They’ve delivered love letters and war messages, carried microfilm across battlefields, worn tiny backpacks full of XTC, and been accused of international espionage! Yet somehow, pigeons have become one of the most hated animals in modern cities. In this episode we take a closer look at the humble pigeon...a bird that’s been by our side for thousands of years.  You’ll hear about decorated pigeon war heroes like Cher Ami and G.I. Joe, White Vision or Paddy, but also about the surprising science behind their intelligence, memory, and self-awareness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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On Halloween night, 1973, nine-year-old Lisa Ann French left her home in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, dressed as a hobo and planning to trick-or-treat with a friend. She never made it back. What followed would not only shatter their community, but also forever change Halloween for American families, and spark one of the most shocking parole controversies in Wisconsin history. In this episode, Annie and Johanna tell the heartbreaking story of Lisa’s murder, the investigation that led to her neighbor, Gerald Turner, and the decades of legal battles that followed — from his 1975 conviction to the 1992 parole, and the eventual creation of Turner’s Law.  Lisa French murder, Gerald Turner, Fond du Lac Wisconsin, 1973 Halloween murder, Turner’s Law, Wisconsin Chapter 980, sexually violent person law, Waupun Correctional Institution, Racine Correctional Institution, Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center, Mauston Wisconsin, Maryann French, Halloween safety, child murder case, Wisconsin true crime, Fresh Hell Podcast, American true crime, 1970s true crime, parole controversy, Halloween killer, Wisconsin legal history, child safety law, Wisconsin justice system, crime in Fond du Lac, Lisa Ann French case, Wisconsin Department of Justice, civil commitment law, preventive detention, Turner parole, missing child 1973. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Johanna takes us back to 18th-century Austria, when terrified villagers were convinced the dead were refusing to stay buried...and the Habsburg Empire responded the only way it knew how: with paperwork! Hear all about Petar Blagojević and Arnold Paole, and how it lead to Maria Theresia’s no-nonsense vampire ban. This is the true story of Europe’s first documented vampire epidemic. We’ll talk superstition, bureaucracy, and why the Empress’s personal physician, Gerard van Swieten, might have been Bram Stoker’s real-life inspiration for Van Helsing. Of course we also try to figure out the possible medical explanations behind the legend: tuberculosis, rabies, and much more Austria, Austrian vampire panic, Habsburg Empire, Petar Blagojević, Peter Plogojovitz, Arnold Paole, Gerard van Swieten, Maria Theresia, Enlightenment, Aufklärung, vampire history, vampire epidemic, Milzbrand, anthrax, tuberculosis, rabies, porphyria, premature burial, Medvegia, Kisilova, 18th century, superstition, folklore, Bram Stoker, Van Helsing, vampire myth, Viennese history, Christian Reiter, historical medicine, grave exhumation, Visum et Repertum, Habsburg Monarchy, true crime history, Fresh Hell Podcast, Spooky Fuckery Month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 300th episode, we’re boarding one of the most famous ships in the world: the RMS Queen Mary. Once the epitome of 1930s luxury and wartime resilience, she now sits permanently moored in Long Beach, California… and she’s said to be home to over 150ghosts. We talk about the tragic story of Door 13 and the splendor of the first-class swimming pool, as well as the anger and rage in the infamous Stateroom B340. Hear all about the elegant Woman in White who never left the dance floor, explore with us the ship’s history, hauntings, and the very thin line between legend and marketing. Join us as we celebrate 300 episodes of Fresh Hell Podcast with a deep dive into the glamour, the ghosts, and the real-life horror story of keeping the Queen Mary afloat. Queen Mary, RMS Queen Mary, Haunted Queen Mary, Queen Mary ghosts, Queen Mary Long Beach, haunted ship, haunted ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary history, Queen Mary hauntings, Stateroom B340, Queen Mary Door 13, Queen’s Salon ghost, Jackie Queen Mary, Queen Mary paranormal, Queen Mary ghost tours, Dark Harbor Queen Mary, Queen Mary Disney, Port Disney, Queen Mary corporate history, haunted ships podcast, Fresh Hell Podcast, Queen Mary haunted history, Long Beach hauntings, Queen Mary documentary, paranormal tourism, Art Deco ocean liner, Queen Mary 300th episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Fresh Hell, we’re taking you to the heart of spooky fuckery month with a deep dive into witch lore and trials in Austria and Germany. You know Salem: twenty people, one tragic year! But compared to what happened in central Europe, Salem was just a footnote. We’ll explore the folklore that fed the fear: Walpurgisnacht on the Brocken, Frau Perchta and her terrifying entourage, witches blamed for storms and nightmares, and then the very real trials in Würzburg, Bamberg, Salzburg, and beyond. Tens of thousands of people, mostly women, were executed in brutal hunts that tore entire communities apart. And yet, centuries later, witches have gone from a death sentence to Halloween costumes, protest slogans, and pop culture icons. witches, witch