The Pandemonium Witches: Murders, Mystery, and Mayhem

The Pandemonium team is back with another episode full of chaos, cackles, and cursed vessels. This time, we’re diving headfirst into a haunted tale from before the birth of the pod - one that’s equal parts spooky and unhinged.

Join Cat, Rachel, and guest co-host Meg as they unpack the caucasity of Girl Scouts in haunted hulls, ghostly apparitions of war-torn spirits, and the questionable nonsense that is maritime law.

From collisions with cruise ships to cursed state rooms and ships that really shouldn’t still be floating, we’re talking about the haunted USS Alabama, the notoriously spooky Queen Mary, and all the paranormal drama in between.

Ghosts, giggles, and just a dash of existential dread - this is one voyage you won’t want to miss.

Links We Used - The Queen Mary:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary
• vhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary
• https://www.visitlongbeach.com/things-to-do/attractions/the-queen-mary/#:~:text=The%20Queen%20Mary%20was%20purchased,of%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Queen-Mary-ship
• https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/queen-mary/https://emmacruises.com/rms-queen-mary-ship-deaths/

Links We Used - USS Alabama:

• https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/media_files/c00d93e2-5649-4e29-8656-055abd750847/5bf7b98b-ec76-4e97-8750-ff33d8a6ac42.pdf
• https://www.ussalabama.com/park-complete-history/#:~:text=In%20a%20cost%2Dcutting%20move,back%20to%20defend%20their%20nation.
• https://www.alabamalegacy.org/uss-alabama/ thisisalabama.org/2018/07/09/state-came-together-save-uss-alabama/
• https://www.hauntedrooms.com/alabama/haunted-places/uss-alabama-bb-60
• https://ussalabama.com/park-complete-history/#:~:text=In%20a%20cost-cutting%20move,back%20to%20defend%20their%20nation.

The Pandemonium team is back with another unhinged episode - and yes, it’s MERDER o’clock again. This week, we’re diving into the horrifying double life of a bachelor who once charmed national TV audiences… while hiding a secret so dark it spanned decades and left a coast-to-coast trail of victims.

From the sunny sprawl of California to the rain-soaked silence of Washington, and the towering skyline of New York City, this case takes us across the country and deep into the twisted world of Rodney Alcala - a man with a Polaroid camera, a motorcycle, and a smile that masked pure evil.

Join Cat and Rachel as they unravel the horrifying story of the women who vanished, the shocking evidence he left behind, and how one appearance on The Dating Game gave a serial killer nationwide exposure. What secrets did his camera capture? How did he get away with it for so long? And how did his crimes scar a generation?

Content note: This episode contains discussion of sexual violence, murder, and disturbing imagery. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

If you know anyone in these photos released by the Huntington Beach Police Department, you can contact Sgt. Sam Shepherd at (714) 536-5947.

Links We Used - Rodney Alcala:

• https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/serial-killers-secret-photos-24-9-10/9/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Alcala
• https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/woman-of-the-hour-fact-check-1235145031/
• https://www.foxnews.com/us/dating-game-killer-kept-trophies-ultimately-led-downfall-detective
• https://slate.com/culture/2024/10/woman-of-the-hour-true-story-rodney-alcala-dating-game-netflix.html
• https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/news/2021/07/24/condemned-inmate-rodney-alcala-dies-of-natural-causes/
• https://www.newsnationnow.com/banfield/dating-game-serial-killer-victim-survived-2-of-alcalas-attacks/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2024/10/22/who-escaped-rodney-alcala-where-the-survivors-of-the-dating-game-killer-are-now/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serial-killer-rodney-alcala-the-killing-game/
• https://www.findagrave.com

The Pandemonium team is back with our newest unhinged episode - and yes, it’s MERDER time again. This time, we’re heading down to sunny Florida, where palm trees sway, secrets rot, and bodies go missing.

We’re talking about prostitutes, grand theft auto, disappearances, and stolen identities - but this isn’t some tabloid true crime fluff. In this episode, we dive deep into the chilling case of Aileen Wuornos, the infamous streetwalker turned serial killer who targeted unsuspecting men on the highways of Florida. What unfolded was a story so twisted and tragic that even seasoned investigators struggled to believe it.

Join Rachel and Cat as they unpack the heartbreaking past, shocking confessions, and media frenzy surrounding the woman dubbed the "Damsel of Death."

It’s Pretty Woman meets pure terror - with a body count.

Content note: This episode discusses sex work, violence, and abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Links We Used - Aileen Wuornos:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aileen_Wuornos
• https://www.biography.com/crime/aileen-wuornos
• https://capitalpunishmentincontext.org/cases/wuornos
• https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/aileen-wuornos-last-words-did-153358344.html
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/aileen-wuornos
• https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2024/04/04/a-serial-killer-drank-her-last-beer-at-this-florida-bar-heres-where-to-find-it/
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aileen-Wuornos
• https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/aileen-wuornos/
• http://www.findagrave.com
• https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2002/10/09/victims-of-aileen-wuornos/

The Pandemonium team is back with another unhinged episode - and yes, it’s MERDER time again. This week, we're diving headfirst into the dark side of TikTok fame and the horrifying unraveling of a toxic relationship that played out both online and off.

