True Weird Stuff

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The Littlest Survivor Oct 18, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - The Littlest Survivor

In 1846, the Donner Party set out westward seeking new land and opportunity, but their journey turned into a nightmare when they became trapped by snow in the unforgiving Sierra Nevada. Starvation, freezing temperatures, and impossible choices claimed the lives of many members of the Donner Party. Eliza Donner Houghton, the youngest survivor and among the last to be rescued, witnessed the loss of both parents and bore witness to fear, desperation, and horrors no child should endure.

A Demon Named Bob Oct 11, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - A Demon Named Bob

In 1878, a quiet town in Nova Scotia became the stage for one of the most chilling hauntings in North American history. After a near-death experience, a young woman named Esther Cox began to suffer strange attacks — unseen forces that scratched messages into walls, set fires, and hurled objects through the air. Was she the victim of a violent haunting, or the center of a psychological storm misunderstood by her time?

Liar, Liar, Plants on Fire Oct 03, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - Liar, Liar, Plants on Fire

In 1966, Cleve Backster, an interrogation specialist for the CIA, claimed to have discovered something shocking: plants seemed to respond to human thoughts and emotions. He came to this conclusion by hooking up plants to a polygraph machine to measure their response. His controversial experiments with polygraphs suggested that living things might share a hidden form of communication, and sparked a wave of fascination and skepticism that still lingers today.

The Terrordome Sep 27, 2025

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Today/s True Weird Stuff - The Terrordome

Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia became notorious for unethical medical experiments conducted on inmates from the 1950s through the 1970s. Prisoners, many of them poor and Black, were lured into participating with small payments; doctors also lied to prisoners about the risks. Under dermatologist Albert Kligman, inmates were exposed to chemicals, viruses, asbestos, and other toxic chemicals that caused lifelong physical and psychological damage. The horrors of this institution are why Holmesburg Prison was given the nickname, "The Terrordome."

Wild Child Sep 19, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - Wild Child (Airdate 9/19/2025)

In 1797, a young boy was discovered in the woods of France. He would eventually be found and taken into towns to be cared for by the locals. This boy, known as Victor, couldn't speak, was covered in scars, and behaved like a wild animal. Victor would escape many times, but he was eventually taken in by a French physician, who vowed to turn Victor into a civilized member of society.

Our Lady Of The Attic Sep 12, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - Our Lady Of The Attic

Blanche Monnier’s story is one of the most chilling true tales from 19th-century France. Once a vibrant young woman from a respected family, Blanche mysteriously vanished—only to be discovered 25 years later, imprisoned in a dark, filthy room by her own mother. Malnourished, covered in filth, and hidden away from the world, Blanche’s shocking ordeal became headline news across Europe, exposing the horrifying secret that had been kept behind closed doors for decades.

Sin Eater Sep 06, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - Sin Eater

The practice of people eating a meal after a loved one's funeral is common, but the combination of eating and death used to have a morbid relationship in some religions. Certain people were called upon to place bread on the deceased's body, then eat the bread as a way to "consume" the person's sins. They were known as Sin Eaters, and these social pariahs were doomed to carry the burden of others' sins into eternal damnation.

Madames of Mayhem - A True Crime Marathon Aug 29, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - Madames of Mayhem - A True Crime Marathon

We have four chilling tales of women you don't want to cross. Nannie Doss loved her husbands...until she got tired of them and decided to murder them. Baba Anujka, the world's oldest serial killer, used her scientific knowledge to poison her victims. Megan Hess and Shirley Koch were a mother/daughter duo who illegally sold body parts through their funeral home. Georgia Tann, aka the "Baby Broker," ran an adoption agency that kidnapped young children and sold them to wealthy families.

Ghost Ship Aug 22, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - Ghost Ship

A bizarre distress signal. A vessel discovered adrift. An entire crew found deceased with their faces frozen in terror. Since the 1940s, the legend of the SS Ourang Medan has been shrouded in mystery. Different accounts tell different stories. How did the crew die? Did the Ourgang Medan even exist at all? Only the souls of those on board know the truth about this ghost ship.

The Living Corpse Aug 16, 2025

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Today's True Weird Stuff - The Living Corpse

Taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive. During the Victorian Era, people being mistakenly buried alive was so common that extensive measures were taken to prevent it. But throughout history, there have been individuals like "Country" Bill White, a man who made a career out of burying himself alive for the fame and notoriety. He will forever be known as The Living Corpse.

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