It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.
Similar Podcasts
Leyendas Legendarias
Un podcast de comedia donde cada semana exploramos casos crimen real fenómenos paranormales y eventos históricos peculiares, notorios o fantásticos.
José Antonio Badía: @Elbadiablo Eduardo Espinosa: @NingunEduardo Mario López Capistrán: @MarioLopezCapi
You're Wrong About
Mike and Sarah are journalists obsessed with the past. Every week they reconsider a person or event that's been miscast in the public imagination.
La Pija y la Quinqui
El podcast de Carlos Peguer y Mariang. Todos los domingos. Síguenos en redes en @pijayquinqui.
The Kidnapping Of Patty Hearst (Part 4)
When nineteen-year-old Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in February 1974, everyone assumed the heiress had been abducted for the purposes of ransom. However, in the days that followed, Hearst’s kidnappers, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), made themselves known when they sent a letter demanding the Hearst family provide food to every needy family in California. For nearly two months, the SLA held Patty Hearts captive, or so it seemed to the public. But when the group’s demands were met and Hearst was given the opportunity to leave, the teenager shocked the world when, rather than flee her captors, she joined their ranks in support of their cause. Hearst’s decision set in motion a chain of events that resulted in several acts of explosive violence and forever changed the way we think about victims of kidnapping. Yet in all the analysis of the case over the last fifty years, one question remains unanswered, and possibly unanswerable: Was Patty Hearst a willing accomplice to the SLA or was she a brainwashed victim trying to survive a traumatic ordeal?Thank you to the Amazing Dave White (of BRING ME THE AXE PODCAST) for research and writing assistance!
The Kidnapping Of Patty Hearst (Part 3)
When nineteen-year-old Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in February 1974, everyone assumed the heiress had been abducted for the purposes of ransom. However, in the days that followed, Hearst’s kidnappers, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), made themselves known when they sent a letter demanding the Hearst family provide food to every needy family in California. For nearly two months, the SLA held Patty Hearts captive, or so it seemed to the public. But when the group’s demands were met and Hearst was given the opportunity to leave, the teenager shocked the world when, rather than flee her captors, she joined their ranks in support of their cause. Hearst’s decision set in motion a chain of events that resulted in several acts of explosive violence and forever changed the way we think about victims of kidnapping. Yet in all the analysis of the case over the last fifty years, one question remains unanswered, and possibly unanswerable: Was Patty Hearst a willing accomplice to the SLA or was she a brainwashed victim trying to survive a traumatic ordeal?Thank you to the Amazing Dave White (of BRING ME THE AXE PODCAST) for research and writing assistance!
The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst (Part 2)
When nineteen-year-old Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in February 1974, everyone assumed the heiress had been abducted for the purposes of ransom. However, in the days that followed, Hearst’s kidnappers, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), made themselves known when they sent a letter demanding the Hearst family provide food to every needy family in California. For nearly two months, the SLA held Patty Hearts captive, or so it seemed to the public. But when the group’s demands were met and Hearst was given the opportunity to leave, the teenager shocked the world when, rather than flee her captors, she joined their ranks in support of their cause. Hearst’s decision set in motion a chain of events that resulted in several acts of explosive violence and forever changed the way we think about victims of kidnapping. Yet in all the analysis of the case over the last fifty years, one question remains unanswered, and possibly unanswerable: Was Patty Hearst a willing accomplice to the SLA or was she a brainwashed victim trying to survive a traumatic ordeal?Thank you to the Amazing Dave White (of BRING ME THE AXE PODCAST) for research and writing assistance!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1974. "SLA commandos rob bank, shoot 2." Los Angeles Times, April 15: 1.Caldwell, Earl. 1974. "Miss Hearst says she joins terrorists." New York Times, April 4: 1.Conant, Jane Eshleman. 1974. "Guns point at 'Tania' in bank." San Francisco Examiner, April 16: 1.Cook, Stephen. 