Dawn of Mantis: True Crime, Mysteries and More

Send us Fan Mail Part 5 of our early UFO contactee coverage concludes with the interesting tales of George Van Tassel and his adventures with the otherworldly. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Buck Nelson was an interesting man to say the least. Without his UFO tall tales we feel he'd be interesting. We go through his rise to fame as an early contactee and Joe even puts his spin on what his voice likely sounded like as he tells the story. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail We talk about Howard Menger and his extra-terrestrial encounters that he claims he had throughout his entire life. Where were these aliens from? Was it Venus, Mars, or somewhere else in the cosmos? Mr. Menger himself seems to have been unsure as to their origin from time to time. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail We continue our coverage of the golden era of UFO and alien sightings talking about George Adamski and the tales he told. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The earliest American pop-culture era of UFO visitation and it had a somewhat different take on the subject. Before Betty and Barney Hill there was a time that the characters telling tales of alien contact were as interesting as the stories themselves. This time we talked about one early contactee and his story. George Adamski was his name and he was a hoot. We cover that and chas...

Send us Fan Mail In early 2006 child star turned young adult suddenly vanishes. As the investigation carries on little evidence is found. Joe goes the way of Madonna and we bash social media some more. Speaking of, make sure you find us on Twitter @DawnOfManits. :D Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In August of 1970 a bomb was detonated in an UW-Madison building injuring three and killing one young researcher. One of the bombers still to this day is on the loose. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Mysterious happenings have been reported in a house in a small Arkansas town for years. The house does have a confirmed history of traumatic events that only add to the story. Does "bad" energy exist and has it taken hold of this property? Plus we pose the question, "when is your earliest memory?" We re-visit simulation theory and Ivan reaches out to the engine...

Send us Fan Mail This week we talk about a few interesting stories that Joe ripped from the entrails of the inter-webs. We cover the the fate of a faux Sasquatch, a cheerleader mom hit man plot, a murderer that thinks they are Angela Lansbury, and a case we like to call, "Houston We Have an Astro-Nutt!" Support the show

Send us Fan Mail We continue our discussion on how various religions prepare for and explain the afterlife. We talk about the beliefs of the Native Americans, followers of Judaism, Scientology and more. Later we dive down the simulation hypothesis rabbit hole and Ivan attempts to draw a parallel from that to Showbiz Pizza. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail What happens after death? Where do you go if anywhere? We discuss how various religions prepare for and explain the afterlife. In this episode we briefly explain those ideas from the early Egyptians to modern religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and more. It's not an in depth look yet more of an overview mixed with various other commentary. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This concludes our coverage of accidents resulting in deaths, or in many cases near deaths, of cast and crew. We pick up where we left off last time with the mid 80s on to more recent flicks. That and, as always, more random blathering from Joe and Ivan. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail We continue our talk about accidents on movie sets. We also talk about the supposed curses around the filming of the movies The Omen and The Exorcist. All that and more. The power of the Mantis compels you to listen to this week's episode. :D Enjoy! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This time we look back through the strange history of filmmaking accidental deaths. We talk about the circumstances of these tragedies and their impact of the industry. Sadly actors, extras and even directors at times were in the wrong place at the wrong time and gave their life in pursuance of their art-form. Join us for part one as we go chronologically from the 1920s to the ear...

Send us Fan Mail In the late summer of 1966, Miguel José Viana and Manoel Pereira da Cruz were found dead on the slopes of Vintém Hill in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. Curios items were found on them including, perhaps most mysterious, a set of hand crafted lead masks covering their eyes. What happened to these two electronic technicians? We lay out some of the known details of the case as well a...

Send us Fan Mail In 1994 Gloria Ramirez is brought into the ER under quite mysterious circumstances. Her skin has an oily sheen, her blood smells of ammonia and she has numerous other anomalies that baffle everyone in the room. The staff begins to feel ill as they tend to her trying to save her life. What was it that contributed to her strange conditions that to this day have dubbed her the "...

Send us Fan Mail In 2012 Lowell Badger of Sullivan County, Indiana was brutally murdered. We cover the details of the case hoping that someone, somewhere can provide information to bring the evil perpetrators to justice. This is a patron suggested episode. Visit our Patreon for more information. We also take a light hearted look at the good cop/bad cop dynamic in a short comedy bit at the beginnin...

Send us Fan Mail Herbert Mullin killed thirteen people in California in the early 1970s but HE feels he had a good reason. Thankfully he was saving us all from epic natural disasters. We cover the case and explain his logic in this episode. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The Rocky Mountain Locust wreaked havoc on the western United States in the 1870s. sometimes described as “hell from above”, clouded the skies fiercely devouring the crops, tree leaves, and even fence posts. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Imagine, if you will, a world without sex. Minus the obvious survival of the human race factor, how would the world be better without the negative repercussions that stem from it? Join us for this thought experiment after a short fun look at numerology. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail We talk about the ill-fated Glenn and Bessie Hyde Grand Canyon scow boat expedition in the late 1920's. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Former NCAA star Rico Harris mysteriously vanishes in October of 2014 in Yolo County California while traveling long distance. Details of the investigation raise more questions than answers. That case after we "mole" over a silly skit, we make sure All Wings are Considered, and Joe tells a grim tale about a triple homicide in which the aggressor's hand was forced as...

Send us Fan Mail This week Cody Templeton rejoins us and we discuss strange and mysterious stories. This one went off the rails early, REAL early, and we had a lot of fun. If you are in the mood for an offbeat episode, this one is for you! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The final part of our series on the Texas Bell Tower Shooting. This time we talk about the shooting itself. For 96 minutes Whitman unsuspecting people on campus. We detail these in chronological order and discuss how he was finally brought to justice. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On part two we talk about the hours leading up to the shooting. We read letters written by Whitman and also go through the timeline of the morning of the event. Support the show