Morbid

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Stamford, Connecticut  was terrorized by a killer who was strangling women and leaving their bodies by the side of the parkway. After four years and five confirmed victims, police arrested a local self-proclaimed preacher named Benjamin Miller, bringing the murders to an end and closing the case on what the press had dubbed the Bra Murders—or so they thought.

From the moment Miller was arrested, there were some in the community who questioned whether the police had arrested the right man or if they’d simply chosen Miller as a scapegoat. Among other things, Miller had a long history of mental illness and, although he had initially confessed to the murders, he eventually recanted his confession and claimed that detectives had manipulated him into confessing. 

To this day, many Connecticut residents still wonder whether Benjamin Miller was really responsible for the Bra Murders, or if the real killer was allowed to walk free.

Arnold, Martin. 1972. "A 'minister' is seized in 5 Connecticut stranglings." New York Times, March 18: 64.

Associated Press. 1973. "Miller ordered to mental institution." Stamford Advocate, March 31: 3.

—. 1972. "Black citizens prodded investigation." The Journal (Meriden, CT), March 18: 5.

Buffa, Denise. 1989. "Ex-postal worker freed in 'Bra Murders'." Stamford Advocate, May 9: 1.

—. 1989. "Maintaining his innocence." Stamford Advocate, May 21: 1.

—. 1989. "State may not try suspect in '73 deaths." Stamford Advocate, April 4: 1.

Connecticut Post. 1972. "Mental patient accused of slaying five women." Connecticut Post, March 17: 1.

—. 1971. "Stamford eyes slaying's link to 'Bra Murders'." Connecticut Post, July 13: 2.

—. 1971. "Strangler's 5th victim found in parkway woods." Connecticut Post, August 23: 1.

—. 1969. "Troopers set skull identity." Connecticut Post, April 11: 1.

—. 1969. "Woman's skeleton found in 3rd parkway mystery." Connecticut Post, April 5: 1.

Gold, Julie Anne. 1982. "Figure in murders seeking his release." Stamford Advocate, December 17: 1.

Gombossy, George. 1989. "Doubt clouds 'solved'Stamford slayings." Hartfort Courant, May 28: 333.

Greenhouse, Linda. 1971. "Police seek clue to Stamford murders." New York Times, August 29: 38.

Neenan, Julia McNamee. 1983. "Defense: 'parkway bra murders' case to be appealed." Stamfor Advocate, November 5: 7.

—. 1983. "New trial denied in parkway slayings." Stamford Advocate, October 20: 1.

Peterson, Lisa Marie. 1988. "Ex-postal clerk may go free in 'Bra Murders' case." Stamford Advocate, May 25: 1.

Ressler, Marcy, and Frank Fedeli. 1981. "Police say body found near Merritt Parkway may be missing woman." Stamford Advocate, August 21: 1.

Ross, Don. 1973. "Bra killer insane, sent to instiution." Stamford Advocate, January 31: 1.

Seminoff, Nick. 1972. "Norwalk man charged on 5 counts in Merritt Parkway 'Bra' Murders." Stamford Advocate, March 17: 1.

Stamford Advocate. 1972. "Attempted murder charge follows parkway assault." Stamford Advocate, July 29: 1.

—. 1972. "Bra suspect is competent." Stamford Advocate, May 12: 1.

—. 1971. "'Concerned Black Citizens' urge intense murder probe." Stamford Advocate, August 27: 1.

—. 1971. "Mayor says police push murder probe." Stamford Advocate, August 30: 1.

—. 1972. "Murder suspect back in hospital." Stamford Advocate, March 20: 12.

—. 1971. "'Parkway Bra Murders' probe continues." Stamford Advocate, December 29: 17.

—. 1968. "Slaying victim was scheduled in court today." Stamford Advocate, May 6: 1.

—. 1971. "Stamford woman strangled." Stamford Advocate, August 23: 1.

