Shows
Curator 135Bones in the Backseat: The Ongoing Story of Jonathan GerlachSend us a textWhat started as a quiet investigation into a vandalized mausoleum at Mount Moriah Cemetery quickly spiraled into something much darker.In this episode, we explore the recent arrest of Jonathan Christian Gerlach — accused of stealing human remains from Philadelphia’s historic cemeteries — and the eerie digital trail he left behind. From curated Instagram posts to disturbing discoveries in his home, police uncovered a scene that felt more like a horror film than real life.But this isn’t just about one man. It’s about a culture. A curiosity. And a line...
2026-01-1625 min
Curator 135Larcena Pennington: A Story of SurvivalSend us a textIn the mid-1850s, America was expanding westward — fast, hungry, and ruthless. The ink was barely dry on the Gadsden Purchase when settlers began pouring into the unforgiving deserts of what would one day become southern Arizona. The land was harsh, lawless, and already inhabited by Native nations like the Apache, who fiercely resisted encroachment.This episode begins in that volatile moment — where empires shifted, cultures clashed, and ordinary people stepped into extraordinary danger.At the heart of this story is Larcena Pennington Page, a young woman who journeyed west...
2026-01-0326 min
Curator 135The Women of Death RowSend us a textSince the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, the United States has executed over 1,500 people — but only 17 of them have been women. In this episode, we walk cell-by-cell through their stories. The crimes. The trials. The years spent on death row. And, ultimately, the moments the state said it was time to die.From Velma Barfield to Lisa Montgomery, we examine not just what they did — but who they were. And we ask: Does gender change the way we see justice? Or does justice demand that we don’t look away?
2025-12-2144 min
Curator 135Jane Toppan: Angel of DeathSend us a textShe wasn’t a monster in the shadows — she was a nurse at your bedside.In this chilling episode, we uncover the twisted life of Jane Toppan, the 19th-century caregiver who confessed to murdering at least 31 people — not out of hatred, but for pleasure. A seemingly cheerful and devoted nurse, “Jolly Jane” used her position to experiment with fatal doses of morphine and atropine, holding patients as they died… and enjoying every second.Before Charles Cullen or Beverley Allitt, there was Toppan — America’s first documented female serial killer of the medical k...
2025-11-3026 min
Curator 135The Resurrection MenSend us a textThis Halloween, we dig deep — literally — into one of the most disturbing true crime tales in medical history.Step into 1820s Edinburgh, where cobblestone streets echoed with the footsteps of scholars by day… and the shovels of grave robbers by night. This episode uncovers the chilling story of William Burke and William Hare, two men who didn’t just rob graves — they skipped the digging and began murdering for fresh corpses, selling the dead to fuel the booming anatomy lectures of Dr. Robert Knox.From the shadowy world of the Resurr...
2025-10-1926 min
Curator 135The Year of the AxSend us a textBetween June of 1911 and June of 1912, America’s heartland lived in fear. From Oregon to Iowa, entire families were slaughtered in their beds — curtains drawn, lamps dimmed, the blunt edge of an axe left behind. The trail of terror ran through Ardenwald, Rainier, Colorado Springs, Monmouth, Ellsworth, and Paola, before ending with the infamous Villisca murders.Was it the work of one shadowy figure riding the rails, or a series of eerie coincidences? Detectives of the day struggled with poor science, conflicting rumors, and too many suspects — men like Henry Lee Moore...
2025-10-0241 min
Curator 135The Legend of Buford PusserSend us a textHe was the sheriff with a big stick and an even bigger legend. Buford Pusser fought crime on the Tennessee-Mississippi border with his fists, a badge, and a whole lot of vengeance. His story inspired Walking Tall, a string of sequels, ballads, and generations of folk-hero worship. But behind the headlines, beneath the scars, there’s a different story. In this episode of the Curator135 Podcast, we dive deep into the life, myth, and legacy of Buford Pusser—from his early days as a wrestler, to bloody shootouts with the St...
2025-09-1828 min
Curator 135The New Hampshire ClairvoyantSend us a textIn the late 1800s, Nellie Titus had a dream about a missing girl. A dream so precise, so disturbingly accurate, that it drew the attention of scholars, spiritualists, and skeptics alike — including America’s most famous psychologist, William James.In this episode, we step back in time to a snow-covered mill town, where a woman who’d had visions all her life claimed to see what no one else could. Support the show
2025-09-0131 min
Curator 135Esther Cox and the Great Amherst MysterySend us a textIn 1878, a quiet town in Nova Scotia became the stage for one of Canada’s strangest hauntings. Esther Cox, an ordinary young woman, was suddenly surrounded by raps in the walls, flying objects, and ghostly messages carved into plaster. Neighbors, doctors, ministers — even a touring actor — all claimed to witness the terror firsthand. Was it the work of restless spirits, the echoes of trauma, or a mystery no one will ever solve? Join me as we travel back to Amherst, where a haunting once gripped the Maritimes and left behind one unforgettable name: Esther...
