Episodes

  • Episode 645: The Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar
    Feb 13 2025

    Two decades before the Lindbergh baby became America’s most famous missing child, four-year-old Bobby Dunbar, went missing in Opelousas, Louisiana, setting in motion one of the strangest kidnapping stories in the nation’s history.

    In the summer of 1912, the Dunbar family took a trip to Swayze Lake in St. Landry Parish, where Bobby wandered off and disappeared. The boy’s disappearance was followed by an eight-month search across the American south, until Bobby was ostensibly found in the company of William Walters, a handyman traveling through the Mississippi. Bobby’s parents were elated to have their son back after such a long absence, but the problem was, very few people seem convinced that the boy was in fact Bobby Dunbar.

    After extensive news coverage of the search, Walters’ trial for kidnapping, and the joyful return of Bobby to his family, interest in the case began to fade, but for the Dunbar family, questions remained about Bobby’s identity. Had the Dunbars, in their desperation to find their son, unintentionally kidnapped someone else’s child?

    Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

    References

    Crowley Post-Signal. 1913. "Charges fell to ground." Crowley Post-Signal , April 11: 5.

    Daily Advertiser. 1914. "Walters' trial at Opelousas." Daild Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), April 21: 1.

    —. 1914. "Supreme court frees Walters." Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), June 30: 1.

    McThenia, Tal, and Ira Glass. 2008. "The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar." This American Life. Chicago, IL: Chicago Public Media, March 14.

    New York Times. 1912. "$6,000 for missing boy." New York Times, November 10: 1.

    —. 1912. "Kidnapped boy murdered." New York Times, December 15: 14.

    Ray, S.W. 1914. "Opelousas jury hears life story of other mother." Times-Picayune, April 23: 8.

    St. Landry Clarion. 1912. "No trace of lost Bob Dunbar." St. Landry Clarion , September 7: 1.

    —. 1912. "Robert Dunbar, 4 years old, mysteriously disappears." St. Landry Clarion , August 31: 4.

    —. 1914. "Asks that fair play be given to the accused." St. Landry Clarion, April 18: 1.

    —. 1914. "Fair play for Walters." St. Landry Clarion, April 18: 1.

    Times-Democrat. 1913. "Recognizes playmates." Times- Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 26: 1.

    —. 1913. "Does not identify boy." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 22: 1.

    —. 1913. "Dunbar boy talking." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), May 20: 4.

    —. 1913. "Hunting for kidnappers." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 27: 1.

    —. 1913. "Is not Bruce Anderson." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 26: 1.

    —. 1913. "Now believes boy hers." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), May 3: 1.

    —. 1912. "Scores search for missing lad." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), August 25: 1.

    —. 1912. "Suspicion turns toward negroes." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), September 2: 1.

    —. 1913. "Movements of Tinker." Times-Democrat, May 23: 1.


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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Episode 644: A Sit Down With Chapman & Maclain Way, Directors of "The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga"
    Feb 10 2025

    Today we are joined by Emmy award winning film directors, Chapman & Maclain Way to discuss the wild story behind their Netflix Documentary "The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga". This documentary was expertly crafted and features the often unbelievable folklore surrounding the 2013 Presidential Ricin Attacks. Haven't watched it yet? Check it out by visiting https://www.netflix.com/title/81903247

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 643: Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (Part 3)
    Feb 6 2025

    After his arrest, investigators would learn that, by the time he appeared on the game show, he was also a killer. In the year that followed, Alcala would go on to murder several other women until he was finally caught and convicted for his crimes. At his trial, Rodney Alcala was found guilty of eight murders, among other crimes, but he is suspected of several other murders, perhaps as many as one hundred or more.

    Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

    References

    Associated Press. 1980. "Forest worker tells of grisly body find, fingers defendent ." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), March 23: 7.

    —. 1980. "Witness in Alcala trial admits lying." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 44.

    —. 1980. "Jury deliberate murder charge." Oakland Tribune, April 30: E3.

    Brown, Doug. 1980. "Jury asks for the death penalty." Los Angeles Times, May 9: 32.

    —. 1980. "Prosecution rests case in penalty part of Alcala trial." Los Angeles Times, May 8: 63.

    CBS News. 2024. "Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game." 48 Hours .

    Dunn, Edward. 1977. "Oneida woman slain in L.A." Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 15: 1.

    Esquivel, Paloma. 2010. "Alcala gets death penalty." Los Angeles Times, March 10: 72.

    Falcon, Gabriel. 2010. Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'. March 10. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814201903/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/dating.game.killer/index.html.

    Hicks, Jerry. 1986. "Alcala again given death sentence in slaying of girl, 12." Los Angeles Times, June 21: 50.

    —. 1986. "Alcala asks jury to spare him, insists he isn't a murderer." Los Angeles Times, June 19: 141.

