Tonight, Christine transports us all to prom. But there are no humans to be found at this prom. Oh no. This is a prom for the Cryptids. The theme? Under the Sea. And it is up to us and YOU to decide who is crowned our Cryptid King! Get out your writing utensils or note app on your phone and decide which of our contenders deserves the esteemed title. Let us know your thoughts and who was your "Cryptid King" by DMing us or commenting @smalltownmysteriespod on Instagram! Sources: 1) https://en.wiki...
Nov 07, 2024•45 min•Ep. 125
Sometime between late October 30th and early Oct 31, 2010, William “B.J.” Liske murdered his father, stepmother, and his stepbrother. The family was murdered in their own home located in Martin, Ohio. Sources: 1) https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2011/09/15/Liske-gets-life-for-deaths-of-3/stories/201109150097 2) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-triple-murder-teen-thought-it-was-halloween-prank/ 3) https://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/story/news/local/2015/04/07/man-killed-family-found-d...
Oct 31, 2024•28 min•Ep. 124
This week on Cryptid Chaos, Kate talks about Chupacabra and Mothman! Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra 2) https://www.britannica.com/topic/chupacabra 3) https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythic-creatures/land/modern-myths 4) https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/ology-cards/281-chupacabra 5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Bridge 6) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothman 7) https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mothman-point-pleasant-west-virginia 8) https://www.mothmanmuseum.com/ ...
Oct 28, 2024•29 min•Ep. 123
In this heartbreaking case, Kennedy Ife's family attempted to exorcise what they believed to be a "demon" out of him, but unfortunately ended up killing their own relative. Sources: 1) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/exorcism-possession-uk-london-death-kennedy-ife-parents-family-brothers-restrained-a8763026.html 2) https://vocal.media/criminal/the-deadly-exorcism-of-kennedy-if 3) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6810045/Christian-parents-brothers-marketing-executive-cleared-k...
Oct 24, 2024•24 min•Ep. 122
In September of 1999, Ronald Cohen had just finalized the sale of his home in Jericho, New York, where he had lived for the previous nine years. In cleaning out his home for the new owners, he came across something startling in his basement–left behind from the previous owner of the house and weighing about 300 pounds. Its discovery would reopen a 30-year-old cold case. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jericho,_New_York 2) https://forensicfilesnow.com/index.php/tag/reyna-marroquin/ 3) h...
Oct 01, 2024•23 min•Ep. 121
On March 25, 2003, Shonda Dee Walter murdered her elderly neighbor, James E. Sementelli, in order to rob him and gain gang initiation in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She stole money from him and his car, and proceeded to return to the crime scene with other people, in order to show them James’ body. Sources: 1) https://murderpedia.org/female.W/w/walter-shonda.htm 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_Haven,_Pennsylvania 3) https://www.lockhaven.com/news/local-news/2016/08/victim-s-family-others-res...
Sep 26, 2024•29 min•Ep. 120
This case created a lot of room for discussion. It is not a morally black or white case - there's a lot to unpack here! The clip on social media that made me dig into this can be summed up as: a 15-year-old kid shot dead his parents and 17-year-old sister, citing his dislike for his mother’s loud chewing and his sister’s “annoying” accent, as well as his father’s disapproval of his anti-war views. Sources: 1) http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/wolcott.pdf 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetow...
Sep 18, 2024•40 min•Ep. 119
No spoilers for this one - the synopsis itself is horrible. Find out why this case is known as "The Windshield Murder" during this episode of Small Town Mysteries! Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9-1-1_(TV_series) 2) https://people.com/crime/chante-mallard-2017-movie-about-homeless-man-murder-windshield/ 3) https://medium.com/p/6ea6a6217201 4) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7622278/gregory_glenn-biggs 5) https://murderpedia.org/female.M/m/mallard-chante.htm 6) https://en.wikipedia...
Sep 08, 2024•24 min•Ep. 118
Between September 1st and 4th, in 2006 Christian Charles Neilsen went on a killing spree at the Black Bear Inn located Newry, ME, which resulted in the death of 4 people: James, “Jimmy” Whitehurst (age 50), Julie Attebury Newby Bullard (age 65), Selby Bullard (age 30), and Cindy Ellen Cabral Beatson (age 43). What could his motive have been? Sources: 1) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/me-supreme-judicial-court/1377622.html 2) https://murderpedia.org/male.N/n/nielsen-christian.htm 3) https://en...
Sep 07, 2024•35 min•Ep. 117
This case highlights what some men in immense positions of power will do to try and cover their tracks. Anne Marie Fahey was only 27 when she was murdered by Thomas Capano, a prominent lawyer and political consultant who was well-known in Delaware, and who came from a family of rich real-estate developers. Although their relationship was not exclusive by any means, Capano was angered when he thought Fahey was going to end things with him, wanting to keep Fahey all to himself. Sources: 1) https:/...
