Deep in the Appalachian heartland, the scenery is breathtaking—but the secrets are buried even deeper. In West Virginia, "Wild and Wonderful" occasionally takes a detour into "Dark and Deadly." From the winding backroads of the hollers to the misty shadows of the mountain peaks, we’re exploring the cases that prove some things are better left unsaid in the hills. Whether it’s a decades-old cold case that the locals still whisper about or a mystery where the truth is stranger than the folklore, this episode proves that in the Mountain State, the quiet can be deafening.

Research links below!

Greenbrier Valley - "Greenbrier Ghost, Zona Heaster Shue"
Dannye Chase - "The Greenbrier Ghost"
West Virginia Ghosts and Legends - "The Green Brier Ghost"
Appalachian History - "The Greenbrier Ghost"
Samsara Parchment - "Spooky Saturday: The Greenbrier Ghost"

The Wall Street Journal - "A Coal CEO's Unusual Pastime: Firing Up West Virginia's Politics"
NPR - "Massey CEO's Pay Soared As Mine Concerns Grew"
NPR - "Mine Probe Examines Airflow, Possible Tampering"
Washington Post - "West Virginia mine has been cited for myriad safety violations"
abc News - "West Virginia Mine Survivor: Blast Felt Like 'Hurricane-Force Winds'"
The New York Times - "No Survivors Found After West Virginia Mine Disaster"
CNN - "12 killed in West Virginia mine blast"
abc News - "Government Investigation Faults Massey Energy in West Virginia Mine Disaster"
CNN - "Report: Deadliest U.S. mine disaster in decades due to safety failures"
NPR - "Mine Victims' Families Recall Fear, Safety Issues"
United States Department of Labor - "US Labor Department's MSHA cites corporate culture as root cause of Upper Big Branch Mine disaster Massey issued 369 citations and orders with $10.8 million in civil penalties"
The New York Times - "Conviction of Don Blankenship, Ex-Coal Baron, Should be Overturned, Judge Recommends"
Market Watch - "Guilty plea in 2010 mine disaster"
United States Attorney's Office - "Former Upper Big Branch Mine Superintendent Sentenced To Prison"

Most podcasts tell you what happened; this week, we’re looking at why the wires got crossed in the first place. We’re dissecting the intersection of mental illness and the legal system, from the psychology of "diminished capacity" to the societal failures that turn patients into perpetrators. It’s not an excuse—it’s an explanation. Grab your coffee and your DSM-5; we're going deep into the headspace of the headlines.

Research links below!

Star Tribune - "Alvin Taylor"
Deluth News Tribune - "Man who killed Esko native in Wisonsin in 1986 again denied release"
The Dunn County News - "Taylor: placed in Mendota"
The Sheboygan Press - "Suspect A 'Soldier Of God'"
Leader-Telegram - "Alvin Taylor faces third murder charge"
Leader-Telegram - "Portage man charged with two murders"
ICJIA - "Mental Illness and Violence: Is there a Link?"
Wisconsin Radio Network - "Serial killer Alvin Taylor again seeking release"

National Library of Medicine - "Health care serial murder"
BBC News - "Canadian nurse charged with eight murders"
Getty Images - "Elizabeth Wettlaufer"
The Washington Post - "Canadian public inquiry: If serial killer nurse hadn't confessed, she wouldn't have been caught"
dreading (crime and psychology) - "The Red Surge: The Case of Elizabeth Wettlaufer" (YouTube)

They had the motive, the weapon, and the perfect vantage point—until they didn’t. This week, we’re looking at the history-altering moments that didn't happen. We explore the thin line between a tragedy and a "near miss," diving into the strange stories of high-stakes targets who escaped by the skin of their teeth. Whether it was a stroke of sheer luck, a mechanical fail, or a target who was just too stubborn to go down, these are the plots that crashed and burned at the finish line.

Research links below!

