The Tales We Tell

In 1947, the body of a beautiful woman was found horrifically mutilated in the streets on LA. Two days later, the media would dub her The Black Dahlia, and an investigation into her death would begin. 74 years later, and her killer is still unknown. This week, Hannah takes Katy down the wild road that is the story of Elizabeth Short, and her tragic death that captivated the world. Find out why she...

Have you ever found yourself driving down a dark road, or wandering through the forest alone, and caught a glimpse of something you couldn't explain? If you were in South Jersey, it might have been the infamous Jersey Devil! Picture a kangaroo with bat wings, horns, and cloven hooves, and you've got the general picture.  This week, Hannah and Katy return to normalcy and talk about the el...

Part two of one of the toughest topics we have covered at TTWT. During WW2, as Nazi ideology overtook Germany and her people, millions of Jews were forcibly sent to concentration camps and killed. But their stories (and fates) were far from simple, and the hate and racism that formed the foundation of the Nazi party bred evil, and cruelty that no living being should have to endure.  This week, Han...

Technically, part one of two: We all know them. We all hate them. But where did it all start? This week, Hannah tells Katy about how Nazi Germany formed, what Nazi's actually believe (spoiler: everything you thought, and worse), and how an entire nation fed into the toxic and racist ideology that would eventually cost MILLIONS of lives. Find out why scientific racism isn't a thing, why y...

In July 1990, the poorly dismembered body of Beverly McGowan was pulled from the Florida Everglades, her head and hands missing. That same day, Beverly's siblings had received mysterious letters from her stating her intentions to abruptly sell her condo, quit her job, and start over. A few days later, someone in a sloppily styled wig, possibly pretending to be a man pretending to be woman, re...

Have you ever looked at a rotting corpse and thought, they sure look plumper than when they were alive... must be rising from the grave and feeding on the blood of innocent victims? Well you're not alone. Turns out, almost every culture in the world has lore about creatures returning from the dead (or having their dead bodies reanimated by demons) and wreaking havoc on their communities! This...

It's still our anniversary week, and we are still celebrating with a special Friday bonus episode! What would YOU do if you heard a baby crying on your doorstep? If you said, ignore it because it's probably a trap, then you heard/read the clickbait/chain mail/urban legend of a serial killer luring women to their doors in order to attack them! And Katy is here with the FACTS, and the very...

Who's tired of MEN getting all the attention for murdering people? We are! So, in honor of Women's Herstory Month (and, in celebration of our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY), Hannah and Katy explore three of herstory's women who killed. You'll learn about Frankie Silver, who almost got away with axe-murdering her husband and "hiding" the pieces that were left. Also, about Ameli...

In 1999 a woman was seen running naked through the streets of a small town in New Mexico, screaming about a torture dungeon she'd been kept in for the past two days. No one would believe just how unimaginably horrible her story would turn out to be. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the Toybox Killer, aptly named for the sadistic "toy box" he kept on his property, full of every con...

Better late than never! In this week’s slightly belated episode, Hannah and Katy explore the haunting history of Eastern State Penitentiary, and discover how plans for rehabilitations and repentance dissolved into torture, torment, and inhumane conditions. Do the restless spirits of former inmates roam the abandoned halls of this deserted prison? Or is it the sadistic history that taints the space...

Has life ever overwhelmed you to the point that you just want to go live in a storage container in the middle of the Oklahoma wilderness? That's exactly how Sherilyn and Bobby Jamison felt in the fall of 2009. But somehow, their plan to start a new, simpler life for themselves and their six year-old daughter Madyson took a turn for the worse. This week, Hannah and Katy dive into what exactly...

You've' probably heard the story or seen one of the 15 movies made on the topic. But Amityville and what happened at 112 Ocean Avenue was too good to pass up! So this week, Hannah and Katy dive into this classic and discuss what definitely happened, what might have happened, and what probably didn't happen in the notorious house on the water. Was it all a scam to get a book deal? We...

Have you ever seen a windowless white van on the streets and regarded it with suspicion, even though it was probably a day laborer doing odd jobs and needing a large space for his various tools? Did your mother (or teacher, coworkers, aunt, etc.) ever warn you against parking next to a windowless van because someone could just open the doors and snatch you? Have you ever seen that scene in Silence...