Aug 28, 2024•33 min•Ep. 116
The senseless, and potentially racially-motivated, crime that killed eight-year-old Noah Bush will have you seething. Sources: -https://home.army.mil/stewart/about/Garrison/DPW/environmental/prevention-and-compliance/borrow-pits#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20Borrow%20Pit,for%20fill%20at%20another%20location. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesup,_Georgia -https://johndrogerslaw.com/the-controversial-debate-of-trying-juveniles-as-adults-in-the-criminal-justice-system/ -https://www.thedailybeast.com/geor...
Aug 14, 2024•27 min•Ep. 115
In this episode, Rachael talks about Linda Lee Couch, who murdered her husband, Walter Couch Jr., in their home In Cincinnati, Ohio. The two of them were married for 14 years. As their history is unraveled, the question of self-defense is brought into the mix. Sources: 1) https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/W017943 2) I Am A Killer, Season 2, Episode 4 - “Trapped” 3) https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/linda-couch-convicted-of-murder-in-1985-is-up-for-parole-her-daughter-do...
Aug 07, 2024•36 min•Ep. 114
Dubbed by the media as “The Tube Sock Killings,” these four unsolved murders occurred in 1985 in the remote areas of Lewis and Pierce County, Washington, near the unincorporated community of Mineral, Washington. Tube socks were tied around the necks of the women. Was it the same killer? You might think so, but it's not so cut and dry! Let's talk about it. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral,_Washington_murders https://unsolved.com/gallery/diana-robertson/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
Jul 30, 2024•23 min•Ep. 113
Kate talks about a case that was only recently solved using DNA evidence. The Grim Sleeper was identified after having committed at least 10 murders (that he was convicted of) and at least 4 others he was suspected of carrying out. His crimes spanned decades, and he targeted sex workers who were black women. Would he have been found out sooner if he had targeted wealthy, white women? Would Lonnie Franklin Jr. be a household name if this was the case? The answer to both questions: Probably. Sourc...
Jul 23, 2024•28 min•Ep. 112
Bison Dele, an ex-NBA player who walked away from it all at the prime of his career, his girlfriend, and the captain of his catamaran are all missing when Bison's brother docks their boat. What does his brother know about what happened to them all? Sources: 1)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison_Dele#:~:text=Dele%20won%20a%20championship%20with,have%20been%20killed%20by%20Dabord. 2) https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mystery-nz-woman-link-to-mid-sea-triple-killing/6J7QWIE3B5FUCS4X6NOBRV5DVI/ 3) https:...
Jul 16, 2024•20 min•Ep. 111
Rachael talks about the brutal, horrific murder of 12-year-old Shanda Sharer in Madison, Indiana, which involved several other young girls. This will leave you shaking your head and wondering how individuals this young can commit such horrible acts of violence. Sources: 1) https://allthatsinteresting.com/shanda-sharer 2) https://www.talesfromtheunderworld.com/p/lured-to-her-death-the-heartbreaking 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Shanda_Sharer 4) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm...
Jul 09, 2024•45 min•Ep. 110
The decades-old case of the multi-homicide of the Short Family is ongoing and with few reliable leads. Twenty-two years later, the Short family is still searching for justice - but an inadequate initial investigation might make that impossible. Sources: 1) https://unresolved.me/the-short-family (very detailed!) 2) https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/southside-virginia-news/after-20-years-are-we-any-closer-to-answers-in-short-family-murders-in-henry-co/ 3) https://myfox8.com/who-killed-jennife...
Jul 02, 2024•26 min•Ep. 109
Julie Ann Gonzalez was only 21-years-old when she went missing, leaving her young daughter, Layla, and a large group of family and friends who cared for her. They immediately knew that something was wrong - Julie would never disappear of her own volition. Find out how there was a murder conviction with no body found. Sources: 1) https://www.oxygen.com/killer-relationship-with-faith-jenkins/crime-news/george-delacruz-convicted-killing-wife-julia-gonzalez 2) https://www.statesman.com/story/news/20...
Jun 25, 2024•35 min•Ep. 108
Gerald Bloom is found buried underneath a trailer in 2010. The story that unfolds when police talk to Bloom's neighbors and roommates is terrifying and sad. Sources: 1) https://law.justia.com/cases/wyoming/supreme-court/2012/s-11-0281.html 2) https://www.championfh.com/obituaries/gerald-bloom 3)https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/09/809d0bc4-05db-11df-afbd-001cc4c002e0/809d0bc4-05db-11df-afbd-001cc4c002e0.pdf.pdf 4) http://wdoc-loc...
