Today, I’m going to tell you four stories about people who thought they had a handle on the situation they were in, but found out – way too late – that they’d really misjudged things.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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One morning in January 1990, a man walked into a police station in Marseille, France, clutching a newspaper. He went up to the desk, and said he’d seen a sketch of a murder suspect in the paper that morning – and he knew who it was. He unrolled the newspaper... and held it up next to his own face.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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

Today's story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 361.

On a morning in early 1986 in Arizona, someone sat hunched over a desk, furiously writing a letter. And almost every line of this letter included a direct threat of violence this person was going to inflict on the recipient. They kept writing, embellishing every horrible thing that they wanted to do. Finally, they finished writing and read over the letter – it was explicit and terrifying, just as they’d hoped. They put the letter down, glanced at a cardboard box sitting on the floor, and smiled. Nobody would ever suspect that the contents of that plain box would soon help them carry out the bizarre murder plot they’d had running through their head for months.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories that prove the deadliest threats are often the hardest to recognize. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.

Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:

• #3 -- "Hot Snow" -- A summer camp experiences a weather phenomena, but it's not what it seems (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKeWsdjvnGc)
• #2 -- "Extra Help" -- An elderly woman falls in her bathroom (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR3S8dvTc50)
• #1 -- "Thump, Thump, Thump" -- A nightmare unfolds on a train during WWII (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1iibEUe5Wk)

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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

Today, I’m going to tell you four stories about people who went through incredibly strange experiences – and came out of them believing that everything that happened, had a purpose.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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

One morning in March of 1999, a detective in Norcross, Georgia leaned in closely to his computer screen. He was reviewing video footage his team had recorded at a murder scene – and finally, he arrived at the exact frame he wanted. He zoomed in and smiled. Because the thing he was looking for... wasn't there.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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

Welcome back to the Campfire! Tonight, I’m sitting down with a legend of the outdoors, Steven Rinella from MeatEater. We swap stories in the Montana wilderness, including an experience from my own life that I truly cannot explain.

Be sure to WATCH this episode on my YouTube channel on Friday, September 11th!

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Today’s podcast will feature 4 stories about how a single decision changed the lives of the people in these stories, as well as millions of others’ lives around the world. The audio from all four stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.

Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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

Today, I'm going to tell you three stories about people who tried really hard to be something that they were not. And not only do they get caught, but they also face extreme repercussions. 

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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

In the fall of 2009, a college student sat in a crowded lecture hall in Southern California, listening to his professor. Suddenly, the doors swung open and three campus police officers walked in, followed by a man in a suit. The officers went over and whispered something to the professor, who leaned into his microphone. And before the professor even said a word, the student’s stomach dropped – because he’d just realized what was about to happen.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen

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