2025-08-1729 min
Curator 135Bison Dele: Lost at SeaSend us a textAn up-and-coming NBA star who had it all. The talent, the money, the fame, the women... but then he just walked away. And soon, he would vanish altogether. Learn about Brian Williams, who, after changing his name to Bison Dele, found that the NBA lifestyle was no longer for him. He bought a boat, reconnected with an old flame, and then reconnected with his brother. The last move may have cost him his life. A lost at sea mystery. Support the show
2025-07-2623 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 8Send us a textEpisode 89 of the podcast highlights the criminal careers of Dennis Lincoln and John Wolfenbarger and goes into correspondence between the defendants and myself back in 2014. This is chapters 24, 25, and 26 of the book, A Wolf in Suburbia - The Pesce Family Murders.Some of the language used in this podcast is not intended for younger listeners. Parental discretion is advised; bad language is beeped out. The voices used for Lincoln and Wolfenbarger are AI-generated. Support the show
2025-06-2648 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 7Send us a textEpisode 88 of the podcast covers days 12, 13, 14, the verdict and sentencing portions of the Pesce Family Murder Trial and chapters 20, 21, 22, & 23 of the book, A Wolf in Suburbia - The Pesce Family Murders.The trial hears from some key witnesses for the prosecution and the defense and is ultimately deliberated on for less than four hours before a verdict was reached. Support the show
2025-06-2449 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 6Send us a textEpisode 87 of the podcast covers days 8, 9, 10, & 11 of the Pesce Family Murder Trial and chapters 17, 18, & 19 of the book, A Wolf in Suburbia - The Pesce Family Murders.Some important witnesses are called to the stand, and health issues delay the trial by nearly one month. Support the show
2025-05-2434 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 5Send us a textIn Part 5 of the series, we cover days 6 and 7 of the trial and chapters 15 and 16 of the book, A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders. These two days were important ones in the trial as attorneys finished up with Betty Faye Smith before moving on to a Copa Lounge bartender and the Letts family. Finally, at the end of day 7, Diane Pesce is called to the stand. Support the show
2025-04-2653 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 4Send us a textEpisode 85 covers chapters 12, 13, and 14 of the book, "A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders.The trial commences with the presentation of some key witnesses, including Doreen Beauchamp (Wolfenbarger's Girlfriend) and Betty Faye Smith (Wolfenbarger's Mother). Support the show
2025-04-151h 03
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 3Send us a textPart 3 dives into chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11 of the book "A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders". The arrests of John Wolfenbarger and Dennis Lincoln, the Pesce family funeral, the community response, and the beginning of a long trial. Support the show
2025-04-0946 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 2Send us a textPart two of the story continues with chapters 5, 6, and 7 of the book, "A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders."These chapters discuss the actions of Wolfenbarger and Lincoln before and after the murders and we meet William "Billy Wadd" Smith, notorious West Side Boss of the Devil's Diciples and uncle to John Wolfenbarger. Support the show
2025-04-0139 min
Curator 135A Wolf in Suburbia: The Pesce Family Murders Part 1Send us a textIn 2002 John Wolfenbarger and Dennis Lincoln committed one of the worst crimes in Michigan's history. Five were dead, including three children, just four days before Christmas. It was, for the most part, an open-and-shut case but when you add in a dangerous biker gang, a drug-addicted mother, and a questionable parole policy, things can get a little murkier. Back in 2014-2015, Nathan began a nearly five-year journey of compiling information on this case for a true crime book. After countless interviews and thousands of documents, he finished the book. On...
2025-03-2345 min
Curator 135Joseph Paul Franklin: Racist with a RifleSend us a textIn Episode 81 of the podcast, we take a look at the three-year racially motivated killing spree that covered at least 11 different states. From 1977 to 1980, Joseph Paul Franklin killed an estimated twenty-one people while injuring scores of others and creating an unease that spread throughout the country. What fueled his hatred towards blacks and Jews and how was he finally brought to justice?Support the show
2025-02-0832 min
Curator 135The Greenbrier GhostSend us a textIn this spine-chilling episode, we unravel the mysterious and eerie story of the Greenbrier Ghost, one of the most unique cases in American legal history. Discover how the spirit of Elva Zona Heaster allegedly returned from the grave to reveal the truth behind her untimely death, leading to a landmark court case in 1897. Join us as we explore the chilling details of this haunting tale and the fascinating intersection of folklore and justice.Support the show
2025-01-1730 min
Curator 135Run Away to Join the CircusSend us a textIn the early 1900s, young men sometimes wanted to get out of their boring hometowns and out from under their parents' thumbs. The flashy lights, roar of the animals and the big top tents often seemed to call to them offering a more exciting life. Countless teens ran off and joined the circus, some made a career out of it, some came crawling back home to their parents never wanting to leave again. Others, like the two boys discussed in this episode had their lives changed forever. Learn about Sheridan Justus a...
2025-01-0227 min
Curator 135Dr. Cotton and the Mouths of MadnessSend us a textIn this chilling dive into the history of psychiatry, we uncover the controversial legacy of Dr. Henry Cotton, the medical director of the New Jersey State Hospital for the Insane in the early 20th century. Driven by a misguided obsession with infection as the root cause of mental illness, Cotton’s radical treatments, including tooth and organ removal, left a trail of suffering and death in their wake. From his meteoric rise to his shocking methods and eventual downfall, we explore the man, his madness, and the dark chapters he wrote in the hi...
2024-12-2733 min
Curator 135Vigilante Justice: The Bald KnobbersSend us a textIn the rugged hills of post-Civil War Missouri, a group of masked men set out to restore order in a lawless land. Led by the towering and enigmatic Nat Kinney, the Bald Knobbers began as vigilantes seeking justice in the absence of reliable law enforcement. But as their power grew, so did their reputation for brutality, leading to deadly feuds, splintered loyalties, and a fall from public favor.In this episode, we dive deep into the rise and fall of the Bald Knobbers, exploring the turbulent world of Taney County in...