Thompson, M. Cordell. 1972. "Police arrest white preacher in bizarre Conn. murder cases." Jet, April 6: 52.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Weirdos! For August's BONUS EPISODE we are focusing on an entity that has MANY faces and wears MANY hats: The bogeyman! For as long as people have been telling stories, these supernatural beings have been lurking in the woods, or in the dark alleys, or under the bed. They might look different depending on the culture they come from, or be called by another name, but their function in society is consistent: to invoke fear!

Briggs, Katharine. 1978. Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures. New York, NY: Pantheon.

Carbonell, Ana Maria. 1999. "From Llorona to Gritona: Coatlicue in Feminist Tales by Viramontes and Cisneros." MELUS 53-74.

Delsol, Christine. 2012. "Mexico’s legend of La Llorona continues to terrify." SF Gate, October 9.

Jones, Abigail. 2014. "The girls who tried to kill for Slender Man." Newsweek, August 22.

Leddy, Betty. 1988. "La Llorona in Southern Arizona." Perspectives in Mexican American Studies 9-16.

Newsroom. 2019. "Who was ‘Spring-heeled Jack’ who scared the women of Scotland?" The Scotsman, April 29.

Peck, Andrew. 2015. "Tall, Dark, and Loathsome: The Emergence of a Legend Cycle in the Digital Age." Journal of American Folklore 333-348.

Polidoro, Massimo. 2002. "Return of Spring-Heeled Jack." Skeptical Inquirer 22-24.

Simpson, Jacqueline, and Steve Roud. 2000. A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP.

Strebel, Erika. 2015. "Judge says keeping Slender Man case in adult court will prevent repeat of crime." Wisconsin Law Journal, August 10.

The Times. 1838. "Spring Heeled Jack - Outrage on a young lady." The Times, February 25: 7.

Times, The. 1838. "The late outrage at Old Ford." The Times, March 2: 7.

Vickery, Roy. 1983. "Lemna Minor and Jenny Greenteeth." Folklore 247-250.

Warner, Marina. 1999. No Go, the Bogeyman: Scaring, Lulling, and Making Mock. London, UK: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Young, Simon. 2019. Folklore Pamphlet: The Sources for Jenny Greenteeth and Other English Freshwater Faries. Pamphlet, Simon Young.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Weirdos! Grab your PJ's, some Aqua Net, and your favorite blue eye shadow and get ready to burn the midnight oil with us! This time, Deb has found 90's tales that will ensure that you're not the first to fall asleep at the slumber party... OH! And these tales are BY you FOR  you and ALL ABOUT YOU juuuuust in case you were wondering! Don't forget to check out the YOUTUBE version is packed with extra Nicholas footage!

If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to Deb by emailing us at  [email protected] with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line, and if you share pictures, please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :)

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Ellie Green left her house on the night of June 19, 2019, she thought she and her mother would continue their conversation the following day. However, Ellie says that she was shocked to discover that, just four days later, her father had her mother committed to a psychiatric hospital and she wouldn’t be allowed to see her. She was even more shocked when, a month later, she says that she was told that her mother had died from a stroke while in the hospital. Devastated by her mother's death, Ellie wanted an explanation of how someone so young could suddenly die, but each question was met with vague and confusion answers.

This was just the beginning of the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance.

If anyone has any information about Angela Green’s disappearance, investigators urge them to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Information can also be sent to Steve Ridge directly at (319) 573-0657 or [email protected].

Adler, Eric. 2023. "$25k reward offered for information on missing woman." Kansas City Star, March 4: 1.

—. 2020. "'Dateline NBC' to explore case of missing Johnson County mom." Kansas City Star, October 29: 4.

—. 2020. "Teen seeks truth of mom's mysterious disappearance." Kansas City Star, July 26: 1.

—. 2022. "Three-year search from missing Prairie Village woman heats up." Kansas City Star, May 4: 10.

