Episode 170: The Silence and the Thunder - Mysteries of Bulgaria

Episode 170: The Silence and the Thunder - Mysteries of Bulgaria

For this episode, join us as we go over two locations in Bulgaria where history, folklore, and unexplained mysteries have become a source of conversation. First, the almost abandoned village of Shishentsi, once home to more than 2,000 people but now only has a few dozen residents. This tiny village has become known throughout Bulgaria for claims of strange encounters, unexplained sounds, and legends. Some of these legends involve the Samovili, supernatural women who lure people into the forest. There have been many reports of mysterious disappearances, witnesses who experience off disorientation, and the chilling legend of the Bloody Wedding. Then, we’ll discuss the lore surrounding the Devil's Throat Cave in the Rhodopes Mountains. An underground river is said to have inspired decades of mystery. Researchers have long tried to determine where the water leads with no success. This cave is also tied to the Greek tragedy of Orpheus, who is said to have begun his journey to rescue Eurydice through this cave. From modern investigations to centuries-old folklore, its not easy to separate documented history from enduring legend. Even so, these places continue to captivate visitors searching for answers.     Sources: ”3 places shrouded in legends and mysteries in Bulgaria” on Feel Bulgaria (Почувствай България) on June 9, 2021 (https://feelbulgaria.net/en/2021/06/09/mistichni-mesta/ [https://feelbulgaria.net/en/2021/06/09/mistichni-mesta/]) “People come and go but legends remain in Shishentsi village” by Gergana Mancheva on BNR News on April 9, 2021 (https://old-news.bnr.bg/en/post/101450865/people-come-and-go-but-legends-remain-in-shishentsi-village [https://old-news.bnr.bg/en/post/101450865/people-come-and-go-but-legends-remain-in-shishentsi-village]) “THRILLS AND CHILLS – EXPLORING BULGARIA'S MYSTERIOUS SITES AND LEGENDS” on City Tour (https://www.citytour.bg/news/Bulgarian-Mysterious-Sites-and-Legends [https://www.citytour.bg/news/Bulgarian-Mysterious-Sites-and-Legends]) “Bulgaria’s Mystical Village: Legends and Paranormal Activities in Shishentsi” by dizmanamedya [https://dizmana.com/author/memo/] on DIZMANA.com (https://dizmana.com/bulgarias-mystical-village-legends-and-paranormal-activities-in-shishentsi/ [https://dizmana.com/bulgarias-mystical-village-legends-and-paranormal-activities-in-shishentsi/]) http://www.guide-bulgaria.com/nw/vidin/boynitsa/shishentsi [http://www.guide-bulgaria.com/nw/vidin/boynitsa/shishentsi] “The Devil’s Throat Cave” on Bulgaria: A Discovery to Share (https://visitbulgaria.com/the-devils-throat-cave-dyavolsko-garlo-cave/ [https://visitbulgaria.com/the-devils-throat-cave-dyavolsko-garlo-cave/]) “Devil's Throat Cave” by Rachel James on Atlas Obscura on June 11, 2014 (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/devil-s-throat-cave [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/devil-s-throat-cave]) “Devil’s Throat, the Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria” by ISAADMIN on The ISA Journal on December 30, 2018 (https://blog.studiesabroad.com/2018/12/30/devils-throat-the-western-rhodopes-bulgaria/ [https://blog.studiesabroad.com/2018/12/30/devils-throat-the-western-rhodopes-bulgaria/]) “The Devil's Throat Cave - the Mystery of the Rhodopes” on Forst Diva (https://www.forestdiva.com/en/peshterata-dyavolskto-gyrlo-misteriyata-na-rodopite/ [https://www.forestdiva.com/en/peshterata-dyavolskto-gyrlo-misteriyata-na-rodopite/]) “Myth of the Week: Orpheus” on Madeline Miller on March 5, 2012 (https://madelinemiller.com/myth-of-the-week-orpheus/ [https://madelinemiller.com/myth-of-the-week-orpheus/]) https://classictales.co.uk/sites/default/files/transcriptorpheusandeurydice.pdf [https://classictales.co.uk/sites/default/files/transcriptorpheusandeurydice.pdf] “The Creepiest Remote Village in Bulgaria” on Cryptidium, YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYo8E1LO3fM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYo8E1LO3fM] “24 часа в страховитото село ШИШЕНЦИ - Легендите ОЖИВЯВАТ (24 hours in the creepy village of SHISHENTSI - Legends COME TO LIFE) on The Clashers YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X1NJHk6boQ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X1NJHk6boQ]

