Episodes
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In the depths of American history there are few examples of mass hysteria that loom larger than the Salem witch trials of 1692. As horrific as it was, it was far from the only example of witch-hunting in Massachusetts’ history. In fact, ten years before hysteria over black magic gripped the village of Salem, similar accusations of witchcraft were aimed at Mary Webster of Hadley, a small village in Western Massachusetts.
Thank you to the incredible Dave White for Research assistance.
References
Clancy, Hal. 1977. "In good old days, wicthes would hang for a May snow." The Boston Globe, May 14: 1.
Judd, Sylvester. 1905. History of Hadley. Springfield, MA: H.R. Hunting.
Manning, Alice. 1976. "Witches in the Connecticut Valley: a historical perspective." Daily Hampshire Gazette, December 15: 35.
Marshall, Bridget. 2003. "Mary (Reeve) Webster, the "Witch" of Hadley." University of Massachusetts Lowell. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://faculty.uml.edu//bmarshall/Mary%20Webster.htm.
Mather, Cotton. 1967. Magnalia Christi Americana. New York, NY: Russell and Russell.
Perera, Lisa. 1992. "Before Salem, Valley had witch trials of its own." Daily Hampshire Gazette, May 16: 22.
Smith, Anna. 2019. The Witch of Hadley: Mary Webster, the Weird, and the Wired. October 15. Accessed August 28, 2023. https://www.massreview.org/node/7575.
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Did you know that on The ReWatcher: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ash & Alaina find themselves in Sunnydale every single Monday? Yup, Welcome to The Hellmouth Weirdos! They’re watching Buffy from the very beginning. Alaina grew up a diehard fan of Buffy, and Ash is watching it for the very first time. Each week, they break down Buffy and her friends’ heroism and heartbreak through weekly recaps, categories and awards, while Ash takes some (wooden stake) stabs at predicting what she thinks will happen next to Buffy, Willow, Spike, and the rest. They also welcome the occasional Buffy cast member to join in the slaying.
Follow and Listen to The ReWatcher Buffy the Vampire Slayer here: http://wondery.fm/The_Rewatcher and follow @The_ReWatcher on Instagram. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app.
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Missing episodes?
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On August 6, 1978, the body of thirty-five-year-old bar owner Jack Tupper was found in a vacant lot in the Bronx, just across the street from the local firehouse. His face had been severely slashed, his head and body badly beaten, he had been shot seven times, and finally, he had been set on fire. Witnesses reported seeing a small group of men in the lot attempting to set fire to a box earlier that day, including three witnesses who identified former racehorse trainer Howard “Buddy” Jacobson as one of the men, and one who was able to provide detectives with the license plate number of the car they were driving.
Buddy Jacobson was quickly arrested for Tupper’s murder and the story quickly became New York’s latest scandal: Former horse trainer murders man in love triangle. Jacobson had indeed killed Tupper because the younger man was having an affair with Jacobson’s girlfriend but, while the motive may have been a classic, the story was far more sensational and salacious than anyone could have expected, and it turned out the arrest was just the beginning.
Thank you to David White for research assistance :)
Resources:
Allen, Joy. 1978. "Family is embittered in 'triangle' slaying." Newsday, August 9: 17.
Arnett, Peter, and Jane See White. 1978. "Life and death on fast track for a model." Newsday, August 21: 4.
Associated Press. 1979. "Jacobson defense alleges cocaine plot by victim." Newsday, October 11: 19.
—. 1979. "'Triangle' case hearing could clear defendant." The Journal News, October 24: 4.
Christine, Bill. 1988. "The odyssey of Buddy Jacobson: Horses, models and a murder sentence." Los Angeles Times, January 10.
Cummings, John, and Peggy Brown. 1980. "Buddy Jacobson escapes prison." Newsday, June 01: 3.
Cummings, Jophn, and Joy Allen. 1978. "'Triangle' murder probers hear horseman's ex-wife." Newsday, August 16: 17.
Fried, Joseph P. 1980. "Jacobson's 'friends and relatives' said to have helped in recapture." New York Times, July 11: A1.
New York, NY: Macmillan.
—. 1978. "Love and Death on the Upper East Side." New York Magazine, September 11.
McFadden, Robert D. 1979. "'Gag' order covers murder trial." New York Times, October 23: B8.
McFadden, Robert. 1980. "Jacobson, in calls from jail, speaks of his 'betrayal'." New York Times, 07 July: A1.
New York Times. 1978. "Jacobson warned of bail revocation." New York Times, November 10: B7.
Newton, Edmund, and Sheryl Kornman. 1980. "Cops hunt Buddy Jacobson around the world." Newsday, June 2: 4.
The Reporter Dispatch. August. "Hunt widens in triangle slaying." The Reporter Dispatch, 10 1978: D14.