2024-12-0129 min
Curator 135Doppelgangers in HistorySend us a textThey say that each of us has a doppelganger somewhere in the world. Someone who looks just like us... maybe acts just like us... or maybe, is us. Do you believe in doppelgangers? Do you believe in the idea of bilocation? These people from history certainly do. Learn about how various dignitaries, politicians, and artists from history and their run-ins with their very own doppelgangers. Support the show
2024-11-0238 min
Curator 135It's the Great Depression, Charlie BrownSend us a textFind out what Halloween was like during the Great Depression. 1929 to 1939 was a tough decade for folks throughout the United States. Halloween offered a chance to come together and help children have an enjoyable evening with their friends. It also served as a time for older kids to rebel and cut loose, causing the night before Halloween to be named 'Mischief Night', and eventually 'Devil's Night'. So how did people celebrate and what legends spawned from that era that are still discussed today? Support the show
2024-10-1330 min
Curator 135Down the Wiki Rabbit Hole 001 - The Lipstick KillerSend us a textI have created a new podcast section for YouTube and Curator135.com called "Down the Wiki Rabbit Hole" where I look up a search term on Wikimedia Commons. From there I find a photo related to the search term and then research the photo to find as much information as possible.The search term for this episode was "Crime Scene".In the 1940s someone was killing women and children in Chicago. The police were feeling the heat as lead after lead fell through. When they encountered a young burglar...
2024-09-2919 min
Curator 135A Curse Upon TheeSend us a textThe Hope Diamond, The Busby Chair, The Hands Resist Him, the Crying Boy paintings and the Dybbuk Box are five of the most cursed items in our history. Learn how these curses grew over time and the factors behind believing something is cursed. Is it all in our head or is there some truth to the fears? Support the show
2024-09-1632 min
Curator 135The Pentwater Michigan MurdersSend us a textIn the early 1890's Samuel Minshall left Chicago in search of a better opportunity in Pentwater, Michigan. Pentwater was a small, up and coming village in Western Michigan along the shores of Lake Michigan. There he met William Sands who promised him enough work to support his family. That promise was broken and it drove Minshall mad. He couldn't stand to see the rich get richer while his family struggled to make ends meet.So he took action. Horrible, murderous action. Support the show
2024-08-1339 min
Curator 135Suburban Murder - Locked in a ClosetSend us a textIn 1964 three elderly siblings were brutally beaten, robbed and left in a closet to die. Learn about the Parsons; William, Hilda and Lenore, their lives and what led up to the unsolved murders that are still on the Livonia Police Department's Cold Case list sixty years later. Support the show
2024-07-1730 min
Curator 135Suburban Murder - Livonia's Own Serial KillerSend us a textIn 1982 Kimberly Louiselle disappeared from Livonia and was found deceased weeks later in a wooded area of state-owned land miles away. The following year, one day shy of exactly a year, Christina Castiglione went missing while in Livonia. She was also found deceased later on in a remote area near Howell. From the start, police knew that the two cases were likely the work of the same man. It took 40 years and a group of college kids from Michigan State University to make it official. Listen to Episode 71 to lea...
2024-06-0923 min
Curator 135The Wreck of the Whale-Ship Essex (Owen Chase's Diary)Send us a textThe crew of the Essex left Nantucket on a whaling expedition in August of 1819. They knew that they might be at sea for as long as three years but they had no idea what they were about to encounter.Find out how 20 men survived a whale attack that sunk their ship only to be forced into three small boats in the middle of the ocean. What happens when starvation hits? When your fresh water supply is drained? Or when madness sets in? This is a reading of Ow...
2024-03-2747 min
Curator 135Theodore Coneys: Denver Spider ManSend us a textIn the early 1940s, a well-liked man was brutally murdered in his home while his wife recovered from hip surgery in a nearby hospital. There were no signs of forced entry, plenty of cash around the home, and every door and window was locked from the inside. So who did it? And more importantly, where did the assailant go after the murder? The house quickly gained the reputation of being haunted as neighbors noticed lights going on and off and the silhouette of a man being seen numerous times. It...
2024-02-2122 min
Curator 135The 1904 Olympic Marathon MessSend us a textThe games of the Third Olympiad were the first Olympics to be held on American soil. After St. Louis wrestled away the chance to host the games from Chicago, they lumped the event in with the Louisiana Purchase Expo and World Fair. The Olympic Marathon, an event that everyone looked forward to, was a mess from start to finish. Full of comedy, danger, and cheating. Travel back in time with Curator 135 and learn about all of the shenanigans that took place. It got so bad that the International Olympic Co...
2024-02-0428 min
Curator 135The Mystery of the Carroll A. DeeringSend us a textThe early 1920's was a time that saw numerous vessels vanish in the Atlantic Ocean. The Carroll A. Deering didn't vanish, but its crew did, and then washed up on the dangerous Diamond Shoals off the coast of North Carolina.Was it mutiny? Captain Wormell and his first mate did not get along and everyone knew it. German U-boats were a thing of the past, and so were pirates, right? Was it Russians? Or the work of the not-yet-known Bermuda Triangle? We may never know. The Carroll A. Deering (a...
2024-01-2824 min
Curator 135Gypsy Bob: Tattoos and MurderSend us a textArthur "Gypsy Bob" Harper (b. 1880) was one of Michigan's most notorious criminals. Murder, theft, and assault were part of his everyday life outside of prison. Luckily he only spent 15 of his 73 years out in the world. The rest of his time was spent locked up in various prisons in New York, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan. Even that didn't stop him from committing heinous crimes. Let's learn about the man who holds the record for the most consecutive years in solitary confinement and the most tattoos.Support the sh...
