In July of 2019, 69-year-old Barbara Thomas stepped just few paces ahead of her husband during a short walk in California’s Mojave Desert. In the wide-open landscape, under a blazing summer sun, she should have been visible for miles. But in a matter of moments—she was gone.

Despite massive searches by air and ground, no trace of Barbara has ever been found. Was it the unforgiving desert heat, a sudden medical emergency, an abduction, or something stranger tied to the Mojave’s eerie folklore?

In this episode of Mama, Mysteries & Midnight Murders, Julia Rose explores Barbara’s life, the search that followed, the contradictions in her husband’s account, and the theories that still haunt this case.

On an ordinary October evening in Portland, 18-year-old Owen Klinger walked away from his college campus — and vanished. Surveillance cameras captured fragments of his journey, but what happened after remains clouded in mystery and heartbreak.

In this episode of Mama, Mysteries, & Midnight Murders, I’ll guide you through Owen’s final known steps, the theories that haunted his family and community, and the painful discovery that followed. Together, we’ll explore how a promising life intersected with unanswered questions — and why this case still lingers in the hearts of many.

Join me, Julia Rose, as we sit together in the quiet of the night to remember Owen and reflect on the strange and the sensational.

He thought he was alone.

But the house whispered otherwise.

Footsteps in the dark. Voices through the walls. Shadows that never left.

For nine months, neighbors believed the home was haunted. But the truth was far more terrifying…

This is the story of The Spider-Man of Denver.

This short bonus episode is here to celebrate the launch of Mama, Mysteries, & Midnight Murders and give you a little something extra before our regularly scheduled Wednesday release.

In February 1978, 23-year-old college student Steven Kubacki vanished while skiing along the frozen shores of Lake Michigan. His skis and poles were found abandoned, footprints leading onto the ice… and then nothing. He was presumed drowned—until 15 months later, when Steven suddenly reappeared in Massachusetts, alive, with no memory of where he had been.

Was it amnesia? A fugue state? Something stranger in the so-called Michigan Triangle? Tonight, we step into the snow and into one of America’s most chilling mysteries.

In July 2025, the quiet Italian town of Gemona del Friuli was shaken by a crime as shocking as it was tragic. Nurse Lorena Venier, 61, confessed to killing and dismembering her own son, Alessandro, with the help of his wife, Mailyn Castro Monsalvo. Behind this grisly act was a story of alleged abuse, fear, and desperation — a mother who claimed she was protecting her daughter-in-law and granddaughter from a cycle of violence.

In this episode, we walk through the events of this crime from Lorena’s perspective.

✨ Mama, Mysteries, & Midnight Murders brings you cozy, haunting storytelling when the world has gone quiet. New episodes every Wednesday.

⚠️ If you or someone you know is struggling, please know you are not alone.

United States 🇺🇸

• ​Domestic Violence: National Domestic Violence Hotline — Call 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788 (24/7, confidential).
• ​Substance Abuse & Mental Health: SAMHSA Helpline — Call 1-800-662-4357 (24/7, confidential treatment referrals and info).
• ​Postpartum Depression & Maternal Mental Health: Postpartum Support International — Call or text 1-800-944-4773, or text “HELP” to 800-944-4773.

Italy 🇮🇹

• ​Domestic Violence & Stalking: National Helpline — Call 1522 (24/7, free and confidential).
• ​Substance Abuse: National Helpline for Addictions — Call 800-186-071 (ANPAA – Associazione Nazionale per le Politiche Antidroga).
• ​Postpartum Depression & Perinatal Support: Telefono Rosa / Perinatal Mental Health Services — Call 1522 or connect with local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale) mental health centers for immediate support.

When the kids are finally asleep and the world outside grows quiet, Julia Rose lights a candle and invites you into the midnight hours.

Mama, Mysteries ,& Midnight Murders blends true crime, unsolved mysteries, and eerie tales with the warmth of a mother’s voice. From haunting small-town secrets to stories of survival, each episode is crafted to keep you leaning closer while still feeling safe enough to fall asleep to.

This short trailer will give you a taste of what’s to come — a podcast that’s part cozy, part chilling, and always unforgettable.

✨First episode drops tonight at 6pm. Don't miss it.