In 1990, 14-year-old Tyler Pelke was home alone in Altona, Canada, watching a movie with a friend. Then the local bully, Earl Giesbrecht, showed up at the door. Hours later, Tyler’s friend was dead and his house was on fire. Years later, Tyler confronted Earl in prison to ask “why?”.

Get Tyler to speak at your next event: tylerpelke.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2010, fraudster Larry Ray got out of prison and started sleeping on a couch in his daughter’s college dorm. Within weeks, he was mentoring her friends. A year later, he’d recruited most of them into what would later be described as a “sex-cult.” Felicia Rosario was one of them. Introduced to Larry by her brother, she spent 10 years under his spell. She unpacks his incredible aptitude for mind control and how she rebuilt her life after his arrest.

Contact Felicia Rosario via her website here: feliciarosario.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Bring me their ears." That was the order from cult leader Yahweh ben Yahweh, who admitted new members of the Nation of Yahweh into his inner circle only after they'd killed someone and had an ear to prove it. Our guest, Khalil Amani, never killed anyone, but this instruction was a step too far. This week, Khalil tells us how he became an FBI informant and put the group's leader behind bars.

Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whatitwaslikepodcast/

This is a Superreal production: https://superreal.com.au/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2019, David and Ina Steiner began receiving mysterious packages at their Massachusetts home. Local police sergeant Jason Sutherland was called in to investigate, and eventually traced the harassment back to executives at eBay. In this episode, Sergeant Sutherland explains how one of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies came to target a suburban couple.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, "urbex" (urban exploration) is a global phenomenon with millions of videos online. But few people know it all traces back to a group of teenagers in Melbourne. In the mid-1980s, they founded the Cave Clan, formalising the exploration of storm drains and abandoned buildings. In this ep, founding member Dougo explains how the group began, the tragedy that changed everything, and how they’re hoping to bring the Cave Clan back to life.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2018, Brittany Todd was a mother of five living in South Carolina. Then one day she came home to find a stranger inside her house who beat her unconscious and abducted her four-year-old daughter. In this episode, Brittany tells us how they got her girl back.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1983, 38 IRA prisoners escaped Northern Ireland's Maze Prison by hijacking a truck and driving through multiple security gates to freedom. Ringleader Gerry Kelly explains how they pulled off such a stunt, and why he believes escaping was a moral duty.

For a more detailed account of this story check out Gerry’s memoir: Playing My Part

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AIDS devastated America's gay communities through the 1980s. In major cities, up to 50% of gay men were living with the virus, with the median survival rate after diagnosis just 11 months. Mark S. King lived through it all. After moving to Los Angeles in 1981, he watched an entire generation of friends disappear. In this conversation, he reflects on his own HIV diagnosis and miraculous survival, and what those years taught him about life and love.

Check out more of Mark’s work on his blog, spanning four decades of essays: My Fabulous Disease

Follow him on Instagram: mark.s.king

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1976, a mysterious illness started killing people in Central Africa. Virus expert Joseph McCormick was flown in to work out what it was and how it spread. This is how the world came to learn of a frightening new virus called Ebola. In this ep, Joe describes how he later discovered that HIV had emerged from the very same corner of Africa. It's a conversation about evolution and how humans and viruses are more connected than you'd expect.

Check out Joe’s book, co-written with his wife: Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC.

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1995, Dale Wheatley had just written and produced Don's Plum starring his friends Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. The film was quickly snapped up for a 3-picture deal. But then Leo decided he didn't want it released. Overnight, he and Tobey buried the film and dismantled Dale's friendships. As he explains, it’s a moment he’s never recovered from.

You can watch Don's Plum on Dale’s YouTube here

Dale's memoir, Too Real, is also available on his website here

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pamela Jones was born into a fringe splinter group of Mormonism. By her early 30s she had nine children, while her husband had five other wives. But one day something inside her broke. In this ep, Pamela describes how she escaped — penniless and illiterate — and built a multimillion-dollar business and a whole new life.

Hire Pamela to speak at your next event here

Read her incredible memoir, The Dirt Beneath Our Door: My Journey to Freedom after Escaping a Polygamous Mormon Cult

Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast

Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast

This is a Superreal production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.