2024-01-1625 min
Curator 135The Attica Uprising '71Send us a textWhat happened at the Attica Maximum Security Prison in September 1971 should have changed how prisons were run forever. Unfortunately, the 'tough on crime' 80's and 90's erased any of the steps that were taken. Find out what went on during the four days inside of Attica as Governor Nelson Rockefeller battled from afar to win back the prison... at any cost. Support the show
2023-12-1930 min
Curator 135The Yule Lads, Krampus and Christmas around the WorldSend us a textWhat are some of your Christmas-time family traditions? Elf on the Shelf? Boots on the windowsill? Hiding brooms? KFC?Curator135 looks at some of the strange but mostly meaningful Christmas traditions around the globe. Come along for a wild ride, and learn about everything from scaring children to radishes to straw goats. Support the show
2023-12-0323 min
Curator 135Floyd Collins: Trapped in a Cold Kentucky CaveSend us a textBefore iPhones and the internet, before television and radio, people went out of their way to find entertainment. If something newsworthy was happening, they wanted to be a part of it. Floyd Collins and the caves below Kentucky gave the nation just that in January 1925. Hear how one man, trapped 60 feet below the surface, brought in thousands of onlookers from across the country for a two-week period. He wanted to be a winner in the Kentucky Cave Wars but may have sealed his fate while exploring one day. Su...
2023-11-0627 min
Curator 135A Reading of The Monkey's Paw by W.W. JacobsSend us a textW.W. Jacobs, was an English author best known for his short stories, particularly the classic tale "The Monkey's Paw."Jacobs' writing often delved into the realm of humor and the supernatural. "The Monkey's Paw," published in 1902, remains one of his most celebrated works. This chilling story revolves around a mysterious monkey's paw that grants its owner three wishes but comes with unintended and tragic consequences, illustrating Jacobs' skill in crafting suspenseful and thought-provoking narratives.Listen to it in its entirety, read by Curator135.Support the show
2023-10-0127 min
Curator 135The Poisonous Dr. CreamSend us a textIn the late 1800's getting away with murder was a whole lot easier than it is today. Men like H.H. Holmes and Jack the Ripper made families lock their doors at night and prostitutes want to change professions. One man, who some believed could have been the infamous Jack the Ripper, managed to murder in three different countries. His reign of terror continued even after he was given life in prison. Episode 61 is about a man known as Dr. Cream, and later, the Lambeth Poisoner. Get to know Th...
2023-08-2728 min
Curator 135Abe's Avenger: Boston CorbettSend us a textEveryone knows about John Wilkes Booth and his dastardly plan to weaken the government and breathe new life into the Confederacy. It didn't work and Booth was killed days later. But who killed him? Thomas "Boston" Corbett, that's who. Boston Corbett was an interesting character who lived a hard life but leaned on God to get him through everything. In some people's eyes, he was a hero, but his actions almost got him in a lot of trouble, and he lived in fear of Booth's ghost for the rest of...
2023-08-1824 min
Curator 135The Sickle Slasher and the ReverendSend us a textIn 1971, deep in the Sierra Nevada, near the tiny village of Weimar, California, 17 campers experienced an event that changed their lives. By the next morning, Sheriff Wayne Brown and his deputies found three folks seriously injured and two dead. A manhunt that took them to Mexico ensued.Clarence Otis Smith was accused of the horrific event and rightfully so. However, he had demons along with a mail-order preacher in his ear the whole time. Find out what happened and what led up to the Sickle Slayings at the Bear River Campground.
2023-08-0533 min
Curator 135The Val Johnson IncidentSend us a textWhether you are a believer in extraterrestrial beings or not, 1979 gave us one of the most well-documented cases of a UFO in our recent history.Val Johnson was out doing his job, patrolling the back roads of northwestern Minnesota, just minutes from the North Dakota border. When he went to turn onto Highway 220, a light appeared before him. Seconds later it was hitting his vehicle, causing damage to the patrol car and himself. Some people believe it was ball lightning and that he was lucky to be alive. Others k...
2023-05-2420 min
Curator 135Doctor Ruxton and the Jigsaw MurdersSend us a textIn the 1930's the science of forensics was still in its infancy. When Dr. Buck Ruxton's wife and nanny went missing, the police were forced to come up with new ways to identify the bodies... which had been cut up into numerous pieces. How did they do it? Learn all about Britain's 'Jigsaw Murders' in Episode 57 of the podcast. Support the show
2023-05-0924 min
Curator 135Michigan's Last ExecutionSend us a textMichigan has only 13 recorded executions in its history. They'd long ago taken the death penalty off the table. So why was Anthony Chebatoris hung within Michigan's borders in 1938?Find out what led up to Michigan's final execution. The life of Tony Chebatoris, his partner in crime, the targeted bank, and the hero dentist. Support the show
2023-03-2723 min
Curator 135The Battle of Los AngelesSend us a textIn 1942, just months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, tensions were high all along the west coast. Might the Japanese invade California? It sure seemed like a possibility. After a submarine surfaced and shot at a nearby oil well, the city of Los Angeles was on alert. In the early morning hours of February 25th, something caused numerous stations to fire anti-aircraft guns toward the sky. Was it the Japanese army? Alien Invaders? A spy balloon? We may never know. Support the show
2023-03-1120 min
Curator 135The Legacy of Theodor Seuss GeiselSend us a textWith dozens of well-known classics, beloved by children and adults everywhere, what caused so many to become upset with Dr. Seuss? Why did Seuss Enterprises pull six of his books off the shelves?Was Theodor Seuss Geisel more of a Lorax or a Grinch? Episode 54 dives into some little-known (darker) facts about one of the country's best-selling children's authors. Support the show
2023-02-1122 min
Curator 135Every Man JackSend us a textJack be nimble... Jack Sprat... Jack and the Beanstalk... Why is the name Jack used so often in English folklore and fairytales? And then comes Jack the Ripper and finally Spring-Heeled Jack. Dive into episode 53 and learn about the terror of the 1800s who could breathe fire and jump over 10-foot walls. Spring-Heeled Jack, man, monster or myth?Support the show
2023-01-3021 min
Curator 135The Witch is DeadSend us a textIn 1929 a little-known case rocked the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Eugene and Pearl Burgess believed that an old neighbor and family friend, Mrs. Etta Fairchild, was a witch and would soon put hexes on their household or worse yet, murder them one by one. They did the only thing they could think to do. Murder her first. The case rocked the city and soon spread across the nation. Not since the Salem Witch Trials had a woman been put to death for being a witch. After months of...