1976. "Doctor: I wasn't harsh with Patty." San Francisco Examiner, January 15 : 1.—. 1975. "Patty falling apart and must leave jail, her lawyer says." San Francisco Examiner, September 29: 1.Curtain, Andrew. 1974. "New offer to Patty's captors." San Francisco Examiner, February 23: 1.Fosburgh, Lacey. 1974. "Miss Hearst: an unlikely revolutionary." New York Times, April 7: 1.Hager, Philip, and Daryl Lembke. 1974. "Kidnappers may offer 'deal' for Hearst girl." Los Angeles Times, February 9: 1.Hager, Philip, and Dick Main. 1974. "$2 million for food pledged by Hearst." San Francisco Examiner, February 19: 1.Hearst, Patricia. 1974. "Transcript of Patricia Hearst's diatribe on 'SLA expropriation'." San Francisco Examiner, April 25: 4.Kendall, John. 1974. "'Never afraid of death,' defiant Miss Hearst declares on tape." Los Angeles Times, June 8: 1.Linder, Douglas. n.d. The Patty Hearst Tapes. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://www.famous-trials.com/pattyhearst/2209-tapes.Martinez, Al, and Robert Kistler. 1974. "Suspected SLA hideout stormed, 5 die." Los Angeles Times, May 18: 1.Nordheimer, Jon. 1974. "Miss Hearst is now Tania, but how and why?" New York Times, May 26: 160.San Francisco Examiner. 1974. "Father agree--it's Patty's voice." San Francisco Examiner, February 12: 18.—. 1974. "Her voice: 'Mom, Dad, I'm ok'." San Francisco Examiner, February 12: 1.—. 1974. "'It's terrible, vicious,' father says." San Francisco Examiner, April 16: 1.—. 1975. "Patty asked to join the SLA, Rolling Stone article says." San Francisco Examiner, September 29: 2.—. 1974. "'People in Need' opens with chaos, violence." San Francisco Examiner, February 23: 1.—. 1974. "The public's reaction to the kidnapping." San Francisco Examiner, February 17: 20.—. 1974. "5 victims in shootout at suspected SLA hideout." San Francisco Exminer, May 18: 1.2020. The Crimes That Changed Us. Performed by Sebastian Smith.Symbionese Liberation Army. n.d. "SLA Communique." UMKC Famous Trials. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.famous-trials.com/pattyhearst/2328-sla-communique.Toobin, Jeffrey. 2017. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst. New York, NY : Anchor Books.Turner, Wallace. 1974. "Graddaughter of Hearst abducted by 3." New York Times, February 6: 1.—. 1974. "Note says terrorists hold Miss Hearst." New York Times, February 8: 1.United Press International. 1976. "Jury acquits Steve Soliah." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), April 28: 6.Waugh, Dexter. 1974. "Key groups offer help to free Patty." San Francisco Examiner, February 14: 1.Waugh, Dexter, and Don West. 1979. "'Nothing wrong with being Patty Hearst'." San Francisco Examiner, February 1: 1.Enjoy new episodes of Morbid ad-free. Learn more about your SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscription by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Morbid ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst (Part 1)
When nineteen-year-old Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in February 1974, everyone assumed the heiress had been abducted for the purposes of ransom. However, in the days that followed, Hearst’s kidnappers, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), made themselves known when they sent a letter demanding the Hearst family provide food to every needy family in California. For nearly two months, the SLA held Patty Hearts captive, or so it seemed to the public. But when the group’s demands were met and Hearst was given the opportunity to leave, the teenager shocked the world when, rather than flee her captors, she joined their ranks in support of their cause. Hearst’s decision set in motion a chain of events that resulted in several acts of explosive violence and forever changed the way we think about victims of kidnapping. Yet in all the analysis of the case over the last fifty years, one question remains unanswered, and possibly unanswerable: Was Patty Hearst a willing accomplice to the SLA or was she a brainwashed victim trying to survive a traumatic ordeal?Thank you to the Amazing Dave White (of BRING ME THE AXE PODCAST) for research and writing assistance!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1974. "SLA commandos rob bank, shoot 2." Los Angeles Times, April 15: 1.Caldwell, Earl. 1974. "Miss Hearst says she joins terrorists." New York Times, April 4: 1.Conant, Jane Eshleman. 1974. "Guns point at 'Tania' in bank." San Francisco Examiner, April 16: 1.Cook, Stephen. 1976. "Doctor: I wasn't harsh with Patty." San Francisco Examiner, January 15 : 1.—. 