Famous American Trials - "Biographic Sketch of Lewis Powell"
Smithsonian - "Lewis Thornton Powell"
Lincoln Conspirators - "Lewis Powell's Life in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida"
Abraham Lincoln's Assassination - "Lewis Powell"
EBSCO - "Lewis Powell"
All That's Interesting - "Lewis Powell, The Lincoln Assassination Co-Conspirator Who Stabbed The Secretary Of State"

The New York Times - "Bremer Diary Details Effort to Kill Nixon"
The New York Times - "To Save America's Lost Children"
The New York Times - "Now, Arthur Bremer Is Known"
The New York Times - "Article Says Nixon Schemed to Tie For to Wallace Attack"
"An Assassin's Diary" by Arthur Bremer
Justia - "Bremer v. State"
1819 News - "Arthur Bremer's sentence ends May 15 on anniversary of shooting former Gov. George Wallace"
WSFA 12 News - "George C. Wallace attempted assassin free after 53 years" (YouTube)
TIME - "The Nation: The Making of a Lonely Misfit"

The decade of dial-up wasn't all boy bands and bright colors—underneath the neon glow, things were getting dark. This week, we’re looking back at crimes that shook the 90s. From grainy VHS leads to the early days of DNA, we’re revisiting the era when "the 411" was often a matter of life and death.

Research links below!

Psychology Today - "Murder of a Ghost Writer"
Psi Encyclopedia - "D Scott Rogo"
Los Angeles Times - "Author of Books on the Paranormal Found Slain: Northridge: The 40-year-old was stabbed to death in his home. Police, hunting for a motive, say they have no proof to link his death to his livelihood."
Chill Seekers - "The Life and Death of D. Scott Rogo"
HubPages - "The Life and Mysterious Death of D. Scott Rogo"
Margaret Press - "Details on the D. Scott Rogo Murder"

Find a Grave - "Adrianne Jessica Jones"
Texas Monthly - "The Killer Cadets"
Getty Images - "Murder of Adrianne Jones"
Crime Library - "The Texas Cadet Murder Case"
Alamy - "Adrianne Jones"

Everything is bigger in Texas—including the crime scenes. This week, we’re heading to the Lone Star State to untangle a web of small-town secrets, big-time betrayal, and a motive as dry as a West Texas summer. Grab a Shiner, lock your doors, and remember: in Texas, "bless your heart" is a kindness, but "I've got a shovel" is a threat.

Research links below!

abc13 - "Texas Mansion Mystery: The life and murders of Joan Robinson Hill and Dr. John Hill"
HAIF - "The Murder Of Joan Robinson Hill"
Texas Archive - "Joan and John Hill Murder Investigations - KPRC-TV Collection"
People - "A Texas Socialite Died Mysteriously. Did Her Powerful Father Take Justice into His Own Hands?"
abc11 - "Iconic home in Texas Mansion Murder is on the market in Houston"
Find A Grave - "Joan Olive Robinson Hill"

Park City Daily News - "Halloween death planned for convicted candy killer"
The Free Lance-Star - "Impact of the 'Candy Man'"
The Dispatch - "Man convicted of poisoning son"
Lakeland Ledger - "Chemist Heard In Murder Trial"
The Free Lance-Star - "Court rejects condemned man's plea"
The Deseret News - "Lethal injection ends life of Texas dad who killed his 8-year-old son with cyanide candy"
The Victoria Advocate - "Poison Candy Trial Testimony To End"
Gainsville Sun - "'Candy Man' executed by injection in Texas"

Financial ruin? Marital rage? Or just profound self-pity? We run down the terrifyingly mundane reasons a person decides their entire family is better off gone. Tune in for a rapid-fire look at familicide, the crime where the destruction is total and the motive is pure, twisted control.

You can check out the Book vs. Movie Podcast here!

Research links below!


Independent - "Woman who planned the murder of most of her family reveals why she did it."
Daily News - "Dad whose wife and sons were slaughtered forgives daughter for plotting murders"
NBC News - "Police: Boyfriend wanted to kill girl's parents"
Oxygen - "'I Don't Care - Do What You Gotta Do': Texas Teen Plots The Slaughter Of Her Family With Her Boyfriend"
abc News - "Shooting, Arson Survivor Whose Family Was Slain forgives Daughter, Killers For Plotting Murders"
The New Zealand - "Chilling moment police tell Terry Caffey his daughter had their family killed"
CNN - "Daughter, 16, charged in murder of mother, brothers"
Texas Monthly - "Flesh and Blood"
True Crime Central - "Piers Morgan Interviews Woman Who Killed Her Entire Family | Erin Caffey | True Crime Interview" (YouTube)

abc News - "British Millionaire 'Killed Family, Torched House'"
The Guardian - "Millionaire facing ruin shot wife and daughter and then killed himself"
BBC News - "Police praised for Osbaston House mansion deaths case"
Crime and Investigation - "Christopher Foster"

No theme. No cohesion. Just two hosts, two wildly different crimes, and a whole lot of questions. Get ready for a cold-blooded cocktail of cases.

