December 19, 2025 • 11 mins
Return to the darker side of December with five more devastating Christmas-season crimes that shocked communities and destroyed families. From mass murderers striking on Christmas Day to unsolved disappearances and near-miss massacres, this episode exposes the tragedies hidden beneath holiday cheer. Blending deep historical research, detailed trials, and Strange History’s signature humor, Part II continues the chilling holiday series you didn’t know you needed.
🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
Submit your ideas for The Strange History Podcast
Follow The Strange History Podcast wherever you listen and never miss an episode. 🔗 Listen & Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
iHeartRadio
Audible
New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Strange History Podcast, where we deck
the halls with darkness and seasonal despair. If you thought
part one was rough, well, merry Christmas, because tonight we're
diving into five more devastating Christmas season crimes. Cases so
grim they make holiday fruitcake look downright comforting. These aren't
(00:22):
quirky burglaries or Santa related shenanigans. These are true tragedies, familicides, bombings,
spree killings, and horrors that unfolded beneath twinkling lights and
innocent expectation. So grab your emotional support, gingerbread Man, because
we are going deep again, straight into the shadowy December
(00:46):
nights where Peace on Earth failed spectacularly. But first, a
word from a holiday sponsor who asked us not to
judge their business model.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Frosty's Festive Funeral Services. Is your holiday spirit dead? Did
your Christmas cheer pass away mysteriously sometime in November? Try
Frosty's Festive Funeral Services, where we give your holiday burnout
the dignified, peppermint scented send off it deserves. Funeral options
(01:16):
include the Jolly Casket, the Silent Knight Urn, and our
most popular crementation Frosty's, we put the fund back in funeral.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
The Hughes family Christmas murders December twenty fifth, nineteen eighty seven, Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
On Christmas morning in nineteen eighty seven, police were called
to the Hughes family home in Dallas after neighbors noticed
the house was eerily silent. Inside, officers found a horrifying site.
Ronald Gene Simmons, a former military man with a history
of controlling behavior, had murdered his estranged daughter, her husband,
(01:56):
and their child. What made the case even darker was
that Simmons had already killed multiple family members days earlier
at his rural Arkansas home. Those murders had gone undiscovered,
allowing him to calmly drive to Dallas and continue the
slaughter on Christmas morning.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Simmons background reads like a slow building nightmare. He was authoritarian, paranoid,
and increasingly unstable. After leaving the Air Force after accusations
of abuse, he withdrew from society and began creating a
fantasy of absolute control over his family, a fantasy he
(02:39):
enforced with bullets. After his Christmas Day murders, Simmons returned
to Arkansas, and killed more people during a workplace shooting spree.
He ultimately murdered sixteen people, making him one of the
deadliest mass murderers in US history. His trial was swift.
Simmons refused all appeals, stating he won on it to die.
(03:01):
He was executed by lethal injection in nineteen ninety. His
execution was so non controversial that not a single relative protested.
Some even attended.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Holiday Life Coaches for dysfunctional families. Need someone to negotiate
your family gatherings? Does Uncle Bob turn every conversation into
a conspiracy? Seminar introducing Holiday Life Coaches, where we'll stand
behind you whispering things like breathe and maybe hide the
carving knives. Holiday Life Coaches because emotional support doesn't come
(03:35):
gift wrapped.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
The Leonard Lake and Charles Ung Christmas kidnappings December nineteen
eighty three, California.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
In nineteen eighty three, serial killers Leonard Lake and Charles
eng abducted the Dubbs family, Harvey, Deborah, and their baby
son Sean shortly before Christmas. The family vanished without a
trace until investigators later uncovered Lake Cabin compound, a doomsday
bunker filled with restraints, videotapes, and the remains of numerous victims.
(04:08):
Lake and Ung believed in a twisted survivalist ideology, fantasizing
about the collapse of civilization and their right to own women.
The Dubbs family, simply delivering a baby gift to a
friend crossed their path at the worst possible moment.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Leonard Lake, a former marine with apocalyptic fantasies, killed himself
upon arrest by swallowing a cyanide pill he hid in
his clothing. Charles Ung fled the country to Canada, sparking
the longest and most expensive extradition battle in North American history.