    Jarlson, Gary. 1979. "Hunt for missing girls spreads to Oxnard." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 10.

    —. 1979. "In search for girl's killer, time is the principal foe." Los Angeles Times, July 14: 22.

    Kaye, Peter. 1981. "The long, painful path to justice." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), June 18: 19.

    Kirkman, Edward. 1971. "Fear of a new sex killing spurs 6 on trail." Daily News (New York, NY), August 8: 75.

    Levenson , Michael, and Eduardo Medina. 2021. "'Dating Game killer,' who preyed on woman in 1970s, dies in prison." New York Times, July 26.

    Liff, Mark, Joseph Martin, and Paul Meskil. 1977. "Attorney urges FBI to hunt daughter." Daily News (New York, NY), July 31: 3.

    Los Angeles Times. 1980. "Alcala defense wtiness's story repeated to jury." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 42.

    —. 1979. "The Southland." Los Angeles Times, June 22: 30.

    —. 1977. "Police now see link in strangulation murders of 10 LA women." Sacramento Bee, December 1: 22.

    Moynihan, Colin. 2012. "Convicted killer pleads guilty to 2 New York murders." New York Times, December 15: 20.

    OC Weekly. 2010. Rodney Alcala's murderous romp through polite society brings him to an Orange County courtroom again. January 21. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.ocweekly.com/rodney-alcalas-murderous-romp-through-polite-society-brings-him-to-an-orange-county-courtroom-again-6402172/.

    Pelisek, Christine. 2010. "Rodney Alcala: the fine art of killing." LA Weekly, January 21.

    Reyes, David. 1986. "Man convicted second time in murder of girl." Los Angeles Times, May 29: 43.

    Sands, Stella. 2011. The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. New York, NY: St. Martin's.

    Secret, Mosi. 2011. "After decades, charges in 2 Manhattan murders." New York Times, January 27: 24.

    Smith, David. 2024. "The terrifying true story behind Woman of the Hour." The Guardian, October 22.

    The People v. Rodney James Alcala. 1984. 36 Cal. 3d 605 (Supreme Court of California, August 23).

    Weinstein, Henry. 2003. "New trial, new charge in old cases." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 32.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Episode 642: Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (Part 2)
    Feb 3 2025

    At the time of his appearance on The Dating Game in 1978, Alcala was a convicted sexual predator who had served time for sexual assault and had only avoided a charge of attempted murder on a technicality. After his arrest, investigators would learn that, by the time he appeared on the game show, he was also a killer. In the year that followed, Alcala would go on to murder several other women until he was finally caught and convicted for his crimes. At his trial, Rodney Alcala was found guilty of eight murders, among other crimes, but he is suspected of several other murders, perhaps as many as one hundred or more.

    Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

    References

    Associated Press. 1980. "Forest worker tells of grisly body find, fingers defendent ." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), March 23: 7.

    —. 1980. "Witness in Alcala trial admits lying." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 44.

    —. 1980. "Jury deliberate murder charge." Oakland Tribune, April 30: E3.

    Brown, Doug. 1980. "Jury asks for the death penalty." Los Angeles Times, May 9: 32.

    —. 1980. "Prosecution rests case in penalty part of Alcala trial." Los Angeles Times, May 8: 63.

    CBS News. 2024. "Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game." 48 Hours .

    Dunn, Edward. 1977. "Oneida woman slain in L.A." Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 15: 1.

    Esquivel, Paloma. 2010. "Alcala gets death penalty." Los Angeles Times, March 10: 72.

    Falcon, Gabriel. 2010. Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'. March 10. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814201903/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/dating.game.killer/index.html.

    Hicks, Jerry. 1986. "Alcala again given death sentence in slaying of girl, 12." Los Angeles Times, June 21: 50.

    —. 1986. "Alcala asks jury to spare him, insists he isn't a murderer." Los Angeles Times, June 19: 141.

    Jarlson, Gary. 1979. "Hunt for missing girls spreads to Oxnard." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 10.

    —. 1979. "In search for girl's killer, time is the principal foe." Los Angeles Times, July 14: 22.

    Kaye, Peter. 1981. "The long, painful path to justice." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), June 18: 19.

    Kirkman, Edward. 1971. "Fear of a new sex killing spurs 6 on trail." Daily News (New York, NY), August 8: 75.

    Levenson , Michael, and Eduardo Medina. 2021. "'Dating Game killer,' who preyed on woman in 1970s, dies in prison." New York Times, July 26.

    Liff, Mark, Joseph Martin, and Paul Meskil. 1977. "Attorney urges FBI to hunt daughter." Daily News (New York, NY), July 31: 3.

    Los Angeles Times. 1980. "Alcala defense wtiness's story repeated to jury." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 42.

