A Study of Strange is for lovers of true crime, mysteries, and high strangeness. Each week, host Michael May investigates the unknown, from bizarre crimes and unsolved murders to hauntings, urban legends, lore, cryptids, and unexplained phenomena. The mission is simple: debunk common misconceptions, uncover hidden details, and explore the most unusual unsolved stories from history. Along the way, listeners hear from occasional guests like writers, entertainment industry insiders, and the occasional random oddball who all add fresh perspectives to these strange and dark histories. Michael May is a filmmaker and performer known for producing films like Ghosts of the Ozarks and Fun Size Horror, and for hosting the true-crime automotive series Auto/Biography and Auto/Biography: Cold Cases on Motortrend TV.
In 1925, Cora Stallman's body was discovered in a cistern on her sister's farm. Despite the coroner's findings, that she had not drowned and showed minimal signs of physical injury, her death was swiftly ruled a suicide. This case, the strangest ever featured on A Study of Strange, remains a provocative unsolved mystery. It involves many cryptic details like threatening letters, a coded diary, suspici...
On October 28, 1943, the USS Eldridge allegedly vanished from the Philadelphia Naval Yard, creating a legend of teleportation, time travel, and government cover-ups that refuses to die. This popular legend dominates historical mystery TV shows, podcasts, and forums, but how did the story really begin? This episode dives into the strange letters sent to UFO author Morris Jessup, the mysterious figure who called himself Carlos Allend...
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is considered one of the most haunted sites in the U.S. due to a history marked by death and tragedy, including a fatal accident involving children. For over a century, visitors have reported unexplained phenomena, often linking these occurrences to the true, tragic stories of those who died at the Lighthouse. From apparitions, shadow people, and poltergeist activity, this place allegedly
Re-release of a classic episode.
Considered to be the first American serial killers, Micajah and Wiley Harpe were born in North Carolina in the mid to late 1700s and became notorious for their violent crimes in Kentucky and Tennessee. They are known for committing a series of brutal murders. We dive into the fascinating and dark history of the Harpe Brothers, their crimes, and the rumors and legends that have grown up around them.
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Three weeks after the grisly Black Dahlia murder, Los Angeles was hit with another brutal homicide. This time with a message scrawled in red lipstick across the body. How did Jeanne French end up the victim of a crime that remains unsolved all these decades later, and was the case related to the Black Dahlia?
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/
Instagram: @astudyofstrange
Website: www.astudyofstrange.com
Five women were found brutally murdered in the Cumminsville area of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the early 20th century. The serial killer was never caught, the murders remain unsolved, and no viable suspects were ever questioned, which is especially strange because multiple women survived the assailant's attacks. The one detail witnesses noticed was that the killer wore a "slouch hat." The area where the murders took place was...
For centuries there were accounts of a ghost haunting the English estate of Raynham Hall. They were just rumors until a photograph published in Country Life magazine in 1936 appeared to capture the specter known as "The Brown Lady," and it is arguably the most famous picture of a ghost ever taken. But is it real?
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/
Instagram: @astudyofstrange
Website: www.astudyofstrange....
Known as "Buryatia's Dyatlov Pass”, the Khamar-Daban incident is a bizarre mystery which saw experienced hikers become victims of an invisible horror. Unlike Dyatlov, this incident had a survivor, but that doesn’t mean that there are more answers. This is a real-life tale of inexplicable death, that came about instantly, that will leave you questioning everything.
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain...
The brutal 1841 murder of Mary Rogers, the beautiful “cigar girl”, inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write The Mystery of Marie Roget. Poe himself attempted to solve the mystery of the heinous crime while writing the story, but the case is still unsolved. From rowdy gangs to secret lovers, this episode examines the primary suspects and how a media frenzy shaped the public's opinions.
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrai...