2026. People Magazine Investigates. Directed by Bruno Bahunek.

Honeycutt, Sherae. 2020. Daughter of missing Prairie Village woman aching for answers as disappearance surpasses a year. February 26. Accessed August 18, 2026. https://fox4kc.com/news/exclusive-daughter-of-missing-prairie-village-woman-aching-for-answers-as-disappearance-surpasses-a-year/.

—. 2020. Recorded phone calls involving missing Prairie Village woman’s case raise more questions. October 29. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://fox4kc.com/news/recorded-phone-calls-involving-missing-prairie-village-womans-case-raise-more-questions/.

Pelisek, Christine. 2026. A Mom Went Missing in 2019 After Arguing with Daughter. Her Husband Stopped Talking to Investigators a Long Time Ago. February 21. Accessed August 21, 2026. https://people.com/mom-vanished-2019-angela-green-daughter-wants-answers-11911133.

Shriner, Zoe, and Betsy Weber. 2024. Five years since Prairie Village mom Angela Green disappeared without a trace. September 11. Accessed August 18, 2026. https://www.kctv5.com/2024/09/12/kc-unsolved-five-years-since-prairie-village-mom-angela-green-disappeared-without-trace/.

Webster, Betsy. 2026. Private investigator claims new lead on Prairie Village mom’s disappearance, police not yet informed. March 2. Accessed August 18, 2026. https://www.kctv5.com/2026/03/03/private-investigator-claims-new-lead-prairie-village-moms-disappearance-police-not-yet-informed/.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After killing his family in the winter of 1971, John List went on the run, initiating a worldwide manhunt that would last nearly twenty years before he was finally apprehended. In that time, the List case would become one of the largest and most notorious investigations since the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby.

Associated Press. 1972. "John List is still missing and local police are baffled." Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 22: 9.

—. 1972. "Highjack-slaying ties denied." Press of Atlantic City, January 15: 4.

Bailey, Bruce. 1972. "Worldwide hunt fails to find Wrstfield exec." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 11: 1.

Balog, Kathy. 1990. "The confession to his pastor was the most damning of all." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

Benford, Timothy, and James Johnson. 1991. Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield. New York, NY: Scribner.

Bullock, Marilyn, and Bruce Bailey. 1971. "The Lists were a neighborhood mystery." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 11.

Chung, Connie. 2002. 1971 family killer breaks silence. February 20. Accessed August 1, 2026. https://abcnews.com/2020/story?id=132646&page=1.

Cohen, Robert. 1971. "'Daddy, you're all I have left...'." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 12: 1.

—. 1971. "Husband hunted in mass slaying." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 1.

Douthat, Strat. 1989. "The fugitive." Los Angeles Times, June 18: 2.

Fiedler, Lore. 1973. "John List disappearance still unsolved." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 3: 11.

—. 1971. "Westfielder sought in slaying of 5." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Hampton, Pat. 1980. "After 9 years, John List still a suspect-and still a mystery." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 6: 5.

Hann, Christopher. 1989. "For stunned neighbors, news of arrest hits home." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 7.

LA Times Wire Service. 1989. "Suspect in family-slaying may be famed D.B. Cooper." Los Angeles Times, June 30.

McNeel, John M. 1976. "What ever happened to John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Romano, Mary. 1989. "For the family, a chapter closes, a wound reopens." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

Stout, David. 2008. "John E. List, 82, killer of 5 family members." New York Times, March 25.

Sullivan, Joseph. 1990. "Slaying suspect saw 2 choices, doctor testifies." New York Times, April 7: 30.

—. 1990. "Suspect wrote about killing family in '71." New York Times, March 29.

Talmont, Tek, and Jill Vejnoska. 1990. "Attorney admits client is John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 15: 1.

The Courier-News. 1990. "Two specialists describe List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 10: 1.