2023-01-1431 min
Curator 135Last LettersSend us a textHear the last written letters from some important people in history. While sad, they are evidence of the power of handwritten letters over what modern technology offers today. The last written thoughts of Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette, Wild Bill Hickok, Sullivan Ballou, Vincent van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, and Ernest Hemingway are featured in this episode. Support the show
2022-11-1932 min
Curator 135A Reading of The Red Room by H.G. WellsSend us a textWe celebrate our 50th episode and Halloween with a reading of "The Red Room" by science fiction legend, H.G. Wells. Few people know that Wells liked to dabble in horror from time to time. Hear Curator135 read one of his spooky tales from the late 1800s. This story explains that sometimes the scariest moments in life are created in your own brain. Support the show
2022-10-3128 min
Curator 135This is HalloweenSend us a textWhere did Halloween come from? Why am I so afraid of Haunted Houses when I love everything else about the holiday? And... Why do so many strange murders and deaths happen around the end of October? Join Curator 135 as he discusses Halloween-themed murder, tragedy, and events that have shaped what we know as Halloween today. From Devil's Night to a psychic vision from David Berkowitz, this episode is all over the map but all Halloween.Support the show
2022-10-1028 min
Curator 135Based on True Events (Terror in Texarkana)Send us a textTruth is often stranger than fiction. Maybe that's why so many of your favorite scary movies were inspired by actual events. From 'The Birds' to 'Scream', every great idea comes from somewhere. Find out about some of Curator 135's favorite horror films based on actual events and dive into one in particular. "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" is based on an actual series of murders carried out by a masked individual in the early months of 1946. Texarkana, Texas would never be the same again. *May not be suitable for yo...
2022-09-2628 min
Curator 135Disease on the High SeasSend us a textNowadays, epidemics and pandemics can travel the globe in days. But how did things like the Plague travel from continent to continent in the late 1800s? Learn about the S.S. Nippon Maru and how it carried the Bubonic plague from China to Japan to Hawaii before finally reaching the port of San Francisco. When you think of the plague, you think of medieval times and the Black Death, but the Bubonic plague was here (and is still here) as recently as 1900.Support the show
2022-09-0527 min
Curator 135Dedicated Follower of FashionSend us a textFrom codpieces to leeches, poison facial cream to crocodile poo, the fashion and beauty worlds have seen it all. Travel through the ages and find out what some of the strangest and most dangerous fashion and beauty trends were. If you want to be like Queen Elizabeth, shave your eyebrows. If you want to be like Marie Antoinette, where thin, skin-tight dresses in the winter. Be careful, this one gets gross. Support the show
2022-08-2126 min
Curator 135Sally, Shane and the Satanic PanicSend us a textThe 1980's were fun for some. Not so much for others. Hear how the Satanic Panic took over a nation and potentially took the lives of a young boyfriend and girlfriend in Texas. A story that grabbed the attention of a nation thanks to Unsolved Mysteries. A story that has still never been solved. Part 3 of the 1980's Series.Support the show
2022-08-0825 min
Curator 135The Chicago Tylenol MurdersSend us a textIn 1982 a madman brought the nation's economy to its knees. By pulling apart Tylenol capsules and placing a substance inside that killed seven people without warning, Johnson & Johnson lost million dollars and began a nationwide recall of a product that nearly every household owned. Learn about the con-man they thought was responsible and the nearly 40-year investigation of seven murders in and around Chicago, Illinois that remains unsolved. Part 2 of the 1980's SeriesSupport the show
2022-07-1922 min
Curator 135Ken McElroy: The Scourge of SkidmoreSend us a textWhat happens when a town bully pushes residents past their breaking point? Find out what became of Ken Rex McElroy after thirty-some years of feeling invincible in the tiny town of Skidmore, Missouri. When a town or city has no law enforcement of its own, is it safe to leave the citizens in charge of handing out justice? Part one of a series of bizarre stories from the 1980s. Do you remember your school or city's bully? Support the show
2022-06-2121 min
Curator 135Musical Maledictions - Part 2Send us a textIn our last episode we touched on the first half of our top ten music related curses. Episode 42 delivers the top 5 curses in music history. Buddy Holly, Fleetwood Mac, the Glass Armonica, Robert Johnson and the 27 Club. Do you believe? Or is it all just a series of coincidences? Can songs be haunted? Can one death cause countless more? Can an instrument created by Ben Franklin drive you insane? Support the show
2022-05-2426 min
Curator 135Musical Maledictions - Part 1Send us a textIn part one of the Musical Maledictions episode, we will learn about John Lennon's history with the number 9. How Jan and Dean created a song that jinxed one of the members so bad they nearly died. We'll discuss the Devil's Trill, Sonata No. 6, and a whole lot more. Curses in music, real or really made up? Apologies for my voice in this one, I'm on my eighth day of Covid. Support the show
2022-05-0421 min
Curator 135Off With His Head: The Benny Evangelist StorySend us a textIn the early 1900s alternative healing practices and occult beliefs were all the rage. Voodoo and Satanism washed over the United States as people began to look outside of the church for answers. Benny Evangelist and Aurelius Angelino were two Italian immigrants looking for a fresh start in America. Both became interested in the occult and both of their families suffered for it. Learn all about the horrific tragedies that struck their households and the roles they have played in them. Aurelius broke free from an insane asylum and wa...
