Cursewords and Crayons

A college library. A single stab wound. A mysterious man fleeing the scene. And a murder that remains unsolved more than 50 years later. This week we're heading to Penn State in 1969 for the mysterious murder of Betsy Aardsma, a 22-year-old graduate student who went to the library to work on a paper and never made it home. And friends, this one is FRUSTRATING. Despite decades of investigation, ple...

A charming little deli. A religious commune. Some extremely concerning beliefs. And suddenly that sandwich has a LOT of baggage. This week on Cursewords and Crayons, we’re talking about The Twelve Tribes—the religious group behind the cozy, rustic Yellow Deli restaurants that are still operating today. Nothing says “let's grab a cute little sandwich” quite like discovering you have accidentally wa...

A spiritual leader. A commune in the Oregon desert. A whole-ass city. And somehow… biological warfare. This week on Cursewords and Crayons, we’re heading to Rajneeshpuram, the 1980s religious commune that went from meditation and free love to election schemes, wiretapping, attempted murder, and the largest bioterror attack in U.S. history. And y’all. There is SO MUCH happening here. This could gen...

Three moms. One overflowing inbox. And a “quick reminder” containing seventeen brand-new responsibilities. This week on Cursewords and Crayons, we are taking a break from murder to discuss a different threat to our collective well-being: SCHOOL EMAILS. And because we needed backup for this particular parenting grievance, Sam is back for a second week in a row! Today we're talking about the emails...

Four murders. Thousands of pieces of evidence. DNA, fingerprints, clothes, a murder weapon, literal poop… and somehow NO SUSPECT. This week on Cursewords and Crayons: TRUE CRIME, we have a special guest joining our criming circle: SAMANTHA! And apparently we decided her first real true crime episode needed to be one of the most baffling unsolved cases in Japanese history: the murders of the Miyaza...

Two sisters. One deeply dysfunctional childhood. A brutal double murder. And an ending with absolutely zero chill. We’re traveling back to 1930s France for the horrifying and deeply complicated case of Christine and Léa Papin. Two sisters whose story starts with abandonment, abuse, and domestic service and ends with one of the most infamous murders in French history. We have thoughts. Obviously....

Best friends. A late-night sneak out. A completely senseless motive. And somehow… it gets even worse. This week we’re covering the murder of 16-year-old Skylar Neese—a case that will have every parent casually asking, “Sooooo… tell me everything about your friends again?”   💬 Now come spiral with us: How does teenage friendship drama escalate into premeditated murder? Were there warning signs peo...

A wrong turn. A 47-minute phone call. Two little words. And then… absolutely nothing. This week we’re covering the disappearance of 19-year-old Brandon Swanson.  Was it a tragic accident? Did Brandon fall into the river? Did something happen after he made it across? Or is there another explanation for why extensive searches have never found Brandon, his clothing, or any definitive trace of what ha...

A beautiful family sailing vacation. A brutal murder at sea and the one eleven-year-old girl who survived.  This week we're covering the incredible survival story of Terry Jo Duperrault—a case that somehow manages to be equal parts heartbreaking, horrifying, and completely unbelievable. We're diving into: ⛵ A dream family vacation that became a floating crime scene 🌊 One of the most unbelievable...

A tiger mom. A fake college degree and a home invasion that wasn't.  This week on Cursewords and Crayons: TRUE CRIME, we're covering the unbelievable case of Jennifer Pan—a woman who spent years pretending to be the perfect daughter while secretly building a life that existed almost entirely in her imagination. On the outside, Jennifer had it all: supportive parents, good grades (supposedly), and...

Can you imagine being in darkness for TWENTY FIVE YEARS? This week, we’re talking about a woman that had this exact experience. 💬 Like what you hear? Leave us a review—we love validation almost as much as we love spooky content. 🛍️ Rock your chaotic true crime energy with merch at www.cursewordsandcrayons.com 🛒 Shop our Amazon Storefront for all the good stuff.  👻 Stay crimin’ with us: Instagra...

Welcome Back! This episode talks about a mysterious set of twins. Where they on something? Ill? Scared? Let's chat about it! 💬 Like what you hear? Leave us a review—we love validation almost as much as we love spooky content. 🛍️ Rock your chaotic true crime energy with merch at www.cursewordsandcrayons.com 🛒 Shop our Amazon Storefront for all the good stuff.  👻 Stay crimin’ with us: Instagram:...

