Strange Matters Podcast

In this episode of Strange Matters we present a number of particularly weird and bizarre ways that people have died.  Though there are countless ways death can occur, for this discussion the focus is on rare and unusual cases.   With that in mind Sean has collected a handful of some of the strangest ways people have died. The first strange death covered is Spontaneous Human Combustion.  In these cases, it is reported that a person burst into flames without any obvious source of ignition or fuel.  All that is left of these people are a pile of ashes where their bodies last lay. Next comes the strange case of dancing mania, specifically the Dancing Plague of 1518.  In this bizarre event, hundreds of people suddenly and without any reason began to dance non stop out in the streets for days at a time.  Some of these people literally danced to their own death, grooving until their bodies could not function any longer. Another case of strange deaths occurred on two separate occasions, when disasters involving food products caused the drowning deaths of numerous people.  The Boston Molasses Disaster and the London Beer Flood are two of the only instances in which groups of unfortunate people were swept up in a spreading wave of something normally edible and ended up drowning. Franz Reichelt steps up next with his own unique and strange death.  Franz was an inventor at heart and worked hard to create a working parachute suit pilots could wear.  Unfortunately his tests jumps were not successful.  Adamant to prove the worth of his invention, Franz decided to test his own design by jumping off the Eiffel Tower to display the effectiveness of his parachute… Things didn’t quite go as planned however, as Franz would not be remembered by his ingenious invention, but rather for his foolish death. Click here to watch Franz’s Last Jump! The last, and perhaps strangest, topic is a rare mental disorder known as Cotard Delusion, also called Walking Corpse Syndrome.  This illness describes an afflicted person who actually believes that they are already dead. Though extremely uncommon, this mental condition has lead several living people to unfortunately meet their own demise as they refuse to take care of their bodies, since in their own mind they are already dead. Please enjoy hearing all about several of the most unusual and strangest ways to die!  

In this episode Sean & Eric of Strange Matters team up with The Eastern Border Podcast, hosted by Kristaps Andrejsons, to delve into all the strange events and urban legends that surround the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.  The incident at the Chernobyl Power Plant is the worst nuclear disaster in human history so far, as  dozens of workers and emergency helpers died from lethal radiation poisoning and the entire population of Chernobyl and Pripyat were ordered to evacuate. One of the most disturbing facts to come out of this event is that it could have all been avoided if the proper safety measures had been taken, along with the fact the men in charge of the power station were not competent in their duties. In the first part of this episode we go over the background, causes, and aftermath of the disaster.  Then for the second half of the episode we of course cover our favorite myths and urban legends that have come from Chernobyl.  Ranging from mutated men, government conspiracies, strange creatures, and even alien intervention, we discuss the stranger side of this nuclear disaster.  We hope you enjoy learning and hearing all about the dark history and legends of Chernobyl and its tragic story. Check out The Eastern Border Podcast and the other shows in the Dark Myths collective by clicking below!      iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter

In this Strange Matters Short, Sean presents the case of the Original Night Stalker, one of America’s most infamous and prolific unsolved serial criminals.  The Original Night Stalker (ONS) was a serial killer in Southern California who targeted lone women and couples, breaking into their homes at night and sexually assaulting and killing those inside.  Later DNA evidence proved that the ONS was also the East Area Rapist, a criminal responsible for over 50 rapes in Northern California.  After linking these two series of crimes, police discovered that this one man was responsible for dozens of rapes, attacks, and deaths, making him the worst unsolved criminal in California history. The Original Night Stalker was one of the most brutal and terrifying killers in recent times.  Hundreds of police investigators and neighborhood watch patrols had no luck in finding or stopping this man, as he continued his attacks at will for several years.  The ONS was cunning and meticulous in his planning, he was known to prowl his target’s neighborhoods for weeks beforehand, and on several times even sneaked into his victims home’s and unloaded any guns, leaving them defenseless against him. Who the Original Night Stalker was is still unknown, no leads or suspects have ever been found that could be responsible for these crimes. It is not even known if the man behind these attacks is currently alive or not.  Whether the identity of this criminal will ever be found, remains a complete mystery to this day.

