Strange Matters Podcast

In this episode we discuss the legend of the Navajo Skinwalker – a shapeshifting Native American witch that has reached the highest tiers of priesthood. These terrors are known to chase cars at remarkable speeds and are frequently seen spying through windows of homes in order to strike fear into their victims. The Navajo people almost universally accept the existence of these poltergeist-like creatures however sightings are rare and usually limited to those of the Navajo nationality. What is this strange menace? Is it fact or fiction? Tune into this episode and learn a little bit more about the Skinwalker!

On this episode of Strange Matters we will be discussing two mysterious murder cases in Erdington, England. These particular murders share a striking number of similarities to each other.  The victims had the same birthday, were killed on the same day, died under similar circumstances, and whose bodies were discovered almost in the exact same area.  One might believe the murders would obviously be the work of a serial killer. However… the two murders took place 157 years apart.   In 1817 Mary Ashford’s body was found drowned in a pit near her home.  The main suspect, Abraham Thornton, had been alone with her most of the night.  He was found with blood on his undergarments, his boots were a near match to those found at the scene of her death, and earlier suggestive comments made the night earlier led many to believe he had harmful intentions towards Mary. In 1975 Barbara Forrest was dropped off at a bus stop to return home after a night of fun.  She never was seen actually getting on the bus however, and after a week of her missing Barbara’s body was found in a shallow ditch.  This time the main suspect was a man named Michael Thornton, a co-worker of Barbara.  He was also found with blood on him and a faulty alibi for that night. Despite what looked like obvious motives and evidence, both men were acquitted of all crimes and let go.  The deaths of both young ladies remain a mystery in Erdington to this day.  What’s even stranger are the striking similar circumstances surrounding this case. Could there be some type of connection between these two murders?  Is this the work of a copy cat killer who was trying to duplicate the famous murder that happened over a century ago in the Erdington area?  We discuss all the possibilities to these two bizarre murder cases and why we think this mystery is so fascinating! iTunes | Stitcher Like and Follow us on our Facebook Page & Twitter  

Battle of Berlin, April 1945.  The last major European offensive of World War II. As Soviet troops push into the German capital, a defeated Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his underground bunker… Or did he?  In this episode of Strange Matters we discuss the claims that Adolf Hitler not only survived the battle and escaped Berlin, but went on to live for years afterwards hiding in multiple countries.  Sean presents the known facts leading up to Hitler’s supposed death, and the evidence supporting the existing fate of the German dictator.  Ethan then goes on to show the clues that could point to the case that Hitler in fact did escape Berlin, and the likely path he took on his way to freedom.  Investigators have discovered a possible escape route Hitler could have used to slip away from the Soviet and American armies.  New evidence may also show that many in the Nazi high command managed to escape from Germany and stay hidden in several South American countries. Could Hitler really have escaped from the Red Army surrounding Berlin? If so where did he go and what was he up to?  Or is it all just false leads and Hitler actually died in his bunker?  Listen to the episode and let us know what you think! Listen to us on iTunes | Stitcher | Podbay Visit and Follow us on our Facebook Page & Twitter

In our latest Strange Matters short, Eric discusses the mysterious exorcism of Anneliese Michel. This young lady was raised in a family of devout Catholics, however she eventually began experiencing strange symptoms including auditory hallucinations and a strange aversion to religious symbols. As her violent symptoms continue to spiral out of control she eventually finds a priest who is willing to attempt an exorcism. After numerous exorcisms the unimaginable happens. What really happened to Anneliese Michel? Was she truly possessed or was this simply an extreme case of psychiatric instability with a taste of religious fanaticism? Check out this episode and form your own opinions! Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Podbay Visit and follow our Facebook Page & Twitter