The trial lasted seven years and cost California over twenty
(04:50):
million dollars. Prosecutors presented videotapes showing the men assaulting victims,
along with journals detailing their deranged fantasies. Ung was convicted
of eleven murders, including those committed around Christmas nineteen eighty three,
and was sentenced to death. He remains on death row,
one of California's most notorious serial offenders.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Missus Claus's anger management workshops. Feeling ragy this holiday season,
want to scream into a stocking try missus Claw's anger
management workshops, where she teaches deep breaths, not deep cuts,
punching pillows not people, and her famous mantra, if Santa
can handle elves, you can handle your in laws.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
The Mixtday Christmas Disappearance December two thousand and nine, Fallbrook, California.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Just before Christmas two thousand and nine, the McStay family,
Joseph Summer, and their two young sons, vanished from their
southern California home. The scene inside was unsettling. Bowls of
popcorn left out, diapers untouched, clothing abandoned. It looked like
they had simply stepped out. For years, their disappearance remained
(06:06):
one of America's most haunting holiday mysteries. Their car was
found abandoned at the Mexican border, leading to speculation of
voluntary flight, but the truth was far darker. In twenty thirteen,
the entire family's remains were discovered buried in the desert.
They had been beaten to death.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Suspicion soon turned to Charles Chase Merrit, Joseph's business partner,
who owed him money and had a history of fraud.
Prosecutors revealed Merritt had forged checks from Joseph's account on
the very day the family disappeared, classic financial motive. His
trial stretched on for years. Merritt gave rambling courtroom speeches,
(06:50):
firing lawyers, re hiring them, and insisting he was framed.
Forensic evidence, however, tied him directly to the murders. He
was convicted on four counts of first degree murder and
sentenced to death in twenty twenty. The judge called the
killings wicked and vile.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Seasonal exorcists now offering elf removal is something possessing your
holiday spirit? Do you hear jingling when no one is around?
Call seasonal Exorcists, where we remove ghosts, demons, and hyperactive
elves with equal enthusiasm. We accept all insurances except gift cards.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
The Covena copycat plot. December twenty eleven, Los Angeles County.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Three years after the Covena Christmas Eve massacre, authorities uncovered
a terrifying copycat plot. A man named Stephen Agilar had
stockpiled weapons, ammunition, and a detailed plan to murder his
estranged family on Christmas Day, using almost the exact blueprint
of the two thousand and eight covena killer. His ex
(07:56):
girlfriend discovered the plans, including diagrams of the fan family home,
a schedule of Christmas activities, and purchase receipts for fuel
components meant to build a homemade flame thrower. Her call
to police likely prevented one of the deadliest Christmas crimes
in California history.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Agilar's background revealed escalating domestic violence, restraining orders, and threats.
He had fantasized about going out big, referencing Covina in
disturbing journal entries. During his trial, prosecutors revealed recorded conversations
where Agilar asked acquaintances whether they knew how Santa shotguns
(08:38):
could be disguised. He was convicted of multiple felony counts,
including attempted murder, weapons charges, and terroristic threats. He received
a sixty five year sentence, with the judge calling him
a massacre waiting to happen.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Jingle Bell Self Defense classes Want to stay safe this
holiday season? Take jingle Bell Self Defense, where we teach
you how to block with gift bags, strike with candy canes,
and weaponize wrapping paper. Sign up today your first Peppermint
Baton is free.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
The Walmart Christmas Eve shooting December twenty fourth, twenty twelve, Texas.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
On Christmas Eve twenty twelve, in a small Texas town,
a bitter child custody dispute spiraled into deadly violence. Rashan
Reid ambushed his ex wife and her new partner in
a Walmart parking lot, opening fire in broad daylight as
families hustled to finish last minute Christmas shopping. The scene
was chaos. Shoppers dove behind cars, parents shielded children, and
(09:42):
Christmas bags scattered across the concrete.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Reid had a history of domestic violence and had openly
threatened his ex, telling friends he would ruin Christmas forever.
He stalked the couple for days before attack. During the trial,
prosecutors introduced text messages, witness statements, and evidence of premeditation.
Reid showed little remorse, claiming he lost control, but surveillance
(10:12):
footage contradicted this. It captured him waiting in ambush for
nearly twenty minutes. He was convicted of first degree murder
and attempted murder, receiving life without parole. The judge addressed
him directly you turned Christmas Eve into a scene of terror.
This community will never forget what you did. And that
concludes Part two of our Darkest Holiday series.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
This episode is powered by Spreaker, the podcast platform designed
for creators, especially true crime podcasters who definitely do not
have fourteen tabs open researching nineteenth century poisons. With Spreaker,
you get recording tools, distribution, analytics, and monetization, all without
needing a PhD in audio engineering or the patients to
(10:57):
untangle holiday lights, because your podcast deserves better than being
recorded on your phone while hiding in the car.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
More Christmas horrors, more shattered families, More reminders that December
doesn't shield us from the brutality of human nature. We
don't tell these stories to break the season, but to
honor the lives affected, to learn the patterns, and to
understand why the world feels so different when tragedy strikes
during a time meant for peace. So hold your loved
(11:28):
ones a little closer, lock your doors, and above all,
stay warm, stay safe, stay strange.
