Our story begins with Tsar Peter III of Russia being overthrown by his own wife, the infamous Catherine the Great, only to be declared deceased soon after for vague medical reasons. Years later, Yemelyan Pugachev, a peasant who claimed to be the late Peter III, emerges. Pugachev's Rebellion, also known as the Cossack Rebellion, gained support from various social groups, including peasants and some nobles who opposed Catherine's rule. Their goal was to dethrone her and reinstate "Peter III," despite the fact that their "Peter" was just an imposter, probably with bad teeth. Whether his supporters didn’t care that he was a fraud or simply were oblivious to the truth, Pugachev managed to disrupt Russia with his attempts to seize the throne and champion the peasants and serfs who have suffered under Catherine's reign. However, evading arrest can only be accomplished so many times.

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Life in 1800’s Liverpool, England was rough. It was a port city with a high population of hard-working immigrants all trying to make ends meet. However, some were more desperate than others to ensure their living was made. Catherine and Margaret Flannagn, two Irish sisters who owned a boarding house, found themselves in the middle of a dark network of women who took advantage of insurance organizations after the death of a loved one. This network, which became known as the “Black Widows of Liverpool”, discovered the quickest way to a paycheck was with some arsenic and a compromised conscious. Unfortunately, the sisters tested their luck one two many times.

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The Tudor Dynasty was notorious for creating religious tension across England as they swayed between Protestantism and Catholicism, depending on who wore the crown. With Elizabeth I on the throne, Catholics were forced to practice their beliefs in hiding. Margaret Ward was empathetic towards the Catholic priests being imprisoned and went so far as to help one of them escape. Known as the 'Pearl of Tyburn', she paid the highest price for another man's freedom.

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It can be said that the ancient Egyptians were quite materialistic. The pyramids housed more than just the mummies and dust of pharaohs and queens, but also the lifetime of riches of the nobility to ensure they could bring them with them to the afterlife. In modern-day currency, these tombs were filled to the brim with hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of gold, jewels, and other valuables.

While local Egyptians were haunted by the thought of not having a peaceful afterlife, it didn't stop many from raiding these tombs. Throughout the reigns of the ancient pharaohs, tomb raiding became a serious issue, resulting in arrests and court cases almost daily. It was a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. In this episode of Beheaded, we discuss the gruesome fates of those found guilty of tomb raiding and the torture and execution methods faced by the robbers.

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In the early 1700's, Jean Baptiste Baudreau II had a unique mixed heritage that enabled him to forge connections with both the French colonists of the American south and the Native American tribes. He was a rebel without a cause.... no really, we aren't quite sure what his cause was.... but he was found untrustworthy amongst the white colonists because of his strong ties to the indigenous people.  After spending years in prison for crimes we, again, aren't quite sure of, the local officials decided to use him as an example by sentencing him to death using a very medieval device: the breaking wheel. In this Mardi Gras themed episode, we talk about how this execution method worked and the legacy Jean Baptiste has on modern day New Orleans.

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While King Henry VIII wasn't particularly known for being afraid of witches, he was certainly paranoid about assassination... even if it was only through a prophetic attempt. Mabel Brigge claimed she was a devout Catholic who used fasting as a method to pray for those in need, whether it meant finding lost money or potentially praying for the death of the King of England! In this episode of Beheaded, we discuss how the Tudor dynasty viewed witches and the Dark Arts, and what happened to the women accused of possessing powerful magic.

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Jack Rackham, known as Calico Jack, was a true pirate of the Caribbean. With his Jolly Roger hoisted high and his bonny lass by his side, Jack and his crew sailed the seas during the Golden Age of Piracy. Jack stood apart from other pirates, though, as he had not one, but two notorious female pirates on his ship: Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Like most pirates of the age, Jack and much of his crew did not live to see a ripe old age, but instead met their demise at the end of a short drop and a sudden stop. Anne and Mary, however, were meant for a different fate and their stories soon passed to legend.

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Ruth Ellis, a young and alluring nightclub manager in 1950s England, came from a rough background. She was introduced early on in life to the consenquences of   untrustworthy men, alcohol, and the unsavory underworld of London's nightlife. Things only got worst when she found herself in a jelous rage aiming a revolver directly at her lover. At the young age of 28, Ruth Ellis left a lasting mark in history as not only the last woman to be hanged in Britain, but also as a catalyst for the United Kingdom's reevaluation of death penalty policies. 

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We've all  heard of people being accused of witchcraft, sorcery, and engaging in the dark arts. However, have you ever come across a case where someone was found guilty of being a werewolf? During the 1500s in Germany, a man named Peter Stumpp (given the nickname due to his left hand being a stump) was accused of being the perpetrator behind a series of mysterious murders in his village, but under rather peculiar circumstances. In an era where folklore and reality intertwined, his fellow villagers firmly believed that Peter magically transformed into the local wolf at night to reek havok amongst his neighbors and even loved ones. After being subjected to severe forms of torture, the small German town bore witness to one of the most brutal and violent executions documented. In this episode of Beheaded, we tell the real tale of "Peter and the Wolf".

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For any poor soul standing in front of a judge awaiting their sentence, the last thing they want to hear is that they would be hanged, drawn, and quartered. This heinous act was reserved for traitors or those who have committed an extreme crime, such being a spy during war. Our dear friend Francois Henry de la Motte, a French spy from the 1780s, was unfortunate enough to receive no mercy from the benevolent English. He went down in history for having a crowd of eighty thousand people witness his heart being ceremoniously pulled out of his body. Such a joyous spectacle, isn't it? Enjoy!

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Beheaded is back with our 5th season, and we are starting off with the well-known story of the Princes in the Tower. This is the legacy of the two innocent boys who went mysteriously missing while staying at the Tower of London. For centuries, people have assumed their uncle, King Richard III, had them both murdered. 

But the story does not end there. Shortly after their disappearance, there were rumbles that the younger of the two brothers survived - and he wants his crown back. Perkin Warbeck started gathering followers across Europe and the UK as he claimed he was the true prince and heir to the English throne. This would mean removing King Henry VII, the first Tudor king, and replacing him with a Yorkist king. After years of war and bloodshed, this scandal left everyone with just one question: who is telling the truth?

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