On this episode of Common Mystics, Jen and Jill explore the mysterious murder of Benjamin J. Burton, once Rhode Island’s most affluent Black businessman. A self-made man, Burton began his career loading cargo at the docks of Newport, RI, eventually founding an express company and establishing the city’s first mass transit system. Admired and respected, his tragic death from gunshot wounds on October 6, 1885, sent shockwaves through Newport society. Initially ruled a suicide by the coroner, community outcry prompted a reexamination, leading to the uncovering of a sinister truth.

On this episode of Common Mystics Jen and Jill delve into the tale of a wise woman turned vengeful witch according to a local legend. Foster, RI, now a quaint settlement, has faced numerous challenges and documented hauntings over time. The town’s struggles have been attributed to a witch named Dolly Cole, yet evidence suggests alternative origins for the negative energies. Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode. *Please note that this episode contains references to suicide and may be triggering for sensitive audiences. Please take care while you listen. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for free assistance 24/7.

On this episode of Common Mystics Jen and Jill explore the mysterious death of Tom Hepburn*. Before she was a Hollywood legend, Katharine Hepburn was one six offspring of Dr. Thomas Hepburn and Katharine Houghton Hepburn. The children enjoyed a life of privilege, and were brought up in an environment of intellectual pursuits and social activism. Tom Hepburn, the eldest son and closest sibling to young Katharine, was bright, athletic, handsome and popular. He planned to attend Yale and John’s Hopkins in his father’s footsteps. Why, then, in 1921 was his life cut short at the tender age of 15? Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode. *Please note that this episode contains discussion of suicide and may be triggering for sensitive audiences. Please take care while you listen. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for free assistance 24/7.

On this episode of Common Mystics Jennifer and Jill examine the tragic life of Elizabeth Shaw.* Born in Connecticut in 1726, Elizabeth was considered a burden by her family due to perceived intellectual limitations. Unmarriable in the eyes of her community, her life took a tragic turn when she mysteriously became pregnant at age 18. The birth of her bastard child marked the beginning of a sorrowful series of events that ultimately led to her execution. Almost three decades after her premature demise, her tale was immortalized in poetic form as a stark warning about the perils of premarital relations. Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode. *Please note that this episode contains discussion of abortion, infanticide and sexual crimes against women and may be triggering for sensitive audiences. Please take care while you listen.

On this episode of Common Mystics Jen and Jill examine the historical context and tragic results of the Hartford Witch Panic. Nearly 30 years before the infamous Salem Witch Trials, a panic was brewing in Connecticut. Hartford residents accused their neighbors of dancing with the devil and transforming into black hounds. In 1662, four people were hanged for their alleged crimes. One of them confessed. Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode. Tier 4 Patreon subscribers gain access to monthly pods on various topics and live mentorship Zoom sessions on the last Sunday of each month. Join us!!!

On this episode of Common Mystics Jen and Jill discuss the life and times of Samuel Colt. Born in 1814, Colt gained fame for the invention of the revolver. Lauded as an American genius, his entrepreneurial skills made him one of the wealthiest men in the country. Yet, through their research and psychic hits, the sisters find Colt’s character stained and his legacy enmeshed with some of the bloodiest events of American history. So, when Mrs. Samuel Colt comes through psychically, what does she want to say? On this the sisters do not agree. Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode. Tier 4 Patreon subscribers gain access to monthly pods on various topics and live mentorship Zoom sessions on the last Sunday of each month. Join us!!!

On this episode of Common Mystics Jen and Jill analyze one of the worst flood related disasters in the history of Pennsylvania. The discovery of oil in Crawford Co. ushered in an era of industrial and economic growth in Pennsylvania's Oil Country. Rich natural resources spurred Pennsylvania's Oil Rush in the 1860's. But during this boom, the dams built to support manufacturing would put lives at risk. During a wet spring in 1892, a series of cataclysmic events leveled the borough of Titusville, and changed the communities along Oil Creek forever. Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode.

On this episode of Common Mystics Jennifer and Jill discuss the heartbreaking murder of two young sisters.* The Grimes were a family of nine living in a modest, working class neighborhood in 1956. Fifteen-year-old Barbara and her 12-year-old sister Patricia were close, sharing a passion for Elvis Presley. They left home one cold winter evening to see the movie Love Me Tender. They never returned. Fast forward to 2022: Incredible new leads may finally blow this cold case open. Support Common Mystics on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/commonmystics and sign up for exclusive bonus content like the Detours from each episode.

*Please note that this episode contains discussion of physical and sexual crimes against children and may be triggering for sensitive audiences. Please take care while you listen.