    —. 1979. "The Southland." Los Angeles Times, June 22: 30.

    —. 1977. "Police now see link in strangulation murders of 10 LA women." Sacramento Bee, December 1: 22.

    Moynihan, Colin. 2012. "Convicted killer pleads guilty to 2 New York murders." New York Times, December 15: 20.

    OC Weekly. 2010. Rodney Alcala's murderous romp through polite society brings him to an Orange County courtroom again. January 21. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.ocweekly.com/rodney-alcalas-murderous-romp-through-polite-society-brings-him-to-an-orange-county-courtroom-again-6402172/.

    Pelisek, Christine. 2010. "Rodney Alcala: the fine art of killing." LA Weekly, January 21.

    Reyes, David. 1986. "Man convicted second time in murder of girl." Los Angeles Times, May 29: 43.

    Sands, Stella. 2011. The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. New York, NY: St. Martin's.

    Secret, Mosi. 2011. "After decades, charges in 2 Manhattan murders." New York Times, January 27: 24.

    Smith, David. 2024. "The terrifying true story behind Woman of the Hour." The Guardian, October 22.

    The People v. Rodney James Alcala. 1984. 36 Cal. 3d 605 (Supreme Court of California, August 23).

    Weinstein, Henry. 2003. "New trial, new charge in old cases." Los Angeles Times, June 28:32.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Episode 641: Listener Tales 94
    Jan 30 2025

    Weirdos! We're giving you a fresh batch of listener tales brought TO you, BY you, FOR you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you!

    Today we have ghostly peaches, possessed dogs (question mark?), dolls in a wall, and someone who is plagued with terrible promotions! Don't forget to check out the VIDEO from this episode available on YouTube on 1/30/2025!

    If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Episode 640: Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (Part 1)
    Jan 27 2025
    When Cheryl Bradshaw appeared on the popular game show The Dating Game in 1978, she was charmed by bachelor number one, Rodney Alcala, and by the end of the episode, she’d chosen him to take her on a date. However, just minutes after the episode finished taping, Cheryl met bachelor number two in person backstage and was immediately uncomfortable and quickly contacted producers of the show to cancel the date. What Bradshaw didn’t know at the time was that, in doing so, she had narrowly avoided spending an evening in the company of one of America’s most notorious serial killers.At the time of his appearance on The Dating Game in 1978, Alcala was a convicted sexual predator who had served time for sexual assault and had only avoided a charge of attempted murder on a technicality. After his arrest, investigators would learn that, by the time he appeared on the game show, he was also a killer. In the year that followed, Alcala would go on to murder several other women until he was finally caught and convicted for his crimes. At his trial, Rodney Alcala was found guilty of eight murders, among other crimes, but he is suspected of several other murders, perhaps as many as one hundred or more.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!ReferencesAssociated Press. 1980. "Forest worker tells of grisly body find, fingers defendent ." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), March 23: 7.—. 1980. "Witness in Alcala trial admits lying." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 44.—. 1980. "Jury deliberate murder charge." Oakland Tribune, April 30: E3.Brown, Doug. 1980. "Jury asks for the death penalty." Los Angeles Times, May 9: 32.—. 1980. "Prosecution rests case in penalty part of Alcala trial." Los Angeles Times, May 8: 63.CBS News. 2024. "Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game." 48 Hours . Dunn, Edward. 1977. "Oneida woman slain in L.A." Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 15: 1.Esquivel, Paloma. 2010. "Alcala gets death penalty." Los Angeles Times, March 10: 72.Falcon, Gabriel. 2010. Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'. March 10. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814201903/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/dating.game.killer/index.html.Hicks, Jerry. 1986. "Alcala again given death sentence in slaying of girl, 12." Los Angeles Times, June 21: 50.—. 1986. "Alcala asks jury to spare him, insists he isn't a murderer." Los Angeles Times, June 19: 141.Jarlson, Gary. 1979. "Hunt for missing girls spreads to Oxnard." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 10.—. 1979. "In search for girl's killer, time is the principal foe." Los Angeles Times, July 14: 22.Kaye, Peter. 1981. "The long, painful path to justice." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), June 18: 19.Kirkman, Edward. 1971. "Fear of a new sex killing spurs 6 on trail." Daily News (New York, NY), August 8: 75.Levenson , Michael, and Eduardo Medina. 2021. "'Dating Game killer,' who preyed on woman in 1970s, dies in prison." New York Times, July 26.Liff, Mark, Joseph Martin, and Paul Meskil. 1977. "Attorney urges FBI to hunt daughter." Daily News (New York, NY), July 31: 3.Los Angeles Times. 1980. "Alcala defense wtiness's story repeated to jury." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 42.—. 1979. "The Southland." Los Angeles Times, June 22: 30.—. 1977. "Police now see link in strangulation murders of 10 LA women." Sacramento Bee, December 1: 22.Moynihan, Colin. 2012. "Convicted killer pleads guilty to 2 New York murders." New York Times, December 15: 20.OC Weekly. 2010. Rodney Alcala's murderous romp through polite society brings him to an Orange County courtroom again. January 21. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.ocweekly.com/rodney-alcalas-murderous-romp-through-polite-society-brings-him-to-an-orange-county-courtroom-again-6402172/.Pelisek, Christine. 2010. "Rodney Alcala: the fine art of killing." LA Weekly, January 21.Reyes, David. 1986. "Man convicted second time in murder of girl." Los Angeles Times, May 29: 43.Sands, Stella. 2011. The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. New York, NY: St. Martin's.Secret, Mosi. 2011. "After decades, charges in 2 Manhattan murders." New York Times, January 27: 24.Smith, David. 2024. "The terrifying true story behind Woman of the Hour." The Guardian, October 22.The People v. Rodney James Alcala. 1984. 36 Cal. 3d 605 (Supreme Court of California, August 23).Weinstein, Henry. 2003. "New trial, new charge in old cases." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 32.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    54 mins
  • Episode 639: The Unsolved Murder of Melissa Witt
    Jan 23 2025

