In 1962, a routine landfill cleanup went underway in Centralia, Penn. Burning trash was a common way of clearing it out, except this time something was different - fire fell into a hole leading to an abandoned coal mine.  What proceeded was decades health issues for the residents, toxic gases in homes and schools, the threat of the ground opening up from underneath their feet, and .... government inaction on almost every level. Today, the town is near abandoned and looks like something from an apocalypse movie. We'll talk about what happened and how it ended up as a worse-case scenario, and how the incident should serve as a warning (and example) for current leaders in our climate crisis. 

Liz Barraza was a light in the world. She was creative, imaginative and loved getting lost in the world of sci-fi and fantasy with her husband and friends. But in the early morning hours of January 25, 2019, it all ended when someone approached Liz in her driveway and shot her. Who would target someone like Liz Barraza? Why would someone target Liz Barraza? These are questions many are still trying to find answers too. 

Warning: This episode contains explicit content.
Most people remember the trial - it was full of scandalous sexual details, insight into Mormonism, horrifying crime scene photos, and lie after lie after lie told by the woman charged with murder. It was watched by millions as it aired, allowing the public to try and figure out what happened the night of June 4, 2008 when Travis Alexander was killed at his home in Mesa, Arizona. 

Most people recognize her name - Jodi Arias - as much as they recognize the lies she told about her victim and how she continued to demonize him in court. This week, we'll talk about Jodi Arias and her lies and attempted manipulation of everyone around her, and we'll discuss the murder of Travis Alexander - and tell you more about his life, his friends and family, and the impact he had on those around him.

In the famous words of Ross Gellar, "We're going on a break!" Or, something along those lines. But yes, we are briefly hitting the pause button to take care of some exciting changes that are coming the way of one of the Darker Side of Life girls. But don't worry, we will be back in no time with new content for our awesome listeners. You all can't get rid of us that easily. 

In late summer 1945, WWII was heating up in the Pacific for a final showdown. The heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis suffered an attack by a Japanese bomber, and while undergoing repairs, got orders for a secret cargo mission back to the Pacific front. 

With the cargo delivered and mission complete, an enemy submarine fired on the ship, sinking it in 12 minutes. Hundreds of sailors and marines ended up in the water, awaiting rescue. 

However, a major miscommunication among a handful of people meant that nobody knew the Indianapolis had sank - so the men in the water fought sunburn, dehydration, starvation, delirium and constant shark attacks while they waited for ANY help at all. 

This week we tell the amazing story of these survivors, and discuss the major plot twists in the aftermath of the sinking.  

Ten year old Kyron Horman was almost finished with school until the summer vacation. He was excited to show off his science fair project on Red Eyed Tree Frogs. According to Kyron's stepmom Terry, she saw Kyron walking down the hallway toward his class as she was leaving the science fair. When Kyron didn't get off the bus that afternoon, the school told his parents that Kyron had never been to class that day. This set off the biggest search in Oregon history. 

In July 1996, the body of Blair Adams was found in a parking lot of a construction site in Knoxville, Tennessee. Circumstances surrounding his death were already unusual - he was partially clothed, he had severe injuries to his body, and among his pockets and belongings found nearby were thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, platinum and jewelry. 

Investigators soon discovered the days before his death were just as mysterious - Blair had sudden behavioral changes, thought people were coming to kill him, and embarked on an international road trip that his friends and family struggled to make sense of. 

Was Blair's paranoia justified? Was he having a mental break of some sort? Who would kill him and leave the valuables behind? Police still grapple with these questions, as his case is still unsolved. 

Residents in the South of England woke up the morning of February 9, 1855, to a winter wonderland. A storm the night before had dumped snow over the countryside. But people started to see something different in the snow, something that didn't belong. Footprints. It wasn't only the type of footprint that was confusing, it was where they were. The prints crossed snowy fields, wandered up to doorsteps, traveled over haystacks and even ended up on roofs. Were they the prints of some sly animal out for an evening in the blustery weather, or were they the work of something more sinister? 

It wasn't easy being in a position of power in 10th Century Europe. But for Italy and the papacy, it was even worse - for a long period, the pope of the Catholic Church was the only person to have authority to crown the next Holy Roman Emperor. Because this was such a powerful position, many people were willing to kill for it.

Sometimes a new pope would pass decrees undoing certain rules of previous popes, or to promote their own personal or political gain. But the case of Pope Formosus was different - he was made to answer for his alleged crimes after his death, by (literally) exhuming his dead body and putting him on trial.