Who R U? Curious Stories of Family Lore

Hey Fam!

We are going Camping! These stories today were submitted by YOU and involve going camping out in the good old wilderness. We even have a surprise special guest right at the beginning that neither of us expected but validated my belief in synchronicities! (Shoutout to you, JAIME! )

Today is all about floating heads, daredevils, crying ghosts, and a laser gun with no business being in the forest.

Welcome to Family Lorror Stories Volume 2!

Sources:

https://www.ausablechasm.com/stories-and-legends

https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-horror-stories-2024/

https://www.mammothres.com/blog/best-mammoth/spooky-story-bodie-ghost-town

Alien Sighting around Mammoth: https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-12-13-man-living-atop-california-volcano-shares-amazing-ufo-story/

YAY, WE HAVE MADE IT TO EPISODE 40!!!!! :) :) :) Thank you to everyone who listens, new and old. We are continuously humbled by your support.

As human beings, we are both blessed and cursed to be able to experience all consuming emotions; from pure love and joy, to the immense sadness we feel when we lose someone we love.  Our emotions are powerful. Have you ever felt the piercing stare of a foe from across the room? What about the pulse of electric current you feel when you’re in the midst of a whirlwind romance? Emotions are energy, and energy is power. 

Where does our grief go when we finally decide to release it? The transmutation of pain has been a common motif across all art forms, as art has been used as the medium of healing. 

But what if all these emotions released by the artist live on in the piece, trapped until they can be released into their next form?

Today we talk about loss, coping as artists, and a painting that may still hold the suffering of the artist who created it. Do you believe in haunted paintings?

Welcome to Who R U? Curious Stories Of Family Lore

Trigger Warnings:

Death, intubation, suicide, addiction

Sources:

https://theartedge.faso.com/blog/66784/the-anguished-man-a-paranormal-painting

https://www.reddit.com/r/creepy/comments/9k4fuy/the_anguished_man/

Words can not express the whirlwind of emotions I felt at this festival. Between the overwhelming amount of people way over capacity, to the lack of PLUR from the festival staff and fellow ravers, to ending the weekend with a horrible tragedy. The Forest provided me the journey I needed for my own personal self reflection and growth. For that and the memories I made with true friends I am forever grateful. This experience truly makes me appreciate smaller festivals that are properly ran with the consideration of the public’s security coming first before the money in their pockets. The Forest provides and the Forest taketh away. Sad to say it was my first and last. My heart goes out to all those affected by the negative vibes.

This week sam takes us through her experience at Electric Forest and the horrific tragedy that occurred on Sunday.

Remember, if you're going to party, do so responsibly and with people you trust. Never mix your drugs, and always have a safe plan for getting home. When things go wrong, get help with no questions asked. If you're pregnant, always consult your doctor before going to any event with loud music and large crowds. Your safety is priority, and our hearts go out to those who lost their lives surrounding this years and years past EF.

In memory of:

Brian Alan Brockette, aged 20

Jerard R. Jackson, aged 28

Anna Melicher, aged 27

Little Baby, age unknown.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: OD, S*ICIDE, INFANT/NEONATE FATALITY, DRUG USE, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

****DISCLAIMER: We are in no way placing blame upon Electric Forest for the deaths and tragedies discussed in this episode. Every statement made was based off of published information as sourced below. Opinions stated are that of the hosts and are opinions only. We are in no way affiliated with EF and our views and choices do not reflect those of the festival. ******

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/29/us/electric-forest-festival-baby-dead.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/06/30/illinois-jerard-jackson-death-electric-forest-police-body-suicide/90753808007/

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/police-say-man-found-dead-near-electric-forest-festival-grounds-tried-to-report-crime-that-likely-didnt-happen/69-0541c382-f1cb-4cc5-a75f-71454eadfebc

https://recovery.com/resources/electric-forest-festival-death-a-result-of-molly/

Hey Fam!

This week Sam is off to Electric Forest! Before she left, we recorded this episode where she shared some of the history of that festival and her plans for her trip.

First, Sam delves into the history of Electric Forest and it's evolution over the years. She talks about the importance of community, safety, and the transformative powers of music festivals.

On the flip side, Wietze takes us down a dark road to Woodstock 99, a festival full of violence, assault, and absolutely horrific conditions. Trigger warning: the second half of this episode will contain mentions of SA, so it's totally understandable if this episode isn't for you.

When all is said and done, go into every situation with an awareness of where you are, who you are with, and where the exits are. If you see something, say something, and always do your research before every festival.