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On August 6, 1978, the body of thirty-five-year-old bar owner Jack Tupper was found in a vacant lot in the Bronx, just across the street from the local firehouse. His face had been severely slashed, his head and body badly beaten, he had been shot seven times, and finally, he had been set on fire. Witnesses reported seeing a small group of men in the lot attempting to set fire to a box earlier that day, including three witnesses who identified former racehorse trainer Howard “Buddy” Jacobson as one of the men, and one who was able to provide detectives with the license plate number of the car they were driving.
Buddy Jacobson was quickly arrested for Tupper’s murder and the story quickly became New York’s latest scandal: Former horse trainer murders man in love triangle. Jacobson had indeed killed Tupper because the younger man was having an affair with Jacobson’s girlfriend but, while the motive may have been a classic, the story was far more sensational and salacious than anyone could have expected, and it turned out the arrest was just the beginning.
Thank you to David White for research assistance :)
Resources:
Allen, Joy. 1978. "Family is embittered in 'triangle' slaying." Newsday, August 9: 17.
Arnett, Peter, and Jane See White. 1978. "Life and death on fast track for a model." Newsday, August 21: 4.
Associated Press. 1979. "Jacobson defense alleges cocaine plot by victim." Newsday, October 11: 19.
—. 1979. "'Triangle' case hearing could clear defendant." The Journal News, October 24: 4.
Christine, Bill. 1988. "The odyssey of Buddy Jacobson: Horses, models and a murder sentence." Los Angeles Times, January 10.
Cummings, John, and Peggy Brown. 1980. "Buddy Jacobson escapes prison." Newsday, June 01: 3.
Cummings, Jophn, and Joy Allen. 1978. "'Triangle' murder probers hear horseman's ex-wife." Newsday, August 16: 17.
Fried, Joseph P. 1980. "Jacobson's 'friends and relatives' said to have helped in recapture." New York Times, July 11: A1.
New York, NY: Macmillan.
—. 1978. "Love and Death on the Upper East Side." New York Magazine, September 11.
McFadden, Robert D. 1979. "'Gag' order covers murder trial." New York Times, October 23: B8.
McFadden, Robert. 1980. "Jacobson, in calls from jail, speaks of his 'betrayal'." New York Times, 07 July: A1.
New York Times. 1978. "Jacobson warned of bail revocation." New York Times, November 10: B7.
Newton, Edmund, and Sheryl Kornman. 1980. "Cops hunt Buddy Jacobson around the world." Newsday, June 2: 4.
The Reporter Dispatch. August. "Hunt widens in triangle slaying." The Reporter Dispatch, 10 1978: D14.
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On the morning of December 31, 1946, nineteen-year-old Pearl Lusk boarded a crowded subway train in Brooklyn. A few days earlier, she’d met a man named Allen in a bar who offered her a very strange, yet simple job: she was to follow a young woman named Olga and take a photo to determine whether she was wearing any stolen jewelry.
That morning, as Pearl and Olga exited the crowded subway train, Pearl raised the camera in Olga’s direction and pulled the wire to take a photo, but what happened next would put into motion a series of events that rivals fiction.
Thank you to the wonderful Dave White for Research assistance!
References
Adams, Toni. 1947. "Troopers hunt and kill Alphonse Rocco." Kingston Daily Freeman, January 7: 1.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1947. "Camera-gun suspect flees in stolen car." Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 6: 2.
Buffalo Evening News. 1947. "'Camera' shooting victim asks N.Y. City to pay her $200,000." Buffalo Evening News, February 14: 1.
—. 1953. "Court frees city of liability for not averting shooting." Buffalo Evening News, April 22: 25.
—. 1947. "Police press quest for spouse of camera-gun victim." Buffalo Evening News, January 2: 9.
—. 1946. "Times Square Station is scene of shooting." Buffalo Evening News, December 31: 10.
International News Service. 1947. "Estranged wife and family glad Ruocco is dead." Buffalo Evening News, Janaury 7: 1.
Kingston Daily Freeman. 1947. "Victim of camera shooting guarded." Kingston Daily Freeman, January 2: 18.
McKelway, St. Clair. 1953. The Perils of Pearl and Olga. August 8. Accessed August 10, 2023. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1953/08/08/the-perils-of-pearl-and-olga.
New York Times. 1947. "Camera-gun victim files for $200,000." New York Times, February 15: 17.
—. 1947. "'Camera-gun' victim loses a leg." New York Times, Janaury 3: 1.
—. 1947. "Girl, dupe in plot, shoots woman with 'camera' gun." New York Times, January 1: 1.
—. 1947. "Lusk girl freed; will leave city." New York Times, Janaury 11: 20.