This week, we’re on our way to Australia to hear all about the Saints Cult and what happened to a sweet baby eight year old girl. 💬 Like what you hear? Leave us a review—we love validation almost as much as we love spooky content. 🛍️ Rock your chaotic true crime energy with merch at www.cursewordsandcrayons.com 🛒 Shop our Amazon Storefront for all the good stuff.  👻 Stay crimin’ with us: Instag...

Hello my hot messes! This week we’re back with a parenting chat episode: Wrongly Accused where we have the right to play the victim if needed.  We’re presenting the evidence, naming suspects, filing charges, and determining once and we are building cases and naming names. 💬 Got your own household crime to report? Send us a DM or, better yet, a voice memo with your most ridiculous parenting court...

This week on Cursewords and Crayons, we’re diving into the deeply disturbing case of the Ant Hill Kids—led by Roch Thériault, a self-proclaimed prophet with delusions of holiness, control issues from hell, and absolutely no business being in charge of anyone. What started as a small religious commune quickly spiraled into isolation, manipulation, abuse, and the kind of unchecked power that makes y...

Hey there friends, we are happy you’re here. Welcome back to another episode of Cursewords and Crayons!  This week we're doing a re-release episode of on your your favorites (or at least one of our most listened to).  This week we are talking about Sydney Powell. Have you heard of her?  If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review!!! We have MERCH!!!! Get yourself some gear! www.cur...

This week, we’re heading to 1977 Chicago for the case of Teresita Basa—a respiratory therapist whose murder investigation took a sharp left turn into “wait…did a ghost just solve this?” We talk about suspicious coworkers, missing jewelry, a mysterious note, a confession, a deadlocked jury, and the possession claim that helped point police toward Allan Showery. Was it Teresita speaking from beyond...

This week, we’re diving into the Candace Mossler case—a scandal-soaked, courtroom-chaos fever dream involving money, murder, family secrets, and one of the most jaw-dropping trials of the 1960s. Was it love? Greed? Manipulation? A perfectly polished performance? Buckle up, because this one is rich people behaving badly with a side of true crime whiplash. 💬 Got thoughts? Theories? Lingering rage?...

This week, we’re diving into Donald Harvey, also known as the Angel of Death—a horrifying case of medical murder, hidden red flags, broken systems, and the kind of “how did this keep happening?” chaos that makes you want to flip a table. Thanks to one of our favorite listeners, Renee S. for the rec! Hopefully you enjoyed it!  💬 Got thoughts? Theories? Lingering rage? Come yell with us. Send us a...

This week, we’re diving into the Dayton Weber case. This is a tangled mess of suspicious behavior, shifting stories, questionable choices, and the kind of chaos that makes you pause and say, “Wait…what?” We talk timelines, red flags, rabbit holes, and the deeply unsettling questions that still hang over this case. Was it panic? Planning? A tragedy made worse by terrible decisions? Buckle up, becau...

Sandbags, bad decisions, and catastrophic levels of chaos—this week we’re heading to West Quincy, Missouri, for the bizarre case of James Robert Scott: the man convicted of causing part of the Great Flood of 1993. We talk levee failure, suspicious interviews, arson history, messy witness testimony, and the absolutely bananas allegation that one man helped trigger massive flooding just so he could...

Juice boxes, side quests, and crimes against household stability—this week we’re back with a parenting chat episode: Would This Hold Up in Court? where the laws are made up and the accusations are absolutely unhinged. We’re presenting the evidence, naming suspects, filing charges, and determining once and for all whether these household offenses would actually hold up in a court of law. From Easte...

Bryan Kohberger may have pleaded guilty, but this case still leaves behind a truly irritating number of questions. This week, we’re revisiting the Moscow murders, the investigation, the evidence, and the plea deal that technically closed the case while somehow explaining basically nothing that people actually want explained. We’re talking timelines, surveillance, cell phone pings, surviving roomma...

Five men. One car in the mountains. And a case that makes less sense the longer you stare at it. This week on Cursewords and Crayons: TRUE CRIME, we’re diving into one of the most baffling and heartbreaking mysteries we’ve ever covered: The Yuba County Five. In February 1978, five young men—friends, coworkers, and beloved members of their community—set out for what should have been a simple trip t...

Jesus on speed dial? Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from us. This week on Cursewords and Crayons: TRUE CRIME, we’re not just criming — we’re culting. And hoo boy, this one has everything: alleged miracles, mega-mansions, forced labor charges, sexual misconduct accusations, money laundering, and a church leader who says he meets Jesus face-to-face on the regular. Casual. We’re diving into the wild and...