Episodes
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A new funeral home scandal brings us back to Colorado yet again- a putrid smell leads investigators to find 190 improperly stored bodies littering Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, CO. This state's unique and liberated death culture seems to have a dark side, and we're finding out why.
References:
"Colorado hasn't licensed funeral practitioners since 1983. Now some want change." by Michael Abeyta, CBS News
"Grisly discoveries at Colorado funeral homes fuel push for tougher state regulation" by Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post
cofda.org (Colorado Funeral Directors Association)
"189 decomposing bodies found at funeral home offering green burials" by Timothy Bella, Washington Post
Order of Summary Suspension for Return to Nature Funeral Home
"Will the funeral home industry in Colorado see regulation change after grisly discovery?" by Mary Shinn, The Gazette
Colorado Bureau of Investigation Press Release: "Fremont County: Return to Nature Funeral Home Update"
"Police found 115 bodies at Colorado ‘green’ funeral home while investigating putrid smells" by Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press
"EPA to demolish funeral home in Colorado where 190 'improperly stored' bodies were discovered" by Jennifer McRae, CBS News
"What licensing are funeral homes in Colorado required to have?" by Eleanor Sheahan, KOAA News 5 Colorado
"These families trusted a funeral home. Their loved ones were left to rot, authorities say." by Trevor Hughes, USA Today
"Owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home appear in El Paso County Court" by Aidan Hulting, KOAA News 5 Colorado
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We're starting out season 3 with a (very belated) Valentine's Day tribute to two couples whose deaths did not separate them. We visited the grave of the tallest couple on record, and we're also diving into an ancient love story with a terrifying ending. You'll also get to hear about the bizarre adventure we're starting out on for 2024...
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Missing episodes?
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If you listen to enough true crime podcasts, you've probably heard multiple cases where cadaver dogs played a role. But we wanted to know what happens before a dog even gets to its first case... we're looking into how they're trained and some examples of how cadaver dogs fit into the justice system.
Resources:
Cid Torrez vs. State of Florida, casetext.com
"Cadaver detection dogs: A review of their capabilities and the volatile organic compound profile of their associated training aids" by Rushali Dargon and Shari L Forbes, WIREs Forensic Science
"What the dog smelled: The science and mystery of cadaver dogs" by Chris Oke, CBC News
"What to Know About Cadaver Dogs" by Laura Mueller, The Spruce Pets
"Experts: Cadaver dogs 95 percent accurate, can smell remains 15 feet underground" by John O'Brien, Syracuse.com
"What goes into training a cadaver dog" by Mason Brighton, Spectrum News 1
"Here’s How Cadaver Dogs Are Trained To Find Dead Bodies" by Drusilla Moorhouse
"Sully the 'rock star' cadaver dog at centre of Douglas Garland triple murder trial on Monday" by Meghan Grant, CBC News
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American universities are giving a new meaning to dark academia with the rise of on-campus burials. We’re discussing our feelings about spending eternity at our alma maters, and revealing a conspiracy behind a historical college cemetery. Don’t miss our stories about the people who never left their college campus!
References:
“College Campuses with Cemeteries”, collegetimes.co
“Fordham University History”, Fordham.edu
“Jesuit Cemetery, Fordham University” by Mary French, New York City Cemetery Project
“Who’s Buried at Fordham?” by Bob Fetterhoff, The Ram Newspaper
“A Grave Place, ISU’s Cemetery Stands Alone” by Carrie Sutton, Iowa State Daily
“Cemetery History”, iastate.edu
“ISU’s Cemetery is a Rare Landmark” by Sara Tennessen, Iowa State Daily
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For our second annual Halloween mini episode, we brought our friend John along for the cemetery shenanigans as we try to out-spook each other with (somewhat) true ghost stories.
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How can we make the funeral industry more environmentally friendly? We took a trip to one of only ten conservation cemeteries in the United States to find out! Morgan will go over some of the most glaring problems when it comes to human burials, and Jenelle will explain some greener options (and debunk some myths too).
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An underground body snatching ring revealed? The body snatching story we covered in episode 9 goes deeper than we thought. We have some inside information as a recent suspect in the case has been right under our noses all along.
References:
"Bullitt County Man Arrested and Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon" Press release from U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky
"Harvard Medical School Morgue Manager Sold Body Parts, U.S. Says" by Michael Levinson, New York Times
"Families sue Harvard over theft of body parts from morgue, saying loved ones were picked over ‘like trinkets at a flea market’" by Minyvonne Burke, NBC News
"Grisly scene: FBI finds stolen human remains 'decorated' around Mount Washington man's home" by Joseph Garcia, Taylor Woods, WHAS News 11
"FBI finds human remains 'decorated' around Bullitt County man's home during search" by Matthew Keck, WLKY
"Bones used as decor in home of Kentucky man linked to Harvard Medical School human remains scheme" by Andrew Wolfson, USA Today
"Investigators find stolen human remains as decorations in man’s house" by Jessica Goodman, Boston 25 News
2 separate oddities sales Facebook groups
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Ever wonder how bodies are handled after a nuclear accident? Radioactive corpses may be more common than you think, with certain cancer treatments leaving patients with radiation in their bodies after death. We're looking into guidelines for handling these situations, and what happens when they're not followed.
