The first mini-episode in our 13 Nights of Halloween exclusive series features a story from long-time listener and friend, Ariel. A week after his dad became a bishop, similar to a minister in a local congregation, strange things started happening to his family. He believes his home was plagued by some kind of evil poltergeist. Original story owned by Ariel and written for the Straight-Up Enigmas podcast by Jaden McKell. Edited and produced by Jaden McKell. This House by Kevin MacLeod Link: http...
Oct 18, 2020•10 min•Ep. 71
The Ouija board came out of the American 19th century obsession with spiritualism. However, Ouija boards are seen today as dangerous objects of the occult, rather than the “wonderful” communication devices they were first created to be. This is, in large part, because for the past 130 years, people have been asking Ouija boards questions, and they’ve been answering. For some, what these talking boards say is the undeniable truth. That’s exactly why the Ouija board has played a crucial role in so...
Oct 13, 2020•36 min•Ep. 77
The mission of the SCP Foundation, a mysterious organization with facilities around the globe, is to contain supernatural entities and anomalies in order to protect mankind. But what, exactly, are its goals and procedures? What kinds of dangerous creatures does the organization harbor within its walls? And the most pressing question — does it even exist? Stay with us as we discuss the shadowy, clandestine establishment known as the SCP Foundation. Articles Used for Research/Narration: https://vo...
Sep 29, 2020•33 min•Ep. 70
When Jeannette DePalma's body was discovered in 1972 on a makeshift altar, surrounded by wooden crosses and cult-related symbols, the town of Springfield, New Jersey began to suspect that the young teenager had been murdered by a coven of witches. Jeannette's cause of death has never been determined, and the case has never been solved. Was Jeannette sacrificed as part of a witch rite? Was she murdered by a serial killer? Did she die of a drug overdose? Join us as we explore the enigmatic case of...
Sep 08, 2020•26 min•Ep. 69
In our third chapter of Small Town Spirits, Andie tries to deal with the ghostly figure she spotted in the second story window of the Lester Lawless Bank & Museum. She's haunted by yet another terrifying, fiery nightmare and meets a quirky new shopkeeper on the town square. Andie also makes a shocking discovery at Laurelton's antique shop as she, Emmet, and Kai assist the store owner with a creepy new object. Industrial Music Box by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribut...
Sep 01, 2020•32 min•Ep. 68
Newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde went on a white water rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in 1928. One month later, their boat was found fully intact, with all of their gear and supplies (including Bessie’s diary) perfectly preserved. But the couple had disappeared. It’s been nearly a century since then, and their bodies have never been recovered. There has never been any proof of what happened to them. Was there an accident on the river? Did they both drown? Was Glen murdere...
Aug 18, 2020•21 min•Ep. 67
Why does Amazon's Alexa randomly speak without being prompted? Could she possibly be haunted? Is this the Skynet takeover we’ve all been waiting for? Join us as we discuss a few of the very weird, creepy things Amazon’s Alexa has said and done. Sources: https://www.the-ambient.com/features/the-creepiest-freakiest-things-alexa-has-ever-said-and-done-2154 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-alexa-insight/kill-your-foster-parents-amazons-alexa-talks-murder-sex-in-ai-experiment-idUSKCN1OK1...
Aug 04, 2020•21 min•Ep. 66
In the 1950s, wrestler Jack Adkisson created his alter ego, Fritz Von Erich, and began what would become a very successful career in the sport. Tragedy, however, struck in 1959, when Jack's six-year-old son died in a bizarre electrical accident. This terrible event would only be the beginning of the so-called Von Erich Family curse. In the years that followed, illness, injuries, depression, drug addiction, and suicide would plague all of Jack’s remaining sons until only one child survived. Can i...
Jul 21, 2020•23 min•Ep. 65
You've probably heard of Annabelle and Robert the Doll, but listen in to hear about five more haunted toys you might not know about. (I for sure had never heard of them). Want to help support our show? Become a patron at https://www.patreon.com/straightupenigmas ! Music: The Children's Room by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ) Artist: http://audionautix.com/...
Jul 07, 2020•9 min•Ep. 64
In Austin, Texas, a killer who became known as the “Servant Girl Annihilator” was responsible for the deaths of eight people between late 1884 and Christmas Eve 1885. Attacking victims in their beds and then dragging them outside to mutilate their bodies, the murderer eluded police, private investigators, and civilian mobs who took to the streets of newly settled Austin. He has been called America’s first serial killer, and his crimes remain unsolved to this day. Some investigators believe that ...