1975. "Patty falling apart and must leave jail, her lawyer says." San Francisco Examiner, September 29: 1.Curtain, Andrew. 1974. "New offer to Patty's captors." San Francisco Examiner, February 23: 1.Fosburgh, Lacey. 1974. "Miss Hearst: an unlikely revolutionary." New York Times, April 7: 1.Hager, Philip, and Daryl Lembke. 1974. "Kidnappers may offer 'deal' for Hearst girl." Los Angeles Times, February 9: 1.Hager, Philip, and Dick Main. 1974. "$2 million for food pledged by Hearst." San Francisco Examiner, February 19: 1.Hearst, Patricia. 1974. "Transcript of Patricia Hearst's diatribe on 'SLA expropriation'." San Francisco Examiner, April 25: 4.Kendall, John. 1974. "'Never afraid of death,' defiant Miss Hearst declares on tape." Los Angeles Times, June 8: 1.Linder, Douglas. n.d. The Patty Hearst Tapes. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://www.famous-trials.com/pattyhearst/2209-tapes.Martinez, Al, and Robert Kistler. 1974. "Suspected SLA hideout stormed, 5 die." Los Angeles Times, May 18: 1.Nordheimer, Jon. 1974. "Miss Hearst is now Tania, but how and why?" New York Times, May 26: 160.San Francisco Examiner. 1974. "Father agree--it's Patty's voice." San Francisco Examiner, February 12: 18.—. 1974. "Her voice: 'Mom, Dad, I'm ok'." San Francisco Examiner, February 12: 1.—. 1974. "'It's terrible, vicious,' father says." San Francisco Examiner, April 16: 1.—. 1975. "Patty asked to join the SLA, Rolling Stone article says." San Francisco Examiner, September 29: 2.—. 1974. "'People in Need' opens with chaos, violence." San Francisco Examiner, February 23: 1.—. 1974. "The public's reaction to the kidnapping." San Francisco Examiner, February 17: 20.—. 1974. "5 victims in shootout at suspected SLA hideout." San Francisco Exminer, May 18: 1.2020. The Crimes That Changed Us. Performed by Sebastian Smith.Symbionese Liberation Army. n.d. "SLA Communique." UMKC Famous Trials. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.famous-trials.com/pattyhearst/2328-sla-communique.Toobin, Jeffrey. 2017. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst. New York, NY : Anchor Books.Turner, Wallace. 1974. "Graddaughter of Hearst abducted by 3." New York Times, February 6: 1.—. 1974. "Note says terrorists hold Miss Hearst." New York Times, February 8: 1.United Press International. 1976. "Jury acquits Steve Soliah." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), April 28: 6.Waugh, Dexter. 1974. "Key groups offer help to free Patty." San Francisco Examiner, February 14: 1.Waugh, Dexter, and Don West. 1979. "'Nothing wrong with being Patty Hearst'." San Francisco Examiner, February 1: 1.Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Morbid ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
Episode 702: Listener Tales 101: Sleep Over / Dream Edition!
It's that time again! YOU know... that time that's brought to you, BY you, FOR you, FROM you and ALLLLL about you! And the best part?? It's another Sleepover Edition focusing on DREAMS! So grab your sleeping bag, a GIRLS' DINNER of junk food, and get ready to talk about some weird dream experiences! LISTEN to this (nearly)Nicholas-free version on all podcast platforms OR WATCH the Nicholas version on Youtube on 8/28/2025! If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :)Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 701: Spooky Games That Will Ruin Your Actual Life Vol. 4
Weirdos, we needed to reset the energy and couldn't think of a better way to do it than talking about some spooky games that are almost certain to ruin your life! This fourth volume definitely shows that sometimes when you play spooky games, you get spooky prizes!Want to read about MORE games?? Purchase 'Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark' by Lucia Peters by visiting https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/dangerous-games-to-play-in-the-dark.html Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 700: Randy Kraft: The Scorecard Killer (Part 3)
Throughout the 1970s, Southern California residents were held in the grip of terror as multiple serial killers stalked the streets, preying on victims from every walk of life, including the area’s gay community. From 1971 to 1983, Randy Kraft kidnapped, tortured, and murdered at least sixteen men and boys, but the real number of victims is believed to be considerably higher. When he was arrested in 1983, investigators searched Kraft’s home and found a list with cryptic references to what they believed were sixty-one victims in total. The discovery of that list led the press to dub Kraft “The Scorecard Killer.”Following his arrest in 1983, Randy Kraft was tried and convicted of sixteen counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Although the arrest and trial put an end to Kraft’s murder spree, several critical questions remain unanswered, including the most important aspect of the case detectives were never able to solve: who was Randy Kraft’s accomplice?Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesArnold, Roxane, and Jerry Hicks. 1983. "Kraft suspected in deaths of 14 men in 3 states, Gates says." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73.Associated Press. 1983. "Five murders charged to computer analyst." Sacramento Bee, May 25: 2.—. 1978. "Police seek link in deaths of 18." San Bernardino County Sun, November 24: 3.—. 1983. "Freeway killing pattern repeats." The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA), February 19: 2.Bajko, Matthew. 2016. Gay serial killer breaks silence. November 2. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.ebar.com/story/246748.Grant, Gordon. 1983. "How a routine stop led to a big arrest." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73.Hicks, Jerry. 1988. "Alleged 'death list' made public as Kraft trial opens." Los Angeles Times, September 27: 69.—. 1989. "Kraft condemned to death by jury for serial killings." Los Angeles Times, August 12: 1.—. 1988. "Kraft defense says marine found in car was not dead." Los Angeles Times, September 28: 76.—. 1989. "Kraft guilty of 16 sex slayings, jury decides." Los Angeles Times, May 13: 1.—. 1989. "Orange County jury gets Kraft serial murder case." Los Angeles Times, April 28: 76.—. 1988. "Two other states were closing in on Kraft." Los Angeles Times, January 4: 3.—. 1989. "Witness says Kraft drugged and sexually assaulted him in 1970." Los Angeles Times, June 6: 3.Hughes, Beth. 1982. "L.A. area's missing youths-a trail of mystery and murder." San Francisco Examiner, August 23: B5.Jarlson, Gary. 1983. "Suspect in 4 slayings also investigated in 6 Oregon murders." Los Angeles Times, May 19: 80.Kennedy, J. Michael. 1978. "Four deaths turn into four mysteries." Los Angeles Times, September 2: 17.Los Angeles Times. 1973. "Head of a man found in a bag at paper plant." Los Angeles Times, April 27: 23.—. 1988. "Randy Kraft's scorecard?" Los Angeles Times, October 2: 117.McDougal, Dennis. 1991. Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree. New York, NY: Warner Books. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 699: Randy Kraft: The Scorecard Killer (Part 2)
Throughout the 1970s, Southern California residents were held in the grip of terror as multiple serial killers stalked the streets, preying on victims from every walk of life, including the area’s gay community. From 1971 to 1983, Randy Kraft kidnapped, tortured, and murdered at least sixteen men and boys, but the real number of victims is believed to be considerably higher. When he was arrested in 1983, investigators searched Kraft’s home and found a list with cryptic references to what they believed were sixty-one victims in total. The discovery of that list led the press to dub Kraft “The Scorecard Killer.”Following his arrest in 1983, Randy Kraft was tried and convicted of sixteen counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Although the arrest and trial put an end to Kraft’s murder spree, several critical questions remain unanswered, including the most important aspect of the case detectives were never able to solve: who was Randy Kraft’s accomplice?Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesArnold, Roxane, and Jerry Hicks. 1983. "Kraft suspected in deaths of 14 men in 3 states, Gates says." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73.Associated Press. 1983. "Five murders charged to computer analyst." Sacramento Bee, May 25: 2.—. 1978. "Police seek link in deaths of 18." San Bernardino County Sun, November 24: 3.—. 1983. "Freeway killing pattern repeats." The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA), February 19: 2.Bajko, Matthew. 2016. Gay serial killer breaks silence. November 2. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.ebar.com/story/246748.Grant, Gordon. 1983. "How a routine stop led to a big arrest." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73.Hicks, Jerry. 1988. "Alleged 'death list' made public as Kraft trial opens." Los Angeles Times, September 27: 69.—. 1989. "Kraft condemned to death by jury for serial killings." Los Angeles Times, August 12: 1.—. 1988. "Kraft defense says marine found in car was not dead." Los Angeles Times, September 28: 76.—. 1989. "Kraft guilty of 16 sex slayings, jury decides." Los Angeles Times, May 13: 1.—. 1989. "Orange County jury gets Kraft serial murder case." Los Angeles Times, April 28: 76.—. 