Welcome to Part 2 of our two-part series on the Satanic Ritual Abuse Panic (at the disco) that swept the nation in the 1980's. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the McMartin Preschool case, in which one woman set off a seven-year, multimillion dollar court case based on her son's gastrointestinal problems (and inability to effectively communicate due to being a child.) Find out why you...

Hold onto your butts, because this ride is WILD. In part one of this insane two-part series, Hannah takes Katy back to the 1980's when fundamentalist Christianity revived a centuries-old bias and incited a panic around Satanic ritual abuse. Did you know that the devil only speaks in Dr. Suess-esque rhymes and in order to summon him you have to three-legged race with a child and then use said...

It's the lost episode 2.0! This week, Hannah and Katy revisit the gruesome tale of the Lawson family--an episode they had originally recorded for Christmas, but had to redo completely when that recording was lost. Join the girls in Germanton, NC where they get to know Charlie Lawson, his probably cancerous chest growth, and his large-boned family who meet tragic ends on Christmas Day, 1929. F...

In 1955, before anyone was talking about "little green men", a family in southern KY experienced a night unlike anything they could've imagined, engaging in an hours-long gun fight with mysterious metallic beings that showed up at their farm from a mysterious glowing fog. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the "little men" that started it all: the Hopkinsville Goblins! Dec...

Ever get the feeling you're being watched by some creepy entity whose been tasked with keeping watch over your house and its occupants and keeps sending you odd rambling letters about "young blood" and some secret hidden in the walls? No? Well the Broaddus family has, and let us tell you, it was a HASSLE. This week, Hannah tells Katy about the mysterious Watcher who terrorized the B...

Happy almost New Year and good riddance 2020! This week, Hannah and Katy swap places again and Katy tells Hannah about different New Year's tradition and folklore around the world! Hear about some friendly-ish demons who uphold their end of a bargain even when they're being scammed, and more ways to terrorize your disobedient probably hellish children after Christmas! Tell us your favori...

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! Are you tired of the same old boring Santa? Great news! Hannah has a list of some of Santa's lesser known counterparts from around the world! Join Katy in learning about a cannibalistic butcher who turned his life around (sorta) when he met St. Nick, undead werewolves that turn into vampires, pesky mountain trolls that lick your doorways and steal your sausages, and p...

Due to some unforeseen technical difficulties, we are giving you another bonus episode in lieu of our regular shenanigans! Join Hannah and Jarek as they read a spooky tale from Kill, My Darlings, a collection of horror by Christy Aldridge! Have you ever felt the inky darkness staring back at you from the crack in your closet door? Snatched your feet up under the covers at night so that nothing can...

What stops a werewolf? Silver bullets? Holy water? Turns out, a super starched collar, a couple of good boy doggos, and some good old fashion medieval torture/execution! This week, Hannah tells Katy the story of Peter Stumpp (aka: Able Griswold, aka: disAble Griswold, aka: the Werewolf of Bedburg), a probably psychopath who did a lot of really horrible stuff thanks to a magical belt that Satan gav...

Happy post-Thanksgiving! Since Hannah and Katy didn't record over the break, we are bringing you a special throw-back bonus episode in which Hannah reads a spooky story she wrote in high school! Jarek joins for sound effects and commentary on Hannah's obviously undiagnosed depression as a teenager, and to help solve the mystery of WHAT is lurking in the library.  Drinking game rules:  Wh...

What's your favorite thing to eat for Thanksgiving? Turkey? Stuffing? Cranberry sauce? Sweet potatoes? Pieces of your husband's dismembered body? This week, in honor of the holidays, Hannah tells Katy about Omaima Nelson, the beautiful young woman who went a little crazy and hacked up her husband on Thanksgiving, and then got "creative" in finding ways to dispose of the body. A...

Have you ever met a doll whose eyes seemed to follow you wherever you go? What about one who leaves creepy handwritten notes around your house? Or who shows up in your dreams and then also in your actual bedroom? If dolls terrify you, then this episode is for you! This week, Hannah tells Katy about a bunch of different haunted dolls and how they have terrorized and tricked their human companions t...