Strange Matters Podcast

This episode of Strange Matters presents a historical mystery known as the Persian Princess.  In November of 2000, an amazing discovery was made when a police raid in Pakistan turned up a mummy.  Though already highly unusual, what made this case even more astounding was the fact that this new mummy appeared to be unique from every other mummy ever found before.  This new found mummy was claimed not to be an Egyptian, but instead an ancient Persian princess who lived 2,600 years ago. At first appearances, It looked as if this was the find of a lifetime. However, after an investigation was launched to determine the legitimacy of this so called Persian Princess, the story on this historic marvel suddenly would take a dark turn.

In this episode of Strange Matters a number of legends and myths that all come from various Native American cultures are presented and discussed. The Thunderbird was a mighty bird which was said to have the power to create thunderstorms.  Depending on the particular tribe’s version of this mythical creature, the Thunderbird could either be a protective force or a deadly menace.  Even more interesting about this legendary creature is that there are still sightings and encounters with mysterious giant birds across America to this day, leading some to believe in the existence of the Thunderbird. Much like the Thunderbird, the legend of the Little People is one that is seen across a wide range of Native American societies. Though extremely short in stature, the Little People would prove to be a big problem to many tribes, with their antics ranging all the way from simple pranks… to murder. Finally, two creepy legendary creatures of the night are discussed. The Keelut was a skinless dog which possessed an evil spirit.  This dark beast would stalk its prey through the snow, paralyzing and attacking anyone who was unfortunate to see it.  The Baykok were once warriors and hunters of the Ojibwa who died in disgrace.  Now, their restless spirits continue to roam the lands, hunting their living tribesman in the night and devouring them alive. Enjoy this episode all about the legends and myths of the Native American people!

This episode of Strange Matters covers the unique case of a missing Polish woman named Katarzyna Zowada.  Katarzyna was a young college student who would suddenly go missing without a trace or clue in 1998.  For years her disappearance puzzled law enforcement, until a gruesome discovery was made that transformed this story from a simple disappearance, into one of the strangest and most disturbing crime cases of the country.  For decades, the fate of Katarzyna Zowada has remained perhaps the biggest criminal mystery in Poland’s history.  In this episode the dark tale of Katarzyna’s mystery is discussed, as well as the mystifying aftermath and the current fairs of the ongoing investigation.

Strange Matters is back! In our return episode the mysterious disappearance case of Yuba City is discussed, one of the strangest group vanishings in modern history. On a cold winter night in 1978, a group of five men known by their families as “The Boys” left a basketball game and presumably traveled back home.  Instead, for reasons unknown, they inexplicably drove into the mountains and would seemingly vanish into the snowy wilderness of the Sierra Nevada.  When the five friends remained missing, their concerned families alerted the police.  At this point law enforcement would launch an investigation that would provide more questions than answers, as everyone involved was left clueless the closer they got to solving this strange disappearance.

In this special two-part episode of Strange Matters several cases of mystery and murder are discussed, with each  disturbing story taking place on Halloween!  In the two parts of this episode four dark cases are presented, including the story of a man vanishing into the desert leaving behind only cryptic clues, a toddler stolen from her crib, an unidentified Jane Doe murdered, and even a deadly instance of Trick or Treat.   Enjoy listening to these disturbing and unusual Halloween cases of Mystery & Murder! Part II of this episode can be heard on Patreon for all of the supporters of Strange Matters!

In this episode of Strange Matters we present a collection of creepy and unexplained stories that have been sent in to us by our listeners.  In Part V of our Listener Story series, we share scary stories that include night terrors, dark figures like the Hat Man and Slenderman, and even human night prowlers.  Each of these stories involve personal encounters and experiences that can not be easily explained, and are sure to give anyone listening the chills. Thanks to our listeners Alex, Sara, Bri, Bobby, Josh, & Luke!   Click here to check out the rest of our Listener Story series!  

In this episode of Strange Matters we discuss a wide variety of creepy and unexplained activity all coming from British Columbia.  This region of Canada is well known for its long history of bizarre stories and events.  From UFO sightings, to haunted islands, and even its own legendary cryptid, British Columbia is a treasure trove for anyone who is interested in the strange and unusual.

To wrap up the month of September we have a special guest episode where we interview Stephanie Craig on one of her favorite legends, The Gates of Hell in Stull, Kansas. Stephanie is a fellow podcaster, traveler and history fanatic so be sure to check out her website www.historyfangirl.com. Stull is the very definition of a small town with just a few inhabitants and a small number of buildings within the city limits. However the lore that is interwoven into the history of Stull reaches far and wide, as it is said to contain one of the Gates of Hell. Its believed that on Halloween and the Spring Solstice the Devil comes to Earth through this gate to summon the spirits of those who died in violent ways. While some of the legends might be thought to be far-fetched, there are numerous rumors of strange encounters that have occurred on the cemetery property in Stull, including the demolishing of the church in a most mysterious manner.

Blair Adams was a seemingly normal man living in Canada, working at a construction company and appearing content in life.  One day, without warning, everything about Blair’s life mysteriously changed.   In just a few days Blair emptied his savings account, quit his job,  made several attempts to flee the country, all before being found dead half-naked in a parking lot in Knoxville, Tennessee.  What caused his sudden paranoia,  who he was running from, and the ultimate motive for his bizarre death is still unknown to this day. What caused this man to turn his life upside down without warning?  What scared Blair so badly that he did everything he could to escape Canada, and then to keep running once he did.  Who killed Blair, and for what reason?  This episode discusses the unusual story behind this case, and the popular theories behind the many strange events that happened in Blair Adam’s final days.

