Listener Tales 115: Halloween Tales

Weirdos! It's almost HalloWEEEEEEEEN! So grab your pillowcase, don your spookiest costume, and get ready to be treated to some iconic listener tales!  To celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, Deb has curated a batch of spooky tales that are BY you FOR  you and ALL ABOUT YOU! Don't forget to check out the YOUTUBE version to fully experience the iconic costumes, because Ash & Alaina are serving this month!If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to Deb by emailing us at  [email protected] with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line, and if you share pictures, please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :) Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the evening of December 13, 2020, twenty-one-year-old Texas State University student Jason Landry left his apartment in San Marcos, TX headed in the direction of his parents in Missouri City. Several hours later, just after midnight, a firefighter discovered Jason’s wrecked car along the side of a rural road several miles from his destination—the lights were still on and the keys still in the ignition, but there was no sign of Jason anywhere.Recommendations Dinner At My Place by Ryan NordheimerToday We Are Cooking by Tini YoungerReferencesBrant, Brian. 2026. "21-Year-Old's Car Was Found Abandoned, but He Was Nowhere to Be Seen." People, January 31.Holley, Peter. 2025. "It Was Already One of Texas’s Strangest ColdCases. Then a Secretive Figure Appeared." Texas Monthly, July.—. 2025. "It was already one of Texas's strangest cold cases. Then a secretive figure appeared." Texas Monthly, June 27.Jones, Abigail, Avery Travis, and Nabil Remadna. 2026. Jason Landry remains found. September 24. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/jason-landry-remains-found-whats-happened-in-the-6-years-since-he-went-missing/.Koski, Rudy. 2020. Search continues for missing Texas State student. December 15. Accessed October 14, 2026. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/search-continues-for-missing-texas-state-student.Moreno-Lozano, Luz. 2021. "Family seeks answers about missing son." El Paso Times, December 14: 5.Ryan, Shannon. 2022. Where is Jason Landry? Search continues for missing Texas State student. January 11. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/where-is-jason-landry-new-video-audio-released-as-search-continues.  Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spooky Season wouldn’t be complete without a visit from astrologer, author, and friend Aliza Kelly! She takes us on a cosmic deep dive to unravel another of history’s most chilling mysteries: the Axeman of New Orleans! We discuss the killer’s reign of terror, the haunting details surrounding the case, and how astrology offers cosmic perspective on this dark chapter in history.Want to hang out more with Aliza? Check out her podcast AstroloTea with Aliza Kelly: Horoscopes and AstrologyAre you going to be near San Francisco on October 28th? Get tickets to Aliza Kelly's Haunted Tea Party! It's going to be iconic!  Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the spring of 2001, single father Steven LaChance moved his family from a cramped apartment to a spacious house in Union, Missouri. The house was intended to be a new start for the family, but before long their excitement turned to dread as life in the new house became a nightmare.Within weeks of moving into the house, Steven and his children began experiencing strange and unexplainable phenomena. Lights turned on and off by themselves, temperatures fluctuated wildly from room to room, and there was an ever-present feeling of being watched. In time, whatever entity lived in the house began focusing its malevolent attention on the children, exploiting their fears and terrifying them night after night. After several months, the LaChance family couldn’t tolerate the home anymore and moved out but, little did Steven know, that was only the beginning of his journey into the paranormal.ReferencesCline, Chris. 2006. "Paranormal team investigates Arcadia Academy." Daily Journal (Flat River, MO), October 29: 1.LaChance, Steven. 2004. The Union, Missouri Haunting. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mo-unionhaunting/.Schmidt, Kaprise. 2007. "Top ten most haunted places in Franklin County." Washington Missourian (Washington, MO), October 27: 37.Wiecha, Joe. 2006. A Haunting. Directed by Joe Wiecha.  Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On May 2, 1933, the Harwich Center School received a telephone call from the father of ten-year-old Peggy McMath, a student at the school. Mr. McMath informed them that he was sending a driver to pick up his daughter and he expected her to be ready. However, when the driver showed up, Peggy didn’t recognize the man and was hesitant to get into the car. In response, the driver of the car, Kenneth Buck, grabbed the girl, threw her in the car, and drove off before anyone could stop him.This month's Bonus Episode is #sponsored by our friends at @netflixfilm and their riveting film release ANIMALS! Haven’t watched the film yet? Check it out NOW on @netflix!”ReferencesAssociated Press. 1933. "Buck removed to hospital." Boston Globe, May 29: 1.Boston Globe. 1933. "Kenneth Buck in prison to serve 24 to 25 years." Boston Globe, June 26: 4.—. 1933. "Latest description of Peggy and man who kidnapped her." Boston Globe, May 4: 23.—. 1934. "McMath family to leave Cape Cod." Boston Globe, March 29: 12.Cox, Carolyn. 2021. The Snatch Racket. New York, NY: Potoman Books.Haviland, Alexander. 1933. "Buck brothers gain two points." Boston Globe, June 15: 1.