This week, we’re diving straight into a nightmare—twice. First, we venture into the eerie ruins of Helltown, Ohio, a place soaked in mystery, abandoned by force, and rumored to be crawling with cults, mutants, and the paranormal. Was it really just a government buyout—or is something more sinister lurking in the shadows of this forgotten town?

Then, things get even bloodier as we dig into the chilling case of Winnie Ruth Judd, the so-called “Trunk Murderess.” In 1930s Arizona, Winnie’s crime shocked the nation when two dismembered bodies were discovered stuffed into suitcases—and the story only gets stranger from there. Was she a cold-blooded killer or a pawn in a twisted love triangle?

Grab your flashlight, your besties, and your morbid curiosity. It’s time for another dose of humor, haunts, and homicide.

Sources

Helltown, Ohio

• Destination America: Helltown
• National Park Service: EminentDomain in the Cuyahoga Valley

• Boston Township Overview
• Cleveland Archives
• Krejci Dump
• TikTok
• Weird Ohio by James A. Willis

Winnie Ruth Judd

• Trunk Murderess
• TruTV Archives
• Phoenix New Times Article
• Ghost of Phoenix Blog

Season 4, Episode 4 — “Ed and Lorraine Warren & The Dyatlov Pass Incident”

Before ghost-hunting was trendy, there were Ed and Lorraine Warren — the controversial couple who claimed to chase demons, document possessions, and inspire Hollywood’s biggest horror hits. In the first half of this episode, we pull back the curtain on the Warrens’ most infamous cases, their legacy in the world of the paranormal, and the skeptics who say they were more show than spirit. Were they gifted demonologists—or master storytellers?

Then, we shift gears to one of the most chilling unsolved mysteries of the 20th century: the Dyatlov Pass Incident. In 1959, nine hikers set off into the Russian wilderness and never returned. What searchers found still defies logic—mangled bodies, strange injuries, radiation, and fear frozen into their final moments. Was it a natural disaster? A government experiment? Or something darker?

This episode blends hauntings, horror, and a whole lot of cold truth. Buckle up—it’s about to get weird.

Sources-

Ed and Lorraine Story

• All Thats Interesting article
• People.com article
• History Vs Hollywood article
• Wikipedia

The Dyatlov Pass Incident

• Dyatlov Pass Wikipedia article
• New York Times article
• Moscow Times article
• All Thats Interesting article
• Dyatlov Pass' Website

🎧 Season 4: Episode 3

In this week’s episode of Humor, Haunts, and Homicide, things get real dark—spiritually and psychologically.

Josh takes us inside one of the most disturbing paranormal cases in American history: The Smurl Family Hauntings. For years, The Smurl family battled a malevolent force in their Pennsylvania duplex. From unexplained stench and shadowy figures to violent physical attacks, this case had it all—and it drew the attention of famed demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. But was it truly paranormal… or something else?

Then, Dylan dives into one of Canada’s most haunting real-life mysteries: the suspicious death of Cindy James. A nurse who reported being stalked and attacked for years, Cindy was later found dead—bound, drugged, and dumped. Authorities called it suicide. But everything about the scene screamed otherwise. Was Cindy the victim of a sadistic stalker, or was her death a final cry for help from a tortured mind?

Get ready—this episode is eerie, tragic, and full of WTF moments.

Show Sources-

Smurl Family Hauntings

• Smurl Haunting Overview
• Smurl Family Detail
• Media and Movie Inspiration
• The Conjuring: Last Rites
• Warrens' Investigation Findings
• Extended Haunting Timeline

Bizarre Death of Cindy James

• Who Killed Cindy James?
• Unsolved Mysteries- Cindy James Case( Season 2:Episode 13
• Wikipedia article on the case
• Ozzy Kaban Interview on the case
• Death by an Unknown Event

🎧 Season 4, Episode 2: Steel, Spirits, and a Killer in Costume

In this week’s chilling double feature, we’re diving into one of the most haunted industrial sites in America — and a murder so bizarre, it could’ve been pulled straight from a horror flick.

