On August 25th and 26th, 1990, Alpine Valley Music Festival hosted 2 sold-out shows featuring headliner Eric Clapton, along with special guests, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, and the Robert Cray Band. Both shows played to 40,000 strong, and the second show ended with one of the most legendary collections of guiratists on one stage at the sam…

Authors Heather Bourget and Kristin Menth have conducted paranormal investigations in some of the most haunted places in the nation, all part of continuing their quest to discover the true answers to the questions of the unexplained. In their book, "Unlock the Unknown; Keys to the Paranormal," Heather and Kristin document their investigations in ma…

Wisconsin's thoroughfares are steeped in paranormal legend, often times having multiple roads being named in the nation's "Most Haunted" directories. Murder victims, bloody brides, phantom cars, family tragedies, and lynched witches all make up some of the colorful stories of our highways, byways, and bridges, some having endured for many generatio…

On Easter morning, 1994, 40-year-old Ruben Borchardt was murdered in his own home by 2 intruders. Ruben was a life-long resident of Jefferson County, well-known, liked and respected in his community. Ruben was a loving father and also a widower, losing his wife and mother of two of his children in a tragic car accident in front of the home that he …

The land on which Devil's Lake State Park sits on displays some of the oldest illustrations of human occupation in all of North America. The landscape still bares the work of hands of over a thousand years ago, and the legends and rich mythology of the Native Americans have lasted the test of time. Is it posssible that some of what modern civilizat…

In the summer months of 1789, during the public uprisings that would eventually turn into the French Revolution, the backlash against the French Royal family turned bloody as the family is captured and imprisoned in the medieval tower known as The Temple. King Louis XVI, Queen Marie-Antoinette, and their adolescent children, daughter Marie-Therese …

The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund is known today as the most documented case of supposed demon possession and exorcism in American history. Although occurring over several months in the small town of Earling, IA, the main players in the story - Anna Ecklund and the exorcist priest - were both Wisconsinites. The exorcism is famous today for its grueling …

On Chirstmas Day, 1977, 31-year-old Jerry Davies walked into the Madison Police Department and reported information that culminated in the most highy publicized trial in Wisconsin's history to that point. Just hours prior, Jerry participated in burying a human body in a frozen snowbank on the outskirts of Madison, and initiated an investigation tha…

In January of 1927, a large crowd of onlookers was gathering in a secluded woods outside of Platteville in an area where a search party had recently ensued for a missing person. Something had indeed been found, but just what was it that the crowd was hoping to see? The story of how authorities were led to this place, and the macabre scene in the wo…

In May of 2014, two young girls lured a third girl into the woods in a park in Waukesha and proceeded to set in motion one of the world's most talked about true crime stories of the last 2 decades. Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier's attempted murder of their friend Peyton Leutner sent shockwaves through Wisconsin, and shed light on the dark side of i…

We celebrate Halloween this year by sharing your stories told to us at the Great Lakes Paranormal Conference this past September. Many of you shared with Scott and Mickey your personal paranormal experiences, and we share them here, in your own words. Wisconsin has often been referred to as the most haunted state in America, and this episode will d…

The institution of slavery is the darkest stain on our nation. Wisconsin's role, in both its implentation and end, is not usually thought of as significant, though history tells a different story. As early as the 1830's, abolitionists in Wisconsin were building a network of resources to aid in shielding freedom-seekers from those who sought to stea…

On a cold, unseasonably snowy November night in Madison in 1947, two unsuspecting co-eds found themselves thrown into what has since become known as one of the most heinous crime sprees in our state's history. 25-year-old Carl Carlson and his 19-year-old sister-in-law, Janet Ann Rosenblatt, had met in Madison to attend the Badger vs Michigan footba…

Lead mining is one of the oldest industries in Wisconsin, and with it, comes some of the oldest tales and stories of the strange and bizarre. Mineral Point, and the hills of southwestern Wisconsin, is home to some of our most unique architecture, beautiful landscapes, as well as apparent centuries-old paranormal happenings. Although today this area…

