Weirdsdale

We were so lucky to be able to speak with Lashanda, the daughter of Beth Ann Ricketts. If you haven't yet listened to our episode on the case Beth Ann Ricketts, who went missing in December of 1997, we encourage you to do that first! Lashanda gives us some enlightening additional details to the case and the events that led up to her mother's disappearance, as well as the aftermath. We talk about how the case was mishandled from the beginning, how Lashanda was able to reignite interest in her mom's case, how this traumatic event has affected her and her family, and one man's suspicious actions. A big thank you to Lashanda for spending your precious time sharing with me, and for trusting us!

For more about the case of Beth Ann Ricketts and interviews with Lashanda, check out the Unsolved Mysteries podcast "Missing For Christmas", published December 28, 2022, and the Missing in the Metro Podcast "The Case of Beth Ann Ricketts", published October 25, 2019. 

If you have any information, contact the Des Moines Police Department, 515-283-4811

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Happy National Oregon Day! Today, we're talking about some fascinating creatures of legend that evolved from the logging industry in Oregon. There are actually so many mysterious creatures of the dense woods that terrified loggers, Melissa had to narrow it down to only four! The Gumberoo (sounds fun right...it's not), the Splinter Cat, The Ball-Tailed Cat (Ding-Baul), and the Whirling Whimpus. Logging is a terribly dangerous job and there are so many ways the forest can kill you, but did it ever cross your mind that you could fall into the trap of a Whirling Whimpus?! Just keep your head on a swivel if you start to hear a whirring or buzzing sound in the woods and move with extreme caution or you're bound to be pulverized into a pink pulp! 

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Happy Minnesota Day! This week, Melissa tells the story of the historic Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. The original building on the property was built in the 1800's as a hotel, saloon and brothel for the small town, but when it was destroyed by fire in 1900, a new and modern hotel was built to replace it. Over 120 years of guests, balls, parties and more have made this place a hot spot for resident spirits and ghostly passersby. Poltergeist activity, apparitions, mists, sounds of ghostly children playing, unexplainable wet spots? Thanks to the hotel's spectral plumber. Even a ghost cat and an evil basement dweller make this Minnesotan hotel worth checking out. Just make sure to let them know if you have a cat allergy so the ghost cat won't bother you! 

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We all know the movie trope of dastardly deeds done in the desert. The isolated areas, sparse population and harsh conditions unfortunately do make the deserts of the US a common dumping ground for murder victims. Beddie Walraven was a young woman, a "nice country girl" from Texas who went missing in 1946 after moving to California with her lover, Terrence Mabry. She was considered a missing person for 65 years until a serendipitous series of events led to the discovery of her remains that had been found in the Mojave Desert and sat unidentified for decades. Throughout the years, both Terrence and his ex-wife had made confessions detailing what they had done to Beddie, but they were never brought to justice. Happy California Day!?

This week, we're drinking (actually not drinking because we went out the night before and, ouch) Desert Orange from the Truly Getaway Pack

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Happy National Wisconsin Day! Guess it's a thing now! This week we're celebrating the weirdness of Wisconsin by telling the story of Summerwind Mansion on West Bay Lake in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin. Built in the early 1900's, some believe that the home was destined to curse those who owned it and lived in it from the time it was constructed, or even before.  The apparition of a man was reported by the original owner, and it only got stranger from there. One owner seemed to become possessed and overtaken by a mysterious spirit. Many contractors attempted to renovate throughout the years without luck. One owner claimed to have communicated with the spirit he believes still haunts the ground. Who or what is it that haunts this home which now lays in ruins? Is it really cursed? Decide for yourself! 

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Happy National Iowa Day! Melissa is sharing the love for Iowa with a special short episode about one of the most haunted places in our state, Edinburgh Manor. Known worldwide for its paranormal activity, investigators and the paranormally curious flock to Scotch Grove, Iowa to experience the vibrations of Edinburgh Manor. Built in 1912 on the land of a previous 1800s poor farm, Edinburgh Manor served residents in need of housing and health care until closing its doors in 2010. Very quickly, the new owners of the dilapidated building noticed that many of the previous residents never left. Slamming doors, footsteps, disembodied voices, moving objects, even a haunted puzzle! And one angry resident known as The Joker, who's known for throwing objects and cursing people out in the basement. Iowa is so much weirder and more wonderful than can be explained. Fields of opportunities? More like fields of nightmares.

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Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a well-known socialite of New Orleans in the early 1800's. Wealthy, charming, a wife and mother, hostess of lavish dinner parties. But, when a fire broke out at the LaLaurie home in 1834, a horrific scene was discovered. A secret the madame had been keeping behind closed doors. A shocking secret of violence, torture, neglect, and murder. The citizens of New Orleans were horrified and turned feral with rage at what they had learned. The site of the LaLaurie mansion has changed a lot in the past 200 years, but the stain of darkness that Madame Delphine LaLaurie left on the city of New Orleans has remained. 

This week we're drinking Lipton Hard Iced Tea Peach flavor, but we really wish it was a Purple Drank from Lafitte's!

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It's National Florida Day so we're kicking off our first mini-sode...Meli-nisode? We can't decide what to call it, with the mysterious architectural enigma that is Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida. Built by Latvian immigrant, Ed Leedskalnin, the castle and its surrounding structures are made of giant slabs of limestone, each weighing several tons. It took 28 years for little ol' Ed to build each structure, completely by himself but...how? The process he used is still basically a mystery, but he claims to have had knowledge of the ancient Egyptian's methods of pyramid building. Many people believe the grounds of Coral Castle to hold an enchanting, magnetic energy that draws in spirits, extraterrestrials and ancient elementals. 

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The legend of the Moon-Eyed people of the southern Appalachian Mountain region is a fascinating one! Many origin tales of the moon eyed people exist, are they humans of Welsh descent? Elemental spiritual beings? Trolls? They've been described as 18-36 inches tall, having extremely white skin and hair, and perhaps the most baffling, only able to see at night during the moon's waxing and waning phases. Stories of "moon people" are also told by elders of the Cherokee Nation and have a similar description. Some people believe tangible evidence of their existence has been found in the Southern Appalachian region. Is it possible that this band of small, nocturnal, perhaps albino humans actually existed in North America even before the Native Americans? 

This week we're drinking Truly Pear-Adise from the Truly Getaway Pack!

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Wow! We just want to thank our listeners, our Weirdsters, so much for listening! We've made it one year and brought you 50 episodes! Holy macaroni! Speaking of pasta, it's National Spaghetti Day so we're bringing you the story of Philly's most infamous murderous crime ring that all (sort of) began with a spaghetti salesman and ended with poisoned spaghetti. Full circle. Cousins, Herman and Paul Petrillo were Italian immigrants living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the 1930's. When the great depression hit, they (along with another man) decided they could make bank taking advantage of desperate women who believed a "love potion" could cure their crappy marriages. What followed was a crime snowball that ended up killing possibly hundreds of people in three states. Non buono! When you're here, you're...family?

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