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The Raffle that Sealed a Destiny in the Pacific
The Raffle that Sealed a Fate in the Pacific: The Wreck of the Essex
Four men lost in the Pacific after 94 days adrift. One posed the question that sailors had whispered since childhood, and the winner was shot and raw devoured by the other three. The impossible contradiction: the man who organized the raffle died grateful.
In this episode, we explore the two-round procedure with papers drawn from the ship's log, the ritualized execution of Owen Coffin as he looked out to sea, and how George Pollard, the captain, did not veto a maritime custom without legal backing. We will uncover what legally happened to the survivors gnawing on human bones when they were rescued, and why a Ouija session in an English hotel in 1994 connects this historical mystery with a later unsolved crime.
Victim: Owen Coffin
Date: February 6, 1821
Location: Pacific Ocean, whaling ship Essex
Status: Recorded in ship's log; case cited in Moby Dick
- Owen drew blank papers from the Essex logbook to ensure fairness in the raffle that would determine his own death
- Charles tearfully refused, saying he "couldn't do it," but shot Owen in the back of the head minutes later
- Barzillai died of starvation five days post-raffle, and his body was also consumed
- George Pollard, captain and cousin of Owen, participated in cannibalism but was never criminally prosecuted
Owen Coffin, wreck of the Essex, Pacific 1821, maritime custom, cannibalism, raffle, extreme survival, George Pollard, Moby Dick, maritime crime, true crime Spanish
If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: [email protected].
Recommended Listening:
If you are a fan of deep-dive investigative podcasts and suspenseful storytelling like Crime Junkie, True Crime with Kendall Rae, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Morbid, 20/20, Betrayal Season 5, MrBallen Podcast: Strange Dark & Mysterious Stories, My Favorite Murder, Criminal, Murder at the U, Snapped: Women Who Murder, Serialously with Annie Elise, Casefile True Crime, or The Epstein Files, this will be your new favorite podcast.
Topics Covered:
True crime podcast, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, serial killers, missing persons, real crime stories, investigative journalism, homicide investigations, forensic science, interrogations, 911 calls, true crime daily, true crime 24 hours podcast, unexplained deaths, true crime stories English.
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Four men lost in the Pacific after 94 days adrift. One posed the question that sailors had whispered since childhood, and the winner was shot and raw devoured by the other three. The impossible contradiction: the man who organized the raffle died grateful.
In this episode, we explore the two-round procedure with papers drawn from the ship's log, the ritualized execution of Owen Coffin as he looked out to sea, and how George Pollard, the captain, did not veto a maritime custom without legal backing. We will uncover what legally happened to the survivors gnawing on human bones when they were rescued, and why a Ouija session in an English hotel in 1994 connects this historical mystery with a later unsolved crime.
Victim: Owen Coffin
Date: February 6, 1821
Location: Pacific Ocean, whaling ship Essex
Status: Recorded in ship's log; case cited in Moby Dick
- Owen drew blank papers from the Essex logbook to ensure fairness in the raffle that would determine his own death
- Charles tearfully refused, saying he "couldn't do it," but shot Owen in the back of the head minutes later
- Barzillai died of starvation five days post-raffle, and his body was also consumed
- George Pollard, captain and cousin of Owen, participated in cannibalism but was never criminally prosecuted
Owen Coffin, wreck of the Essex, Pacific 1821, maritime custom, cannibalism, raffle, extreme survival, George Pollard, Moby Dick, maritime crime, true crime Spanish
If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: [email protected].
Recommended Listening:
If you are a fan of deep-dive investigative podcasts and suspenseful storytelling like Crime Junkie, True Crime with Kendall Rae, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Morbid, 20/20, Betrayal Season 5, MrBallen Podcast: Strange Dark & Mysterious Stories, My Favorite Murder, Criminal, Murder at the U, Snapped: Women Who Murder, Serialously with Annie Elise, Casefile True Crime, or The Epstein Files, this will be your new favorite podcast.
Topics Covered:
True crime podcast, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, serial killers, missing persons, real crime stories, investigative journalism, homicide investigations, forensic science, interrogations, 911 calls, true crime daily, true crime 24 hours podcast, unexplained deaths, true crime stories English.
This episode includes AI-generated content.
