In this episode, we unpack the disturbing case of Robert “Awake the Rapper” Crimo III — the SoundCloud-aesthetic musician turned mass shooter behind the Highland Park 4th of July parade attack.

We walk through the red flags leading up to the tragedy, the system failures that let him slip through, and the internet’s obsession with linking his story to MK-Ultra and government cover-up theories.

We keep it balanced, factual, and grounded… with just enough tinfoil hat energy to acknowledge the conspiracy chatter without living in it.

If you’ve ever wondered how a walking SoundCloud stereotype sparked both horror and conspiracy at the same time, this is the episode.

This week’s installment of The Real Faces of Horror dives face-first into the greasepaint with one of the most infamous killers in history, John Wayne Gacy, the suburban businessman, party clown, and serial murderer who forever turned our fear of clowns into a national pastime. Join us (and my day-six migraine) as we untangle Gacy’s double life, explore his chilling connection to Stephen King’s IT, and unpack how he became the ultimate real-world boogeyman hiding behind a painted smile.This episode is jam-packed with disturbing details, a few bad puns, and maybe the start of a conspiracy rabbit hole that could use its own tinfoil-hat sequel.

Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate are often remembered as the murderous teenage couple who terrorized Nebraska in 1958… but what if that story isn’t quite right?

In this week’s Real Faces of Horror, we take a closer look at whether Caril was a willing partner or just a terrified 14-year-old caught in a nightmare.

Think Natural Born Killers, but make it “maybe she didn’t even want to be there.

In one of the weirdest true crime stories to come out of the 1980s, a Domino’s Pizza mascot became the accidental target of a real-life hostage situation.This week, we’re talking about the 1989 Chamblee, Georgia Domino’s incident, where a man named Kenneth Lamar Noid stormed a restaurant at gunpoint, all because he believed the “Avoid the Noid” campaign was a personal attack.We unpack the bizarre mix of marketing gone wrong, corporate chaos, and mental health tragedy that followed, with plenty of jokes, Mothman theories, and our son’s first-ever guest appearance to balance it out.So grab a slice, lock the door, and join us for this delightfully unhinged Weird Wednesday.

The Real Faces of Horror: The Gainesville Ripper — The Man Who Made Us ScreamDescription:In the third installment of our Real Faces of Horror series, we’re pulling off the Ghostface mask to meet the real killer who inspired Scream.Before the phone calls, the popcorn, and the rules of surviving a horror movie, there was Danny Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper.We’re diving into the crimes that terrorized Florida in the ‘90s, his twisted motivations, and how his real-life rampage became one of horror’s most iconic blueprints.

Grab your snacks… just maybe don’t answer the phone.

This week’s Weird Wednesday takes a detour from folklore into something far more chilling, the real-life horror story of Ilse Koch, the so-called Witch of Buchenwald.Once a Nazi war wife living in luxury on the edge of a concentration camp, Ilse’s name became synonymous with cruelty, sadism, and disturbing rumors of human-skin souvenirs. But how much of what we’ve heard is fact, and how much is dark myth born from unimaginable evil?Join us as we separate history from horror and dive into one of World War II’s most infamous figures.

Step into part two of our October series, The Real Faces of Horror, where we uncover the true crimes that inspired some of horror’s most twisted tales.This week, we’re heading back to 1870s Kansas to meet The Bloody Benders, a family of innkeepers with a deadly secret beneath their floorboards. Their story of deception, violence, and disappearance would go on to inspire horror classics like The Hills Have Eyes, the banned X-Files episode “Home,” and countless other tales of terror.From rumors of the family’s escape to legends of hauntings on “Hell’s Half Acre,” we explore how one frontier family’s crimes became part of American folklore, and why their ghosts might still linger today.Lock your wagon doors and grab a lantern, it’s going to be a dark ride.

This Weird Wednesday starts with a bizarre true story from the Nevada desert, illegally dumped cremains. But the real deep dive? The Japanese Kappa: water-dwelling tricksters with turtle shells, creepy heads, and a strange obsession with cucumbers. Folklore, true crime, and just enough weirdness to get you through the week.

In the first installment of our October special series The Real Faces of Horror, we dive into the chilling life and crimes of Ed Gein, the real-life murderer and grave robber who inspired some of the most infamous horror films of all time, including Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.From his disturbing childhood in rural Wisconsin to the shocking discoveries made at his farmhouse in Plainfield, we unravel the twisted psychology behind the “Butcher of Plainfield.” We’ll also explore his suspected role in his brother’s death, the murders of Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, what happened to his infamous property, and the eerie haunted legends that still surround it today.This is more than true crime, it’s the real story behind a cultural nightmare that still terrifies us decades later.

For this weeks special bonus episode we dive into the brutal and bizarre story of Princess Olga of Kiev.

From burning cities with birds to burying her enemies alive, Olga’s revenge was legendary. But here’s the twist—this ruthless ruler later became a saint. Was she a holy woman, a savage queen, or something in between?Join us as we unravel Olga’s story.

