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.
Episode 502: The Highgate Vampire
When Muswell Hill resident David Farrant wrote to the letters section of the Hampstead and Highgate Express in February 1970, he had hoped to find others who’d witnessed any unusual or potentially supernatural happenings in London’s Highgate Cemetery. Instead, Farrant kicked off a moral panic over vampires, ghosts, and all manner of occult activities that featured prominently in the pages of British newspapers for years. Farrant’s letter received a few responses from others who claimed to have had their own supernatural experiences in Highgate Cemetery, but the story would likely have ended there had it not been for Sean Manchester. A self-proclaimed occultist and vampire hunter, Manchester claimed that what Farrant had seen at Highgate was in fact a vampire, and moreover, the cemetery itself was the site of ongoing black masses, vampire gatherings, and other dark practices. Soon, a rivalry developed between Farrant and Manchester over who had the power to eradicate the supernatural threat at Highgate and just weeks after Farrant sent his letter to the newspapers, Manchester led a large mob of Londoners into Highgate Cemetery intent on driving out the evil that supposedly swelled there.Throughout the early 1970s, the war of words between Farrant and Manchester frequently captured the public’s attention, thanks to the various news outlets that couldn’t resist the outrageous actions of the two men that ranged from benign and silly (a naked fire dance in an abandoned building) to gruesome and disrespectful (desecration of human remains). However, while the antics of the two men at the center of the story may elicit a smirk or an eyeroll, the public’s response to the supposed supernatural threat provides valuable insight into a phenomenon of moral panic that go on to fuel, among other things, the satanic panic that dominated the news throughout the 1980s and 90s. To learn more about ways to save our graves, go to https://www.saveourcemeteries.org. Thank you to the lovely David White, of Bring Me the Ax podcast, for research assistanceReferences: Cambridge Evening News. 1970. "Mr. Blood in hunt for vampire." Cambridge Evening News, March 14: 21.Ellis, Bill. 1993. "The Highgate Cemetery Vampire Hunt: The Anglo-American Connection in Satanic Cult Lore." Folklore (Taylor and Francis, Ltd.) 104 (1/2): 13-39.Evening Standard. 1970. "'Black magic' man tells of threats." Evening Standard, November 4: 17.—. 1968. "Coffins broken open at a witches' sabbath." Evening Standard, November 1: 23.—. 1974. "Naked witchcraft men in fire dance." Evening Standard, January 21: 5.—. 1974. "Wife tells of 'horror photos'." Evening Standard, June 20: 5.Farrant, David. 1970. "Letters: Ghostly walks in Highgate." Hampstead and Highgate Express, February 6: 26.Guardian Journal. 1970. "Vampire hunter is cleared by court." Guardian Journal, September 30: 7.—. 1968. "'Black magic' theory after coffins raid." Guiardian Journal, November 2: 1.Hampstead and Highgate Express. 1970. "Does a wampyr walk in Highgate?" Hampstead and Highgate Express, February 27: 1.Liverpool Daily Post. 1972. "Couple fined for churchyard ritual." Liverpool Daily Post, November 23: 18.Manchester Evening News. 1973. "100 join hunt for cemetery 'vampire'." Manchester Evening News, March 14: 5.Sunday Mirror. 1973. "'Sacrifice' witches in horror." Sunday Mirror, April 8: 11.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 501: The Stanfield Hall Murders
On November 28, 1848, Isaac Jermy and his son were shot and killed in their Wymondham estate, Stanfield Hall. After a brief search, investigators located the killer, James Blomfield Rush, a tenant farmer who was leasing land from Jermy and had fallen behind on his payments. Fearing eviction and destitution, Rush concocted a plan to kill the entire Jermy family and their staff, then cast blame on Jermy’s relatives, with whom the family had been feuding over the title of the estate. However, the plan fell apart when several of the victims survived and identified Rush as the killer.Thank you to the lovely David White, of Bring Me the Ax podcast, for research assistance.ReferencesBayne, A.D. 1849. The Stanfield Tragedy: A Complete Narrative. Norwich, England: Jarold and Sons.Bristol Mercury. 