Ohio Mysteries

In 1995,13-year-old Barbie Barnes disappeared on her walk to school in Steubenville. Her remains weren't found for another three months. In the months that followed, three different persons of interest rose to the top of the list in this unsolved homicide. Could one of them be guilty, or is her killer's identity still unknown? www.ohiomysteries.com feedback@ohiomysteries.com www.patreon.com/ohiomy...

Throughout the mid-1800s, Southeast Ohio newspapers followed the criminal exploits of their incorrigible and infamous horse thief and counterfeiter, Shep Tinker. The site of his grave is a mystery, but his colorful career, Robinhood reputation and undeniable charm is still the stuff of legend, and a reason to visit Tinker's Cave. www.ohiomysteries.comfeedback@ohiomysteries.com www.patreon.com/ohio...

Hello and welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries: Backroads. Today we wade out into Lake Erie and explore a little known hideaway with a dark history. Just below the popular Lake Erie island, Put-In-Bay lies another smaller island named Rattlesnake Island. Today this is a very exclusive secret hideout for the Gatsby Society of Cleveland. With its own airport and full time security detail ens...

This year, 2024, a high school Eagle scout candidate named Zach Kramer began a search for the final resting place of an American Revolutionary War private and his wife - both of whom Zach suspected were buried beneath the soil of Symmes Park in his hometown of Hamilton. Here's what he found... www.ohiomysteries.com feedback@ohiomysteries.com www.patreon.com/ohiomysteries www.twitter.com/mysterieso...

Hello an welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries: Backroads. In Part 2 of today's episode we travel down to the sleepy little river town of East Liverpool, Ohio and learn about what some people called the most dangerous place in America, Hell's Half Acre. This assortment of bars, brothels, outlaws and trouble became known as the bootlegging capitol of Ohio. Situated on the Ohio-Pa border, thi...

In 2009, an Akron woman was shot dead by a man who stood on her porch and knocked on her door. The next year, a second woman was killed when she answered the door. And in 2015, Akron police found a third Akron woman dead on her friends back porch. There is no reason to think these murders are connected, and they were barely covered by local media. But tonight, we remember the unsolved murders of D...

Hello an welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries: Backroads. In Part 1 of today's episode we travel down to the sleepy little river town of East Liverpool, Ohio and learn about what some people called the most dangerous place in America, Hell's Half Acre. This assortment of bars, brothels, outlaws and trouble became known as the bootlegging capitol of Ohio. Situated on the Ohio-Pa border, thi...

In 1862, 23 Ohio soldiers, led by a Kentucky union spy, stole deep into the south with the intent of stealing a train and using it to destroy telegraph lines, railroad tracks and bridges and cripple the south. They ultimately got caught and nearly half of them hanged, but the survivors were given the very first Medals of Honor by a grateful US Congress. In this final part, we learn the fate of the...

In 1862, 23 Ohio soldiers, led by a Kentucky union spy, stole deep into the south with the intent of stealing a train and using it to destroy telegraph lines, railroad tracks and bridges and cripple the south. They ultimately got caught and nearly half of them hanged, but the survivors were given the very first Medals of Honor by a grateful US Congress. In this second of three parts, we go along f...

In 1862, 23 Ohio soldiers, led by a Kentucky union spy, stole deep into the south with the intent of stealing a train and using it to destroy telegraph lines, railroad tracks and bridges and cripple the south. They ultimately got caught and nearly half of them hanged, but the survivors were given the very first Medals of Honor by a grateful US Congress. In this first episode, we meet the intrepid...

Exactly 50 years ago today, the worst tornado in Ohio’s history slammed into Xenia, Ohio, killing 35 people, injuring 1,300, and causing $100 million dollars in damage. Join us as we talk about what happened a half century ago, as well as our recent trip to the city of Xenia, and also stopping by a couple of cemeteries to pay our respects to two of the victims, a young mother and her seven-year ol...

The team of Seeking Justice has made Parma resident Dawn Pasela their latest project. Dawn was a government whistleblower with enemies in high places, so when she was found dead of an alcohol overdose just hours before she was to testify, many wondered if she had been killed and the crime scene staged. We interview the three hosts of Seeking Justice ab out this unusual case. Follow Seeking Justice...