On May 5th, 1886, a standoff between state militia and strikers protesting working conditions came to a climax outside of the Bay View Rolling Mills on Milwaukee's South side. After a hail of bullets, 9 people lie dead, and a state - and in due time, a country - would be forever changed. Scott and Mickey talk about this incident, known as the Bay V…

The Kettle Moraine State Forest is one of the crown jewels of our state. Roughly 60,000 acres of some of the most unique landscape in the world, molded and carved out by the last ice age. While its reputation for some of the best outdoor recreation in the country is well known, the Kettle Moraine has a much more mysterious side as well. For decades…

In episode 25, Scott and Mickey discuss the events of the tumultuous summer of 1987, when violent crime was rampant, and numerous women were abducted and later found dead throughout the state. We focus our attention on the murders of 3 women from the south-central region - Angela Hackl, Barbara Blackstone, and Linda Nachreiner. When the bodies of t…

In episode 24, Scott and Mickey discuss the somber case of the "Monfils 6," a high-profile trial of six men charged with the murder of their co-worker. On November 22nd, 1992, the body of Tom Monfils was found in a pulp vat at the James River Paper Company, where he had been employed for the previous 10 years. In what seemed like it should've been …

In Episode 23, Scott and Mickey discuss the mystery that is St. Nazianz, in Manitowoc County, WI. Founded in 1854 by a German immigrant priest claiming to have mystical powers bestowed upon him by The Almighty, St, Nazianz went on to become one of the most important communities in the nation in regards to Catholicism. After Father Oschwald's unexpe…

In episode 22 of Badger Bizarre, Scott and Mickey discuss the crime-ridden life of Edward Wayne Edwards and how he forever impacted a small community in southeast Wisconsin. In August of 1980, a young teenage couple in Fort Atkinson went missing and were later found murdered. For 30 years, their murder went unsolved, until a surpring tip was called…

Scott and Mickey discuss the very bizarre story of James Jesse Strang, founder of the now-defunct city of Voree, WI in Walworth County. Strang claimed to be the rightful heir to the leader of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, after its founder, Joseph Smith, was gunned down in 1844. After claiming he was shown where to find buried ancient texts in V…

The 2008 gun deer season was unlike any other in recent memory, with 3 human bodies being found in the woods by hunters throughout the state. Two of them were rather quickly identifed, while one, found in a frozen creek in Fond du Lac County, would lead investigators on a murder mystery they are still attempting to solve yet today. Hear the heartbr…

Scott and Mickey discuss the legend of the Lake Michigan Triangle, a section in the Great Lake that has been the site of many mysterious disappearances of ships, planes, and people for centuries. Generally defined as an area between Ludington, MI, Benton Harbor, MI, and Manitowoc WI, since the middle of the 19th century, countless strange events ha…

On February 18th, 1963, a quiet rural neighborhood in Green Bay, WI became the scene of one of the most horrific crimes in our state's history. 16-year-old Green Bay West HS student Harry Hebard came home early from school, gathered up weapons, and methodically killed every member of his household. Dead were his father, Jack Hebard, (37) his step-m…

Scott and Mickey discuss the fascinating saga of Laurie Bembenek and the murder of Christine Schultz. The trial in which Bembenek was convicted of the crime was one of the most prominent murder trials in history, creating an international media sensation before the days of OJ Simpson or cable television. Her subsequent escape from prison only added…

Scott and Mickey discuss the fascinating saga of Laurie Bembenek and the murder of Christine Shultz. The trial in which Bembenek was convicted of the crime was one of the most prominent murder trials in history, creating an international media sensation before the days of OJ Simpson or cable television. Her subsequent escape from prison only added …

In 1900, strange rock formations were found in the middle of Rock Lake, a lake directly bordering Lake Mills, and 4 miles from the ancient Native village of Aztalan. For well over a century, these formations have been debated by scientists and resarchers about who built them, how, and if they are manmade at all - or even extraterrestrial. Scott and…

Halloween is here and Scott and Mickey are celebrating by discussing Part 2 of the top 10 Most Haunted Wisconsin Sites, as collected by the most popular "Top 10 " lists. A compilation of haunted sites are discussed, including Summerwind Mansion, Hotel Hell, Shakers Cigar Bar, the Pfister, and more. The history of the various places is discussed, wh…