1849. "Rush's trial." Bristol Mercury, April 7: 2.Caledonian Mercury. 1849. "Execution of Rush." Caledonia Mercury, April 23.Liverpool Mercury. 1848. "Horrible murders in Norfolk." Liverpool Mercury, December 5: 2.Royal College of Physicians of London. 1850. A Full Report of the Trial of James Blomfield Rush for theMurder of Mr. Jermy and His Son. London, England: W.M. Clark.The Times. 1848. "Horrible murders at Stanfield Hall, near Wymondham." The Times, December 01: 5.—. 1848. "The murders at Stanfield Hall." The Times, December 4: 3.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 500: Eastern Air Lines Flight 401
Just before midnight on December 29, 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, traveling from New York to Miami, crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing nearly two thirds of the passengers on board. Crashing into the swamp softened the landing and likely saved dozens, but the remote location made rescue efforts complicated and required a cooperative effort between first responders and local civilians.The crash came at a difficult time for the airline industry, following closely on a number of several high-profile hijackings and examples of equipment malfunctions that negatively affected ticket sales. This only got worse when the investigation into Flight 401 was concluded and the cause of the crash was determined to be operator error when the flight crew became distracted and unaware that the autopilot had switched itself off.In the months and years that followed, several Eastern Air employees and survivors of Flight 401 began reporting sightings of the ghosts of crew members and passengers who died in the crash. Although Eastern Air went out of their way to deny any sightings, the stories spread and became a part of Florida folklore as the subject of books, television films, and even a public spectacle as part of Ed and Lorraine Warren’s Occult Museum in Connecticut.Thank you to the glorious David White, of Bring Me the Axe podcast, for research assistance :)References:Aguila, Grethel. 2022. "'We're down.' Flight 401 crashed in Miami 50 years ago." Miami Herald, December 21: A3.Associated Press. 1980. "Eastern still fighting ghost." Honolulu Star-Bulletin, August 28: 52.Baxter, Mike. 1972. "Rescue armada mobilized within half hour." Miami Herald, December 31: 15.Fuller, John. 1976. The Ghost of Flight 401. New York, NY: Berkley Publishing Corporation.Jenkins, Greg. 2005. Florida's Ghostly Legends And Haunted Folklore: South And Central Florida (volume one). Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press.Kay, Jennifer. 2007. "Everglades jet crash haunts hero." Rocky Mountain News, December 26.National Transportation Safety Board. 1973. Aircraft Accident Reports: Eastern Air Lines L-1011, N310EA. Aircraft accident report, Washington D.C.: National Transportation Safety Board.Orlando Evening Star. 1972. "Stewardess sings carols to survivors." Orlando Evening Star, December 30: 1.Star Services. 1972. "Many survive Everglades jet crash." Orlando Evening Star, December 30: 1.Times-News. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 499: The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
Shop Morbid coffee at www.deadsledcoffee.com and the Morbid Zodiac Mug Collection at www.wonderyshop.comIn the fall of 1961, Betty and Barney Hill took a trip to Niagara Falls. On the drive back from Canada to their home in Portsmouth, NH, the Hills claimed their trip was interrupted when, after stopping to investigate a strange flying object hovering above the car, the couple was abducted by what Barney later described as “beings [that] were somehow not human.”Thank you to the wondrous Dave White for Research Assistance!References:Friedman, Stanton, and Kathleen Marden. 2007. Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience. Red Wheel : Newburyport, MA.Palmer, Barry. 1965. "Portsmouth couple wes 600 persons here." Nashua Telegraph, December 1: 3.Public Broadcasting Sysetm. 1997. Nova: Kidnapped by UFOs? Boston, MA, April 1.Robinson, J. Dennis. 1999. "The Grounding of Betty Hill." The Portsmouth Herald, February 5.—. 2008. The UFO romance of Betty and Barney Hill. Accessed August 17, 2023. http://www.seacoastnh.com/the-ufo-romance-of-betty-and-barney-hill/?showall=1.The Portsmouth Herald. 1969. "Barney Hill dies in city at age 46." The Portsmouth Herald, February 26: 3.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 498: Listener Tales 78
