A Study of Strange

Charlie Smith claimed to be 137 years old, a former enslaved man from Liberia, a Civil War vet, and the oldest man in America. For a time, people believed him. But after his death in Bartow, Florida, the records told a different story. In this Strange Files episode, we look at the strange, charming, and very human tale of Charlie Smith, and why stories of impossible age become folklore, even when...

Before flying saucers became part of modern thought, people were already reporting strange lights, impossible machines, and unexplained objects in the sky. From the 1561 Nuremberg phenomenon to the 1896 mystery airship wave and the Aurora UFO crash, these are five strange cases that helped shape the myths and lore surrounding alien visitors. Send us your true scary stories and be featured on the p...

Filmmaker Adam Stilwell shares his experience seeing the Marfa Lights, and his attempt to find their source while accidentally driving to Mexico. His experience raises the same question that has kept this mystery alive for generations: what are people really seeing outside Marfa? For decades, people have reported strange lights appearing in the desert outside Marfa, Texas. Known as the Marfa Light...

Re-Release of a classic episode. In 1901, one of Canada’s most wealthy and powerful families found themselves players in a real murder mystery. Ada Redpath and her son, Jocelyn Clifford Redpath, were found shot to death in their home. The murder weapon (or weapons) were found near the bodies, and it was concluded to be a murder-suicide. Why then is this a mystery? Police never investigated, the bo...

In 1922, on a farm in the Bavarian countryside, six people were killed in one of the most strange unsolved murders in history. Whoever the killer was, he might have been hiding inside the house for a day or more before the attack. Afterwards, he might have stayed. And while there are many terrifying aspects of this case, one that can be overlooked is the family’s personal turmoil that continues to...

In 1987, an elderly couple in Atlanta called police after finding weird red droplets in multiple rooms of their home. The substance appeared on the floors, low on the walls, and under furniture in the basement. Lab tests confirmed the strangest detail: it was human blood, and it did not match either person living in the house. This episode of A Study of Strange investigates the infamous Atlanta “B...

A woman washes ashore in a mysterious hollow ship, carrying a box no one is allowed to open. A Spanish soldier instantaneously transports to Mexico City from Manila. And a Missouri inventor claims he built a time machine, then vanishes. In this episode of A Study of Strange, we investigate three eerie tales of alleged time travel, teleportation, or treks across dimensions. Are these stories eviden...

The death of Gareth Williams in 2010 has become one of the most unusual and cryptic mysteries after his nude body was discovered padlocked inside a duffel bag. Williams was a "codebreaker" who worked for MI6. A lot of theories are still debated, including an accident during a sexual activity, or an elaborate hit carried out by foreign spies. Will we ever learn the truth behind this bizarre...

Re-release of a classic episode! One of WWII's lost treasures was the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic "La Voiture Noire", and it is estimated to be worth over $100 million USD if it's ever found. Unlike other famous cars hidden during the war to keep them out of Nazi hands, "The Black Car" stays hidden, teasing treasure hunters with hopes that they might find fortune and glory....

The chilling strange crime said to have inspired the original horror film Candyman is the 1987 murder of Ruthie Mae McCoy in Chicago. McCoy called 911 and said someone was coming through her bathroom mirror. But this is more than the story behind a horror movie. It’s a deeper look at the terrifying idea that the places we trust most may not be as safe as we think. Theme Music by Matt Glass Instagr...

Jack the Ripper is history’s most infamous unidentified killer, but the Whitechapel murder files included 11 brutal and still-debated killings. Beyond the names most people know are other women whose strange deaths have raised troubling questions. In this episode, host Michael May and guest Rebecca Stevens explore three lesser-known Whitechapel murders that may have been committed by Jack the Ripp...

We are off for SPRING BREAK and will return in APRIL. Do you want to be on A Study of Strange? We want to hear your experiences with strange mysteries and the unexplained for an upcoming special episode. Have a story to share? Email astudyofstrange@gmail.com. Listen to short mysteries and find additional content on our Instagram and Substack . Theme Music by Matt Glass Instagram: @astudyofstrange...

