Ivan the first Tsar of Russia is sometimes thought of as a madman, a psychopath whose paranoia leads to some horrible acts being brought upon those he declared to be enemies. Although in the early years of Ivan IV's reign, he could be better described as, Ivan the soon-to-be but not at the moment, terrible. In part one of our two-part episode on Iv…

We talk about a few ghost-y stories we have, read a scary story (The Mystery of the Semi-Detached by Edith Nesbit), and talk a little bit about where trick-or-treating comes from. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the showBy Matthew & Marissa

Project MKUltra was a series of illegal experiments carried out by the CIA that were designed to test the effects of drugs and how they might be weaponized. We discuss this and a little about white room torture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=776lDlNopJU&t=79s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fDAOFgye1M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc …

In what is called one of the biggest mysteries of the American Old West, the Bender family fled from suspicion and a looming search of their homestead... and nobody can agreed on what happened to them. This search would result in finding the bodies of many people who had gone missing in the area, but what happened, and who were these... Bloody Bend…

Throughout our history, there have been terrible weather events that have impacted history, and solar eclipses have had a special place as well, as frightening and unexpected events. In this episode, we'll discuss a few of these events. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the…

Taking a turn toward the bizarre this week, we discuss the marathon monks of Mount Hiei where monks walk 24,000 miles to clarify their mind and spirit. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: https://www.trailrunnermag.com/people/culture-people/the-marathon-monks-of-mount-hiei/ http…

This week, we explore some weird ways rulers have died throughout history. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the showBy Matthew & Marissa

From a chance detour, we came across the Sidna Allen House. Then into the wormhole on this week's episode about the Hillsville Courthouse Massacre, a bit of forgotten Appalachian history. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: https://theroanoker.com/interests/history/hillsville-ma…

Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar was responsible for the deaths of 1/3 of her people during her reign, through a series of campaigns to avoid Westernization. This Queen of Madagascar will go down in history for her bloody reign. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the show…

H.H. Holmes (real name Herman Webster Mudgett) was an American con artist, bigamist, and serial murderer. His gruesome deeds made him famous, and the newspapers expanded that fame. People know the story of his murder castle, where gruesome tortures, dissections, and murders supposedly took place. But when you look at the story as a whole, what is a…

In a shocking case that captured the attention of the nation, the West Memphis Three were sent to jail for a crime they.. didn't commit. The final part of our Satanic Panic series. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: http://proclaimjustice.org/?fbclid=IwAR28GsnooHLvVthG13yp6C7qV…

If you want to learn more about the Satanic Panic, "aideperbacam ot netsil." Oh wait... "listen to Macabrepedia." Backmasking is hiding messages in songs when they're played backward... and that caused a lot of trouble once upon a time.... Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: Jud…

In this entry, we discuss the McMartin Pre-School case and the rise of ritualistic child abuse accusations of the 1980s and 90s. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R21tWs-qCw https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wpJHaSIGEDby9ZipHKhWp?si=f56bb073671…

Today's entry is the first in a series—the series of the Satanic Panic. In the decades of the 80s and 90s America was rife with accusations around satanic rituals and murders brought on by the power of the devil. In recent years Stranger Things, Critical Role and other pop culture media have increased the visability of D&D. Role playing games have …

Back after a break for mental health and professional development, we discuss a few grieving practices around the world, along with more personal stories. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the showBy Matthew & Marissa

Bloody Mary is a child's horror game, played in the dark while staring into your own dark and gleaming eyes... perfect for a sleepover. But it does have some messed-up origins. Join us for this episode that was originally uploaded to our Patreon. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com S…

The Marquis de Sade is known for his lurid and debauched erotic works, but there was more to him. Join us as we add this bizarre entry Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: Alyce Mahon Reader in Modern and Contemporary Art History. (2020, October 23). Marquis de Sade: Depraved mon…

In the early 20th century, the mountains of West Virginia were home to a series of conflicts that turned bloody and violent, owing in part to a group of hired guards who would evict miners, destroy property, and murder. Join us as we cover Bloody Mingo, the Matewan Massacre, the Battle of Blair Mountain, and the Paint Creek/ Cabin Creek strike. Twi…