The Courier-Times. 1976. "Psychic gleaned varied impressions of List." The Courier-Times (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Thompson, Robert. 1972. "List case unsoved after seven months." The Courier-News (Bidgewater, NJ), June 28: 1.

Vejnoska, Jill. 1990. "Defense: List killed with love in his heart." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 3: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor recounts List's getaway." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 11: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor: Stressed List just snapped." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 7: 1.

—. 1989. "FBI nabs John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

—. 1990. "Letter: List shot family, prayed." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), March 29: 1.

—. 1990. "List 'didn't trust God' to help him." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 6: 1.

—. 1990. "List guilty." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

—. 1989. "Prime-time spotlight focuses on long-time fugitve John Lisr." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), May 22: 1.

—. 1989. "Westfield cops hope TV can help catch John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 14: 1.

Wirt, George. 1977. "5-Year hunt: Cops 'haven't forgotten' slaughter of famil." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), May 30: 10.

Yates, Terry, and Robert Thompson. 1971. "'Nobody knew them too well'." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In early December 1971, after a month of watching the lightbulbs in the List house slowly burn out one after another, neighbors finally became concerned about the List family and called the Westfield, NJ police to report their suspicions. Acting on the calls, officers arrived at house on the morning of December 7 to perform a wellbeing check, and when no one answered the door, they managed to gain access to the house through a basement window. 

When they reached the first floor, the officers found the bodies of the List family—including the couple’s three children—dead from gunshot wounds to the head they’d suffered a month earlier. Noticeably absent from the remains in the house were those of the family patriarch, John List. In his office, investigators discovered a letter List had written to the pastor of his local church, in which he claimed to have murdered his family in order to spare them the pain of living in a world he believed had become corrupt and morally bankrupt.

Associated Press. 1972. "John List is still missing and local police are baffled." Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 22: 9.

—. 1972. "Highjack-slaying ties denied." Press of Atlantic City, January 15: 4.

Bailey, Bruce. 1972. "Worldwide hunt fails to find Wrstfield exec." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 11: 1.

Balog, Kathy. 1990. "The confession to his pastor was the most damning of all." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

Benford, Timothy, and James Johnson. 1991. Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield. New York, NY: Scribner.

Bullock, Marilyn, and Bruce Bailey. 1971. "The Lists were a neighborhood mystery." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 11.

Chung, Connie. 2002. 1971 family killer breaks silence. February 20. Accessed August 1, 2026. https://abcnews.com/2020/story?id=132646&page=1.

Cohen, Robert. 1971. "'Daddy, you're all I have left...'." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 12: 1.

—. 1971. "Husband hunted in mass slaying." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 1.

Douthat, Strat. 1989. "The fugitive." Los Angeles Times, June 18: 2.

Fiedler, Lore. 1973. "John List disappearance still unsolved." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 3: 11.

—. 1971. "Westfielder sought in slaying of 5." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Hampton, Pat. 1980. "After 9 years, John List still a suspect-and still a mystery." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 6: 5.

Hann, Christopher. 1989. "For stunned neighbors, news of arrest hits home." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 7.

LA Times Wire Service. 1989. "Suspect in family-slaying may be famed D.B. Cooper." Los Angeles Times, June 30.

McNeel, John M. 1976. "What ever happened to John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Romano, Mary. 1989. "For the family, a chapter closes, a wound reopens." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

Stout, David. 2008. "John E. List, 82, killer of 5 family members." New York Times, March 25.

Sullivan, Joseph. 1990. "Slaying suspect saw 2 choices, doctor testifies." New York Times, April 7: 30.

—. 1990. "Suspect wrote about killing family in '71." New York Times, March 29.

Talmont, Tek, and Jill Vejnoska. 1990. "Attorney admits client is John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 15: 1.

The Courier-News. 1990. "Two specialists describe List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 10: 1.

The Courier-Times. 1976. "Psychic gleaned varied impressions of List." The Courier-Times (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Thompson, Robert. 1972. "List case unsoved after seven months." The Courier-News (Bidgewater, NJ), June 28: 1.

