Detroit has a monster of its own—and according to generations of folklore, he appears when something terrible is coming. In this episode of F-Bomb Friday, Tracy and Todd explore the legend of the Nain Rouge, Detroit’s mysterious Red Dwarf and alleged harbinger of disaster. From Cadillac and Bloody Run to the Great Fire of Detroit, the War of 1812, and a haunting 1964 folklore account describing the creature openly sobbing during Detroit’s 1943 racial violence, the legend changes with every generation. Along the way, we uncover the much older Indigenous history beneath Historic Fort Wayne and separate documented history from the stories Detroit has carried for centuries. Is the Nain Rouge a demon, an omen, a witness—or something that belongs to Detroit itself?

#FBombFriday #NainRouge #DetroitFolklore #MichiganLegends #HistoricFortWayne

Hosted, edited & produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Todd Preston

Researched & written by Todd Preston

Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston

Original music created by Todd Preston

Sources:

DeVito, Lee. “The Legend of the Legend of Detroit’s Nain Rouge.” Detroit Metro Times, 16 Mar. 2016, updated 8 Aug. 2025. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Detroit Metro Times article

Detroit Historical Society. “Great Fire of 1805.” Encyclopedia of Detroit, Detroit Historical Society. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Great Fire of 1805

Detroit Historical Society. “Legends of le Détroit.” Encyclopedia of Detroit, Detroit Historical Society. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Legends of le Détroit

Detroit Historical Society. “Race Riot of 1943.” Encyclopedia of Detroit, Detroit Historical Society. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Race Riot of 1943

FrankenFest. “FrankenFest Detroit.” FrankenFest, 2026. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. FrankenFest Detroit

Hamlin, Marie Caroline Watson. Legends of Le Détroit. T. Nourse, 1883. Google Books. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Legends of Le Détroit

Hamlin, Marie Caroline Watson. “Beware the Nain Rouge! A Chapter of Detroit Folklore.” Model D, 18 Mar. 2014. Transcribed by Matthew Lewis. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Model D Nain Rouge article

Historic Fort Wayne Coalition. “History.” Historic Fort Wayne. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Historic Fort Wayne history

Historic Fort Wayne Coalition. “Timeline.” Historic Fort Wayne. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Historic Fort Wayne timeline

James, Sheryl. Michigan Legends: Folktales and Lore from the Great Lakes State. University of Michigan Press, 2013. Michigan Legends

National Park Service. “Fort Wayne: Detroit.” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, last updated 30 Aug. 2020. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Fort Wayne: Detroit

National Park Service. “Springwells.” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Springwells

Skinner, Charles M. “The Nain Rouge.” Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, vol. 2, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1896. Wikisource. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Skinner’s The Nain Rouge

University of Detroit Mercy Libraries. “Le Gnomme Rouge.” James T. Callow Computerized Folklore Archive, 8 July 1964. University of Detroit Mercy. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026. Le Gnomme Rouge archive entry

This week on Round Robin, Tracy, Christine and Nina chase the chaos through some of the strangest stories of the week. A boa constrictor auditions for the Metropolitan Opera, competitive grave diggers race in Hungary and Brach's creates candy-corn perfume. Plus, the ladies remember the things they thought were fancy as kids, reveal their useless superpowers, battle over controversial foods and resurrect discontinued childhood favorites.

Dr. Temple Grandin is honored as Woman of the Week.  

#RoundRobinPodcast #FunnyPodcast #WeirdNews #PopCulture #KeepSpinning

Hosted, edited, produced & written by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine & Nina Mulligan

Original music created exclusively for Round Robin by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Sources:

Associated Press. “Even Snakes Have to Audition for the Opera at the Met. Princess the Boa Constrictor Got the Part.” AP News, Sept. 2026.

Associated Press. “Competitors Dig Deep in Hungarian Grave-Digging Contest.” AP News, Sept. 2026.

Chavez, Adriana. “You Can Now Buy Candy Corn Perfume.” Food Network, 11 Sept. 2026.

Colorado State University. “Temple Grandin.” News & Media Relations, Colorado State University.

Colorado State University. “Temple Grandin Named to the National Women's Hall of Fame.” Colorado State University, 10 Feb. 2017.