What could be more terrifying? You are in your home late at night… hoping to be alone. Then suddenly it happens… a knock at the front doorstep. You quietly walk over to the door, peer through the peep hole and see two young children, with jet black eyes. Stories of these “black eyed children” became popular in the 1990’s. Ever since rumors and stories have been circulating and growing on the internet. These children are usually described as showing up in pairs and asking for permission to enter your home or vehicle. Most people describe their encounters as being consumed with an overwhelming since of fear and impending danger. Little is known about what happens if you invite these children into your home. However it’s likely not good. All you have to do, is turn them away. What are these “creatures” that pose as children? What is their purpose and what do they want? Tune in for this episode where Eric shares a couple of the creepiest stories of the “black-eyed children” around! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter

This follow up to the original “Apocalyptic Events” describes two utterly hopeless situations that involve the end of humanity as we know it. Eric discusses a famous end-of-the-world scenario that has been described in numerous films known as the “Gray Goo Theory:. Nanotechnology is at our  fingertips and as we develop and advance into the realm of science, the possibilities for the application of nanotech become endless. Nanotechnology is currently in use today, especially in the medical field. However the inception of nano-sized robots has led to the concept of these robots being programmed to breakdown matter on a molecular level and use this matter to construct duplicates of itself. These cold, emotionless “assemblers” are unable to differentiate between right and wrong and simply do what the only thing they know: tear apart everything and use it to produce more nanobots that then repeat the sequence. This situation would spiral out of control as more and more nanobots destroy the world and replace it with a gray flowing mass of nanobots held together by its own massive gravity. Is this possible? What can we do to stop this from ever happening? The “Grain Situation” is a much slower process that involves the development of genetically modified or GM crops. These crops are engineered to be resistant to pesticides, insects and extreme temperatures. They require little nutrients to flourish and are capable of growing on almost any surface. In this apocalyptic event masses of genetic crops, whether it be grain or something else, take over the surface of the planet. This could lead to famine, fires and even an ice age as the fires produce massive quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere. But what are the odds of this happening? Has this event already occurred in the world? Check out this episode and find out all about these two theories for yourself! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter Check out all the fellow podcasts at Dark Myths!

In this Strange Matters Short, Sean discusses the man-eating creature known as the Beast of Gevaudan.   This violent animal terrorized a region in France for several years as it killed as many as a hundred men, women, and children.   During this time the local populace was nearly hysterical with fear, forced to venture outside to make a living knowing all along that there was a huge beast roaming the area attacking anyone it can across.   In an attempt to take down this violent creature, a French officer organized large hunting parties of thousands of soldiers to patrol the area.  Professional wolf hunters were hired to track down and kill the Beast.  Despite all this, the Beast of Gevaudan evaded any attempt to kill it and continued its reign of terror. After three years of setbacks, embarrassments, and dozens of deaths, the Beast was reportedly finally brought down by a local farmer when he shot and killed a large wolf near his village.  Through the years there have been multiple accounts and theories as to what the Beast of Gevaudan really was.  Most think it was a pack of large and man-hungry wolves, while others believe it could have been an exotic or imported predator introduced into the region.  There has been more outlandish claims of a werewolf or an ancient species still roaming the land. Whatever the true identity of the animal actually was, the Beast of Gevaudan is one of the most unique and unusual cases in history of a creature that specifically enjoyed hunting and slaying humans. iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter Check out all the fellow podcasts at Dark Myths!

