Strange Matters Podcast

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The Shugborough Inscription Apr 06, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of Strange Matters the cryptic and mysterious Shugborough Inscription is discussed. The basis of the Shugborough Inscription are 10 letters carved onto a structure known as the Shepherd’s Monument, a mystery onto itself. Though this sequence of letters may not seem all that intriguing at first glance, the Inscription has launched dozens of wild and diverse theories that have been proposed in the hundreds of years since its creation.

The Shepherd’s Monument was commissioned by Thomas Anson and built on his estate in Staffordshire, England. The exact reason behind his inspiration for creating the monument is unknown, as is the explanation for the inscription carved into the base of this monument. Over the years, many people have pondered the mysterious nature behind these letters, and have come up with a wide variety of theories. Are these letters a code, perhaps leading to a hidden treasure? Could they be a secret message that only members of a secret society would understand? Many believe the letters are meant to spell out a cryptic phrase or saying. Or is the whole thing simply a joke that a 18th century prankster thought of. The possibilities are nearly endless as all the popular ideas and explanations for the Shugborough Inscription are covered in this history-mystery episode!

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The Lost Heiress – Dorothy Arnold Mystery Mar 09, 2017

Show notes

“On a crisp December day in 1910, Dorothy Arnold walked out of the pages of life and left behind her a mystery that outdoes fiction. There have been a thousand theories, a million rumors- but not one shred of real evidence which might explain where she went, how she went, or why.” This newspaper quote perfectly summarizes the unsolved disappearance case of Dorothy Arnold, the heiress of a wealthy New York family, who vanished suddenly and without explanation.

Dorothy Arnold was a well known and liked socialite of a prestigious family. The young woman had aspirations of becoming a writer, though all of her submitted works came back rejected. Dorothy was secretly carrying out a romantic relationship with an older man, against her family’s wishes. On one fateful day in December of 1910, Dorothy said farewell to her mother and left the house to go shopping. The distinguished Arnold family would never see her again.

The mystery of this cases revolves around the bizarre question, how does a woman simply vanish while walking along a busy city street in the middle of the day? There are far more questions than answers in this intriguing mystery: Did Dorothy run away? Was she abducted, kidnapped, or murdered? Did her secret lover have anything to do with her disappearance? Was Dorothy’s depression too great to continue living? Almost any theory is as plausible as any other due to the complete lack of evidence and clues following the young lady’s disappearance.

Listen to this episode of Strange Matters and hear all about what was called at the time the most famous Missing Persons case in American History!

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**The Endless Hunger – Tarrare & Charles Domery** Mar 01, 2017
Show notes

In this episode of Strange Matters the unique and interesting lives of Charles Domery and Tarrare are discussed. Infamously known as the hungriest men who ever lived, these two individuals were cursed with a constant feeling of starvation, and an insatiable desire to eat anything possible to satisfy their endless hunger. Capable of eating in a single meal what would normally satisfy a dozen men, there is still no answer as to what was the cause for their notorious appetite.

Both Charles Domery and Tarrare lived in Europe, born in the 1770’s. From an early age they displayed an ability to eat a tremendous amount of food. Both would go on to serve in the War of the First Coalition, where a shortage of food drove the men to eat anything they could get their hands on, from small living animals to even grazing on grass. Experiments would be done on both men to test the limits of their appetite, where they performed impossible feats of eating. Though the exact cause for Charles’ and Tarrare’s endless hunger is unknown, there are several medical explanations that may provide some clues as to what made these two men so special. Regardless, there is little doubt that these two men stand at the top of history as the two hungriest men who ever lived.

Special thanks to listener Michael Adams for sending us new Strange Matters Artwork used for this episode!

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The Sirrush – Ancient Cryptid Feb 22, 2017

Show notes

In this Strange Matters Short the legend of the ancient creature known as the Sirrush is discussed. This dragon-like beast was heavily featured through the great city of Babylon. The Sirrush was an obscure creature that was nearly lost to time, and widely believed to be merely a myth. However, after its rediscovery there have been new theories and explanations that would instead claim that the mysterious beast was in reality an actual living animal!

