioactive corpses may be more common than you think, with certain cancer treatments leaving patients with radiation in their bodies after death. We're looking into guidelines for handling these situations, and what happens when they're not followed. Resources: "Here’s why you shouldn’t cremate radioactive dead people" by Beth Mole, ArsTechnica "Radiation Contamination Following Cremation of a Deceased Patient Treated With a Radiophar...
Jul 13, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 10
We're back with another corpse stealing scandal! A man was selling human remains on a social media page, and it turns out they were sourced from a mortuary worker who was harvesting them directly from the bodies she worked with. We infiltrated some online oddities groups to see if we could find some human remains for sale- and we were surprised by what we found. Resources: "Historical skulls, other body parts being sold on Facebook — report" by TOI staff, Times of Israel "Sicko sold stolen body ...
Jun 21, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Inspired by our trip to Colorado, we looked into a couple of post- mortem options that are unique to the state: fire and ice. Learn about the Frozen Dead Guy Days and the United States’ only public open-air cremation site in this episode! Resources: frozendeadguydays.com “Frozen Dead Guy/ 100 Wonders/ Atlas Obscura”, Atlas Obscura on YouTube crestoneendoflifeproject.org “Crestone End-of-Life Project”, Atlas Obscura. “Crestone End-of-Life Project”, fourcornersgeotourism.com “How did the Vikings H...
May 24, 2023•54 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This episode, we're talking taxidermy- human taxidermy. We'll be covering two of the most famous examples of human taxidermy attempts in recent history, and discussing the ethics of the practice. "English Philosopher’s Dressed-Up Skeleton Goes on View in New Glass Display" by Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Magazine"El Negro reburied in Botswana", news24.com"Auto-Icon"- Bentham Project, ucl.ac.uk"The History of Taxidermy", all-taxidermy.com"The Man Stuffed and Displayed like a Wild Animal" by Fran...
May 06, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Under the streets of the city that never sleeps, there is an underground burial room in the basement of an unassuming church. Join us as we explore the catacomb's dark tunnels and learn about the burial ban that led to its creation.Resources: "For $7M, spend the afterlife in a crypt at Nolita’s Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral" by Dana Schulz, 6sqft.com"No Burial Line of 1832" by Liz Volavka, History of Health in New York"19th Century Knock Seer Gets Grave of His Own at Old St. Patrick’s Cemetery" by...
Apr 12, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Learn how poisoning went from a household crime to having a branch of science dedicated to detecting it!Resources: "Arsenic's Afterlife: How Scientists Learned to Identify Poison Victims [Excerpt]" by Linda Stratmann, Scientific American"Poisoning Crimes and Forensic Toxicology Since the 18th Century" by Katherine D Watson, American Forensic Pathologist "Pick Your Poison—12 Toxic Tales" by Cathy Newman, National Geographic"History of Poison"- Wikipedia"Toxicology of Poisons"- Crime Museum"Guidel...
Mar 29, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 5
For St. Paddy's Day, we're throwing it back to our season 1 discussion of the mummies of St. Michan's crypts in Dublin, Ireland! We'll tell you about the history, some recent grave robberies, and most importantly, our own trip to the crypts. Resources: Jenelle's Ireland journal including quotes from St. Michan's tour guide Atlas Obscura- Dublin, Ireland- St. Michan's Crypts St. Michan's Official Website "Head of 800-year-old 'Crusader' Mummy Stolen from Dublin Vaults" by Sorcha Pollak- the Irish...
Mar 18, 2023•45 min
We're bringing you more postmortem drama! This case combines shady funeral home business practices with sketchy body donation transactions. Find out what happened when these funeral home directors went to court earlier this year! Resources: **Information on body broker bill: https://nfda.org/advocacy/current-legislation/body-broker-bill "Colorado funeral home operators sentenced for selling body parts without permission" by Phil Helsel, NBC News "Funeral home operators sentenced after illegally ...
Mar 14, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 4
We're diving into death lore to meet its creatures throughout different cultures. Morgan will be introduced to some of these beings through Jenelle's limited-time game show, and we'll tell you all about Britain's graveyard guardian, the Grim! Resources: "Charon’s Obol: Putting Coins on the Eyes of the Dead" by Sam Tetrault, Cake Blog "Charon's Obol and Other Coins in Ancient Funerary Practice" by Susan T Stevens, Pheonix Journal "Where Does the Concept of a 'Grim Reaper' Come From?" by Amy McKen...
Feb 28, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 3
What happens to your body if you die in a National Park? How are bodies retrieved from precarious places? We'll walk you through the process of a wilderness body recovery! Resources: "An Analysis of Deaths in U.S. National Parks" -PSBR.law "Mortality Dashboard Key Statistics CY2014 - CY2016"- National Parks Service "Ranger Confidential" by Andrea Lankford "Climber Madeline Baharlou-Quivey’s Body Recovered 5 Days After She Messaged for Help on Colorado Mountain" by Inside Edition Staff- Inside Ed...
Feb 14, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 2
We watched Pope Benedict XVI's funeral so you don't have to! We'll give you the rundown and also tell you some stories of papal embalming gone wrong. Resources: "Pope Francis leads funeral for predecessor Benedict XVI, a first in modern times" by By Sana Noor Haq, Sharon Braithwaite, Valentina Di Donato and Delia Gallagher- CNN "Benedict XVI’s funeral: How to watch, what to expect" by Joe Bukuras- Catholic News Agency "Pope Francis presides over historic funeral for Benedict XVI" by Gerard O'Con...