trials, Würzburg, Bamberg, Salzburg, Walpurgisnacht, Blocksberg, Brocken, Frau Perchta, Perchten, Druden, nightmares, weather magic, Hexe, Holy Roman Empire, Malleus Maleficarum, German folklore, Austrian folklore, spooky season, Halloween, Fresh Hell Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crikey! This week we’re taking you to meet crocodiles. The largest living reptiles on Earth, creatures that inspire both awe and terror. We’ll talk about the late, great Steve Irwin, whose passion and humor showed millions of people why crocodiles deserve our respect. We’ll also tell you the truth about the legend of the Ramree Island “crocodile massacre,” and explain the strange biological truth behind the phrase “crocodile tears.” Crocodiles may be dangerous, but they’re also extraordinary survivors, and Irwin was right: they deserve our admiration. crocodiles, saltwater crocodile, Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, Australia Zoo, crocodile tears, Ramree Island massacre, crocodile myths, man-eating crocodiles, crocodile attacks, crocodile legends, Fresh Hell Podcast, reptile facts, conservation, crikey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cardinal de Rohan believes he’s secretly helping Marie Antoinette purchase the world’s most extravagant necklace, while Jeanne de la Motte and her accomplices quietly dismantle it and sell the diamonds across Europe. We’ll tell you all about the scheme, the dramatic arrest of Rohan at Versailles during the Feast of the Assumption, and the sensational public trial before the Parlement of Paris. Jeanne is punished, others are exiled, Rohan is cheered as a victim — and Marie Antoinette, though innocent, is left more despised than ever. From there, we trace how the scandal haunted her through the Revolution, the flight to Varennes, and her final days in the Conciergerie, all the way to the guillotine. affair of the diamond necklace, marie antoinette, cardinal de rohan, jeanne de la motte, nicolas de la motte, rétaux de villette, nicole d’oliva, versailles, feast of the assumption, temple prison, conciergerie, louis xvi, princess de lamballe, varennes, french revolution, september massacres, guillotine, 18th century scandal, french history, trial of marie antoinette Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re heading to Versailles for one of the most scandalous cons in French history. In Part 1, you'll hear all about the glittering worlds of Versailles and Schönbrunn, the childhood and marriage of Marie Antoinette, and her already fragile reputation as “Madame Déficit.” We’ll meet the main characters in this elaborate scheme: Cardinal de Rohan, desperate for the queen’s forgiveness; Jeanne de la Motte, a schemer with royal pretensions; her husband Nicolas; the forger Rétaux de Villette; and Nicole d’Oliva, a young woman who just happened to look like the queen. will describe to you...in detail...this gaudy piece of jewelry! affair of the diamond necklace, marie antoinette, cardinal de rohan, jeanne de la motte, nicolas de la motte, rétaux de villette, nicole d’oliva, versailles, schönbrunn, louis xvi, louis xv, madame du barry, french history, 18th century scandal, french revolution origins, con artists, diamond necklace scandal, diamonds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 16th to 18th centuries, hundreds of people across Central Europe engineered their own executions in the hope of dying “in a state of grace.” Suicide was a mortal sin, but murder was a capital crime, and execution after confession was seen as a path to salvation. In this episode we discuss several real cases of so-called “suicide by proxy,” including Agnes Catherina Schickin in 1704, Eva Lizlfellnerin in 1762, and Ursula Waserin in 1723. We’ll look at how religion, law, and despair combined to create a tragic pattern of crimes that were all eerily similar, and ask why authorities took so long to shut down the deadly loophole. If you or someone you know is struggling, please know you’re not alone. In the US, dial or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In Canada, call 988. In the UK & Ireland, call 116 123 for Samaritans. In Austria, dial 142, and in Germany call 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222. In Australia, call 13 11 14 for Lifeline. You can also find international resources at findahelpline.com. The State of Grace, suicide by proxy, Agnes Catherina Schickin, Eva Lizlfellnerin, Ursula Waserin, 18th century crime, Central Europe history, Austria history, Württemberg history, religious history, capital punishment, public execution, state of grace, salvation, absolution, Fresh Hell Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're still on a summer break, but you know we couldn’t stay away from the horror for long.  In this second Best of Fresh Hell special, we’ve got three more unforgettable true crime cases from the archives, all condensed for maximum dread in minimum time. We start with the heartbreaking murder of Katharina Fellner, a young woman in 1920s Vienna whose brutal death was only kind of solved.  Then we head to Maine for the deeply disturbing case of Sarah Ware, a mother of five found decapitated in 1898, and whose skull was kept as evidence for over a century.  