The Haunting Truth

Join us as we travel to the cliffs above the Gauley River, deep in the mountains of West Virginia, where one of the early battles of the American Civil War unfolded. A place where visitors today still claim the past has not fully left.  This is the story of the Battle of Carnifex Ferry… and the echoes some say still walk its hills. Source Notes  National Park Service – Carnifex Ferry Battlefield H...

Join us as we discuss the phenomenon known as "Reefer Madness"; the history and some of the kooky crimes related to that special plant. We may even touch on a bbq flavored ear... Parental warning- adult themes. Trigger warning for violence and self-harm. Sources · Harry J. Anslinger – Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-J-Anslinger · Reefer Madness – Library of Cong...

Today on  The Haunting Truth  we are traveling to a town that most maps no longer acknowledge, a place erased not by time or war, but by a fire that refuses to go out. This is the story of Centralia, and the unsettling legacy left behind when an entire community was slowly forced to disappear.  Sources and Reference Notes: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – Centralia Mine Fire ...

Join us today to discuss one of the most enduring sea legends ever told, one that has spawned a cultural phenomenon and has at its heart a kernel of truth...validated by a king and evidenced in the name of a sorceress. Sources & References: Boxer, C. R.  The Dutch Seaborne Empire, 1600–1800.  Hutchinson, 1965.  Bruijn, Jaap R.  Dutch-Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th Centuries.  Rijks Gesc...

The Candyman legend didn’t start in a mirror — it started with real blood, real victims, and real cities.  In this episode of Haunting Truth, join us as we uncover the true origins of Candyman and trace how his crimes helped shape one of America’s most enduring urban legends.  *LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED* Sources: Dean Corll & Houston Mass Murders  Texas Monthly –  The Monster Next Door   htt...

Join us for the second in our Poison Garden mini-series. This episode focuses on the intersection of poison and punishment, a central moment in the history of philosophy that echoes throughout time.     Sources & Reference Material:   The Internet Classics Archive | Phaedo by Plato   (Classical account of Socrates’ final hours.)  Xenophon's The Apology eBook | PDF | Project Gutenberg | Apo...

Join us as we discuss the last person burned alive in Ireland -a case where folklore was not a metaphor but a justification for murder. This is the story of Bridget Cleary and the ancient terror of changelings that helped seal her fate.  Resources: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/bridget-cleary-the-last-woman-burned-to-death-in-ireland-1.3836933  Angela Bourke,  The Burning of Bridget...

Join us as we take our first stroll into the Poison Garden. This episode will focus on one specific plant, as well as a true crime case that helped shaped forensic science as we know it today. This series will cover a plethora of plants that find their home in the Poison Garden, as well as a case (or cases) related to that plant and how it influenced us to this day. Sources & Reference Materia...

There are places on this earth where people disappear… And places where history refuses to stay buried. Tonight, on The Haunting Truth, we journey into the Great Dismal Swamp — a place of true crime, survival, violence, and supernatural terror — where the line between history and haunting dissolves into fog. Listener discretion advised. This episode contains discussions of historical violence, mur...

Join us tonight as we discuss a case from Camden NJ that sits at the crossroads of true crime, literary myth, and the uncomfortable truth about how real girls disappear behind fictional ones.  This is the story of Sally Horner, the child whose kidnapping and captivity would echo through American culture long after her death… and whose name was nearly erased by the fame of the novel she never lived...

Join us as we discuss something we thought only happened in the past. But no- it is still happening today, as we can see in a recent case in Philadelphia. This episode discusses grave desecration, human remains, and disturbing historical practices involving the dead. This is for entertainment purposes only and since this is an ongoing investigation, the charges are alleged until conviction. Source...

February is a month of rituals- roses, chocolate and Hallmark cards. But this month we have another key date- Friday the 13th. And what happens when these dates collide? You find out love isn't safe, just like Tiana Notice did in 2009. Join us as we cover the origins of these key dates and Tiana's story. One that didn't have to happen like it did- if only the system had worked like it...

Today we trace Bacon’s Rebellion from its roots in Surry County to the fire that consumed Jamestown — and the ghosts it left behind. This episode graphic descriptions of historical violence, colonial warfare, executions, death, and themes of oppression and injustice. Some material may be disturbing or emotionally difficult for listeners. Sources: · Surry County Court Records (1650s–1670s), Library...