Jan 31, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We visited a small-town mortuary museum to see a hearse that was used in a film starring Bill Murray! We'll take you on a tour of the museum and give you a review of the movie "Get Low", about a man who decides to throw his own funeral party. Plus, we're making holiday treats using recipes printed on gravestones! Resources: "Peoples Mortuary Museum", https://www.cawleyandpeoples.com/peoples-mortuary-museum "Get Low" film (2009), director Aaron Schneider "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand: The Ext...
Jan 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 15
What happens when an Indigenous burial mound is turned into a Revolutionary War cemetery? We're discussing the fine line between preservation and desecration at the Mound Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio. Resources: "Marietta Earthworks", Marietta: Ohio's First Adventure "White Settlers Buried the Truth about the Midwest's Mysterious Mound Cities" by Sarah E Baires, Smithsonian Magazine Mound Cemetery National Register of Historic Places nomination correspondence "Marietta, Ohio’s Ancient Earthworks: ...
Dec 07, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Donating one's body to science seems like a beneficial sacrifice, but there is a dark underbelly to the industry. "Body brokers" are selling donated body parts- and it's all perfectly legal. Resources: "How to donate your body to science" by Lori Cuthbert- National Geographic Department of Defense Memorandum: "Army Policy for Use of Human Cadavers for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Education or Training" "How the body of an Arizona great-grandmother ended up as part of a U.S. Army b...
Nov 07, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 12
We're doing something a little different for spooky season! We'll be coming to you from a cemetery and reading real-life horror stories. Get ready to be spooked by tales of a murder house and an abandoned sanatorium! Resources: "The True Story of the Boise Murder House is Straight Out of a Horror Movie" by Alyssa Fiorentino- House Beautiful Daniel E. Rodgers v. State of Idaho, Docket No.22417 "The Story Behind this Evil Place in Idaho Will Make Your Blood Turn Cold"- Only In Your State Molly Sta...
Oct 18, 2022•24 min
With the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, we've been thinking a lot about the peculiarities of the royal funeral process. This week we're diving into a dark secret of one royal funeral... Resources: “1936 Secret is Out:Doctor Sped George V’s Death” by Joseph Lelyveld, NYT (1986) “King George V was murdered, not euthanised” by Gerrick Adler ( the Guardian) “The Death of George V” by Francis Watson- History Today “The Funeral of King George V” the Royal Windsor Website “Lying-in-State”- Parliament.u...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 11
We're taking you on a field trip for a lesson in grave cleaning from our friend, Joe Reisinger! Join in on our new favorite hobby Resources: "Charges filed over Jeffersonville funeral home where 31 decomposing bodies were found" by Caleb Stultz. Courier-Journal "Charges filed against director of Jeffersonville funeral home after bodies, cremated remains found"- WDRB.com
Sep 17, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 10
We're taking you with us as we climb treacherous Hjörleifshöfði in Iceland, where a Viking grave with a dark story lies at the summit. Resources: "Hjörleifshöfði Promontory in South-Iceland - The Blood Brothers Ingólfur and Hjörleifur" by Regína Hrönn Ragnarsdóttir, Guide to Iceland. "Hjörleifshöfði & Yoda Cave- A Star Wars film location in Iceland"- Arctic Adventures "Families watched as Lankford Funeral Home owner hands over records; 'There’s no remorse'" by Grace McKenna, WHAS11 "Indiana ...
Aug 23, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 9
We're discussing breaking news of an Indiana funeral home where 31 unembalmed bodies were found decaying on the premises. We'll compare that to the 2002 crematorium scandal where hundreds of bodies were left scattered across the property. Resources: "Mercury Emissions from Crematoria" by Susan R Maloney "State Requirements for Home Funerals"- National Home Funeral Alliance "New funeral home opens in Jeffersonville" by Tara Schmelz- News & Tribune Indiana Code, Title 25, Article 15, Chapter 4...
Aug 07, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 8
TW: physical and sexual violence Badass cheerleader Jessica Keen was found murdered in a graveyard in 1991. We'll bring you with us to the scene of the crime. Support teens like Jessica by donating to Huckleberry House in Columbus, Ohio: https://www.huckhouse.org/donate/ Resources: "Horror in the Graveyard: The Murder of Jessica Keen" by Verity Partington, Medium. "Jessica Keen" unsolved.com ; Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Slack- season 10, episode 9. "Foster Chapel Cemetery", morbidtourism.com...
Jul 18, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Rest in peace.... until you're canonized a saint. We're unearthing the mysterious practice of collecting relics! Join us for an interview with someone who knows a little bit more about sainthood than we do. Resources: "The (Not Really So Very) Incorruptible Corpses" by Elizabeth Harper- Order of the Good Death Blog "How Can a Corpse be Incorruptible?" by Josh Clark- HowStuffWorks "Saints"- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops "How to Obtain Relics?" by Father Kenneth Doyle- Echoes "Why d...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 6
Plot Twist is going on the road for the first time! Morgan and Jenelle are revisiting a Victorian-era pastime: picnicking among the dead. Resources: lakeviewcemetery.com "Remembering When Americans Picnicked in Cemeteries" by Jonathan Kendall, Atlas Obscura "Party Like it's 1899: Are Cemetery Picnics Making a Comeback?" by Patricia Hartley, Connecting Directors "Dying to Get In: When Cemetery Picnics Were a Thing" Intrigued Mind, Youtube
Jun 06, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Join us for our spooky shenanigans in Utah at Grafton ghost town and Hog Allen's grave. Also, tune in for our first interview ever! TW: postmortem grossness at the end. Native Land app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/native-land/id1194356597 Bird extraordinaire Nick Harris: @longwingslc @n.harrishawk Resources: Grafton Heritage Plaques "Black Hawk War" by John A. Peterson, Utah History Encyclopedia "Grafton Cemetery" Outdoor Family Adventures "Grafton Cemetery" findagrave.com "Grafton Ghost Town"...
May 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 4