This Strange Matters Short is all about the Wendigo, the legendary Native American man-eating creature.   This episode continues our series on cryptozoology, the study of beings that are considered myths and legends.  The Wendigo is a tale that was told for generations by the Algonquian people who inhabited the northern regions of the U.S and Canada.  This bizarre creature was supposedly a terror that haunted the local tribes. Hiding in the frozen woods of the North and attacking their villages, the Wendigo would kill and devour men, women, and children.  Even stranger than the story of the Wendigo is the disturbing mental disorder that plagued the Algonquian people.  This so called “Wendigo Psychosis” would spontaneously drive members of the native tribes to kill and eat anyone around them. Is there any legitimacy to this mysterious and terrifying monster?  Why were the Algonquian people so obsessed with the possibility of falling into the practice of cannibalism?  Could the Wendigo monster really just be a tall tale describing the acts of those who became mentally ill and driven to eat their fellow tribesman?  Listen to this episode and hear all the theories about this strange creature! If you like this episode check our our earlier discussion on the The Chupacabra! Background & Ambient music can be found by artist on Cryo Chamber Listen on iTunes | Stitcher | Podbay Visit and follow our Facebook Page & Twitter

In this episode of Strange Matters we delve deep into the past and discuss two mysteries that have gone unsolved for ages.  First Eric presents the bizarre phenomenon of the Ever-Burning Lamps.  These strange lights have appeared in multiple places and times in history, and are claimed to be able to burn for centuries.  Though there is no physical evidence of a working lamp, there are many written records of such devices.  Are they some form of magic or supernatural ability, or are they a precursor of advanced scientific instruments? Next Sean discusses the disastrous and apocalyptic event that is known as the Late Bronze Age Collapse.  Suddenly and violently, the high empires and nations of the Bronze Age completely collapsed without warning, every major city in the Mediterranean area left in ruins.  This is considered by many historians to be the worst societal and technological collapse in human history.  Just what caused so many advanced civilizations to fall into oblivion at nearly the same time?  Listen to our episode and decide which theory you think is most likely! iTunes Stitcher Facebook Page Twitter

In honor of the New Year’s holiday we are taking a break from our serious research and did things a little different.  To start off the year we put together a fun fight-to-the-death style tournament made up of 16 of our favorite monsters and villains from movies, myths, books, and more!  Sean and Eric debate which monster should win each fight, with Ethan judging on who gets to move on until we crown the winner of the tournament… the monster of all monsters! Did your favorite monster make the list? Do you agree with how the fights turned out? Which fight between what two monsters would you most want to see?  Let us know what you think! iTunes Stitcher Facebook Page

In this episode of Strange Matters we discuss our favorite apocalyptic events that could bring about the end of the world as we know it! Ranging from interstellar disasters to super volcanic eruptions and even a man-made nuclear event, we go over just what would happen to Earth if one of these catastrophes were to strike, the possibilities that it could happen, and how life on this planet would be effected. Which apocalyptic event is the most disturbing? Which is the most likely for you to survive? Let us know what you think of these disasters, along with any others that interest and scare you! Disclaimer!! We had some audio problems during the beginning of this episode, Eric’s mic wasn’t working correctly for about the first half before it kicks back in so some of his early audio is a bit distorted, hopefully you can still listen to the episode without much problem! iTunes Stitcher Our Facebook Page

In this episode of Strange Matters we discuss the infamous Roswell Incident, where a mysterious crashed aircraft of unknown origins was discovered near an Air Force base in New Mexico. In the summer of 1947 a farmer came across a pile of debris scattered on the ground that appeared to be some kind of craft. Local Air Force officials came to inspect and recover the materials and claimed it was simply a crashed Weather Balloon. Though many believed the explanation, there are some who came to believe that this was the first evidence of a crashed Alien space craft.  As UFO hysteria swept the country, many others in the Roswell area claimed to see other signs of alien activity, including claims of spotting dead aliens at other crash sites. We here at Strange Matters go over the big stories and claims made my both sides, the Government and UFO enthusiast alike.  Is there any chance that this was in fact an alien craft?  Or was it simply just a experimental Air Force balloon? Listen to the episode and let us know what you believe of this bizarre tale! iTunes Stitcher Facebook Page

