PODCAST · society
TRUE
by Imperative Entertainment
TRUE features the often weird but always true stories of strange events and unforgettable moments. Each episode explores unusual, obscure, sometimes funny, sometimes creepy stories. Stories that are so bizarre that you won’t believe that they’re real… but they are, because, yeah, they’re TRUE. New episodes published every Tuesday morning.
Episodes
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Special Preview Episode: Elizabeth the First. The Boss Who Played Queen
Here’s your special preview episode of the new series Elizabeth the First – about the remarkable life of Elizabeth Taylor. In our preview, Elizabeth Taylor overcomes unthinkable loss and rises as the biggest movie star on the planet. She uses this power to negotiate a legendary payday for her...
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Ep 94 Mad Marathons
Anyone can start a marathon, but not everyone crosses the finish line. Whether you’re competing against other runners or perhaps a horse, while running underwater, or with a glass of wine in hand, it really doesn’t matter as long as you give it your best. Some marathons are serious and proper,...
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Ep 93 The Company
Andrew Thornton II had everything. He was born into a wealthy family in the bluegrass state of Kentucky, went to the best schools, and had all the opportunities in the world ahead of him. He wanted to serve his country, so he joined the US Army. He wanted to serve his community, so he joined the...
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Ep 92 Murf the Surf
Professional surfer, glamourous jewel thief, convicted murderer, reformed evangelist. Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy’s life took on many forms. Yet, Murf the Surf was best known for his daring robbery of rare gems at the Natural Museum of History in New York City in 1964, which turned him into a…
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Ep 91 The DC Sniper (Part 2)
During a 3-week period in October 2002, a team of snipers went on a killing spree in and around the Washington DC area. Bizarre clues were left at several crime scenes, including a tarot card with the words “Call Me God”, adding a chilling twist to an already twisted case. With 17 people already...
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Ep 90 The DC Sniper (Part 1)
In October 2002, residents of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC became targets for a team of snipers. The two-person group was responsible for killing 17 people and injuring almost a dozen more. The kill team was well trained and stayed well hidden, making them incredibly difficult to locate…
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Ep 89 The Chowchilla Kidnapping
In July 1976, the small town of Chowchilla, California was rocked by the largest mass kidnapping in US history. A school bus carrying 26 students, along with its driver, was ambushed by a group of armed men. They were taken to a remote rock quarry and stripped down to their underwear. Each one…
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Ep 88 John from Manchester
When police in the UK received a panicked phone call from a teenage boy in the summer of 2003, it seemed fairly routine. His friend had been stabbed and was in need of medical attention. Authorities were told it was a random, unprovoked attack, but that could not have been farther from the truth....
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Ep 87 The Black Magic Cult
In March 1989, when a 21-year-old student from Texas went missing while on spring break in Mexico, it sparked a federal investigation on both sides of the border. The search led authorities down a bizarre and gruesome rabbit hole of mysticism and the occult that included everything from drug...
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Ep 86 The Somerton Man
When a man was found dead on a South Australia beach in 1948, it kicked off one of the most bizarre cases that country’s authorities had ever seen. With no identification and all the labels cut out of his clothing, police did find a torn piece of paper with two mysterious words. The words led to…
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Ep 85 It's a Booby Trap!
They can be high-tech or unsophisticated, but either way, the purpose of a booby trap is the same, to surprise the target. In 2002, a retired engineer in Belgium thought he would surprise his estranged family with not one, but 19 hidden traps around his house. Each one was lethal and each one was...
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Ep 84 The Tylenol Murders
In the Fall of 1982, taking something as simple as a pill for your headache could have been fatal. That’s because someone was tampering with Tylenol capsules and filling them with cyanide. When it comes to risky pain relief treatment, taking an over-the-counter pill usually doesn’t rank at the…
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Ep 83 Boom!
There’s something both terrifying and fascinating about explosions. Basic curiosity demands that we see what’s going on, while our survival instinct tells us to run. When a fireworks factory in the Netherlands went up in flames back in 2000, onlookers thought the multi-colored sparks and smoke...
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EP 82 Freak Accidents
There are accidents and then there are freak accidents. The difference is that when it comes to freak accidents, the victim will never see it coming. Whether you’re lying in bed, eating a carrot, sitting on the toilet, or out for a quiet day of fishing, it doesn’t matter how many safety…
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Ep 81 The Triplets
Have you ever been mistaken for somebody else? It’s one thing to share a resemblance, but what if the likeness is so uncanny that you could be a twin. In the case of three strangers in New York, it turned out they were actually identical triplets who had been separated at birth. The heart-warming...
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Ep 80 It Stings!
As long as criminals have been breaking the law, authorities have been coming up with clever ways to catch them. From dressing up in ridiculous disguises to developing sophisticated technology, there’s apparently nothing law enforcement won’t do to get their man. What’s even more incredible than...
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Ep 79 The Locked Room
If you’re a fan of reading murder mysteries, you might be familiar with the concept of a ‘locked room’ scenario. It’s when the victim is killed under seemingly impossible circumstances, leaving the reader questioning how the perpetrator was able to get away with it. It’s essentially the literary...
