Autumn's Oddities

Death ceremonies and traditions around the world often have a similar central purpose, regardless of the religion, sect, or geography of the people. That central purpose is community. From Victorian Era romanticizing of death to sky burials, there's an option for us all.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/autumn-s-oddities--5307439/support .

In the late 1970s, professor Dr. Charles Scudder and his companion Joey Odom left their lives in Chicago behind for simpler lives in the mountains of Georgia. There, they built their home by hand and furnished it with occult books and symbology. They frequently welcomed guests into their Pink Room for "parties." Eventually, the wrong person was let in, and tragic consequences followed. SOURCES htt...

The 1830 murder of one of Salem's wealthiest octogenarians both stunned and captivated the public. At the trials of the accused, which featured the legendary orator Daniel Webster, a convoluted murder-for-hire plot unfolded. The details of the trial inspired such works of fiction as "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Scarlett Letter", with the ghost of Captain White still making himself known to visit...

During a massive storm on November 29, 1980, Granger Taylor left a note for his parents to find. It said that he had gone to board an alien spaceship after recurring dreams had told him he was going to embark on a 42-month interstellar journey. That night, Granger Taylor vanished. Both his family and the police spent months searching for him, but no one could uncover any leads on where he could be...

The Fresno Nightcrawler is a cryptid that resembles a pair of legs draped in white fabric and not much else. While the sightings might immediately scream “hoax”, there are at least two instances of it being captured on video. Is there really a haunted pair of pants out there or is the Fresno Nightcrawler just another clickbait story? SOURCES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzlf8rNyuxk George, Carm...

When typically reliable Al Kite failed to show up for work on May 24, 2004, his co-workers called his emergency contact who, in turn, called the Aurora, CO police. What they believed to be a welfare check turned into a gruesome murder investigation that became more confusing with each detail they uncovered. SOURCES https://www.denver7.com/news/crime/murder-of-aurora-man-remains-unsolved-15-years-l...

In the early morning hours of March 24, 2012, Molly Young drove to her ex-boyfriend’s apartment after receiving numerous calls and texts asking for help. The next morning, she was found in his room, on the floor next to his bed, with a gunshot wound to her head. Her death has initially ruled a suicide, but was amended to “undetermined”. The evidence is murky and circumstantial, but seems to heavil...

John Bodkin Adams was a British general practitioner, more than 160 of whose patients died under suspicious circumstances. Many of them just so happened to be very wealthy women and some 132 patients left him money or gifts when they died. Rumors started that Adams was killing them with drugs, but many of their bodies had been cremated before a post-mortem was conducted. Was Dr. Adams a serial kil...

On March 26, 1997, a tip from a former member led police to a grizzly discovery: 39 decomposing bodies in a San Diego mansion. The Heaven’s Gate massacre was the largest mass suicide that had ever taken place on US soil. SOURCES Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion ; By Benjamin Zeller  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/autumn-s-oddities--5307439/support .

On August 23, 1912, Percy and Lessie Dunbar loaded their two young sons and left their Opelousas home for a camping trip at nearby Swayze Lake. Four-year-old Bobby Dunbar wandered away from the family’s tent and disappeared that night. During a search, a boy matching Bobby’s age and description was found. Assuming this was the missing boy, “Bobby” was returned to the Dunbar family despite protests...

The idea of life after death has confounded humans since the beginning of time. While it is truly impossible to know, endless theories have been proposed to lessen the blow of what is, quite possibly, nothingness after death. Reincarnation is one such possibility. The strange case of the Pollock twins is still cited as a credible instance of reincarnation. SOURCES Books cited within the episode ht...

In October 2009, the Jamison family disappeared after touring a plot of land in Oklahoma. Days later, their abandoned pickup truck was found in a remote area of the Ouachita National Forest. Inside they found an odd assortment of items, along with their dog. There was no sign of the family. SOURCES https://www.enidnews.com/archives/found-remains-could-belong-to-missing-okla-family/article_082dab1f...