Episode 169: The Lie that Led to Murder

In October of 2020, in a quiet part of northeast Texas, a young woman named Reagan Simmons-Hancock was getting ready for one of the most important moments of her life. She was a wife, a mother. And she was weeks away from meeting her second child. She lived in New Boston, Texas, a small community where people tend to know each other, or at least recognize familiar faces. It’s the kind of place where a knock at the door usually isn’t something you fear. But on that day everything changed. What happened inside that home would later shock the nation, not just because of the violence, but because of the motive behind it. Reagan had been targeted by someone she knew. Someone who had been in her orbit. Someone she likely never imagined could be dangerous. And by the time the day was over, Reagan and her unborn daughter were gone. Now, cases like this force a question most people don’t want to sit with: how does something like this happen in the first place? And could anything have stopped it? There are also broader concerns that make this case especially chilling. Research and public health data have long shown that pregnancy can be a period of increased vulnerability in violent situations. In fact, homicide is consistently identified in studies as one of the leading causes of death for pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, a statistic that turns something deeply personal into something urgently systemic. This episode doesn’t just trace what happened to Reagan Simmons-Hancock. It also explores the warning signs, the psychological manipulation behind the case, and the uncomfortable reality that violence against pregnant women is both more common and more preventable than many realize. And somewhere in the middle of it all, between the statistics and the details of this tragic case, one truth becomes impossible to ignore: danger doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it hides in plain sight, wrapped in familiarity, disguised as trust, buried beneath the illusion of safety. This reminds us that evil is everywhere; not just in the shadows, but sometimes in the faces of those standing closest during life’s most precious moments.   Sources: Wikipedia – Murder of Reagan Simmons-Hancock Netflix – Maternal Instincts People – How Murdered Pregnant Mom Reagan Simmons Hancock’s Family Plans to Make Sure She Doesn’t Die ‘in Vain’ – KC Baker – June 14, 2026 - Slain Reagan Simmons Hancock's Family Says She Didn't Die 'in Vain' (Exclusive) [https://people.com/reagan-simmons-hancock-not-die-in-vain-says-family-exclusive-11995318] Child Stats – Nonfatal Violence Towards Pregnant Women - Childstats.gov - America's Children: Special Issue 2024, Maternal and Infant Health and Well-being - Nonfatal Violence Towards Pregnant Women [https://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/violence.asp] CDC – Intimate Partner Violence Prevention – Violence and Pregnancy – December 5, 2024 - Violence and Pregnancy | Intimate Partner Violence Prevention | CDC [https://www.cdc.gov/intimate-partner-violence/about/violence-and-pregnancy.html] NRLC – State Homicide Laws - StateHomicideLaws.pdf [https://nrlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/StateHomicideLaws.pdf] MSN – Where is Homer Hancock now? Inside his life after Taylor Parker killed his wife and kidnapped their unborn baby – Caroline Blair – June 17, 2026 - Where is Homer Hancock now? Inside his life after Taylor Parker killed his wife and kidnapped their unborn baby [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/where-is-homer-hancock-now-inside-his-life-after-taylor-parker-killed-his-wife-and-kidnapped-their-unborn-baby/ar-AA25LwY1?ocid=BingNewsSerp] The Odessa American – Death penalty sought for killer of pregnant woman – The Associated Press – October 13, 2022 The Brownsville Herald – Woman accused of killing woman for unborn baby goes on trial – The Associated Press – September 15, 2022

