On January 10, 2013, Kendrick Johnson, a Black, 17-year-old, junior at the Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, didn’t return home from school. The next day, he was found dead, his body rolled up in a wrestling mat that was standing upright in a corner of the school gymnasium. While authorities ruled his death an accident, Kendrick’s family sensed foul play and demanded a second autopsy which determined his cause of death as blunt force trauma.  9 years later, despite multiple investigations, lawsuits and autopsies, no one can say for certain whether the death of Kendrick Johnson was an accident or a murder.

It's no secret that many high profile crime cases often times have psychics tangled up in them in one way or another. Some are genuinely looking to help, while others are looking for exposure. In this episode we will explore a few examples of how psychic and paranormal phenomena actually ended up being correct or even helpful in police investigations. Even if it's all coincidence, some of these stories are just too scarily accurate to write off completely! 

It was supposed to be a night of celebration, ringing in New Year's 1998 with good friends in an ideal location. Ben Smart and Olivia Hope were celebrating in Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. But when the bunk on their rental yacht was taken by other party-goers, they accepted an offer by a charming stranger to sleep aboard his boat. They climbed aboard that stranger’s boat and were never seen again. Police and judges believe they arrested the man responsible for Ben and Olivia’s disappearance, and possible murder. However, over 20 years later, the mystery around their disappearance remains.

’Twas the night before Christmas, 2008. The Ortegas — Joseph, 80, and Alice, 70 — were hosting their annual Christmas party at their Covena, California, home, about a half hour east of Los Angeles. There were 25 people in attendance, including Joseph and Alice’s five grown children, their spouses and children.

In the dining room, the adults were playing a late-night game of Texas Hold ‘Em while the children were all playing with their new games and gifts.

At 11 p.m. there was a knock on the front door, and the squeal of an 8-year-old girl happily crying, “It’s Santa Claus! It’s Santa Claus!” was heard as she peeked out the front window.

Little did the family know that this was no ordinary visit from Santa Claus.

For centuries explorers set out to make their names famous by discovering and mapping the ends of the earth. To be the first to set foot on new land meant a permanent place in the history books and fame throughout their lifetime. But the reality of exploring was dangerous and today's episode documents two failed polar expeditions; the quest for the Northwest Passage in 1845 by Sir John Franklin and the race to the South Pole with the 1910-1913 Terra Nova Expedition led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott. Both are harrowing tales that ended in tragedy that are not to be forgotten.

On the morning of March 12th, 2011, the opening employee to the Lululemon store in Bethesda, Maryland, walked into a bloodbath. Inside the store, 2 of her coworkers were found bound and gagged. One of the employees, 30-year-old Jayna Murray had been stabbed over 330 times. Her coworker, Brittany Norwood was somehow able to survive the attack.

But in the days following the murder, the investigators encountered interesting twists and turns while on the hunt for the killer, or killers.

There are few brands known around the world that are as well known and respected than Gucci. The multi-billion dollar company has a long history of creative excellence, but there is something else they are known for, and that's the shocking murder of one of the Gucci heirs. With the new biopic "House of Gucci" out in theaters starring heavy hitting stars like Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, it's important to know that there is a true story behind this Hollywood treatment of the events that brought the family behind one of Italy's greatest fashion houses to its knees. Listen in and hear all of the family drama that led to a brutal assassination. 

The story of Pocahontas and her romance with John Smith is a major part of North America’s mythology. Their "love story" is even the subject of the popular 1995 animated Disney film, Pocahontas.  But the story many of us know from childhood is almost entirely fabricated. Not much is known about this memorable woman, yet so many people know her name. So who was Pocahontas, really? Was she actually a heroic princess who saved the life of an Englishman and married into English society, or was she a pawn used by the English to help disguise their global legacy of bloody colonization? Tune in this week to find out.

We finally reached a very cool milestone of being listened to in all 50 states! Our last hold out was Delaware, so to celebrate we looked into the dark and devious side of the state and found a treasure trove of fascinating tales. We have a high profile, philandering lawyer, a jealous mistress with a sweet tooth, and a sadistic serial killer all served up on this buffet of true crime.