Malice in the Mitten

Something moves in the woods… and at first glance it looks like a deer. But its legs bend wrong. Its eyes face forward. And sometimes… it walks on two legs. In this episode of F-Bomb Friday, we explore the eerie folklore of the Not-Deer — a creature reported across Appalachia that looks like a deer but behaves like something far more unsettling. #FBombFriday #Folklore #UrbanLegends #Cryptids #NotD...

This week on Round Robin, we spin from ancient legends to modern internet myths. The conversation begins with Michigan’s Nordic Fire Festival in Charlotte before diving into Viking culture, including skalds and kennings, the storytellers who shaped Norse legend. Then we pivot to the strange world of celebrity death hoaxes and online conspiracy theories, exploring why misinformation spreads so quic...

In October 1959, a woman searching for autumn flowers in Mequon, Wisconsin made a devastating discovery — the remains of a small child hidden in a roadside culvert. For decades, the child was known only as Case Number 6426. No name. No identity. No justice. This episode of Malice in the Mitten explores the disappearance of Markku Edward Michael Jutila — born Chester Alfred Brieney — the adoption t...

The Smeet Frog of Ypsilanti explores one of Michigan’s strangest local legends — a mysterious creature said to lurk along the shadowed bends of the Huron River. Blending folklore, regional storytelling, and eerie atmosphere, this episode of F-Bomb dives into how myths take root, why strange sightings persist, and what happens when community storytelling turns something small into something unforge...

The Winter Olympics are here — and so are the stories you didn’t know. From Jason Statham’s diving career to Vera Wang’s Olympic figure skating dreams, we explore the surprising celebrities who almost made the Games. We dive into wild Olympic facts, Miracle on Ice nostalgia, dream team drafts, and the psychology behind chasing gold. It’s competitive, chaotic, and classic Round Robin fun. #RoundRob...

In 1938 Dollar Bay, Michigan, Wilfred and Loria Pichette confessed to killing Marian Doyle — claiming she was possessed by devils. After multiple family tragedies, economic hardship during the Great Depression, and a scandal involving a pregnant housekeeper, the brutal murder shocked the Upper Peninsula and drew national headlines. Featuring courtroom testimony from a seven-year-old child, this Mi...

In the mid-1800s, tragedy struck the Beeson family of Niles, Michigan. After the death of infant grandson Job Withrow Beeson, grief and rumor began to surround the Beeson Mansion and its private mausoleum. Was it truly cursed — or was it simply a family shaped by Victorian mourning and loss? In this episode of F-Bomb, we explore the documented history of Strother Beeson, the family crypt, and the...

From ancient love potions and mandrake root to modern red flags and relationship psychology, this episode of Round Robin explores the strange things humans have done — and still do — in the name of love. Were love potions real? Did people actually drink them? What’s the difference between harmony and chaos when it comes to attraction? And are we chasing chemistry… or control? Plus, a bold movie re...

In May of 1979 31-year-old nurse and mother Jane Snow was driving north with her two young sons toward a new beginning in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She stopped at the Loon Lake rest area near Grayling — a familiar halfway point. She never made it home. Stabbed 22 times in broad daylight, with no robbery, no assault, and no witnesses, Jane’s murder remains unsolved nearly five decades later. Who...

In 1914, the Holy Cross Orphanage in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula became the center of disturbing allegations — cruelty, punishment, and children who never seemed to leave. Locals have long whispered about laughter in empty halls… crying behind locked doors… and shadowed figures in the upper windows of the abandoned building. In this episode of F-Bomb (Fables, Fiction, Folklore & Frights), we ex...

In this episode of Round Robin, the conversation spans the globe and lands squarely in Michigan. We talk about world population trends and what it means to live on a planet of more than eight billion people, then pivot to some of the weirdest and most wonderful buildings in the Great Lakes State — from mushroom houses to pickle-shaped landmarks. We also celebrate Michigan firsts that helped shape...

On Halloween afternoon in 1981, eleven-year-old Karl Heikell left his home in Calumet, Michigan — and never returned. What followed was a search filled with conflicting sightings, unanswered questions, and rumors that spread through a small Upper Peninsula community desperate for answers. From abandoned mine shafts to the discovery of Karl’s belongings and remains nearly a year later, investigator...