Resources:
"Here’s why you shouldn’t cremate radioactive dead people" by Beth Mole, ArsTechnica
"Radiation Contamination Following Cremation of a Deceased Patient Treated With a Radiopharmaceutical" by Nathan Y. Yu, MD1; William G. Rule, MD1; Terence T. Sio, MD, MS1; et al- Journal of the American Medical Association
"A Radioactive Dead Body Contaminated An Arizona Crematorium" by Zahra Hirji, Buzzfeed
Safety Information, Lutathera website
"Brachytherapy", my.clevelandclinic.org
lutetium 177 medication profile, Lexicomp
"Radiation Safety Concerns in Brachytherapy", nrc.gov
"Richard Leroy McKinley- Specialist 4th Class, United States Army" by Michael Robert Patterson, Arlington National Cemetery
University Hospitals of Cleveland resources
"Medical Examiners / Coroners: Information for Radiation Emergencies", Radiation Emergency Medical Management, US Department of Health and Human Services
"Guidelines for Handling Decedents Contaminated with Radioactive Materials", CDC
"SL-1: America's First Nuclear Disaster", Kyle Hill on YouTube
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We're back with another corpse stealing scandal! A man was selling human remains on a social media page, and it turns out they were sourced from a mortuary worker who was harvesting them directly from the bodies she worked with. We infiltrated some online oddities groups to see if we could find some human remains for sale- and we were surprised by what we found.
Resources:
"Historical skulls, other body parts being sold on Facebook — report" by TOI staff, Times of Israel
"Sicko sold stolen body parts on Facebook: cops" by Snejana Farberov, New York Post
"Judge orders mental evaluation for local woman accused of selling body parts on Facebook" by Mary Hennigan, Arkansas Times
"Arkansas woman accused of selling human body parts via Facebook messenger arrested" by 5NEWS Web Staff, 5 News
Onlinejeremyleepauley.comthegrandwunderkammer.com
The Grand Wunderkammer Facebook page
multiple "oddities" Facebook groups
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Inspired by our trip to Colorado, we looked into a couple of post- mortem options that are unique to the state: fire and ice. Learn about the Frozen Dead Guy Days and the United States’ only public open-air cremation site in this episode!
Resources:
frozendeadguydays.com
“Frozen Dead Guy/ 100 Wonders/ Atlas Obscura”, Atlas Obscura on YouTube
crestoneendoflifeproject.org
“Crestone End-of-Life Project”, Atlas Obscura.
“Crestone End-of-Life Project”, fourcornersgeotourism.com
“How did the Vikings Honor their Dead?” by Thaddeus Morgan, history.com
“Bronze Age Cremation Burials and Funeral Practices at Carmanhall, Co. Dublin” by Fiona Reilly, Anna Brindley, Denise Keating and Penny Johnston
“The Complete Guide to Buddhist Burial Practices and Rituals”, Better Place Forests
United States Census Bureau: Crestone, Colorado
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This episode, we're talking taxidermy- human taxidermy. We'll be covering two of the most famous examples of human taxidermy attempts in recent history, and discussing the ethics of the practice. "English Philosopher’s Dressed-Up Skeleton Goes on View in New Glass Display" by Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Magazine"El Negro reburied in Botswana", news24.com"Auto-Icon"- Bentham Project, ucl.ac.uk"The History of Taxidermy", all-taxidermy.com"The Man Stuffed and Displayed like a Wild Animal" by Frank Westerman, BBC"Why Philosopher Jeremy Bentham's Severed, Stolen, and Poorly Preserved Head is Back on Display", CBC.ca"Why are there No Human Taxidermies?", technology.org Video: "The Man Who Had Himself Taxidermied: Jeremy Bentham", Tom ScottVideo: "Ask a Mortician: Human Taxidermy?", Ask a MorticianAshley Eve on YouTube
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Under the streets of the city that never sleeps, there is an underground burial room in the basement of an unassuming church. Join us as we explore the catacomb's dark tunnels and learn about the burial ban that led to its creation.Resources: "For $7M, spend the afterlife in a crypt at Nolita’s Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral" by Dana Schulz, 6sqft.com"No Burial Line of 1832" by Liz Volavka, History of Health in New York"19th Century Knock Seer Gets Grave of His Own at Old St. Patrick’s Cemetery" by Christie L. Chicoine, Catholic New York"New York’s First Cathedral: The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral" by Joyce Mendelsohn and James E. Garrity, oldcathedral.org"Pierre Toussaint", slaveryandremembrance.org"Venerable Pierre Toussaint", Archdiocese of New York WebsiteDictionary.comMerriam-Webster Dictionary Notes from "Catacombs by Candlelight" Tour (https://takeawalk.com)
