Storyteller Podcast

In this chilling Part One of Storyteller, we dive into the haunting true story of Velma Barfield—later known as “Death Row Granny,” one of America’s most notorious female serial killers.What begins as a shocking phone call to a college student quickly unravels into a dark and disturbing past. When Ronnie Burke is told his mother will be arrested for murder, he has no idea the nightmare that’s about to unfold… or the role his own mother may have played.From Velma’s traumatic childhood in rural poverty—marked by abuse, fear, and survival—to her seemingly perfect marriage and family life, this episode explores the early years that shaped a killer. But everything changes after a life-altering surgery in the 1960s, when addiction, personality shifts, and prescription drugs begin to take hold.As her family life crumbles under the weight of Valium dependency, alcoholism, and emotional turmoil, tragedy strikes in a deadly house fire that leaves more questions than answers.Was it truly an accident… or the beginning of something far more sinister?This is only the beginning.In Part One, we uncover the origins of a woman who would later become one of the first women executed in the United States after the reinstatement of the death penalty—and the disturbing path that led her there.🔪 True crime, dark history, and psychological unraveling—this is a story you won’t forget.Follow Storyteller for Part Two, where the body count rises and the truth becomes impossible to ignore.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Step into the lawless frontier of 1870s Kansas, where the promise of the American dream hid something far more sinister. Along the Osage Trail, travelers seeking food, rest, and refuge unknowingly stepped into a nightmare.In this episode of Storyteller, we uncover the chilling true story of the Bloody Benders—widely believed to be America’s first serial killer family. Operating a small homestead, inn, and general store in Labette County, the Benders lured unsuspecting victims with warm meals and a welcoming smile… before brutally murdering them and burying their bodies in a nearby orchard.From eerie séances and manipulation to a terrifying survivor’s escape and a growing list of missing travelers, the Benders’ crimes shocked a nation. But what makes this story even more haunting? They were never caught.Who were the Bender family, really? How did they evade justice? And what happened to them after they vanished without a trace?This is the story of Hell’s Half Acre—where hospitality turned deadly, and one family became a legend of true crime horror that still lingers more than 150 years later.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In Part 2 of this chilling true crime podcast series, we uncover the brutal murder of Cheryl Keeton and the long road to justice that finally exposed her killer, Bradley Morris Cunningham.After years of domestic violence, coercive control, narcissistic abuse, and psychological manipulation, Cheryl made the decision to leave her husband—a decision she feared would cost her life.On September 19, 1986, Cheryl was lured to a remote location under false pretenses. Hours later, her van was discovered drifting across a Portland freeway, and inside was a horrifying scene that would shock investigators: Cheryl had been brutally beaten to death.Despite overwhelming suspicion, the case against Bradley Cunningham was anything but simple. With no immediate forensic evidence, he evaded justice—continuing his pattern of manipulation, abuse, and control while starting new relationships and maintaining his facade.This episode dives deep into: The night of Cheryl Keeton’s murder  The shocking crime scene on a Portland freeway  The investigation and lack of physical evidence  The wrongful death civil lawsuit that changed everything  Testimonies from former wives, girlfriends, and family members  The psychology of a serial abuser and manipulator  The chaotic 1994 trial where Cunningham represented himself  The final guilty verdict—8 years after the murder Through circumstantial evidence, survivor testimony, and a relentless pursuit of justice, this case became a landmark example of how patterns of abuse can ultimately expose a killer.This is more than a murder story—it’s a deep dive into domestic violence escalation, toxic relationships, and the warning signs of abuse that should never be ignored.⚠️ Listener discretion advised: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and domestic abuse.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In this chilling true crime podcast episode, we uncover the disturbing story of Bradley Morris Cunningham—a charming, wealthy manipulator whose pattern of abuse left a trail of broken women… and ultimately, murder. Before the brutal killing of his fourth wife, Cheryl Keeton, there were warning signs—ignored, dismissed, or hidden behind his polished image. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Storyteller dives deep into Cunningham’s early life, toxic upbringing, and the shocking pattern of domestic violence, coercive control, psychological abuse, and manipulation that defined his relationships. From his first marriage to Loni Ann Erickson—marked by escalating abuse and terrifying control—to his calculated relationships with wealthy women and vulnerable partners, Cunningham perfected a cycle: love bombing, isolation, financial exploitation, and terror. You’ll hear how he:  Manipulated courts and custody battles  Abused and traumatized his wives and children  Built a facade of success while hiding financial ruin  Used charm and intimidation to control everyone around him And how one woman—Cheryl Keeton—would tragically pay the ultimate price. This episode is a deep dive into narcissistic abuse, domestic violence warning signs, and the psychology of serial abusers, setting the stage for the horrifying events that unfold in Part 2. ⚠️ Listener discretion advised: This episode contains discussions of domestic violence and abuse.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In this gripping episode of Storyteller, we uncover the incredible true story of Ona Judge, the enslaved woman who made a daring escape from none other than George Washington and his household in 1796.Born into slavery at Mount Vernon, Ona Judge was raised to serve Martha Washington as a personal maid—living in close proximity to power, wealth, and the founding of a nation built on “freedom.” But behind the image of America’s first family was a calculated system of control, exploitation, and legal manipulation designed to keep people like Ona enslaved.When Ona learned she was to be “gifted” as property to a volatile granddaughter, she made a life-altering decision: run.With the help of Philadelphia’s free Black community, Ona escaped—triggering a relentless manhunt led by the sitting president of the United States. What followed was a high-stakes pursuit involving deception, political pressure, and attempted capture under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793.But Ona refused to be reclaimed.This episode dives deep into:The hidden realities of slavery inside the presidential householdHow Washington circumvented Pennsylvania abolition lawsThe bravery of enslaved women resisting sexual and physical exploitationAnd the extraordinary life Ona built after choosing freedom—at any costThis is not just American history—this is the story they didn’t teach you.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

The investigation reaches its breaking point in Part Three of our Diane Downs series.After a shocking roadside shooting leaves three children gravely wounded, investigators begin to question whether the story told that night is the truth. As the evidence starts to accumulate, detectives work to piece together what really happened on Old Mohawk Road.In this episode, the case against Diane Downs intensifies. Forensic evidence, witness statements, and troubling inconsistencies begin to reshape the investigation. At the same time, Diane takes her story to the media, captivating the public while detectives continue building their case behind the scenes.But the most powerful testimony may come from someone who was there that night.Part Three explores the investigation, courtroom drama, and the events that ultimately turned the Diane Downs case into one of the most infamous true crime trials in American history.If you follow true crime podcasts, criminal psychology, courtroom drama, famous murder trials, and investigative storytelling, this final chapter reveals how one of the most disturbing cases of the 1980s unfolded.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In Part Two of our three-part true crime series on Diane Downs, the story takes a darker and more obsessive turn.After the events of Part One, Diane’s life begins to spiral around a single obsession — a coworker named Nick Knickerbocker. What starts as a workplace affair quickly grows into something far more complicated, pulling multiple lives into a storm of manipulation, jealousy, and emotional chaos.As Diane moves from Arizona to Oregon, her fixation on Nick intensifies. Relationships fracture, tensions escalate, and the instability surrounding her life deepens. Behind the scenes, diary entries reveal an increasingly obsessive mindset, while those closest to her begin to see unsettling patterns in her behavior.Then one quiet spring night in 1983, everything changes.A frantic mother races to a hospital in Oregon claiming a stranger shot her children on a dark roadside. As investigators begin asking questions, small details in Diane’s story start to raise troubling doubts.In this episode, we explore the complicated relationships, emotional turmoil, and events leading directly to the night that would shock the nation.Part Two dives deeper into the psychology, obsession, and unraveling life of Diane Downs — and sets the stage for the investigation that follows.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