—. 1947. "Rocco killed by the police in Catskills." New York Times, January 7: 1.
Smith, Delos. 1947. "Gullible girl hoaxed into plot on life of estranged wife." Daily Boston Globe, January 1: 13.
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In the spring of 2009, Edwin Gonzalez and his girlfriend, Lillian Otero, fled their house in Gardner, MA, less than one year after moving into what they believed was their dream home. Later, once they were safely away from the old Victorian, Gonzalez and Otero would explain to friends and family that they had been driven out by angry ghosts who had done everything—including possessing Lillian—in order to torment them, leaving them no other options than to abandon the house that had once held such promise.
Although they didn’t know it when they moved in, Gonzalez and Otero’s home, the S.K. Pierce Mansion, had long been considered by locals to be haunted. Indeed, in its more than one-hundred-year history, the Victorian home had seen more than its fair share of tragedies, including several deaths in the house as recent as the 1960s, as well as countless other unsavory myths and legends.
Thank you to Dave White for research assistance.
References
City of Gardner. n.d. History. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.gardner-ma.gov/316/History.
Discovery Channel. 2013. "Haunted Victorian." A Haunting. New York, NY: Discovery Channel, October 19.
Farragher, Thomas. 2022. "Want to be a ghost host? Come to Gardner." Boston Globe, August 20: B1.
Fiorentino, Alyssa. 2021. How the S.K. Pierce Mansion became one of the most haunted homes in Massachusetts. October 27. Accessed July 31, 2023. https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a38046654/sk-pierce-haunted-victorian-mansion/.
Fitchburg Sentinel. 1963. "Gardner man, 47, dies in room fire." Fitchburg Sentinel, April 9: 11.
—. 1891. "Notes." Fitchburg Sentinel, December 8: 2.
Gelinas, Brian. 2012. "Group of ghost hunting enthusiasts converge on Gardner mansion." Athol News, October 6: 1.
Gershon, Livia. 2006. Ghost hunters. July 28. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.thegardnernews.com/story/news/2006/07/28/ghost-hunters/11341583007/.
Ilinitch, Shawn. 2003. Psychic profiler detects spirits in South Gardner home. October 31. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.thegardnernews.com/story/news/2003/11/01/psychic-profiler-detects-spirits-in/11284159007/.
Landry, Stephen. 2021. "Debunking rumors about the S.K. Pierce Mansion." Gardner News, September 22.
—. 2020. "New book details history of S.K. Pierce Mansion." Gardner News, September 25.
Pelletiere, Nicole. 2016. Homeowner to turn 'haunted' mansion into scary attraction. September 2. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/homeowner-turn-haunted-mansion-scary-attraction/story?id=41769810.
SK Haunted Victorian Mansion. 2023. The Mansion. Accessed August 2, 2023. https://www.skhauntedvictorianmansion.com/index.html.
Stanway, Eric. 2013. The Victorian. September: Independent.
—. 2013. "Gardner mansion shelters ghostly past." Worcester Telegram and Gazette, July 10.
Zillow. 2023. 4 West Broadway, Gardner, MA. Accessed August 1, 2023. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4-West-Broadway-Gardner-MA-01440/57587523_zpid/
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On March 15, 1895, thirty-five-year-old Michael Cleary murdered his wife, twenty-six-year-old Bridget Cleary in their home in Ballyvadlea, County Tipperary. While terrible, the murder was just the last act in a series of bizarre atrocities committed against Bridget, whom her husband would later claim had been taken by malevolent fairy folk and replaced with a changeling.
More shocking, however, was that the barbaric act hadn’t been committed by one man alone, but by a group of rural men, including family.
Was Bridget Cleary really murdered out of fear of fairies? Or had Michael Cleary just convinced himself of as much in order to commit murder?
References
Bourke, Angela. 1999. The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story. London, UK: Pimlico.
Freeman's Journal. 1895. "Strange death near Clonmel." Freeman's Journal, March 25.
Irish Times. 1999. "Burning Bridget." Irish Times, August 7: B24.
n.a. 1917. The Tipperary Witch Case. Toronto, ON: McGill University.
New York Times. 1895. "A with burner sentenced." New York Times, July 6: 5.
—. 1895. "Not witches, but fairies." New York Times, April 22: 4.
Ruxton, Dean. 2016. "The story of the last 'witch' bruned alive in Ireland." Irish Times, November 24.
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It's Listener Tales 77 AND it's August so you know what that means.... It is obviously time for Halloween tales! This week we have a spook-a-dook installment filled with tales of bullet wounds that go undetected, sleep paralysis demons, deaths by elevators, and spooky nanny's. If you have a listener tale you’d like to send in please send it to [email protected]
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In the summer of 1980, nineteen-year-old Nancy Santomero, and two friends, twenty-six-year-old Vicki Durian and nineteen-year-old Liz Johndrow, left Durian’s parents’ home in Iowa to hitchhike to West Virginia to attend a gathering of the Rainbow Family. Five days later, Santomero and Durian’s bodies were discovered in the woods in West Virginia, shot to death just hours before being found, and Johndrow was nowhere to be seen.
