Are curses real, or are they only coincidence and suspicion? A look at beliefs about curses and their occurrence in local and state history.By Lucas Strough

The witching hour is upon us once again, listeners. 2020 has been a frightful year and I haven't done much work on the podcast. But if I'm going to record at all, it's going to be the annual Halloween episode. Tune in to hear a few tales of the dark, morbid and macabre...Happy Halloween!By Lucas Strough

For hundreds of years, Texans have been reporting sightings of strange crafts and alien visitors across the Lone Star State. Some of the most incredible of these encounters have taken place right here in East Texas. Tune into this episode of the Dispatch to learn about mysterious sightings, unexplained aerial phenomena and otherworldly visitors her…

The time of spooks and shadows has descended upon nowhere once again, listeners. In this third installment of my spooky stories episodes, tune in to hear six tales of ghosts, mysterious figures and the morbid, fascinating burial and mourning traditions of the South. Just in time for Halloween, follow me across Texas and the South with these macabre…

Murders leave a legacy. Even out here in the middle of nowhere, they leave echoes, reaching across time and through memory to haunt us. The stories of infamous murders are shared and shared again as a way of preserving the lives of those taken too soon, as a way of warning others and as a way of making sense of sudden tragedy. In this episode, I'll…

Some magic is born of necessity. Instead of a wand or staff, folks were more likely to use a forked twig or a piece of silverware. Instead of elaborate potions and elixirs, common people would use water, herbs and river stones. Instead of an ancient, leather-bound grimoire or tome, more people than you’d expect would look to the Holy Bible for spel…

For more than 200 years, Texas has used the death penalty to punish its worst criminals and to dissuade others from committing similar crimes. From hemp rope and gallows poles to lethal injection, the Lone Star State has made history in this grim practice and now executes more prisoners than any other state in the country. The practice has changed …

In 1999, a man named John Joe Gray was arrested near Trinidad, Texas. He resisted arrest and was booked but never returned for his court date. He returned to his property and fortified it into a compound. What followed was the longest armed standoff in US history. Tune in it this episode of the Dispatch to learn about the standoff, Gray's allegianc…

In October 2006, the burning body of a young woman was found on an oil lease road in Kilgore, Texas. For the next 12 years, investigators, internet sleuths and police searched for her name, her identity and her killer. Progress was made but never fully realized...until very recently. Tune in to this episode of the Dispatch to learn about the tragic…

It's the early 1840s in East Texas and a gang of gun-toting outlaws have taken over Shelby County. Led by a violent, bloodthirsty colonel, the band does as they please and punishes all who oppose them. The penalty for opposing Regulator rule is death and their only enemy, the Moderators, have been driven underground. But, as so often happens, corru…

Land feuds are among the oldest conflict known to mankind. The right to say "I am in charge here" is not earned easily. It is often bought with blood and tears. In the 1800s, there was a piece of land in Texas called the Neutral Ground. After Texas became a state, the name faded away, but its legacy remained. A place where bandits and bad men hid o…

That time of year has arrived again...when time begins to slow and things get quiet. Leaves die and fall, the air gains a sharp edge and our thoughts turn to old stories, the spookier the better. Last year, my friend Ashley and I read you some eerie stories to ring in our favorite holiday, Halloween. We had so much fun we decided to do it again. As…

There is something about the land out here. Strange things happen without explanation and then fade away, sealed by time and fading memories. But the scars on the land remain. A freak windstorm that came from nowhere. A mysterious blackout that plunged and entire town into darkness. Fires that burned vast stretches of prairie and forest alike. The …

In 1946, a mysterious wave of serial homicides fell upon the East Texas border town of Texarkana. Violence was not unknown in the town but this was something different. Young couples enjoying the moonlight on lover's lanes were being gunned down by an unknown assailant who stalked the backroads and shadowy places in the Piney Woods. To this day, no…

When you look into the woods...what looks back at you?Is there something out there, stalking through the pines? Since the beginning of history, mankind has given many names to a specific kind of beast that waits in the woods. The wild man. Sasquatch. Bigfoot.But there are other names. Names you might not know. Some of them come from right here, in …

When people hear the word "cult", they tend to think of doomsday groups or splinters of major religions, operating off the beaten path in secrecy and at the fringes of society. In reality, a cult is just a small group of like-minded people who sometimes twist holy scriptures to suit their own vision. One such group can be found right here in East T…

Just at the edge of the county line, at the edge of your thoughts, awaits a legend. All legends are true, I think, and they only become more real with each telling. Stories live and grow through the ways we share them. This is the way that myths, folk tales and legends are born.I went on a trip to visit a legendary place not far from me. The famous…

Nearly 20 years ago, a 3-year-old boy named Rebel McMahon was murdered by his mother in a small East Texas town. Although his mother was arrested and sentenced to prison, young Rebel's case never received much coverage in the media. His mother was an unstable criminal who should never have gotten the chance to do this evil deed, so why did it happe…

At the close of the 19th century, things were changing in the Old West. Roving bands of outlaws were still carrying out stickup robberies and train heists, but their days were numbered. One of the last and most infamous of the Old West robber gangs to terrorize the frontier was the Dalton Gang. This infamous band of outlaws went through numerous co…

There are many types of killers and good reasons to fear them all. Some kill as the result of an obsession, some kill for revenge, others seem to have no motive at all. One of the most disturbing types of serial murderers is the angel of death, a healthcare worker who uses their medical knowledge and access to patients to carry out a murder spree. …

Few things are as terrifying or taboo as cannibalism. What drives people to commit this unthinkable act? There are many reasons why people have resorted to cannibalism throughout history. Some were members of cultures which viewed the act as a ritual while others became focused on this act of depravity as the result of a criminal fascination. Whate…

As we step deeper into autumn, some say that the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead becomes thin, allowing communication with ghostly spectres and otherworldy beings. Whether or not you believe this is true, the feeling of the fall season lends itself well to stories of the macabre, the morbid and the downright spooky. J…

Some towns aren't quite like the others. You could say that about Athens, Texas. The tunnels beneath the streets, the monkeys that murder...there's a lot of stories about this town. Follow me into nowhere as I discuss some of the secrets of this strange little town in East Texas.By Lucas Strough

Welcome back to the Nowhere Dispatch. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Ken as he tells me about some paranormal encounters he had in his past. These types of stories always fascinate me because they seem so strange, yet to those who experience them, their reality is unshakeable. Science tells us that such things are not possible but it is…

On January 22, 2015, Kristiana Coignard lost her life after an encounter with the Longview Police Department. This case caught international attention as it occurred in the midst of a series of high-profile shootings of civilians by police officers. In this episode, I will tell you the story of how Kristiana lost her life and how I hope we can move…