Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast

Kaydra is currently in the process of moving! So while she packs boxes and gets the new studio ready, please enjoy this double feature. First, Kaydra shares the story of Wayne and Mary Hale, and their survival after a train derailment and chlorine gas spill. This story has been told by Kaydra on another show but never on Perplexity.  Then, Kaydra rewinds all the way back to episode 52 where she sh...

In 1993, the US Government served a search warrant against religious leader David Koresh. Koresh had been at the Mt Carmel Center in Waco, TX with a number of followers, including men, women, and children. The group had been stockpiling weapons and recently the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives known as the ATF had received a tip regarding illegal weapons on the premises. The...

Thousands have reported alien sightings over the years… but few have gained as much notoriety as this one. On the evening of November 30th, 1989, Linda Napolitano would claim she was abducted by aliens from her 12th floor lower Manhattan apartment. In 2024, Netflix released a 3 part series analyzing the evidence and the scrutiny. Linda maintains her story to this day. So the question is… was this...

On the cold spring morning of April 12, 1981, the quiet mountain town of Keddie, California, was changed forever by a quadruple homicide so heinous it seemed unbelievable. Decades later, the Keddie cabin murders remain a haunting puzzle, full of chilling theories, potential cover-ups, and questions no one has been able to answer. So today, we return to Cabin 28— trying to piece together unsettling...

On the cold spring morning of April 12, 1981, the quiet mountain town of Keddie, California, was changed forever by a quadruple homicide so heinous it seemed unbelievable. Decades later, the Keddie cabin murders remain a haunting puzzle, full of chilling theories, potential cover-ups, and questions no one has been able to answer. So today, we return to Cabin 28— trying to piece together unsettling...

When my niece was murdered in 2018, my interest in true crime turned to an obsession. I respect the victims and their families because I’ve been there. Every victims story deserves to be told. No chatting about my personal life or witty banter….I just get right to the case and tell the victim’s story. My personal story can be found in Season 1, episodes 17&18. You can listen to A Million Other...

TW/CW: sexual assault and murder of a child A brutal and unsolved murder of a 16 year old girl left residents of a small town in North Carolina completely dismantled. At first glance, little is found about this cold case online. But the further I dug, the more disturbed I became. Despite multiple suspects being looked at, eyewitnesses coming forward, and boxes of damning evidence, to this day no o...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! While Kaydra is traveling and enjoying time with her loved ones, enjoy this EARLY rewind... a perplexing Christmas Marathon! From creepypasta, to UFOs, to grumpy Christmas cryptids, to true crime this episode has it all to keep you entertained in traffic or on a plane ride.  Time Stamps:  Story 1: Christmas Creepypasta- 04:03 Story 2: UFO Christmas Sig...

TW: domestic violence, murder While Kaydra is working hard behind the scenes this week getting things ready for season 4, she brings to you a remastered version of an old Patreon episode. In this episode, Kaydra recaps episode 1 of the Netflix docuseries, "Worst Ex Ever." This episode highlights the crimes of Benjamin Obadiah Foster and his victims.  An average of 24 people per minute are victims...

When you think of classic horror creatures… what comes to mind? Vampires? Werewolves? Demons? Absolutely. But what about the undead? Reanimated humans with just one goal in mind: to consume human flesh. These creatures are absolutely terrifying, captivating to watch on the big screen, and they’re iconic to the horror genre. But did you know tales of these beings go back for centuries? And there ar...

TW: murder, suicide, extreme racial violence  Mississippi’s history whispers through shadows and time. From pre-war mansions where footsteps still echo long after midnight, to forgotten cemeteries where the air feels heavy with memories, there’s a lot to discuss about this state. The grounds have been soaked with blood, the cities chatter with chilling ghost stories, and its’ even said there are e...

TW: Murder, sexual assault This time of year is often spent with the ones we love. It’s a time for conversation, connection, laughter, and the comforting chaos of shared traditions. But for some families, this time of year is a reminder of heartbreak and unanswered questions. So for today’s true crime episode, we will be focusing on 2 unsolved cases. These are the perplexing stories of John Woodru...