What do Elisa Lam and Edgar Allan Poe have in common? Both of these artistic individuals died in extremely mysterious ways and have since become well known on account of their mysterious passing. In this episode we discuss the details that shroud the mysterious deaths of Lam and Poe. Elisa Lam was an extremely talented and ambitious young woman who suffered from anxiety and depression. Her body was found in a water tank atop a hotel in which she had been staying.  However many accounts suggest that it would be extremely difficult for her to gain access to this water tank much less actually get in on her own. Does this indicate she may have been murdered? Perhaps… however what makes this case even more bizarre is the security camera footage that shows Lam dancing around the hotel’s elevator in a mechanical and somewhat disturbing manner. What exactly caused this strange behavior? Drugs? Alcohol? A mental breakdown of some sort? Watch Elisa’s bizarre elevator footage here! Edgar Allan Poe was a talented man who was no stranger to death growing up. After the passing of many of his loved ones, he developed an interest in writing dark and macabre stories.   Poe is well known for his famous poem known as “The Raven”. He was found in a delirious state on the side of the street strangely dressed in someone else’s clothes and later taken to the hospital. He was delirious and uttered only a few words during his stay in the hospital. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, he died leaving us with more questions than answers. Was his death related to his erratic drinking behavior? His attending physician was quite convinced otherwise. Tune in for this episode and hear the many theories regarding the mysterious deaths of these two individuals. iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter

For this episode we continue our series of cryptozoology by discussing a number of legendary and mythical humanoid creatures.  Though there are a large number of alleged sightings and encounters of such human-like beings all over the world, no actual concrete proof has ever been found that can prove of their existence. Sean and Eric present the backgrounds, encounters, and any possibly evidence or theories of each of these mysterious beasts. The infamous Yeti, or “Abominable Snowman,”  supposedly hides in the Himalayan Mountains and has been seen by local tribes for centuries. Mountaineers and adventurers claim to have seen this creature from a distance, and many times in the snowy mountains bipedal tracks have been discovered that can be linked to no known animal. The Almas is a legend of the Caucasus mountains in central Asia.  These man sized creatures supposedly share facial features with the Neanderthal people. Could these creatures be leftovers from some ancient population, or are the sightings of the Almas merely exaggerations and folklore? Next up is the Skunk Ape, a bizarre creature that was allegedly spotting many times in the state of Florida in the 60’s and 70’s.  This animal was described as being similar to an orangutan, but was always associated with a horrible smell that followed it.  Whether the Skunk Ape that caused a frenzy in the state was simply an escaped primate, or a strange humanoid creature that has been hiding in the swamps for decades, is still unknown to this day. Finally we discuss the Orang Pendek, a smaller cryptid that reportedly lives in the remote forests of Sumatra.  These creatures have supposedly been spotted by locals and foreigners alike for over a century, but as yet there is still no legitimate evidence of its existence. Is there any reasonable explanations of these humanoid creatures? Are these beasts all just myths and legends created by locals, or could there actually be something to the phenomenon of different groups of people allegedly seeing these lone creatures all over the world? Tune in and found out all about these strange and mysterious humanoid creatures! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter    

In this short, Eric discusses two intriguing and mysterious disappearances. First, the story of Diane Augat… this 40 year-old woman has a history of bipolar disorder and drug and alcohol abuse. After losing custody of her children and later getting divorced her life began to spiral out of control. She was last seen in April of 1998, however a mysterious phone call, believed to be from Augat reached her mother’s answering machine. A few days later her severed finger was found. Later her belongings began to turn up all over town. Who could have murdered this woman and what was the motive? In our second disappearance, an innocent 8 year old boy vanished while passing through a crowd of people in Britain. His remains were found over 80 miles away. His death was later linked to a place known as The Elm Guest House where rich VIP politicians and judges would go to partake in disturbing sexual parties involving young boys. However the police appear to have worked very hard to cover up evidence tying any particular individual to this guest house. Tune in to this episode and learn more details about these mysterious disappearances! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter Please take our Listener Survey to give us feedback!

