Dark Origins

As a train traveled from Phoenix to Los Angeles, staff grew uneasy. A foul smell was coming from two trunks belonging to a young female passenger. That unease turned to horror when they noticed blood seeping from the cracks. Hoping it was something as simple as spoiled meat, they alerted police to inspect the trunks upon arrival.

At the station, officers stopped the petite woman walking away from the luggage—her name was Winnie Ruth...

In this episode, we delve into one of South Korea’s most infamous unsolved mysteries: the Frog Boys Murders. What began as a simple day of adventure for five young boys on March 26, 1991, turned into a decades-long nightmare filled with unanswered questions, police missteps, and lingering grief.

The boys—aged 9 to 13—left their homes in Daegu, South Korea, to search for salamander eggs on the slopes of Mt. Waryong. But they neve...

In January 2024, 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris vanished after stepping off her school bus in Detroit, Michigan. What started as a desperate search for a missing child soon unraveled into a chilling tale of grooming, betrayal, and heartbreak. Na'Ziyah should be living the last precious years of her girlhood—hanging out with friends, focusing on schoolwork, and dreaming of her future. Instead, her life was cruelly cut short. Her body r...

In May 2004 Oakey Albert “Al” Kite was found hog-tied and tortured to death in his basement after he didn’t show up for work. Al’s murder is one of the most mysterious we have covered because investigators still don’t know who perpetrated the crime, and there is no discernible motive other than a sick urge to torture and kill. The investigation has uncovered a lot of information, but not quite enough to tie everything together. Who...

Four Finnish teenagers, Maila Irmeli Björklund, Anja Tuulikki, Seppo Antero Boisman, and Nils Wilhelm Gustaffson set out to have a fun night camping on the shores of Lake Bodom. It was like a double date since Maila was dating Nils and Anja was dating Seppo. They fished, drank, and swam in the lake before heading to bed in the single tent they brought to share. The next day a man, out for his morning jog, came upon the teens and th...

Silence of the Lambs is arguably one of the best psychological thrillers of all time and sadly many aspects of the movie are inspired by real people and events. Buffalo Bill in particular is based on a few different serial killers including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Gary Heidnik. Most people are familiar with Bundy and Dahmer, but Heidnik's crimes haven't received the same amount of attention. In this episode we discuss Heidni...

A group of hikers was traveling down a logging road on their way to a rentable hut, located in the remote Canadian wilderness, when they stumbled upon a burnt truck with personal belongings scattered around it. Feeling as though they had discovered a crime scene, the hikers decided to take pictures before turning back, calling police as they drove. It took RCMP Officers two days to get to the scene and they noticed that things had ...

Keishla Rodriguez Ortiz met Felix Verdejo when the two of them were very young, because they attended the same school growing up. Their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship when they were in high school. Keishla loyally supported Félix as he chased his dreams to become a professional boxer. At 18 years old Félix qualified for the 2012 olympics. He didn’t end up medaling but a professional spot was waiting for him when ...

Dr. James Snook had accomplished a lot in his life. He not only carved out his presence as a well-respected veterinarian and professor of veterinary science, even creating a tool called the Snook Hook that vets still use today, but he also competed and won two gold medals in the 1920 Olympics as a marksman. Six years after winning gold, and despite the fact that he had a wife and a young baby, he became enamored with a young medica...

On July 23, 2024 Wade Wilson, known for his white supremacist and joker face tattoos, will face a judge as they decide whether to sentence him to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Wilson was convicted of murdering Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz back in 2019. Both murders seemingly came out nowhere- he had just met Melton the night prior at local club before murdering her the nest morning and stealing her c...

Yoo Young Chul grew up in a poor family with little stability. The economic hardships that his family faced caused him to develop a deep-seeded hatred for wealthy individuals and he also developed an ever-growing resentment towards women. Yoo was driven by these emotions, and he couldn't seem to get ahold of them which caused him to start committing crimes at an early age. He spent many years in and out of jail, as his crimes conti...

When Elyse Pahler, a teenager from Arroyo Grande, went missing, her parents reached out to the police for help. Unfortunately, they weren't able to make much headway over the course of several months until they got a tip from an unlikely source. A clergyman from a local church called in to tell investigators that a teenaged congregant told him that he and two of his friends sacrificed Elyse to gain favor with the devil and become s...

Many of the diss tracks that have been released by Kendrick Lamar over the past week contain lines that clearly have dark origins. In this episode we focus on one line from Euphoria that took inspiration from the case of YNW Melly AKA Jamell Demons. We cover the allegations that Jamell shot and killed two of his best friends with the help of another friend named YNW Bortlen AKA Cortlen Henry, and we discuss the first trial that end...

Most violence isn’t related to the moon or the sun, but the violence that took place on April 8, 2024 might have been. The 8th was the day of the total solar eclipse and two different women committed murder/attempted murder that may have been connected to the phenomena. Danielle Johnson, an astrology. Influencer, killed her partner before throwing her two daughters out of the car (killing one and injuring the other) , before t...

TW: eating disorders, suicide, and child abuse. Everything we say is alleged, with the exception of the individuals found guilty of crimes.

Gwen Shamblin had a Master's Degree in Food and Nutrition, yet she still fell down the pipeline of food and wellness guru to religious cult leader pipeline. Usually this pipeline is reserved for people who don't actually have extensive educations and degrees in the things they claim to be e...

Sheldon Johnson was released from prison last year, after serving 25 years behind bars. Intent on turning his life around, he started working as a youth counselor and advocate for clients of the public defenders office. Successful civil rights attorney, Josh Dubin, befriended Sheldon and was impressed by the changes he was making in his life. Joe Rogan invited Josh and Sheldon onto his podcast on February 1. Unfortunately, a little...

Egypt Covington was a 27 year old woman with so much potential. She lived a life full of love, friendship, and art. Many people knew her since she was a talented singer and a friendly bartender in Ann Arbor, MI. But her life was cut short. She was found in her home with a gunshot wound to the head, and her arms bound with Christmas lights. The local PD struggled to find her killer, yet refused to hand the case over to Michigan Stat...

Mary Alice Ellicott and Theral Carl Heldt were murdered within a week of one another and their remains found in the country of a small Michigan town. Seemingly unrelated, both murders were investigated but found themselves going cold as time passed. Mary's case was reopened a few years ago, and investigators have partnered with MSU to try to solve it. In this episode, we discuss what little is known about both murders.

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In this episode we talk about the second inspiration behind True Detective Season. 4, which is the mysterious case of the Mary Celeste Crew. When the Del Gratia came upon a ship that appeared to be sailing haphazardly, the captain put out a signal but heard nothing back. He told two of his men to go investigate, and what they found was bizarre. The entire crew was missing, but there didn't seem to be any clear indication as to why ...