    On December 1, 1994, nineteen-year-old Melissa Witt planned to meet her mother at a Fort Smith, Arkansas bowling alley, but by all appearances, she only made it as far as the parking lot. Two days later, investigators discovered Melissa’s car abandoned in the Bowling World parking lot, a trail of blood leading away from the vehicle. Six weeks later, animal trackers located Melissa’s nude body in an isolated part of the Ozark National Forest and the hunt was on to find her killer.

    In the thirty years since Melissa Witt’s murder, a number of strong suspects have popped up on investigators’ radars, including serial killer Charles Ray Vines, yet to this date no one has been charged with her death. After three decades of unanswered questions, Witt’s family are desperate to know, what happened to Melissa on the night she went missing, and will detectives ever be able to hold her killer responsible for her tragic death?

    If you have information regarding the murder of Melissa Witt, please call the Fort Smith Police Department at 479-709-5116 or email them at info@fortsmithpd.org.

    Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

    References

    Alvey, Tina. 1995. "Fort Smith teen's body found near Turner Bend." Madison County Record, Janaury 19: 4.

    Associated Press. 1995. "Man questioned about girl; police say he's not a suspect." Batesville Guard, June 14: 6.

    Cavallier, Andrea. 2024. "A teenager was snatched from the parking lot of a bowling." The Independent, August 10.

    Kilby, Brenda. 1996. "Long-sought man awaits questioning ." Tulsa World , May 6: 29.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    52 mins
  • Episode 638: The Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571
    Jan 20 2025

    On October 13, 1972, a chartered aircraft carrying forty-five passengers, including 19 members of the Old Christians’ Club rugby team, departed from Montevideo, Uruguay bound for Santiago, Chile. About an hour into the flight, the copilot incorrectly believed the plane had gotten off course and requested permission from air traffic control in Santiago to begin his descent and course correct. However, when the plane began descending out of the cloud cover, the copilot realized he’d been wrong about their position and were in fact dangerous close to the Andes mountains. The pilots attempted to pull the plane back up, but they were unsuccessful and the crashed directly into the mountain.

    Ultimately, sixteen of the forty-five passengers survived the crash of flight 571, spending seventy-two days in an isolated, untraveled part of the Andes. They endured extremely harsh conditions including sub-zero temperatures, exposure to freezing wind, and most significantly, starvation. The survivors were eventually rescued after two passengers hiked three days out of the mountains, using only materials from the wreckage to aid in the trek, where they eventually found help.

    In the years since the crash, the story of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 has become one of the most famous tales of survival and human endurance.

    Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

    References

    Associated Press. 1972. "16 survive 2 months in Andes after crash." Boston Globe, December 23: 2.

    —. 1972. "Crash survivors resorted to cannibalism." Boston Globe, December 27: 2.

    —. 1972. "16 Air crash survivors found after 69 days in icy Andes." Los Angeles Times, December 23: 1.

    Benales, Carlos. 1972. "Andes survivors solved problem of food, shelter." Chicago Tribune, December 31: 9.

    Campbell, Matthew. 2022. "Fifty years on, 'Alive' team say eating flesh was awful but they got used to it." Sunday Times, October 16.

    Godfrey, Chris. 2023. "My plane crashed in the Andes. Only the unthinkable kept me and the other starving survivirs alive." The Guardian, December 4.

    Lilliston, Lynn. 1974. "Andes crash survivors tell their story." Los Angeles Times, May 5: 179.

    Read, Piers Paul. 1974. Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors. New York, NY: J.B. Lippincott Company.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    1 hr and 23 mins