In 1966, two men were discovered dead on a hillside near Rio de Janeiro. Dressed in formal suits, wearing strange lead masks, and carrying a cryptic notebook with instructions like “be at the place determined” and “ingest capsules, wait for the effect”, their deaths remain one of the strangest unsolved mysteries in modern history. Were they victims of a secret ritual, government experiments, UFO contact… or something else entirely?In this episode, we dive into the bizarre story known as The Lead Masks Case, unraveling the facts, the theories, and the unsettling questions that linger almost 60 years later.

In January 1935, a young man checked into the Hotel President in Kansas City under the name Roland T. Owen. Days later, he was found brutally beaten and stabbed inside his locked hotel room—Room 1046. What followed was a bizarre and haunting investigation filled with false names, mysterious phone calls, cryptic last words, and even a stranger who paid for his funeral.In this episode, we dive into one of the most enduring unsolved cases in true crime history. Was Roland a victim of organized crime, a love affair gone wrong, or something even darker? Join us as we unravel the strange details, chilling clues, and the unsettling mystery that still haunts Room 1046.

Picture it: Las Vegas, 2021… Zak Bagans’ mom hands me a free sticker. Fast forward to our anniversary trip, and we find ourselves inside one of the creepiest places in Vegas, Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum. In this Weird Wednesday episode, we share our experiences wandering through haunted relics and chilling exhibits, from the infamous Dybbuk Box and Devil’s Rocking Chair to Ed Gein’s cauldron, Dr. Kevorkian’s van, and disturbing serial killer memorabilia. We also talk about the strange energy inside the house itself, why some rooms unsettled us the most, and of course… the story behind that free sticker.

In July 2001, 20-year-old Megan Barroso vanished in Simi Valley, California. When her body was discovered days later, investigators faced a terrifying crime—but an unusual clue would eventually bring her killer, Vincent Sanchez, to justice. The unlikely hero? Glitter. In this episode of The Treehouse in the Woods, we dive into Megan’s story, the horror of her final night, and how something as small as a fleck of glitter unraveled the truth. Teasha shares why glitter is not just part of her business—but also a forensic game-changer.

Disappearances, strange lights, eerie sounds, and yes, even Bigfoot. In this Weird Wednesday episode, we’re diving into the mysteries of the Bennington Triangle in Vermont. From missing hikers to Native Abenaki lore, we’ll explore what might be lurking in the woods… while one of us is convinced it’s Bigfoot and the other isn’t buying it. You decide.

In this episode of The Treehouse in the Woods, we trace Duncan McKenzie’s violent path across the Northwest, beginning with the Oct. 26, 1973 murder of 15-year-old Deborah (Debra) Prety in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and leading to the Jan. 21, 1974 murder of Lana Harding in Conrad, Montana. We center Deborah’s story, then follow the investigation, McKenzie’s conviction for Harding’s murder, and his 1995 execution. Decades later, DNA evidence linked McKenzie to Deborah’s killing, finally giving her family answers. We also touch on the unsettling vibes of the 1970s Inland Northwest, the rumors, occult whispers, and small-town fear that framed these cases.

In this Weird Wednesday episode of The Treehouse in the Woods, we dive into two of the most unsettling sound mysteries ever recorded. The Bloop – In 1997, an earth-shaking, ultra-low frequency sound was picked up in the Pacific Ocean, louder than anything ever captured before. Was it shifting ice? A secret submarine experiment? Or could it be evidence of something massive lurking in the depths? The Hum – A strange, low droning noise that thousands around the world claim to hear, yet scientists can’t fully explain. Is it industrial, biological, psychological… or something even stranger?Join us as we break down the theories, the science, and the chilling unknowns behind these mysterious sounds. New episodes every Monday & Weird Wednesdays!Follow, rate, and share to help keep the Treehouse lights on.

In March 1922, a quiet Bavarian farmhouse called Hinterkaifeck became the site of one of Germany’s most chilling unsolved crimes. Six family members, including two young children, were brutally murdered with a mattock, and the killer may have lived in the house for days afterward. Strange footprints in the snow, voices in the attic, and eerie signs of someone watching the family all led to a case that has terrified investigators and armchair sleuths for over a century.In this episode of The Treehouse in the Woods, we explore the mystery of the Hinterkaifeck murders: the unsettling clues left behind, the bizarre theories ranging from serial killers to supernatural forces, and why this haunting true crime story continues to fascinate.

What happens when sleep paralysis feels less like a dream and more like a warning? In this episode of The Treehouse in the Woods, Teasha shares her terrifying personal sleep paralysis story, complete with hands reaching out of her mattress, a shadowy figure in the room, and an overwhelming sense of dread. That eerie feeling of a home invasion turned chillingly real. Join us for a spine-tingling Weird Wednesday that blends firsthand experience, folklore, and spooky science to ask: was it just sleep paralysis… or something more?

Step into the bizarre and disturbing world of Pazuzu Algarad, the self-proclaimed Satanist whose filthy North Carolina home earned the nickname “the house of doom” or, as we call it, “the house of doodoo.” From his dark persona and disturbing lifestyle to the murders that shocked the community, we dive into how Pazuzu built his cult-like following and what really went on inside those walls.In this episode of The Treehouse in the Woods, we break down the twisted story, the crimes, and the urban legend feel surrounding Pazuzu. Was he truly a dangerous cult leader, or just a deeply disturbed man who let chaos consume his life? Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of violence, murder, and disturbing living conditions.