Things Mysterious, Things Fantastic
In this episode we bring you a mixed bag of bizarre stories so outlandish that they are hard to believe.
Redbeard SoundIn November of 1982, Don Kemp left his fast paced life in the New York advertisement business to take a solo trip across America and work on a book about history he'd deamt of writing for years. Instead, his 1979 Chevy Blazer was found abandoned off highway 80 in Wyoming. It was still running, had half a tank of gas, and there was one set of footprints leading into the frozen prairie. Don was never seen alive again.
Teresa Williams, Crystal Parton, Cynthia Mabry, and Julianne Helton were real people with families, futures, and lives abruptly cut short by an inhuman monster. In December 1976, 13-year-olds Teresa and Cynthia and 14-year-old Crystal vanished in rural Arkansas. Years later in Missouri, 25-year-old Julianne Helton’s promising life ended in similarly horrific fashion. It would soon be discovered that all four girls were killed by the same man- James B Grinder.
Redbeard SoundIn early December of 1958, Kenneth and Barbara Martin gathered their three children into their Ford station wagon and drove from their Portland home to the Columbia River Gorge to collect greenery for Christmas decorations. At some point during the short trip, the family and their car vanished in the Oregon wilderness, and it would be close to 70 years before the Martin Family Mystery would solved.... at least, partially.
Redbeard SoundOn the afternoon of October 5th, 2018, 27 year old television producer Terrence Woods Jr was filming a reality show with a dozen other crew members in the remote Idaho wilderness when he suddenly threw down his equipment and sprinted into the woods. That was the last time he was ever seen. In the years since, many people have put forth their own theories as to what may have happened, including Terrence's parents. Was it a case of someone snapping and running away, or did something nefarious happen?
Redbeard SoundIn this episode, we cover the curious case of "The Bodies in the Bayou". In September of 2025, a cluster of bodies was found in Houston's waterways within a two week span. This has caused many to suggest a serial killer may be at large. Law enforcement insists that is not the case, but could there be?
Redbeard SoundIn 1977, a young Mormon missionary named Kirk Anderson vanished in Surrey, England, only to later reappear with a story that shocked both sides of the Atlantic. He alleged that Joyce McKinney, his ex girlfriend, and an accomplice had abducted him at gunpoint, transported him to a secluded cottage, and held him captive as a sex slave for days. This episode examines the known facts, the investigation, and why the so-called “Manacled Mormon” case remains one of the most controversial crimes of the 1970s.
Merry Christmas! In this episode, we examine three tragic events that have occurred on Christmas Day throughout the years, along with one mystery that has endured for over a hundred years. And of course, we do our best to sprinkle in a little comedy and holiday cheer amongst the mystery and mayhem. So, pour yourself a glass of eggnog, throw another log on the fire, put in those earbuds to drown out the in-laws, and have yourself a very “Mantis” Christmas!
Redbeard SoundIn this episode, we discuss the I-44 Tri-State Truck Explosion. In September of 1970, the Tri-State trucking company and the Teamsters Local 823 Union were locked in a heated battle. Union truckers had been on strike for weeks, but their demands were being ignored. Instead, Tri-State had simply hired more non-union workers to fill the void. In retaliation, a few union drivers decided to set up along Interstate 44 near Springfield, Missouri to shoot and disable passing Tri-State rigs. However, one of those trucks was carrying 21 tons of dynamite, and what resulted was a catastrophic explosion that would end one innocent life and put three others in prison.
Redbeard SoundIn this episode, we dive into the story of Karen Silkwood — a lab technician at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who stumbled into a nightmare. After raising alarms about contaminated equipment, falsified inspection records, and dangerous working conditions, Karen found herself the target of intimidation, mysterious exposures to plutonium, and escalating pressure. On November 13th, 1974, she set out to deliver documents to a reporter — evidence she believed would expose the truth. She never made it. Karen was found dead in her car, crashed off a rural highway, the documents missing, and the questions only beginning. Was it an accident… or something far more sinister?
In this episode, we cover the origins of “The Highway Serial Killings Initiative”- an FBI program that identifies and links unsolved murder cases that have occurred along interstate highways to support law enforcement agencies. We also talk about one of the most notorious killers the program has helped capture- Bruce Delane Mendenhall, a long haul trucker/murderer also known as “The Truck Stop Killer”.
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