SISPICION

Better than late than never! This week, we tell the harrowing tales of Mauro Prosperi and Juliane Koepcke. In 1994, Mauro Prosperi set forth to run the 'Marathon des Sables', a six day 155 mile race through the Sahara Desert. On Christmas Eve 1971, Juliane Koepcke was just 17 years old she departed Lima, Peru on a plane with her mother to meet her father in a small town. Both would have to fight for survival in gruesome ways and beat the odds to see better days. Check out their stories anywhere you find podcasts on SISPICION!

Organization Spotlight: 261 Fearless at 261fearless.org. For years, the number 261 has stood for women’s ability to break barriers in running—it’s the bib number Kathrine Switzer wore when she became the first registered woman to run the Boston Marathon, in 1967. More than five decades later, Switzer serves as founder and board chair for this organization that connects female runners around the globe. Programs include non-competitive running events; a coaching certification that focuses on teaching healthy, sustainable running habits to women; and local clubs that meet for runs, of which there are now 23 and counting, in locations from Albania to Kansas City to Zambia.

Research Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30046426

https://www.offgridweb.com/survival/alone-in-the-sahara-the-survival-story-of-mauro-prosperi/

https://historydaily.org/the-double-survival-miracle-of-juliane-koepcke

We have two sea survival stories for this episode! Jose Salvador Alvarenga is the only person to survive out at sea for over 438 days. Harrison Okene is the only person to have survived any time on the bottom of the sea floor. Both of these men showed incredible courage and survival skills that most of us will never have to test. This also starts our switch to episodes focusing on survival stories, these will consist of tales of people surviving in the wilderness to those surviving attacks from others and everything in between. Please let us know on any of our social media platforms how you feel about this switch as we go and if you know of any survivor stories let us know! Stay SISPICIOUS!

Organization Spotlight: Oceana, dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans on a global scale. Oceana seeks to make our oceans more biodiverse and abundant by winning policy victories in the countries that govern much of the world's marine life. Founded in 2001, Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation. Their offices around the world work together to win strategic, directed campaigns that achieve measurable outcomes that will help make our oceans more bio diverse and abundant. For more information visit their website here.

Research Sources:

https://youtu.be/cykdSb7xqI4

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/12/nigeria-sailor-survive-air-pocket

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/10115919/Nigerian-cook-tells-how-he-survived-for-three-days-trapped-under-sunken-ship.html

https://allthatsinteresting.com/jose-alvarenga

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/fisherman-lost-at-sea-436-days-book-extract

Would you rather be lost at sea or trapped on a frozen mountain? Most people would say neither but these three men survived those situations through incredible feats of survival. If you've ever been terrified about being alone at sea surrounded by sharks or breaking your leg on a mountain 20,000 ft in the air with hypothermia then you will love this episode. Listen to the amazing survival stories of Steve Callahan, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates on this weeks episode of SISPICION!

Organization Spotlight: World Wildlife Fund, their mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Find out more about how you can support the World Wildlife Fund at their website worldwildlife.org.

Research Sources: 

https://blog.theclymb.com/passions/history-2/five-of-the-greatest-wilderness-survival-stories-in-history/

https://www.sailingeurope.com/blog/survival-at-sea-the-thrilling-story-of-steve-callahan

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/23/adrift-in-atlantic-76-days

https://vault.si.com/vault/2004/01/19/back-to-the-brink-almost-20-years-after-their-near-death-experience-climbers-joe-simpson-and-simon-yates-returned-to-the-peruvian-andes-with-an-academy-award-winning-director-to-film-the-stunning-new-documentary-touching-the-void

Researching and putting together a crime story for this week was the last thing on our minds. In this episode, we are giving a couple of updates on two of our previous stories, Jassy Correia (episode 10 season 1) and BFF Fonies (episode 6 season 1). As well as give some podcast and organization recommendations for those who are looking to support the Black Lives Matter protests. We hope you will check out some of our recommendations, and if you have any that we missed, please let us know on any of our social media sites. Stay SISPICIOUS!

Podcast Recommendations: Black Lives Matter "What Matters", "Dear Governor" from iHeartRadio, "In Black America" from KUT productions, "Ear Hustle" from Radiotopia 

GQ Article featuring organizations and resources: www.gq.com/gallery/ways-to-support-black-lives-matter

Black Lives Matter website: blacklivesmatter.com

Your favorite sisters are back for a new season in quarantine! We might be apart but it doesn't mean our hilarious antics are far away. This week we tackle a story close to home, The Great Boston Molasses Flood. Who knew that the delicious ingredient in a cookie could cause death and destruction? So hide yourself in your closet away from the family or tell the roommates to be quiet and settle in for a dose of SISPICION!