Journey with us as we step inside the building that never sleeps (and is rarely seen!) but is home to notable residents, both alive and dead, as well as legends that continue to resonate today. Sources & Reference Material:         The Address — Fiona Davis   The Dakota - US Ghost Adventures   The Cursed Dakota Building In NYC Has A Tragic And Macabre History   The Dakota - The Little House of...

Today we explore the legend that refuses to stay in the dark, especially at girls' sleepovers. All you had to do was take the dare and say the name three times- Bloody Mary. This episode contains discussion of violent crime, murder, psychological disturbance, and disturbing themes involving reflections and crime scenes. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Sources: · Dundes, Alan. Bloody M...

Today’s episode is from a small town and not one largely noticed in paranormal circles. However, this discussion may change that. Join us as we discuss the shadows of Woodstown, NJ Sources & Reference Material:   Haunted History Jaunts – “Haunted: Woodstown Tavern and Hotel – Woodstown, NJ” This source documents the tavern’s 1836 origins, its long history as a hotel and bar, and firsthand para...

Today we uncover the deep history of Christmas elves. These beings existed long before Christmas, as watchers in the winter darkness, beings who judged human behavior and protected the delicate balance between the living and the spirit world.  And do they still?? SOURCES  Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland — “Elves in Medieval Scandinavian Lore”  John Lindow —  Norse Mythology: A Guide to the...

Today’s episode lands in one of our ancestral seats, Wales. Join us as we explore rap battles, horse skulls and divination in context with the winter season in this oft overlooked region!  Sources & Reference Material:  The Mari Lwyd | Wales.com   The Mari Lwyd, and other Welsh festive traditions | Morbitorium   Mari Lwyd - Wikipedia   Welsh Christmas Traditions | Wales.com   The unusual New Y...

Join us as we travel to the highest peaks of the world — the Himalayas — where locals speak of a creature that has haunted the mountains for centuries.   The world knows it as the  Yeti  — or the  Abominable Snowman . References & Source Notes  Wikipedia :  Yeti  – origin and etymology.  Time Magazine  (2017): “Are Yetis Real? They’re Probably Just Himalayan Brown Bears.”  Nature.org : “The Ye...

Today's episode includes discussion of death, suicide, emotional abandonment, wartime trauma, depression, spiritual unrest, and folklore involving ghosts and vengeful spirits- as they relate to Christmas in Japan. Source Notes & References  BBC News. "Why KFC Is Japan’s Go-To Christmas Dinner."  Japan Times. "How Christmas Became a Romantic Holiday in Japan."  National...

Journey with us to Iceland, where we discuss a towering feline menace with a taste for fashion—and flesh.  Sources:   The Myth of the Yule Cat: Iceland’s Weird Christmas Monster | The Pagan Grimoire   Yule cat - Wikipedia   Beware the Yule Cat, Iceland’s Child-Eating Christmas Monster - Atlas Obscura   Christmas Cat Cost Causes Controversy  

Most of us know Jack Frost as a playful trickster. However, did you know that he is linked to a modern true-crime case? Join us today as we explore the legend that is Jack Frost. SOURCES & REFERENCES  Grimm, Jacob.  Teutonic Mythology.  (1883).  Briggs, Katharine.  A Dictionary of Fairies.  (1976).  Rydberg, Viktor.  Teutonic Mythology: Gods & Goddesses.  (1907).  Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ref...

Join us as we explore the pagan origins behind Christmas, including blood sacrifice, ancient rites, pagan gods and the beauty of the Time-Life book series. Sources & Reference Material:   The Pagan Origins of Christmas: Saturnalia, Yule, and Other Pre-Christian Traditions | History Cooperative   Hidden History Of Christmas: Pagan Origins of Babylon - HubPages   3 Christmas traditions that may...

Join us as we journey to Europe, where the jingling of bells belongs to a creature who stalks the shadows of December searching for those who’ve been bad.    His name is Krampus, the Christmas demon. Half-goat, half-man — a remnant of something far older than Christmas itself. 

The feast. The alliance. The disease. The massacre. The ghostly echoes of lives and lands lost. Today's episode explores the darker, rarely told truths about a major US holiday - Thanksgiving.