It’s wackadoodle time on this week’s listener tales. In this installment we have the only and only butt mountain, possible imposter police officers, attempted kidnappings, psychic friends, demon filled dorm rooms, and haunted airbnbs. If you have a tale you would like to send in please send it to morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 497: The Haunting of Doris Bither
In the summer of 1974, paranormal investigators and UCLA students Barry Taff and Kerry Gaynor were approached in a bookstore by a woman who’d overheard their conversation about the supernatural and said she had a friend who needed help from someone with their expertise. The friend in question was Doris Bither, a middle-aged single mother of four who claimed she and her family were under attack from unseen entities in their Culver City, California home. According to Doris, the attacks began several months earlier and included, among other things, objects moving on their own, the presence of inexplicable foul odors in the house, unusual noises with no point of origin, and most distressingly, multiple physical and sexual assaults that were increasing in frequency and intensity. Thank you to the lovely David White for research assistance :)ReferencesBiddle, Kenny. 2021. "A Closer Look at the Entity Photographs." Skeptical Inquirer 45 (6).O'Keeffe, Ciaran, James Houran, Damian Houran, Neil Dagnall, Kenneth Drinkwater, Lorraine Sheridan, and Brian Laythe. 2019. "The Dr. John Hall story: a case study in putative “Haunted People Syndrome"." Mental Health, Religion & Culture 22 (9): 910-929.Ortega, Xavier. 2011. The Real Entity Case, Part II. August 6. Accessed August 23, 2023. https://www.ghosttheory.com/2011/08/06/the-real-entity-case.Radford, Benjamin. 2021. "The ‘True’ Story behind The Entity: Untangling Hollywood Horror." Skeptical Inquirer 45 (6). https://skepticalinquirer.org/2021/10/the-true-story-behind-the-entity-untangling-hollywood-horror/.2005. The Entity Files. Directed by Perry Martin. Produced by Anchor Bay Entertainment. Performed by Barry Taff.—. 2011. The Real Entity Case. August. Accessed August 24, 2023. http://barrytaff.net/2011/08/the-real-entity-case-2/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 496: Half-Hanged Mary
In the depths of American history there are few examples of mass hysteria that loom larger than the Salem witch trials of 1692. As horrific as it was, it was far from the only example of witch-hunting in Massachusetts’ history. In fact, ten years before hysteria over black magic gripped the village of Salem, similar accusations of witchcraft were aimed at Mary Webster of Hadley, a small village in Western Massachusetts. Thank you to the incredible Dave White for Research assistance.ReferencesClancy, Hal. 1977. "In good old days, wicthes would hang for a May snow." The Boston Globe, May 14: 1.Judd, Sylvester. 1905. History of Hadley. Springfield, MA: H.R. Hunting.Manning, Alice. 1976. "Witches in the Connecticut Valley: a historical perspective." Daily Hampshire Gazette, December 15: 35.Marshall, Bridget. 2003. "Mary (Reeve) Webster, the "Witch" of Hadley." University of Massachusetts Lowell. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://faculty.uml.edu//bmarshall/Mary%20Webster.htm.Mather, Cotton. 1967. Magnalia Christi Americana. New York, NY: Russell and Russell.Perera, Lisa. 1992. "Before Salem, Valley had witch trials of its own." Daily Hampshire Gazette, May 16: 22.Smith, Anna. 2019. The Witch of Hadley: Mary Webster, the Weird, and the Wired. October 15. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://www.massreview.org/node/7575.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
ReWatch “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Every Week with Ash & Alaina