Episode 168: The Missing Couple - John and Elizabeth Calvert

On March 3rd, 2008, John and Elizabeth Calvert walked into a meeting with their accountant and were never seen again. Had they left town? Maybe something had simply been missed. But within days, their silver Mercedes was found abandoned in a parking lot, covered in debris, with no sign of the couple inside. investigators began looking everywhere. The Calverts’ credit cards had not been used. Their private plane never left the ground. Their boat was still in the marina, no signs of struggle or papers with plans of travel. Attention quickly shifted to the last known point of contact. Surveillance footage and phone records began to paint a more complicated picture of what may have happened to the Calverts, a phone turned off for hours, strange late-night movements and a series of actions that didn’t match this accountants' original statements. Although circumstantial, enough evidence was obtained to execute a search of this accountant’s home which turned up even more circumstantial evidence. But the most critical items he had been seen purchasing were missing. Even with mounting suspicion, all the evidence remained circumstantial. And still, no sign of John and Elizabeth Calvert. What investigators believed happened during that final meeting remains one of the most closely examined questions in the case, which still remains open to this day.    Sources: “Elizabeth and John Calvert” by Cold Case Investigations, Missing Persons on Beauford County Sheriff’s Office website on March 17, 2021 (https://bcso.net/2008-elizabeth-and-john-calvert/ [https://bcso.net/2008-elizabeth-and-john-calvert/]) “Calvert Investigation discovers ‘things of interest’” by Tim Donnelly in The Island Packet on August 10, 2008 “Missing couple enjoyed life aboard their yacht” by Rupa Mikkilinent, Nancy Grace Producer on CNN.com (https://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/24/justice.grace.coldcase.calvert/index.html [https://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/24/justice.grace.coldcase.calvert/index.html]) “Calverts, missing 9 months, dead and long-time suspect likely killed them, sheriff says” by Daniel Brownstein on The Island Packet on February 12, 2020 (https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article239710733.html [https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article239710733.html]) “S.C. police quiet in missing couple case” by The Associated Press on Police 1 on March 13, 2008 (https://www.police1.com//investigations/articles/sc-police-quiet-in-missing-couple-case-Ub0ILh8L6eYpn35j/? [https://www.police1.com/investigations/articles/sc-police-quiet-in-missing-couple-case-Ub0ILh8L6eYpn35j/]) “Where are the Calverts? Disappearance of prominent island couple prompts massive investigation” by Daniel Brownstein, Jim Faber and Tim Donnellyy on July 8, 2020 (https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article239683138.html? [https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article239683138.html]) “What happened to the Calverts? Many questions remain years after Hilton Head couple's disappearance” by Graham Cawthon on WJCL 22 on December 11, 2025 (https://www.wjcl.com/article/john-elizabeth-calvert-hilton-head-island/46752200 [https://www.wjcl.com/article/john-elizabeth-calvert-hilton-head-island/46752200]) “Police search home of missing Hilton Head couple’s business associate” by Tim Donnelly on The Island Packet on February 12, 2020 (https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article239711193.html [https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article239711193.html]) “Calvert Case Update” by Daniel Brownstein in The Island Packet on March 24, 2008 “Police: Man in missing couple case kills self” by The Associated Press on NBC News on March 13, 2008 (https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23610966#.Xp5UYi3Mw1I [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23610966#.Xp5UYi3Mw1I]) “Person of Interest Found Dead” by The Associated Press in Florence Morning News on March 12, 2008 “What happened to John and Liz Calvert? After 17 years, search continues for Hilton Head couple” by Brooke Butler on WJCL 22 on December 11, 2025 (https://www.wjcl.com/article/john-elizabeth-calvert-hilton-head-island-missing/63906500 [https://www.wjcl.com/article/john-elizabeth-calvert-hilton-head-island-missing/63906500]) “Suicide Notes don’t Lead to Couple” by Clif LeBlanc in The State on March 14, 2008 “Timeline: Hilton Head couple's disappearance and the death of the man detectives say killed them” by Graham Cawthon on WJCL 22 on December 11, 2025 (https://www.wjcl.com/article/calverts-hilton-head-cold-case-timeline/63871427 [https://www.wjcl.com/article/calverts-hilton-head-cold-case-timeline/63871427]) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/244113970/john_lewis-calvert [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/244113970/john_lewis-calvert] https://charleyproject.org/case/elizabeth-w-calvert [https://charleyproject.org/case/elizabeth-w-calvert] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173381852/elizabeth_ann-calvert [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173381852/elizabeth_ann-calvert]                Beaufort County Sheriff Office contact information: Phone: (843) 255-3200 Website: https://bcso.net/ [https://bcso.net/] Submit a tip form: https://www.p3tips.com/TipForm.aspx?ID=1017&C=&T= [https://www.p3tips.com/TipForm.aspx?ID=1017&C=&T=] Victorianbourg Wine Estate website: https://www.victorianbourg.com/visit/ [https://www.victorianbourg.com/visit/] “In Too Deep” on Hometown Homicide Season 2, Episode 3 on Discovery+