We're talking about narcissism, domestic violence, and the so-called "cocaine defense" - all wrapped up in a chilling double homicide that left even seasoned detectives reeling.

Join Cat and Rachel as they break down the case of TikTok creator Ali Abulaban, his wife Anna, and her friend Rayburn Barron. What began as a whirlwind social media romance spiraled into jealousy, control, and an obsession with Scarface-level drama that ended in tragedy.

Grab your coffee (or something stronger) and buckle up - this is the TikTok tale they don’t want you to duet.

If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse, know that you are not alone. There is help, and there is hope. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their relationships. Text START to 88788 or go online to https://www.thehotline.org

Links We Used - The TikTok Murders:

• https://time.com/6991356/tiktok-star-murders-true-story-peacock/
• https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/tiktok-star-murders-ali-abulaban-ana-sentence
• https://variety.com/2024/film/news/tiktok-star-murders-audio-killing-50-cent-1236047494/
• https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-tik-tok-ali-abulaban-sentenced-murder/3552934/
• https://people.com/ali-abulaban-tiktoker-sentenced-murdering-wife-man-8669784
• https://nypost.com/2024/09/12/us-news/tiktok-scarface-star-who-murdered-wife-and-her-lover-mockingly-claps-while-sentenced-to-life-in-prison/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTqXVf60WIE
• https://www.newsweek.com/tiktok-star-murder-ali-abulaban-wife-1950147
• https://www.courttv.com/news/tiktok-star-ali-abulaban-to-be-sentenced-for-double-murder/

The Pandemonium team is jingling all the way into December with our newest unhinged episode - this time, we’re diving headfirst into the chaotic history of Yuletide!

From ancient Norse and Slavic traditions to the birth of Jolly Saint Nick himself, we’re unwrapping centuries of customs, saints, solstice rituals, and how a handful of religions managed to throw one giant, gift-giving party around the same time of year.

Join Rachel and Cat as they sleigh through the folklore of St. Nicholas, Yule-night celebrations, sparkles, snow, and a surprising amount of swearing. It's festive, it's freaky, and it might just change how you look at the holidays forever.

And remember: Don’t be a punk and drive drunk. Call Tipsy Tow, your local non-emergency line, or get yourself a Lyft this holiday season. Stay safe, stay weird, and stay merry.

Links we used - Christmas:

• https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Winter-Krampus-Christmas-Creatures/dp/1643757083
• https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas
• https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Nicholas
• https://clearlyreformed.org/who-was-st-nicholas/
• https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/santa-claus
• https://breelandwalker.tumblr.com/post/105694087749/do-you-know-any-traditional-celtic-dishes-for

• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yule-festival

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_cat
• https://icelandicfolklore.is/the-yule-cat/
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/yule-cat-jolakotturinn-iceland
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Lwyd
• https://www.wales.com/about/history-and-heritage/welsh-traditions-myths-and-legends/mari-lwyd
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/mari-lwyd-horse-skull-wales-wassailing
• https://museum.wales/articles/1187/Christmas-Traditions-The-Mari-Lwyd/

The Pandemonium team is back with our newest unhinged episode - and this time, it’s MERDER, California-style. We’re digging into the disturbingly twisted case of Dorothea Puente: sweet little granny on the outside, cold-blooded killer underneath.

From missing persons and poisonings to stolen checks and secret graves beneath a sunny veggie garden, this is one of the most shocking true crime cases you've probably never heard of - or couldn’t forget if you did.

Join Rachel and Cat as they tiptoe through this nightmare of a boarding house in 1980s Sacramento, where vulnerable tenants went in, but didn’t come out. The Death House Landlady wasn’t just cashing checks - she was cashing in on murder.

Links We Used - Dorthea Puente:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Puente
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/dorothea-puente
• https://www.newsweek.com/we-live-serial-killers-old-home-victims-bedroom-1734043
• https://www.sactownmag.com/the-life-and-deaths-of-dorothea-puente/
• https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/dorothea-puente/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/dorothea-puente-house-qr-code/

• https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/dorothea-puente-sacramentos-most-notorious-female-serial-killer/
• https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/killing-her-boarders-burying-them-194503281.html

The Pandemonium team is back with our newest unhinged episode. This time we’re talking about something completely different!!

We're talking about native lands, communicable diseases, random disappearances, and traveling by ship. In this episode, we're talking about the mysterious and haunting disappearance of an entire colony, so haunting that archeologists are still scratching their heads to this day.

Today’s episode takes us back in time to the primitive and lush landscapes of Virginia, as we dive deep into the missing colonists and the native tribes in that area, along with wives' tales, the English, abandoned towns, and the story of a case that shocked even our own hosts.

Listen along with Rachel and Cat as we learn about the terrible history of what happened to the missing people and indigenous tribes of the Lost City of Roanoke also known as the Story of Croatoan.

