Curious Cousins OK Podcast

HAPPY NEW YEAR! WOHOO! 2026 Jess will be starting this new year out right…with a spooky tale from the Oklahoma Panhandle! Before Robbers Roost became legendary, the Oklahoma Panhandle—once called the Public Land Strip or "No Man's Land"—had a complex history shaped by 19th-century territorial politics and frontier life. After the Compromise of 1850 and boundary adjustments in 1854, a...

Tiff wraps up the fascinating and enormous history of the Cherokee Nation’s FIRST female Principal Chief; Wilma Mankiller.  Wilma Mankiller rose from community development work to become a transformational leader of the Cherokee Nation. In 1983 she joined Ross Swimmer as Deputy Chief and, despite severe gender-based hostility—including threats and vandalism—won election and later became the first...

This week, Tiff talks about a true Oklahoma warrior woman…Wilma Mankiller.  Wilma Pearl Mankiller (born November 18, 1945) was a Native American activist and community developer who became the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She revitalized the Nation’s government, improved healthcare and education, and advanced a Nation‑to‑Nation model of self‑government with the Unite...

Thanks for sticking with us while we took care of some home stuff! We appreciate you all! This week’s drop is in with cahoots with one of our favorite cousins, Raven Rollins, host of The Sirens Podcast AKA Sirens | A Southern True Crime Podcast.  Remember when Jess covered the Roger Wheeler Case (Season 3: Episodes 128, 129, 130, 131)? Jess and Tiff got the privilege of sitting down with the lead...

This week Jess wraps up the devastating and horrific case of Heather Rich. Hang on tight cousins, this is going to be a bumpy ride to justice… Last week’s discussion covered the investigation into the atrocities that befell Heather Rich, and the interrogations of Josh Bagwell, Curtis Gambill, and Randy Wood. All three were tried as adults in Texas because the murder occurred there. Curtis Gambill’...

Last week, Jess introduced us to the tragic story of Heather Rich of Waurika.  Sixteen-year-old Heather Rich went missing after sneaking out the night of October 2, 1996, and her body was later found in Belknap Creek with severe, fatal wounds; so bad that she could only be identified by a ring. Local law enforcement initially treated her disappearance as a runaway case, so Heather’s parents, Duane...

Listener request this week! Join us as Jess walks us through part 1 of the death of Heather Rich.  Heather Rose Rich, a vivacious Waurika, Oklahoma high‑school sophomore and cheerleader’s body was found in Belknap Creek on October 10, 1996. Heather, known for her beauty, bubbly personality, and popularity, had been struggling with personal issues: family stress after her father’s severe workplace...

Happy Halloween! What better way to wrap up Spooky Season 2025 than with some haunting tales from Oklahoma’s most haunted town? And with Tiff at the reins, you know the spooks and kooks will keep your spine chill! Guthrie, Oklahoma, was established almost overnight during the Land Run of 1889, transforming from a railroad station into a bustling city as tens of thousands of settlers staked claims....

Jess wraps up her look at Oklahoma during World War I in this week’s episode. It’s a treat (not a trick) because it includes a brief history of your favorite cousins’ ties to the Great War.  The University of Oklahoma experienced a significant transformation during World War I, with strong patriotic sentiments leading many students to consider joining the military. As a result, classrooms emptied,...

Oklahoma became a state in 1907…less than 10 short years later our nation was thrown into the very first World War. Where did that leave OK? What part did we play? This week Jess takes us through those beginning stages…or Part 1 of World War I Oklahoma.  Oklahoma's involvement in WWI evolved from initial aversion to enthusiastic participation due to economic pressures. The state experienced si...

Tiff concludes her 2-parter this on one of OK’s worst bank robberies of all time… On December 14, 1984, the Geronimo bank robbery and murder shocked the small town of Geronimo, Oklahoma, when 19-year-old Jay Wesley Neill, along with his boyfriend Robert Grady Johnson, committed heinous acts that resulted in the deaths of several bank employees and customers. Armed with a handgun and knife, Neill s...

This week, Tiff tackles a truly savage and senseless case. A case that is still known as the deadliest bank robbery in recent Oklahoma history. In part 1 of this two-parter, Tiff details the brutal Geronimo Bank Robbery on December 14, 1984 , in Geronimo, Oklahoma, which resulted in the murders of four people and severe injuries to three others. The primary suspects were local men, Jay Wesley Neil...

Do you feel that tiny nip in the air? It must mean one thing…the start of SPOOKY SEASON! Jess will kick our favorite season off with a part 2 of the Spooks found at the University of Oklahoma. The Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center was originally built as The Auditorium in 1918. It is a historic building at the University of Oklahoma, but was later renamed Holmberg Hall in 1938 after Fredri...