2022-04-1625 min
Curator 135The Rise and Fall of Chuck E CheeseSend us a textChuck E. Cheese. Where a kid can be a kid and adults can be absolute animals. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, had another money making idea. Bring arcades out of pool halls and bars and place them inside family restaurants. When Disney wouldn't hire him, he decided to bring Disney style animatronics to his restaurants. Chuck E. Cheese, Mr. Munch, Pasqually and the rest of the crew were soon putting on shows for countless kids across the country. Somewhere along the way, Chuck E. Cheese restaurants became mag...
2022-03-3125 min
Curator 135Scary Schools and Haunted HallwaysSend us a textWhen you're a ghost, nowhere is off limits not even schools. While Curator 135 uses an old American Girl doll to scare his students, schools around the world have experienced the wrath of much scarier spirits, specters and phantoms. Travel to schools from Japan to New Jersey as we discuss some of the creepiest school haunting stories of the past few decades. Headless ghosts who render you unable to move, long dead football players looking for a little competition, a school built on a cemetary and a young woman who mi...
2022-03-1528 min
Curator 135Lady Be GoodSend us a textAs World War II raged on, a crew of nine strangers were assigned to an Army Air Corp bomber called "Lady Be Good". The bombing mission in Naples, Italy would be the first and last for both the crew and aircraft. What happened during the return trip? How did the plane end up almost 400 miles away from the Libyan air base? If they survived the crash, how long would they survive the harsh desert climate of the Sahara when no one knows where they are? The true story of an unanswerable S...
2022-03-0131 min
Curator 135Writing from the GraveSend us a textIn the early 1900s, Pearl Lenore Curran began experimenting with a Ouija board. Shortly after a woman named Patience Worth started communicating with her. They would go on to publish novels, plays, poems and essays together. Nearly a million of Patience's words were transcribed. Pearl claimed to be nothing more than a vessel for Patience Worth. Scientists, psychics and skeptics had a hard time disproving the existence of the spirit who lived in the 17th century. Support the show
2022-02-2029 min
Curator 135The Phantom BarberSend us a textFor a few months in 1942 the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi faced a new fear. As World War II raged on for its third year; what kept these folks up at night was not the threat of bombs but the possibility of losing their hair... to the Phantom Barber. Hair for cash? Hair for religion? Hair for pleasure? Why was a man sneaking into people's homes at night and cutting off locks of hair? Support the show
2022-02-0223 min
Curator 135Along the Appalachian TrailSend us a textWest Virginia, wow. From Mothman to Bat Boy and everything in between. Take a trip along the Appalachian Mountains and get a taste of some of the bizarre and curious stories that haunt the state. Aliens, ghosts, monsters and a Swiss village. Curator 135 has never been to West Virginia but it's certainly on his bucket-list now. Learn about Screaming Jenny, Dangerfield Newby, The Snarly Yow, The Braxton County Monster, The Grafton Monster, Lost World Caverns, Lake Shawnee Abandoned Amusement Park, Helvetia Swiss Village, The Mystery Hole, The Mothman Museum an...
2022-01-1933 min
Curator 135The Emperor of New MexicoSend us a textIn 1883 a man named Arthur Manby left his home in Lancashire, England and sailed to the United States with a few of his eight siblings. He'd read stories about the untapped resources and wide open spaces that the western frontier had to offer. He had big ideas and needed people to buy into them. Unpaid loans and undelivered promises left him a hated man in his hometown of Taos, New Mexico... a city he practically owned. How did he end up losing his head? Was it even his head? Find out a...
2022-01-0827 min
Curator 135Blood BathSend us a textIn light of the recent school shooting in Oxford, Michigan. A listener suggested I take a look at the horrific Bath, Michigan bombing massacre of 1927. It was the first and largest school-related rampage killing ever in the United States. Learn about Andrew Kehoe, his life, and what led him to murder 44 people on that May morning. A series of three blasts forever changed the tiny town just north of Lansing. Our 1 Year Anniversary Episode! Support the show
2021-12-3128 min
Curator 135The Nain RougeSend us a textIn Detroit, there is a mythological creature known as 'Le Nain Rouge'. Some consider him to be the harbinger of doom and gloom while others believe he is a great protector, warning residents when trouble is on the horizon. Whichever side you stand on, the Nain Rouge has been a part of Michigan folklore dating back to the early 1700's and possibly before. Let's learn more about the infamous red dwarf together. Support the show
2021-12-1829 min
Curator 135The 1913 Christmas Eve MassacreSend us a textCalumet, Michigan. Copper Country. The land of my ancestors. The home of numerous family reunions that took nine hours to drive to. With Christmas approaching, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the tragic events that ended a months long strike by the immigrant miners working for the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company. Support the show
2021-12-0631 min
Curator 135Stranger SoundsSend us a textI love sound. It's my favorite of the senses. Well placed sound effects, spoken words, music, things that go bump in the night. How do our ears work? Why do some work differently or not at all?Curator 135 explores some of the strangest sounds that man, animals, nature, underwater, outer space and the unexplained have to offer. From a squeaky toad to icebergs running aground to the sound a star makes. Support the show
2021-11-2827 min
Curator 135The Dance PlagueSend us a textBack in 1518 the French city of Strasbourg experienced one of the worst recorded outbreaks of Dance Mania ever witnessed. The Dance Plague or Dance Epidemic struck almost 400 people and may have killed as many as 15 people a day. It lasted well over two months and left everyone puzzled. Demonic possession? Mold? Mass Hysteria? What caused this to happen and what did Saint Vitus have to do with it? We still don't know even 500 years later. But maybe a batch of sixth graders studying pathogens can figure it out. S...