Sources:

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/woodstock-1999-ends-violence#full-article

"Trainwreck" On Netflix

https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsTalkMusic/comments/gbz1bj/woodstock_99_was_it_as_bad_as_people_say/

https://thatdrop.com/awakening-the-story-of-how-electric-forest-came-to-be/

https://www.electricforest.com/a-look-back/

https://www.edmsauce.com/what-is-electric-forest-festival/

If you are a victim of sexual assault, you are not alone. RAINN is a national hotline with services to help. Everything is completely confidential:

https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/

Hey, Fam!

This episode is dedicated to the wonderful, amazing Liz whose birthday we recently celebrated and who inspired this topic for today's episode. Happy Birthday, Liz!

No matter where you are in the world, you will find that the celebration of birthdays can be found in various forms, connecting us all to the ancient act of honoring another year. From the ancient Egyptians celebrating the births of their gods, to the German kinderfest that inspired modern day American celebrations, birthdays represent making it through another year alive. For some of us it can be a joyous time, filled with friends and family who come together to share in celebration. But for others, birthdays can be a reminder of something lost, someone gone who cannot be replaced. for twinless twins, birthdays represent something more: the life that should’ve been. This week we are going to talk about the origins of birthdays and then introduce “The Vanished Twin Theory” and how that connects to one of our hosts. 

Today we are a little all over the place, with the central theme being the celebrations of birthdays throughout time and cultures. We also go on tangents about funerals, religion, and how everything steals from paganism (not really but, kinda).

If you have interesting birthday traditions, send them our way to add to the "Family Album", aka our future listener stories episode!

If you are a vanished twin and you'd like to share your story, please reach out to us!

Email: [email protected]

TikTok: @whorupodcast

Instagram:@whorupodcast

Youtube: Who R U Podcast

Sources:

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/history-birthdays

https://innovation.umn.edu/birthdays-without-pressure/related-research

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/11/history-birthday-celebrations/620585/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563220/ (requires subscription)

Boxing Cat Video by Thomas Edison is linked at the bottom of the show notes ***

Can you imagine a world before the moving image? A time where capturing reality in the form of a photograph was brand new, and the world was on fire with invention. Humans were using their critical thinking brains to stretch the bounds of science in the name of art. 

Film was born through scientific curiosity about a horse, and evolved throughout time into the world of film we know today. 

With the birth of the film festival came the birth of genre, and this week we are going to talk about the first horror film ever screened at a festival and how that changed the course of history, both imagined and real. How did fictional horror capture the real dangers lurking around us?

We end this week with a new segment, “Serial Time With Sam” where we explore yet another monster who lurked among us freely for too long and encapsulates the essence of the horror genre : horror mimics the true darkness inside us all” 

Victims of Joe Metheny:

Cathy Ann Magaziner, age 23

Kimberly Lynn Spicer, age 23

Randall Brewer, age unknown

Randy Piker, age unknown

Rita Kemper, Survived, age 37 at the time of the attack

Sources About Metheny:

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/md-court-of-appeals/1035199.html

https://allthatsinteresting.com/joe-metheny

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/convicted-serial-killer-found-dead-in-cell/11647056

The Ultimate Serial Killer Trivia Book:https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-ultimate-serial-killer-trivia-book-a-collection-of-fascinating-facts-and-disturbing-details-about-infamous-serial-killers-and-their-horrific-crime/b19e2aae4b3cb285

Buying from the above link supports small business bookstores! (not sponsored, either, we just love books!)

Sources for Film Fest History:

Boxing Cat Video By Thomas Edison: https://youtu.be/k52pLvVmmkU?si=PvliHleLZkiOw3NY

Watch the Original 1932 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbpQQuOU68w

https://www.labiennale.org/en/history-venice-film-festival

https://mondomovies.wordpress.com/2025/08/06/the-first-venice-film-festival-opened-6th-august-1932/

https://variety.com/2018/film/spotlight/venice-celebrates-its-75th-edition-with-a-look-back-at-its-history-1202916078/

Hey, Fam!

This week Sam shares her story of her first ever car accident, spooky time loop theories, ghost protectors, and the most haunted road in New York. This week is a mashup of conversation, storytelling, and remembering those we love. Remember, always drive safe, and if you're ever in New York State, take a drive down Whiskey Hollow Road, but not after dark...it's ILLEGAL to drive down it at night. Find out why tonight on Who R U? Curious Stories of Family Lore.

