Reliably living to 100 years old – a once unthinkable goal – is slowly creeping closer to becoming a reality. But there’s a catch: we’re still not entirely sure how it works… On the one hand, a healthy, stress-free, and activity-rich lifestyle (with a bit of actually-rich thrown in for good measure) does seem to have a legitimate effect on your mortality. However, some people seem to be able to rip ciggies, drink wine, and still live to a ripe old age. So what gives? -- Patreon - Ad-free & B...
Jun 23, 2026•22 min•Ep. 218
You’re free falling towards the ground at 120mph, and below you all you can see is an expanse of open wilderness. What are you going to do? Had you not listened to this ShortHand, you’d most likely panic and die. Luckily for you though, we’ve decided to give you a comprehensive (without assuming any legal responsibility) guide to what to do if you find yourself in a spot of bother. From the best way to hit the ground to finding your way back to civilization, this is the ShortHand. -- Patreon - A...
Jun 19, 2026•20 min•Ep. 217
They say money can’t buy happiness… And that certainly proved true in 1972, when Tony Baekeland – heir to the Bakelite plastic dynasty – plunged a knife into his mother Barbara’s heart in their London penthouse. But behind the lurid headlines lay a trail of dysfunctional family secrets, taboo mother-son incest and twisted DIY conversion therapy: all washed down by a toxic cocktail of wealth and excess. And after being released from Broadmoor Hospital, Tony would strike again... Was this poor lit...
Jun 18, 2026•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 455
From crypto scams to ‘diet tea’, intellectual property fraud and everything in between, clan Kardashian has set the blueprint for turning followers and influence into cold, hard cash. This is the run down on how Kim, Kylie, Kris and the rest of the gang have put their fame to work – and how a small “community church” in Los Angeles allows them to keep their finances well behind closed doors... -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
Jun 16, 2026•25 min•Ep. 216
If someone told you they could read your mind, levitate, walk through walls, or make your heart explode in your chest, you’d probably either say they were crazy or wait to hear the punchline, and you’d be right to do so. But for over 30 years, the US government spent tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money attempting to create psychic super soldiers of the future, with all those skills and more. This is the ShortHand on Jim Channon and the First Earth Battalion. -- Patreon - Ad-free & ...
Jun 12, 2026•27 min•Ep. 215
When Omar Mateen stepped into Orlando’s Pulse nightclub and fired into the crowd, 10 years ago this week, it was the start of three hours of unimaginable terror for the city’s gay community. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. The FBI rushed to explain it. The media searched for answers. But as investigators uncovered Mateen’s history, the picture only got more complicated. There were zero clear ties to any terrorist groups. And then, reports emerged that he had been a regular at the club,...
Jun 11, 2026•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 454
Back in 1483, two young princes mysteriously vanished from the Tower of London… And more than 500 years later, we’re still arguing about what happened to them. Were Edward V and his little brother Richard murdered on the orders of their dastardly uncle, Richard III? Or did they secretly survive – becoming pretenders to the throne amid the bloody War of the Roses? From Tudor propaganda to academic skulduggery, we’re digging up one of Britain’s greatest unsolved mysteries. -- Patreon - Ad-free &am...
Jun 09, 2026•31 min•Ep. 214
Netflix's new drama 'The Witness' and documentary 'The Murder of Rachel Nickell' have brought Rachel Nickell's case back into public attention. For the true story behind the murder that rocked the UK, we've resurfaced our episode from February 2023. -- Rachel Nickell’s brutalised body was found on Wimbledon Common with her two-year-old son Alex wiping her bloodied face and begging her to 'wake up'. The nature of the broad daylight attack and the horrific injuries put enormous pressure on the Met...
Jun 05, 2026•57 min•Ep. 10054
The 1994 excavation of curious buried ruins in southeastern Turkey might have chucked a big rock through the window of archaeological history – shattering everything we thought we knew about our ancient ancestors. With its intricate carvings, and towering megaliths built long before the wheel or even written language, Göbekli Tepe could rewrite the story of civilisation. But who built it? And why ? Join us on a journey into the distant past as we attempt to find out. -- Patreon - Ad-free & B...