Shared psychosis: an extremely rare condition found in the DSM IV that describes psychotic behavior exhibited by a healthy individual who is under the influence of a close friend or family member with schizophrenia. There is a lot we don’t know about the mind; however we do know that people can act in irrational ways when the neurotransmitters in their brain are not functioning properly. Could this explain the case of the Eriksson twins? These sister were behaving strangely before darting across one of the busiest highways in the United Kingdom, known as M6. Not only did they display super human resilience when hit by vehicles traveling at very high speeds, but they continued to be defiant to the police officers and paramedics that were trying to assist them. Are their behaviors simply a product of delusion? Or could there have been something more… drugs, conspiracy or even a suicide pact? The story of the Gibson sisters is similar however significantly less violent and more strange. These sisters grew up in social isolation due to being victimized as the only black girls in their area in Wales, England. They quickly turned toward each other and inward for comfort. They developed an unhealthy dependence upon each other and began acting in bizarre ways. Sometimes they would move in-sync almost as if they were both puppets controlled by an invisible puppeteer. They spoke to each other in their own made-up language. This strange behavior progressed into violence and crime and eventually led to the demise of one of the sisters. But what really caused her death? Listen to this episode and find out for yourself! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter Please take our Listener Survey to give us feedback!

This episode of the Strange Matters Podcast starts a new series, highlighting brutal and psychotic serial killers from around the world.  The purpose of this series is to dispel the common conception that the United States has both the highest number along with the worst serial killers in the world, while at the same time presenting and educating listeners of murderers that aren’t quite as well known as the popular and infamous American killers. In this entry episode to the series, Sean presents and discusses four serial killers from different countries in Europe.  Each of these men carried out terrible crimes without showing any remorse or guilt.  Ranging from a reclusive potential cannibal, to a hammer wielding maniac, to a cold blooded ‘Terminator’ known for wiping out entire families, these men are some of the most horrific and notorious serial killers of all time. During this episode Sean discusses the lives, crimes, and lasting legacies of each of these terrible killers. iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter Please take our Listener Survey to give us feedback!  

In this episode we discuss some of the strangest sounds ever recorded starting with underwater recordings then moving to outer space and finishing up back on earth with several mysterious “sky-quakes”. “The Bloop” is one of the more famous underwater recordings and is thought by many to be created by some still undiscovered, deep-ocean creature. “The Julia” is a slightly more sinister recording that resembles a muffled, underwater cry for help. “The Upsweep” also remains a mystery however all of these underwater recordings share the trait that they are far louder than any noise ever created by a known animal. Many more practical theories exist including that of icebergs fracturing and dropping massive chunks of ice into the ocean. Listen and decide for yourself! Numerous recordings from outer space have fans debating whether this is the voice of an extra-terrestrial being or simply space dust colliding with the atmosphere of planets in our solar system. In this episode we also discuss the “Frantic Caller” who calls in to Art Bell’s Coast to Coast AM radio station, warning of extra-dimensional beings that have infiltrated the United States’ military and government. Is this a simple hoax or does this terrified caller speak the truth? Finally, we finish up with a discussion of “sky quakes” which are varying, trumpet-like sounds that seem to come from above. Many potential explanations exist for these terrifying noises; however many of them remain to be confirmed. These recordings are creepy beyond what words can describe… but what could they truly be? Are they man made noises or something more sinister? Listen to this episode and judge for yourself! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter Please take our short listener survey!