“Best in Show.” Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango Media. Accessed 14 Sept. 2026.

In January 1889, Jackson widow Mary H. Latimer was found murdered inside her home. Her only son, young druggist Robert Irving Latimer, appeared to have an extraordinary alibi: he was in Detroit, where hotel workers and others had seen him. But an unused hotel bed, railroad timetables, blood evidence and financial questions began telling another story.

Latimer's conviction was only the beginning. Months later came an explosive prison-break plot. Four years later came poisoned food, cyanide-laced lemonade, the death of Deputy Gate Keeper George W. Haight and a successful escape from Michigan State Prison. Then, after forty-six years behind bars, came something almost unimaginable—a full pardon.

#MaliceInTheMitten #HistoricalTrueCrime #JacksonMichigan #MaryLatimer #GeorgeHaight

Written, edited, hosted and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine Mulligan

Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Sources:

Buhk, Tobin T. Pardonable Matricide: Robert Irving Latimer, from Michigan’s “Most Dangerous Inmate” to Free Man. McFarland & Company, 2019. The book is a major modern reconstruction of Captain Jack Boyle’s investigation and Latimer’s later prison history.

“Her Son Arrested for the Murder.” Michigan historical newspaper archive, Jan. 1889. Clinton County Archives. Contemporary account of Mary H. Latimer's murder, discovery of her body, family finances, Irving's Detroit alibi and arrest.

“Latimer Murder Trial.” Michigan historical newspaper archive, May 1889. Clinton County Archives. Contemporary defense summation discussing the blood evidence, revolver allegation, railroad evidence and state's circumstantial case.

“Irving Latimer on Trial.” The Galveston Daily News, 3 May 1889. Portal to Texas History. Contemporary report of Latimer's testimony and cross-examination.

Buchanan Record. 4 July 1889. Buchanan District Library. Contemporary report noting the jury's extremely short deliberation and Latimer's life sentence.

“A Plot to Blow Up a Prison.” The Morning News, 27 Aug. 1889. Georgia Historic Newspapers. Contemporary reporting on the Hercules-powder escape scheme at Michigan State Prison.

Buchanan Record. 17 Apr. 1890. Buchanan District Library. Contemporary report describing Latimer's imprisonment and his statement concerning life confinement.

“Breaks Jail.” The Galveston Daily News, 4 Apr. 1893. Portal to Texas History. Period reporting on Latimer's prison privileges, poisoned lemonade, George Haight's death and escape.

Michigan Department of Corrections. “Deputy Gate Keeper George W. Haight—Michigan State Prison at Jackson.” State of Michigan. Official memorial history of Haight's line-of-duty death and service. Note: its description of Mary's cause of death conflicts with contemporary 1889 evidence.

Michigan Corrections Organization. “Fallen Officers.” MCO. Biographical information regarding Haight, his family and the Latimer escape.

“Odds and Ends.” The Lowell Ledger, 2 May 1935. Kent District Library Digital Archives. Contemporary report announcing Latimer's full pardon on the forty-sixth anniversary of his imprisonment.

Salisbury, Danielle. “CO Trying to Add Officer to Memorial 120 Years After Death.” MLive, reproduced by Corrections1, 2 Dec. 2013. Reporting on Jeff Reasoner's effort to restore George Haight to Michigan corrections history.

Michigan Department of Corrections. “Highway Dedicated for Fallen Corrections Professionals.” Corrections Connection, Sept. 2020. State documentation of the George W. Haight Memorial Highway dedication.

State Bar of Michigan. “First to Abolish the Death Penalty.” Michigan Legal Milestones. History of Michigan's 1846 abolition legislation and its 1847 effective date.

Deep in Michigan’s Omer Plains, near the winding Rifle River, an old legend tells of strange wolf-like guardians said to watch over the resting places of the dead. Some describe shadowy animals. Others remember an eerie, laughing bark coming from somewhere beyond the trees. And over the decades, curious visitors have reported scratches, unexplained sounds, and the unnerving feeling that something was following them.

#WitchyWolves #MichiganFolklore #OmerMichigan #MichiganLegends #FBombFriday

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Todd Preston

Researched and written by Todd Preston

Original music created exclusively by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Sources:

Elder, Colin. “Tracking the Early History of the Upper Great Lakes Using Anishinaabeg’s Histories: From Ma’iingan (Wolf) to Animosh (Dog).” eScholarship, 2025.