A mother rushes into an emergency room screaming that someone has shot her children.But long before that night, there was another story — one shaped by control, rebellion, longing, and a lifelong search for love.In Part One of our three-part series, we examine Diane Downs’ early years.Before the investigation begins, we ask a crucial question:Who was Diane Downs?✨References✨Child Killer Denied Parole for Fourth Time | Psychology Today United KingdomDiane Downs - WikipediaFather of Diane Downs Remains Vigilant After 30 Years (VIDEO) - Salem-News.ComDiane Downs Speaks from PrisonDiane Downs: Her Children Got in the Way of Her Love – Crime LibraryWhat Happened to Diane Downs Children? Where are Diane Downs Children Now?Evil mom Diane Downs who murdered one of her kids and tried to kill the other two in 1983 demands prison release | Daily Mail OnlineThe Diane Downs Story: 1983 Murder Case Focuses on Mom - ABC NewsDiane Downs Speaks from PrisonDiane Downs | Photos 2 | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderersSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Butte, Montana. The Berkeley Pit. The Copper Kings. And beneath it all — a city fueled by brothels, bribes, and backroom deals.In the 1960s, madam Beverly Snodgrass ran two of Butte’s most notorious houses of prostitution — until her affair with a powerful judge exposed a massive payoff scheme involving police officers, attorneys, and city officials. What followed was one of Montana’s biggest investigative journalism bombshells: the Great Falls Tribune’s explosive 8-part exposé that ignited a statewide anti-vice crusade.From 14 Wyoming Street to threats of assassination, from dynamite attacks to secret hotel registrations, this is the true story of Butte’s “Dimple Knees” sex scandal — and the woman who risked everything to blow the lid off corruption in Butte America.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔On Valentine’s Day 2013, Denise Leuthold spent the morning the way she always did — making a special holiday breakfast for her children, exchanging cards with her husband, and heading into an ordinary afternoon.Hours later, she would be found shot inside her home.At first, investigators believed a burglary had gone wrong. But inside the house, the scene didn’t add up — and a handwritten note uncovered in Denise’s planner would change the direction of the case entirely.As detectives dug deeper into the life of the devoted missionary couple, they uncovered a secret relationship, a carefully constructed alibi, and a motive chillingly tied to the holiday itself.This episode explores faith, betrayal, and the calculated decisions behind a murder planned for the most symbolic day of the year — the Valentine’s Day murder of Denise Leuthold.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

What happens when an NFL legend decides the rules don't apply to him? 🏈In this episode, we go beyond the 299 consecutive games and the three MVP awards to uncover the dark side of Brett Favre's legacy. Is this a story of blind hero worship, or a "win at all costs" mentality gone wrong? This is the story of the Mississippi Swindle.✨References✨Brett Favre and the Mississippi Welfare Scandal: Inside the Shocking Fraud CaseBrett Favre Sexting Accuser Speaks Out in New DocumentaryBrett Favre Sues Shannon Sharpe, Pat McAfee for DefamationBrett Favre Allegedly Used Welfare Funds for College Volleyball StadiumNFL Legend Brett Favre Says He's Likely Had 'Thousands' of ConcussionsBrett Favre testified about allegedly misusing welfare funds for volleyball arena : NPRSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

🚨Trigger Warning/Disclaimer🚨This episode discusses real events involving extreme violence, sexual assault, and crimes against children. Some material may be deeply disturbing. This story is told to examine systemic failures and honor the victims — not to glorify the perpetrator. Please take care while listening.Arthur Shawcross—also known as the Genesee River Killer—was convicted of murdering two children in 1972. After serving just fourteen years, he was declared “rehabilitated,” his criminal record sealed, and quietly released back into society without notifying local police.Less than a year later, women began disappearing along the Genesee River in Rochester, New York. Over the next two years, Shawcross murdered twelve women before finally being caught standing over the body of one of his victims.This episode examines not only Shawcross’s crimes, but the systemic failures that allowed a known child killer to walk free—and kill again. From ignored psychiatric warnings to sealed records and institutional denial, this is a case study in how monsters slip through the cracks.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

What are the odds of surviving the three greatest maritime disasters of the 20th century? Meet Violet Constance Jessop, the woman history calls "Miss Unsinkable."In this episode, we explore the incredible life of a woman who was the "constant" thread between three legendary sister ships. From the luxury of the RMS Olympic and its harrowing collision with the HMS Hawke, to the freezing waters of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, and finally, the explosive sinking of the HMHS Britannic during WWI.✨References✨Violet Jessop, The Woman Who Survived 3 Sinking Ships, Including The TitanicShe survived the Titanic—but it wasn’t the only time she faced death at sea | National GeographicViolet Jessop - WikipediaTitanic - WikipediaHMHS Britannic - WikipediaViolet Constance Jessop : Titanic Stewardess (Survivor)Violet's Barren White Star WeddingViolet Jessop: The person who survived 3 disasters at sea - HistoryColoredViolet Jessop: The Nurse Who Survived the Titanic and the BritannicUnsinkable Violet Jessop: Survivor of the Titanic and two other ship disasters | Sky HISTORY TV ChannelSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In the final episode of Bitter Blood, the violence that has been building beneath the surface finally erupts — leaving devastation in its wake.Part 4 examines the murders that shocked the South, the investigation that unraveled years of secrecy, and the desperate final acts of Susie Lynch and Fritz Klenner as their carefully controlled world collapsed.What began as resentment, paranoia, and shared belief escalated into a calculated series of killings spanning multiple families and generations. As law enforcement closed in, the couple’s conviction that they were justified — and untouchable — led to one final, horrifying decision that would claim the lives of innocent children.This episode confronts the cost of silence, the danger of unchecked power, and the devastating consequences of confusing reputation with virtue.Bitter Blood is not just a story about murder. It is a story about what happens when no one intervenes — until it’s too late.