Did you know that on The ReWatcher: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ash & Alaina find themselves in Sunnydale every single Monday? Yup, Welcome to The Hellmouth Weirdos! They’re watching Buffy from the very beginning. Alaina grew up a diehard fan of Buffy, and Ash is watching it for the very first time. Each week, they break down Buffy and her friends’ heroism and heartbreak through weekly recaps, categories and awards, while Ash takes some (wooden stake) stabs at predicting what she thinks will happen next to Buffy, Willow, Spike, and the rest. They also welcome the occasional Buffy cast member to join in the slaying. Follow and Listen to The ReWatcher Buffy the Vampire Slayer here: http://wondery.fm/The_Rewatcher and follow @The_ReWatcher on Instagram. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 495: The Horrific Murder of Jack Tupper- Part 2
On August 6, 1978, the body of thirty-five-year-old bar owner Jack Tupper was found in a vacant lot in the Bronx, just across the street from the local firehouse. His face had been severely slashed, his head and body badly beaten, he had been shot seven times, and finally, he had been set on fire. Witnesses reported seeing a small group of men in the lot attempting to set fire to a box earlier that day, including three witnesses who identified former racehorse trainer Howard “Buddy” Jacobson as one of the men, and one who was able to provide detectives with the license plate number of the car they were driving.Buddy Jacobson was quickly arrested for Tupper’s murder and the story quickly became New York’s latest scandal: Former horse trainer murders man in love triangle. Jacobson had indeed killed Tupper because the younger man was having an affair with Jacobson’s girlfriend but, while the motive may have been a classic, the story was far more sensational and salacious than anyone could have expected, and it turned out the arrest was just the beginning.Thank you to David White for research assistance :)Resources: Allen, Joy. 1978. "Family is embittered in 'triangle' slaying." Newsday, August 9: 17.Arnett, Peter, and Jane See White. 1978. "Life and death on fast track for a model." Newsday, August 21: 4.Associated Press. 1979. "Jacobson defense alleges cocaine plot by victim." Newsday, October 11: 19.—. 1979. "'Triangle' case hearing could clear defendant." The Journal News, October 24: 4.Christine, Bill. 1988. "The odyssey of Buddy Jacobson: Horses, models and a murder sentence." Los Angeles Times, January 10.Cummings, John, and Peggy Brown. 1980. "Buddy Jacobson escapes prison." Newsday, June 01: 3.Cummings, Jophn, and Joy Allen. 1978. "'Triangle' murder probers hear horseman's ex-wife." Newsday, August 16: 17.Fried, Joseph P. 1980. "Jacobson's 'friends and relatives' said to have helped in recapture." New York Times, July 11: A1. New York, NY: Macmillan.—. 1978. "Love and Death on the Upper East Side." New York Magazine, September 11.McFadden, Robert D. 1979. "'Gag' order covers murder trial." New York Times, October 23: B8.McFadden, Robert. 1980. "Jacobson, in calls from jail, speaks of his 'betrayal'." New York Times, 07 July: A1.New York Times. 1978. "Jacobson warned of bail revocation." New York Times, November 10: B7.Newton, Edmund, and Sheryl Kornman. 1980. "Cops hunt Buddy Jacobson around the world." Newsday, June 2: 4.The Reporter Dispatch. August. "Hunt widens in triangle slaying." The Reporter Dispatch, 10 1978: D14.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 494: Jack Tupper Part 1
On August 6, 1978, the body of thirty-five-year-old bar owner Jack Tupper was found in a vacant lot in the Bronx, just across the street from the local firehouse. His face had been severely slashed, his head and body badly beaten, he had been shot seven times, and finally, he had been set on fire. Witnesses reported seeing a small group of men in the lot attempting to set fire to a box earlier that day, including three witnesses who identified former racehorse trainer Howard “Buddy” Jacobson as one of the men, and one who was able to provide detectives with the license plate number of the car they were driving.Buddy Jacobson was quickly arrested for Tupper’s murder and the story quickly became New York’s latest scandal: Former horse trainer murders man in love triangle. Jacobson had indeed killed Tupper because the younger man was having an affair with Jacobson’s girlfriend but, while the motive may have been a classic, the story was far more sensational and salacious than anyone could have expected, and it turned out the arrest was just the beginning.Thank you to David White for research assistance :)Resources: Allen, Joy. 1978. "Family is embittered in 'triangle' slaying." Newsday, August 9: 17.Arnett, Peter, and Jane See White. 