Godfrey, Linda S. I Know What I Saw: Modern-Day Encounters with Monsters of New Urban Legend and Ancient Lore. TarcherPerigee, 2019.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Wolf History and Legal Status in Michigan.” Michigan.gov.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Wolves in Michigan.” Michigan.gov.

Russell, Lindsey. “The Witchy Wolves of Omer Plains.” Mysterious Michigan, originally published 2007, revised 2022.

Shuker, Karl P. N. “Witchie Wolves, Medicine Wolves, and the Waheela.” ShukerNature, 16 Feb. 2011.

Sonnenberg, Mike. “In Search of the Witchy Wolf.” Lost in Michigan, 29 Oct. 2016.

The Lindsay Clancy mistrial has reopened a difficult national conversation about postpartum mental health. In this special Round Robin, Tracy, Christine and Nina talk about depression, postpartum anxiety and OCD, postpartum psychosis, severe insomnia, intrusive thoughts, hallucinations and the warning signs families may miss. This episode is not about sensationalizing tragedy or deciding criminal guilt. It's about helping women recognize when something isn't right — and making sure mothers and families know where to find help.

#PostpartumMentalHealth #PostpartumPsychosis #MaternalMentalHealth #MomsSupportingMoms

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine & Nina Mulligan

Written by Tracy Preston

Original music created exclusively for Round Robin by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Postpartum Support International HelpLine

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

For immediate danger or suspected postpartum psychosis requiring emergency intervention, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Sources:

Alford, Alexandria Y., et al. “A Systematic Review of Postpartum Psychosis Resulting in Infanticide: Missed Opportunities in Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” Archives of Women’s Mental Health, vol. 28, no. 2, 2025, pp. 297–308. PubMed, doi:10.1007/s00737-024-01508-3.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Screening and Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum.” ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4, June 2023.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Summary of Perinatal Mental Health Conditions.” ACOG, www.acog.org.

Associated Press. “Key Moments in the Lindsay Clancy Case: The 911 Call, Mental Health Care, Mistrial.” AP News, 4 Sept. 2026.

Associated Press. “A Mistrial Is Declared in the Murder Case Against Lindsay Clancy. Here’s What Could Happen Next.” AP News, 5 Sept. 2026.

Cook, Christopher C. H. “Religious Psychopathology: The Prevalence of Religious Content of Delusions and Hallucinations in Mental Disorder.” International Journal of Social Psychiatry, vol. 61, no. 4, 2015, pp. 404–425.

Death Penalty Information Center. “Andrea Yates Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity—Prosecutors Had Originally Sought Death.” Death Penalty Information Center, 27 July 2006, updated 14 Mar. 2025.

Health Resources and Services Administration. “National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.” Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, mchb.hrsa.gov.

Khalifeh, Hind, et al. “Postpartum Psychosis: A Preventable Psychiatric Emergency.” American Journal of Psychiatry, 2024. PubMed Central, PMC11058913.

“Killer Mom Found Guilty.” News24, 12 Sept. 2007.

Lewis, Katherine J. S., et al. “Phenomenology, Epidemiology and Aetiology of Postpartum Psychosis: A Review.” Brain Sciences, vol. 11, no. 1, 2021. PubMed Central, PMC7824357.

Martin “Marty” Duram survived a devastating 1995 car crash, a coma and life-changing brain injuries before rebuilding his life in West Michigan. Years later, he reunited with his teenage love, Glenna Duram. But on May 12, 2015, Marty was shot five times inside their Newaygo County home. Glenna was found beside him with gunshot wounds to her head — and survived.

Investigators uncovered foreclosure problems, gambling, goodbye letters, disturbing cellphone searches involving the murder weapon and evidence prosecutors argued pointed toward a failed murder-suicide.

Then Marty's African grey parrot, Bud, began talking.

According to Marty's ex-wife, the bird repeatedly mimicked an argument between two voices that ended with the chilling words: “Don't fucking shoot.”

Did Bud witness a murder?

#MaliceInTheMitten #MartinDuram #GlennaDuram #MichiganTrueCrime#TrueCrimePodcast #BudTheParrot

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine Mulligan.