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Ep 78 Rillington Place
For over a decade during the 1940s and 50s, an unassuming man named John Christie was quickly becoming one of Britain’s most infamous serial killers. He hid the bodies behind the walls of his apartment, under the floorboards, and in the garden. But it’s not just the murders that makes this one of...
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Ep 77 Wait, You're Not Dead?
It must be a strange experience to wake up one day to find out that you’ve been declared dead. It’s something that celebrities know well. From Paul Rudd to Jeff Goldblum, it can’t be pleasant to find out the news outlets have killed you off. It’s not just the misinformation they have to deal with...
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Ep 76 The Principality of Sealand
It started as a military outpost in the middle of the North Sea, but the small British stronghold once called Fort Roughs would soon become the world’s smallest nation – sort of. It might not be recognized as a sovereign country, but the Principality of Sealand has seen its share of international...
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Ep 75 The Nice Old Lady
From the 1920s to the 1950s, nothing was more fashionable for the rich and famous than adopting a child. Unlike the Hollywood fairytale endings, thousands of children during that time were bought and sold in a real-life baby black market. For decades, the undisputed boss of that underworld was a...
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Ep 74 Spite Houses
When neighbors disagree, it can often be the start of some pretty serious passive aggressiveness. Anonymous notes, dirty looks, and all-around juvenile behavior often ensues. But if that’s the most it escalates, consider yourself lucky. You could have a neighbor who decides to build a spite…
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Ep 73 Killer Movies
Who doesn’t love a good movie? Whether it’s a romcom or an action adventure, sometimes there’s no better escape from reality. Behind the scenes, however, the reality is that movie making is a pretty risky business. From crewmembers being eaten by sharks to actors literally losing their heads for...
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Ep 72 Miss Unsinkable
When it comes to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, sometimes making it out in one piece comes down to good old-fashioned luck. In maritime history, the award for luckiest person goes to a woman named Violet Jessop. She not only survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but she also...
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Ep 71 Deliciously Deadly Floods
If you've ever been in the North End of Boston on a hot day, you might have noticed the sweet smell of molasses. That’s because in January 1919, over 2 million gallons of the sticky liquid burst from a massive holding tank killing 21 people and injuring more than 150 others. Over 100 years later,...
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Ep 70 The Curious Murder of Greg Fleniken
In 2010, the body of 55 year-old Greg Fleniken was found inside a hotel room in Beaumont, Texas. It was initially assumed that he died of a heart attack. After all, he tended to enjoy life to the fullest, and there was no sign of foul play. When the medical examiner started the autopsy, he…
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Ep 69 Olympic Scandals
The Olympic games have always been the ultimate competition. It showcases the very best of human athletic achievement. But what happens when scandal overshadows epic performances? From a marathon runner who rode as a passenger in a car for most of the race to a skier who made the Olympics by...
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EP 68 The Reykjavik Confessions
In 1974, police in Iceland were dealing with two separate disappearances in just the span of months. In a country where violent crime was almost unheard of, the pressure was on to solve both cases. With no bodies, eyewitnesses, or forensic evidence, authorities were getting desperate for a lead....
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Ep 67 Dupont de Ligonnes Murders (Part 2)
It was one of the largest manhunts in the history of French law enforcement. In 2011, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes vanished after murdering his wife and four children and burying them in the backyard. Authorities were confident he hadn’t left the country, but after years of searching, he was nowhere...
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Ep 66 Dupont de Ligonnes Murders (Part 1)
When a family of 6 and their 2 dogs went missing from their home in France in April 2011, authorities were stumped. When they checked the house, there was no sign of a disturbance and everything was neat and orderly. Police thought the family had simply gone on vacation. That was until a letter...
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Ep 65 Killer Cruises: The Costa Concordia
In January 2012, over 4,000 passengers and crew boarded the Costa Concordia cruise ship for a week of fun off the coast of Italy. The luxury ship was called “the Ferrari of the seas” and like any sport vehicle, you have to see what it can do every now and then. That is, of course, unless it’s a...
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Ep 64 Nuns on the Run
Like everyone else, even nuns just want to have fun. After devoting their lives to helping those in need, it’s hard to blame them for wanting to let loose every now and then. Some sisters find peace along the Las Vegas strip, trading Rosary beads for casino chips. But their holy connection…
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Ep 63 Sir Alfred
When it comes to air travel, no one enjoys long layovers or flight delays. Now imagine being stuck inside an airport terminal not just for a few hours, but for years. That’s exactly what happened to a traveler who ended up stuck in France’s busiest airport for an incredible 18 years. Even more...
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Ep 62 Ice Cream Truck Wars
Behind the innocent jingles and delicious frozen treats, the beloved ice cream truck isn't always what it appears. In the 1980s, criminal organizations in Scotland used the friendly neighborhood vehicles to conduct drug deals and sell stolen merchandise. Like any typical gang, protecting your…
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Ep 61 I Solved My Own Kidnapping
When Carlina White was a child, she was kidnapped from a hospital by a woman disguised as a nurse. It was 1987 and the case would make history, becoming the first infant abduction from a hospital in New York. It took over 20 years to solve the mystery of her disappearance and it wasn’t police or...