In this episode of Strange Matters we talk about three cases of bizarre and weird science topics. First up Eric discusses the conspiracy behind the Large Hadron Collider. This underground particle accelerator was constructed with hopes of discovering the elusive Higgs Boson particle. Some believe that the discovery of this particle would create a cataclysmic event that would destroy the space-time continuum. Suspiciously, in recent years it has been plagued by a series of unfortunate setbacks. A baguette found on a circuit board caused one of the super coolers to overheat, then a strange individual was found snooping around the CERN facilities. Eloi Cole claimed to have come back from the future in an attempt to sabotage the collider. However when he was whisked away to the nearby mental institute he later disappeared. Could this individual really be from the future sent back in an attempt to save the future from its own destruction? Next up Sean presents a series of bizarre experiments that involve transplanted animal’s heads.  A Soviet scientist named Vladimir Demikhov, who was well known for pioneering organ transplant surgeries,  also lead a series of experiments in which he created two headed dogs.  Though strange, he thought the techniques learned in this surgeries would benefit humans in the future.  His work inspired an American Doctor, Robert White, who performed several surgeries in which he transplanted one monkey’s head onto another’s body.  His hope was that with time this could lead to the ability in humans of being able to transplant heads onto  fresh new bodies. Finally, Ethan discusses the findings of “hair-like” structures on the outer rims of black holes. World renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking, and colleagues claim that this finding means the possibility of information storage in regards to what black holes consume. As science progresses we have gone from the beliefs that all objects in black holes cease to exist after consumption never to be found again to now having good reason to believe that we may be able to extract information from the beginnings of black holes to reveal their histories and origin. Though we have come this far, we have barely scratched the surface of understanding how black holes function and the purpose they serve in our universe. iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter

In this episode we discuss the mysterious and bizarre death of Elfrieda Knaak.  In the early hours of the morning Elfrieda was discovered alone and locked inside the basement of a police station, suffering from severe burns from the nearby furnace.  Investigators were baffled from the start, as Elfrieda claimed she had carried out the horrible act herself in order to purify herself for her ‘psychic lover.’ While she was slowly dying in her hospital bed, Elfrieda would make increasingly confusing and strange comments.  These statements lead to more questions than answers for the police.  She claimed she burned herself to prove herself to her so called astral lover, Charles Hitchcock.  However Charles claimed he knew nothing about this situation at all.   Hitchcock would be ruled out as a suspect due to his broken leg, but many believe he still had something to do with her death, whether directly or indirectly is still unknown.  Elfrieda continued on, speaking of a mysterious woman who holds all the answers, an unknown man who threw her down, along with other weird and supernatural comments… However she was unable to answer further questions due to her increasingly worsening health.  Unfortunately Elfrieda Knaak would die from her burns before any solid leads or answers could be found, and to this day her death remains a complete mystery. Did Elfrieda really burn and torture herself all alone?  Was somebody with her in that basement, either assisting or forcing her into the furnace? Listen and hear all about the strange twists and turns to the bizarre and disturbing death of Elfrieda Knaak. iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter    

In this episode we discuss the creepy and bizarre tale of the Bunny Man.  This urban legend originates in Fairfax county, Northern Virginia.  This strange story begins in the 1970’s, when several people encounter an ax-wielding man supposedly dressed in a full bunny suit.  In the coming weeks suddenly dozens of people reported having encounters with this so called ‘Bunny Man.’  Police searched the woods around the area but could find no trace of who this man was. Soon the origin story became known to the public which only caused this urban legend to spread further.  In the early 1900’s a prison bus transporting mentally insane criminals crashed.  One man, guilty of slaying his family on Easter Sunday, escaped into the woods and evaded any police search.  Soon the corpses of rabbits would be found hanging from an overpass, a landmark that would later become known as the famous Bunny Man Bridge of Virginia.  Through the decades further crimes would be pinned on the Bunny Man, including the murder of groups of teens visiting the bridge on Halloween as a scare. In the modern day there are dozens of twists and variations on this infamous urban legend tale.  Some say the Bunny Man is a wild woodsman wearing rabbit pelts, or a chainsaw carrying lunatic who wears a bunny costume, or a man who snapped and attacks groups of bullying kids who come to his bridge.  Local historians and archivist have worked to debunk and find the truth behind this weird story.  Is there any legitimacy to this particular urban legend?  Was there an actual man wearing a rabbit suit who liked to attack others with an ax? Listen to this episode and hear all about this creepy and disturbing tale and make up your mind! iTunes | Stitcher | Facebook Page | Twitter