—. 1933. "First ransom demand called for $250,000." Boston Globe, May 7: 1.—. 1933. "General and boy star witnesses." Boston Globe, June 17: 1.—. 1933. "Peggy and Cyril tell vivid stories to jury." Boston Globe, June 22: 1.Kingsbury, Alex. 2016. "Kidnapped on old Cape Cod." Boston Globe, August 28: K6.Sibley, Frank. 1933. "Kidnaper "in trouble" before but was not prosecuted." Boston Globe, May 8: 5.—. 1933. "State police refuse to halt girl search." Boston Globe, May 5: 1.Springfield Daily News. 1933. "Police called off while father of child pleads with her abductors." Springfield Daily News, May 3: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For as long as human beings have been locking one another up in cages or dungeons, there have been other human beings scheming and strategizing ways to escape their cells and break free of their prisons. More often than not, their attempts prove futile and they’re recaptured, their punishments extended and the conditions of their surroundings made worse. But in their experiences with freedom, however brief they may be, the escapee becomes legendary, their exploits going on to be told and retold in books, films, and songs long after the prisoner has passed away. While some prison breaks—like those of the wrongfully incarcerated or unduly punished—can be justified and go on to be romanticized, others are less romantic or exciting and can even lead to deadly outcomes. And yet, no matter the circumstances and outcomes, each one can tell us something about the system and culture responsible for the initial sentence and subsequent escape. Here is the first volume of this fascinating subject!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1986. "Supervisor apparently kidnapped by escapee." Ann Arbor News, December 6: 1.—. 1962. "Alcatraz 'age' held factor in trio's escape." Los Angeles Times, June 14: 5.Frishman, Dan. 1962. "Big Bay manhunt on for three Alcatraz escapees." San Francisco Exminer, June 13: 1.Hanson, Tom. 2023. Prison escapes in America: How common are they and what's the real risk? September 18. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prison-escapes-in-america-how-common-are-they-and-whats-the-real-risk/.Hotz, Mark. 2012. "Awaiting trial Dillinger escapes." Bank Note, June: 10.Indianapolis Star. 1934. "Dillinger, 3 state felons caught." Indianapolis Star, January 25: 1.—. 1934. "Expecting death, prisoner tells of crime career." Indianapolis Star, January 31: 1.—. 1934. "Vast army hunts John Dillinger." Indianapolis Star, March 4: 1.Kinkopf, Eric. 1987. "Escape." Detroit Free Press, January 2: 16.Leff, Lisa. 2012. Escape from Alcatraz: 50 years later, mystery remains. June 12. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna47782343.Martindale, Mike. 1987. "Escapee murders way across country." Burlington Free Press, June 14: 1.New York Times. 1962. "3 Alcatraz convicts cut their way out with spoons." New York Times, June 13: 1.—. 1962. "3 Alcatraz convicts cut their way out with spoons." New York Times, June 13: 1.Press, Associated. 1986. "Police say Ypsi center worker adits he aided man's escape." Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, MI), December 26: 17.Richardson, Randi. 2021. Beryl Hovious and Public Enemy No. 1. March 22. Accessed September 8, 2026. https://monroehistory.org/2021/03/22/beryl-hovious-and-public-enemy-no-1/.Swickard, Joe. 1987. "Suspects in deadly tales." Detroit Free Press, January 22: 1.Warren, Jenifer. 1993. "Escape from Alcatraz?" Los Angeles Times, November 11: 3.  Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In February 1938, thirty-four-year-old housewife Alma Fielding went to the press with an amazing story: her home in the London suburb of Croydon was haunted. According to Alma, objects would fly off the shelves without the aid of human hands, the family was constantly under assault from unseen forces, and on multiple occasions, they found a six-fingered handprint on a mirror.It was through a local clergyman that paranormal investigator Nandor Fodor learned of Alma’s haunting and he was immediately interested in the family. As a member of the International Institute for Psychical Research, Fodor had recently come under attack from the Spiritualist community, who saw him as nothing more than a cynic, and he was looking for precisely this kind of case to reestablish himself as a believer. However, after several months studying Alma and the haunting of the Fielding home, Fodor found himself at the center of a story far more complex than he’d ever expected. ReferencesCrane, Lionel. 1938. "House is haunted, declare experts." Sunday Pictorial, February 27: 3.Duchi, Shireen. 1992. "The strange case of the terrified housewife." Croydon Advertiser, August 28: 20.—. 1992. "The strange case of the terrified housewife, part three." Croydon Advertiser, August 21: 16.—. 1992. "The strange case of the terrified housewife, part two." Croydon Advertiser, August 14: 16.Masad, Ilana. 2021. 'The Haunting Of Alma Fielding' Is A Ghost Story — And A Tale Of Power And Fear. April 28. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/28/991151623/the-haunting-of-alma-fielding-is-a-ghost-story-and-a-tale-of-power-and-fear.Norwood News. 1938. "Is it an evil spirit?" Norwood News (Croydon, UK), February 25: 3.Summerscale, Kate. 2021. The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story. New York, NY: Penguin Random House.Thompson, Victor, and Lionel Crane. 1938. "Terror night in home wrecked by ghosts." Sunday Pictorial, February 20: 40. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, as America spread westward, industrial tycoons made a fortune building out the nation’s infrastructure, and growing their already substantial wealth in the process. In St. Louis, Missouri, one of those tycoons was Adam Lemp, whose Western Brewery was among the most productive and prosperous breweries in America. Following Adam’s death, the brewery was passed down to his son, William, starting a dynasty that would last nearly a century. It seems that, when Lemp passed the business on, he may have also passed on something far more insidious to his descendants that would mark the Lemp family for tragedy. In the decades that followed, the Lemp family suffered one tragic death after another, each one playing out in the Benton Park mansion where the Lemps resided. For more than a century, the residents of St. Louis have wondered who—or what—resided in the mansion that caused so much misfortune, and whether the spirits of the Lemps still walk the halls.ReferencesKantrowitz, Marc. 2025. "The beer, scandal and haunted mansion of the Lemp dynasty." South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, October 13.Linzee, David. 1999. "The lighter side of Lemp." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 14.Richmond, Dick. 1982. "At the haunt of haunts." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 14: 47.Shepley, Carol Ferring. 2008. "The Lemp family of St. Louis." Voices, October.St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1949. "Charles A. Lemp, ex-brewer, kills self as did three others in family." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 10: 1.—. 1922. "William J. Lemp kills himself in brewery office." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 29: 1.—. 1904. "Wm. J. Lemp kills himself in grief." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 13: 1.St. Louis Republic. 1901. "Frederick W. Lemp is dead." St. Louis Republic, December 13: 13.St. Louis Star and Times. 1920. "Mrs. Elsa Lemp Wright shoots herself at home." St. Louis Star and Times , March 20: 1.—. 1922. "William J. Lemp commits suicide by shooting self." St. Louis Star and Times, December 29: 1.Taylor, Betsy. 2001. "Lemp Mansion, rumored to be haunted, draws attention to St. Louis history." Daily American Republic, October 31: 3.Walker, Stephen. 1989. Lemp: The Haunting History. St. Louis, MO: Lemp Preservation Society.Wilkinson, Melissa. 2020. Exploring a Lemp Mansion mystery. March 4. Accessed October 2, 2026. https://www.timesnewspapers.com/westendword/exploring-a-lemp-mansion-mystery/article_14480610-5d8f-11ea-ae8d-d70995bc6099.html. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Weirdos! We’re continuing the most wonderful time of the year with a truly iconic guest that you have been asking for: Matthew Lillard!! He joins us to talk shop about his current projects as well as his incredible body of work, all the while proving that he is human charisma with a little bit of chaos sprinkled on top! We honestly haven’t laughed this much during an episode EVER!  In the episode, we chat about his upcoming Amazon Prime series Carrie where he rejoins the Flanaverse! It’s INCREDIBLY well acted, written, and directed! So  prepare yourself to stream your next Spooky Season hyperfixation and appreciate the countless brilliant performances in this incredible adaptation of the Stephen King classic! We also dive into his resume (Scream, Thir13en Ghosts, Life of Chuck, The Curve, Five Nights At Freddie’s, Serial Mom, Scooby Doo, The Descendants ) and talk about why he is loving this latest chapter in his life! Catch Carrie on Amazon Prime on October 7th! We promise you will be as obsessed with it as we are!Check out Find Familiar Spirits, featuring their Ghost Face Blood Orange Killer Collection Box Set as well the GORGEOUS Macabre Spirits boxes featuring the perfect pairing of spirits, art and current voices in horror! Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the early-to-mid 1870s, as interest in Spiritualism and psychic mediums swept the United States, William and Horatio Eddy, two enterprising brothers from the tiny village of Chittenden, Vermont, made headlines for their supposed psychic abilities. In time, the brothers attracted the attention of the movement’s biggest names including Henry Olcott and Helena Blavatsky, until 1875, when allegations of fraud destroyed their massive popularity.ReferencesAmerican Hauntings. n.d. The Haunted Museum from Another World. Accessed September 19, 2026. https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/eddy.Bigelow, L.A. 1873. "The Eddy family humbug again." Burlington Free Press, September 29: 3.Bushnell, Mark. 2012. "A spirited past." The Times Argus (Barre, VT), April 1: B1.Hall, Joseph. 1873. "The Eddy family--exposure of the humbugs by a 'spiritualist'." Rutland Daily Herald, September 13: 2.Herman, Jan. 1976. "The eerie Eddys." Burlington Free Press, October 31: 67.New York Sun. 1875. "Exposure of the Eddys." Rutland Daily Globe, November 27: 2.Olcott, Henry Steel. 1875. People From the Other World. Hartford, CT: American Publishing Company.Rutland Daily Globe. 1873. "The Eddys and Spiritualism." Rutland Daily Globe, October 15: 1.—. 1873. "Visit to the Eddy family." Rutland Daily Globe, October 1: 4.Rutland Weekly Herald. 1871. "Quarterly convention of the Vermont State Spiritualist Association." Rutland Weekly Herald, February 2: 1.Wescott, D.P. 1875. "The modus operandi of the Eddys'." Rutland Daily Globe, March 22: 3. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash KelleyListener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra LallyListener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.