1978. "Life and death on fast track for a model." Newsday, August 21: 4.Associated Press. 1979. "Jacobson defense alleges cocaine plot by victim." Newsday, October 11: 19.—. 1979. "'Triangle' case hearing could clear defendant." The Journal News, October 24: 4.Christine, Bill. 1988. "The odyssey of Buddy Jacobson: Horses, models and a murder sentence." Los Angeles Times, January 10.Cummings, John, and Peggy Brown. 1980. "Buddy Jacobson escapes prison." Newsday, June 01: 3.Cummings, Jophn, and Joy Allen. 1978. "'Triangle' murder probers hear horseman's ex-wife." Newsday, August 16: 17.Fried, Joseph P. 1980. "Jacobson's 'friends and relatives' said to have helped in recapture." New York Times, July 11: A1. New York, NY: Macmillan.—. 1978. "Love and Death on the Upper East Side." New York Magazine, September 11.McFadden, Robert D. 1979. "'Gag' order covers murder trial." New York Times, October 23: B8.McFadden, Robert. 1980. "Jacobson, in calls from jail, speaks of his 'betrayal'." New York Times, 07 July: A1.New York Times. 1978. "Jacobson warned of bail revocation." New York Times, November 10: B7.Newton, Edmund, and Sheryl Kornman. 1980. "Cops hunt Buddy Jacobson around the world." Newsday, June 2: 4.The Reporter Dispatch. August. "Hunt widens in triangle slaying." The Reporter Dispatch, 10 1978: D14.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 493: The Attempted Murder of Olga Rocco
On the morning of December 31, 1946, nineteen-year-old Pearl Lusk boarded a crowded subway train in Brooklyn. A few days earlier, she’d met a man named Allen in a bar who offered her a very strange, yet simple job: she was to follow a young woman named Olga and take a photo to determine whether she was wearing any stolen jewelry. That morning, as Pearl and Olga exited the crowded subway train, Pearl raised the camera in Olga’s direction and pulled the wire to take a photo, but what happened next would put into motion a series of events that rivals fiction.Thank you to the wonderful Dave White for Research assistance!ReferencesAdams, Toni. 1947. "Troopers hunt and kill Alphonse Rocco." Kingston Daily Freeman, January 7: 1.Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1947. "Camera-gun suspect flees in stolen car." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 6: 2.Buffalo Evening News. 1947. "'Camera' shooting victim asks N.Y. City to pay her $200,000." Buffalo Evening News, February 14: 1.—. 1953. "Court frees city of liability for not averting shooting." Buffalo Evening News, April 22: 25.—. 1947. "Police press quest for spouse of camera-gun victim." Buffalo Evening News, January 2: 9.—. 1946. "Times Square Station is scene of shooting." Buffalo Evening News, December 31: 10.International News Service. 1947. "Estranged wife and family glad Ruocco is dead." Buffalo Evening News, Janaury 7: 1.Kingston Daily Freeman. 1947. "Victim of camera shooting guarded." Kingston Daily Freeman, January 2: 18.McKelway, St. Clair. 1953. The Perils of Pearl and Olga. August 8. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1953/08/08/the-perils-of-pearl-and-olga.New York Times. 1947. "Camera-gun victim files for $200,000." New York Times, February 15: 17.—. 1947. "'Camera-gun' victim loses a leg." New York Times, Janaury 3: 1.—. 1947. "Girl, dupe in plot, shoots woman with 'camera' gun." New York Times, January 1: 1.—. 1947. "Lusk girl freed; will leave city." New York Times, Janaury 11: 20.—. 1947. "Rocco killed by the police in Catskills." New York Times, January 7: 1.Smith, Delos. 1947. "Gullible girl hoaxed into plot on life of estranged wife." Daily Boston Globe, January 1: 13.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 492: The Haunted S.K. Pierce Mansion