Organization Spotlight: Office for Victims of Crime, administers the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders, not from tax dollars. Federal revenues deposited into the Fund also come from gifts, donations, and bequests by private parties. OVC channels funding for victim compensation and assistance throughout the United States, raises awareness about victims’ issues, promotes compliance with victims’ rights laws, and provides training and technical assistance and publications and products to victim assistance professionals.

Research Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/the-great-molasses-flood-of-1919

https://www.history.com/news/great-molasses-flood-science

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/great-boston-molasses-flood-1919-killed-21-after-2-million-n958326

Yes, you read the title correctly. In 2012, 9,000 barrels of maple syrup went missing/were stolen in Quebec. Who would steal maple syrup, why, and most importantly how? Who knew maple syrup was such a big commodity in Canada! Check out the weird story here with our SPECIAL GUEST!

If you're looking for more information, 'Dirty Money' episode 5 season 1 is available on Netflix.

Research Sources:

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/quebec/articles/the-unusual-story-behind-the-great-canadian-maple-syrup-heist/

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/12/maple-syrup-heist

https://time.com/4760432/maple-syrup-heist-prison-fine/

Disney World is known as "The Happiest Place on Earth," but is there a sinister world of crime hiding behind Cinderella's castle? Come find out as Morgan and Jessica discuss this topic with a special guest!

Sherri Rasmussen was the definition of brains and beauty. Described as a “tall Scandinavian beauty,” at the age of just 27, she was the director of nursing at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. Three months after her wedding Sherri was murdered in her home. Detectives believed it was a burglary gone wrong and the case went cold. Twenty years later a detective in the cold case unit would make a shocking discovery that lead to justice for Sherri. Find out more on this weeks episode of SISPICION!

Organization Spotlight: Loved Ones Victims Services (LOVS) is dedicated to meeting the emotional and physical needs of family members and friends who have lost loved ones, often times to violence. Their primary objective is to provide individual family and group counseling for adults, teens and children. For more information visit their website at www.lovs.org.

If you're interested in learning more about this case check out the book, The Lazarus Files: A Cold Case Investigation by Matthew McGough

Research Sources:

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/07/lapd-lazurus-murder-mystery-killer

https://www.insideedition.com/the-case-of-the-murdered-newlywed-and-the-cop-who-nearly-got-away-with-it-inside-the-lazarus-files

https://people.com/crime/lazarus-files-book-investigation-los-angeles-cop-killed-ex-boyfriend-newlywed/

In 2012, the world was supposedly going to end according to the Mayan calendar, in a way the world of Manti Te’o did get severely disrupted. His beloved maternal grandmother Annette passed away and in the same couple of hours so did his girlfriend. His girlfriend was a  22 year old Stanford University student named Lennay Kekua. What the world and Manti would find out was that Lennay Kekua was not what she seemed. 

Decide for yourself if Manti was conned or not on this episode of SISPICION! Special guest included.

Research Sources:

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/06/manti-teo-girlfriend-nfl-draft

https://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-manti-teo-girlfriend-hoax-story/story?id=18268647

https://deadspin.com/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-an-5976517

Going to a store to shop should be a safe and fun activity. On June 2, 2007, 18 year old Kelsey Smith, a recent high school graduate, went to Target in her hometown in Kansas to buy a six month anniversary gift for her boyfriend. Kelsey was last seen on surveillance cameras being pushed into her car by a man who had stalked her throughout the store. A woman who's future was just starting was savagely murdered all because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Check out the story of Kelsey Smith on this week's episode of SISPICION!

Organization Spotlight: The Kelsey Smith Foundation https://kelseysarmy.org/ was made to honor and perpetuate the life of Kelsey Smith by empowering families, friends, and communities to proactively protect one of its most precious resources, namely its youth and young adults...

Programs such as safety awareness seminars which The Kelsey Smith Foundation, Inc. provides a Safety Awareness Seminar (SAS) to any interested group, school, college, or business. The SAS provides cutting edge, real world information that can be implemented to enhance personal safety for youth, young adults and adults. The SAS is constantly updated with the newest information and research providing the latest in safety and awareness techniques that work in your daily life.

Research Sources:

https://www.truecasefiles.com/2019/08/the-abduction-murder-of-kelsey-smith.html

https://patch.com/michigan/plymouth-mi/bp--the-kelsey-smith-story-a-story-of-heartache-hope

https://www.kcur.org/post/police-arrest-suspect-kelsey-smith-murder-case#stream/0