2021-11-1422 min
Curator 135Sisters ReincarnatedSend us a textWhat happens when we die? A question that's been discussed for centuries with no real answers to speak of. Heaven, hell, nothing? Well what about reincarnation? For a family in England, reincarnation became a serious subject after the loss of 11-year-old Joanna Pollock and her 6-year-old sister Jacqueline. Killed on their way to Sunday school after being hit by a car in 1957, the sisters reportedly came back as twins a year later. The family says they have more proof than they know what to do with. Do you believe? Su...
2021-11-1021 min
Curator 135To Eloise, with LoveSend us a textAs October comes to an end, we thought it would be the perfect time to discuss psychiatric hospitals and asylums. The look and feel of a spooky asylum has been the inspiration for some of our favorite horror movies, television shows and books. Curator 135 has been curious about what happens behind the walls of a mental institution since he was a little kid. Let's learn about two places close to his home outside of Detroit... Eloise in Westland and the Northville Psychiatric Hospital. Support the show
2021-10-3125 min
Curator 135Afterlife of the PartySend us a textI've always wanted a Viking funeral. Set me in a longboat with a few of my favorite things, give it a good shove and then fire a flaming arrow at me. It turns out that a Viking funeral like that is almost 99% Hollywood. Join Curator135 as he discusses some of the more unique death rituals from around the globe. Sky burials, jazz festivals, bone turning and more. Support the show
2021-10-1321 min
Curator 135The Legacy of Alice LeeSend us a textAlthough many presidential children have left a mark in one way or another, no one comes close to leaving behind the legacy (good and bad) that Alice Roosevelt Longworth left behind. Learn all about Theodore Roosevelt's sassy, smart and spunky first child, Alice. She was adored by many, treated like royalty and knew she could get away with doing and saying whatever she wanted. She had a color named after her, smoked on the Whitehouse roof and had a pet snake that she carried around in her pocket named Emily Spinach. That's pretty...
2021-09-2522 min
Curator 135Black EdisonSend us a textEveryone knows Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell... Tesla, Ford and the Wright Brothers, but there are some amazing inventors and human beings in history who go relatively unmentioned and we need to fix that. In this episode, Curator135 seeks to find out as much as he can about the great Garrett Morgan, the African American inventor behind more efficient sewing machines, the precursor to the gas mask and the traffic light. His inventions saved countless lives and on at least one occasion, he himself saved lives. Support the sh...
2021-09-1221 min
Curator 135A Taste of Your Own MedicineSend us a textTravel back in time once again with Curator 135 as he takes his trusty Dodge Shadow time machine back to 1887 in search of the Kickapoo Traveling Medicine Show. Find out who liked to hang out in Connecticut around that time as well as the what and why of traveling medicine shows. Support the show
2021-08-2921 min
Curator 135Spooky Skookum and Carved KachinaSend us a textThe second part of the 'Arizona Series' takes a look at two different southwestern things my mother and father collected. One was made by a white lady, the other crafted from the hands of Native Americans. Join Curator 135 as he discusses both Skookum and Kachina dolls. Support the show
2021-08-1722 min
Curator 135Everything Out West Wants to Hurt MeSend us a textAfter a long summer break, Curator 135 is back with a brand new episode. Episode 20 is the first part of a planned trilogy of Arizona related episodes. We'll talk about some of the dangerous creatures and weather conditions that could potentially harm you. Spiders and Snakes and Centipedes, oh my. Support the show
2021-08-0924 min
Curator 135Did Lizzie Borden Take an Ax?Send us a textIt's almost 130 years later and we still don't have the answer. Did a charming, church going thirty-two year old murder her father and step-mother? Probably. Maybe? Listen in as Curator #135 dives into the murders and trial from 1892 and 1893. Did Lizzie Borden take an ax and give her father forty whacks? Or was she out in the barn, as she claims, eating pears and looking for fishing gear?Support the show
2021-06-2423 min
Curator 135The True Story of Jack ValentineSend us a textBack in Episode 6 we briefly discussed a Legend that exists in Norwich, England involving a man named 'Jack Valentine'. Not much is known about this gentleman and so far, Norwich is the only city in the world that he visits.Well, Curator #135 was able to dig up some new information regarding Jack's interesting and somewhat scary past. He may be a nice guy on Valentine's Day, but the rest of the year... lookout. The one eyed arrow slinger is seeking vengeance. This is the 'true' story of Jack Valentine. ...
