Castles & Cryptids

Hello cryptic friends! We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding ways to stay cool during these crazy heat waves. This week Kelsey covers an almost unheard of case, the murder of Ricky McCroskey, where evidence collected by honeybees ends up being the break in the case that investigators need. Then find out how bees are being used  to help future forensic students at body farms. Alanna shares the story of Abraham Shakespeare, a kind and generous man who spent his last few dollars on a lottery ticket that ended up changing his life. Things take a dark turn a few years later when he dissapears after a family member receives a strange phone call. Find out who is to blame, and why does the motive so often come down to money?Tune in and hear about our latest movie recs, car troubles, cat tangents and what we have been up to lately. Happy listening and catch up with you all next time!Darkcast Network spotlight this week is Stop, Who Does That? 

Jambo Cryptic Crew, we missed you! Sorry there was no new show last week, we were dealing with things and thank you for your patience while we took that time. With much love but no further ado, let's talk folklore from Africa! The intro chat has some smattering of summer wedding tea, a peek into the Patreon tech problems like almost losing half of one host's audio, plus the bonus episode's topic of mystical places like lightning-prone lakes and ley lines so check that out now! Stories start around minute 19 so that no one has to add that in the comments! lolKelsey hits us with some Kenyan customs and rich cultural background,  cities and craftworks, even a show and tell of her own collection! The Show part will be on our site and socials. Storytime #1 : How Zebras got their Striped SkinSecond segment starts out commenting on Kelsey's Paws shirt, sorry but it stayed in so there. Then we can't help but talk about food in general, as most podcasters are fond of doing, why are we always starving on mic?? Food does feature in the folklore of course, so we chat about that to kick things off. Then on to two quick stories, The Leopard Famine and The Midnight Goat  Thief. Just what the hell is up with those hares, anyhow?Thank you so much for listening, supporting, and most of all, make sure to Keep it Cryptic!Darkcast Promos: Pod of Terror and Book of the Dead

We are back and not even technical difficulties could keep us away! Buckle up for a fun tangent filled ep, featuring interruptions by Gordo, many movie and tv show discussions as well as out usual shenanigans. Kelsey kicks things off with a listicle featuring many short tales of revenge and pranks, you may even find some inspiration. Next up Alanna takes a deep dive into the tale of the Bottle Conjuror, where a once in a lifetime performance promising to amaze, turns out to be an elaborate hoax that leaves the public baffled for decades. Closing out with the Riot That Never Was, a radio broadcast that caused a huge reaction and shocked a nation. We hope you enjoy this lighthearted ep, let us know what your favourite story was, Did you know that smelly usb sticks existed? Let us know! Until next time keep it cryptic!Darkcast spotlight Psychology of the StrangeIf you like the ep thumbnail check out redbubble.com/people/thomassciacca/shop they have tons of cool prints available!

EDIT: the audio was fixed from first publish, sorry! way too long lolWe are back, baby! Back and not taking a break for a bit so buckle up, it's monster hunting time!  If Bigfoot is the best at hide-and-seek, who or what else is out there, unseen and secreted away, underground, in a cave, out of sight? Tons of things, it turns out!Intro chat includes horror movies portraying podcasters, why passkeys/passwords are the worst and technology sucks, and other random thoughts, then we dive into Greek Myth! Ever heard of the Minotaur? And are mazes like labyrinths, could you have a corn labyrinth??Next it's on to some Norse lore, and the landvaettir land spirits that live in Iceland mostly. They guard the land and live in it too. To top it off, the Tatzelwurm! this mountain dragon dude has many names but only 2 little legs and big eyes! Like a Toothless, he kinda sounds cute, no? You can catch a peek if you are in the Alps, so bring your skis to see this mystical cryptid! Thanks for listening and tune in next time for true crime-pranks and petty hoaxes!Darkcast Promo of the Week: Conspiring to Argue

Welcome back for part 2 of our Peruvian true crime episode, this weeks segment features a complex case involving the deaths of 2 people, each of their stories cannot be told without the other.Sebastian Woodroffe had spent much of his life searching for spiritualism before he found deep connection with Indigenous culture and their plant based medicines. He spent years watching Indigenous healers and learning more about himself by ingesting ayahuasca, he now hoped to help his family members as well.Maestro Olivia Arevalo Lomas was loved by her community, a highly respected and recognized shaman in the Peruvian Amazon, her family hosted many ayahuasca retreats in Peru and had been helping Sebastian on his journey.Things take a drastic turn after their relationship turns sour and a public confrontation leads to both of their deaths. Follow along as we discuss what happens when mob mentality takes over, and what does it truly mean to get justice for the murder of a loved one?The world is a very complex place, not everything, and especially not true crime, is always black or white, or as simple as good guy and bad guy. As we said in the ep, our hearts are with both of the victims families.Thanks for listening, we love you all and please take care of yourselves. Until next time keep it cryptic!

Hey cryptic crew, we return with Kelsey's Peru true crime case pick, the case of Ruth Thalia and the game show The Value of the Truth. Should have probably called it, the truth hurts and yes, it's a rough one. A popular game show had just premiered in Peru for the first time, having been successful in many other countries already. The nature of the game is asking the contestant many questions before the show, picking some of the most gotcha questions in the show. Designed to embarrass the person, or at least cause some drama, it sparked anger in some until her very life was taken. This tragic story is the first of our 2-part Peru double-feature, it ran long and so did Alanna's so that will be dropping within the week for you beautiful people! As always more bonus episodes available on Patreon.com for the low price of 2$ at our starting tier. We just put out a Missing Persons May bonus. Keep it Cryptic!

It's gonna be May! Okay, okay, we shall cease and desist with the boy band GIFs and on to the show! All over Europe and other areas we celebrate May Day, Beltane, Walpurgis night, whatever you call it it's all about fire, coming together, and making babies! Or new life, shall we say, new beginnings. First spring has sprung. So we dive into some celebrations and traditions from Bavaria, Germany, Scandinavia, which mostly call it Walpurgis night or some variation, and celebrate a Saint, a She-saint in fact! Then we get into Beltane, the Celtic pagan holy day, and have some fun, fire and feasts with Goddesses and Green Men. Put on your flower crowns and grab a maypole for this festive, fertile, fire-filled episode! No Fire Fest Fiasco here my friends, just good times and good intentions! Happy May-ing!Sorry for the late posting, we are doing our best and putting up a new Patreon ep as well so watch out for that! Happy Listening!