1988. "Two other states were closing in on Kraft." Los Angeles Times, January 4: 3.—. 1989. "Witness says Kraft drugged and sexually assaulted him in 1970." Los Angeles Times, June 6: 3.Hughes, Beth. 1982. "L.A. area's missing youths-a trail of mystery and murder." San Francisco Examiner, August 23: B5.Jarlson, Gary. 1983. "Suspect in 4 slayings also investigated in 6 Oregon murders." Los Angeles Times, May 19: 80.Kennedy, J. Michael. 1978. "Four deaths turn into four mysteries." Los Angeles Times, September 2: 17.Los Angeles Times. 1973. "Head of a man found in a bag at paper plant." Los Angeles Times, April 27: 23.—. 1988. "Randy Kraft's scorecard?" Los Angeles Times, October 2: 117.McDougal, Dennis. 1991. Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree. New York, NY: Warner Books. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 698: Randy Kraft: The Scorecard Killer (Part 1)
Throughout the 1970s, Southern California residents were held in the grip of terror as multiple serial killers stalked the streets, preying on victims from every walk of life, including the area’s gay community. From 1971 to 1983, Randy Kraft kidnapped, tortured, and murdered at least sixteen men and boys, but the real number of victims is believed to be considerably higher. When he was arrested in 1983, investigators searched Kraft’s home and found a list with cryptic references to what they believed were sixty-one victims in total. The discovery of that list led the press to dub Kraft “The Scorecard Killer.”Following his arrest in 1983, Randy Kraft was tried and convicted of sixteen counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Although the arrest and trial put an end to Kraft’s murder spree, several critical questions remain unanswered, including the most important aspect of the case detectives were never able to solve: who was Randy Kraft’s accomplice?Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesArnold, Roxane, and Jerry Hicks. 1983. "Kraft suspected in deaths of 14 men in 3 states, Gates says." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73.Associated Press. 1983. "Five murders charged to computer analyst." Sacramento Bee, May 25: 2.—. 1978. "Police seek link in deaths of 18." San Bernardino County Sun, November 24: 3.—. 1983. "Freeway killing pattern repeats." The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA), February 19: 2.Bajko, Matthew. 2016. Gay serial killer breaks silence. November 2. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.ebar.com/story/246748.Grant, Gordon. 1983. "How a routine stop led to a big arrest." Los Angeles Times, May 20: 73.Hicks, Jerry. 1988. "Alleged 'death list' made public as Kraft trial opens." Los Angeles Times, September 27: 69.—. 1989. "Kraft condemned to death by jury for serial killings." Los Angeles Times, August 12: 1.—. 1988. "Kraft defense says marine found in car was not dead." Los Angeles Times, September 28: 76.—. 1989. "Kraft guilty of 16 sex slayings, jury decides." Los Angeles Times, May 13: 1.—. 1989. "Orange County jury gets Kraft serial murder case." Los Angeles Times, April 28: 76.—. 1988. "Two other states were closing in on Kraft." Los Angeles Times, January 4: 3.—. 1989. "Witness says Kraft drugged and sexually assaulted him in 1970." Los Angeles Times, June 6: 3.Hughes, Beth. 1982. "L.A. area's missing youths-a trail of mystery and murder." San Francisco Examiner, August 23: B5.Jarlson, Gary. 1983. "Suspect in 4 slayings also investigated in 6 Oregon murders." Los Angeles Times, May 19: 80.Kennedy, J. Michael. 1978. "Four deaths turn into four mysteries." Los Angeles Times, September 2: 17.Los Angeles Times. 1973. "Head of a man found in a bag at paper plant." Los Angeles Times, April 27: 23.—. 1988. "Randy Kraft's scorecard?" Los Angeles Times, October 2: 117.McDougal, Dennis. 1991. Angel of Darkness: The True Story of Randy Kraft and the Most Heinous Murder Spree. New York, NY: Warner Books. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 697: Possessed by Paperbacks: A Chat with Grady Hendrix
Ash and Alaina are joined by one of their favorite authors, Grady Hendrix! The moment we covered MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM on Episode 598, we KNEW we needed to chat with him on the mic! We talk cursed keyboards, horrific group chats, and if we have what it takes to be a final girl!Looking to purchase his latest nonfiction work? Buy THESE FISTS BREAK BRICKS now by visiting https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/grady-hendrix/these-fists-break-bricks-revised-and-expanded-edition/9780762489480/ Want to listen to his podcast SUPER SCARY HAUNTED HOME SCHOOL? listen here! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1080659Visit www.GradyHendrix.com for upcoming events as well as one of the funniest "about pages" we have ever seen! Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 696: Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 2)
