From 1971 to 1983, serial killer Robert Hansen murdered at least 17 women in Anchorage, AK. Hansen kidnapped and assaulted women before flying them to remote areas in the Alaskan wilderness in his private plane where he hunted them down with a rifle. Hansen’s terrifying murder spree would have continued, had it not been for Cindy Paulson.

 

To read The Institution by Helen Fields head to: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-institution-helen-fields?variant=41088092733474

In this episode we'll be discussing some of the worst theme park accidents of all time.

Three minutes before midnight on March 12, 1928 the St. Francis Dam collapsed, sending over 12 billion gallons of water and debris rushing down the Santa Clara River Valley from San Francisquito Canyon to the Pacific Ocean, 54 miles away. In five and a half hours more than 400 peoples lives were claimed as they were swept away in the dark and murky waters. It is considered to have been one of the worst American civil engineering disasters of the 20th century and the third-greatest loss of life in California history.

A car accident left retired couple, Tom and Linda Bosworth, stranded in the New Mexico wilderness. To survive they faced a grueling hike through heat and hostile environment back to safety before they died of dehydration. 

This episode is sponsored by by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/nottoday and get on your way to being your best self. 

From 1346 to 1352, the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death claimed one-third of the European human population, with mortality rates as high as 70% to 80%. Let's talk about the people who lived through that horrific time!

In this episode we'll be discussing a man who made the wrong decision near a lion, a close call with a golf course alligator, and a woman who was ambushed by a cougar while mountain biking!

17-year-old Josh Long and his best friend, 15-year-old Troy Driscoll, decided they wanted to go shark fishing one Sunday afternoon in 2005. The two planned to spend a few hours in the ocean off the coast of South Carolina in a small row boat, however things got bad very quickly when their small boat got caught in a very strong rip tide that pulled them out to sea in a matter of minutes. The teenage boys would have to spend the next 6 days stranded in the middle of the ocean, with no food, water, or a way out.

Dave Kroupa was casually dating Liz Golyar and Cari Farver in 2012 near Omaha, Nebraska Despite maintaining to both women that he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, their story ended up turning into a twisted tale of stalking, arson and murder.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/nottoday and get on your way to being your best self.

On November 15th 2004, police discovered the deceased, Peter Porco, lying in a pool of blood at the base of his stairs and his wife, Joan Porco, in their bedroom clinging to life after they were viciously attacked with an ax. When police asked Joan if she knew who did this to her, she shook her head yes, and when they asked her if her son Christopher Porco had done this, she nodded yes again. However when Joan woke up in the hospital weeks later she had no memory of the attack and swore that her son was innocent. 

36-year-old Ted Porter decided to do a solo hike in Glacier National Park in 2013. After hitting poor conditions on the glacier he made the responsible decision to cut his journey short, but on his way down he cut some corners. What he thought would be an easy walk back turned into Ted sliding straight into a massive crack in the earth and falling forty feet down. Despite his excruciating injuries, Ted needed to get out of there or he would die alone in a crevasse.