Episode 167: Sacrifice for Fame: The Murder of Elyse Pahler

On a warm summer night in July of 1995 15-year-old Elyse answered two phone calls. Nothing about those conversations appeared unusual. A short time later, she told her family she was tired and headed to bed. By morning, she was gone. What followed was an eight-month search filled with sightings, rumors, and desperate hope. Her parents refused to believe she had simply run away. But as the weeks turned into months, answers remained painfully out of reach. Then a confession changed everything. Investigators uncovered a crime so shocking that it would make national headlines and leave an entire community struggling to understand how something like this could happen. Three teenage boys. A carefully concealed secret. And an alleged motive that would involve satanic rituals. This story reminds us that evil is everywhere and that evil doesn’t always lurk in the shadows, sometimes it walks among us.   Sources: City of Arroyo Grande - City of Arroyo Grande Official Website. Zac Efron - Wikipedia  Wikipedia – Murder of Elyse Pahler - Murder of Elyse Pahler - Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Elyse_Pahler] The Tribune – Teen Sentenced to 26 Years – March 8, 1997 – Dave Wilcox Times-Press-Recorder – Memorial fund established for Elyse Pahler’s family – March 20, 1996 Santa Maria Times – Murder possibly gruesome ritual – Eric Firpo – March 20, 1996 The Tribune – Elyse Pahler murder case: Here’s a timeline of the 1995 satanic killing in SLO County – Matt Fountain – August 13, 2025 - Timeline: A look at the 1995 Nipomo murder of Elyse Pahler | San Luis Obispo Tribune [https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article252167488.html] A Killer Among Friends – Season 1, Episode 3

Episode 166: The Shadow Over Eureka Springs - The Crescent Hotel & Spa

High above the Victorian town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the Crescent Hotel & Spa has stood watch in the Ozark Mountains since 1886. Originally built as a luxury resort for travelers intrigued by the area’s healing springs, the hotel would become much more. It once served as a women's college when tourism slowed, survived a devastating fire, and became the site of a particularly dark chapter when a fraud doctor turned it into a cancer clinic, promising miracle cures. But there was no cure. The treatments were described as torture, claiming at LEAST 42 desperate souls. Today though, it's known for something else entirely. There have been numerous reports of hearing disembodied children laughing, seeing Victorian figures appear and vanish, and other strange activity in some of the hotel's most infamous rooms. Stories have been spread of a ghostly child playing with a red ball, the spirit of a nurse who tidies up, an Irish stone mason who met a tragic fate and even sightings of the fraudulent doctor himself. Are these simply legends attached to the building? Or is there truly something lingering inside the corridors of what many call America's most haunted hotel?   SOURCES:  “1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa – History Mystery” on Historic Hotels of America (https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/1886-crescent-hotel-and-spa/history-mystery.php [https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/1886-crescent-hotel-and-spa/history-mystery.php])  “1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa History” on Historic Hotels of America (https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/1886-crescent-hotel-and-spa/history.php [https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/1886-crescent-hotel-and-spa/history.php]) “Ghostly Happenings at the Crescent Hotel” on Crescent Hotel & Spa on September 29, 2021 (https://crescent-hotel.com/blog/ghostly-happenings-at-the-crescent-hotel/ [https://crescent-hotel.com/blog/ghostly-happenings-at-the-crescent-hotel/]) “Haunted History of The Crescent Hotel” on America’s Most Haunted Hotel (https://www.americasmosthauntedhotel.com/haunted-history/ [https://www.americasmosthauntedhotel.com/haunted-history/]) “Norman Baker's Chilling Legacy” by Adir Segal on HISTORY (https://vocal.media/history/norman-baker-s-chilling-legacy [https://vocal.media/history/norman-baker-s-chilling-legacy]) “Mystery Solved!” on Crescent Hotel & Spa (https://crescent-hotel.com/blog/press-releases/mystery-solved/ [https://crescent-hotel.com/blog/press-releases/mystery-solved/]) “Mary Breckenridge: Nursing Visionary” by John Kooser https://marybreckinridgenursingvisionary.weebly.com/from-personal-tragedy-comes-a-purpose.html [https://marybreckinridgenursingvisionary.weebly.com/from-personal-tragedy-comes-a-purpose.html]) “The Crescent Hotel ‘America’s Most Haunted Hotel’” on US Ghost Adventures January 14, 2022 (https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/the-crescent-hotel-americas-most-haunted-hotel/ [https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/the-crescent-hotel-americas-most-haunted-hotel/]) “Haunted Locations: The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas” by Danielle Yvonne on Uncomfortably Dark on December 27, 2025 (https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/post/12-27-2025-haunted-locations-the-crescent-hotel-in-eureka-springs-arkansas [https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/post/12-27-2025-haunted-locations-the-crescent-hotel-in-eureka-springs-arkansas]) Project Fear Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8DJF4n01es [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8DJF4n01es] https://crescent-hotel.com/about/history/ [https://crescent-hotel.com/about/history/] Lilly Belle Meads: https://www.lillybellemeads.com/ [https://www.lillybellemeads.com/]