More than a decade after their bodies were discovered, police in West Virginia had identified several suspects and eventually charged thirty-four-year-old farmer Jacob Beard, who was convicted in 1993 and sentenced to life in prison. Upon appeal, however, it was revealed that the investigation into Beard was rife with dubious circumstantial evidence, police misconduct, and perjury, which led to a new trial and Beard was exonerated.
Thank you to the lovely Dave White for research assistance
References:
Associated Press. 1992. "W. Va drops Rainbow charges." Roanoke Ties and World-News, July 21: 6.
—. 1992. "Arrests in women's deaths 'witch hunt' attorney says." The Daily Progress , April 25: 7.
—. 2000. "Jury finds man innocent in Rainbow murder trial." The Roanoke Times, June 1: 21.
Behrens, David. 2000. "Too many years without answers." Newsday, February 16: B6.
Daily Press. 1980. "2 murdered women in 'Rainbow Family'." Daily Press, June 27: 44.
Danville Reigister and Bee. 1993. "Jury deliberating in slayings case." Danville Register and Bee, June 4: 10.
Darling, Lynn. 1980. The Rainbow People. July 7. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/07/the-rainbow-people/80aadbf3-ef61-4d43-9d62-766d4d01fc56/.
Horn, Dan. 1997. "Franklin's boasting may unlock convict." The Cincinnati Post, April 18.
Lovegrove, Richard. 1980. "Rainbow camp still going up despite slaying of women." The Roanoke Times, June 28: 1.
—. 1980. "Two women slain near 'Rainbow' camp remain unidentified." The Roanoke Times, July 10: B-8.
Possley, Maurice. 2012. Jacob Beard. July 30. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=3963.
State of West Virginia v. Jacob W. Beard. 1998. 24644 (Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, July 15).
State of West Virginia v. Jacob W. Beard. 1995. 22504 (Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, January).
The Gazette. 1983. "2 West Virginia men charged in death of Wellman woman." The Gazette, April 8: 14.
—. 1992. "4 charged in Wellman woman's 1980 slaying." The Gazette, April 17: 10.
United Press International. 1980. "Young woman who skipped tragic hitchhiking trip found." The Daily Progress, July 17: 7.
Wallace, Terry. 1992. "Seething hostility led to killing of hitchhikers." The Daily Progress, April 20: 1.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 2020. Two Women Murdered Traveling to Rainbow Gathering. June 25. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://wvpublic.org/june-25-1980-two-women-murdered-traveling-to-rainbow-gathering/.
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American neurologist Walter Jackson Freeman had refined Moniz’s procedure and developed a non-surgical procedure that could be performed in a doctor’s office, which he called a transorbital lobotomy.
Freeman’s procedure involved inserting a medical instrument similar to an icepick into the patient’s orbital socket to sever the neural connections, without requiring surgery, hospital stays, and long recovery times. Touted as a quick, easy, and painless solution to everything from general malaise and occasional depression to schizophrenia and aggressive behavior, the procedure a go-to solution for the very complex psychological problems that have affected countless people for centuries. Unfortunately, while the procedure was effective for a small number of those who received a lobotomy, it was used indiscriminately, often without consideration for the increasingly disastrous outcomes.
Today we talk about the tragic and disastrous lobotomy on Rosemary Kennedy and thousands more that occured after it.
References
El-Hai, Jack. 2005. The Lobotomist : A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Press.
Kaye, Hugh. 2023. The dark history of gay men, lobotomies and Walter Jackson Freeman II. April 25. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/sexuality/the-dark-gay-history-of-lobotomies-and-walter-jackson-freeman-ii-419069/.
Lenz, Lyz. 2017. The Secret Lobotomy of Rosemary Kennedy. March 31. Accessed July 18, 2023. https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a26261/secret-lobotomy-rosemary-kennedy/.
National Public Radio. 2005. Frequently asked questions about lobotomies. November 16. Accessed July 18, 2023. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5014565.
—. 2005. 'My Lobotomy': Howard Dully's journey. November 16. Accessed July 18, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2005/11/16/5014080/my-lobotomy-howard-dullys-journey.
New York Times. 1939. "Front brain 'rules' thoughts on future." New York Times, April 8: 6.
—. 1947. "Personality shift is laid to surgery." New York Times, December 14: 51.
Prentice, Claire. 2021. "Lobotomy: The brain op described as ‘easier than curing a toothache’." BBC News, January 30.