One evening in late September 1937, Charles S. Ross, the wealthy president of a greeting card company, was driving toward Chicago when he was pulled over and kidnapped at gunpoint by a pair of criminals. The ensuing investigation became one of the largest for the young FBI. The plot did not end well for Ross and one of the men who abducted him. SOURCES Seadlund v. United States, 97 F.2d 742 (7th C...

In 2002, investigators made a horrendous discovery at the Tri-State Crematory in Noble, Georgia. The owner had not cremated bodies that had been entrusted to him, but instead had dumped or buried them on the property. In all, 339 bodies were found on the 16-acre property. No explanation has been given as to why the bodies were not cremated. SOURCES Noble, a podcast by Shuan Raviv; Wavland Media ht...

In 1985, US Marshals collaborated with other law enforcement agencies to capture more than 100 fugitives from justice. They constructed an elaborate sting operation, luring the criminals with promises of brunch and free NFL tickets. SOURCES https://www.usmarshals.gov/who-we-are/history/historical-reading-room/fugitive-investigative-strike-teams-no-such-thing-free-lunch Clark, Jerry; Palattella, Ed...

In the final installment of the life and times of Aleister Crowley, the magician finds himself destitute, but somehow still traveling the world and creating communities that definitely aren't cults. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/autumn-s-oddities--5307439/support .

In episode 2, Crowley and his protege travel to North Africa where they test the boundaries of their magical prowess. It only gets weirder from here, folks! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/autumn-s-oddities--5307439/support .

Aleister Crowley was one of the most intriguing characters of the 20th century. He was a poet, a ceremonial magician, a mountaineer, an alchemist, a philosopher, a spy, and a self-described sex and drug addict. He was also known as “The Beast”, a title given to him by his own MOTHER, and the “wickedest man in the world.” SOURCES The Book of the Law; by Aleister Crowley and Rose Edith Crowley Magic...

From the outside, the Victorian house at 3406 Brownsville Road in Brentwood, Pennsylvania looks like any other in the area. It was once a waking nightmare inside, though, according to the Cranmer family. SOURCES The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home; by Bob Cranmer (Author), Erica Manfred (Author)  https://brownsvilleroadhouse.com/ https://www.realtor....

From the outside, Bob and Diane Ward had it all. They'd been married for 26 years, raised two daughters, and called a six-bedroom mansion in an exclusive neighborhood at Isleworth in Orlando, Florida home. Gunshots shattered that perfect illusion in September 2009. SOURCES STATE OF FLORIDA v. JAMES ROBERT WARD; CASE NO: 09-CF-13977-A-O https://casetext.com/case/bond-safeguard-insurance-co-v-diane-...

On July 4, 1998, a trio of ATV riders found a body near an interstate exit in the Las Vegas desert. What the police thought was an apocalyptic skinhead was really Airmen Dan Shersty, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Days later, they found the body of Lin Newborn, a local punk scene staple. The two men were best friends and the leaders of the local Anti-Racist Action group. They'd been lured to...

On Easter Sunday in 1967, Jim Thompson took an afternoon stroll in the Cameron Highlands’ hills. The American, known as the “king of Thai silk”, was on vacation in Malaysia with friends. Something happened during his walk and Thompson was never seen again. His disappearance remains a mystery. SOURCES https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,899490,00.html https://jimthompsonhouse.o...

On December 28, 1964, the quiet town of Garfield Heights, Ohio was shocked by the brutal stabbing death of 16-year-old Beverly Jarosz. While there were several suspects and even two confessions, most were excluded using methods that no longer hold up as evidence. Her murder remains unsolved. SOURCES https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/Jarosz h...

Have you ever felt like you’ve had an out-of-body experience? Surveys suggest that between 8 and 20 percent of people claim to have had something like an out-of-body experience at some point in their lives — a sensation of the consciousness, spirit, or "astral body" leaving the physical body. SOURCES https://www.wikihow.com/Perform-Astral-Projection Besant, A. 1896 Man and his bodies, London, Theo...

Ariel wanted to be where the people were, but most of the half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea known as mermaids wanted to be left alone. These legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since the advent of written history. While legends in various parts of the world differ, there are some common themes, fairly credible sightings, and manatees galore. SOURCES Mermaid Tales from Aro...