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Learn how poisoning went from a household crime to having a branch of science dedicated to detecting it!Resources: "Arsenic's Afterlife: How Scientists Learned to Identify Poison Victims [Excerpt]" by Linda Stratmann, Scientific American"Poisoning Crimes and Forensic Toxicology Since the 18th Century" by Katherine D Watson, American Forensic Pathologist "Pick Your Poison—12 Toxic Tales" by Cathy Newman, National Geographic"History of Poison"- Wikipedia"Toxicology of Poisons"- Crime Museum"Guidelines on autopsy practice: Autopsy when drugs or poisoning may be involved "- Royal College of Pathologists"Poisoning in the Modern World"- Chapter "Forensic Toxicology" by Sahar Y. Issa"Assessment and Diagnosis of Poisoning with Characteristics Features in Living or Dead" by Lalit P Chandravanshi and Mamta Pal, Journal of Forensic Sciences and Criminal Investigation"Autopsy Limits Fail to Detect Rare Poisons" by John Johnson, Los Angeles Times
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For St. Paddy's Day, we're throwing it back to our season 1 discussion of the mummies of St. Michan's crypts in Dublin, Ireland! We'll tell you about the history, some recent grave robberies, and most importantly, our own trip to the crypts.
Resources:
Jenelle's Ireland journal including quotes from St. Michan's tour guide
Atlas Obscura- Dublin, Ireland- St. Michan's Crypts
St. Michan's Official Website
"Head of 800-year-old 'Crusader' Mummy Stolen from Dublin Vaults" by Sorcha Pollak- the Irish Times
"Man who stole 800-year-old mummified head jailed for 28 months"- The Irish Times
Explore Dublin's Dark Side, the Mummies of St. Michan's Church- thefairytraveler.com
"Mummy's Head Returns to Dublin Church" by Mark Michael- living church.org
"Head of 800-year-old Mummy Stolen from Dublin Crypt" by Frances Mulraney- Irish Central
"800-year-old ‘Crusader’ mummy decapitated at Irish church" by Rob Picheta- CNN Travel
"Vandal Played Football with Skull" by Diarmid MacDiarmid- Independent.ie
"How Ghoul Got a Head" by Stephen Breen- The Irish Sun
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We're bringing you more postmortem drama! This case combines shady funeral home business practices with sketchy body donation transactions. Find out what happened when these funeral home directors went to court earlier this year!
Resources:
**Information on body broker bill: https://nfda.org/advocacy/current-legislation/body-broker-bill
"Colorado funeral home operators sentenced for selling body parts without permission" by Phil Helsel, NBC News
"Funeral home operators sentenced after illegally selling body parts" by Paradise Afshar and Rebekah Riess, CNN
"Colorado Funeral Home Owner And Mom Convicted Of Selling Body Parts In 800+ Bodies" by Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily
SB18-234: Human Remains Disposition Sale Businesses, Colorado General Assembly
HB20-1148: Offenses Committed Against A Deceased Human Body, Colorado General Assembly
"Colorado funeral home owners sentenced to federal prison for selling body parts without families’ permission" by Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post
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We're diving into death lore to meet its creatures throughout different cultures. Morgan will be introduced to some of these beings through Jenelle's limited-time game show, and we'll tell you all about Britain's graveyard guardian, the Grim!
Resources:
"Charon’s Obol: Putting Coins on the Eyes of the Dead" by Sam Tetrault, Cake Blog
"Charon's Obol and Other Coins in Ancient Funerary Practice" by Susan T Stevens, Pheonix Journal
"Where Does the Concept of a 'Grim Reaper' Come From?" by Amy McKenna, brittanica.com
"Mexico's grand dame of the Dead, the story of La Catrina" by Laura Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune
"La Catrina: The dark history of Day of the Dead's immortal icon" by Simon Ingram, National Geographic
"THE BANSHEE: history and meaning of the Irish ghost" by Kylie Noble
"Exploring Irish Mythology: The Banshee" by Harry Brent, The Irish Post
"Shinigami: The Grim Reaper and God of Death in Japanese Folklore" by Wu Mingran, Ancient Origins
"Anubis, God of Embalming and Guide and Friend of the Dead", Journey to Egypt
"Cizin", Brittanica
"The Mythology of Ah Puch, God of Death in Mayan Religion" by Austin Cline, worldreligions. com
"Mapping the Grimm" by Nick Stone, https://www.invisibleworks.co.uk/mapping-the-grim/
"The terrifying story of the 'hell hound'" by Katy Prickett, BBC
"The Ankou, Churchyard Guardians, Black Dogs and Memento Mori" by Charles E. S. Fairey, The Mystic Masque
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What happens to your body if you die in a National Park? How are bodies retrieved from precarious places? We'll walk you through the process of a wilderness body recovery!
