Dawn of Mantis: True Crime, Mysteries and More

Send us Fan Mail In part one of this two part series, we introduce you to the players in our story- Betty & Alan Gore, and Candy & Pat Montgomery. The two couples went to church together, and Alan and Candy, who were both unhappy in their marriages,  eventually began having an affair. After just a few months though, Alan grew a conscience and wanted to stop seeing her. Candy, however, was...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk about Carl Tanzler- an eccentric German born "doctor" who fell in love with one of his patients in 1930. When she died of tuberculosis a year and a half later, Tanzler was distraught. He began to visit her tomb every night, and eventually stole her body and brought it back to his home, where he lived with it for several years. He was eventually ca...

Send us Fan Mail Halloween is upon us! To help you celebrate, we here at the Dawn of Mantis podcast are presenting a macabre collection of disturbing Halloween tales. From a haunted hayride decoration that ended up being all too real, to a holiday play that was a real blast (literally), to a masked murderer at a high school party who was never caught, these terrifyingly true stories will make you...

Send us Fan Mail We get the pleasure of having a conversation with our friend and yours, Scott Seaman! Scott is in the band 90 lb Wrench, and we talk about everything from ghosts to guitars to serial killers and a whole lot more in between. Enjoy!  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing. Disclaimer: This post contains af...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the strange disappearance and eventual return of California mom Sherri Papini. But what at first seemed like a harrowing ordeal she was lucky to survive soon became widely believed to be an elaborate hoax. We also cover a few other cases of people who had apparently kidnapped themselves.  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineeri...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the final part of our “Murder In the Mountains” series. In this episode we cover the arrests of the Duvall brothers, and the bizarre trial that resulted in their life sentences.  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I m...

Send us Fan Mail In part 4 of our "Murder in the Mountains" series, court proceedings scare up a host of new tips (so many tips!) and even more witnesses step forward. Also, previous witnesses begin to finally tell the entire story, and it doesn't look good for the Duvall's.  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production &...

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Send us Fan Mail In part three of our series, we continue to follow the myriad of tips and false leads plaguing the investigation into Brian and David's murders. We also introduce the man who would eventually be the one to finally crack the case- Bronco Lesneski.  (Subject Matter Begins @ 3:35) Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production &a...

Send us Fan Mail In part 2 of our Murder In the Mountains series, we examine the first several of many false leads, and follow the police as they slowly begin to zero in on the Duvall brothers.  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a...

Send us Fan Mail Our 141st episode begins a 5 part series on the disappearances of Brian Ognjan and David Tyll, who had been friends since they were kids. In November of 1985, the two travelled north from their homes in the Detroit area to do some hunting, and were never seen again by their family and friends. Over the next 5 episodes, we'll be covering the investigation into their disappeara...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are joined once again by the lovely Ms Hannah, who helps guide us through a hodge podge of bizarre tales. Can a parrot testify in a murder trial? Can a full grown man live in your house for a year without you noticing? How did hundreds of gallons of poo water make it’s way into a hospital room? Give us a listen to find out. (Subject Matter Begins @ 5:17) Suppor...

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Send us Fan Mail In our second and final episode on mobster Frank Nitti, we cover his rise to the very top of the largest crime syndicate in Chicago, how the end of Prohibition forced a search for new criminal enterprises, and how those new ventures caused his inevitable downfall.  (Subject Matter Begins @ 6:10) Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode begins a two part series on Chicago mobster Frank Nitti. In part one we cover Frank's early life, his move from New York to Chicago and befriending Al Capone.  We also detail his ascension through the ranks of Chicago's largest crime syndicate. So put on your trench coat & fedora, grab your Tommy gun and come take a ride with us.  Support the sho...

Send us Fan Mail We got another opportunity to speak with our friend Frankie MacDonald, the World's Greatest Weatherman. Frankie predicts a major earthquake, talks about some movies he likes, updates us on his upcoming world tour and further discusses his dislike of hail. It's always a pleasure to talk to our friend Frankie!  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engine...

Send us Fan Mail Scott Hutchinson was a brilliant artist, musician, singer and songwriter. Scott was melancholy by nature, and drew from that well of sadness to create most of his art. Unfortunately his depression and mental health issues would destroy him though, leaving behind a wealth of great music and many heartbroken friends, family and fans. As always, we approach sadness with humor, someth...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 136, we cover the tragic sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter vessel that foundered in a horrific winter storm and sank into Lake Superior in 1975. It has since reached legendary status, and has been the focus of many documentaries, podcasts (obviously) and even inspired a now classic song by Gordon Lightfoot. (Subject Matter Begins @ 9:34) Redbeard Sound Re...

Send us Fan Mail In our 20th Mini Mantis we discuss a subject which we are neither intelligent or mature enough to properly navigate- the "Guevodoces" children of the Dominican Republic. Are we qualified to cover this subject? Absolutely not. Do we try anyway? Of course. Join us!  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On a chilly Fall night in 1973, five friends gathered to smoke the devil's lettuce and do a little hanging out at the Gitchie Manitou State Preserve, just outside Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Not long after arriving, they were attacked by three sadistic brothers, and all but one of the group was systematically executed. The only one allowed to live, thirteen year old Sandra Che...

Send us Fan Mail One September night in 1959, while out on his routine beat in Davis, California, officer Cantrill was shot and left for dead in his own police car. Virtually zero evidence was left, and despite the crime occurring in a residential area, no one saw or heard the murder. There were a few suspects, however none panned out. All these years later the case still remains unsolved.  Suppor...

Send us Fan Mail This is our final episode in an 8 part series about the one and only Buddy Holly. In the previous seven installments, we have attempted to cover most of Buddy's life- not only the times and dates of what occurred throughout his brief time on this earth, but also what made Buddy who he was. Our goal was to try to introduce you to Buddy Holly the man, instead of the façade of a...

Send us Fan Mail Pop a cold brewski and ride along as we discuss the botched kidnapping and murder of the CEO of the Coors Brewing Company in 1960. In honor of the subject matter, Joe slams multiple cans of Coors and rambles even more than normal, while Sam and Ivan futilely attempt to keep the episode on track.  Redbeard Sound RedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music...

Send us Fan Mail Part 7 of our series on Buddy Holly is packed with information, as we cover the last few months of Buddy's life before he embarked on his final tour. We talk about his whirlwind romance and marriage to Maria Elena and their move to New York City. It was also at this time that Buddy finally had enough of Norman Petty- but in his efforts to finally separate from Petty and colle...

Send us Fan Mail Secure your overhead luggage, fasten your seat belts and put your trays in the upright positions, this mini mantis is gonna be a wild ride! We cover the insane incident that occurred on British Airways flight 5390 when a faulty wind screen blew out at 17,000 feet, sucking the pilot out of the window! What’s even crazier is the fact the he and everyone else aboard survived!  Redbea...