👻 First, we crank up the heat at Birmingham’s infamous Sloss Furnaces, where the echoes of molten steel and human suffering still linger. From horrifying accidents to the legend of “Slag,” this haunted hotspot is a terrifying reminder of what’s been left behind in the smoke and iron.

🎭 Then we head to Florida for the case that sounds like a bad joke — but turned deadly fast. In 1990, a woman answered her front door to find a clown holding balloons and flowers… and was fatally shot. The Florida Clown Murder remains one of the most bizarre and jaw-dropping cold cases in true crime history.

You’ll laugh. You’ll scream. You’ll side-eye every clown you see for the rest of your life.

🔪 True crime. Haunted history. Bad jokes. That’s just how we do it here at Humor, Haunts, and Homicide.

👉 New episodes drop every Wednesday.

🎙️ Next week: We head to Pennsylvania for the deeply unsettling Smurl Family Hauntings, followed by the disturbing and unsolved death of Cindy James — a woman stalked by either a killer… or her own unraveling mind.

Show Sources-

Sloss Furnace:

thelittlehouseofhorrors.com

Steelmasterusa.com

WVTM13.com

The Killer Clown Murder:

Palm Beach Post's Article

48 Hour's Coverage

CBS News

People.com

We’re kicking off Season 4 of Humor, Haunts, and Homicide with a double dose of Hollywood tragedy and Texas horror — and trust us, it’s a wild ride.

First up: Brittany Murphy. Beloved actress, rising star, and gone way too soon. Her shocking death in 2009 left fans reeling , but the mystery only deepened when her husband died just five months later… in the same house. Was it toxic mold? A hidden illness? Or something much darker? We dig into the rumors, the strange behavior, and the haunted energy surrounding Brittany’s final days.

Then we head to 1965 Houston for the gruesome and still-unsolved Ice Box Murders. An elderly couple brutally murdered, their dismembered bodies stuffed in a refrigerator, and a prime suspect who vanished without a trace. The case is chilling — literally — and it might just be the origin story of one of America’s most elusive fugitives.

From celebrity scandal to old-school true crime, we’ve got the hauntings, the horror, and just enough humor to keep your spine tingling.

🎧 Stream Season 4, Episode 1 NOW— if you dare.

Show Sources:

Brittany Murphy-

• Disgraceland – “Brittany Murphy”

• The Mysterious Death of Brittany Murphy – Morbid (Episode 170)

• Sinisterhood – “Episode 102: Brittany Murphy: Part 1”

• Conspiracy Theories – “Brittany Murphy’s Death Pt. 2”

• • The Mysterious Deaths of Brittany Murphy & Simon Monjack
  • Max Documentary- "What Happened, Brittany Murphy?"

  
  

  The Ice Box Murders-

• Moms and Mysteries – “The Ice Box Murders”

• True Crime Never Sleeps – “The Unsolved Ice Box Murders”

• Scream and Sugar – “Ep 60: The Icebox Murders”

• PodcastOne – “Ep56 – The Icebox Murders”

• John Brassard Jr.’s “Episode 112: The Icebox Murders”

  
  

It’s the THREE season finale of Humor, Haunts, and Homicide — Not your average thrills and chills podcast.

We’re closing out the season with a double dose of darkness: first, the eerie halls of The Waverly Hills Sanatorium, where spirits from the past still roam. Then, we dive into the haunting true crime case of Kevin Bacon, a young man whose online connection turned deadly. Paranormal legend meets real-world horror in this unforgettable final episode.

Show Sources-

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium

• The building's official website
• American Hauntings Ink's site
• US Ghost Adventures

The Murder of Kevin Bacon

• A&E
• Lansing State Journal
• Youtube Video on the story
• Detroit News

This week, we head across the pond to explore the Ancient Ram Inn—one of England’s most notoriously haunted homes, packed with paranormal lore and creepy legends. Then, we dive into one of America’s most heartbreaking cold cases: The mystery of the Boy in the Box. Ghosts, tragedy, and a few laughs in between—just another day on Humor, Haunts, and Homicide.