You can check out We're All Just Pretending here!

Research links below!

6abc Action News - "Hearing continues in Ellen Greenberg case as family pushes for autopsy review"
Deadline - "As Ellen Greenberg's Parents Vie To Reopen Case Of Her Suspicious Death, ABC News Studios, Elle & Dakota Fanning & Blackfin Investigate For Hulu"
CNN - "Despite 20 knife wounds and 11 bruises, Ellen Greenberg's death was ruled a suicide. The pathologist just changed his mind"
A&E - "Ellen Greenberg's Mysterious Death: Could Someone Be Capable of Stabbing Themselves 20 Times?"

Canada Unsolved - "MISSING: the Jack Family - 08/02/1989 - Prince George, B.C."
The Strand - "The vanishing Jack Family"
CBC - "Missing since 1989: Age-progressed photos show what Jack family might look like today"
The Province - "Vanishing Act"
CTV News - "'Tragic and haunting memory': B.C. family had been missing for 30 years"

The dark web isn't just for buying dubious socks. This week, we dive into the cases where the internet wasn't just a search tool—it was the weapon, the hunting ground, and sometimes, the motive. Screens turn deadly.

You can check out the Vocal Fries Podcast here!

Research links below!

The Australian Women's Weekly - "My little girl was killed by an internet predator"
ABC News - "Man found guilty of murdering Carly Ryan"
ABC News - "Father, son 'made up false IDs to kill teenager'"
The Carly Ryan Foundation
The Advertiser - "SA Parliament introduces new laws targeting predators who lie about their age online to children"
ABC News - "Ryan's convicted killer launches appeal"
SBS - "How a mother turned her grief at her daughter's murder into a cyber safety crusade"
All About Cookies - "Catfish Capitals: These Are the Places You're Most Likely To Fall Victimto a Catfishing Scam"

abc News - "Lottery winner's convicted killer speaks out from behind bars"
People - "Lottery Winner Trusted Her to Write a Book About Him. Instead, She Killed Him and Took the Money"
WUSF NPR - "Abraham Shakespeare"
Oxygen - "A Multi-Million Dollar Mystery: Was A Lottery Winner's Sudden Wealth Motive for Murder?"
abc News - "How amateur web sleuths helped solve the case of missing lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare"
NBC News - "Fla. lottery winner led problem-filled life"

Australia's story isn't just one of pioneers and platypuses—it's also a story of a nation's darkest deeds. From the quiet suburbs to the vast, unforgiving wilderness, we're uncovering the true crimes that shocked a continent and redefined a country's idea of safety.

You can check out the High Expectations podcast here!

Research links below!


Bentahm Science - "Catherine & David Birnie"
ABC News - "Sharon Fulton's husband blamed notorious serial killers David and Catherine Birnie for wife's 1986 disappearance, inquest told"
Serial Killer Calendar - "David and Catherine Birnie: The Bonnie and Clyde of Australia"
Medium -- "Twisted Couples: David and Catherine Birnie"
Alchetron - "David and Catherine Birnie"

Julian Knight - The Hoddle Street Massacre - "Chronology of Julian Knight's Life"
ABC - "Hoddle Street killer won't be forgotten"
The Age - "Confrontation with a killer"
Aussie Criminals - "Julian Knight - The Hoddle Street Massacre"
The Sydney Morning Herald - "Angry victims reject Knight's apology"
Victorian Reports - "R v Knight [1989] VicRp 62; [1989] VR 705 (10 November 1988)"

We've all had a bad day, but these people took their frustrations to a whole new level. Join Vicky and Rachel as they explore the shocking—and surprisingly creative—cases of ordinary folks who turned to homemade explosives to settle scores, get rich, or just make a statement.

You can check out Murder and Such here!

Research links below!

FBI - "Harvey's Casino Bombing"
The New York Times - "F.B.I. Says Casino Bombing Figure Considered Coast Bank Extortion"
The Record-Courier - "40 years ago, Tahoe casino bombing was biggest in U.S. history"
The Atavist Magazine - "A Thousand Pounds of Dynamite"
The New York Times - "Federal Grand Jury Indicts 6 in Bombing of Casino at Tahoe"

State Library Victoria - "The day that shook Russell Street"
National Trust - "Russell Street Bombing Exhibition"
Informit - "The Russell Street Bombing 30 years on"
Ergo - "Russell Street Bombing"
eMelbourne - "Russell Street Bombing"
Monument Australia - "Constable Angela Taylor"