May 26, 2020•18 min•Ep. 63
In chapter two of our fictional mini-series, Small Town Spirits, Andie tries to recover from the voice she heard in the attic on her first day of work. She makes some new friends (maybe — she's still not sure about the standoffish but very attractive Emmet) and learns about the town's troubling and macabre history. Could the spirit of a murdered college student be haunting the building just across the square? How will she find out who the voice in the attic belongs to? If you enjoy our second ep...
May 12, 2020•28 min•Ep. 62
Rosemary’s Baby is considered one of the most cursed films of all time. Actor Sidney Blackmer (who played coven leader Roman Castevet) once said on set, “No good will come of all this ‘Hail Satan’ business.” Was the movie actually cursed? Did thinking, writing, speaking, and filming scenes all about the devil invite a dark energy onto the set and into the lives of the people involved? From illness, tension among the crew, and divorce to “accidental” death and grisly murder, it sure seems like it...
Apr 28, 2020•20 min•Ep. 61
Welcome to our first quarantine playlist! The idea of this episode was to help relieve some of that boredom you may be feeling while you’re sitting at home in self-isolation. I also wanted to reintroduce some of our earlier episodes, then make some recommendations for other shows that I think would be a good add-on or compliment to ours. For our first playlist, we'll explore a couple of our older episodes on sleep paralysis! Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being conscious but unable to move or s...
Apr 21, 2020•30 min•Ep. 60
Andie Hartman arrives in the small, picturesque town of Laurelton, Missouri to spend the summer with her aunt, Mara. She's looking forward to a fun, relaxing vacation even though she'll have to work part-time at a women's clothing boutique on the town square (her mom's orders). Everything about the town seems great — except for the ghosts. If you enjoy this first episode, please be sure to pop on over to Apple Podcasts to leave us a review! Industrial Music Box by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under...
Apr 14, 2020•19 min•Ep. 58
The premiere of our paranormal fiction series, Small Town Spirits, is only three days away! Check out this short teaser for just a taste of what's coming. We hope you'll join us for the first full chapter on Tuesday, April 14th! This teaser was written and produced by Jaden McKell.
Apr 11, 2020•3 min•Ep. 59
Enjoy this special bonus episode from Patreon! I wanted to bring you something a little strange, creepy and surreal from my childhood — a nightmare (that I think came from watching a clip of the Exorcist at a young age) that has stuck with me for a long time. Hear more stories like these at https://www.patreon.com/straightupenigmas . Thank you for your support! Music: Industrial Music Box by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license ( https://creativecommons.org/lice...
Apr 08, 2020•6 min•Ep. 57
William Desmond Taylor was arguably the most famous director in Hollywood in the early 1920s, working behind the camera for Paramount Pictures on around 60 movies and acting in 27 more. He worked with some of the greatest actors and actresses of the Silent Era, but it was the fame of Taylor’s shocking, unsolved murder that would ultimately overshadow his cinematic career. Who killed William Desmond Taylor? Join us as we explore this perplexing unsolved murder on Straight-Up Enigmas. Articles for...
Apr 07, 2020•19 min•Ep. 56
Believe me — Laurelton, Missouri was not where I’d planned to spend my summer vacation. But, as they usually do, things changed. I found myself living with my aunt, Mara, and working part-time at a women’s clothing boutique on the quaint and picturesque town square. I liked my job — I even made some new friends. The only not-so-great thing was the ghosts. Why was I the only one who could see them? Were they trying to warn me about something? About the dark, mysterious power I could feel radiatin...
Mar 31, 2020•1 min•Ep. 55
Hello, enigmatic listeners! I wanted to check in with you all since we’ve had so many changes and announcements lately. First, I wanted to say thank you so much for supporting our sponsors. It’s been extremely exciting to see our little show get these sponsorship opportunities. I appreciate any effort from you all to show our sponsors that we have engaged listeners (things like using promo codes and downloading apps) -- that being said, I know things are pretty uncertain and chaotic right now. A...
Mar 30, 2020•2 min•Ep. 54
Ted Bundy murdered my dad’s friend's sister in 1974 while on his reign of terror in Utah. At least, Bundy admitted to killing her just before his execution, but police were never able to locate her body. That’s the topic of just one episode on Straight-Up Enigmas, a podcast to explore the unexplained. Spine-tingling, supernatural stories, historical mysteries and true criminal cases are all things to expect when you tune in to our show. We discuss the mysterious deaths of the Jamison Family, sha...