Sources:

Sam's personal Encounter

https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/comments/11q4pr1/something_possessed_me_on_whisky_hollow_road/

https://www.newyorkhauntedhouses.com/real-haunts/roads.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/groups/238622469188761/posts/458682987182707/

For most Americans, Memorial Day Weekend  is celebrated with vacations, time off from work, and the welcome of warmer weather through outdoor activities. There are less and less people every year who understand the significance of this day, and even fewer still that honor those early traditions. The origins of the Holiday have dissipated into the modern day BBQ holiday it has become. I’ll admit, I look forward to the extended weekend during this time of year as a teacher. However, this week we wanted to take a step away from all of that and focus on the origins of this day and what it truly stands for at its core. 

After the horrific nature of the civil war, the US Government wanted to honor those fallen in battle. Memorial Day was originally called “Decoration Day”, named for the act of decorating the gravestones of soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War with springtime flowers. Humans have been honoring their dead with offerings since ancient times, It is in our nature to mourn those lost to us, especially whose who die in unnatural ways. We are left with the “what if’s” of a life cut short due to violence. 

When 20 year old Willard Lynn Clinch was filling out his draft card at the start of the Korean War, his fiancé knew what it could mean as she stood powerless beside him. Today we are going to talk about my great Uncle and his heroic actions that saved an entire company of men during the Korean War. Welcome to Who R U? Curious Stories Of Family Lore. 

Sources:

Ancestry.com via Subscription and Research

https://www.koreanwar.org/html/5385/korean-war-project-new-york-ra12284679-cpl-willard-lynn-clinch/

Oneida Daily Dispatch Newspaper Articles

Family Photographs

https://www.cem.va.gov/history/Memorial-Day-history.asp

A huge thank you to the Korean War Project for compiling a database of records to help remember those lost during the Korean War.

If you grew up near Oneida, New York within the last 100 years, you are familiar with the Oneida Flats. Growing up in the flats of Oneida in the 90’s was an absolute dream; Shirley’s Dance store was feet away from Cone Head’s ice cream, and if you were feeling a soda pop and bubble gum, you could ride your heelies through the bubbling blacktop of Bennett Street, past Agway, and into the doors of J&K, a corner gas station owned by none other than, you guessed it: Jay and Kay. The red cool plastic of the rounded countertops provided sweet relief from the pressing summer heat that kept the mosquitos at bay until sunset. Once the sun began to dissipate on the horizon, you could ride your bike past the cement factory and to the frog pond. The chirping and croaking of the frog chorus distracted you from the buzz of the cement turning past the trees. It wasn’t unlike you and your friends to jump into Oneida creek for a late night dip before racing the streetlights back home. 

Little did you know that it would be that same creek, years later, that would wipe away all the croaking frogs and buzzing mosquitoes. The woods with the neighborhood forts would be mixed into one big mass of sludge, churning and devouring everything in it’s path. This is the story of The Great Oneida Flood of 2013.

Sources:

https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/oneidas-2013-flood-disaster-that-didnt-wipe-away-its-famous-sauce/

https://www.oneidadispatch.com/2018/06/13/despite-historic-flood-of-2013-the-oneida-flats-still-home-to-many/

https://www.syracuse.com/news/2014/07/why_oneida_suffered_a_record-breaking_flood_--_and_why_it_might_get_worse_in_the.html

If you would like to share your experience in the Oneida Flood, please reach out to us:

Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok: WhoRUPodcast

Email: [email protected]

Image of Governor Cuomo used in the cover art was taken by Jon Dunn and on Facebook.

There was so much that we didn't talk about in this episode, like what it was like for those stranded and then without homes, what it was like in the days and weeks afterwards, and the specific roles the fire department and other emergency services played in dealing with this disaster.

Every day, hundreds of monsters roam among us, going unnoticed. They learn how to study society so that they can blend in. The perfect dad with the perfect family who’s hiding a dark secret, or the drifter at the subway whose violent past would make you shutter. 

We spend so much time absorbed in our own lives that sometimes we may forget to scan our surroundings and be aware of danger wherever we go. 

This week Sam is talking to us about th Chameleon Killer, an absolutely disgusting excuse for a human being who used others to hide his repulsive crimes. 

Trigger warning: this week we talk about the deaths of mothers and children whose names and ages are listed below :

Pepper and Rea Reed, aged 23 and 2-4 years

Marlyse Honeychurch, aged 24

Marie Elizabeth Vaughn, aged 6

Sarah Lynn Mcwaters, aged 1

Denise Beaudin, aged 23

Lisa Beaudin, abandoned as a toddler 

Eusoon Jun, aged 44

Sources:

https://people.com/chameleon-serial-killer-children-barrels-newly-identified-victim-sick-twist-11805343

https://medium.com/@chelsealynnqueen94/the-chameleon-killer-the-crimes-and-secrets-of-terry-peder-rasmussen-1de92affe650