Was the Sirrush a descendant of the dinosaurs, a leftover of an extinct species? Perhaps a rare breed that was brought to Babylon from a distant land? Or are all the new theories a fantasy, and the truth remains that the Sirrush is, and has always been, simply a made up myth or legend created by the ancient people of Mesopotamia. Check out this Strange Matters Short and hear all about this strange and interesting creature!

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Lake Bodom Feb 18, 2017

Show notes

In Finland, near Helsinki, there exists a body of water over a square mile in size, known as Lake Bodom. Over 50 years ago, a small group of teenagers went out to this area to camp and enjoy a night of drinks and fun. Unfortunately the events that would occur at their campsite would fall short of anyone’s definition of fun. Sometime between the hours of 4:00 and 6:00 am, an unknown suspect, standing outside of the tent would slash and bludgeon three of the teens to death. Only one, Nils Gustafsson would survive the violent onslaught. The local police department was not only caught off guard by the gruesomeness of the crime scene, but would go on to conduct a less than thorough investigation. The unique part of this case is not just the violence but also the fact that multiple significant suspects would admit to committing the crime at different times. To this day, no one has officially been convicted of the murder of Maila Björklund, Anja Mäki and Seppo Boisman.

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The Mysterious Death of Debbie Wolfe Jan 10, 2017

Show notes

In the winter of 1985, a young nurse named Debbie Wolfe left her shift at the hospital and headed back to her secluded cabin in the woods. When she did not show up to work the next day, a search began to find the missing woman. A few days later, a bizarre and unusual discovery would start off an investigation into one of the strangest deaths you could imagine.

In this episode the death and subsequent investigation of Debbie Wolfe is covered. This unique death is made interesting by the fact that the police and detectives working the case were quite adamant that the whole thing was just a complete accident, while Debbie’s family and friends were convinced that foul play was involved in some way. As more clues and pieces of evidence were found following Debbie’s untimely death, the amount of new questions raised would quickly outgrow what few answers were found.

Was the death of Debbie Wolfe just a freak accident that somehow seems to defy much of the evidence found? Or was there a mystery killer involved setting the whole thing up? Listen to this episode and hear for yourself about all the unbelievable twist and turns that followed the mysterious death of Debbie Wolfe.

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A Twisted Family – The Sharon Marshall Story Dec 11, 2016

Show notes

Sharon Marshall was a friendly, pretty, and intelligent young girl. Those that knew her all said she had great potential with a bright future. What people did not know however, was that her entire life was a lie. Sharon was not really Sharon, in fact she had no idea who she really was. All this girl knew in her life growing up was a constant state of deceit, abuse, and terror at the hands of one man, her father Franklin Floyd.

In this episode we discuss the twisted and bizarre family situation of Frank Floyd and Sharon Marshall. This disturbing and confusing story involves kidnappings, abuse, and even murder. For years the mystery of who Sharon Marshall really was has intrigued many who were invested in her story and that of her family, and fortunately in the recent years enough light has been shone on this case to finally reveal her true identity.

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The Zombie Apocalypse Nov 09, 2016

Show notes

In this episode of Strange Matters we talk all about the undead monsters known as zombies. These terrifying creatures are reanimated human corpses that have risen yet again, this time with an insatiable urge to consume living flesh. As the popularity of zombies spread in the modern culture, many people wonder what life would be like surviving in a zombie apocalypse.

Originally linked to Haitain folkore, where human corpses would rise by use of dark magic, the concept of zombies have changed over the past century. In the early stages of the idea, most zombies were depicted in films and literature as simply mindless creatures who served their masters. That all changed in the late 1960’s when suddenly zombies were shown to be the stumbling, violent, and hungry monsters that we know and love them as today!

Along with discussing the history of zombies, we go into details about what would life be like in the zombie apocalypse. We talk about how the outbreak might spread, the impacts it would have on society, and our thoughts on the best strategies to avoid becoming yet another unleaded being.

Finally we also go over the listener feedback sent in for our Zombie Survival Challenge! From what the best weapon is to fight off the undead horde, the ideal settlement location and type, and general strategies to survive in a world overtaken by walking corpses, we discuss the different answers we got in response to the challenge. Thanks to everyone who participated!

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