Written by Tracy Preston

Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston

Original artwork created by Todd Preston

Sources:

Michigan Court of Appeals. People of the State of Michigan v. Glenna Mary Duram. No. 340486, 30 Apr. 2019.

Michigan Supreme Court. People of the State of Michigan v. Glenna Mary Duram. No. 159805, 23 Dec. 2019.

CBS News / Associated Press. “Wife Convicted of Murder Apparently Witnessed by Pet Parrot.” CBS News, 21 July 2017.

CBS News / Associated Press. “Michigan Woman Gets Life for Murder in Parrot Case.” CBS Detroit, 29 Aug. 2017.

FOX 17 West Michigan. “‘Don't ****** Shoot!’ — Did Pet Parrot Witness Owner's Murder?” FOX 17, 24 June 2016.

FOX 17 West Michigan. “More Details Emerge in Newaygo Co. Murder Case.” FOX 17, 7 July 2016.

FOX 17 West Michigan. “Woman Found Guilty in Murder of Her Husband in Newaygo Co.” FOX 17, 19 July 2017.

ABC News. “Talking Parrot May Be the Sole Witness to a Homicide.” ABC News, 6 June 2016.

Lartey, Jamiles. “‘Don't Shoot’: Pet Parrot's Words May Be Used in Michigan Murder Trial.” The Guardian, 27 June 2016.

'Til Death Do Us Part. “Don't Shoot!” Season 1, episode 1, Investigation Discovery, 9 July 2019.

“Woman Was Alive at Homicide Scene for Hour Before Authorities Realized.” NBC reporting, Jan. 2016.

Three Michigan brides. Three futures cut tragically short. At Morris Chapel near Niles, Kathryn is said to wait where her wedding should have begun. Along Milan-Oakville Road, a woman in white searches for help after a fatal crash. And inside Central Lake’s Blue Pelican Inn, a young bride may still be trying to complete the escape that ended with her death. This week on F-Bomb Friday, Tracy and Todd explore the history, folklore, and heartbreak behind Michigan’s ghostly brides—and ask why some promises refuse to stay buried.

#FBombFriday #MichiganGhostStories #HauntedMichigan #GhostlyBrides #MaliceInTheMitten

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Todd Preston

Written by Tracy Preston

Original music created exclusively for F-Bomb by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Sources:

“Haunted History.” The Blue Pelican Inn & Restaurant, thebluepelican.com/haunted-history. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

“Haunted Locations: Michigan.” GhostQuest.net, ghostquest.net/haunted-places-michigan-usa. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

“The Legend of Morris Chapel.” Geocaching, created by Tsmola, 26 Apr. 2008, geocaching.com/geocache/GC1BM1F. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

“Murphy’s Lamplight Inn—The Blue Pelican Inn.” Haunted Places, hauntedplaces.org/item/murphys-lamplight-inn-the-blue-pelican-inn. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

Robinson, John. “The Ghostly Bride of the Blue Pelican: Central Lake, Michigan.” 99.1 WFMK, 24 Mar. 2020, 99wfmk.com/bluepelicaninn. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

Robinson, John. “The Graveyard Ghosts of Morris Chapel: Niles, Michigan.” 99.1 WFMK, updated 24 Apr. 2020, 99wfmk.com/haunted-morris-chapel. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

Robinson, John. “The Spectre of Milan-Oakville Road.” 99.1 WFMK, 9 Dec. 2019, 99wfmk.com/milan-oakville-road. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

Sonnenberg, Mike. “The Haunted Blue Pelican Inn.” Lost in Michigan, 28 Oct. 2025, lostinmichigan.net/the-haunted-blue-pelican-inn. Accessed 3 Sept. 2026.

This week on Round Robin, Tracy, Christine and Nina dig into the surprisingly strange history of bridal and couples showers—from Dutch dowry legends and Victorian gift-filled parasols to outdated etiquette rules, toilet-paper wedding dresses and the rise of modern Jack and Jill parties.

#RoundRobinPodcast #WeddingHistory #BridalShower #WeddingTraditions #CouplesShower

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine and Nina Mulligan

Written by Tracy Preston

Original music created exclusively for Round Robin by Tracy Preston

Original artwork by Todd Preston

Sources:

“Bridal Shower.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.