At the dawn of the twentieth-century, major advances in science and technology brought incredible change to the field of medicine, enhancing and extending the lives of millions. Yet at the same time, a lax regulations and minimal oversight made it possible for countless medical grifters to get rich offering quack medical solutions to everything from whooping cough to cancer, sometimes at the expense of their patient’s lives.When Linda Hazzard opened her sanitarium, the Institute of Natural Therapeutics at Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington in the first decade of the 1900s, she claimed her rigid fasting and elimination approach to dieting was a miracle cure for a variety of illnesses, both trivial and serious. For years, Hazzard operated what amounted to a health retreat for the wealthy, without any oversight from the state or federal agencies. In the end, Hazzard’s starvation cure resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people and her arrest and trial for manslaughter, but through all of it, she maintained it was a viable treatment—standing by her methods up until they ended her own life.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesHines, Terrence. 1997. "Starvation Heights." Skeptical Inquirer. Lovejoy, Bess. 2014. "The doctor who starved her patients to death." Smithsonian Magazine, October 28.Olsen, Gregg. 2005. Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.Seattle Daily Times. 1911. "Erdman diary tells method of treatment." Seattle Daily Times, August 14.Seattle Star. 1908. "Charged with starving eight-months-old baby." Seattle Star, January 30: 1.—. 1911. "Denies she 'fasted' 2 girls." Seattle Star, August 9: 3.—. 1911. "'Fast cure' woman is arrested." Seattle Star, August 7: 3.—. 1909. "Prosecutors think they can put a stop to starvation cure." Seattle Star, June 26: 1.—. 1908. "Sign doesn't make a doctor." Seattle Star, June 8: 6.—. 1909. "Woman starves to death under care of Dr. L.B. Hazzard." Seattle Star, June 24: 1.—. 1908. "WQeeden case leads to Dr. Hazzard's arrest." Seattle Star, January 31: 1.Tacoma Daily Ledger. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard has her first inning." Tacoma Daily Ledger, Janaury 28: 1.—. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard's trial begins." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 16: 1.—. 1912. "Final arguments in Hazzard case." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 3: 2.—. 1912. "Heiress testifies against Dr. Hazzard." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 20: 1.—. 1912. "Mrs. Hazzard breaks down, and is attended by a dcevoted follower." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 5: 1.—. 1904. "Samuel Hazzard sent to Minnesota prison." Tacoma Daily Ledger, March 16: 3.—. 1912. "Witnesses deny state's charges." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 30: 1.—. 1912. "Woman bathed by young men." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 23: 1.—. 1911. "Woman meet before judge." Tacoma Daily Ledger, October 22: 1. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 695: Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 1)
At the dawn of the twentieth-century, major advances in science and technology brought incredible change to the field of medicine, enhancing and extending the lives of millions. Yet at the same time, a lax regulations and minimal oversight made it possible for countless medical grifters to get rich offering quack medical solutions to everything from whooping cough to cancer, sometimes at the expense of their patient’s lives.When Linda Hazzard opened her sanitarium, the Institute of Natural Therapeutics at Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington in the first decade of the 1900s, she claimed her rigid fasting and elimination approach to dieting was a miracle cure for a variety of illnesses, both trivial and serious. For years, Hazzard operated what amounted to a health retreat for the wealthy, without any oversight from the state or federal agencies. In the end, Hazzard’s starvation cure resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people and her arrest and trial for manslaughter, but through all of it, she maintained it was a viable treatment—standing by her methods up until they ended her own life.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesHines, Terrence. 