This episode dives into one of the strangest chapters of Southern folklore and human hysteria. When rumors spread that a captured mermaid had arrived in Charleston, curiosity quickly twisted into obsession, drawing massive crowds desperate to see the mysterious creature. What began as fascination spiraled into chaos, tension, and violence as fear, spectacle, and deception collided in the streets. In this episode, we unravel how the legend began, why people became consumed by it, and whether there was ever truly a mermaid at all or just a powerful tale that exposed the darker, wilder side of human behavior.

When Kathleen Wrinkle disappeared in 1956, Cleveland was left with nothing but questions and a cold trail leading toward the mountains above Parksville Lake. Half a century later, a series of dives uncovered her car, her remains, and the truth hidden beneath forty feet of water.

In August 1991, 25-year-old attorney Carrie Lawson was kidnapped from her home in Jasper, Alabama after answering a late-night phone call, setting off one of the most haunting investigations in the state’s history. What began as a ransom plot quickly revealed a disturbing scheme involving someone known to her family, leading to weeks of taunting phone calls, dead-end instructions, and desperate attempts to bring her home. Despite the massive search effort, Carrie was murdered, and her remains were not found for years, leaving her community devastated and forever marked by the brutality of her case. Her story continues to stand as one of Alabama’s most unforgettable reminders of how betrayal and violence can hide behind familiar faces.

Meet our new friend, the Lizard Man of Bishopville, South Carolina — the seven-foot swamp celebrity with glowing red eyes, three toes, and a serious grudge against car bumpers. Back in the summer of ’88, poor Christopher Davis was just changing a tire when this scaly superstar came charging out of Scape Ore Swamp, leaving scratches, dents, and a lifetime of questions. 

Was it a cryptid? A prank? A sweaty guy in a bad costume? Who knows — but Bishopville turned him into a legend, complete with T-shirts, festivals, and even plaster casts of those famous footprints. 

Tune in as we head deep into the swamp to uncover how one wild night turned into one of the South’s strangest love stories between a town and its lizard.

For our Halloween special, we’re slithering straight into one of the South’s most chilling and controversial traditions — the world of snake-handling churches.

Deep in the Appalachian backwoods, there are still believers who take Mark 16:17-18 literally: “They shall take up serpents…” To them, faith isn’t just felt — it’s proven through venom and obedience.
 
In this episode, we trace the roots of this dangerous devotion back to Cleveland, Tennessee, where preacher George Went Hensley first brought serpents into worship in the early 1900s. From there, the movement spread across the mountains, dividing into sects, defying the law, and leaving a trail of miracles, madness, and tragedy in its wake. We’ll explore how these secretive congregations conduct their fiery services, the deadly bites that made headlines, and the eerie persistence of a ritual outlawed yet still alive in hidden hollers today.
 
Equal parts faith and folklore, this story is a haunting reminder of how belief can both inspire — and consume. So light your candles, lock your doors, and join us as we lift the lid on one of the South’s strangest and most spine-tingling legacies.

Episode 81: Case Updates & Season 3 Kickoff!

We’re baaaack, just in time for the best time of the year: spooky season 👻

After taking a short break to recharge and plan our biggest and best season yet, we’re easing back in with an episode full of updates, laughs, and a whole lot of gratitude. This week, we’re chatting about some of the major cases we’ve been following , including the latest developments in Crystal Rogers’ disappearance in Bardstown, Kentucky, and new movement in the Pauline Pusser investigation that’s got us both talking.

It’s a little bit of crime, a little bit of catching up, and a whole lot of our usual chaos. Think of this episode like sitting down with your true crime besties and diving right back into everything weird, mysterious, and Southern gothic for spooky season.

And most importantly, thank YOU. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or you’re just finding us, we can’t say enough how much your support means. You’ve helped us grow from a little idea into Season 3 of The Stabbin Stylist Podcast, and we couldn’t do it without you. 💀

🎧 Tune in now for the latest case chatter and a warm welcome back to the dark side of the South.

In this episode, we cover the tragic case of 22-year-old Jasmine “Jazzy” Pace of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who went missing over Thanksgiving 2022 and was later found brutally murdered—stabbed more than 60 times and hidden in a suitcase near the Tennessee River. Her on-again/off-again boyfriend, Jason Chen, was quickly tied to the crime through forensic and digital evidence, leading to his conviction and life sentence without parole.

 Sorry we were having some audio issues in this one, but it’s still a powerful and important episode you won’t want to miss.

In this episode, we’re heading deep into the hills of Appalachia to uncover the chilling and unforgettable story of Aunt Jenny Johnson and her sons, the infamous Brooks Gang.

What began as a brutal act of violence during the Civil War—when Jenny’s husband was hanged and her eldest son was murdered in front of her—sparked a decades long path of bloodshed and vengeance. Jenny swore a blood oath with her surviving sons, training them to become deadly marksmen and hunting down the men responsible. Over time, their quest for justice spiraled into years of violent feuds, leaving a trail of bodies and a legend that still lingers in the mountains today.

Join us as we explore Jenny’s transformation from grieving wife and mother to a feared matriarch of vengeance. We’ll dive into the tragedies, the feuds, and the eerie legacy she left behind—right down to the macabre relic she kept as a trophy of her first kill.

Tune in for a story that blends spooky thangs and true crime in one of the South’s most infamous legends.

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Cleveland, Tennessee wasn’t just known for church steeples and Southern charm. It was also ground zero for one of the most widespread white-collar crimes in the country: odometer fraud.

In this episode, we peel back the layers of a shocking automotive scam that involved used car dealers, repair shops, car haulers, and even organized crime networks, all working together to roll back vehicle mileage and deceive unsuspecting buyers. Known in the area as “rollbacks,” these tampered vehicles were passed through auctions and dealerships like clockwork — many flipped and resold before anyone could catch on.

And yes, the problem was so big it landed on 60 Minutes in 1983.

Tune in as we expose how Cleveland became a hotbed for auto fraud.

Mysterious, massive, and deeply controversial, the Georgia Guidestones stood for over 40 years before being reduced to rubble in a shocking 2022 bombing. Who built them? What did their eerie commandments mean? And why were they so feared?

In this episode, we dig into the secrets behind the Guidestones, from their cryptic inscriptions and astronomical alignments to the conspiracy theories and mystery surrounding their destruction. Were they a warning for the future… or a blueprint for control?