Finally, we revisit the 1958 murder of Malvina Krutz, who was killed in her own home while her son was just in the next room. Her killer was never found. Three women. Three unsolved cases. And still no justice! Katharina Fellner, Sarah Ware, Malvina Krutz, unsolved murder, cold case, historical true crime, Vienna crime, Maine true crime, 1950s murder, decapitation case, bathtub murder, female victims, women in history, forensic history, crime scene mystery, Fresh Hell Podcast, best of true crime, summer break episode, haunted Maine, justice denied, true crime podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We might be on a summer break, but the mystery doesn’t stop. In this first Best of Fresh Hell special, we’re serving up three of our favorite cold cases in condensed form—perfect for when you want the unsettling highlights without the two-hour extra information. First up: Owen Parfitt, a paralyzed man who vanished from his front porch in 1760s England...without a trace and without anyone seeing a thing. Then we revisit the strange case of Nell Cropsey, a 19-year-old who disappeared from her front porch in North Carolina in 1901 and was found weeks later, floating in the river behind her house. Finally, we cover the disappearance of New York heiress Dorothy Arnold, who went shopping on Fifth Avenue in 1910 and was never seen again. Owen Parfitt, Nell Cropsey, Dorothy Arnold, missing person cases, unsolved disappearances, historical true crime, cold cases, Victorian mysteries, Edwardian era, front porch mystery, New York City socialite, North Carolina murder, unexplained vanishings, Fresh Hell Podcast, best of true crime, creepy history, summer break special, missing without a trace, strange disappearances, true crime podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the third and final part of this Hollywood murder saga, we talk about the murder scene, all the possible suspects! Who had a motive? And who may have been protected by the studio system at all costs?We’ll walk you through the possible killers — from studio insiders and jilted lovers to the ones no one saw coming — and look at how the investigation quickly fell apart under pressure from powerful forces. We also take a closer look at Margaret Gibson’s jaw-dropping deathbed confession, and what, if anything, it actually proves.And finally, we’ll tell you what happened to all the major players in the years and decades after the murder that shocked early Hollywood. Keywords:william desmond taylor, hollywood murder, silent film scandal, margaret gibson, mary miles minter, mabel normand, charlotte shelby, early hollywood, unsolved mystery, true crime podcast, fresh hell podcast, hollywood forever cemetery, studio cover-up, 1920s hollywood, deathbed confession, classic hollywood, vintage true crime, film history, roscoe arbuckle era, murder mystery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of our three-part look at the mysterious murder of William Desmond Taylor, we pick up with the powerful (and possibly romantic) figures in Taylor’s life, and trace the final days leading up to his death. You’ll hear about his complex relationship with set designer George James Hopkins, the bond he shared with Mabel Normand, and how the evening of February 1, 1922, played out—including what Mabel saw, what the neighbors heard, and what the valet found the next morning. We walk you through the shock of Taylor’s death, the chaos at the crime scene, and the bizarre claim that silent film sweetheart Mary Miles Minter had been secretly engaged to him. William Desmond Taylor, Mabel Normand, Mary Miles Minter, silent film, Hollywood murder, 1920s scandal, George James Hopkins, Charlotte Shelby, unsolved case, Taylor murder, Paramount Pictures, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, silent movie stars, Hollywood history, classic Hollywood, true crime, film noir, media circus, famous unsolved murders, Fresh Hell Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before there was Hollywood scandal, there was THE Hollywood scandal. In this first part of our series on the murder of William Desmond Taylor, we're setting the scene: Los Angeles in the 1920s, the silent film industry at its decadent, chaotic peak, and the lives of the people who would soon be swept up in one of the most notorious unsolved murders in Hollywood history. We’re talking about the meteoric rise of Mabel Normand — one of the first female comedy stars and directors — and the complicated, carefully controlled public image of Mary Miles Minter, America’s “sweetheart” with a stage mom from hell. And then, of course, there’s Taylor himself. Or.... should we say William Cunningham Deane-Tanner?! He was a man with more than one name, and maybe more than one secret. This is the beginning of a mystery murder that shook early Hollywood to its core… and we're only just getting started. William Desmond Taylor, Mary Miles Minter, Mabel Normand, silent film era, early Hollywood, Hollywood murder, 1920s Los Angeles, Paramount Pictures, unsolved Hollywood mystery, Charlotte Shelby, Taylor murder, classic Hollywood scandal, vintage crime, forgotten Hollywood, Fresh Hell Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode covers everything from the grim legacy of racist alligator myths to actual gator attacks, pet alligators ordered through the mail, and that one time a gator rang a doorbell in Florida. You’ll learn why the myth of sewer gators exists (and how Eleanor the Nile crocodile ended up beneath Paris), what black caimans are capable of (spoiler: it’s a lot), and how to keep your pets and kids safe near freshwater. Plus: the heartbreaking story of little Lane Graves at Disney World, a dive into crocodilian blood research, and a look at how these