Vejnoska, Jill. 1990. "Defense: List killed with love in his heart." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 3: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor recounts List's getaway." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 11: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor: Stressed List just snapped." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 7: 1.

—. 1989. "FBI nabs John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

—. 1990. "Letter: List shot family, prayed." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), March 29: 1.

—. 1990. "List 'didn't trust God' to help him." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 6: 1.

—. 1990. "List guilty." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

—. 1989. "Prime-time spotlight focuses on long-time fugitve John Lisr." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), May 22: 1.

—. 1989. "Westfield cops hope TV can help catch John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 14: 1.

Wirt, George. 1977. "5-Year hunt: Cops 'haven't forgotten' slaughter of famil." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), May 30: 10.

Yates, Terry, and Robert Thompson. 1971. "'Nobody knew them too well'." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Tragic Case of Molly Bish 

Molly Bish was 16 years old and working as a lifeguard at Comins Pond in Warren. She’d only been working there about a week on June 27th, 2000 when her mother dropped her off for her 10:00 shift. Swimmers would be arriving any minute, but just minutes later when they started piling in for swim lessons, there was no lifeguard on duty. In a matter of minutes Molly vanished, but it would be three years before her partial remains would be discovered, and over twenty with no answers. This case remains unsolved to this day, although the investigation is very much active. **Anyone With information about the Molly Bish case should call the State Police tip line at 508-453-7575

Morbid Chats With Heather Bish

Before recording episode 214, The Tragic Case of Molly Bish, we reached out to Molly’s sister Heather who has been working tirelessly to get Molly’s case solved. Heather was kind enough to join us for an episode to give us an inside scoop on all the work she’s been doing to get Molly’s case solved, and just to let us in on who Molly was as a sister, a daughter and as a friend. Let’s all work together and get this case solved! 

TO HELP YOU CAN:

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Weirdos! We're revisiting Whitechapel in this MASSIVE episode which includes all 5 episodes of Alaina's Roman Empire, Jack the Ripper!

Alaina takes us to the streets of Whitechapel for part one of Jack The Ripper, and boy is it a stark picture she’s painting us. Whitechapel was dark, damp, dirty and downright desolate at the time Jack The Ripper was roaming the streets. People were living in all kinds of horrible conditions, butchers and slaughterhouse workers were walking around covered in blood and because things were like this, it made the perfect stomping ground for a vicious murderer. Mary Ann "Polly" Nichols was the Ripper’s first victim and the main person that we’ll go over in part one while Alaina also gives us a background on a couple of other potential early victims. Stay tuned for (we’re thinkin’) three more!

Jack the Ripper part two brings us the absolutely horrifying murder of Annie Chapman. Annie’s story, much like the rest of the women who were killed, is incredibly devastating. She was struggling with sobriety when she landed on the shady streets in Spitalfields in the East end and was having a terrible time trying to find work to just get by. Robert Anderson, the head of the criminal investigations department was still on vacation, Sir Charles Warren’s ego stepped on the scene and they were not even one step closer to uncovering the culprits identity.

Jack the Ripper Part three will cover what is known as, “the double event.” Both Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were found killed on this September night. Both women shared a lot in common with the previous two victims. They’d struggled through pretty much their entire lives just to make ends meet and then were met with this as their end. In this part we’ll start to entertain the theory that Jack perhaps had some kind of medical background and you’ll see just why one might think so once you dive into the episode! Hold onto your butts!

Jack the Ripper part 4 is here weirdos! This installment will cover the horrific, and most brutal murder yet: the murder of Mary Jane Kelly. Mary Jane was the youngest victim at just twenty five years old and the only victim that was killed in her own room. When the police arrived on scene they were shocked, but still not any closer to uncovering the identity of the ripper. OH and also, Alaina has some HOT TAKES on the letters we went over in part 3.