🎙️ This concludes the four-part Bitter Blood series. New listeners are strongly encouraged to begin with Part 1.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In Part 3 of Bitter Blood, the lines between belief and behavior begin to disappear.This episode explores the marriage between Susie Sharp and Fritz Klenner — and how two deeply ingrained worldviews fused into something far more dangerous than either could have created alone.Susie was raised inside privilege, reputation, and rigid expectations. Fritz was raised under absolute authority, ideological extremism, and a belief in his own superiority. Together, they formed a closed system built on paranoia, resentment, and mutual reinforcement.Rather than challenging one another, Susie and Fritz validated each other’s fears. Minor slights became major threats. Disagreements became betrayals. Outsiders became enemies.Part 3 examines how isolation, shared grievance, and unchecked certainty can turn ordinary conflicts into justification for violence — long before a single crime is committed.This is the episode where warning signs become impossible to ignore.Because before the bloodshed… before the investigation… before the bodies…There was agreement.🎙️ Bitter Blood is a four-part series. Listeners are strongly encouraged to begin with Parts 1 and 2.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In Part 2 of Bitter Blood, we step away from the first murders and travel backward — into the history of a powerful Southern family whose legacy would help shape one of the most disturbing true crime cases in American history.This episode introduces the Sharp family of North Carolina: respected, educated, and deeply influential. From a celebrated lawyer and politician to children who became doctors, judges, and public servants, the Sharps appeared to embody success, morality, and Southern respectability.But behind the polished reputation was a rigid belief system built on control, superiority, and silence.At the center of this chapter is Dr. Frederick Klenner — a brilliant, controversial physician whose extreme views, unchecked authority, and obsession with power left a lasting mark on his family, especially his son, Fritz. Raised in isolation and immersed in apocalyptic thinking, conspiracy, and absolute obedience, Fritz would grow up believing he was destined for something greater — and more dangerous — than ordinary life.Part 2 is not just backstory. It’s the psychological and ideological foundation of the violence to come.Because before the bloodshed, before the headlines, and before nine people lost their lives…there were beliefs that made it all feel justified.🎙️ Bitter Blood is a four-part series. New listeners are strongly encouraged to start with Part 1.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Ready for a story that reads like a Southern Gothic crime drama...that is completely real?Welcome to Part 1 of our multi part series where we are digging deep into a real-life murder case involving interconnected, prominent Southern families that ends with the deaths of NINE people. In Part 1, we meet Delores Lynch. To her theater friends, she was bright, funny, and curious. But to her neighbors? She was the woman in the sun hat patrolling her property with a BB gun. To her husband, Chuck? She was the woman who sequestered him to the basement, refusing to even touch the same newspaper he had held."I wish he’d just die," she told a room full of people. And she said it with her whole chest.But the real tragedy didn't happen in the basement. It happened in the summer of 1984.A trail of blood thirty feet long. Two women dead. A family fortune left behind. And a lead investigator who was told one thing: “That family has a dark cloud in it somewhere. Find it, and you’ll find your answer.”Welcome to the first chapter of a real southern gothic true crime story involving obsession, paranoia, and a chain of violence that no one saw coming.This is the story of the Bitter Blood murders.Are you ready to find out what was hiding behind those whispers?Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In this episode of Storyteller, we unravel the incredible life of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt and one of the most fascinating women of the early 20th century. If you love stories of powerful women, political drama, historical rebellion, and sharp wit, you won’t want to miss this deep dive into one of America’s most iconic figures.INTRO Music used :  " SINISTER " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link : https://youtu.be/s7_oukTEFrcSUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3qumnPHFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JVReferences:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Roosevelt-Longworthhttps://www.whitehousehistory.org/alice-roosevelt-longworth-presidential-daughter-and-american-celebrityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/from-a-white-house-wedding-to-a-pet-snake-alice-roosevelts-escapades-captivated-america-180981139/https://reagan.blogs.archives.gov/2023/04/17/white-house-kids-series-alice-roosevelt-longworth/https://www.whitehousehistory.org/digital-archives/exhibits/something-old-something-new-eight-first-daughters-fashionable-white-house-weddings/alice-roosevelthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Roosevelt_Longworthhttps://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-roosevelts/Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Welcome to a special BONUS episode of Storyteller with our lovely guest host- DES!!!!❤️🎄"He sees you when you're sleeping..." and in some cultures, he's bringing a birch rod and a sack to kidnap you. ⛓️👹This episode, Storyteller is going deep into the "Dark Side of Christmas." We’re breaking down 12 of the creepiest creatures from international folklore that make the Grinch look like a saint. Whether it’s the chaotic Kallikantzaroi goblins of Greece or the terrifying Wild Hunt screaming across the European sky, these legends prove that for centuries, winter wasn't cozy—it was a season of survival and supernatural judgment.The Spookmas List includes:Krampus: Santa’s demonic shadow.The Yule Cat: Iceland's giant, man-eating tabby.Gryla: The ogress who makes children-stew.The Mari Lwyd: The Welsh skeletal horse.Hans Trapp: The scarecrow-villain of France.Plus 7 more festive nightmares!If your seasonal depression feels like it needs some historical validation, this is the episode for you.Love the show? Rate us 5 stars and follow for more deep dives into the stories that haunt our history.🎅Music used : "JINGLE BELLS ." composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link :https://youtu.be/mP1Er3W6Zk8SUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbAFollow on Facebook : https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram : ⁠https://bit.ly/2ImU2JV⁠🎅Music used : " SINISTER " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link : https://youtu.be/s7_oukTEFrcSUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3qumnPHFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JVSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

The darkest secret kept for the holidays...In December 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons, a decorated former U.S. military serviceman, enacted the deadliest case of familicide in American history—a horrific rampage spanning a week in rural Arkansas that claimed the lives of 16 people, including 14 members of his own immediate family.Join us as we trace the footsteps of a monster who turned the holiday season into an unimaginable scene of horror.References:Ronald Gene Simmons | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderersHorrific Crimes of Ronald Gene Simmons – Killing Spree – True Crime WeeklyRonald Gene Simmons Killed 16 People — 14 Of Them Were His FamilyStone Gardens: Ronald Gene Simmons - The story of the most prolific familial mass murderer in Arkansas historySimmons, Ronald Gene - Encyclopedia of ArkansasRonald Gene Simmons - Wikipedia🎅Music used : "JINGLE BELLS ." composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link :https://youtu.be/mP1Er3W6Zk8SUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbAFollow on Facebook : https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram : https://bit.ly/2ImU2JV🎅Music used : " SINISTER " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link : https://youtu.be/s7_oukTEFrcSUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3qumnPHFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JVSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Christmas in Texas was supposed to be peaceful in 1927… until Santa walked into a bank and everything went to hell. What started as a harmless holiday costume turned into gunfire, chaos, and the biggest manhunt the state had ever seen.In this episode, we dig into the unbelievable true story of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery—where a gang of ex-cons, a stolen car, and one very un-jolly Santa turned a small-town Christmas into pure pandemonium.References⁠https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/santa-claus-bank-robbery⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus_Bank_Robbery/https://www.fwweekly.com/2007/12/26/santa-got-a-gun-and-a-rope/🧑‍🎄Music used : "JINGLE BELLS ." composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link :https://youtu.be/mP1Er3W6Zk8SUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbAFollow on Facebook : https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram : https://bit.ly/2ImU2JV-🎄Music used : " SINISTER " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link : https://youtu.be/s7_oukTEFrcSUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3qumnPHFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JV----------------------------------------------------------------------Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