Mar 27, 2020•1 min•Ep. 53
Please enjoy this special Patreon episode released in January! Our first monthly Patreon episode of 2020 (available only to our "Straight-Up Enigma" crew) is a compilation of spooky stories of the Leeds Devil from "Weird New Jersey Magazine" that are not included in our regular Jersey Devil episode! You can see even more firsthand accounts on their website: https://weirdnj.com/stories/jersey-devil/. Enjoy! If you'd like to hear more bonus content like this, please help support our show by joinin...
Mar 17, 2020•5 min•Ep. 51
When a body washed up on Rosses Point Beach in Ireland on June 16th, 2009, investigators began to uncover one of the strangest, most notorious enigmas in Ireland’s history. Where did the man on the beach come from? Why was he there that day? Maybe most importantly, who was the dead man found on the beach that day? Join us as we explore the mysterious identity and death of Peter Bergmann, the man who never was. Research/Article for Narration: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-u...
Mar 17, 2020•30 min•Ep. 52
While we're on our off week, please enjoy this special Patreon episode released in February! In this bonus show, I discuss Kay's Cross, an urban legend from my hometown of Kaysville, Utah. I'm sure you had a place like this where you grew up (the place all your friends wanted to go for an extra scare on Friday the 13th or Halloween night). Thanks to http://www.weirdus.com/states/utah/stories/kays_cross/index.php for some of the extra information. If you'd like to hear more content like this, ple...
Mar 10, 2020•7 min•Ep. 50
Celebrated every year on March 8th, International Women's Day acknowledges the social, economic, and political achievements of women around the world. We’ve made a lot of progress over the years, but there’s still a long way to go. In many parts of the world, women are still less likely to own land, a business, or attend school. According to the United Nations, more than half of the world’s poorest people are women. International Women’s Day attempts to bring women equal access to rights and opp...
Mar 08, 2020•11 min•Ep. 49
Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is said to be haunted by at least one female spirit, known as the Green Lady. Legend has it that the ghostly young woman is the apparition of a murdered servant girl. What was her connection to the Burnett of Leys family? Did she father an illegitimate child with Alexander Burnett of Leys? Join us as we explore the history behind this mysterious medieval castle, as well as Scottish folklore and mythology. Thank you to our sponsor, Deux Life Thrift Boxes...
Mar 03, 2020•20 min•Ep. 48
At 9:30 p.m. on May 22, 1992, Huntsville police were notified by the 911 dispatcher of a possible burglary in progress with an injured victim at the scene. The location was Boulder Circle, an affluent neighborhood nestled among the mountains in Huntsville, Alabama. Investigators would discover the lifeless body of local, well-liked ophthalmologist, Dr. Jack Wilson. As homicide detectives began combing Jack Wilson’s home for clues that day, none of them realized they were about to become involved...
Feb 18, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 47
While many aspects of the Jersey Devil legend seem too fantastical to believe, there have been hundreds of sightings of a strange creature in South Jersey over the years. Is it possible that a rare, undiscovered species has taken up residence in there? Are all of the sightings hoaxes, or are people simply mistaking some other kind of animal for a demon? Or, as Harry Leeds, a former mayor and direct descendant of Mother Leeds claims, does a devil still stalk the Pine barrens to this day? Straight...
Feb 04, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 46
On November 16, 2013, the bodies of two adults and a child were found in Red Oak, Oklahoma. The bodies were identified as those of Bobby, Sherilyn and Madyson Jamison, who were reported missing in 2009. The environment in which the corpses had been in made it impossible to identify their causes of death; however, despite the advanced state of decomposition, the coroner was able to identify a hole in Bobby’s skull, possibly from a bullet. Numerous theories have come up over the years although not...
Jan 21, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Since ancient times, sages and spiritual teachers have applied meaning to shapes. In these shapes were believed to be the secret to life, a unifying presence or force that could explain the nature of the universe. Nikola Tesla himself stated, “If you only knew the magnificence of the 3, 6 and 9, then you would have the key to the universe.” Do certain numbers really hold the answer to all of life’s secrets? Join us this week as we discuss the mystery of sacred and sonic geometry. Sources/Informa...
Jan 07, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Pull a chair up to the fire and join us for a creepy Christmas collaboration! Joining us tonight are the voice talents of Logan and Lindsay from Folklore on the Rocks, and Vanessa and Bailie from Boos and Spirits. Folklore on the Rocks: www.folkloreontherocks.com Boos and Spirits: www.boosandspiritspodcast.com Straight-Up Enigmas is a part of the Straight Up Strange Productions network: www.straightupstrange.com "Almost Winter" created and produced by Chuck Flyer. "Smee" written by A.M. Burrage....
Dec 24, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 42