In this entry you get to hear one of the rarest sounds to happen in Macabrepedia HQ, Matt knocking over his drink and ruining the carpet and furniture. Oh also, we discuss 5... kind of more like 6 or 7 of the worst, and somewhat obscure, jobs the poor could have in the 19th century. Including leech collecting, sewer hunters, chimney sweeps and more…

How common is the insanity defense? And what has it been used for? With a special focus on Charles Guiteau, who was responsible for the assassination of James Garfield, president of the United States. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: @Macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: Brown, D. N. L. (1991, June 7). PMS defens…

The Axeman of New Orleans terrorized... well, New Orleans, in the early 20th century. This guy wrote beautiful letters and committed terrible murders during this time in American history when axe murdering seemed like the thing to do if you were homicidally inclined. Wrapping up our Man from the Train series also. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia …

This infamous unsolved ax murder event from Germany has it all... murder, a haunted house, wrong place at the wrong time, incest, and more. Part 5 of our TMFTT series on ax murders that may belong to one murderer. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: James, B., & James, R. M. C. (…

Marissa takes us through the hollows (hollers) of the Virginias as we continue chugging along tracing back a couple of the earliest murders associated with "The Man From the Train" by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: James, B., & James, R.…

Clementine Barnabet and her supposed Voodoo cult were responsible for several murders in 1911-1912 in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Or were they? Some of these ax murders are attributed to the Man from the Train... and there are some similarities, but there are also some rituals and strange happenings that don't seem to be connected. Part 3. T…

Continuing with our ax murder series, these unsolved cases involve bloody murder and opportunistic murder weapons. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com Ref: AZLyrics - request for access. AZLyrics.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/twiztid/seria…

Who committed the Villisca ax murders in 1912 Villisca, Iowa? This unsolved case involves the bloody murder of two adults and six children while in their beds. Was it a local senator? A cocaine addict? A reverend? The main from the train? We speculate in this entry. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrep…

You may have heard of bodysnatchers Burke and Hare, but they were far from the only ones who engaged in selling dead bodies for coin. We talk about them but also the Ghoul of Richmond, Ben Crouch, resurrectionists in the United Kingdom, and more. Join us as we add this entry into our Macabrepedia. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macab…

Female pirates may have been the minority, but they were just as awesome. Ching Shih has been called the most successful pirate ever, though she's joined by infamous pirates Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and more. Join us as we add another entry. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support t…

Today we're talking about spiritualism. Wait, what? Spiritualism deals with seances and trying to contact spirits after death. There was a lot of fraud and some debunking, and Houdini even promised he'd escape death if it was possible. Let's talk about that. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@…

When a skull is found in David Attenborough's garden in 2010, a Victorian murder is wrapped up. Julia Martha Thomas hired Kate Webster to be her maid in 1879, but with this, she made a fatal error. Join us as we add this entry. Ref: Dark Crimes S5E9 The Richmond Case Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabre…

P.T. Barnum certainly made a name for himself with the bizarre. We're touching on Joice Heth, General Tom Thumb, Commodore Nutt, Grizzly Adams, Cheng & Eng Bunker, and other famous sideshow acts. Inspired by our own recent trip to an Oddities expo, we talk about some of what inspired these expos and trends. Reference: Karn Evil 9- Emerson, Lake & P…

Typhoid Mary was a woman named Mary Mallon. Mary infected 50 people and was responsible for killing 3 by infecting them with typhoid fever while working as a cook, but she was innocent of everything except carrying germs... the first time. The second time, Mary was guilty of murder. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Emai…

There have been 266 popes, but some of them weren't the best role models. During the Cadaver Synod, Pope Stephen VI dug up one of his predecessors to stand trial. Find out more about the absolute worst popes in history. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the show…

Mary Ann Cotton murdered 3 husbands, a mother, a friend, a lover, and many children. She's the subject of a children's nursery rhyme, and she was so despised.. that the newspapers used one of the first instances of airbrushing to make her look more like a monster. How many husbands and babies did Mary Ann Cotton have, and did she have any descendan…