He killed more men than Dahmer or Gacy — yet most people have never heard his name.In this episode, we uncover the chilling true story of Herb Baumeister, the seemingly ordinary Indiana businessman, husband, and father whose idyllic suburban life hid a nightmare. While his wife Julie raised their children on an 18-acre estate straight out of Leave It to Beaver, bones were scattered just beyond the tree line — and young men were disappearing across the Midwest.We trace Herb’s life from his disturbing childhood obsessions to his carefully crafted adulthood mask, his rise as a local entrepreneur, and the unraveling of his double life as bodies began piling up on the property known as Fox Hollow Farm.You’ll hear about:The skull Julie’s son found in the woodsThe horrifying discoveries that followedA near-victim who escaped Baumeister’s deadly sexual sadismThe possibility that Herb was also the long-suspected I-70 StranglerAnd the chilling new questions raised by the 2025 Hulu documentary — including whether Herb may not have acted aloneDespite at least 25 suspected victims, Herb left behind no confession, only a suicide note blaming business troubles — and families were left with decades of unanswered questions.This episode shifts the spotlight where it should have been all along: on the victims, their lives, and the ongoing efforts — using new DNA technology — to finally identify those found on Fox Hollow Farm.Because every one of them mattered.And every one of them deserves to be known.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In the final chapter of our FLDS deep-dive, we uncover what happened after Warren Jeffs seized power — the moment faith turned into fear, and a community became a controlled kingdom of silence. We break down the suffocating rules, the destruction of individuality, and the psychological warfare used to keep followers obedient and terrified. This is a story of control, manipulation, and survival — but ultimately, it’s about courage. If you’ve ever wondered how something like this could happen in modern America… this is the episode you need to hear. Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of abuse, including physical and sexual violence. Listener discretion advised.INTRO Music used :  " SINISTER " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link : https://youtu.be/s7_oukTEFrcSUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3qumnPHFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JVReferences:⁠https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs⁠https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna30016991⁠⁠https://www.deseret.com/2006/8/29/19971153/the-rise-of-warren-jeffs/⁠⁠https://local.sltrib.com/charts/jeffstimeline/timeline.html⁠⁠https://www.deseret.com/2006/8/30/19971276/from-nerd-to-flds-chief/⁠⁠https://local.sltrib.com/upload/2010/11/1288813415awantedman.pdf⁠⁠https://www.netflix.com/title/81292539⁠⁠https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/preaching-evil-a-wife-on-the-run-with-warren-jeffs/8910741537945005112⁠Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Part Two is Here!! The Making of Warren Jeffs Content warning: discussion of abuse, child abuse, and spiritual coercion.Before he became the self-proclaimed Prophet of the FLDS and one of America’s most notorious cult leaders, Warren Jeffs was just a boy born into chaos — the “golden child” of a sprawling polygamist family and the son of the church’s future prophet.In this episode, we trace how a quiet, awkward teacher turned into the architect of absolute control. From the turmoil of the Jeffs household to his years running Alta Academy, we uncover the blueprint of obedience, isolation, and fear that would later define his reign.Through survivor accounts, family testimonies, and chilling early patterns of abuse, we explore how Warren learned to manipulate faith itself — turning devotion into domination.🎧 This is The Making of Warren Jeffs — Part Two of our FLDS series.Music used :  " SINISTER " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"Music link : https://youtu.be/s7_oukTEFrcSUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/3qumnPHFollow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtPFollow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JVReferences:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffshttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna30016991https://www.deseret.com/2006/8/29/19971153/the-rise-of-warren-jeffs/https://local.sltrib.com/charts/jeffstimeline/timeline.htmlhttps://www.deseret.com/2006/8/30/19971276/from-nerd-to-flds-chief/https://local.sltrib.com/upload/2010/11/1288813415awantedman.pdfhttps://www.netflix.com/title/81292539https://www.peacocktv.com/watSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Imagine being born into a dynasty where faith is law, obedience is survival, and a man’s word determines your destiny. In this episode, we follow the gripping true story of Carolyn Jessop, a sixth-generation member of the FLDS who defied her husband, her prophet, and her entire community to save her eight children.From her grandmother’s fairytales to the night she fled in secret with a van running on fumes, Carolyn’s story of courage and conviction mirrors the dark evolution of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints—from its 19th-century origins under Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to the eventual rise of the “Keep Sweet” doctrine.This is a journey through faith turned fanatic, freedom reclaimed from fear, and a community whose secrets would one day shock the world.