As one of the first luxury apartment buildings on New York City's Upper West Side, the building now known as the Dakota has had a long history. Many know of the Dakota's most recent history, most famously the site of the murder of John Lennon, who lived there at the time - but as with many older historical, unique buildings, the Dakota soon gained a reputation of being haunted. In this episode, we'll talk about some of the spirits of the Dakota. 

It was a story that only Agatha Christie could write. But in this mystery, she was the main character. 

In the early 1930s, things were tough for many Americans. The Great Depression was underway, prohibition was going strong, and people found themselves struggling to keep jobs and desperate for money. In New York City, a group of men - later dubbed the Murder Trust - decided on a get rich quick scheme that involved taking out an expensive life insurance policy on an alcoholic man they knew, killing him, and collecting on the policy. 

Except their victim, Michael Malloy, was MUCH tougher than they thought. The Murder Trust tried some pretty crazy ways of murdering someone to make it look accidental - but there's  a reason their victim was nicknamed Iron Man Mike. 

This is not your mama's dance party.  Or at least we hope not. The dancing plague of 1518 involved bloodied feet, broken ribs and even death. What started as one woman's mysterious dancing through the streets quickly escalated to something that baffled church officials and physicians in Strasbourg, France and over the course of two months grew out of control. What would cause people to dance until they literally dropped? 

In 1968, college student Barbara Mackle was kidnapped from an Atlanta hotel when two armed individuals came into her room, tied her up, drugged her and forced her into a car. The kidnappers intended to get a ransom - $500,000 - from her wealthy family, but they also imposed a strict set of rules regarding the ransom drop and how they would find Barbara afterward.  However, a carefully planned kidnapping soon turned terrifying after the ransom money drop was bungled, leaving the kidnappers anxious, police frustrated and Barbara's parents worried beyond belief. Barbara herself however, was in the most precocious position of all - she had been hidden away in an underground capsule, buried alive. 

Sixteen year old Karlie Guse  disappeared from her home in October 2018. She had returned to her family home the night before after being out at a house party and her behavior was frantic and erratic. Her dad and stepmom did what they could through the night to keep her calm, but when they woke up the next morning, Karlie was nowhere to be found. 

In 1958, the Hermann family of Seaford, NY, began to experience strange things in their house. It began with bottle lids suddenly and collectively popping off at the same time. What began as a mild annoyance became more extreme, as small objects started moving on their own, and larger pieces of furniture gradually started falling over by themselves. Police, paranormal investigators, priests, friends and neighbors - from around the country - came by to offer an explanation, or help to the Hermann family. But no one knew for sure what was happening, and the general consensus seemed to be that the family was dealing with a poltergeist.

Moll Dyer lived on the outskirts of Leonardtown, Maryland in the late 1600s. Maryland was said to be more tolerant than other neighboring New England states. Many people thought Moll was a witch because of her knowledge of herbalism and ability to heal with her "potions." People in town accepted Moll for who she was as long as it helped them. But in the winter of 1697, the tides turned and the enduring legend of Moll Dyer was born.

In summer of 1994, 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay went missing. He was playing basketball with some friends, and never returned home. Three years later, his family received a phone call that Nicholas had been finally found - in Europe, as a victim of an international sex trafficking ring. 

When Nicholas came home, he was...different. He looked the same, acted the same, and was "glad to have his family back." But soon his family learned an unbelievable secret about Nicholas...

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the world's largest known cave system. It's known for many things: soaring passages, ancient artifacts left behind by its first explorers and some of the most breathtaking underground scenery you could imagine. No one would expect to find a tuberculosis hospital. But for several people in the mid 1800s suffering from tuberculosis, they were willing to try anything to find a cure for an incurable disease. Even if it meant living in the depths of Mammoth Cave.