Resources:
"An Analysis of Deaths in U.S. National Parks" -PSBR.law
"Mortality Dashboard Key Statistics CY2014 - CY2016"- National Parks Service
"Ranger Confidential" by Andrea Lankford
"Climber Madeline Baharlou-Quivey’s Body Recovered 5 Days After She Messaged for Help on Colorado Mountain" by Inside Edition Staff- Inside Edition
"Woman's body recovered from mountain after she sent message for help"- CBS News
Mount Desert Island Search and Rescue Facebook page
"Safety"- Acadia National Park, National Parks Service
"The USA’s Search And Rescue Hotspots" by Carl Borg, Outfordia
"Search-And-Rescue Missions Growing In National Park System" by Lori Sonken- National Parks Traveler
"Search and Recovery of Dead Bodies" - Kenyon Emergency Services
BeastRunners channel on Youtube
"What to do if you Find a Dead Body"- aftermath.com
mdisar.com
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We watched Pope Benedict XVI's funeral so you don't have to! We'll give you the rundown and also tell you some stories of papal embalming gone wrong.
Resources:
"Pope Francis leads funeral for predecessor Benedict XVI, a first in modern times" by By Sana Noor Haq, Sharon Braithwaite, Valentina Di Donato and Delia Gallagher- CNN
"Benedict XVI’s funeral: How to watch, what to expect" by Joe Bukuras- Catholic News Agency
"Pope Francis presides over historic funeral for Benedict XVI" by Gerard O'Connell- America Magazine
"Who’s that with Pope Francis? The seven kinds of people you meet in a papal entourage" by Dan Zak- Washington Post
"Pope Benedict XVI: Letterkenny woman reads at papal funeral", BBC News
"At funeral, pope remembers Benedict's 'wisdom, tenderness, devotion'" by Carol Glatz- usccb.org
"Pope Benedict's body solemnly, lovingly carried to St. Peter's Basilica" by Cindy Wooden, usccb.org
"Vatican’s secret, and deadly, project to mummify saints" by Theresa Potenza- New York Post
"An Alternative to Embalming for the Pontiff" by Laura King- LA Times
"Explosion Of Pope Pius XII" by Sandhya Ganesh- Medium
"OLD METHOD USED TO EMBALM POPE; Physicians Say Procedure Was Like That Employed on Body of Christ", New York Times
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We visited a small-town mortuary museum to see a hearse that was used in a film starring Bill Murray! We'll take you on a tour of the museum and give you a review of the movie "Get Low", about a man who decides to throw his own funeral party. Plus, we're making holiday treats using recipes printed on gravestones!
Resources:
"Peoples Mortuary Museum", https://www.cawleyandpeoples.com/peoples-mortuary-museum
"Get Low" film (2009), director Aaron Schneider
"On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand: The Extraordinary Last Rites of Felix Bushaloo Breazeale", clanbrezeale.com
"The Real Story Behind the Movie 'Get Low'" by Gail Robin, agoodgoodbye.com
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What happens when an Indigenous burial mound is turned into a Revolutionary War cemetery? We're discussing the fine line between preservation and desecration at the Mound Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio.
Resources:
"Marietta Earthworks", Marietta: Ohio's First Adventure
"White Settlers Buried the Truth about the Midwest's Mysterious Mound Cities" by Sarah E Baires, Smithsonian Magazine
Mound Cemetery National Register of Historic Places nomination correspondence
"Marietta, Ohio’s Ancient Earthworks: Star Alignments as a Portal to the Path of Souls" by Dr. Greg Little, Alternate Perceptions Magazine
"Marietta Earthworks" - The Moundbuilders' Art: A Confluence of 'Ingenuity, Industry, and Elegance', openvirtualworlds.org
"Ancient History" by Marielle Murphy, Cincinnati Magazine
YouTube- "Mound Cemetery", Amanda Hawkins
"Middle Tennessee's Native American History: The Mississippian Period", Native History Association
"Adena Culture", Ohio History Central
"Hopewell Culture", Ohio History Central
"The Native American Mound Builders", Heritage Daily
'"Archaeology: Saga of Giant Mound Builders is a Tall Tale that Won’t Go Away" by Bradley Lepper, The Columbus Dispatch
"Adena Culture", Brittanica.com
"Hopewell Culture", Brittanica.com
"Missippian Culture", Brittanica.com
Plaques at Mound Cemetery- Marietta, Ohio
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