YOU HAVE REACHED THE CONCLUSION!!!! Alaina’s final part of Jack the Ripper is here and we are talking all things suspects, confirmation bias, science, mitochondrial DNA and Patricia Cornwell. Do we know who Jack the Ripper is by now? No. Do we know who he isn’t? Sorta. Stay tuned for years to come because Alaina claims one day she will have our answers!!!

"SOMEDAY I WILL"- Alaina

Check out these great books on the case:

Jack the Ripper and The Case For Scotland Yard's Prime Suspect by Robert House

The Complete Jack the Ripper by Donald Rumbelow

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper's Victims by Robert Hume

The Ripper Code by Thomas Toughill

Jack the Ripper: Scotland Yard Investigates by Stewart Evans & Donald Rumbelow

Jack the Ripper: The definitive Casebook by Richard Whittington-Eagan

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper by Patricia Cornwell

Also check out these sites on the case:

JackTheRipper.org

Casebook: Jack The Ripper

Jack the Ripper Tour

History blog mentioned in the episode:

The History Girls

An even DEEPER dive into this case:

Season 3 of Unobscured with Aaron Mahnke

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This Bonus Episode is brought to YOU by our friends at State Farm!

Weirdos!! Get ready to return to Forks for the epic conclusion of our MORBID recap of the Twilight franchise!  Today we're diving into Breaking Dawn (Part 2) and part 3 of the book, and what a gift it is! Bella is the BEST at everything, even though her selfishness gets the Cullens in hot water AGAIN! Jacob is the new creep on the block with his imprinting escapades. And the Volturi are walking... I guess? Prepare yourself for Alaina's masterful impression of Bella's singsong voice, worry with Ash about dear Charlie's heart health, and join us as we attempt to untangle the host of inconsistencies that had us angry, confused or howling with laughter! Grab the nearest tissue box and prepare to cry-laugh with us!

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the morning of March 20, 1995, millions of rush hours commuters boarded trains across Tokyo, just as they countless other mornings. Unbeknownst to those millions of riders, five of those trains were carrying large quantities of a nerve agent called Sarin, a colorless, odorless liquid that, when released into the air, can cause extreme respiratory problems and eventually death. As the trains traveled to their respective destinations through the underground system, the bags of Sarin became punctured and released the gas into the packed trains cars and within seconds, the first victims began dropping to floor, choking and vomiting. 

The Tokyo gas attacks killed thirteen people and injured nearly 6,000 others, and they remain the worst case of domestic terrorism in Japan’s history. Yet beyond the obvious trauma of the incident, the attack has left a deep wound in the nation’s psyche. When the perpetrators of the attack, a doomsday cult known as Aum Shinrikyo, were apprehended, the nation was shocked that a small religious cult had managed to cause such tremendous damage. Even now, thirty years later, the impact of Aum Shinrikyo and the sarin gas attacks are still felt around Japan.

BBC News. 2018. Aum Shinrikyo: The Japanese cult behind the Tokyo Sarin. July 6. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35975069.

Kristof, Nicholas D. 1995. "In shrine of Japan cult, police find labratory." New York Times, March 27: 2.

—. 1995. "Japanese police raid the offices of a sect linked to poison gas." New York Times, March 22: 1.

Monterey Institute of International Studies. 2016. Chronology or Aum Shinrikyo's CBQ Activities. Timeline , Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Murakami, Haruki. 2001. Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. Translated by Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel. New York, NY: Vintage.

Watanabe, Teresa. 1995. "Police seize toxic chemicals in raid on Japanese sect." Los Angeles Times, March 23: 1.

—. 1995. "Raid on sect spurs civil-liberties worries." Los Angeles Times, March 23: 4.

WuDunn, Sheryl. 1995. "Fear stalks Tokyo: safe no more." New York Times, March 21: 13.

—. 1995. "Sect says government staged the gas attack." New York Times, March 22: 10.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.