2008. American Experience: The Lobotomist. Directed by Public Broadcasting System. Performed by Public Broadcasting System.
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When Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz developed the lobotomy in 1935, it was little more than a crude surgery developed as a blanket treatment for mental illness that involved drilling into the skull and scrambling the neural connections in the frontal lobe. Less than a decade later, however, American neurologist Walter Jackson Freeman had refined Moniz’s procedure and developed a non-surgical procedure that could be performed in a doctor’s office, which he called a transorbital lobotomy. What he touted as successes, quickly turned into a series of life altering failures...but he kept going.
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In the early morning hours of August 11, 2007, Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, were passing through Stubbylee Park in Lancashire, UK, when they were attacked by a group of teenage boys who beat the couple savagely, resulting in Lancaster’s death two weeks later. The next day, police arrested two of the teenagers responsible for the attack, who told authorities they’d attacked the young couple for no other reason than they were dressed like “Goths.”
The tragic assault on the young couple was shocking in and of itself, but the murder was made exponentially more shocking by the ages of the killers and the ostensibly terroristic motive, raising questions about the state of youth culture in the United Kingdom.
thank you to the best of the best, David White for research assistance
References
BBC. 2022. Sophie Lancaster murder: Killer Ryan Herbert to be freed from jail. March 12. Accessed March 1, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-60766768.
Bunyan, Nigel. 2008. "Why did parents let Goth's killers roam the streets?" Daily Telegraph, March 28.
Butt, Riazet. 2007. "National: 'Tragedy beyond words' for family as woman, 20, dies after park attack." The Guardian, August 25.
Dunbar, Polly. 2008. "I've always tried to help young people escape crime." Mail on Sunday, March 30.
Evening Courier. 2008. "Boy, 15, 'kicked woman to death for being a goth'." Evening Courier , March 12.
—. 2008. "Two teenagers jailed for life for murder of Goth girl Sophie." Evening Courier, April 28.
Gordon, Cathy. 2008. "Goth's killers lose appeals; Teenagers must pay for 'appalling crime'." Daily Post, October 30.
Hodkinson, Mark. 2008. "United in the name of tolerance." The Guardian, August 2.
Hussain, Samrana. 2007. "Couple left badly beaten in skate park." Lancashire Telegraph, August 12.
Jackson, Kate. 2007. "Residents call for park patrols after woman’s death." Lancashire Telegraph, August 27.
Jenkins, Russell. 2008. "Youth aged 15 'kicked a woman to death because she was a Goth'." The Times, March 13.
Lancashire Telegraph. 2020. "Sophie Lancaster killer has minimum jail term cut for 'exceptional progress'." Lancashire Telegraph, February 10.
Manzoor, SarFraz. 2014. "The precious afterlife of Sophie Lancaster." Sunday Telegraph, February 23.
Rossendale Free Press. 2007. "Young couple fighting for their lives after vicious ‘mob attack’." Rossendale Free Press, August 16: https://www.rossendalefreepress.co.uk/news/local-news/young-couple-fighting-lives-after-1709148.
Smyth, Catherine. 2020. Weirdo, Mosher, Freak: The Murder of Sophie Lancaster. Lancashire, UK: Self-published.
Turner, Kate. 2007. "Skatepark youth 'may face murder charge'." This is Lancashire, September 27.
Usborne, Simon. 2017. "Robert Maltby on the murder of his girlfriend Sophie Lancaster." The Guardian, June 15: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/15/robert-maltby-on-the-of-his-girlfriend-sophie-lancaster-the-goth-thing-was-an-oversimplification.
Wainwright, Martin. 2008. "Woman died after drunken gang attacked couple dressed as." The Guardian, March 13.
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Among the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (a sprawling forest ecosystem in southern New Jersey), it is said there lives an elusive creature that has haunted and delighted the residents of New Jersey and northern Pennsylvania for centuries. The Jersey Devil (sometimes referred to as the Leeds Devil) is variously described as having the features of everything from a dog and horse to a kangaroo and even the devil himself, with sightings coming in waves throughout history, including a large spike in 1909. Join us as we talk with Jodie Sweetin all about this elusive creature. And check out Jodie's new podcast: How Rude, Tanneritos!
Thank you to the fantastic David White for research assistance!
References
Atlantic City Daily Press. 1909. "Superstition abroad." Atlantic City Daily Press, January 25: 4.
Jersey City News. 1899. "Jersey sees a devil." Jersey City News, July 29: 7.
McCloy, James F. 1976. The Jersey Devil. Wallingford, PA: Middle Atlantic Press.
Morning Call. 1909. "Jersey Devil vampire bat." Morning Call, January 22: 1.
Morning Post. 1905. "Story of the Leeds Devil." Morning Post, May 2: 5.