👉 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into the rise of Warren Jeffs, his stranglehold over the FLDS, and the women who risked everything to expose him.Tags: #FLDS #TrueCrimePodcast #CultStories #WarrenJeffs #StorytellerPodcast #KeepSweet #EscapingFLDS #WomenSurvivors #TrueCrime #ReligiousCults📚Further Reading:https://www.amazon.com/FLDS-Books/s?k=FLDS&rh=n%3A283155📚References:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Creek_raidhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rulon_Jeffshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-Day_Saintshttps://abcnews.go.com/US/twisted-world-warren-jeffs-former-flds-members-speak/story?id=107493397#:~:text=From%201986%20to%202002%2C%20Rulon,%E2%80%94%20the%20all%2Dknowing%20prophet.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Beneath Gatlinburg’s neon lights, pancake houses, and souvenir shops lies a chilling true story that most visitors will never hear.In 1986, a confession letter left in a phone booth in Maggie Valley unraveled one of Tennessee’s most brutal crimes — the murders of Melissa “Missy” Hill and Troy Valentine at the Rocky Top Village Inn.What began as an ordinary night for a young dispatcher and his wife became a nightmare that would haunt the Smoky Mountains for decades.Join Courtney and Teresa as they uncover the bizarre, tragic, and downright unbelievable story of “Tattoo Eddie,” his ragtag crew, and the senseless violence that rocked this Appalachian tourist town.🎙️ Welcome to Storyteller — where every episode is a blind date with the bizarre.#TrueCrime #Appalachia #Gatlinburg #RockyTopMurders #Podcast #StorytellerPodSupport the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Grab your marshmallows and settle in by the fire—because this week on Storyteller, we’re taking you deep into the haunted woods of Ohio to uncover one of Appalachia’s creepiest legends: Red Eyes, The Mad Man of Camp Manatoc.But this episode isn’t your average campfire ghost story… we’ve got special guests—our husbands—joining us around the fire as we swap spooky tales, suspicious noises, and more laughter than we expected. Courtney digs into the bizarre "history" and chilling folklore surrounding a dismembered counselor, a cursed campsite, and a pair of glowing red eyes that still stalk the trees.Meanwhile, Teresa faces her worst nightmare—not the ghost—but a caterpillar attack (yes, really).It’s equal parts eerie, hilarious, and pure Appalachian chaos. So grab a blanket, light the fire, and join us for the story that proves some legends never die… they just keep wandering the woods.📑References:Red Eyes Camp Legend of Manatoc: OhioRed Eyes, the Mad Man of Camp ManatocDo you have 1920s photos of Camp Manatoc?Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In the latest installment of our Spooky Season series, we’re headed to southwest Virginia, once again recording from the deck...at night...in rural Appalachia—to dig into the story behind America’s loudest founding father… and his darkest secret.Everyone knows Patrick Henry as the man who shouted “Give me liberty, or give me death!” But few know the story of Sarah Shelton Henry, his wife who was locked away in the cellar of their home, Scotchtown, as her mind unraveled after childbirth.What happened to Sarah? Was Patrick protecting her—or protecting his reputation? And why do visitors still hear chains dragging in the basement centuries later?Join Courtney and Teresa as they explore the unsettling side of American history, where love, madness, and legacy collide.Featuring true history, tragic love, and one seriously haunted house.✨Follow Us on Social Media✨Instagram: @storyteller.podFacebook: @Storyteller PodcastTiktok:@storytellerpodSend us story requests to our gmail: ⁠[email protected]⁠References:⁠Patrick and Sarah Henry: Mental illness in 18th century America | National Museum of American History⁠⁠Founding Mother: Sarah Shelton Henry – History Made Seamless⁠⁠Sarah Shelton Henry - Wikipedia⁠⁠899) Sarah Shelton Henry – The Exasperated Historian⁠⁠Scotchtown and the Haunting of Sarah Henry⁠⁠Scotchtown – OCCULT WORLD⁠⁠Patrick Henry - World History Encyclopedia⁠⁠Sarah Henry: Patrick Henry’s Basement Kept Wife - Richmond Ghosts⁠Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Welcome to Storyteller, where every episode is a new chapter of mystery, wonder, and the unexpected.In this spine-tingling kickoff to our Appalachian spooky series, Courtney and Teresa trade mountain mist for moonlight as they record from deep in the Blue Ridge—where legends breathe through the fog and the past never really rests.This week, we check into one of Virginia’s most haunted and storied places: The Martha Washington Inn in historic Abingdon. Once a family mansion, then a college, and later a Civil War hospital, The Martha has witnessed centuries of love, loss, and tragedy. And some say… not everyone who entered ever truly left.From the ghostly violin of a devoted nurse to the phantom horse that still searches for its fallen rider, to whispers rising from tunnels where the dead were sealed into stone—this is a story steeped in beauty, sorrow, and the supernatural.So draw your curtains, pour a drink, and settle in. Because tonight, we’re unraveling the haunting history of The Martha Washington Inn… where every creak, sigh, and flicker of candlelight might be something watching back.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