In the early 1980s, a serial killer terrorized the Twin Cities, and after every attack he called 911. Sobbing. Confessing. Begging police to find him before he killed again. His name was Paul Michael Stephani. The recordings of his calls are haunting, but Stephani was caught because one of his victims fought back. Theme Music by Matt Glass Instagram: @astudyofstrange Hosted by Michael May Email st...

We tend to measure destruction in body counts and blast radii. But some of the most catastrophic forces ever unleashed on humanity came from words on paper. We're counting down five documents that changed the course of history including the Malleus Maleficarum, Cigarette Papers, General Order #11, and more. Turns out the pen really is mightier than the sword. Support the show by subscribing to...

On February 20, 1948, detectives in Copenhagen are called to Peter Bangs Vej 74 after a couple had been brutally murdered in their apartment. The crime scene contained strange clues and details, and they sparked decades of conspiracy theories. The notorious case of Vilhelm and Inger Jacobsen is still unsolved. Find information on the case at https://www.dobbeltmordet.dk/Register/ Support the show...

On January 12, 1983, hitchhikers Michael Bear Carson and his wife Suzan murdered their driver, John Hellyar, in view of other motorists. After a high speed chase and their arrest, the couple would admit during a five hour press conference that they were on a mission from a higher power to kill witches. However, this strange true crime case of “The San Francisco Witch Killers” is not about one just...

This Canadian ghost story involves an alleged murder in the dense forests of New Brunswick in the 1820s. Ever since, the sounds of Whoops, Calls, and Screams can be heard from the vengeful ghost. The truth behind this campfire tale, though, is hard to discern, and may involve crazy hermits, a hit song, and a hurricane. Read the 19th century article that influenced the legend here . Subscribe to &#...

William Bradford posed as a photographer to lure women into the Mojave Desert, promising them careers as models. Bradford was convicted of two murders but he is assumed to be an even more prolific serial killer because he left behind a trove of pictures of unidentified women who have not been found. Subscribe to "A Study of Strange" on your favorite podcast platform! Rate and Review to hel...

In 1589, a quiet German farming community was gripped by terror. Villagers swore they were being hunted by the mythical werewolf. Soon local farmer Peter Stumpp was arrested and accused of this heinous werewolfery. He confessed, under torture, and what followed became one of the most infamous and disturbing executions in history. Was Stumpp an actual supernatural beast, or a human killer shaped by...

A re-release of a classic episode. In 1921 police caught Carl Großmann in a frightening, murderous act that caused the papers to label him the "Berlin Butcher".  Großmann is a notorious serial killer but his claim to fame today (selling sausages made of human meat) may be entirely made up. This episode is released in memory of our special guest, Sarah Lovett, co-host of "True Crime ABC...

An internet video mystery that began as a VHS mystery. "Grave Robbing for Morons" is video that was released as part of an anthology of amateur, shock videos. It shows a young man presenting a how-to about grave robbing. While the video is of low quality, what jumps out is that the skull the man holds throughout the video appears very real. However, no one has been able to confirm if the v...

In the early 1980s, a killer targeted the homeless in India's largest cities. Dozens of victims were found in Mumbai and Kolkata, their skulls crushed with large stones while they slept. The press called him "The Stoneman". In this episode of A Study of Strange , we trace India’s most unsettling unsolved crime spree and discuss the possibility that this was one serial killer or several...

Death comes for us all, and sometimes it sneaks up through a series of bizarre coincidences or accidents. In this episode of "A Study of Strange", we cover five of the strangest deaths including a parachute test from the Eiffel Tower, a baseball accident, a movie star catching on fire, a killer toothpick, and a horrendous blood transfusion. We unpack how hubris, curiosity, and sheer misfor...

In 1925, Cora Stallman's body was discovered in a cistern on her sister's farm. Despite the coroner's findings, that she had not drowned and showed minimal signs of physical injury, her death was swiftly ruled a suicide. This case, the strangest ever featured on A Study of Strange , remains a provocative unsolved mystery. It involves many cryptic details like threatening letters, a cod...

On October 28, 1943, the USS Eldridge allegedly vanished from the Philadelphia Naval Yard, creating a legend of teleportation, time travel, and government cover-ups that refuses to die. This popular legend dominates historical mystery TV shows, podcasts, and forums, but how did the story really begin? This episode dives into the strange letters sent to UFO author Morris Jessup, the mysterious figu...