Pinelands Preservation Society. n.a. The Jersey Devil and Folklore. Accessed July 17, 2023. https://pinelandsalliance.org/learn-about-the-pinelands/pinelands-history-and-culture/the-jersey-devil-and-folklore/.
Trenton Evening Times. 1909. "'Flying Hoof' leaves proofs of visit here." Trenton Evening Times, January 21: 1.
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On August 19, 1986, a curious news item appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader regarding the home of West Pittston, PA family Jack and Janet Smurl. The couple claimed, for more than eighteen months their home had been a battleground of spiritual warfare that included everything from ghosts wandering the halls and tormenting the family dog to demons attacking the children and even sexually assaulting the adults in the house.The article in the Times Leader began a weeks-long fascination with the family and their ordeal, drawing reporters from all over Pennsylvania and the surrounding states, and eventually attracting the attention of self-proclaimed demonologist and psychic medium Ed and Lorraine Warren. At first, the Smurls' claims of demonic infestation were taken seriously by the church, many members of the press, and countless of the Smurls neighbors. As time wore on, however, the inability of both the Smurls and the Warren’s to produce any evidence of their supposed haunting led many to believe the claims were just a hoax perpetrated by the family for attention and fame.
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On August 19, 1986, a curious news item appeared in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader regarding the home of West Pittston, PA family Jack and Janet Smurl. The couple claimed, for more than eighteen months their home had been a battleground of spiritual warfare that included everything from ghosts wandering the halls and tormenting the family dog to demons attacking the children and even sexually assaulting the adults in the house.The article in the Times Leader began a weeks-long fascination with the family and their ordeal, drawing reporters from all over Pennsylvania and the surrounding states, and eventually attracting the attention of self-proclaimed demonologist and psychic medium Ed and Lorraine Warren. At first, the Smurls' claims of demonic infestation were taken seriously by the church, many members of the press, and countless of the Smurls neighbors. As time wore on, however, the inability of both the Smurls and the Warren’s to produce any evidence of their supposed haunting led many to believe the claims were just a hoax perpetrated by the family for attention and fame.
Thank you to David White for research assistance
References
Citizen's Voice. 2017. John James Smurl obituary. June 23. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/citizensvoice/name/john-smurl-obituary?id=15953106.
—. 1986. "Ghosdt briefing turns into shouting match." The Citizen's Voice, August 26: 5.
—. 1986. "Haunted family nregotiating movie deal." The Citizen's Voice, September 6: 2.
Collins, Jim. 1986. "West Pittston Mystery: Is basis murder or mishmash." Scranton Times, August 22: 3.
—. 1986. "If you like sideshows, there's one close to home." Times-Tribune, August 31: 23.
—. 1986. "Screen exorcist Jason Miller visits site of demonic doings." Times-Tribune, August 22: 3.
Corbett, Steve. 1986. "Family: Home is under siege by evil spirits." Times Leader, August 19: 1.
Curran, Robert. 1988. The Haunted: One Family's Nightmare. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
—. 1986. "Brain surgery revelation casts demon dwelling doubts." The Scrantonia, August 24: 15.
—. 1986. "Smurls credit prayers of many with cleansing house of demons." The Tribune, October 27: 3.
DeAndrea, Francis. 1986. "Different kind of scare job." Times-Tribune, August 30: 3.
Kurtz, Paul. 1987. "A case study of the West Pittston 'haunted' house." The Skeptical Inquirer 11 (Winter): 137-146.
Lancaster New Era. 1986. "Scientists, priest skeptical about 'demons' in house." Lancaster New Era, August 23: 1.
Morning Call. 1986. "Demons: Exorcisms fail to end family's nightmare." The Morning Call, August 22: 3.
Porter, Jill. 1986. "A demon by any other name." Philadelphia Daily News, August 29: 2.
Rotstein, Gary. 1986. "Bedeviled: Town is divided over 'haunted' family." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 25: 1.
Shurmaitis, Dawn. 1986. "Demonologist says family is 'under attack'." Times Leader, August 19: 12.
Singleton, David. 1986. "Publicity has cost haunted family." Danville News, August 23: 1.
Trosky, Pat. 1986. "Are ghosts haunting West Pittston family?" Citizen's Voice, August 20: 3.
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The more Gwinnett County detectives dug into Bart Corbin’s life and history, the more convinced they were that the forty-year-old dentist wasn’t just responsible for the death of his wife, but also for the death of his girlfriend nearly a decade and a half earlier. For two years Corbin denied any involvement in the deaths, insisting both women had killed themselves. Then, just days before his trial was to begin, he shocked everyone by pleading guilty to both murders in exchange for two life sentences with the possibility of parole after fifteen years.
