196: the girl who survived rabies

In 17th-century Italy, whispers spread of a mysterious woman whose 'beauty' potions promised freedom. Her name was Giulia Tofana, and she turned the art of poison into a quiet rebellion against the oppressive world women lived in. 

A few times a year, I like to take a look back at old cases I've covered and give you the latest updates: new evidence, solves, identifications, big news. Today we're going to be taking a look at how the Yogurt Shop Murders have finally been solved, the identification of Rea Rasmussen (Bear Brook Murders), the latest updates in the LISK trial and more. 

In the 1980s, Japan was terrorized by an invisible enemy. A shadowy group calling itself The Monster with 21 Faces taunted police, blackmailed corporations like Glico and Morinaga, and brought an entire nation to its knees - all without ever being caught. They sent letters to the media, poisoned candy, and turned the country's trust in public safety into fear.

Rabies is one of the deadliest viruses on Earth, almost always fatal once symptoms appear. But in 2004, a teenage girl in Wisconsin did the impossible: she survived. This episode unravels the extraordinary story of Jeanna Giese, the first known person to beat rabies without receiving the vaccine in time. 

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.