193: The Lead Mask Men

In 1932, the U.S. Public Health Service launched what they claimed was a study on “bad blood” in rural Alabama. In reality, it was a 40-year-long lie: hundreds of Black men with syphilis were deliberately left untreated, even after penicillin became the standard cure. Known today as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, this shocking violation of trust exposed deep systemic racism and reshaped the way medical research is conducted.

FROM THE VAULT | In the late 1980s and early 90s, Melbourne, Australia, was gripped by fear as a masked predator known only as Mr. Cruel stalked the suburbs. He was cunning, calculated, and terrifyingly methodical, breaking into homes, abducting young girls, and vanishing without a trace. Despite massive police investigations and public outcry, his true identity remains one of Australia’s biggest unsolved mysteries.

In 1966, two Brazilian electronics technicians were found dead on a hill outside Rio de Janeiro, wearing strange lead masks and formal suits, with a cryptic note at their side. Known as the Lead Mask Case this chilling mystery has baffled investigators for decades. Were they victims of a bizarre scientific experiment, a secret ritual, or something far stranger? 

In 1986, Sherri Rasmussen, a 29-year-old newly married nurse, was found brutally murdered in her Los Angeles home. The case stunned her family and baffled detectives. For over two decades, it was believed to be a botched robbery... until DNA evidence revealed a shocking twist.

From ancient herbal remedies to modern-day contraceptive pills, the history of birth control is as fascinating as it is complex. In this episode, we trace the evolution of how humans have tried to prevent pregnancy - through science, culture, trial, and error. Today we explore the innovations, setbacks, and key figures who shaped the path toward reproductive autonomy. From ancient Egypt to the feminist movements of the 20th century, this is a journey through time that reveals how birth control has influenced health, freedom, and society as a whole.

In the late 15th and 16th centuries, a terrifying illness swept through England with brutal speed - striking healthy people in the morning and leaving them dead by nightfall. It was called the Sweating Sickness, and to this day, no one knows exactly what it was. In this episode, we investigate the chilling history of this mysterious epidemic that haunted Tudor England. Was it a virus? A toxin? An early form of hantavirus? We explore the symptoms, the panic it caused (even in royal circles) and why it vanished as suddenly as it appeared.

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?