This week Tiff dives in and discusses Oklahoma’s very own prima ballerina…Maria Tallchief. Born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief on January 24, 1925, on the Osage Indian Reservation in Oklahoma, Maria became not only Oklahoma’s, but also America's first major prima ballerina. She is celebrated for her dedication and pride in her heritage.  Rising from humble beginnings, she navigated dual cultural w...

This week, Jess wraps up her second installment of Women on Death Row: Marilyn Kay Plantz. This story really feels like a textbook case, with all the betrayal, twists, turns, affairs, greed, and manipulation! Marilyn Kay Plantz became discontent in her marriage to Jim Plantz, leading her to engage in an extramarital affair with 18-year-old William Bryson. Instead of seeking a divorce, she conspire...

We’re baaaaaaccckkkk!! Welcome cousins to Season 4! We are so excited that you all are with us again this season!  We’re kicking off Season 4 with Jess’ second installment of “Women on Death Row”. This episode, part 1 of 2, covers Marilyn K Plantz.  Marilyn Kay Plantz, originally Marilyn Kay Sellers, was executed by lethal injection after spending 12 years on Oklahoma's Death Row. Born in 1960...

Tiff is going to wrap Season 3 up with a banger of a creepy place…St. Vincent’s Home in Oklahoma City.  The property, often mistaken for an abandoned church, was once a hospital established in 1944 by the Catholic Brothers of Mercy. Initially intended to care for mentally and physically ill men and boys, the facility expanded over the years, adding more rooms and amenities. Its history includes a...

This week, Jess tackles one of Oklahoma’ s many instances of the US Government going back on a treaty made with Native Tribes… Chitto Harjo, also known as Crazy Snake, was born in 1846 into the Muscogee Creek Nation, which held onto important ceremonial roles even as other Native tribes faced significant changes due to U.S. policies. The Muscogee people, descendants of a rich culture that once thr...

When picturing the stomping grounds of serial killers Oklahoma doesn’t quite come to mind…right? Well, Tiff is going to trample right over that belief in this week’s episode! The Oklahoma City Butcher is an unidentified serial killer responsible for the brutal murders of three young, unhoused Native American women—Cathy Lyn Shakelford, Arley Bell Killian, and Tina Marcia Sanders—between 1976 and 1...

Nothing says kooky and spooky like a jail, turned church, turned handicap home, turned cult headquarters! But Jess found just the place!  "Church Row" is located on Noble Avenue in Guthrie, OK. It features a series of houses of worship. Guthrie became a city, almost quite literally, overnight during the 1889 Land Run. This area also houses the notorious Black Jail, constructed in 1892, t...

This week, Tiff dives into the story of a true Oklahoma legend. Quannah Parker was the last great Comanche Chief, ruling over a vast territory that was originally Comanche land long before settlers arrived. The Comanche people thrived as skilled horsemen, becoming a powerful tribe after the introduction of horses by the Spanish. Quanah, born around 1845, was the son of Cynthia Ann Parker, a captiv...

This week, Jess will wrap up the bonkers ride that was the Roger Wheeler case! The investigation into the murder of Roger Wheeler highlighted significant corruption within the Boston FBI and the involvement of the Winter Hill Gang, including notorious mobsters like Johnny Martorano, Whitey Bulger, and Stevie Flemmi. In 1994, sealed indictments for racketeering were issued against several gang memb...

In the complex landscape of organized crime, the murder of Roger Wheeler was orchestrated primarily by Johnny Martorano and involved significant players from the Winter Hill Gang, including Whitey Bulger. Martorano, known for his violent reputation and loyalty to the gang, ultimately accepted the contract. The motivations for his murders were often rooted in loyalty rather than financial gain; bet...

Last week, Jess started us down the rabbit hole that was Roger Wheeler’s unalving…The investigation into his death identified three potential motives: armed robbery, kidnapping/extortion, and the most likely scenario of a contract killing. The police quickly dismissed robbery since Wheeler had significant cash and credit cards still on him. The detectives at the scene, including Michael Huff, arri...

This week Jess dips her toes into the world of organized crime…or does she?  Roger Wheeler, a prominent businessman in Tulsa, was unexpectedly murdered in 1981, sending shockwaves through the community. The assassination occurred in the parking lot of Southern Hills Country Club, with no clear motive or suspects at the time. It wasn't until 1997 that the truth emerged: the 16-year-old murderer...