Thank you so much to David White for research assistance :)
References
Atlanta Journal Constitution. 2006. "Timeline of events in Barton Corbin's case." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 17.
Bentley, Rosalind. 2004. "Corbin arrest is 'hard'." The Atlanta Journal-Constituion , December 23.
Bentley, Rosalind, and Lateef Mungin. 2006. "Barton Corbin case: How they nailed him." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 17.
Bentley, Rosalind, Lateef Mungin, and Beth Warren. 2006. "Guilty guilty: Corbin pleads." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 16.
Bruner, Tasgola Karla. 2004. "The Corbin case: Med-school girlfriend was fearful." Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 16.
—. 2004. "Parallels revive case of Augusta tragedy." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 13.
—. 2004. "Similarities in 'suicides' are haunting ." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 16.
Bruner, Tasgola Karla, and John Ghirardini. 2004. "Dentist main 'focus'." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 13.
Glatt, John. 2007. The Doctor's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Deception and Two Grusom Deaths.New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
Hansen, Jane. 2006. "Dolly's truth: To her family, her death in 1990 was never a mystery." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 15.
Mungin, Lateef. 2004. "Dacula man sought after wife's shooting." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 8.
—. 2004. "Death called homicide, not suicide." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 8.
—. 2004. "Dentist's kin to testify before grand jury today." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 15.
Rankin, Bill, and Bill Topry. 2005. "Corbin faces double danger." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 9.
Stafford, Rob. 2006. Death and the Dentist. October 18. Accessed June 25, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15253153.
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When Gwinnett County sheriff’s officers responded to a call about a shooting at the home of Dr. Barton Corbin on the morning of December 4, 2004, they discovered the body of the doctor’s wife, Jennifer Corbin, dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Within a few days, however, investigators learned some things about Bart Corbin that led them to believe that the thirty-three-year-old mother of two may not have taken her own life.
Thank you so much to David White for research assistance :)
References:
Atlanta Journal Constitution. 2006. "Timeline of events in Barton Corbin's case." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 17.
Bentley, Rosalind. 2004. "Corbin arrest is 'hard'." The Atlanta Journal-Constituion , December 23.
Bentley, Rosalind, and Lateef Mungin. 2006. "Barton Corbin case: How they nailed him." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 17.
Bentley, Rosalind, Lateef Mungin, and Beth Warren. 2006. "Guilty guilty: Corbin pleads." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 16.
Bruner, Tasgola Karla. 2004. "The Corbin case: Med-school girlfriend was fearful." Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 16.
—. 2004. "Parallels revive case of Augusta tragedy." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 13.
—. 2004. "Similarities in 'suicides' are haunting ." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 16.
Bruner, Tasgola Karla, and John Ghirardini. 2004. "Dentist main 'focus'." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 13.
Glatt, John. 2007. The Doctor's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Deception and Two Grusom Deaths. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
Hansen, Jane. 2006. "Dolly's truth: To her family, her death in 1990 was never a mystery." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 15.
Mungin, Lateef. 2004. "Dacula man sought after wife's shooting." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 8.
—. 2004. "Death called homicide, not suicide." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 8.
—. 2004. "Dentist's kin to testify before grand jury today." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 15.
Rankin, Bill, and Bill Topry. 2005. "Corbin faces double danger." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 9.
Stafford, Rob. 2006. Death and the Dentist. October 18. Accessed June 25, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna15253153
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It’s Listener tales 76 and guess what!?! It’s brought to you by you, for you, from you, and ALL ABOUT YOU! This installment is all about your spooky haunted demon homes. We’ve got ghosts on ghosts up in here. We don’t know which is the scariest but we do know we would like to never live in these homes. Like…. Ever. If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to [email protected] with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)
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On October 15, 1977, seventeen-year-olds Christine Eadie and Helen Scott met some friends at the World’s End Pub in Edinburgh’s Old Town neighborhood to celebrate their new jobs and what they assumed would be the start of their adult lives. The next day, Christine’s body was discovered by hikers near Gosford Bay, while Helen’s body was discovered in a cornfield several miles away. The Lothian and Borders Police mounted a massive investigation to identify and apprehend the killer but, despite their best efforts, evidence was sparse and by the following year the case had gone cold.
The World’s End Murders, as they’d come to be known, became one of Scotland’s most notorious cold cases, until it was reactivated in 1997 in hopes that scientific and technological advances of the previous two decades could lead them to the girls’ killer.
Thank you To the Fabulous Dave White for Research Assistance
References:
Amos, Ilona. 2019. Scots soil experts hit paydirt in old murder cases. February 28. Accessed March 17, 2023. https://www.scotsman.com/news/scots-soil-experts-hit-paydirt-old-murder-cases-2512052.
BBC News. 2007. Victim 'strangled with stocking'. August 29. Accessed March 15, 2023. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6968530.stm.
