182: The Pendle Witch Trials

You’ve heard the punchline: a woman spills McDonald’s coffee in her lap and sues for millions. But behind the jokes and late-night talk show fodder lies a story that’s far more shocking, and far more human, than you’ve been told. In this episode, we dig into the truth behind the 1994 Liebeck v. McDonald’s case, where 79-year-old Stella Liebeck’s life was forever changed by a scalding cup of coffee. We explore the media spin, the corporate defense strategy, and the public’s misunderstanding of a landmark case that sparked national debate over personal responsibility, corporate accountability, and tort reform.

Joan Robinson Hill had it all: wealth, beauty, and prestige as a celebrated equestrian in Houston’s high society. But in 1969, her sudden and suspicious death at just 38 years old shocked the city and set off a tangled saga of scandal, betrayal, and murder that would haunt Texas for decades. In this episode, we unravel the gripping true story of Joan’s life and death, the strange behavior of her husband Dr. John Hill, and the explosive chain of events that followed - including a grand jury, a sensational trial, and a deadly act of vengeance. Was Joan the victim of a medical mystery or something far more sinister?

At the turn of the 20th century, a simple accessory ignited a wave of fear, controversy, and legislation. In this episode, we explore the Hatpin Panic - a bizarre and fascinating moment in history when women’s fashion clashed with societal expectations and public safety. As women began to assert their independence in cities around the world, long steel hatpins (used to secure extravagant hats) became symbols of both elegance and defiance… and, to some, dangerous weapons.

Between 1975 and 1980, at least 13 women were murdered in Yorkshire, England, spurring on one of the biggest manhunts the UK had ever seen. Eventually, Peter Sutcliffe was captured. Who was he? Who were his victims? And how did he remain on the loose for so long?

FROM THE VAULT | Today, we dive into one of France's most haunting true crime mysteries: the Dupont de Ligonnès murders, also known as the Nantes murders. In April 2011, five members of the Dupont de Ligonnès family were found buried beneath the patio of their home, sparking a nationwide manhunt and leaving the world gripped by unanswered questions. At the center of the case is Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès — husband, father, and the prime suspect — who vanished without a trace.

In 2014, a teenage boy came across a human head in the woods and called the authorities. They expected to find decomposed remains, but were shocked to find the head was fully intact and, strangely, embalmed. How did an embalmed head end up here and more importantly, who did it belong to?

We've probably all heard of Jack the Ripper, one of the most famous English unsolved mysteries. He was responsible for the murders of at least five women near Whitechapel in London's East End between August and November 1888. But do you know all the details?

The Pendle witch trials, held in 1612, were a series of witchcraft trials in Lancashire, England, where 10 people were accused of witchcraft and executed, with the trials centred around the area of Pendle Hill. They predated Salem by 80 years, but the events were eerily similar. Why and how did these two things happen, thousands of miles apart?

In September 1988, schoolboy Lee Boxell left his home in Cheam to go and hang out with a friend before saying he might go and watch a football match at the local Selhurst Park stadium. And then he disappeared, never to be seen again. In the last 37 years there have been countless leads and theories as to what happened to him, but answers remain illusive. 

Today I have a brand new case updates episode for you, where I look back over the cases I've covered in the past and share new information!