Welcome back to the Strange History Podcast, where we deck
the halls with darkness and seasonal despair. If you thought
part one was rough, well, merry Christmas, because tonight we're
diving into five more devastating Christmas season crimes. Cases so
grim they make holiday fruitcake look downright comforting. These aren't
(00:22):
quirky burglaries or Santa related shenanigans. These are true tragedies, familicides, bombings,
spree killings, and horrors that unfolded beneath twinkling lights and
innocent expectation. So grab your emotional support, gingerbread Man, because
we are going deep again, straight into the shadowy December
(00:46):
nights where Peace on Earth failed spectacularly. But first, a
word from a holiday sponsor who asked us not to
judge their business model.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Frosty's Festive Funeral Services. Is your holiday spirit dead? Did
your Christmas cheer pass away mysteriously sometime in November? Try
Frosty's Festive Funeral Services, where we give your holiday burnout
the dignified, peppermint scented send off it deserves. Funeral options
(01:16):
include the Jolly Casket, the Silent Knight Urn, and our
most popular crementation Frosty's, we put the fund back in funeral.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
The Hughes family Christmas murders December twenty fifth, nineteen eighty seven, Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
On Christmas morning in nineteen eighty seven, police were called
to the Hughes family home in Dallas after neighbors noticed
the house was eerily silent. Inside, officers found a horrifying site.
Ronald Gene Simmons, a former military man with a history
of controlling behavior, had murdered his estranged daughter, her husband,
(01:56):
and their child. What made the case even darker was
that Simmons had already killed multiple family members days earlier
at his rural Arkansas home. Those murders had gone undiscovered,
allowing him to calmly drive to Dallas and continue the
slaughter on Christmas morning.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Simmons background reads like a slow building nightmare. He was authoritarian, paranoid,
and increasingly unstable. After leaving the Air Force after accusations
of abuse, he withdrew from society and began creating a
fantasy of absolute control over his family, a fantasy he
(02:39):
enforced with bullets. After his Christmas Day murders, Simmons returned
to Arkansas, and killed more people during a workplace shooting spree.
He ultimately murdered sixteen people, making him one of the
deadliest mass murderers in US history. His trial was swift.
Simmons refused all appeals, stating he won on it to die.
(03:01):
He was executed by lethal injection in nineteen ninety. His
execution was so non controversial that not a single relative protested.
Some even attended.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Holiday Life Coaches for dysfunctional families. Need someone to negotiate
your family gatherings? Does Uncle Bob turn every conversation into
a conspiracy? Seminar introducing Holiday Life Coaches, where we'll stand
behind you whispering things like breathe and maybe hide the
carving knives. Holiday Life Coaches because emotional support doesn't come
(03:35):
gift wrapped.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
The Leonard Lake and Charles Ung Christmas kidnappings December nineteen
eighty three, California.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
In nineteen eighty three, serial killers Leonard Lake and Charles
eng abducted the Dubbs family, Harvey, Deborah, and their baby
son Sean shortly before Christmas. The family vanished without a
trace until investigators later uncovered Lake Cabin compound, a doomsday
bunker filled with restraints, videotapes, and the remains of numerous victims.
(04:08):
Lake and Ung believed in a twisted survivalist ideology, fantasizing
about the collapse of civilization and their right to own women.
The Dubbs family, simply delivering a baby gift to a
friend crossed their path at the worst possible moment.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Leonard Lake, a former marine with apocalyptic fantasies, killed himself
upon arrest by swallowing a cyanide pill he hid in
his clothing. Charles Ung fled the country to Canada, sparking
the longest and most expensive extradition battle in North American history.
The trial lasted seven years and cost California over twenty
(04:50):
million dollars. Prosecutors presented videotapes showing the men assaulting victims,
along with journals detailing their deranged fantasies. Ung was convicted
of eleven murders, including those committed around Christmas nineteen eighty three,
and was sentenced to death. He remains on death row,
one of California's most notorious serial offenders.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Missus Claus's anger management workshops. Feeling ragy this holiday season,
want to scream into a stocking try missus Claw's anger
management workshops, where she teaches deep breaths, not deep cuts,
punching pillows not people, and her famous mantra, if Santa
can handle elves, you can handle your in laws.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
The Mixtday Christmas Disappearance December two thousand and nine, Fallbrook, California.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Just before Christmas two thousand and nine, the McStay family,
Joseph Summer, and their two young sons, vanished from their
southern California home. The scene inside was unsettling. Bowls of
popcorn left out, diapers untouched, clothing abandoned. It looked like
they had simply stepped out. For years, their disappearance remained
(06:06):
one of America's most haunting holiday mysteries. Their car was
found abandoned at the Mexican border, leading to speculation of
voluntary flight, but the truth was far darker. In twenty thirteen,
the entire family's remains were discovered buried in the desert.