apex predators interact with the world around them, especially when humans get too close. alligator attacks, black caiman, crocodilians, crocodile safety, gator myths, Lane Graves, Disney World alligator, alligator conservation, crocodilian biology, crocodile blood research, human-wildlife conflict, Amazon River predators, Melanosuchus niger, Florida Man, sewer gators, pet alligators, alligator bait myth, William Bartram, American alligator, crocodile tips, reptile attacks, wild animal safety, Fresh Hell Podcast, crocodilian deaths, gator history, Victorian racism, reptile science, apex predator, true crime nature, nature horror, survival stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re trading murder for mayhem of the ancient reptilian variety. We take a deep dive into the world of crocodilians—those prehistoric apex predators that have been lurking in rivers, swamps, and sometimes swimming pools for millions of years. From the surprisingly gentle Chinese alligator to the misunderstood American alligator and the unexpectedly terrifying black caiman, we explore the biology, behavior, and long history of these armored giants. You'll learn about death rolls, gator holes, cloacal logistics, and even virgin births. Yes, really. Plus: sewer gator myths, historical attacks, and why crocodilians might just be the ultimate survivors. If you thought you knew gators, you don’t know the half of it. This episode is sponsored by Magic Mind Get 60% off the Magic Mind offer with our link and code https://magicmind.com/freshhmm  & FRESHH60 #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance . alligator, crocodile, caiman, black caiman, gharial, false gharial, crocodilian, American alligator, Chinese alligator, apex predator, prehistoric animals, brumation, estivation, gator hole, gator attack, Florida wildlife, reptiles, freshwater predators, cloaca, death roll, gator myths, sewer gators, William Bartram, John James Audubon, man-eaters, crocodilian evolution, alligator reproduction, parthenogenesis, Everglades, ecosystem, natural history, Fresh Hell Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s solo episode, Johanna takes you to the picture-perfect Austrian town of Werfen — home to falcons, frozen caves, The Sound of Music, and once... a baker with a deadly secret. Johann Oberreiter was a respected businessman, a model Catholic, and even a former town leader. But behind closed doors, he was also a poisoner. In the mid-19th century, two young women in his household died suddenly. Join us as we follow Oberreiter’s journey from gingerbread baker to convicted murderer! Johann Oberreiter, arsenic poisoning, Werfen, Austrian true crime, historical murder, 19th century Austria, forensic toxicology, arsenic, Sound of Music, Eisriesenwelt, Hohenwerfen Castle, Austria crime history, Fresh Hell Podcast, true crime Europe, Lebzelter, gingerbread baker murder, murder in Werfen, Salzburg crime, historical poisoner, mayor murder case Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So... you almost died. Or you technically did—for a moment. And then came the tunnel, the music, the relatives made of light, the surgeons flapping like chickens, or the sudden drop into a shadowy void full of screaming. Welcome to the Fresh Hell guide to near-death experiences. In this episode we explore what happens when people come this close to the other side. We cover ancient NDE accounts from Plato and Native American oral histories, the groundbreaking research of Kenneth Ring and Bruce Greyson, the famous Pam Reynolds and Vicki “born blind” case studies, and even some truly baffling hellish experiences. We also take a look at the scientific theories...everything from DMT to dying brain activity! And we ask: why do people from all over the world report such similar things? near death experiences, NDE, Pam Reynolds, Vicki blind NDE, Kenneth Ring, Bruce Greyson, veridical NDE, scientific theories NDE, DMT, tunnel of light, out of body experience, Vicki Noratuk, The Good Place, hellish NDE, positive NDE, life review, near death podcast, ancient NDE accounts, Plato NDE, Native American NDE, near death research, death and dying, Fresh Hell Podcast, what happens when you almost die, death experience science, NDE case studies, spiritual near death, brain death, cardiac arrest NDE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congratulations—you’ve died! Now what? In this our version of the "Handbook For the Recently Deceased" (and the morbidly curious). We take you on a cross-cultural tour of the afterlife. Whether you’re heading for a bureaucratic judgment hall, a tunnel of light, a reincarnation lottery, or just... absolute nothingness, we’ve got you covered. This episode explores what different religions and belief systems say happens after death—from ancient Egypt and Catholic purgatory to Buddhist reincarnation. afterlife, near death experiences, NDE, reincarnation, purgatory, heaven, hell, what happens after death, Catholic afterlife, ancient Egypt, Buddhist beliefs, Hindu afterlife, Jewish afterlife, Día de los Muertos, ancestor spirits, Chinese ghost month, soul, judgment after death, life after death, fresh hell podcast, Pam Reynolds, Doug Forcett, The Good Place, Mary Neal, cultural beliefs after death, hellish NDEs, spiritual traditions, brain death, tunnel of light, reincarnation beliefs, death rituals, funeral customs, ghost month, Mexican traditions, podcast about death Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices