Lights Out

On August 2, 2015, Judy Malinowski was set on fire by her boyfriend, Michael Slager. Doctors at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center believed she wouldn't survive the night, but Judy defied all odds. She lived for nearly two years after the arson attack and ultimately made history. Judy helped start her own foundation for victims of violent crimes like herself, and became the first homicide victim to give sworn testimony at her own murder trial.

On November 13th, 2022, the Moscow Police Department responded to reports of a quadruple homicide, an unheard-of crime in the friendly university town. The manhunt lasted for over a month, leading the FBI all the way from Idaho to Pennsylvania, where DNA analysis from a single knife sheath button led them to the criminology PhD candidate: Bryan Kohberger.

On October 30th, 2018, the largest criminal trial in modern German history opened at the Weser-Ems-Hallen ballroom. Nurse Niels Högel, a prolific “Angel of Death,” stood accused of at least 100 murders. Early on in his career, he became addicted to inducing cardiac arrest so he could heroically rescue patients, leading to countless deaths. Niels had already stood in court three times at this point, but it seemed detectives were stuck in a horrifying maze, with new cases appearing around every corner after each trial. The true number of victims is still unknown to this day.

In the early morning hours of October 6th, 1974, British man Michael Taylor committed a brutal act, murdering his wife, Christine, along with their family dog. This horrifying killing followed an intense, hours-long exorcism performed the night before, and the murder sparked public outrage regarding concerns about the negligence of the church officials who oversaw the medieval ritual. As the case unfolded, many questioned whether Michael was truly a cold-blooded killer or a victim of psychosis resulting from religious abuse.

Alec Newald was a normal guy who found himself in the midst of an extraordinary experience. One evening, during a routine drive to Auckland following a painful divorce, he experienced what he initially thought was a car crash. He soon realized, however, that he had actually been transported to an alternate reality, surrounded by unusual entities that would alter the course of his life.

On November 25th, 1988, Junko Furuta was on her way home from work when Hiroshi Miyano abducted her and eventually brought her to his friend’s house the next day. There, Hiroshi, along with Jō Ogura, Shinji Minato, and Yasushi Watanabe, raped and tortured Junko for 40 days, leading to her tragic death. It wasn’t until March 29th, 1989, that the police found her burial site: a metal oil drum filled with concrete, with Junko’s long black hair protruding through the cracks.

From December 2005 to October 2006, a young family was psychologically broken down and physically assaulted by a grisly, unforeseen entity. Even paranormal investigators struggled to comprehend what they witnessed, and could only encourage the victims to remain calm. After almost a year of endless torment, they finally expelled the poltergeist in the most unexpected way.

Over the course of 17 years, Wilfried and Angelika Wagener deliberately tortured several women in cruel and unusual ways, leading to the destruction of their livelihoods and the deaths of two. They were finally caught when they were driving the final victim home, and their car broke down, leading the taxi driver to call an ambulance to save her. The subsequent trial revealed years of abuse that exceeded the court’s expectations. It exposed institutional failures that let Wilfried go unmonitored after being put in jail for tormenting his first wife. This lack of surveillance led to Wilfried and Angelika continuing to torture other women in the most sadistic ways imaginable.

During their visit to Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia, German adventurers Stefan Ramin and Heike Dorsch were attacked by a local, Arihano Haiti. Arihano shot and killed Stefan, then sexually assaulted Heike, prompting a 50-day manhunt that ended with his surrender. Heike returned home to Germany, devastated and penniless. Media coverage, filled with sensational claims of cannibalism, and a complicated trial made this one of the island’s most high-profile cases in its history.

Dana Sue Gray is a serial killer serving a life sentence at California Women’s Prison in Chowchilla. She was convicted of two murders and one attempted murder, and is also suspected of a third killing, all victims being elderly women. Driven by a compulsive shopping addiction, Dana used her victims’ credit cards and cash for immediate spending sprees after their deaths. Her brutality shocked the community and devastated both her family and her victims’ loved ones, who found it difficult to understand how she preyed so ruthlessly on these poor women.

On July 15th, 1992, Rachel Nickell (nik-KELL) was sexually assaulted and murdered in front of her two-year-old son. The flawed police investigation led to an innocent man spending over a year in jail while the true killer remained free. It took 16 years, and the murders of another young woman and her four-year-old daughter, along with dozens of assaults, before the real culprit was finally identified.

