Episodes
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Every now and again, Iâll find a story thatâs just really upsetting to me. Now, obviously a lot of the stories I cover are all quite distressing. But todayâs story, which is about a missing hiker named Mike Turner â it just really upset me. It actually made it really hard to record this episode. So, consider this your warning that I personally believe this is a very upsetting story, but an important story that we would not be covering if there wasnât some real weight behind it. And I think the moral of this story, ultimately, is you really need to treasure your family while theyâre still around.
Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video:
#1 -- "Closer to God" -- A man's hiking trip turns into a nightmare (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3doPbW2VS3Q)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The course of history never follows a straight line. These are the epic stories that have shaped the world we now live in. From Ballen Studios, join us - for the most heart pounding podcast in history.
New episodes every Wednesday.
Listen now: â â https://ballen.lnk.to/atwistofhistory
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Missing episodes?
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On a summer morning in 2007, a woman was working in the printing shop she owned in a suburban strip mall. Suddenly, she heard a loud banging noise coming from somewhere above her. She stopped the printer she was working on so she could hear better, and the sound kept coming â BANG, BANG, BANG. It was like metal drawers opening and slamming shut. She was about to go outside to see what was happening, but she stopped and just started laughing. Her friend who owned the business on the second floor right above her had a habit of rearranging his office, so the banging was probably file cabinets getting moved around. As a joke, she shouted up through the ceiling, âKeep it down, Iâm working!â And then she restarted the printer. But about an hour and half later, she heard another loud noise. This time, it was the wail of sirens as police cars raced into the parking lot. The woman would soon find out that the noises she had heard earlier were not her upstairs neighbor rearranging furniture. Instead, it was the sound of one of the most violent crimes to hit this safe, quiet suburb in years.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Todayâs podcast will feature 3 stories that reveal we may not be alone in this universe. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel and has been remastered for today's episode.
Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:
#3 -- "The Wow Signal" -- Best evidence of alien communication ever obtained (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQF7QeyB0qM)#2 -- "Better Than Earth" -- The 2020 discovery of 24 super habitable planets (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQF7QeyB0qM)#1 -- "Donât Sleep" -- This story is about one of the most famous potentially paranormal events of all time (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4slE5bDUM)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This is a special bonus episode of "You Can't"
One night in 2020, a woman named Beth Van Oss paced back and forth in a small room in the house she shared with her boyfriend, Mike, in rural Colorado. She dialed Mikeâs phone number again, and put her phone to her ear. But just like the last time sheâd called â he didnât answer. Now, Beth was afraid. He had left that morning, headed for the woods, promising her that when he came back â they would finally have everything they had ever dreamed of. And he had taken something with him. Something that he had become obsessed with. Something that Beth had begged him to forget about, and throw away. But he had refused. And now, he was gone. Beth dialed the phone again, but this time, she called the police.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This story is a fan favorite from MrBallen's Medical Mysteries.
In September 2007, a meteor strike leaves a massive crater in the high Peruvian desert, drawing curiosity seekers from miles around. Shortly after, people from the nearby town of Carancas start becoming violently ill. Some residents fear a curse has befallen them, but the truth might be much more frightening.
Listen Now: Wondery.fm/MBMM
For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Todayâs podcast will feature 3 unbelievable true stories. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.
Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:
#3 -- "Third Eye Witness" -- A woman makes a grim discovery in a remote canyon, what she found and how she was led there would change her life forever (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6m1ImVG1MQ)#2 -- "The Burning Question" -- A house fire leaves a mother devastated (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgeDUqyCgqE)#1 -- "Who Said That?" -- A car crash rescue has a truly unexplainable ending (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdzzoB7jrQ)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In 2011, a police officer spotted a woman on a busy street in Japan, and he couldnât believe what he was seeing. He looked at a photo on his phone, and then back at the woman, it was definitely her. Heâd been tasked with finding this woman and bringing her back home, it was a pretty basic task, but heâd managed to complete it way faster than he thought he would. The officer rushed down the street, greeted the woman, and she confirmed she was the person he was looking for. He led her back to his car, drove her home, and that was that. But what the officer could not have possibly have imagined, was that locating this woman and bringing her home was about to unravel 25 years of unimaginable horrors â and lead to one of the most bizarre cases Japanese investigators had ever seen.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Todayâs podcast will feature 2 camping horror stories. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel and has been remastered for today's episode.
Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:
#2 -- "Kevin OâKeefe" -- A man goes camping in a totally remote park in Alaska (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODIGopvDSXA)#1 -- "The Broken Tent" -- Four teenage friends decide to go camping in a forest in Finland, but something the first night would pay them an unwanted visit (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi_GF9XOelw)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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On a night in 1984, a college freshman listened to the music blaring through a night club. She grabbed her dateâs hand and rushed out onto the dance floor. Her first year of college had its ups and downs, but it was nights like these that sheâd grown to love â nights when she could stay out as late as she wanted with whoever she wanted. She and her date danced for hours, and then finally headed outside to his car, exhausted and happy. But this young woman had been having so much fun at the club with the guy she was with that she didn't notice someone else had been standing in the shadows watching her dance the whole night⊠and now that person was following her.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Todayâs podcast will feature 2 stories about unexplainable phenomena. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.
Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:
#2 -- "Voices" -- I had to put a special disclaimer on this because it's SO WEIRD (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2FVjH4WWlU)#1 -- "Come Back" -- This one is about a very strange young child who had been having these violent outbursts since he could move. But his reason for throwing these constant tantrums is even more unbelievable⊠(Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJlkwZ1Gr6w)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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On a June night in 1997, Kathy Peters was asleep at her home in Mirror Lake, a quiet neighborhood of Sarasota, Florida. Around 3:45 AM, she was awakened by a strange noise. It was unlike anything Kathy had ever heard â a faint, eerie, rattling hiss. After a few seconds, the sound faded and Kathy tried to go back to sleep, but now she was too anxious. So she got up and crossed to the window. She opened the blinds and looked across the lake's glassy surface. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then she nearly jumped out of her skin when a loud, metallic banging noise sounded right below her window. Someone was pounding on the screen door. Kathy hurried downstairs, wondering who could be bothering her at this time of night. She considered not answering, but Mirror Lake was a safe community. There had to be a reasonable explanation⊠so she opened the door. Through the screen, she could see someone standing in the darkness. Kathy asked who it was and what they wanted - but the figure didnât respond. By now, Kathy was absolutely terrified, so she switched on the porch light. And when she saw what was in front of her, she reeled back in horror.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Todayâs story comes out of China, and it is a brutal story. Thereâs just no way to tell it without being sort of graphic, so with that in mind, this is definitely a mature audiences only type of story. That said, it is a fascinating story, and the ending is something that very few of you are going to see coming. It's going to feel kind of predictable throughout most of the story, and then the end completely changes your impression of the story.
Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video:
#1 -- "The Job Offer" -- A crazy mystery unravels after people begin going missing in a small city in China (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zykdjsg1V1c)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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It was a frigid December day in a small logging town in Maine, roughly an hourâs drive from the US-Canadian border. And despite the falling snow, Christmas shoppers were out in full force. While most of the shoppers hurried from store to store, a small crowd had gathered in front of the police station. The shoppers watched as an officer stapled a poster to a telephone pole. Then, when he was done, they shuffled closer for a better view. The poster contained a forensic artistâs sketch of a middle-aged woman. She had a narrow face, thin nose, glasses, and bangs. And according to the text above the image, the police were looking for this woman in connection with a recent double homicide. The murders were shocking, but they were also the most exciting thing to happen in this part of rural Maine for as long as anyone could remember. So despite the cold, the shoppers stood there studying the sketch and discussing whether it looked like anyone they knew. They were so caught up in their conversation, no one noticed a bundled-up figure hurrying past on the sidewalk. This figure slowed just long enough to glance at the poster and recognize the face in the sketch, which bore a striking resemblance to their own. Then, before anyone could notice them, the figure turned and hurried off into the falling snow.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And todayâs podcast features 3 stories that demonstrate that. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.
Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:
#3 -- "The Oklahoma Problem" -- Woman discovers something buried in her past (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JPEtNglQ4o)#2 -- "The Dark Room" -- A man wakes up in total darkness with no memory of where he is, but his nightmare was just beginning (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7VtahvTLH4)#1 -- "Timothy Dexter" -- The most absurd rags to riches story ever... (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx4jikmsI)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This is a special bonus episode of "You Can't"
Iâm going to tell two stories that prove that no matter what we think science can tell us about the natural world, the wilderness still holds secrets we cannot understand.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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On a night in March of 2017, a bonfire lit up the yard at a house party in Youngstown, Ohio. A group of friends in their 20s and 30s sat around the fire, drinking beer, talking, and having a good time. And as the night went on and they kept partying, they couldnât imagine that this bonfire would soon help police solve one of the most horrific crimes the city of Youngstown had ever witnessed.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Todayâs podcast will feature 2 borderline unbelievable stories that remain a mystery to this day. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.
Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:
#2 -- "The Quarterback" -- Famous college quarterback goes missing (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf9ahZB9yfY)#1 -- "Waking Nightmare" -- A woman deals with a violent stalker (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_Ot9aXy7s)For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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On a cold winter day in 2013, police officers rushed through the dense woods outside of a small town in Kentucky. They weaved their way through the trees, keeping their eyes peeled, and finally, one of them shouted out. He saw what they were looking for in the distance. The other officers quickly followed him into a clearing, and there, they saw a man with a long gray beard sitting in a large self-made camp. It looked like the man had been living out in the woods for months. The officers stared at him, and they almost couldnât believe it, because they had finally tracked down the man who they thought could help solve a murder that had taken place a year earlier in a town 150 miles away.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This story is a fan favorite from MrBallen's Medical Mysteries.
One night in 1944, over 300 patients at a mental hospital in Oregon become violently sick after eating dinner. Many of them die. An investigation is quickly launched to determine the source of this deadly illness. Was there something wrong with the food itself? Or could it have been the work of a deranged killer?
Listen Now: Wondery.fm/MBMM
For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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