Jun 23, 2024•31 min•Ep. 107
The Axeman of New Orleans terrorized the city in the 1910s, while the world was in the midst of both war and pandemic. Hear about several theories regarding who the Axeman was - are any of them convincing? Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axeman_of_New_Orleans 3) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/axeman-new-orleans-preyed-italian-immigrants-180968037/ 4) https://www.legendsofamerica.com/la-axeman/ 5) https://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/lo...
Jun 11, 2024•28 min•Ep. 106
The Moore family was an affluent family located in the town of Villisca, Iowa. They were well-known and well-liked in town. So when all 6 of them, along with 2 young guests, were found bludgeoned in their own home one morning in 1912, people had no idea who would have committed such a crime. Was this heinous crime committed for some financial motive, or could it have been a serial-killer going on a murder spree through the town? Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villisca_axe_murders 2) h...
Jun 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 105
In this episode, Rachael covers a 1800s case in which a woman by the name of Cordelia Botkin is jealous of her lover's wife, Mary, causing her to go to great lengths to have Mary killed. Sources: 1) https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/death-by-chocolate-ab1f379e705c 2) https://billypenn.com/2023/09/17/botkin-dunning-case-murder-by-chocolate-delaware-valley/ 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordelia_Botkin 4) https://murderpedia.org/female.B/b/botkin-cordelia.htm 5) https://www.findagrave.com...
May 28, 2024•38 min•Ep. 104
At first, when Stacey Castor's husband unexpectedly passes away, no one thinks anything of it, and his death is ruled a suicide. But when police dig deeper and search the Castor's home, what they find shocks them. And as they delve into Stacey's past with her previous husband, they begin to uncover a sinister web of lies... Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Castor 2) https://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-black-widow-stacey-castors-shocking-crimes/story?id=60860538 3) https://abcnews....
May 21, 2024•25 min•Ep. 103
Marlene Warren answered the door to her home and was fatally shot by a mysterious clown, who then calmly walked away to their getaway car. Although there were eyewitnesses, circumstantial evidence, and a prime suspect, it would take over three decades for her killer to face any kind of justice. Sources: 1) https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/killer-clown-marlene-warren-sheila-keen-warren-florida-murder/ 2) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sheila-keen-warren-marlene-warren-murder-florida-killer-clown-ca...
May 14, 2024•29 min•Ep. 102
On December 7, 2017, the body of Telma Boinville was discovered inside a North Shore vacation home in Pupukea, Hawaii by a pair of Australian tourists. In addition to the discovery of Telma’s remains, Makana, Telma’s 8-year-old daughter, was also found inside the home, with both her hands and feet bound. Throughout this episode, Rachael covers Telma's case and the prosecution of the two individuals responsible for her senseless murder. Sources: 1) https://vocal.media/criminal/how-two-burglars-br...
May 07, 2024•29 min•Ep. 101
This week, we take a brief break from covering cases and reflect on our favorite moments from the podcast over the last 100 episodes. We also hear from listeners and play a fun game at the end! Support the show
Apr 30, 2024•58 min•Ep. 100
During a first date, 24-year-old Erin Marie Gilbert vanishes without a trace. Almost 20 years later, and there are still no answers. Could her date have anything to do with her disappearance? Or was another ill-intentioned player involved? Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Erin_Marie_Gilbert 2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girdwood,_Anchorage,_Alaska 3) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/07/09/cold-case-forest-fair-28th-anniversary-erin-marie-gilberts-disappearance/...
Apr 23, 2024•20 min•Ep. 99
In this week's episode, Rachael talks about the decades-long mystery of the Lyon sisters, who disappeared from a local mall in Wheaton, Maryland in March of 1975. The case went cold for a whopping 38 years. Eventually, a man who was only 18-years-old at the time of the crime and who had involved himself in the investigation was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering the Lyon sisters. Support the show
Apr 09, 2024•45 min•Ep. 98
Tune in to learn about the heartbreaking and harrowing murder of Warren Barnes by 19-year-old Brian Cohee, and about the treasured life of Warren Barnes--victimized for being homeless, because his life "didn't matter." The way the community has honored Barnes is truly moving. Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Junction,_Colorado 2) https://www.unilad.com/news/brian-cohee-jr-documentary-police-bodycam-footage-548532-20240327 3) https://www.mesacounty.us/news/district-attorney/cohee-f...
Apr 02, 2024•31 min•Ep. 97
This week we dive into the bizarre disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Just 20 years old, investigators looked into some questionable relationships she may have had, substance abuse issues, and one particularly odd interaction with her father just before she disappeared. An overworked and under-funded police force leads to some devastating missteps within this case, and several untrustworthy characters make it difficult to know who is really tell...
Mar 26, 2024•35 min•Ep. 96