George Exoo wasn’t a killer, but he found a certain satisfaction in the deaths he witnessed. As a right-to-die activist, he offered his services to those wanting to end their lives at home, despite deep opposition from both within and outside the movement. George ignored criticism, insisting he was called to help people end their suffering, even without a terminal diagnosis. In the end, he facilitated over 100 premature deaths, proclaiming to be a midwife to the dying.

In October 2002, Jaime and Ben Shea thought they’d found their dream home in the quiet town of Lamar, Arkansas. The centuries-old colonial home possessed a deep mystery and enticed the young couple on their search for the perfect place to raise their children. It was one of the oldest homes in the state, and with its age came unsettling stories and restless entities that haunted the Shea family for nearly six years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor Parker committed an unthinkable crime. She attacked her close friend, Reagan Simmons-Hancock, and cut her unborn child from her stomach, leading to Reagan bleeding out and her baby dying. Taylor was ultimately found guilty of both murder and abduction, having tried to claim the baby as her own. The trial revealed the intricate web of lies Parker had woven, leading to the devastating killing.

In the fall of 2007, an apocalyptic vision drove an Orthodox cult to take refuge in an underground cave near the remote village of Nikolskoye, Russia. Their prophet, Father Pyotr, remained above ground to recruit more followers and send them below to await the coming of the Antichrist. For 198 days, the members, including young children, were surrounded by concerned authorities day and night. The so-called “chosen ones” threatened to blow themselves up with over 100 gallons of gasoline if authorities interfered with what they saw as their God-given right to prepare for the end of the world.

On May 14th, 2026, a group of experienced Italian divers disappeared during a research trip in the Maldives, setting off a race to save them. Despite their skills, the divers made a fatal wrong turn inside a monstrous underwater cave. A Coast Guard sergeant also tragically lost his life while trying to recover them. The tragedy revealed a series of miscommunications and lapses in planning. None of the organizations involved had a complete picture of the group’s intentions, and the divers lacked the proper equipment and certifications for the dive. The loved ones of those who passed are still waiting for answers, and very little information has been released to the public.

In the 1980s, the rural community of Hwaseong, South Korea, was gripped by fear as a serial rapist and murderer terrorized the area. Over the course of five years, ten women and girls were brutally attacked in the small villages of Hwaseong. For more than thirty years, the case remained unsolved, amplifying public mistrust in law enforcement. Innocent people were imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit, while families mourned without answers. It wasn’t until 2019 that the real killer was finally identified, and police realized he was hiding in plain sight all along.

Over the course of five terrifying years, a string of gruesome murders and mysterious disappearances shattered the wholesome image of small-town America in the Lewis-Clark Valley. Once considered a perfect place to raise a family, the Valley was forever changed by the loss of three young women and two unexplained abductions. Decades later, the families are still searching for answers, while the killer remains at large.

In the 1960s, the Pritchard family suffered through terrifying property destruction and the assault of their teenage daughter, Diane. Now, 30 East Drive is classified as one of Britain’s most haunted houses. It carries on in infamy with its supernatural host, Mr. Nobody. He’s rumored to be one of the most violent poltergeists in history and continues to antagonize both ghost hunters and neighbors.

The Betty Gore case is one of the most chilling and controversial true crime stories to come out of suburban America. In 1980, the seemingly ordinary town of Wylie, Texas, became the site of a brutal and shocking killing that left a community in disbelief. At the center of it were two women: Betty Gore and Candy Montgomery. Their lives became fatally intertwined through friendship, betrayal, and a secret affair. What followed was a violent confrontation that ended in an unimaginable act, raising questions about motive, self-defense, and what ordinary people are capable of.

Christa Pike’s case is one of the most disturbing in modern true crime, an obsession-fueled spiral of manipulation and brutality that left even seasoned investigators shaken. At just 18, she became the youngest woman on death row in the United States, but the real horror lies in the twisted relationships and dark motives that led her there. Behind one shocking night of violence is a tangled web of jealousy, control, and escalating threats that no one stopped in time. What pushed things past the point of no return, and why did no one see the danger until it was far too late?

Step inside the twisting halls of the Winchester Mystery House, where doors lead to nowhere, and the walls seem to bend around secrets. At the center of it all is its owner and creator, Sarah Winchester, a woman said to be haunted by tragedy, and maybe by something even darker. Guided, according to legend, by the words of ghosts, she spent decades constructing a mansion designed to confuse whatever followed her. But what really drove her? Was it guilt, grief, or something truly supernatural that refused to let her rest? The mysteries inside this home have only deepened over time. So enter if you dare, because you may walk out with more questions than answers.

In 2010, Matthew Hoffman, a seemingly average man, horrifically murdered three people and kidnapped a child. The community was left in shock, but the truth behind his actions was far more disturbing than anyone could imagine. Hoffman had a history of obsession and violence, but what drove him to commit such an unimaginable crime? Matthew had an unhealthy fixation with leaves and trees, which even played a role in the crime, earning him the nickname “The Leaf Killer”. Was this a cold, calculated spree, or the result of a deeply disturbed mind spiraling out of control?

In this episode, we’re diving into some of the strangest crimes ever reported. From a mysterious vandal terrorizing a neighborhood to bizarre break-ins and deeply unsettling encounters, these cases prove real life can be stranger than fiction. Some are disturbing, some are unbelievable, and some are just plain bizarre. But every one of them actually happened.

On November 12th, 1988, the body of 14-year-old Brandy Hutchins was found in the root cellar of an abandoned house in Coal Hill, Arkansas. Just days before, he father dropped her off at the house after Brandy told him friends were throwing her a birthday party there. At the start of the investigation, authorities believed that her murder was done by satanists after occult imagery and possibly signs of a sacrifice were found in the dilapidated house. Investigators later stated they didn’t believe the case was connected to Satanism, but by then, the media had moved on. Many believe that Brandy’s “boyfriend at the time may have had something to do with her murder, especially after being linked to another missing woman. To this day, Brandy Hutchins' murder is unsolved. Her cousin, Julie, fights for justice and is a recipient of a Higher Hope grant.

The Lafferty case unveils a cryptic narrative surrounding brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, once devout members of the LDS Church who splintered off to form their own religion, “the School of the Prophets.” Their descent into darkness led to the chilling murders of Brenda Lafferty and her 18-month-old daughter Erica in 1984 — under the guise of “divine revelation.” The following legal proceedings, including Ron's death sentence and Dan's life imprisonment, add layers to a tale fraught with mystery and intrigue, shedding light on the dangers of religious fanaticism following an unfathomable tragedy.

On the morning of February 10, 1990, employees of a small, semi-rural bowling alley in Las Cruces, New Mexico, arrived for what should have been a normal work day. But before the alley even opened, two armed men rounded up employees, as well as some of their children, who they brought to work. They shot all of them before setting the building on fire and escaping. Shockingly, a 12-year-old victim, who had suffered from multiple gunshot wounds, bravely called 911 shortly after they left. Her chilling account described two calm, methodical men who seemed intent on nothing but terrorizing their victims. When it was all over, four people were murdered, three were gravely wounded, and the local community was left reeling from the shocking massacre. Despite eyewitness sketches and a rapid police response, no arrests were ever made. More than thirty years later, the Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre remains unsolved.

In the quiet English village of St. Osyth stands a small, chilling building known as “The Cage”. In the late 1500s, women accused of witchcraft were locked inside the walls during brutal trials. Centuries later, the prison was renovated into a home, but some believe the spirits of the witches still remain. Residents and visitors have reported hearing voices in empty rooms, apparitions appearing before them, and even being physically attacked by an unseen force. The Cage now has the reputation for being one of the most haunted places in the U.K. Is it simply a house with a dark past, or is there something inside The Cage that won’t rest?

In 1986, the Bowen family in Pepperell, Massachusetts, began experiencing terrifying events in their home—strange noises, missing items, and what seemed like signs of a haunting. The girls believed a ghost was responsible, since they held a séance to contact their late mother. Months later, their fears turned real when a hidden intruder was discovered living inside the house: 16-year-old Daniel LaPlante, who had secretly watched the family from within the walls in a disturbing case of “phrogging.”

Between 2015 and 2016, something was happening inside a neonatal intensive care unit in England. Babies, premature, fragile, fighting to survive, were suddenly collapsing. Not one. Not two. But again… and again… and again. Doctors couldn’t explain it. These weren’t expected deaths. Many of the babies had been improving. Some were even preparing to go home. And yet, without warning, their oxygen levels would plummet. Their stomachs would swell. Strange purple blotches would spread across their skin. And almost every time it happened… one nurse was there. Her name was Lucy Letby. She was quiet. Soft-spoken. Dedicated. The kind of nurse parents trusted with their most vulnerable moments. She volunteered for extra shifts. She comforted grieving families. She made memory boxes for parents who had just lost their children. But behind that image, prosecutors would later argue, was something far darker. Over the course of a year, seven babies would die. Ten more would survive attempted murder

In 1998, the Beckwith family moved into a spacious house in Seymour, Connecticut. At first it seemed like their dream home, but the family soon started to experience things that seemed like a nightmare. They all saw figures, heard voices, and even were physically attacked unseen entities. That’s when the family enlisted the help of Ed and Lorraine Warren but the strange occurrences only grew from there.

In June 1960, four teenagers trekked out to a popular, semi-rural camping spot on the banks of Lake Bodom in Finland. By morning, three were dead, and the lone survivor was left beaten nearly to death. What followed the horrific tragedy should have been a straightforward homicide investigation, but it quickly unraveled into chaos. Police let onlookers swarm the crime scene, evidence disappeared, and suspects slipped through the cracks. As time passed, genuine leads faded away as volatile whispers of rumors began to sway the minds of locals and police alike. Was the culprit a mysterious drifter seen in the area around the time of the murders? Or perhaps one of the other campers scattered along the lakeshore, who swore they heard nothing in the night. Some believe it may even have been the massacre’s sole survivor. More than sixty years on and with no solid answers, the Lake Bodom murders remain one of Europe's most infamous mysteries and a story marked not only by brutal violence, but c

Up to 60 locals witnessed a vigilante killing in broad daylight— but no one said a word to the police. After the murder of Kenneth “Rex” McElroy in July 1981, county and federal grand juries did not return any indictments. Many wondered if the murder was a conspiracy concocted by the entire town, including law enforcement. After all, Ken was a well-known bad seed, with a long history of alleged rape, assault with a firearm, theft, arson, and a slew of other alleged offenses. The locals decided to bring justice to Ken when the local law enforcement couldn’t. To this day, the town of Skidmore still wonders if the murder was justified.

In 1993, the remote town of Antwerp, Australia, became infamous for a terrifying exorcism that went horrifically wrong. What started as concerns for Joan Vollmer’s mental health spiraled into something much darker. Joan’s husband, Ralph, and three of his fanatically religious friends performed an exorcism. For seven days, they tied her down, refused to give her food and water, slapped her, and eventually caused so much pressure on her body that she went into cardiac arrest. But the group stayed in the house with her body for several days, waiting for the miracle of a resurrection.

Jeffrey Lundgren was a devout follower of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (RLDS), upset with the progressive direction the church was headed in. He began preaching the “right way” to practice the faith, prompting leaders to excommunicate him. A small group of members chose to follow Jeffrey and live with him on a farm. He was an erratic cult leader who convinced them that they had to carry out a blood sacrifice to meet God. Jeffrey then systematically shot and killed all five members of the Avery family, who were a part of his group, with the youngest being 6 years old. Eventually, he and his followers were caught, and Jeffrey was put to death in 2006.

In 2001, a Texas woman drowned five of her children one by one. The horrors shocked the nation. Some ridiculed her and called her a “beast,” but the case wasn’t as clear-cut as it first appeared. Not only had Andrea Yates been diagnosed with post-partum depression and postpartum psychosis, but she also may have been strongly influenced by a violent, misogynistic doomsday Christian cult leader. Through letters, cassettes, and VHS tapes, Michael Woroniecki spiritually manipulated his followers into thinking that if they didn’t change their ways, especially their children’s ways, their entrance to Hell was fast approaching. Did Andrea brutally murder her children in cold blood because of post partum psychosis, or had she been convinced she was saving her children from eternal damnation?

Demon houses, spontaneous combustion, fatal infidelity, and half-dog-half-man creatures have become a part of Michigan’s paranormal lore. While some can be explained by the region’s history, others seem only to exist to terrify the occupants who live in the deep, dark woods of the Great Lakes State.

Two Houston teenagers brutally tortured and murdered another teenager with seemingly no motive at all. After hearing about the 61 stab wounds and a slew of horrific abuses to the victim, the Houston community and the nation at large asked what kind of person could do something like this… and for what reason. One of the killers admitted they did it to sell their souls to the Devil. The other denied any Satanic element to the case, even though the crime scene told a different story. To this day, many wonder what caused these teens to commit one of Houston’s most horrific murders imaginable.

The largest unsolved homicide case in Japanese history— The Setegaya Massacre. A kind and friendly family of four was mysteriously murdered on the night before New Year's Eve. The case drew the eyes of millions as over 250,000 officers worked on the case over the decades. The culprit left an obscene amount of evidence behind, but police could not connect anyone to the case. With no motive, the crime couldn’t be narrowed down, but today, the grandparents are left to wonder why someone would brutally kill their grandchildren for seemingly no reason at all.

