Dawn of Mantis: True Crime, Mysteries and More

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In this episode we discuss two cases of one very unusual method of suicide- death by guillotine. Both cases involved men who each invented a contraption that would remove their own head. The first was in 1876, and the other was nearly 130 years later, so the guillotine they invented were quite different- but had the same devastating result. 

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In 1970, on a mountaintop outside the Norweigan city of Bergen, some hikers discovered the body of a badly burned woman. Her cause and time of death was quickly determined, but her identity remains a mystery, even to this day. We discuss her strange case and the many theories as to who she may have been. 

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Larry Bader was a cookware salesman who lived and worked in Akron Ohio in the 1950s. He had a beautiful wife named Mary, three children and another on the way. One day in the Spring of 1957, Larry headed off for a short business trip from which he was supposed to return later that evening- but never did. As the police, and Mary, were searching for Larry in Ohio, a man calling himself "Fritz" Johnson appeared in Omaha, Nebraska, over 700 miles away. It would take nearly 8 years, but eventually it was discovered that Larry and Fritz were the same man- although Fritz refused to ever admit it. (Subject Matter Begins @ 4:40)

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In this episode, we tackle an age old question- what is the meaning of life? What is our purpose? Sure, we're not intellectuals, philosophers or great thinkers, but even regular-ass folks like ourselves have the right to ponder their existence. (Subject Matter Begins @ 8:00) 

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The Petersons were a hard working, tight-knit family who lived in the small farming community of Shell Lake, Saskatchewan. Early one August morning nine of the ten family members were found murdered in the modest farm house they all shared.  It only took a few days for the RCMP to track down the killer, and his reasons for the massacre would shock the authorities and the entire country. 

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One morning in the winter of 1855 in the south of England, people awoke to find thousands of strange footprints in the fresh fallen snow. The tracks meandered in and around the farms and villages of County Devon for over 40 miles, and seemed to defy physics. They would lead up to a wall or haystack and re-appear on the other side, as if whatever made them had passed right through solid matter without a trace. Many theories have put forth but to this day, no one is certain of what exactly made the "Devil's Footprints". 

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In early August of 2013, a young lady named Alexis Murphy left her home in rural Virginia for a hair appointment, and never returned. A massive search followed, and although Alexis wasn't found, enough evidence was uncovered to reveal she had been abducted and murdered, as well as the man responsible. That man, Randy Taylor, was arrested and based on a mountain of physical, video and DNA evidence, was subsequently given life in prison.  (Subject Matter Begins @ 3:50)

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This is a special episode coming at you from over 30 years in the future. The world has collapsed, due to a drastic and over reaching reaction to a localized mosquito infestation.  Now, nearly all of the world's population have perished. Of the few that have survived, a curious common trait has emerged- and no one can figure out exactly why. Join us for this short but sweet bonus episode directly from the Apocalypse.  

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Between 1945 and 1950, five people vanished from an area in Vermont known as the "Bennington Triangle". An elderly hunter, an old WWII veteran, a college girl, a middle aged woman and a young child all disappeared in close proximity to each other and shared some strange similarities. To this day, none of the cases have been solved, although there's no shortage of theories as to what may have happened to these unfortunate souls. 

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In the mid 90s an inventor named Stanley Meyer claimed he had invented a system that would enable any internal combustion engine to run off of- water. Sound impossible? Many believe it was, but Stanley did have his supporters, and supposedly a host of people ready to invest in his invention. It was during a meeting with two of these potential investors that Stanley fell over dead. The cause of death was ruled as natural, but Stanley used his last words to accuse the investors of poisoning him, and many people agree. 

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