Love is in the air… or maybe that’s just the flapping of enormous wings. 👀In this episode of Storyteller, Courtney and Teresa step onto the Cryptid Connection Dating Game stage to uncover the truth about West Virginia’s most infamous legend—the mysterious, red-eyed heartthrob known as Mothman.Is he a harbinger of doom or just a misunderstood romantic with a killer wingspan and a bad reputation? From 1960s Point Pleasant sightings to bridge collapses, Chernobyl conspiracies, and beyond, this episode dives deep into the eerie history and enduring allure of America’s favorite nocturnal bachelor.💘 Expect dating show chaos, Appalachian folklore, a few tragic bridge collapses, and way too many moth puns.So grab your bug spray, dim the lights, and find out whether Teresa’s true soulmate is really the Mothman himself… because when it comes to love and legends, this cryptid might just be flying off the charts.🦋 Is Mothman a harbinger of doom—or a harbinger of swoon? Tune in to find out.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In this episode of Storyteller, Courtney and Teresa dive into the daring true story of Nellie Bly—the 23-year-old journalist who faked insanity to go undercover inside New York City’s notorious Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum in 1887.What began as whispers of abuse, neglect, and overcrowding turned into one of the most groundbreaking investigations in American journalism. Listeners will follow Nellie’s bold decision to shed her identity, her harrowing experiences inside the asylum, and the shocking conditions she uncovered—from rotting food and freezing baths to women wrongfully imprisoned simply for being poor or unable to speak English.Along the way, we explore Nellie Bly’s path from Elizabeth Jane Cochrane of Pennsylvania to one of the first women to break into serious investigative reporting. We’ll uncover how her exposé Inside the Madhouse not only forced reforms at Blackwell’s but also reshaped public understanding of mental health care, corruption, and the power of journalism itself.From her fearless undercover work to her record-setting journey around the world, Nellie Bly’s story is one of bravery, persistence, and unapologetic defiance.Step into 1887 with us and discover how one young woman risked everything to change the world—one story at a time.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

On Christmas Eve, 1985, a Nebraska farmer stumbled upon a heartbreaking mystery: the frozen body of a little boy in blue pajamas, forever known as Little Boy Blue. But who was he—and how did he end up abandoned in a roadside ditch?This episode unravels the shocking story of Eli Stutzman, a former Amishman whose charm hid a dark and violent truth. From a troubled childhood in Ohio to a string of suspicious deaths and, ultimately, the betrayal of his own son, Stutzman’s story is one of manipulation, murder, and secrets buried deep within Amish country and beyond.References:https://www.ranker.com/list/eli-stutzman-facts/jodi-smithhttps://people.com/archive/the-riddle-of-the-boy-in-blue-vol-29-no-7/https://www.shortform.com/books/blog/eli-stutzman.htmlhttps://sinisterdeeds.medium.com/they-call-him-the-ex-amish-serial-killer-part-2-a5b44ff40736https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/30-years-later-two-durango-murders-remain-unsolved/https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/stutzman-eli.htmOlsen, Gregg. Abandoned Prayers: An Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession, And Amish Secrets. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999, ISBN 9780312982010Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...

In our very first episode of the Storyteller Podcast, we’re taking you to Twin Bridges, Montana—home of the Montana State Orphanage, also known as the Montana Children’s Center. For decades, thousands of children passed through its doors, many carrying stories of hardship, resilience, and heartbreak. But behind the institution’s well-meaning beginnings were darker practices and a haunting legacy that still lingers today.We’ll explore the history of the orphanage, share firsthand accounts from those who lived there, and uncover some of the unsettling truths about life inside its walls. Finally, we’ll step into the present, where paranormal investigators claim the abandoned halls echo with the voices and shadows of the past.History, mystery, and a touch of the paranormal—it’s all here in our debut episode. Listener discretion is advised.Support the show✨Follow us on Social Media✨Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@storyteller.pod⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@StorytellerPod⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠@Storyteller Podcast⁠⁠⁠✨⁠⁠Support the show⁠⁠✨If you enjoy the stories we tell and want to help us keep bringing them to life, you can support the podcast here:🔗 ⁠⁠https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535436/support⁠⁠Every contribution goes directly back into the show — from research and recording to editing and equipment. Your support truly means the world to us and helps us continue sharing strange, mysterious, and unbelievable tales every week. Thank you for listening and being part of the Storyteller family.✨🔮🕯INTRO Music used :  " SINI...