In the spring of 2009, Edwin Gonzalez and his girlfriend, Lillian Otero, fled their house in Gardner, MA, less than one year after moving into what they believed was their dream home. Later, once they were safely away from the old Victorian, Gonzalez and Otero would explain to friends and family that they had been driven out by angry ghosts who had done everything—including possessing Lillian—in order to torment them, leaving them no other options than to abandon the house that had once held such promise. Although they didn’t know it when they moved in, Gonzalez and Otero’s home, the S.K. Pierce Mansion, had long been considered by locals to be haunted. Indeed, in its more than one-hundred-year history, the Victorian home had seen more than its fair share of tragedies, including several deaths in the house as recent as the 1960s, as well as countless other unsavory myths and legends.Thank you to Dave White for research assistance. ReferencesCity of Gardner. n.d. History. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.gardner-ma.gov/316/History.Discovery Channel. 2013. "Haunted Victorian." A Haunting. New York, NY: Discovery Channel, October 19.Farragher, Thomas. 2022. "Want to be a ghost host? Come to Gardner." Boston Globe, August 20: B1.Fiorentino, Alyssa. 2021. How the S.K. Pierce Mansion became one of the most haunted homes in Massachusetts. October 27. Accessed July 31, 2023. https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a38046654/sk-pierce-haunted-victorian-mansion/.Fitchburg Sentinel. 1963. "Gardner man, 47, dies in room fire." Fitchburg Sentinel, April 9: 11.—. 1891. "Notes." Fitchburg Sentinel, December 8: 2.Gelinas, Brian. 2012. "Group of ghost hunting enthusiasts converge on Gardner mansion." Athol News, October 6: 1.Gershon, Livia. 2006. Ghost hunters. July 28. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.thegardnernews.com/story/news/2006/07/28/ghost-hunters/11341583007/.Ilinitch, Shawn. 2003. Psychic profiler detects spirits in South Gardner home. October 31. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.thegardnernews.com/story/news/2003/11/01/psychic-profiler-detects-spirits-in/11284159007/.Landry, Stephen. 2021. "Debunking rumors about the S.K. Pierce Mansion." Gardner News, September 22.—. 2020. "New book details history of S.K. Pierce Mansion." Gardner News, September 25.Pelletiere, Nicole. 2016. Homeowner to turn 'haunted' mansion into scary attraction. September 2. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/homeowner-turn-haunted-mansion-scary-attraction/story?id=41769810.SK Haunted Victorian Mansion. 2023. The Mansion. Accessed August 2, 2023. https://www.skhauntedvictorianmansion.com/index.html.Stanway, Eric. 2013. The Victorian. September: Independent.—. 2013. "Gardner mansion shelters ghostly past." Worcester Telegram and Gazette, July 10.Zillow. 2023. 4 West Broadway, Gardner, MA. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4-West-Broadway-Gardner-MA-01440/57587523_zpid/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 491: The Murder of Bridget Cleary
On March 15, 1895, thirty-five-year-old Michael Cleary murdered his wife, twenty-six-year-old Bridget Cleary in their home in Ballyvadlea, County Tipperary. While terrible, the murder was just the last act in a series of bizarre atrocities committed against Bridget, whom her husband would later claim had been taken by malevolent fairy folk and replaced with a changeling.More shocking, however, was that the barbaric act hadn’t been committed by one man alone, but by a group of rural men, including family. Was Bridget Cleary really murdered out of fear of fairies? Or had Michael Cleary just convinced himself of as much in order to commit murder?ReferencesBourke, Angela. 1999. The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story. London, UK: Pimlico.Freeman's Journal. 1895. "Strange death near Clonmel." Freeman's Journal, March 25.Irish Times. 1999. "Burning Bridget." Irish Times, August 7: B24.n.a. 1917. The Tipperary Witch Case. Toronto, ON: McGill University.New York Times. 1895. "A with burner sentenced." New York Times, July 6: 5.—. 1895. "Not witches, but fairies." New York Times, April 22: 4.Ruxton, Dean. 2016. "The story of the last 'witch' bruned alive in Ireland." Irish Times, November 24.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 490: Listener Tales 77
