31 Nights of Scary Shit

Erin does a dramatic reading of W.W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw."  This classic horror tale reminds us to be careful what we wish for. 

Salem, Massachusetts attracts thousands of tourists during Halloween season.  The lore of the Witch Trials persists, as do accounts of paranormal activity.  This episode focuses on four "hot spots" of spookiness: Turner's Seafood, The Witch House, The Howard Street Cemetary, and Gallows Hill.

The Hoosac Tunnel in North Adams, Massachusetts is a reported hotbed of paranormal activity.  Over 200 men lost their lives during the construction of the tunnel.  Are the spirits of the deceased miners communicating with the living?  Or can it all be explained by the wind?

Erin reads Poe's "The Black Cat" on this episode. Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" published in 1843 was inspired by a real crime.  A Massachusetts man found the body of a woman behind his cellar wall.  There was speculation that the remains were of young women who had been murdered 20 years earlier.  Erin reads Poe's "The Black Cat" on this episode.

Maryann Cotton was considered Britain's first serial killer.  She was a "Black Widow" suspected of poisoning 21 adults and children with arsenic between 1857-1872. 

Erin does a reading of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart."  A caregiver murders his elderly patient because he can't stand the old man's "Vulture Eye." 

October 1, 2023: The Boston Strangler

Trigger Warning: This episode contains explicit content about rape and sexual assault.
Between 1962 and 1964 thirteen women were raped and strangled in their homes in the Boston area.  Albert DeSalvo, a serial rapist, confessed to murdering the women.  DeSalvo was never prosecuted for the murders, but he was sentenced to life in prison for committing over 300 sexual assaults.  While DeSalvo has generally come to be known as The Boston Strangler, there is still lingering doubt as to the murderer’s identity.

George Brown lost his wife and 3 children to tuberculosis.  Due to a lack of understanding of consumption, Rhode Island was known as the vampire capital of the world in the late 19th century.   Mercy Brown, a 19 year old girl who died of tuberculosis, has the distinction of being the first female vampire.  She was also the inspiration in some popular vampire stories.

Stone's Public House in Ashland, Massachusetts, is known as a place where you can "dine with the ghosts."  I spent October 31 enjoying a meal, and looking for ghosts at the restaurant.  Stone's has attracted mediums and paranormal investigators since the 1980's. It was even featured on the Discovery Channel's Ghost Lab. 

The Isle of Shoals is an area in the waters of New Hampshire and Maine.  In the late 1800's, two grand hotels were built on the island that attracted tourists who wanted to escape the grind of the city.  The Shoals is still a popular tourist attraction where travelers can book an island cruise, and enjoy beaches, whaling, and of course lobstah.  However, Smuttynose Island, has a dark legacy.  It was the site of a grisly double murder back in 1873.  This dark story is just as shocking as any modern day murder.  

Three young girls (Doreen Levesque, Barbara Raposa, and Karen Marsden)involved in sex work were found murdered in the Freetown State Forest in Fall River, Massachusetts, between October 1979, and January, 1980.   Robin Murphy, a 17 year old aspiring pimp, claimed to know who committed the murders, and she confessed to participating in one of them.  Carl Drew, a local pimp, and Robin Murphy were convicted of Karen Marsden's murder.  While, Andy Maltais, a convicted pedophile and rapist, was sentenced to life for his girlfriend, Barbara Raposa's murder.  Despite the convictions, questions remain if justice was really served.

The Omni Mount Washington Resort (formerly Mount Washington Hotel) in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, is in an ideal location for the outdoorsy type.  It is also the site of documented paranormal activity.  Guests and employees have reported encounters with an entity presumed to be Carolyn Stickney, the wife of the hotel's original owner, Joseph Stickney. If spooky hotels are your thing, check out our latest episode.  

Between March 1988 and April of 1989 11 women went missing in the area of New Bedford, Massachusetts.  Their bodies were discovered along two major roadways. Investigators quickly identified a pattern in the victims, and determined it was the work of a serial killer. However, the case did not receive national attention as serial murder cases in larger cities.  Despite multiple suspects being identified, no one was ever charged with the murders.  

The Friends Cemetery (A.K.A. The Spider Gates Cemetery)  in Leicester, Massachusetts is a hot spot for tourists seeking out the paranormal.  The cemetery dates back to 1730 and was a Quaker burial ground. Rumors of suicide, murder, satanic rituals, and paranormal activity within the cemetery gates have intrigued visitors for decades.

The Pierce Mansion in Gardner, Massachusetts, is one of the most haunted houses in the U.S.  Paranormal investigators have confirmed that there are at least 3 very powerful entities residing in the home.  Sylvester Pierce, a wealthy furniture store owner, had the mansion custom built in the late 1880's.  After his death, it was converted into a boarding home, and was rumored to be the site of murders. 

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There are spooky things going on in the Freetown Forest in Southeastern Massachusetts.  The forest is known to be the site of murders, and rumored to be a hub of paranormal and satanic cult activity.  And… according to Wampanoag folklore, there are dangerous gnome-like creatures wandering around and terrorizing people in the forest. But, despite its dark reputation, the Freetown Forest is actually a great place to hike and enjoy nature.  Just be sure to get outta there before nightfall.

Friday, June 13, 1980, was as unlucky a day as it gets for Betty Gore. Neighbors discovered her deceased in her home-she had been bludgeoned with an axe forty-one times. The prime suspect was soon revealed- Candy Montgomery, Betty’s friend and neighbor.  Candy, a God-fearing woman, and devoted wife and mother, seemed to be an unlikely murderer. This story is a prime example of how we can never really know what’s going on behind closed doors.

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Barney and Betty Hill were a married couple from New Hampshire who claimed to be abducted by aliens in September of 1961.  Under hypnosis, the couple recounted an incredible story of telepathic communications and strange “medical” experiments.  Skeptics have tried to debunk the Hill’s stories for decades.  Believers say that the government is trying to cover up the reality of U.F.O.’s.  Regardless of your beliefs, the Hill’s story is compelling.

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 She has the distinction of being Mexico’s first female serial killer. I know, not exactly a badge of honor. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s there was an uptick in murders among elderly women in Mexico City. Police wrongly assumed that a man was responsible for the murders. As it turns out, it was a struggling single mother, and professional wrestler named Juana Barraza who was robbing and killing vulnerable elderly women. This is a wild one. We hope you enjoy it.

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On June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates, a wife and mother of 5, confessed to drowning her children.  Andrea’s explanation was that she needed to save her children from the fires of Hell.  On a surface level, it appeared that Yates was a monster who murdered her children in cold blood.  On a deeper level, Andrea’s fragile mental state, and the pressure to conform to religious extremism contributed to her horrific actions.  If you believe you know the whole story, you probably don’t.  Listen to our episode before you make up your mind.

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