Dive into the weird world of Pacific Northwest cryptids as we separate fact from fiction. This week, we're climbing into the forests of Washington to investigate the legendary Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, one of the internet's most famous hoaxes that became a surprisingly convincing lesson in online misinformation. 

Then we head beneath the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to uncover the legend of the terrifying King Octopus, a cryptid inspired by real giant Pacific octopuses. Is there really a monster lurking under the Tacoma Narrows, or is the truth just as fascinating? 

Tune in for paranormal legends, cryptid lore, strange history, and plenty of Pacific Northwest weirdness. This episode explores how myths are born and why some creatures refuse to sink beneath the waves.

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In 1986 the North and West End neighborhoods of Tacoma trusted their parks. That was, until two girls disappeared from public parks in Tacoma, Washington within a few miles and a few months of each other, both stories ending in tragedy. Twelve-year-old Michella Welch disappeared from Puget Park on a bright Wednesday afternoon in March. Thirteen-year-old Jennifer Bastian vanished from Point Defiance Park while riding her brand-new Schwinn bike that same year in August.

For nearly three decades, investigators believed the girls had been killed by the same man. The circumstances were too similar to imagine otherwise. As Jennifer's mother Pattie put it, there couldn't possibly be two monsters in Tacoma. And yet – there were. In this episode we walk through what happened to Michella and Jenni, the assumption that shaped multiple decades of the investigation, the evidence that finally broke that assumption apart, and the two very different paths that led to justice.

Their cases also led to Jennifer & Michella's Law – the 2019 Washington legislation that expanded mandatory DNA collection for convicted felons and now stands as a legislative legacy for both girls. Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian were just little girls who should have had the chance to grow up. Both were blonde, blue-eyed girls on their bikes, doing exactly what kids had always been trusted to do – enjoying their local park. If the story moves you, we'd love it if you shared the episode - it helps the show, and most importantly these two girls deserve to be remembered by name.

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On March 9, 2000, Leah Roberts left her home in Durham, North Carolina, on a Kerouac-inspired cross-country road trip in search of something she couldn’t quite name, telling no one exactly where she was going. At 23, in the wake of multiple personal tragedies she had recently dropped out of college just as graduation was nearly in sight. Days later, she reached Bellingham, Washington. 

Five days later her Jeep was found wrecked at the bottom of an embankment, where many important and prized possessions remained but there was no sign of Leah. What investigators would eventually uncover about that crash site would take years to come to light – and it would change everything they thought they knew about the case.

Twenty-six years later, her case remains open. Her family and friends are still searching, hopeful for her eventual recovery – or at least answers.

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In this episode, we dive into chilling Reddit true stories from across the Pacific Northwest, featuring creepy encounters, unexplained mysteries, and possible paranormal activity in Oregon and Washington. First, a couple hiking Hobbit Beach on the Oregon Coast discovers a disturbing forest altar made of candles, feathers, eggs, and animal bones before crossing paths with two suspicious strangers. Then, we explore a terrifying encounter on the Pacific Crest Trail near White Pass, Washington, where a solo female thru-hiker is stalked by a man obsessed with missing hikers and bodies disappearing in the surrounding bogs. Next, we examine a sighting of mysterious glowing green orbs witnessed by people in western Washington during the late 1990s, an unexplained phenomenon that some believe could be UFOs or something even stranger. Finally, we end with one of the oddest stories yet, as two friends hiking outside Eugene, Oregon, repeatedly encounter nearly identical cyclists wearing black hoodies, knee-high socks, and nothing but thongs deep in the forest. Whether these are true crime close calls, paranormal encounters, or simply bizarre moments in the wilderness, these Reddit stories prove that the forests of the Pacific Northwest still hold plenty of mysteries.

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On July 9, 1734, a Native woman named Patience Boston confessed to drowning an eight-year-old boy in a well — then walked two miles to turn herself in. Seventy-two years later, to the day, a respected Maine farmer spent an evening sharpening an axe and reading his Bible by candlelight before murdering nearly his entire family.

Two tragedies. Same calendar date. Both set in colonial Maine, centuries ago.

Two documents, centuries-old that survive only because someone who knew the people involved decided to write down what happened — a pair of Puritan ministers shaping one woman's last words into a lesson for their congregation; a midwife, recording only what she witnessed, with no agenda at all, though her heartbreak is apparent. 

This episode pairs both cases – set in York and Augusta, Maine – tracing the unlikely survival of their stories throughout history, and asking who gets to tell the story of the dead, and why it matters.

This episode exists because July 9 is our cohost Cassie's birthday — and when that date flagged two colonial Maine tragedies separated by exactly seventy-two years, it felt like too strange a pairing to pass up. I had no idea quite how dark it would get when I picked up the mantle of telling these stories – sorry, Cassie.

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Deep in eastern Oregon, the historic town of Sumpter is home to one of the Pacific Northwest's most fascinating Gold Rush landmarks: the Sumpter Valley Dredge. Built to recover gold flakes from the Powder River, these massive gold dredges operated around the clock, reshaping the landscape and leaving behind towering tailings that are still visible today. Now preserved as the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area, visitors can tour one of the largest surviving gold dredges in the United States, explore its mining history, and even try gold panning.

But the dredge isn't just famous for its gold. It's also known as one of Oregon's most unusual haunted locations. For decades, workers, park rangers, paranormal investigators, and visitors have reported eerie footsteps, cold spots, phantom laughter, disappearing tools, flickering lights, and the ghostly figure of a miner known as "Joe Bush." Though no historical records confirm his identity, many believe the friendly spirit watches over the old machinery, sometimes even preventing accidents. Join us as we uncover the true history of Sumpter's legendary gold dredge, the haunting tale of Joe Bush, and one of Oregon's most unique paranormal legends.

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In honor of Pride Month, we're resharing this very important unsolved murder. 🌈  We'll see you next Thursday!

Loni Kai was a vibrant, friendly, well-liked young woman. She has also graced the 5 of Hearts in a cold case deck of cards. Loni was born Lorenzo Okoruru in the Mariana islands, but by 2001 she was living in the Hillsboro/Aloha area of Oregon with some of her extended family that lovingly supported her whole heartedly. This one hits close to home, quite literally. On August 26th as she tried to make her way home in the early morning hours after a fun night out on the town the unthinkable would happen. Across the country, tragedy would strike again just a few days later and though she’s not been forgotten by those that loved her, Loni’s case made very little progress. All these years later Loni’s family still have no answers and have yet to see justice done for the heinous crime. 

We may not have solved the case but we have to believe that it’s never too late. If you have any information about this case, please reach out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at (503) 846-2500 or call Crime Stoppers Oregon (503) 823-4357.

In loving memory of Kate Wallinga, the host of Ignorance was Bliss. We were so lucky to have her unique perspective as a forensic psychologist. 

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