“Bridal Shower History: The Facts You Need to Know.” The Knot.

“Bridal Shower Etiquette.” Emily Post Institute.

“Old, New, Borrowed, Blue.” Victoria and Albert Museum, 17 Apr. 2024.

“Wedding Cake.” Royal Collection Trust.

“Christina Koch: Record-Breaking Spacewalker.” Guinness World Records, 2026.

You're Cordially Invited. Directed by Nicholas Stoller, Amazon Studios, 2025. Prime Video.

In July 1999, Patricia “Patty” Artz disappeared from the Jackson County restaurant she owned with her husband, Kevin “Kip” Artz. What investigators discovered inside Kipp's Pizza and Taco became one of Michigan's most disturbing murder cases—and eventually spawned an enduring urban legend. But behind the sensational stories was a documented history of marital violence, statements about murder, a recent brain hemorrhage, an insanity defense, and a later claim of marijuana-induced psychosis. Malice in the Mitten separates court-documented fact from folklore and puts Patty back at the center of her own story.

#MaliceInTheMitten #PattyArtz #MichiganTrueCrime #JacksonMichigan #TrueCrimePodcast

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Christine Mulligan.

Researched and written by Tracy Preston

Original music created exclusively for Malice in the Mitten by Tracy Preston

Original artwork created by Todd Preston

Sources:

People of the State of Michigan v. Kevin Lloyd Artz. No. 233471. Michigan Court of Appeals, 24 Apr. 2003. Justia.

Artz, Kevin Lloyd v. Paul Klee. No. 14-2035. United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 11 Mar. 2016. Justia.

Di Forti, Marta, et al. “The Contribution of Cannabis Use to Variation in the Incidence of Psychotic Disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): A Multicentre Case-Control Study.” The Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 6, no. 5, 2019, pp. 427–436.

Murrie, Benjamin, et al. “Transition of Substance-Induced, Brief, and Atypical Psychoses to Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Schizophrenia Bulletin, vol. 46, no. 3, 2020, pp. 505–516.

United States Department of Justice, National Drug Intelligence Center. National Drug Threat Assessment 2008. U.S. Department of Justice. Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project data.

“Chef Faces Trial over ‘Cooking Wife in Eaterie.’” Irish Examiner, 2 Mar. 2001.

Michigan's Hatchet Man Road is a lonely stretch of 28th Avenue near Gobles where an unverified legend tells of a Cold War-era bunker, a murdered family and a killer with a hatchet. But the real mystery may be what visitors have reported since: disappearing headlights, shadow figures, stalled cars, strange lights, whistling from the woods—and the pale face of a child among the trees. On this episode of F-Bomb Friday, Tracy separates documented history from folklore and asks why this southwest Michigan back road continues to terrify the people who dare to drive it after dark.

#HatchetManRoad #MichiganFolklore #MichiganHauntings #UrbanLegends #FBombFriday

Hosted, edited and produced by Tracy Preston, featuring Todd Preston

Story researched and written by Todd Preston

Original music created by Tracy Preston

Original artwork created by Todd Preston

Sources:

Bishop, Thomas. “Digging Up the History of the Nuclear Fallout Shelter.” Smithsonian Magazine, 2022.

Brenzing, Bob, and Alyssa Hearin. “‘Hatchet Man Road’ Continues to Creep Out Drivers in Van Buren County.” FOX 17, 31 Oct. 2016.

GhostQuest.net. “28th Avenue — ‘Hatchet Man Road.’” Haunted Locations: Michigan. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Mysterious Michigan. “The Strange Happenings on Hatchet Man Road.” Mysterious Michigan, story originally submitted ca. 2008.

Robinson, John. “HAUNTED MICHIGAN: Hatchet Man Road.” 99.1 WFMK, 26 Aug. 2016.

Robinson, John. “HAUNTED MICHIGAN: Hatchet Man Road Re-visited.” 99.1 WFMK, 28 Aug. 2017.

Robinson, John. “HAUNTED MICHIGAN: Pics of My Midnight Trip Down Hatchet Man Road.” 99.1 WFMK, 18 Sept. 2018.