Hello and Welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries; Backroads. In today's episode we explore one of the most unique airplane collections ever assembled. This collection grew out of one man's drive and passion and would come to attract worldwide attention and even cause pilots to change their flight plans to just to sneak a peek at these rare aircraft. Walter Soplata through sheer will and dete...

In 1987, 35-year-old biochemist Peter Becci - who relocated from New York to the Lima, Ohio suburb of Shawnee Township with his family - was murdered in the basement of his home. Police said after failing to get interviews with his estranged wife who quickly moved to Florida, they gave up, saying the case was costing the small department too much money. But a decade ago, a new detective cracked op...

Note: This episode previously aired, we return to new episodes next week. In this episode we explore the UFO chase in Portage County, Ohio in 1966. At 5 a.m. April 17, 1966, two Portage County, Ohio, sheriff deputies on routine patrol stop to investigate an abandoned vehicle down a dark road and are blinded by known craft rising into the sky behind the car. Deputy Dale Spaur decides to go check it...

Is Dayton named for a traitor? Why did Cleveland shave a letter off the name of its founder? What made the Roman dictator Cincinnatus worthy of an American city? We look at the origins of the names of Ohio's eight big cities, including Columbus, Toledo, Parma, Canton and Akron. Lots of history and mystery in their stories! www.ohiomysteries.com feedback@ohiomysteries.com www.patreon.com/ohiomyster...

Well spring is in the air this week and as we all know, this is the time of year when young men and women's thoughts turned to, you guessed it, yo-yo'ing and the board game checkers. In this gripping episode we check out 2 Ohioians who rose to prominence with the yo-yo and checkers. Learn about Linda Sengpiel! She was the top female yo-yo player for over four decades during her reign as yo-yo mast...

Great Lakes sailors often talk about the "Witch of November," autumn gales typical for that month that make the final trips of the season dangerous for freighters and other vessels. In November of 1913, the witch did her worst - the most deadly storm in the history of the Great Lakes, pulling 12 ships to the bottom of lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie and killing more than 250 people. This...

For well over a century Ohio has supplied the entertainment industry with hundreds of talented and beautiful actresses! This week the Backroads team focuses in on the dozens of Ohio-born actresses who were cast in popular and well-known television series throughout the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and into the present day. It’s an impressive list of ladies! From dramatic acting, to zany comedy, to s...

On Easter Sunday, a storm estimated to be a 1,000-year event floods the state. Not a single river in Ohio is contained within its banks as hundreds lose their lives, tens of thousands of people are made homeless and thousands of bridges and railway trestles are washed away. www.ohiomysteries.com feedback@ohiomysteries.com www.patreon.com/ohiomysteries www.twitter.com/mysteriesohio www.facebook.com...

In this episode we discuss the wild life and times of Dr. Leonard Faymore. He was a doctor in Elyria, Ohio who assisted in starting a drug rehab clinic but it quickly went wrong. Faymore quickly developed a reputation as a drug dealer rather than a rehab clinic. Addicts would line up at 4am to get a number to wait in line and the parking lot would devolve into an open drug den. The story gets real...

During World War II, West Virginia mother of five - Mary Jane VanGilder - left her children and abusive husband and took a job at an army depot in Shelby, Ohio. She stayed in touch with her family for a year or so, then vanished from their lives. For more than 80 years, her children - and then her grandchildren - searched for her. That mystery was solved when Shelby Det. Adam Turner took on the ca...

There is no doubt you know these songs! They are among the most popular in the world! They have stood the test of time by still being relevant today, even though they are decades old. You might still sing along to them when you hear them on your playlists, the radio, the TV, or perhaps at a popular hot spot in town! You may have even sung a verse or two during the holiday season! What you might no...

In November of 1896, California residents reported seeing ships in the air sailing over the homes - a sight all the more puzzling since airships hadn't been invented yet, and the Wright Brothers wouldn't fly their first plane for another seven years. Those mysterious airships moved east, and arrived over Ohio in April the next year.  www.ohiomysteries.comfeedback@ohiomysteries.com www.patreon.com/...

Cleveland's seedy underbelly in the early part of the 20th century could rival most any major city in the US. Crime, greed, graft and corruption became routine part of daily life in Cleveland. Mayor Burton brought famed lawman, Elliot Ness to Cleveland to root out crime from within the ranks of the Cleveland Police Dept. Ness would be put to the test quickly by leading a raid on the Harvard Club,...