Saying Goodbye

Using the newfangled Internet and his natural charm, John Edward Robinson lured women to Kansas before bludgeoning them to death. He offered them employment at his questionable businesses and also offered them sadomasochistic sexual relationships. After convincing them he was trustworthy, he attempted to control their life savings and retirement accounts, cashed their disability checks, and even sold a victim’s baby to his brother and sister-in-law. Despite being on law enforcement’s radar for decades, he bludgeoned at least five women to death with a large hammer… and possibly many more.

What does it mean to consent to your own murder? Sharon Lopatka was a typical, married, 35-year-old online entrepreneur. She lived in the quiet neighborhood of Hampstead, Maryland, until her husband discovered a note that set off alarm bells: “If my body is never retrieved, don’t worry. Know that I am at peace.” He would later discover Sharon’s internet secrets of gut-wrenching fetishes and brutal sexual violence that ultimately led her down a road from which she wouldn’t return. Her perpetrator, a shady man she met online, claimed it was all an accident and that Sharon had consented to it all.

Menacing apparitions of deceased officers, freak accidents upon a cursed German U-boat, and phantom children haunting a blood-soaked US air base have all made the list of the most haunted paranormal military encounters. In this episode, we dive into the creepiest encounters soldiers have ever experienced across the world.

The 14-year-old “All-American boy,” Tommy Sullivan, brutally killed his mother in cold blood and then took his own life. In the quiet suburbs of Jefferson Township, New Jersey, a crime like this was unimaginable. Police soon found a concerning note Tommy left behind— a pact with Satan. At the height of the Satanic Panic, all eyes were on North New Jersey, and everyone desperately looked for a simple explanation for the region’s most complex murder-suicide.

Found near a dark cave deep in the Catskills, a wooden effigy of a woman with nails in her eyes and a noose around her neck would soon terrorize the man who took the cursed object home. Wet, muddy footprints, banging noises, odd smells, and shadowy old women infested the man's home. Desperate to rid himself of the cursed effigy, the crone ended up in the hands of two paranormal investigators, Greg and Dana Newkirk. Once they experienced the terror for themselves, they knew they had to conduct an unbinding ritual and return the effigy to its place in the Catskills.

The Sylvia Likens case is "the single worst crime perpetuated against an individual in Indiana's history." An entire neighborhood turned against a young, 16-year-old girl, who was put into the care of a single household's diabolical matriarch, Gertrude Baniszewski. What began as a friendly sleepover quickly escalated to months of outright torture, abuse, and eventually, death. As the evidence came to light, many wondered if Gertrude was the sole perpetrator, or if her children and even the entire neighborhood were somehow complicit in the horrific crimes against an innocent girl.

Ed Gein's legacy places him as one of the most depraved serial killers in US history. Less remembered for his murders, the meek and simple Ed Gein kept a mortifying collection of paraphernalia fashioned from human remains on display in his farmhouse. His collection marked a new disturbing level for the criminally insane in the mid-1900s. His crimes became a revelation to the world, showing the public what killers were truly capable of, and his notorious legacy went on to inspire some of the darkest tales in American folklore, including Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Three of the most cursed movies of all time: The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, and The Omen. Beloved by horror fans across the world, these movies have all been connected to countless freak accidents, paranormal activity, murders, and even high-profile assassinations. Were they truly cursed because of their demonic content, were the terrors just mere coincidences, or were the events fabricated so the movie studios could make more money?

The story that inspired The Exorcist. 48 eye witnesses signed the ecclesiastical document regarding the paranormal events of this true exorcism story of a 13-year-old boy plagued by a violent demonic possession. His affliction soon attracted the attention of the Catholic Church, and, eventually, the world. Over the course of a month of horrors, the attending priest, Raymond J. Bishop, recorded the disturbing paranormal events in his private journal, while he and his colleagues went toe-to-toe with Satan himself.

After the death of his abusive grandfather, Don Decker was violently attacked by an unseen force, fell into a trance, and inexplicably summoned rain indoors. Before several eyewitnesses, water materialized and fell to the floor. Other times it rose up to the ceiling or shot sideways. Local police came to investigate, but failed to explain the phenomenon. As the rain continued, witnesses began to believe that Don must've been possessed by a demon.