Albert Fish is one of the most horrific serial killers of all time. Despite an alleged lower kill-count than other notorious killers, the brutality of his crimes takes him to an all new level. He is most famous for his quote: “I like children, they are tasty”. However as a boy, Fish was set up for failure. With a family history of psychiatric illness, significant childhood trauma and even physical trauma to his central nervous system, he would go on to develop a sadomasochistic desire for pain. His numerous paraphilias developed over the years along with his bizarre religious delusions. This could be the darkest episode we have ever done at Strange Matters Podcast.

Located in the northeast region of Wisconsin, the Summerwind Mansion is one of the oldest and most popular tales of a haunted house in America.  Beginning in the early 1900s, several owners who have lived at Summerwind have experienced unexplained and disturbing paranormal activity.  From ghostly apparitions, creepy voices and shadow figures, corpses found in hidden crawlspaces, and the house’s apparent ability to change its shape, the Summerwind Mansion remains as a favorite scary legend among the locals. Though the house is now just a site of burnt ruins, the mansion had a dark history of paranormal events.  Three different owners experienced strange and disturbing occurrences during their stay.  The first owner, Robert Lamont, was so startled by the sudden appearance of a spirit that he fired his pistol at it.  The Hinshaw Family lasted only six months before being driven away by the wide range of disturbing and frightening experiences, to the point that the husband and wife had mental breakdowns.  Finally a man named Raymond Bober wrote a book detailing his time staying at the mansion, claiming that the dimension and layout of the house would change overnight without any explanation. Is there any legitimacy to the claims of the haunting at Summerwind?  Are all these events just a coincidence, or is there something unknown underlying and tying together the plights of these three owners?  Listen in and hear all about this fascinating haunting!

Massive tax debt, divorce, the death of your brother, the collapse of your business… its enough to drive anyone mad. Ben McDaniel experienced all these things yet teetered on the edge of his sanity. To regroup he took a long sabbatical at his parents vacation home in Florida. During this period of recovery he rediscovered his lost passion of SCUBA diving. At Vortex Springs he began to log many hours of diving in order to gain an advanced certification. Vortex Springs had a checkered history. In the 90s, it has claimed the lives of many divers who thought themselves skilled enough to explore the deepest depths of the underwater cave. In order to prevent more deaths a gate was put up and a sign was posted at the entrance to ward off individuals who thought to highly of their own capabilities. McDaniel was one of those individuals. On August 18th he dove down into the abyss and never resurfaced. Most people immediately assumed he was simply another life to be claimed by the underwater cave but others suspect a variety of theories including murder and that maybe he even could have framed his own death to escape the burden of his previous life.

Around the same time that reports of the Mothman were surfacing, another mysterious creature had been sighted nearby. Encounters with a strange creature now known as Indrid Cold, a humanoid creature with strange features including an unusually large, frozen grin, were spreading around the area. While sightings were not as prevalent as with the Mothman, they were no less unsettling. Sometimes Cold would simply stare at passers-by, other times he would give chase and even engage in conversation. Just about everyone reports feeling at best, uncomfortable, at worst horrified for their life. However it is unclear at this time whether or not Cold actually possessed any nefarious intent or whether he was simply observing humankind. Furthermore no one truly understands Cold’s purpose for visiting our planet or whether or not this was even an alien in the first place. While some witnesses claim that Cold revealed all to them and even took them to their home planet, other simply report being terrified. Could this mysterious “Grinning Man” be an alien from another planet or even a government “Man in Black”? Is he a single entity or a community or species? Or was Point Pleasant West Virginia simply a hot spot for paranormal activity at time?

“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Wait what is that really? Oh no it’s following us, run for your lives!” This is probably what a young couple was thinking in Point Pleasant, West Virginia back in the sixties when they first encountered what is now well-known around the world as the legendary Mothman. There were practically no reports of similar creatures until 1966, when suddenly there were dozens of sightings of this horrific, flying abomination. Residents of this small town were so petrified they actually held a town hall meeting so that citizens could publicly express their concerns and share tales of their encounters. Since then similar sightings have been reported all over the world; all to often the sightings precede some sort of cataclysmic event, leading some to think that it is an omen of bad things to come. While it is not one of the most popular cryptids of our time, it certainly produces arguably more convincing evidence then others of its kind. Explanations for these sightings range from large cranes or owls all the way to angels, genetic hybrids and flying military machines, however we must accept that mankind may never know the true identity of the Mothman.

In this episode of Strange Matters the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Thelma Krull is discussed.  Thelma was a 57 year old grandmother living in Winnipeg, Canada.  On the morning of July 11th, 2015, she left for her usual morning walk.  At some point in her walk along quiet neighborhood roads and local parks, something unexpected must have happened.   As a result, Thelma Krull would never be seen again. The case of Thelma Krull is strange and unusual in several ways.  It is rare that an established member of the community could just vanish during the day while walking along public pathways.  Leaving virtually no evidence or clues behind, both family members and Law Enforcement were left with nothing but speculation on what happened to the missing woman.   To this day there is still no definitive answer as to what caused the sudden and unexplained disappearance of Thelma Krull.