—. 2007. World's End father gives evidence. August 30. Accessed March 15, 2023. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6970429.stm.
Brooks, Lib. 2014. "Serial killer guilty of World's End murders." The Guardian, November 15.
Carrel, Severin. 2007. Trial of World's End murders suspect collapses. September 11. Accessed March 15, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/sep/11/ukcrime.scotland\.
Carrell, Severin. 2007. "Murder jury told of 'shifty' man." The Guardian, August 30.
Edinburgh Evening News. 1999. "World's End killer probe is wound up." Edinburgh Evening News, March 25.
Gibbons, Katie. 2014. "Accused saw murdered girls as OBJECTs, he tells World's." The Times, November 12.
Howie, Michael, and John Robertson. 2007. "Thirty years ago he murdered two innocent young women." The Scotsman, September 11.
Johnston, David, and Tom Wood. 2008. The World's End Murders: A Thirty-Year Quest for Justice. Edinburgh, Scotland: Birlinn Publishing .
Leask, David. 2014. "Edinburgh World's End murder trial underway." The Herald, October 14.
Leicester Mercury. 1977. "Douible murder hunt starts after teenage girls found dead." Leicester Mercury, October 17: 17.
Macaskill, Mark. 2014. "World's End 'shows killers won't escape'." Sunday Times, November 16.
Mega, Marcello. 1997. "Gangster linked to girls' murder." Sunday Times, March 23.
Robertson, John. 2007. "World's End accused blames brother-in-law." The Scotsman, August 28.
Rodrick, Vic, and Marcello Mega. 2014. "'One-in-billion chance DNA is not Sinclair's'." The Herald, October 25.
The Herald. 2014. "Defendant touched 'most if not all' ligatures, says expert." The Herald, November 5.
—. 2022. "My parents feared for me after World's End horror, says Ian." The Herald, October 17.
—. 2014. Victim of World's End murder struggled as killer tied her up. October 21. Accessed March 15, 2023. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13185780.victim-worlds-end-murder-struggled-killer-tied/.
The Times. 2007. "Wife of man accused in World's End murder trial agrees to speak." The Times, September 1.
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On August 28, 2017, police in Corning, NY responded to a call about “suspicious circumstances” at the home of forty-six-year-old mother of three Michele Neurauter. Upon entering the home, the scene appeared to be a fairly straightforward suicide; however, investigators were immediately suspicious that Michele Neurauter had been murdered and the scene had been staged to look like suicide. Michele’s mother, Jeanne Laundy, agreed, and she had a pretty good idea of who would have wanted to kill her daughter: Michele’s ex-husband, Lloyd Neurauter.
Investigators quickly learned Michele and Lloyd Neurauter had been involved in a bitter custody battle for years, and Michele had repeatedly accused her ex-husband of trying to turn their children against her. After months of investigation, Corning detectives discovered that not only had Lloyd Neurauter succeeded in turning his children against Michele, but he had also recruited his second-oldest daughter, Karrie, to help him murder her mother.
Thank you to the debonair David White for research assistance
References:
Kingsley, Jennifer. 2010. "Nickelodeon recognizes Corning woman's blog about parenting." Star-Gazette, June 1: 3.
Moriarty, Erin. 2020. "I had to choose": Did a father brainwash his daughter to help plan her mother's murder?February 8. Accessed June 14, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michele-neurauter-murder-i-had-to-choose-did-a-father-brainwash-his-daughter-to-help-plan-to-kill-her-mother/.
Murray, Jeff. 2018. "N. Brunswick man gets life, no parole, for murder." Central New Jersey Home News, December 5: A1.
—. 2018. "Ex-RIT student, dad indicted in Corning slaying." Democrat and Chronicle, February 23: A2.
—. 2018. "RIT student pleads not guilty to murder." Democrat and Chronicle, Janaury 27: A15.
—. 2018. "DA: Murder suspect tried to bribe witness." Star-Gazette, April 13: A1.
—. 2018. "Man pleads guilty to killing wife in Corning." Star-Gazette, October 13: A1.
—. 2018. "Murder suspect pleads guilty." Star-Gazette, March 9: A1.
—. 2018. "Two charged with murder." Star-Gazette, January 26: A1.
NBC. 2019. Dateline: The Ultimatum. New York.
Smith, Jeff. 2020. "Karrie Neurauter, manipulated into helping kill mother, released from prison." The Corning Leader, Janaury 30.
Teurfs, Kathryne. 2020. Daughter who pleaded guilty to helping her father plan to kill her mother released from prison. February 7. Accessed June 15, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/karrie-neurauter-daughter-who-pleaded-guilty-to-helping-her-father-kill-her-mother-released-from-prison/.
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