It's Listener Tales 77 AND it's August so you know what that means.... It is obviously time for Halloween tales! This week we have a spook-a-dook installment filled with tales of bullet wounds that go undetected, sleep paralysis demons, deaths by elevators, and spooky nanny's. If you have a listener tale you’d like to send in please send it to Morbidpodcast@gmail.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 489: Rainbow Family Murders
In the summer of 1980, nineteen-year-old Nancy Santomero, and two friends, twenty-six-year-old Vicki Durian and nineteen-year-old Liz Johndrow, left Durian’s parents’ home in Iowa to hitchhike to West Virginia to attend a gathering of the Rainbow Family. Five days later, Santomero and Durian’s bodies were discovered in the woods in West Virginia, shot to death just hours before being found, and Johndrow was nowhere to be seen.More than a decade after their bodies were discovered, police in West Virginia had identified several suspects and eventually charged thirty-four-year-old farmer Jacob Beard, who was convicted in 1993 and sentenced to life in prison. Upon appeal, however, it was revealed that the investigation into Beard was rife with dubious circumstantial evidence, police misconduct, and perjury, which led to a new trial and Beard was exonerated. Thank you to the lovely Dave White for research assistanceReferences: Associated Press. 1992. "W. Va drops Rainbow charges." Roanoke Ties and World-News, July 21: 6.—. 1992. "Arrests in women's deaths 'witch hunt' attorney says." The Daily Progress , April 25: 7.—. 2000. "Jury finds man innocent in Rainbow murder trial." The Roanoke Times, June 1: 21.Behrens, David. 2000. "Too many years without answers." Newsday, February 16: B6.Daily Press. 1980. "2 murdered women in 'Rainbow Family'." Daily Press, June 27: 44.Danville Reigister and Bee. 1993. "Jury deliberating in slayings case." Danville Register and Bee, June 4: 10.Darling, Lynn. 1980. The Rainbow People. July 7. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/07/the-rainbow-people/80aadbf3-ef61-4d43-9d62-766d4d01fc56/.Horn, Dan. 1997. "Franklin's boasting may unlock convict." The Cincinnati Post, April 18.Lovegrove, Richard. 1980. "Rainbow camp still going up despite slaying of women." The Roanoke Times, June 28: 1.—. 1980. "Two women slain near 'Rainbow' camp remain unidentified." The Roanoke Times, July 10: B-8.Possley, Maurice. 2012. Jacob Beard. July 30. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3963.State of West Virginia v. Jacob W. Beard. 1998. 24644 (Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, July 15).State of West Virginia v. Jacob W. Beard. 1995. 22504 (Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, January).The Gazette. 1983. "2 West Virginia men charged in death of Wellman woman." The Gazette, April 8: 14.—. 1992. "4 charged in Wellman woman's 1980 slaying." The Gazette, April 17: 10.United Press International. 1980. "Young woman who skipped tragic hitchhiking trip found." The Daily Progress, July 17: 7.Wallace, Terry. 1992. "Seething hostility led to killing of hitchhikers." The Daily Progress, April 20: 1.West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 2020. Two Women Murdered Traveling to Rainbow Gathering. June 25. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://wvpublic.org/june-25-1980-two-women-murdered-traveling-to-rainbow-gathering/.https://kmbllaw.com/dont-just-ask-to-suppress-the-involuntary-statement-and-the-evidence-thats-fruit-of-the-poisonous-tree-ask-for-a-full-kastigar-hearing/#:~:text=In%20other%20words%2C%20the%20Kastigar,compelled%20after%20an%20immunity%20order.https://www.upcounsel.com/legal-def-habeas-corpus#:~:text=The%20writ%20of%20habeas%20corpus%20serves%20as%20an%20important%20check,290%2D91%20(1969).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.