Show Sources-

The Ancient Ram Inn

• ​A detailed narrative on the inn’s haunted reputation
• ​An overview of the inn’s dark past, featuring insights from the “Ghost Adventures” investigation
• ​Travel Channel's Website
• ​Amy's Crypt: Ghosts of the Ancient Ram Inn
• ​Ghost Adventures Season 2: Episode 8
• ​Paranormal Lockdown UK Season 1: Episode 1

The Boy in the Box Murder-

• ​The Philadelphia Inquirer archives are available through NewsBank.
• ​(Book) The Boy in the Box: America’s Unknown Child by David Stout
• ​Overview: Forensic genetic genealogy played a crucial role in identifying the “Boy in the Box” as Joseph Augustus Zarelli.
• ​Forensic Genealogy Reports

1. ​Key Developments: In April 2019, the boy’s body was exhumed to obtain better DNA samples.
2. ​Advanced DNA technology and genealogical databases were utilized to trace his identity.

• ​Sources:

◦CBS News Report

◦Forensic Magazine Article

◦NJAFS Abstract

◦The Guardian Report

In this episode, we serve up chills and inspiration in equal measure. First, we check in to the famously haunted Holly Hotel in Michigan, where ghostly guests never seem to leave. Then, we share the incredible true story of Alison Botha and her terrifying encounter as well as her extraordinary will to survive. Haunted halls and human resilience? You’re in for a ride.https://wcrz.com/holly-has-the-most-haunted-building-in- michigan/

Show Sources-

The Holly Hotel:

• Holly Hotel's Website
• Fox 2 News Detroit
• Wikipedia's Article
• Cars 108 (108-WCRZ.com's article)

The Story of Alison Botha:

• All That's Interesting Article
• Daily Maverick
• Amazon Prime Video Video on Alison Botha
• Alison's Facebook Page

In this chilling episode of Humor, Haunts, and Homicide, Dylan cracks open one of America’s most haunting cold cases — the Villisca Axe Murders of 1912. A peaceful Iowa town. A quiet home. Eight lives brutally ended in the dead of night. No witnesses. No clear motive. No one ever brought to justice. Over a century later, the questions still echo: who could commit such an act… and why?

Then, Josh takes us 400 miles south and 23 years forward to Kansas City’s Room 1046, where mystery drips from every blood-stained detail. A man checks into the Hotel President under a false name. He’s found days later, tortured and dying — and no one knows who he really was, or who was in that room with him.

Two crimes. Decades apart. Bound by eerie silence, shadowy figures, and the unanswered whispers left behind.

Lock your doors. Turn down the lights. It’s time for another descent into the dark.

Show Sources-

Villisca Axe Murders

• Villisca Axe Murders official website

• Villisca Axe Murders Wikipedia

• Smithsonian Magazines article on the case

• Ghost Adventures Travel Channel

• Villisca: Living with a Mystery

Murder in Room 1046

• Murder of Artemus Ogletree Wikipedia

• Kansas City Star Newspaper Archives 1935

• Murder she told's article

• Coursehero.com's article

In this chilling episode, Krystian dives deep into the heart of imperial mystery with a haunting exploration of The Forbidden City—a palace shrouded in secrecy, power, and ancient whispers. As he unearths dark legends and eerie encounters behind the palace walls, you'll question what history didn't tell us.

Then, Stacy takes us to the quiet streets of 1960s Michigan, where a terrifying shadow loomed. She unravels the twisted case of the Ypsilanti Ripper, a serial killer who left a trail of fear—and unanswered questions.

Two tales. One packed episode. Mystery meets mayhem in the most unexpected ways.

Show Notes

Forbidden City

Bizarre Globe Hopper's story on The Forbidden City

Smart History's website on the city

The Little House of Horror's website

Wikipedia's site for the city

Ypsilanti Ripper

Fox 2 Detroit New's article

Fox 2 Detroit article 2

Fox 2 Detroit's Video on the story

Youtube video on the story

Youtube video 2

Mary's welcome page