They had been beaten to death.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Suspicion soon turned to Charles Chase Merrit, Joseph's business partner,
who owed him money and had a history of fraud.
Prosecutors revealed Merritt had forged checks from Joseph's account on
the very day the family disappeared, classic financial motive. His
trial stretched on for years. Merritt gave rambling courtroom speeches,
(06:50):
firing lawyers, re hiring them, and insisting he was framed.
Forensic evidence, however, tied him directly to the murders. He
was convicted on four counts of first degree murder and
sentenced to death in twenty twenty. The judge called the
killings wicked and vile.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Seasonal exorcists now offering elf removal is something possessing your
holiday spirit? Do you hear jingling when no one is around?
Call seasonal Exorcists, where we remove ghosts, demons, and hyperactive
elves with equal enthusiasm. We accept all insurances except gift cards.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
The Covena copycat plot. December twenty eleven, Los Angeles County.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Three years after the Covena Christmas Eve massacre, authorities uncovered
a terrifying copycat plot. A man named Stephen Agilar had
stockpiled weapons, ammunition, and a detailed plan to murder his
estranged family on Christmas Day, using almost the exact blueprint
of the two thousand and eight covena killer. His ex
(07:56):
girlfriend discovered the plans, including diagrams of the fan family home,
a schedule of Christmas activities, and purchase receipts for fuel
components meant to build a homemade flame thrower. Her call
to police likely prevented one of the deadliest Christmas crimes
in California history.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Agilar's background revealed escalating domestic violence, restraining orders, and threats.
He had fantasized about going out big, referencing Covina in
disturbing journal entries. During his trial, prosecutors revealed recorded conversations
where Agilar asked acquaintances whether they knew how Santa shotguns
(08:38):
could be disguised. He was convicted of multiple felony counts,
including attempted murder, weapons charges, and terroristic threats. He received
a sixty five year sentence, with the judge calling him
a massacre waiting to happen.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Jingle Bell Self Defense classes Want to stay safe this
holiday season? Take jingle Bell Self Defense, where we teach
you how to block with gift bags, strike with candy canes,
and weaponize wrapping paper. Sign up today your first Peppermint
Baton is free.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
The Walmart Christmas Eve shooting December twenty fourth, twenty twelve, Texas.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
On Christmas Eve twenty twelve, in a small Texas town,
a bitter child custody dispute spiraled into deadly violence. Rashan
Reid ambushed his ex wife and her new partner in
a Walmart parking lot, opening fire in broad daylight as
families hustled to finish last minute Christmas shopping. The scene
was chaos. Shoppers dove behind cars, parents shielded children, and
(09:42):
Christmas bags scattered across the concrete.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Background trial and sentencing.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Reid had a history of domestic violence and had openly
threatened his ex, telling friends he would ruin Christmas forever.
He stalked the couple for days before attack. During the trial,
prosecutors introduced text messages, witness statements, and evidence of premeditation.
Reid showed little remorse, claiming he lost control, but surveillance
(10:12):
footage contradicted this. It captured him waiting in ambush for
nearly twenty minutes. He was convicted of first degree murder
and attempted murder, receiving life without parole. The judge addressed
him directly you turned Christmas Eve into a scene of terror.
This community will never forget what you did. And that
concludes Part two of our Darkest Holiday series.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
This episode is powered by Spreaker, the podcast platform designed
for creators, especially true crime podcasters who definitely do not
have fourteen tabs open researching nineteenth century poisons. With Spreaker,
you get recording tools, distribution, analytics, and monetization, all without
needing a PhD in audio engineering or the patients to
(10:57):
untangle holiday lights, because your podcast deserves better than being
recorded on your phone while hiding in the car.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
More Christmas horrors, more shattered families, More reminders that December
doesn't shield us from the brutality of human nature. We
don't tell these stories to break the season, but to
honor the lives affected, to learn the patterns, and to
understand why the world feels so different when tragedy strikes
during a time meant for peace. So hold your loved
(11:28):
ones a little closer, lock your doors, and above all,
stay warm, stay safe, stay strange.
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