1997. "Starvation Heights." Skeptical Inquirer. Lovejoy, Bess. 2014. "The doctor who starved her patients to death." Smithsonian Magazine, October 28.Olsen, Gregg. 2005. Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.Seattle Daily Times. 1911. "Erdman diary tells method of treatment." Seattle Daily Times, August 14.Seattle Star. 1908. "Charged with starving eight-months-old baby." Seattle Star, January 30: 1.—. 1911. "Denies she 'fasted' 2 girls." Seattle Star, August 9: 3.—. 1911. "'Fast cure' woman is arrested." Seattle Star, August 7: 3.—. 1909. "Prosecutors think they can put a stop to starvation cure." Seattle Star, June 26: 1.—. 1908. "Sign doesn't make a doctor." Seattle Star, June 8: 6.—. 1909. "Woman starves to death under care of Dr. L.B. Hazzard." Seattle Star, June 24: 1.—. 1908. "WQeeden case leads to Dr. Hazzard's arrest." Seattle Star, January 31: 1.Tacoma Daily Ledger. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard has her first inning." Tacoma Daily Ledger, Janaury 28: 1.—. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard's trial begins." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 16: 1.—. 1912. "Final arguments in Hazzard case." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 3: 2.—. 1912. "Heiress testifies against Dr. Hazzard." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 20: 1.—. 1912. "Mrs. Hazzard breaks down, and is attended by a dcevoted follower." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 5: 1.—. 1904. "Samuel Hazzard sent to Minnesota prison." Tacoma Daily Ledger, March 16: 3.—. 1912. "Witnesses deny state's charges." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 30: 1.—. 1912. "Woman bathed by young men." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 23: 1.—. 1911. "Woman meet before judge." Tacoma Daily Ledger, October 22: 1. Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 694: Listener Tales 100: Bridal Edition!
Weirdos!! It's the 100th Listener Tales, and it's brought to you by spooky brides! We're serving up some wedding themed listener tales that are brought TO you, BY you, FOR you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! Today we're also offering up a side of ACTUAL terror when unknown sounds make us wonder if a story inadvertantly opened the hellmouth up in the Podlab! LISTEN to this (nearly)Nicholas-free version on all podcast platforms OR WATCH the Nicholas version on Youtube on 7/31/2025! (You don't want to miss it! Nicholas had us cackling!)If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :)Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 693: Caryl Chessman: The Red Light Bandit
In early 1948, Los Angeles couples were terrorized by a series of robberies and car thefts committed by a criminal the press dubbed “The Red Light Bandit,” a reference to the red light he used to flag down his victims. Fortunately, the bandit’s crime spree was quickly cut short when police arrested Caryl Chessman, a Los Angeles resident with a criminal history going back to his teen years.Chessman was charged with multiple counts of robbery, rape, grand theft, and because of an unusual interpretation of events, he was also charged with kidnapping. Due to the attachment of kidnapping, several of the charges were defined as a capital offense and Chessman was convicted and sentenced to death.In the years following his conviction, Chessman’s death sentence became a source of considerable controversy—an already controversial sentence applied in a non-lethal case due to a bizarre application of the law. For ten years, Chessman fought the sentence all the way to the US Supreme Court, with support from a wide variety of sources, both notable and ordinary. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesChessman, Caryl, and Joseph Longstreth. 1954. Cell 2455, Death Row: A Condemned Man's Own Story. New York, NY: Prentice Hall.Erikson, Leif. 1960. "Chessman executed with a smile on his lips." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 2: 1.Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1948. "Mother on stretcher testifies for 'genius'." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 10: 1.—. 1948. "Wild chase nets 'Red Light Bandit' suspects." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, January 24: 3.Los Angeles Times. 1941. "Crime victims point to youths." Los Angeles Times, February 14: 2.—. 1943. "Honor farm escapee says he only lost his memory." Los Angeles Times, September 5: 14.—. 1948. "Red-Light Bandit receives two death sentences." Los Angeles Times, June 26: 17.Pasadena Independent. 1948. "Red Light Bandit strikes again." Pasadena Independent, January 20: 8.People v. Caryl Chessman. 1959. CR. 5006 (Supreme Court of California , July 7).Press-Telegram. 1941. "Five bandit suspects held in shootings." Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA), February 2: 1.Ruth, David E. 2014. "'Our free society is worthy of better': Caryl Chessman, Capital Punishment, and Cold War culture." Law, Crime and History 31-55.Time Magazine. 1960. "The Chessman affair." Time Magazine, March 21.Times, Los Angeles. 1948. "Bandit using red spotlight kidnaps girl." Los Angeles Times, January 23: 19.—. 1948. "Deasth asked in Bandit case." Los Angeles Times, May 19: 32.Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 692: The Murder of Stephanie Scott