Was a mysterious fungus behind the Salem Witch Trials? Drew Hannush from the podcast "Whiskey Lore" discusses his research into Salem, particularly the rye madness theory aka ergotism. Drew emphasizes the need for continuous inquiry, the interconnectedness of history and spirits, and the difficulty of understanding historical events through a modern lens. Dive into the mysteries of one of the darkest moments of early Americ...
A Rerelease of a classic episode with Dearly Departed's Scott Michaels. Scandal rocked the small town of Beverly Hills, CA in 1929. At a massive mansion built by an oil tycoon's son, Ned Doheny, two men were shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide. Almost 100 years later, no one can tell you exactly what happened that night because the case is full of rumors including a love affair, a coverup, and the inclusion ...
What happens when the world’s most destructive weapons simply vanish? In this episode of A Study of Strange, we investigate the chilling history of missing nuclear weapons aka “Broken Arrows.” From a hydrogen bomb lost off the coast of Georgia, to a U.S. jet that slipped into the Philippine Sea with a live warhead onboard, to Cold War rumors of suitcase nukes gone missing in Russia.
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain....
Deep in Canada’s Northwest Territories lies Nahanni National Park, a beautiful remote wilderness only accessible by boat or floatplane. Nicknamed The Valley of the Headless Men since 1908 after two Métis prospectors, Frank and Willie McLeod, were found decapitated at their camp. In the years after, more headless corpses were discovered. Drawing on old newspapers and modern research, we explore whether geography and harsh weather ex...
A Study of Strange explores the most riveting mysteries from the Golden Age of Piracy including why everything we know about pirates may be wrong. Topics include La Buse's hidden treasure, Anne Bonnie's fate, and the notorious pirate Henry Every's disappearance.
Goonies Never Say Die.
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/
Instagram: @astudyofstrange
Website: www.astudyofstrange.com
Hosted by Michael May
Em...
A rerelease of a classic episode of A Study of Strange about the most notorious account of poltergeist activity in Canada. This infamous paranormal mystery involves Esther Cox, a young woman who began experiencing unexplainable events including objects moving, physical attacks, and fires starting on their own. These strange occurrences were reported on extensively, but they're still debated to this day.
On September 20, 1988, 19‑year‑old college student Tara Calico left her Belen, New Mexico home for a morning bike ride and never came back. This episode examines the haunting 1989 Polaroid that made this case a national obsession, witness accounts of an old pickup truck, and the recent breakthroughs in 2023. Tara Calico's case is a bizarre, true-crime mystery.
With special guest, filmmaker, Robert Cannon.
Theme Music by Matt Glas...
The internet promises answers to everything, but it creates more mysteries than most care to admit. In this episode of A Study of Strange, we dive into four of the web’s most cryptic mysteries.
Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/
Instagram: @astudyofstrange Website: www.astudyofstrange.com
Hosted by Michael May
Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com
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When my nine year old son said, “I want to be on your podcast and hear about UFOs,” I proceeded as any dedicated podcaster would: by recording this episode.Great Mountain UFO Encounters looks at some of the early unidentified anomalous phenomena in the beautiful state of Vermont, before sharing the terrifying abduction claim known as the “Buff Ledge Abduction”. One of the most famous UFO accounts from Vermont.
Theme Music by Matt Gl...
In this chilling episode of A Study of Strange, we look at the terrifying real-life mystery that inspired A Nightmare on Elm Street: unexplained deaths of healthy Southeast Asian men who died suddenly in their sleep. Known as “Asian Death Syndrome” or Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS), this phenomenon was first noted in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Was it genetics, trauma, or nightmares themselves?
Theme Mus...
A summer re-release of a classic episode! On July 10th, 1967, 25 year old mother of three, Leota Camp, was found by her young children, stabbed and bleeding in a small bedroom of the family’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. There was no sign of a robbery, forced entry, or sexual assault. In short, there doesn't seem to be a motive, and the attack happened when family and neighbors were within earshot. The murder of Leota Camp still h...
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.