Curious Cousins OK Podcast

This week Tiff dives in and discusses Oklahoma’s very own prima ballerina…Maria Tallchief.

Born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief on January 24, 1925, on the Osage Indian Reservation in Oklahoma, Maria became not only Oklahoma’s, but also America's first major prima ballerina. She is celebrated for her dedication and pride in her heritage. 

Rising from humble beginnings, she navigated dual cultural worlds, being trained rigorously by he...

This week, Jess wraps up her second installment of Women on Death Row: Marilyn Kay Plantz. This story really feels like a textbook case, with all the betrayal, twists, turns, affairs, greed, and manipulation!

Marilyn Kay Plantz became discontent in her marriage to Jim Plantz, leading her to engage in an extramarital affair with 18-year-old William Bryson. Instead of seeking a divorce, she conspired with Bryson to murder her husb...

We’re baaaaaaccckkkk!!

Welcome cousins to Season 4! We are so excited that you all are with us again this season! 

We’re kicking off Season 4 with Jess’ second installment of “Women on Death Row”. This episode, part 1 of 2, covers Marilyn K Plantz. 

Marilyn Kay Plantz, originally Marilyn Kay Sellers, was executed by lethal injection after spending 12 years on Oklahoma's Death Row. Born in 1960 into a modest, working-cl...

Tiff is going to wrap Season 3 up with a banger of a creepy place…St. Vincent’s Home in Oklahoma City. 

The property, often mistaken for an abandoned church, was once a hospital established in 1944 by the Catholic Brothers of Mercy. Initially intended to care for mentally and physically ill men and boys, the facility expanded over the years, adding more rooms and amenities. Its history includes a tragic incident in 1962 when a form...

This week, Jess tackles one of Oklahoma’ s many instances of the US Government going back on a treaty made with Native Tribes…

Chitto Harjo, also known as Crazy Snake, was born in 1846 into the Muscogee Creek Nation, which held onto important ceremonial roles even as other Native tribes faced significant changes due to U.S. policies. The Muscogee people, descendants of a rich culture that once thrived across the Southeastern United ...

When picturing the stomping grounds of serial killers Oklahoma doesn’t quite come to mind…right? Well, Tiff is going to trample right over that belief in this week’s episode!

The Oklahoma City Butcher is an unidentified serial killer responsible for the brutal murders of three young, unhoused Native American women—Cathy Lyn Shakelford, Arley Bell Killian, and Tina Marcia Sanders—between 1976 and 1986. All victims were subjected ...

Nothing says kooky and spooky like a jail, turned church, turned handicap home, turned cult headquarters! But Jess found just the place! 

"Church Row" is located on Noble Avenue in Guthrie, OK. It features a series of houses of worship. Guthrie became a city, almost quite literally, overnight during the 1889 Land Run. This area also houses the notorious Black Jail, constructed in 1892, to manage the outlaws that plague...

This week, Tiff dives into the story of a true Oklahoma legend.

Quannah Parker was the last great Comanche Chief, ruling over a vast territory that was originally Comanche land long before settlers arrived. The Comanche people thrived as skilled horsemen, becoming a powerful tribe after the introduction of horses by the Spanish. Quanah, born around 1845, was the son of Cynthia Ann Parker, a captive who was adopted by the Comanche af...

This week, Jess will wrap up the bonkers ride that was the Roger Wheeler case!

The investigation into the murder of Roger Wheeler highlighted significant corruption within the Boston FBI and the involvement of the Winter Hill Gang, including notorious mobsters like Johnny Martorano, Whitey Bulger, and Stevie Flemmi. In 1994, sealed indictments for racketeering were issued against several gang members, leading to Martorano's ...

In the complex landscape of organized crime, the murder of Roger Wheeler was orchestrated primarily by Johnny Martorano and involved significant players from the Winter Hill Gang, including Whitey Bulger. Martorano, known for his violent reputation and loyalty to the gang, ultimately accepted the contract. The motivations for his murders were often rooted in loyalty rather than financial gain; betrayal was met with lethal consequen...

Last week, Jess started us down the rabbit hole that was Roger Wheeler’s unalving…The investigation into his death identified three potential motives: armed robbery, kidnapping/extortion, and the most likely scenario of a contract killing. The police quickly dismissed robbery since Wheeler had significant cash and credit cards still on him. The detectives at the scene, including Michael Huff, arrived amid heavy traffic to find Whee...

This week Jess dips her toes into the world of organized crime…or does she? 

Roger Wheeler, a prominent businessman in Tulsa, was unexpectedly murdered in 1981, sending shockwaves through the community. The assassination occurred in the parking lot of Southern Hills Country Club, with no clear motive or suspects at the time. It wasn't until 1997 that the truth emerged: the 16-year-old murderer linked to the notorious Winter ...

The Murrell Home, located at 19479 E Murrell Rd, Park Hill, OK, is the only antebellum plantation house still standing in the state. Built in 1845 by George Michael Murrell, a wealthy white planter married to Minerva Ross, the home is one of the few surviving structures from the antebellum period in Cherokee lands. The Murrell family, allied with the influential Ross family, moved to Indian Territory around 1839. The plantation, or...

Rodeos are BIG here in Oklahoma. We are the Horse Show Capital of the World, after all. When you mention rodeos in Oklahoma, two things come to mind; Garth Brooks’ famed song and Lane Frost.

Lane Clyde Frost, born on October 12, 1963, in Lapoint, Utah, was raised in Kim, Colorado, before moving to Oklahoma, where he developed a passion for bull riding at a young age. The son of Clyde and Elsie Frost, he began riding calves at five a...

And now, the end has come...

On February 18, 1936, during Day 7 of the trial, Phil Kennamer testified before a packed courtroom. Dr. Karl Menniger recalled his earlier testimony, stating he believed Phil was insane when he ended John Jr., citing a psychopathic personality. Dr. E.A. Werner, who examined Phil multiple times, concurred, noting Phil couldn't grasp right from wrong at the time of the murder. When Phil took the stand,...

Are you ready for the trail of the 1930s?? Buckle up, buttercups, because here it is! 

In the investigation surrounding Phil Kennamer, a decoded note from Lee Krupnick to Preston Cochran, originally from Phil, raised questions about Pat's reliability and potential future murders. (whew, did you get all that?) Lee, working for both Phil and the TPD, is allowed to smuggle notes to gather more information. The correspondence re...

This story just keeps getting twisted and thicker…Tiff left us at part 2 with Phil’s friend, and Virginia’s little brother, being the cause of the street lights being out…the streetlights on the street John Gorrell Jr was found, deceased with two gunshot wounds to the head…

Phil's past behavior and childhood history raised concerns about possible mental health issues, with some suggesting sociopathic tendencies or neurodivergent thi...

Last week, we cousins learned of the tragic and mysterious death of John Gorrell Jr, Thanksgiving Night 1934. When we left off, Flyod Huff, of Kansas, had just finished telling KCPD Chief Higgins a story straight from movies…He knew who had killed this young man in Tulsa, OK…

Philip Millholland Kennamer, born on July 26, 1915, in Madill, OK, grew up in Tulsa during the 1920s and 30s. The youngest son of District Judge Franklin E...

Well, Tiff has done it again! Inadvertently, she has chosen a topic that led her down a rabbit hole, resulting in a multi-parter…so here’s part 1…

This is a captivating account of a murder that took place in Tulsa in 1934, deeply entwined with the societal dynamics of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The story centers around the tragic death of 21-year-old John Gorrell Jr., who was discovered shot in his car shortly after...