One week before her wedding, on the Easter Morning in 2015 Stephanie Scott decided to stop by her classroom at Leeton High School to go over her lesson plans and other coverage documents she’d left for the substitute teacher one final time. By midafternoon, her fiancéAaron grew anxious by unanswered calls and texts, and reported her missing with Leeton Police. The Leeton community rallied, coordinating search efforts to this beloved member of their town. Sadly, on April 9th, twenty-four-year-old Vincent Stanford was formally charged with the murder of Stephanie Scott. The arrest of Vincent Stanford came as a surprise to Stephanie’s friends and family, particularly because, as far as anyone could tell, he was little more than a stranger.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesAustralian Associated Press. 2016. Stephanie Scott's killer Vincent Stanford told police he 'went a little nuts'. October 10. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/11/stephanie-scotts-killer-vincent-stanford-told-police-he-went-a-little-nuts.Australian Broadcasting Company. 2015. Stephanie Scott: 24-year-old school cleaner kept in custody over murder of teacher from Leeton, NSW. April 8. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-09/man-charged-leeton-schoolteacher-stephanie-scotts-murder/6379516.—. 2016. Stephanie Scott: Cleaner Vincent Stanford pleads guilty to teacher's rape and. July 19. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-20/stephanie-scott-murder-accused-vincent-stanford-pleadsguilty/.—. 2015. Stephanie Scott: Mother of missing teacher from Leeton fears search is 'running out of days'. April 8. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-08/mother-missing-leeton-teacher-stephanie-scott-fears-search/6378256.—. 2015. Stephanie Scott: Police say burned body found in Cocoparra National Park believed to be that of missing teacher. April 10. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-11/stephanie-scott-police-searchers-find-burned-body-near-griffith/6385584.Brooks, Emily. 2016. This is what we know about Stephanie Scott's killer so far. October 12. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/au/entry/this-is-what-we-know-about-stephanie-scotts-killer-so-far_au_5cd41819e4b0ca9b77563363.Fairfax Media. 2015. "'Devastated:' Communities mourning murdered bride-to-be Stephanie Scott." Central Western Daily, April 9.Harris, Janice. 2015. "Tears for Stephanie: Canowindra grieving for 'absolutely wonderful girl'." Central Western Daily, April 9.Harvey-Jenner, Catriona. 2016. Man's chilling google searches before he murdered a bride-to-be have been revealed in court. October 11. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/news/a46516/murderer-chilling-google-searches-bride-rape-kidnapping/.Levy, Megan. 2015. "'No way it's cold feet!'." Illawarra Mercury, April 8.Partridge, Emma. 2015. "Stephanie Scott's alleged killer not rostered to clean school." Central Western Daily, April 9.Partridge, Emma, and Megan Levy. 2015. "Car found, cleaner charged with murder of Stephanie Scott." Canowindra News, April 9.Patterson, Monique. 2020. United in Grief: The story of Stephanie Scott's Beautiful Life, Tragic Murder, and How Her Death Broke the Heart of Leeton NSW. Milwaukee, WI: Genius Publishing.Pattison, Talia, and Daisy Huntly. 2015. "Have you seen Stephanie Scott." The Irrigator, April 6.Reneker, Tony. 2022. "Stephanie Scott case 'changed' inspector's life." The Irrigator, September 1.Shields, Moyra. 2015. Stephanie Scott: Missing teacher from Leeton in NSW Riverina due to get married on Saturday. April 6. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-07/missing-teacher-from-leeton-nsw-riverina-region-was-due-to-marry/6374992.The Guardian. 2016. Stephanie Scott killer Vincent Stanford sentenced to life for murder. October 12. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/13/stephanie-scott-killer-vincent-stanford-sentenced-to-life-for.Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.