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By Obomedia NetworkThe Raffle that Sealed a Fate in the Pacific: The Wreck of the Essex
Four men lost in the Pacific after 94 days adrift. One posed the question that sailors had whispered since childhood, and the winner was shot and raw devoured by the other three. The impossible contradiction: the man who organized the raffle died grateful.
In this episode, we explore the two-round procedure with papers drawn from the ship's log, the ritualized execution of Owen Coffin as he looked out to sea, and how George Pollard, the captain, did not veto a maritime custom without legal backing. We will uncover what legally happened to the survivors gnawing on human bones when they were rescued, and why a Ouija session in an English hotel in 1994 connects this historical mystery with a later unsolved crime.
Victim: Owen Coffin
Date: February 6, 1821
Location: Pacific Ocean, whaling ship Essex
Status: Recorded in ship's log; case cited in Moby Dick
- Owen drew blank papers from the Essex logbook to ensure fairness in the raffle that would determine his own death
- Charles tearfully refused, saying he "couldn't do it," but shot Owen in the back of the head minutes later
- Barzillai died of starvation five days post-raffle, and his body was also consumed
- George Pollard, captain and cousin of Owen, participated in cannibalism but was never criminally prosecuted
Owen Coffin, wreck of the Essex, Pacific 1821, maritime custom, cannibalism, raffle, extreme survival, George Pollard, Moby Dick, maritime crime, true crime Spanish
If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: [email protected].
Recommended Listening:
If you are a fan of deep-dive investigative podcasts and suspenseful storytelling like Crime Junkie, True Crime with Kendall Rae, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Morbid, 20/20, Betrayal Season 5, MrBallen Podcast: Strange Dark & Mysterious Stories, My Favorite Murder, Criminal, Murder at the U, Snapped: Women Who Murder, Serialously with Annie Elise, Casefile True Crime, or The Epstein Files, this will be your new favorite podcast.
Topics Covered:
True crime podcast, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, serial killers, missing persons, real crime stories, investigative journalism, homicide investigations, forensic science, interrogations, 911 calls, true crime daily, true crime 24 hours podcast, unexplained deaths, true crime stories English.
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Four men lost in the Pacific after 94 days adrift. One posed the question that sailors had whispered since childhood, and the winner was shot and raw devoured by the other three. The impossible contradiction: the man who organized the raffle died grateful.
In this episode, we explore the two-round procedure with papers drawn from the ship's log, the ritualized execution of Owen Coffin as he looked out to sea, and how George Pollard, the captain, did not veto a maritime custom without legal backing. We will uncover what legally happened to the survivors gnawing on human bones when they were rescued, and why a Ouija session in an English hotel in 1994 connects this historical mystery with a later unsolved crime.
Victim: Owen Coffin
Date: February 6, 1821
Location: Pacific Ocean, whaling ship Essex
Status: Recorded in ship's log; case cited in Moby Dick
- Owen drew blank papers from the Essex logbook to ensure fairness in the raffle that would determine his own death
- Charles tearfully refused, saying he "couldn't do it," but shot Owen in the back of the head minutes later
- Barzillai died of starvation five days post-raffle, and his body was also consumed
- George Pollard, captain and cousin of Owen, participated in cannibalism but was never criminally prosecuted
Owen Coffin, wreck of the Essex, Pacific 1821, maritime custom, cannibalism, raffle, extreme survival, George Pollard, Moby Dick, maritime crime, true crime Spanish
If you want to listen to this podcast ad-free and gain access to premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA. For permissions, licenses, and business inquiries, write to: [email protected].
Recommended Listening:
If you are a fan of deep-dive investigative podcasts and suspenseful storytelling like Crime Junkie, True Crime with Kendall Rae, Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Morbid, 20/20, Betrayal Season 5, MrBallen Podcast: Strange Dark & Mysterious Stories, My Favorite Murder, Criminal, Murder at the U, Snapped: Women Who Murder, Serialously with Annie Elise, Casefile True Crime, or The Epstein Files, this will be your new favorite podcast.
Topics Covered:
True crime podcast, unsolved mysteries, cold cases, serial killers, missing persons, real crime stories, investigative journalism, homicide investigations, forensic science, interrogations, 911 calls, true crime daily, true crime 24 hours podcast, unexplained deaths, true crime stories English.
This episode includes AI-generated content.