Links We Used - Roanoke & Croatan:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatoan#:~:text=Croatoan%20may%20refer%20to%3A,short%20story%20by%20Harlan%20Ellison
• ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony
• https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony-of-roanoke​
• https://www.npca.org/articles/3604-the-lost-colony-an-outer-banks-mystery ​
• https://www.britannica.com/story/the-lost-colony-of-roanoke ​
• https://www.outerbanks.org/things-to-do/museums-and-historic-sites/the-lost-colony-outdoor-drama/ ​
• https://www.thelostcolony.org/the-lost-colony/plan-your-visit/
• ​https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/us/Roanoke-lost-colony.html
• ​https://www.history.com/news/archaeologists-find-new-clues-to-lost-colony-mystery

The Pandemonium team is back with our newest unhinged episode - and this time, we’re diving into some truly ghastly MERDER across the lush, eerie landscapes of Germany.
We're talking arsenic in the tea, axes in the night, and crimes so twisted they left entire towns - and your favorite hosts - absolutely flabbergasted.
In this episode, Rachel and Cat unravel the haunting case of Gesche Gottfried, the so-called Angel of Bremen who poisoned her way through polite society, and the chilling mystery of the Hinterkaifeck Murders, a brutal farmhouse slaughter that remains unsolved to this day.
From Munchausen by proxy and crime scene chaos to visits to ye olde pharmacy, this episode has it all - with plenty of swearing, of course. Buckle up, it’s gonna get dark.

Links We Used - Gesche Gottfried:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesche_Gottfried
• https://www.bremen.eu/tourism/sights/legends-and-monuments/spitting-stone
• https://robertdebry.com/the-serial-killer-gesche-gottfried/
• https://murderpedia.org/female.G/g/gottfried-gesche.htm
• https://www.yeoldecrimepodcast.com/episodes/27-gesche-gottfried

Links We Used - Hinterkaifeck Murders:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinterkaifeck_murders
• https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502044/chilling-story-hinterkaifeck-killings-germanys-most-famous-unsolved-crime
• https://medium.com/@daniel2004/the-enigma-of-the-hinterkaifeck-murders-edf92b8941f6 https://allthatsinteresting.com/hinterkaifeck-murders
• https://www.reddit.com/r/UnsolvedMurders/comments/18hvjn2/so_who_do_you_honestly_believe_committed_the/

The Pandemonium team is back with our newest unhinged episode - this time we’re talking about, you guessed it - MERDER!!

Today we're talking about skin theft, Mommy Dearest, and farming. In this episode, we're talking about a murderer so depraved and disgusting, that the local townspeople of Plainfield, along with the insane and impactful tragedy that was left behind.

Today’s episode drops us back into the insane world of murder as we discuss a case from Wisconsin about missing women, double personalities, and the story of a Mommy Dearest who haunts even our hosts' nightmares as well as modern cinema.

Listen along with Rachel and Cat as we learn about the terrible history of what happened to the horrible and immoral killer known as the Butcher of Plainfield, also known as Edward Theodore Gein.

Links We Used - Ed Gein:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein
• https://www.biography.com/crime/ed-gein
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ed-Gein
• https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-26/real-life-psycho-ed-gein-dies
• https://www.amazon.com/Deviant-Shocking-Story-Original-Psycho/dp/0671025465
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rogj56HVMLg
• https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/ed-gein
• https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/ed-geins-childhood-the-butcher-of-plainfield-fixated-on-his-domineering-mother
• https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/ed-gein-the-butcher-of-plainfield/umc.cmc.1tsq1yf7y1fh47dcbivl2uz74
• https://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/psyc%20405/serial%20killers/gein,%20ed.pdf
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/ed-gein
• https://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/2023/09/15/images-from-the-strange-highly-disturbing-case-of-ed-gein/70863276007/

The Pandemonium team is back with our newest unhinged episode - and this time, we’re diving into one of Cat’s favorite unsolved cases… that was recently SOLVED.
We’re talking parking garages, grocery store mascots, fake names, and forensic breakthroughs - all tangled in a cold case that rattled law enforcement in the Pacific Northwest for decades. Today’s episode takes us back to Seattle, Washington, where the tragic disappearance of Susan Marie Millar Galvin - a vibrant receptionist with a bright future - remained a mystery for nearly 50 years.
Join Cat and Rachel as they unpack the chilling details, twisty timelines, and breakthrough DNA evidence that finally brought long-overdue answers to a case that has haunted them both.

It’s eerie, emotional, and absolutely unforgettable - with plenty of swearing and a dash of justice.

Links We Used - Susan Galvin:

• https://abcnews.go.com/US/52-years-20-year-woman-found-dead-seattle/story?id=62905042%20
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156049314/susan-marie-galvin%20
• https://740thefan.com/2020/02/19/tales-of-true-crime-episode-15-the-coldest-case-solved-with-forensic-genealogy/%20
• https://apnews.com/general-news-a2f91cad86a9492cbcd1abb6b800ce8b