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Ep 60 The Herrin Mine Massacre
Coal mining is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Explosions, collapses, and flooding are just some of the ways a miner could lose their life on the job. But in the early 1900s, not being a member of the coal miner’s union could get you killed just as easily. The Coal Wars, as…
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Ep 59 The Gimli Glider
On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 lost power to both engines half way through its flight. The Boeing 767 with 69 passengers and crew onboard was flying at over 40,000 feet when the incident occurred and the chances of survival were not looking good. Without power, the flight crew would have...
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Ep 58 Order of the Solar Temple
With the motto "Money, Sex, and Joy", you could be fooled into thinking that being part of The Order of the Solar Temple sounds fun. Their motto might have sounded attractive, but the strict rules, complete loyalty, and oh yeah, dying at the whim of your leader might be a turn off. In October…
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Ep 57 The Watcher
When the new homeowners arrived at their dream house, they were touched to find a welcome letter in the mailbox. It was such a thoughtful and old-fashioned custom for 2014. But what they read was terrifying and marked the beginning of a nightmare that lasted for years. "Allow me to welcome you to...
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Ep 56 Game Show Scandals
It’s all fun and games … until you get caught. In the 1950s, game shows were all the rage. Producers were under immense pressure to make the shows entertaining to keep audiences tuning in. They quickly realized the guaranteed way to create drama was to rig the outcome. But when a disgruntled...
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Ep 55 Father Schmidt
As a boy growing up in Germany in the late 1880s, Hans Schmidt enjoyed some pretty disturbing past-times. If he wasn’t hanging out at the town’s slaughterhouse mesmerized by the carnage, he was slicing the heads off animals just to watch the blood flow. Years later, as a priest within the ranks…
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Ep 54 What's in the Freezer?
Ever since the invention of the freezer, people have been using it for imaginative ways to store stuff. Why not? Why would you expect to find anything other than frozen dinners and stale ice cubes in there? But if you need safe and secure storage for things you don’t want people to find, there’s…
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Ep 53 The Gardner Museum Heist
When two police officers arrived at the side entrance of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the early hours of March 18th, 1990, the night guard buzzed them in. They said they were responding to a disturbance call and had a few questions. Before he had time to react, the officers had him in...
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Ep 52 The Astronaut
It’s incredibly rare for astronauts to make headlines for anything other than their epic space adventures. But in 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak changed that when she drove 900 miles across the country to threaten her astronaut ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. With a successful career in the US Navy…
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Ep 51 The Circleville Letters
Like any small community, it's hard to keep anything secret. But in the late 1970s, the quiet town of Circleville, Ohio found out just how deadly secrets could be. In a series of anonymous letters that brings new meaning to the old saying, the pen is mightier than the sword, a mystery writer used...
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Ep 50 I Solved My Own Murder
In the only known case where a ghost helped police solve her own murder, the Greenbrier Ghost is not the only time the deceased have spoken from beyond to identify their killer. In their online blog, a victim documented the minutes leading up to his murder. And when a Russian spy was poisoned by…
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Ep 49 The Race of Insanity
In 1968, while most of the world was looking toward space as the new frontier, a group of adventurers back on earth was embarking on an intrepid voyage of their own. The goal was to be the first person in history to sail around the world solo…. non-stop! It was called the Golden Globe Race and...
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Ep 48 In Hot Pursuit
Most people have watched a high-speed police chase on television. There’s excitement and drama, but most of all, it’s the anticipation of how and when it will end that captures our attention. While most pursuits conclude with the driver pulling over and surrendering, some end in such spectacular...
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Ep 47 Welcome to the Jungle
It can be a zoo out there, especially in the world of crime. Just when authorities think they’ve seen it all, they’re reminded that, no, they really haven’t. In 2018, a man was kidnapped and held for ransom in a hotel room… by an alligator. Not weird enough? How about a parrot that helped put a...
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Ep 46 Strange Last Days
When the events leading up to someone’s death raise more alarm bells than the actual cause of death, you know there’s a rabbit hole just waiting to be explored. The more chaotic and random the victim’s movements are prior to their demise, the more challenging it can be to put the pieces together....
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
TRUE features the often weird but always true stories of strange events and unforgettable moments. Each episode explores unusual, obscure, sometimes funny, sometimes creepy stories. Stories that are so bizarre that you won’t believe that they’re real… but they are, because, yeah, they’re TRUE. New episodes published every Tuesday morning.
HOSTED BY
Imperative Entertainment
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does TRUE have?
TRUE currently has 97 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is TRUE about?
TRUE features the often weird but always true stories of strange events and unforgettable moments. Each episode explores unusual, obscure, sometimes funny, sometimes creepy stories. Stories that are so bizarre that you won’t believe that they’re real… but they are, because, yeah, they’re TRUE. New...
How often does TRUE release new episodes?
TRUE has 97 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to TRUE?
You can listen to TRUE on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts TRUE?
TRUE is created and hosted by Imperative Entertainment.
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