Martin and Susan Defoor are found nearly decapitated in their bed in July of 1879. The axe is found in the house, but the murderer proves hard to pin down. This entry discusses this unsolved murder in 1800s Atlanta, GA. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com Support the show…

If you can think of it, someone has died that way. From a daredevil who slipped on an orange peel to death by molasses, history is littered with people who have died strange and unexpected ways. We'll talk about just 10 of these in this entry. Ref.: Bryant, C. W. (2009, March 9). 10 bizarre ways to die. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved January 31, 2022, fr…

When beauty goes missing, people notice. In the early 1840s, Mary Rogers worked as a cigar girl. Her beauty brought customers in, making this the most popular cigar shop in NYC. But when she went missing... and a body turned up a few days later... speculation ran wild about who killed this beautiful cigar girl. Join us as we add another entry. Stas…

Georgia Tann was the director of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, TN. While there, she stole kids from the poor to sell to the rich... forging records and leaving devastated families along the way. Join us as we add another entry into our Macabrepedia. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macab…

Petronilla de Meath was the first woman to be burned for witchcraft in Europe in 1324, taking the blame for her employer Alice Kyteler. Centuries later in 1895, Bridget Cleary was the last woman burned to death from superstitions involving witchcraft, faeries, and a changeling... but hers has a sad, dark twist that comes from her family trying to h…

Bathsheba Spooner was the first woman to be executed in the United States after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. She was five months pregnant when she was hanged along with three men she conspired with... to murder her husband. Listen and find out more. Bathsheba Spooner: A Revolutionary Murder Conspiracy: https://www.amazon.com/Bath…

Burying a loved one is always a sad day, and it can be an emotional and trying time. But hopefully, the burial goes off without a hitch! That's because there are plenty of people behind the scenes making sure the grave is prepared for burial and maintained afterward. In our first interview, we talk with one of these people: Nicholas White. Nick is …

Jesse Pomeroy was the youngest person in Massachusetts to be convicted of first-degree murder. The first time Jesse was first arrested for his violent behavior, he was just 11 years old. And at 14-years-old, he was arrested for murder. Join us as we discuss. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@…

Continuing our segment on the history of the treatment of mental health, let's look at some treatments that have been historically used to help or "help" people like lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and more. Most are still being used in some form! Kreston, R. (2019, May 17). Pyromania! on neurosyphilis and fighting fire with fire. Discover Magazi…

What is the history of mental health services and the places that provide them? Let's find out! Suffer the little children. (1968). BBC Mental A History of the Madhouse. (n.d.). Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1800 Support the show…

"Lizzie Borden took an axe...." So begins the children's rhyme about two brutal murders that shook New England. Who was Lizzie Borden? Why did she kill her father and step-mother? Let's find out! Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1800 Support …

During the stages of death, the body goes through a series of processes that can help determine cause of death. What happens during corpse decomposition? Also! What are your options for after you die? Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod Email us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1800 Sup…

When travelers start disappearing in Galloway, nobody knows why until a husband and wife are pulled from their horse in front of dozens of travelers. This leads them to the worst cannibal family in the history of the country. But, did Sawney Bean really exist? Was this story grossly exaggerated, or did his family do what their legend famously says?…

Countess Elizabeth Bathory is famous for how she tortured and killed for pleasure, and it's been said that she bathed in and drank the blood of young virgin girls because she believed it would help her stay young. The Blood Countess of Hungary is said to have killed over 600 girls, and she even holds the Guinness World Record for the most prolific …

William Palmer or "the Prince of Poisoners" is known for poisoning his friend John Cook after Cook won big at a horserace in 1855. But he also lost his wife, five children, a mother-in-law, his brother, his uncle... and the bodies piled up. Did he poison them all? What evidence is there? Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepedia Instagram: @macabrepediapod…

When Jack the Ripper stopped his murder spree without being caught, people were left wondering where he went. When a prostitute in NYC is murdered and mutilated, the Chief of Detectives is under a lot of pressure to find the killer. Did Jack the Ripper go to NYC? Plus! A special reading of The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe just in time for Hal…