The Halloween season is upon us and Scott and Mickey are celebrating by discussing the top 10 Most Haunted Wisconsin Sites, as collected by the most popular "Top 10 " lists. A compilation of haunted sites are discussed, including Summerwind Mansion, Hotel Hell, Shakers Cigar Bar, the Pfister, and more. The history of the various places is discussed…

Scott and Mickey have a passionate discussion about the case of Randall Woodfield, the former draft pick of the Green Bay Packers who went on to become the infamous "I-5 KIller," one of the most notorious American serail killers in history. His time in Wisconsin is examined, including his time with the Packers in 1974 as well as with the semi-pro f…

Scott and Mickey discuss the anti-war protests during the Vietnam War as they occurred on the campus of UW-Madison. During the tumultuous 1960's, anti-war protests and demonstrations rocked college campuses across the nation, none moreso than those that happened in Madison. The Dow Day Riots are discussed, along with the act of domestic terror, the…

Scott and Mickey discuss the general history of organized crime in Wisconsin's beautiful Northwoods, specifically Hurley and its link to the Chicago Crime Syndicate. Familiar names in American True Crime synonomous with the Northwoods are examined, as well as one very familiar name known throughout the world that you likely may not have known was e…

Scott and Mickey are joined by Jim Cooper from the Midwestern Paranormal Investigative Network to talk about the paranormal angle to Peshtigo, WI. Scott and Jim conducted an investigation several years ago in Peshtgo, the site of the deadliest fire in American history. Scott and Mickey also chat with Craig Nehring of the Fox Valley Ghost Hunters, w…

In the 2nd of a 3 part series, Scott and Mickey discuss one of the most infamous dates in American history, October 8th, 1871. Of course, that is the date of the Great Chicago Fire, maybe the most famous fire in our nations history. Though on that very same day, and burning at the very same hour, was another fire 250 miles north, in the forests of …

In the first of a 3 part series, Scott and Mickey discuss one of the most infamous dates in American history, October 8th, 1871. Of course, that is the date of the Great Chicago Fire, maybe the most famous fire in our nations history. Though on that very same day, and burning at the very same hour, was another fire 250 miles north, in the forests o…

Scott and Mickey talk about the urban legend of Haunchyville, a supposed secret community of little people living in the woods outside of Muskego, in Waukesha County. What begins as a discussion about a tall tale, hard to believe on its surface and embellished by generations of teenagers, turns into an emotional telling of our own state's complicit…

Scott and Mickey have a longform discussion about one of the most bizarre and talked about murders in our state's history: The murder of the reclusive Kunz Family. On the night of July 4th, 1987, somebody walked into the Kunz household, killed 4 members of the family, while Helen Kunz, a 70- year-old mother and sister to the murdered, went missing.…

For 21 years, a serial killer terrorized a north side neighborhood in Milwaukee, often times working right under the nose of the Milwaukee Police Department. Suspected of killing at least 10 women, ultimately convicted of 7, Walter E. Ellis stalked those living in the seedy underbelly of the Cream City, preying on those often most vulnerable, strug…

Michael Lesy's 1973 book Wisconsin Death Trip examines the harsh lives of many Wisconsinites during the years leading up to, and just after the turn of the twentieth century. Murder, suicide, disease, and madness devoured the state, though the era was seemingly mysteriously forgotten until, in 1968, Lesy came across the work of former Black River F…

Known since the 1970's as the "most haunted house in Wisconsin," Summerwind Mansion's ghostly legends have dominated the Badger State's folklore for decades. Built in 1914 as West Bay Lake Fishing Lodge, it was converted into a summer home by Robert Patterson Lamont and his family in 1916. Lamont was a wealthy businessman and steel industry tycoon …

On August 15th, 1914, while Frank Lloyd Wright was away on business, an unspeakably horrific event occurred at his home, Taliesin, in Spring Green, WI. Frank's mistress, Mamah Borthwick, her 2 children, Martha (8) and John (12) were killed, along with 4 draftsmen and laborers, in a hatchet attack by a live-in house servant, Julian Carlton. In 1903,…