In this episode we cover the terrible axe murder that put the small town of Villisca, Iowa on the map. We’ll discuss the murder that destroyed both the Moore family and the Stillinger family, and explore the clues left behind by the killer. We’ll talk about the most likely suspects, and try to decide whether we think this savage, gruesome event was part of the work of an unnamed serial killer, or a solo event with lust, greed or revenge as the motive. Was there a copy cat killer who used published details from the cases we covered last week? Join us as we discuss the tragic Villisca Axe Murders of 1912.

In 1911 and 1912 there was a series of murders, all near train tracks, through the Rocky Mountains region to the Midwest. Today we discuss these horrific crimes leading up to the axe murders in Villisca. 
Do you think they are all the same unknown serial killer? 

This episode is sponsored by Podcorn. For more information go to http://www.podcorn.com

In 1991, Isaac Wright Jr. was wongfully convicted and faced a life in prison. But he kept going and fought for justice, not only for himself, but also for fellow inmates. After 7 years his charges were finally dismissed and Isaac Wright Jr. set out to study law and to become an advocate for people in similar situations. In “For Life: The Podcast” he now tells the true stories of inncocent people fighting for justice.

54 hours! That’s how long it took to end the Gladbeck Hostage Crisis, that started as a bank robbery gone wrong and ended in three deaths: Emanuele de Giorgi, Silke Bischoff and Ingo Hagen.
This week Johanna talks about this crime, that took place in August 1988, and about the role the media played in it.

This episode is sponsored by BEST FIENDS: https://bestfiends.com/

We’re headed back to Victorian London as we discuss John Snow and the discoveries he made regarding the spread of cholera.
We discuss horrifically overcrowded cemeteries, body bugs, dancing on the dead at Enon Chapel, and take you on a ride on the London Necropolis Railroad.

This episode is sponsored by Ballsy. Use promo code “FRESH20” for a 20% discount. Go to http://www.ballwash.com

In 1953 Teddington, England, was a town buzzing about the upcoming coronation of Elizabeth II. After the long hard years of World War II, the nation was looking forward to celebrating, and very few people in the charming town on the Thames realized a brutal rapist and murderer was on the loose. This is the story of the murder of 16 year old Barbara Songhurst and her best friend, 18 year old Christine Reed, the victims of the Towpath Murders.

In the second part, Annie and Johanna talk about the murder of Empress Elisabeth I. in Geneva and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Duchess Sophie in Sarajevo, which ultimately started WW I. 

The Habsburg dynasty ruled Austria for 640 years. In this two part episode we focus on the last decades of the dying empire. This week Annie and Johanna talk about the tragic and scandalous deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and his 17 year old mistress Mary Vetsera.

New year – new promo! Feel free to share…

In 1963 a brutal murder took place in the Viennese Staatsoper. The victim of the crime, that shocked the whole nation, was a 10 year old ballet student. 

On December 24, 1988, Sergeant Al Powell, of the LAPD would face the most difficult day of his long and storied career on the force. Join us, as we reflect on the shocking and tragic hostage situation that turned strangers into friends and terrorists into thieves.

Wait, is spontaneous combustion really a thing? Annie decides to finally look into the subject of people spontaneously bursting into flame and burning to ash, and she’s going to tell Johanna everything. 

Martha Marek survived a deeply troubling childhood, and emerged a beautiful young woman who loved a nice carpet almost as much as she loved rat poison. Johanna tells Annie a twisted tale of greed, quality carpets, sincerely shocking levels of fraud, and of course…murder.

In this episode we do not only talk about the Krampus, we also face our childhood holiday traumas and begin to heal. Join Annie and Johanna in this rather chatty episode, when they laugh in the face of the Krampus! 

On Thanksgiving weekend, after a shocking upset at a Boston Collge vs. Holy Cross football game, the popular night spot, Cocoanut Grove, was the place to see and be seen. What should have been a joyous holiday weekend ended in unimaginable horror. Annie tells the story of one of the most devastating fires in U.S. history, and the medical advances made as a result.

Somewhere along a picturesque highway in the mountains of West Virginia is a sign that reads, “Interred in nearby cemetery is Zona Heaster Shue. Her death in 1897 was presumed natural until her spirit appeared to her mother to describe how she was killed by her husband Edward. Autopsy on the exhumed body verified the apparition’s account. Edward, found guilty of murder, was sentenced to the state prison. Only known case in which testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer.” This is the story of Zona Heaster Shue, the Greenbrier Ghost.

In 2007 a young man disappeared in Vienna, never to be seen again. Since then his mother is trying to find answers to the question “What happened to Aeryn Gillern?”. 

It was the biggest crime story in New Jersey since the Lindbergh kidnapping.
In 1971, the entire List Family was found murdered, execution style in their sprawling, empty mansion known as Breeze Knoll. The only missing family member was John List, the son, husband and father of the victims. You may have heard this story before, but Annie takes a deep dive, so join us, and we’ll tell you everything…

In this special episode Annie and Johanna talk about their paranormal encounters and read letters sent in by the audience. 

This week Annie tells Johanna the story of the Hammersmith Ghost Murder, a shocking tale of murder and mischief from the early 1800s that may still haunt the area to this day…

Listen to this little teaser episode, where we talk about ourselves, where we are from and how we ended up fascinated by murder, mysteries and the macabre. 

You will also learn why beagles are not dogs, why Annie scares her husband and how we both ended up in prison!