Jun 05, 2026•32 min•Ep. 213
Two chainsaws and a paddling pool; a very public relationship; along with a litany of texts and Discord messages, all pointing to one thing: David “D4vd” Burke killed Celeste Rivas Hernandez. In the eyes of the public, it was that simple. And yet, it took prosecutors seven months to arrest and charge Burke with Celeste Hernandez’s death, even after her body was found decomposing in his car. Why? -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
Jun 04, 2026•52 min•Ep. 453
Naked, clutching the telephone receiver, and with a stomach full of prescription meds, Marilyn Monroe was pronounced dead at 4:25am on the 5th of August 1962. Today, a century after her birth, the iconic “blonde bombshell” is still one of the most famous people who has ever lived. She epitomised Hollywood: the fame, the fortune, and the chaos. Rumours placed her in bed with two Kennedys – and under surveillance from the FBI and CIA. Marilyn Monroe was the tainted American Dream. Could someone so...
Jun 02, 2026•33 min•Ep. 212
The KKK are the OG far-right trolls: one of the most evil groups in US history, and the best-known purveyors of white racism in the United States. They have been responsible for countless deaths and acts of discrimination – but where did it all begin? And what do wizards and dragons have to do with it? This is the ShortHand. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
May 29, 2026•29 min•Ep. 211
Dismembered and stuffed into the “frunk” of David “D4vd” Burke’s Tesla: 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez's body was found more than four months after she visited the up-and-coming singer’s house in the Hollywood Hills. Immediately, the story exploded across the internet. Burke had always maintained that he’d only met Celeste once, and that he didn’t know that she was underage. However, Burke’s fanbase knew all too well that this wasn’t the truth. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouT...
May 28, 2026•1 hr•Ep. 452
Shot and killed in front of a crowd of terrified onlookers, Harambe, a western lowland gorilla, will go down in history. His death – seemingly while trying to rescue a small boy who had fallen into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Biological Gardens – caused ripples across the world. On the ten year anniversary of his death, we try to answer the million-dollar question: did Harambe need to die? -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagr...
May 26, 2026•21 min•Ep. 210
She was days away from a major race. A rising star in cycling. Then, she was found shot to death in a friend's apartment. We're sharing an episode of Clues, a true crime podcast hosted by Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore. Each week, Morgan and Kaelyn take you deep into the world of the most notorious crimes, uncovering the hidden details, analyzing the overlooked evidence, and following the trail of clues behind some of the biggest cases in history. New episodes of Clues drop every Monday. Clues i...
May 25, 2026•1 hr 25 min
What if we told you that the brand responsible for some of your favourite foods and drinks, has also been accused of being responsible for the deaths of over 10 million babies? Yes, you read that correctly. Nestlé, the biggest food and beverage company in the world, is also at the heart of one of the most heinous corporate crime cases in history. This is the ShortHand. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
May 22, 2026•23 min•Ep. 209
“Juiced to his gills” on a combination of testosterone, steroids, and god knows what else, three times Olympic medalist James Magnussen put on over 30 lbs of lean muscle in just a few months, risking his health, his reputation and his legacy, all in an attempt to break the 50m freestyle world record, and launch the ‘Enhanced Games’ into history books. Yet, two years later, the classic thought experiment of “the Olympics – but everyone can take whatever substances they want” has struggled to get ...
May 21, 2026•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 451
Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, changed the course of English history – despite being queen for just 1,000 days before her beheading at the Tower of London. And despite being one of the most infamous and influential figures ever to sit the throne, people still get Anne wrong. This is the Tudor ShortHand. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
May 19, 2026•33 min•Ep. 208
In 2024, a year on from RedHanded’s episode on the Murdaugh Family Murders, we had the great pleasure of talking to Mandy Matney, the foremost independent expert on the Murdaugh family and their rampant trail of destruction through South Carolina. Mandy filled us in on everything that happened since we last checked in – including Stephen Smith’s death being re-classified as a murder and the potential for a retrial. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes Ti...
May 15, 2026•25 min•Ep. 207
BREAKING NEWS: Alex Murdaugh WILL face a new trial. A South Carolina court has overturned the 2023 murder convictions of ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh. Five out of five Supreme Court judges ruled that he deserved a new trial because the jury had been unfairly biased against him. Listen to our full episode from 2023, to get the full story on one of the most sprawling true crime cases out there… -- The Murdaugh murders are not one story; they are a seemingly endless web of lies, entitlement, and confusi...
