American Hauntings Podcast

The legend of the Bell Witch is one of the greatest ghost stories in American history. It has all the elements of what we have come to think of as a Hollywood-style haunting – a vengeful spirit, flying objects, sounds that can’t be unexplained, a pretty young girl, and a violent death. It’s also one of the only hauntings in history in which a spirit is responsible for the death of one of the protagonists in the case.

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There isn’t a lot that I can say about this film that you don’t already know – it’s a classic, there’s no two ways about that. It’s not only one of the greatest horror films of the 1980s but one of the great horror films of all time. But if you’re not old enough to have seen it in 1982 when it came out, you might be wondering why it was so scary to those of us who were. 

And for those who already know, it turns out there was another...

In 1986, the town of Southington, Connecticut, was in an uproar. Normally, a place known for its perfect small-town charm, it had been thrown into a frenzy of media chaos, thanks to a family that was reporting that their new house was haunted.

A check of real estate records in town revealed that the house was indeed the former Hallahan Funeral Home. The idea of living in what was once a funeral home did cause some concerns for the S...

In 1981, a young man in Connecticut took the idea of the insanity plea to the next level. He claimed that he was innocent of the murder he’d committed – he’d only done it because he was possessed by a demon.

While the previous two Conjuring films took the intrepid duo, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to haunted houses, this was a new kind of horror story for the pair. And while the film takes the demon plot and runs wild with it in the last...

“It was chaos, things started flying around, people were screaming.” 

In 1977, hot on the heels of the publicity they received after the Amityville Horror case – which is show in the cold open of the film – the Warrens claimed that they investigated the happenings in Enfield, undoubtedly drawn there by all the press the case was getting at the time. Before they even arrived at the Hodgson home, several independent observers dismisse...

This is, of course, based on a true story. But how true is this story? Well, as you’re just about to hear, NOT VERY. Truth, as they say, is often much stranger than fiction, but in some cases, you actually have to FIND the truth first. And when it comes to THE CONJURING – and with Ed and Lorraine Warren themselves – the truth is a very, very elusive thing.

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Maybe what gets called a DEMON isn’t what the variations of Christian churches thinks it is. Their narrow definition leaves out an awful lot of other faiths around the world and since people believed in spirits that attacked and even possessed people long before Christianity became a thing, then they might be something else... We can call them whatever we want but whatever they really are, one thing seems clear – that they’re very ...

Charles Raymond Starkweather was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 24, 1938. He was the third of seven children born to Guy and Helen Starkweather. They were an ordinary, working-class family, and there was nothing about them to suggest that one of the Starkweather children would grow up to be a natural born killer. 

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On October 16, 1992, one of the greatest horror films of the 1990s -- CANDYMAN -- opened across the country. But it’s the reality that the film is inspired by – racial terror, poverty, drugs, police indifference, and the disturbing murder of a Chicago woman – that is even more frightening than the movie itself. 

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On May 2, 1962, a Haitian man named Clairvius Narcisse died of a mysterious illness – or so it seemed at the time. 

Then, a little over 18 years later, his sister, Angelina, was shopping in a local market and saw a terrifying, vacant-eyed man lurching toward her on the street. Angelina screamed, although not because the poor man in the ragged, threadbare clothing was so frightening on his own. She screamed because the dead man was h...

"The Phillip Experiment" has become known as one of the most famous paranormal studies of all time, so it’s not really that surprising that someone decided to use it as inspiration for a film. In 1972, a group of researchers in Canada were not only convinced that something or someone could actually be created by the power of thought alone and that it was absolutely possible to think something into existence, but some believ...

In this season, we’ll be bringing you real-life horror stories -- of ghosts, demons, hauntings, crime, murder, and the supernatural – and introduce you to 24+ films that were made based on those stories while separating fact from fiction, and keeping you up at night while you tell yourself: "It's only a movie..."

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Special Christmas Eve Episode of the Podcast!

In centuries past, our ancestors had a much different idea of the holiday season than we do today. In those days, the winter nights were long and dark. It was a time of snow, cold, and ice and days and weeks huddled around the fire waiting for warmer weather to return. Oil lamps, candles, and fireplaces were the only sources of light to keep back the encroaching shadows.

It was the perfec...

Season Five our our alternative podcast for Patreon is coming soon! The new season will be called MONSTER and it chronicles the horrifying life and crimes of American serial killer, Albert Fish! This show is available ONLY for American Hauntings Patreon Supporters but it's easy to get signed up and enjoy discounts, the alternative podcast, and other perks!

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To tell the story of this once very famous haunted house seems like it should be simple, oh, but it’s not. In fact, there’s nothing simple about this story at all. But I’m not going to tell you what to believe. I get it – every story gets started for a reason, even if that reason is greed. But believe it or not, there is much about this story that has the potential to be the truth. What part of it? I guess we’ll see...

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John’s life took an abrupt turn in September 1964 when he met and subsequently married a co-worker named Marlynn Myers, whose parents owned a number of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Iowa. John’s new father-in-law offered him a position with the company and soon the newlyweds were moving to Waterloo, Iowa. Life seemed to hold great promise for the newlyweds with no foreshadowing of what was to come.

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Join us for the haunting Thanksgiving story of the mysterious Kate Morgan, the lingering ghost of the Hotel Del Coronado -- and then help us spread the word about some upcoming events!

HOLIDAY SALE! We’re offering 20% off all the books you buy if you use the promo code HOLIDAY when you check out. And also, if you spend $25 or more, you’ll get a free gift bag for your books. Order books at AMERICANHAUNTINGSBOOKS.COM and just be sure ...