Dawn of Mantis: True Crime, Mysteries and More

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In episode 136, we cover the tragic sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter vessel that foundered in a horrific winter storm and sank into Lake Superior in 1975. It has since reached legendary status, and has been the focus of many documentaries, podcasts (obviously) and even inspired a now classic song by Gordon Lightfoot. (Subject Matter Begins @ 9:34)

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In our 20th Mini Mantis we discuss a subject which we are neither intelligent or mature enough to properly navigate- the "Guevodoces" children of the Dominican Republic. Are we qualified to cover this subject? Absolutely not. Do we try anyway? Of course. Join us! 

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On a chilly Fall night in 1973, five friends gathered to smoke the devil's lettuce and do a little hanging out at the Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Not long after arriving, they were attacked by three sadistic brothers, and all but one of the group was systematically executed. The only one allowed to live, thirteen year old Sandra Chesky, was sexually assaulted before being released. Join us as we cover this disgusting crime and the extraordinary courage and resilience young Sandra displayed in helping to track down the brothers and hold them responsible. 

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One September night in 1959, while out on his routine beat in Davis, California, officer Cantrill was shot and left for dead in his own police car. Virtually zero evidence was left, and despite the crime occurring in a residential area, no one saw or heard the murder. There were a few suspects, however none panned out. All these years later the case still remains unsolved. 

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This is our final episode in an 8 part series about the one and only Buddy Holly. In the previous seven installments, we have attempted to cover most of Buddy's life- not only the times and dates of what occurred throughout his brief time on this earth, but also what made Buddy who he was. Our goal was to try to introduce you to Buddy Holly the man, instead of the façade of a rock legend that most people only see the surface of. We hope that throughout this journey you have come to love and admire him and his music as much as we do. In this last episode, we cover the disastrous Winter Dance party tour, the final show in Clear Lake, Iowa, and of course the plane crash that ended Buddy's life, along with that of Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson. We also discuss the details of the trip Joe and his daughter took to the crash site and the Surf Ballroom. We put a lot of work into this and hope you have enjoyed it. Last but not least- RIP Charles Hardin Holley, as long as your music lives, you will never fade away!

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Pop a cold brewski and ride along as we discuss the botched kidnapping and murder of the CEO of the Coors Brewing Company in 1960. In honor of the subject matter, Joe slams multiple cans of Coors and rambles even more than normal, while Sam and Ivan futilely attempt to keep the episode on track. 

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Part 7 of our series on Buddy Holly is packed with information, as we cover the last few months of Buddy's life before he embarked on his final tour. We talk about his whirlwind romance and marriage to Maria Elena and their move to New York City. It was also at this time that Buddy finally had enough of Norman Petty- but in his efforts to finally separate from Petty and collect his money, the horrifying truth of just how shady Norman had been came to light. We also discuss Buddy's plans to open a studio in London, and close the episode with Buddy's fateful decision to sign up for what would be his final tour- the Winter Dance Party. 

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Secure your overhead luggage, fasten your seat belts and put your trays in the upright positions, this mini mantis is gonna be a wild ride! We cover the insane incident that occurred on British Airways flight 5390 when a faulty wind screen blew out at 17,000 feet, sucking the pilot out of the window! What’s even crazier is the fact the he and everyone else aboard survived! 

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As we begin to wind down our series, episode 6 includes the completion of Buddy's metamorphosis to the iconic image we all know and love, and we detail the Cricket's disastrous second and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. We also cover their performance on the "Arthur Murray Dance Party" show, their exhaustive tour of England, and talk about their decision to finally rebel against Norman Petty by keeping their tour money instead of mailing it back to Clovis as they had always done before.  

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In part 5 of our Buddy Holly series, we pack a lot into one episode, as this was a very hectic part of Buddy's life. We open with a look at a few of the girls Buddy loved, and a few heartbreaks he suffered. We also cover the Cricket's rise to fame on the back of the long awaited success of "That'll Be the Day", point out the many fallacies of the Buddy Holly movie, weave our way through even more changes in the Cricket's lineup and talk about the band's first meeting with Ed Sullivan. 

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