May 14, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 10053
As wrongful convictions go, the trial of Leo Schofield – who stood accused of killing his young wife Michelle Schofield – had it all: bias, speculation, and pure fabrication. And through the years, through a combination of bad luck and bad representation, Schofield stayed behind bars. In this second part, we look at how this cold case finally warmed up, thanks in no small part to the journalists behind Bone Valley. And, the bigger question: if not Leo, then who? -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus ...
May 14, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 450
Critically lauded dance troupe, or sinister, human-trafficking, brainwashing, child-abusing cult? However you slice it, there is a lot more going on to Shen Yun than the glitzy public posters let on. This week we open the curtain on Shen Yun, and the cult behind it, Falun Gong – whose founder Li Hongzhi believes he can levitate, predict the future and read his followers’ minds. So: what does Falun Gong want to achieve? What do we make of their claims of torture, at the hands of the Chinese gover...
May 12, 2026•27 min•Ep. 206
A deadly virus that causes hydrophobia, frothing at the mouth and delirious aggression might sound more like science fiction than real life. But that’s what awaited 15-year-old Jeanna Giese when she was bitten by a rabid bat in 2004. This is the history of one of the oldest and most deadly viruses known to man – and how a 15-year-old girl and her doctor managed to overcome it, against all odds. This is the ShortHand. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes ...
May 08, 2026•24 min•Ep. 205
When the body of 18-year-old Michelle Schofield was found in a canal in Bone Valley, Florida, the police quickly closed in on her guitar-playing, heavy-metal husband, Leo Schofield. Leo claimed to be innocent, but investigators couldn’t shake the fact that Leo’s own father had been the one to discover Michelle’s body - after receiving “a message from God”… -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
May 07, 2026•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 449
Party favours full of drugs, a hose-down rubber sex balcony, and Bianca Jagger on a real horse. It’s often said that the brightest flames burn for the shortest time – and by god did Studio 54 burn bright. Under the helm of Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, 254 West 54th was the single coolest place on the planet – and set the blueprint for exclusive nightclubs to this day. Bowie, Warhol, the Jaggers, and every other celebrity you could think of felt lucky to set foot on its gigantic dance floor. Bu...
May 05, 2026•28 min•Ep. 204
Zombies, incantations and dolls full of pins… the version of voodoo that most of us get has been suffused with decades of Hollywood magic, and a dusting of light xenophobia. But the reality of Haitian vodou is much more complex – and way more fascinating. So, how did slaves reconcile their own folklore and religions, with the Catholicism that colonisers were forcing down their throats? Who are the main lwa – or spirits – of vodou? And how can an offering of black coffee, rum and cigars help you ...
May 01, 2026•24 min•Ep. 203
Trapped in a soundproof underground bunker, sleeping in a coffin-shaped box, abused and forced to watch news footage of her December 1992 disappearance on a loop, 10-year-old Katie Beers wondered if she’d ever see the world outside her makeshift prison ever again… But one thing her captor didn’t know? Katie was a survivor. This is the story of a little girl who fought against the odds – and managed to escape a lifetime of abuse. -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Vid...
Apr 30, 2026•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 448
Rage-inducing viruses that spread through bites; a flesh-eating fungus that controls its host like a puppet; deadly pathogens trapped for millennia in Arctic ice… sometimes nature is more gruesome than fiction. From the Walking Dead to the Last of Us, stories of contagion are never far from our screens. So what are the closest real-life scenarios that could turn our world into a full-on zombie wasteland? (And, what makes insects go on a sex-crazed, amphetamine-fuelled rampage until their literal...
Apr 28, 2026•28 min•Ep. 202
Somehow, perhaps the worst deep-sea diving disaster in history – one that led to two men being crushed, three men boiling to death, and one man being liquified and shot out of a five-inch hole – happened above sea level. How? Well, join us off the coast of Norway for a little explosive decompression – and find out what can happen when the pressure of diving just gets too much… -- Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus Episodes YouTube - Full-length Video Episodes TikTok / Instagram...
Apr 24, 2026•30 min•Ep. 201
In the summer of 2017, 26-year-old Anna Sorokin was arrested in Manhattan with a stack of unpaid hotel bills and fraudulent loan requests in her wake. She’d been calling herself Anna Delvey: an uber-wealthy German heiress. In reality? She didn’t have a penny to her (fake) name. Armed only with an untraceable accent and a passion for fashion, Anna tried to pull the designer wool over the eyes of some of America’s biggest financial institutions, in her bid to secure multi-million-dollar loans… And...
Apr 23, 2026•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 447