In March 2001, 11-year-old Bethany Leanne Markowski vanished without a trace during a scheduled visit with her father. He claims she walked into the Jackson, Tennessee mall — and then she was simply gone. No witnesses. No confirmed sightings. No answers. Now, more than two decades later,  Missing In Hush Town  returns for a powerful second season to re-examine Bethany’s case with fresh ears and re...

TW: sexual assault, murder, extreme violence  In September of 1978, 15 year old Mary Vincent was hitchhiking in California. She would accept a ride from a man in a blue van by the name of Lawrence Singleton. Little did Mary know, Singleton was a monster. Mary's life would be forever changed. This is an unbelievable and inspiring case of survival, but also of other lives that were senselessly lost...

Special thanks to Patrick Thompson for creating this masterpiece! What do you guys think?! Feel free to download and enjoy.

In some versions of the story of the Garden of Eden, there is a third person: a mysterious vampiress. The story of this Dark Queen can be traced all the way back to 2700 BCE. There are endless myths and legends of her that connect to several religious texts. She is known to wear many faces and is too complex to put in a box. She’s also one of the oldest surviving mythological figures in all of Abr...

Listener/viewer discretion is advised. TW for suicide, gun violence, domestic violence, and filicide.  In this episode, Kaydra sits down with Hope Hooton, a mother who has endured the unimaginable loss of her 2 children, Alec and Lydia, to filicide, the act of killing your own child. Hope shares the story of her relationship, the abuse she experienced, the steps she took to protect herself and her...

To ring in 150 EPISODES, Kaydra invites some friends to the show to read some of their favorite perplexing stories from the internet. Happy Halloween! This episode was produced and edited by Kaydra Brannan, the host of Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast. https://www.perplexitymysterypodcast.com/ Show Notes: Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast https://www.perplexitymysterypodcast.com/ Story: https://www.reddi...

In today’s conversational episode, Kaydra brings back her from Adam from the Houston Strange podcast and Weekly Creep podcast for a fun and spooky conversation! They discuss season 2 of Houston Strange, their own personal paranormal encounters including ones never told on the show, and media we do (and do NOT) recommend you watch and read this spooky season!  Adam’s links: houstonstrange.com   Ema...

On April 11, 2005, a 56 year old man named Wu Shan left his townhome in the Gushan District of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Over the past few months, the Wu Family had been very reclusive. Nobody had seen Shan leave his household in over a month, so neighbors took notice. Shan Wu then approached a neighbor. He was dirty, disheveled, and he appeared emaciated. He said just a few words to the neighbor: call a...

Today, we’re opening the vault of the unwanted, the uncanny, and the utterly cursed. From a box that plagued multiple owners with nightmares and faulty technology, to a chest that killed multiple recipients, these cursed objects carry with them the weight of tragedy—and the promise of terror. So pour yourself a drink, dim the lights, and join me... if you dare. Because for today’s episode, we’re p...

Kaydra brings her sister back on the pod to discuss one of the most famous hauntings and iconic murder mysteries of all time. On November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and four siblings in their beds with a rifle at 112 Ocean Avenue on Long Island. DeFeo would claim he was driven by supernatural forces. The following year, The Lutz would move in, making horrifying claims of the s...

In this conversational episode, Kaydra is joined by Steven Ray Morris (See Jurassic Right, Ologies, My Favorite Murder, Purrcast). Today we will be stepping back—way back—into a world that’s as mysterious as it is mind-blowing. For over 160 million years, enormous creatures roamed the Earth, living, thriving, and disappearing long before humans ever did. The story of these prehistoric giants is fa...

In 1994, a 13 year old boy named Nicholas Barclay would vanish from San Antonio, Texas. His disappearance never made the news. As time passed, his family knew the chances of him being alive were incredibly slim. But they were desperate for some type of closure. Over 3 years after Nicholas disappeared, his family would be contacted, saying Nicholas had been found alive in Linares, Spain. But how di...

Kaydra's recovering from Crime Con! So this week, enjoy these rewind episodes from season 1! These are the stories of depraved men who committed phrogging, a phenomenon where people live in someone else's home without them knowing. These men were not only phroggers, but also tormented these families. First you will hear the story of Daniel LaPlante, then you will hear the story of Equeziel Zayas....