In the early spring months of 1922, an entire family was found murdered at their isolated farmstead.  The bloody bodies were discovered in the farm and house of Hinterkaifeck, but no sign or clues to the killer’s identity could be found.  Once the local police started to investigate this horrible and disturbing crime, even more mystery began to surround this bizarre case. In this episode of Strange Matters the facts of the case along with any theories as to who committed this crimes are discussed.  Was this the act of a jealous ex-husband returning from the grave? A psychotic serial killer? Or just a not-so-friendly neighbor? Listen and decide for yourself which theory is the most likely as to who could massacre an entire family and get away with it.   Check out our facebook page and our Twitter iTunes | Stitcher Ambient music from musicians at CryoChamber

In this episode Sean and Ethan discuss the emerging and strange new science of replacing biological body parts with new or improved artificial ones.  The upcoming technology of bioprinting allows scientists to use 3-D printing to create anything from new blood vessels, artificial skin to cover burns, or even an entirely new organ ready to be transplanted.  Also the field of bionics is coming to a point where soon people can replace damaged or missing limbs with completely bionic replacements.  These new artificial appendages use smart technology and state of the art mechanics to produce a prosthetic limbs that is just as good as the one you were born with.. and perhaps in the near future they will actually be superior!   Whether it be 3-D printed organs or bionic limbs, this new technology will have a big impact in the near future! Let us know what you think, would you be willing to replace your body parts with those grown in a lab or made in a factory to improve your way of life or even to just get that slight physical advantage? iTunes | Stitcher Strange Matters Facebook Page & Twitter  

In this episode we discuss the legend of the mythical Chupacabra! This popular cryptid comes from Puerto Rico and has been blamed for the bloody deaths of hundreds of livestock.  Starting in the 1990’s, words quickly spread among the farming villages of a strange animal killing livestock.  This unusual lizard/dog like creature is famous for sucking all the blood out of animals before disappearing completely.  Hundreds have claimed to have seen this creature, but the chupacabra has never been captured. Still no proof that the chupacabra actually exists and is not just an urban legend blown to an international scale. For this episode Sean gives the background and history of this bloodthirsty animal and the guys discuss the main theories and ideas behind the legendary cryptid.  Please leave feedback and your own thoughts on the Chupacabra along with any other areas of Cryptozoology you would like us to cover! Facebook Page iTunes link Stitcher link

Our very first episode! For our introductory episode we present three cases of mystery and intrigue. In this segment of The Strange Matters Podcast each of us tells a mysterious tale of unsolved disappearances. These cases leave behind some clues as to what happened but no one can be sure of the ultimate fate of those who have vanished. Sean discusses the strange & creepy circumstances surrounded the Eilean Mor Lighthouse, where three lighthouse keepers suddenly vanished without leaving a trace. The few clues that were left behind only puzzled those searching the island more.  Whether the men were lost to weather or perhaps to something more sinister is anybody’s guess. Eric presents the case of Zebb Quinn.  This teenager was acting erratic right before he was last seen, and there has been no solid leads as to where he is or if he is still alive.  Unfortunately for Zebb his childhood ‘friend’ who last saw him alive may have had more cause in his disappearance than he has ever admitted. Finally Ethan brings us the story of the infamous Lost Colony.  Several years after being settled, relief ships found the town completely abandoned, the structures remained but no signs of life could be found.  One of the only clues left behind was the famous carving of the word “CROATAN” into a nearby tree.  What could cause an entire colony of new settlers in America to vanish without any trace? We discuss all the possibilities, from Native massacres, starvation, to even a poor attempt at amateur boat building to sail back to England… Thank you for listening to the first episode of Strange Matters, we hope you enjoy listening to this mysterious tales of unsolved disappearances.  Please leave any feedback and suggestions for this and future episodes! iTunes link Stitcher link Facebook Page & Twitter