2021-05-3130 min
Curator 135Trouble Down Under - Part 2Send us a textIn our second episode devoted to some of the biggest mysteries to come out of Australia, Curator #135 takes a look at the wild story of the Somerton Man. A body found on a beach near Adelaide in 1948. Even wilder than the story itself are some of the theories behind who this man was or what he might have been a part of. Support the show
2021-05-2223 min
Curator 135Trouble Down Under - Part 1Send us a textIn the first of two episodes on some of Australia's biggest mysteries, Curator #135 takes a look at the case of the Tromp family and their possible 'shared delusion' road trip. Rational fear? Paranoia? Or Folie à deux?Then we head back to the 1800's and discuss a missing Prussian/German explorer named Ludwig Leichhardt, and his entire missing party. Was it Aboriginals? Or did they just vanish while deep inside Australia's outback? Support the show
2021-05-1522 min
Curator 135Bad Luck LincolnsSend us a textAbraham Lincoln's family tree reveals a sad story of lives being cut way too short. The Lincoln family certainly was not very lucky. The man who had it the worst? Robert Lincoln, Abe's first born son... who was the only one out of four kids to make it into adulthood. Hear Robert's tale of losing a father to an assassination, three brothers to disease and locking his mother up in a mental institution, all while feeling semi-responsible for three presidents being murdered. Thanks to the Henry Ford Museum in De...
2021-05-0626 min
Curator 135The Lake Michigan TriangleSend us a textEveryone has heard of the Bermuda Triangle, but how much do you know about the Lake Michigan Triangle?Since the 1600's the third largest Great Lake has experienced thousands of shipwrecks, deaths and missing persons. Some of these events can be explained, some can't. In this episode, Nathan discusses a few of the moments that made believers out of some skeptics. Support the show
2021-04-2630 min
Curator 135All Work and No PlaySend us a textI've failed at teaching my children the benefit of having a strong work ethic, opting to do the chores myself so they'll be done the way I like them done. That's what led me to researching the types of horrible, dangerous jobs that kids from four-years-old to sixteen did in previous centuries. How were people okay with kids spending 12 hours a day in coal mines or crammed into chimneys? What sorts of dangers did they face? And who would help put an end to it? Support the sho...
2021-04-2025 min
Curator 135The Tale of Elmer McCurdySend us a textWarning: The content within this episode may be disturbing to younger listeners. Elmer McCurdy failed miserably at being an outlaw. He made a much bigger impact on people after he died. Find out how the 31-year-old train robber became a nationwide sensation after being gunned down by sheriffs in a hayshed. From wanted posters to carnival sideshows, this is the crazy life and crazier death of Elmer McCurdy. Support the show
2021-04-0926 min
Curator 135Duck and CoverSend us a textIn Episode 11, Nathan discusses the current common school drills before taking a look at what things were like in the 1950's under threat of nuclear war. It may have been a scary time but at least they had mascots and fun videos to watch. Support the show
2021-03-2925 min
Curator 135Into Thin AirSend us a textIt's reported that nearly 600,000 people are reported missing every year. That's over 1,600 a day. While many of those reports end up cancelled, too many don't and in some cases those loved ones are never heard from again. Curator #135 was reminded of a missing person's case in his hometown of Livonia, MI in 1994 involving a 4-year-old boy named D'Wan Sims. The case has never been solved and the boy, never found. This inspired him to look into cases where someone known, in the public eye, goes missing. Listen to...
2021-03-2322 min
Curator 135Step on a CrackSend us a textIn this episode, Curator #135 takes a look at superstitions. Where they come from, which countries have the wackiest ones and why do South Koreans fear ceiling fans... How did the car game of 'Padiddle' lead to his own weird OCD superstition? Support the show
2021-03-1823 min
Curator 135A Day at the FairSend us a textWith the help of his rusty red Dodge Shadow Time Machine, Curator #135 takes a trip back in time to the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair. He'll see some of the worlds top minds, witness the launching of new products and unveiling of life changing inventions. All while possibly being stalked by one of our countries most infamous serial killers, H.H. Holmes. Support the show
2021-03-1421 min
Curator 135Man's Stuffed Best FriendSend us a textDive in to the exciting history of Nathan and his stuffed best friend, Clemy. Who created stuffed animals? Why are they important? What kind of adventures have you had with your own stuffed animals. From Germany, to Teddy Roosevelt and the Worlds fair to a small town in Minnesota. Let's learn together. Support the show
2021-02-2820 min
Curator 135The Heart of the MatterSend us a textValentine's Day has came and went. Good riddance cries the Sourpuss. Why do we have Valentine's Day? How did it begin? When did we start only caring about how much money we spend on gifts. Join Curator #135 as he heads back to Ancient Rome for some beheadings, pagan rituals and goat hide slapping!Support the show
2021-02-1717 min
Curator 135Theater of the MindSend us a textTravel back to the golden age of radio when the only form of at home entertainment came courtesy of the AM dial. Support the show
2021-02-0829 min
Curator 135A Zombie's Rise (in Popularity)Send us a textNathan is a huge fan of anything having to do with the undead. Join him on an adventure to find out who we have to thank for bringing zombies to life.Support the show
2021-02-0126 min
Curator 135The Dustbowl ConceptSend us a textConcept albums can either be too strange for fans or the best thing ever. Where did the idea come from to tell a story through music? Not just in one song, but a running them or storyline throughout the duration of the album. Curator #135 dives in to the first ever concept album and some of his more recent favorites. Support the show
2021-01-2232 min
Curator 135A Recipe for Mandalorian SpaghettiSend us a textThe Mandalorian reminds me of old Spaghetti Westerns. Is that on purpose? And what is a Spaghetti Western? I'm hungry. Support the show
2021-01-1415 min
Curator 135A Trunk, A King and some tiny Christmas ElvesSend us a textIn the first episode, we dive inside the importance of myth and folktales, how they play a role in my abstract thinking and how important it is to keep them alive and maybe even start some new ones. Support the show
2020-12-3117 min