Deep underground, long before safety regulations or daylight reached the mines, workers spoke of something else down there with them. In this episode of F-Bomb Friday, we explore the legend of the Tommy Knockers—small, unseen beings said to live inside the walls of mines, warning some workers of collapse while driving others toward paranoia, obsession, and madness. Are the knockers protectors… or...

Michigan true crime, told with care. Malice in the Mitten explores criminal cases from across Michigan with restraint, accountability, and respect for victims and communities.

In this episode of Round Robin, we pay homage to comedy icon Catherine O’Hara before diving into the kinds of conversations that only happen when you slow down and get curious. We talk about the things in life that shouldn’t work — but somehow do. The episode closes with a thoughtful question: if you could experience one extraordinary moment just once, what would it be?  #RoundRobinPodcast #Cather...

In 1987, two brothers were convicted of murdering a Detroit drug dealer and sentenced to life without parole. For 25 years, Thomas and Raymond Highers maintained their innocence — until a single Facebook post triggered new witnesses and unraveled a decades-old conviction. This episode of Malice in the Mitten examines how tunnel vision, eyewitness testimony, and procedural certainty led to a wrongf...

Dice Road, a quiet stretch of pavement in rural Michigan, has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the state. In this F-Bomb Friday trilogy, we explore the chilling legends, documented encounters, and terrifying stories tied to Dice Road — from shadow figures and phantom children to violent poltergeist activity and homes that refuse to stay silent. These aren’t just campfire...

From laughing yourself to death to legends that refuse to fade, this episode of Round Robin explores some of history’s strangest endings. We dive into bizarre deaths and the mystery of the 27 Club.  Darkly fascinating, surprisingly human, and just the right amount of spooky, this episode looks at how myth and reality collide. Hosted and produced by Tracy Preston Original artwork by Todd Preston Or...

In July 1981, a young mother and two children were found murdered inside their Macomb County, Michigan home. Another child survived. More than two years later, the husband and father, Robert Deroo, was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder — only to be acquitted in 1984. In this episode of Malice in the Mitten, we take a careful, deeply researched look at the Deroo...

A dark Michigan urban legend haunts the ruins of Detroit—an apparition known as the Black Nun. Said to roam abandoned convents and church hallways, her presence is marked by silence, cold air, and the feeling of being watched. In this episode of F-Bomb Friday, we explore the origins of the Black Nun of Detroit, the history behind the legend, and why religious folklore continues to cling to the cit...

From the world’s strangest museums to sports that should never exist, this episode of Round Robin dives headfirst into human curiosity and chaos. We explore some of the most unusual museums on Earth, wildly bizarre sporting events, forgotten and unhinged Olympic history, and real sports injuries that didn’t even happen during the game. We wrap things up with Round Robin Recommendations, including...

In Part Two of Shadows of Macomb County, we examine the murder of Lisa Putman, a Michigan Child Protective Services worker killed while performing her duties. This episode follows the investigation into her disappearance, the arrest of Jacqueline and Josephine Verellen, and the legacy Lisa left behind — including why social worker safety matters. This is a victim-centered, factual account of a cas...

Yellow Mike is one of Michigan’s darkest folklore legends — a forgotten asylum patient, a sealed crate, and a being that learned how humans move, breathe, and fear. Some say he escaped. Some say he never existed. Others say he’s still watching.  #FBombFriday #MichiganFolklore #DarkFolklore #MidwestLegends #AmericanFolklore  Story researched and written by Todd Preston Produced and hosted by Tracy...

From towering steel to ancient waters, we’re diving into one of Michigan’s most iconic landmarks — the Mackinac Bridge — and the powerful freshwater system it spans. In this episode of Round Robin, we explore the fascinating history of the bridge, uncover how the Great Lakes got their names, and answer a question many people have never stopped to ask: If Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are connected…...

Jennifer Kukla | A Michigan Family Betrayal In Michigan, a home is supposed to be a place of safety. For one family, it became something far darker. In the first episode of this series, Malice in the Mitten examines the case of Jennifer Kukla — a story of domestic trust, quiet warning signs, and a crime that unfolded behind closed doors. Through careful research and restrained storytelling, we exp...