Castles & Cryptids

So clearly this is a very sensitive topic, like most true crime, so please be aware this will contain mentions of child death,  child sexual abuse and other very violent topics. No explicit details are included but be forewarned it's a rough one. "we observe, but we must not need absorb" about bearing witness to trauma survivors in crime cases. 

So first we learn about a William Cook from Kelsey, and he was born to a big family and grew up to be a man who made very poor choices. He had a terrible temper, a penchant fo...

So clearly this is a very sensitive topic, like most true crime, so please be aware this will contain mentions of child death,  child sexual abuse and other very violent topics. No explicit details are included but be forewarned it's a rough one. "we observe, but we must not need absorb" about bearing witness to trauma survivors in crime cases. 

So first we learn about a William Cook from Kelsey, and he was born to a big family and grew up to be a man who made very poor choices. He had a terrible temper, a penchant fo...

We are back, back again (just like Kelsey's hearing and voice) and we are ready to dive into some lore about creatures around the UK. First we have British Flying Rods, known for their segmented and wavy motions, they move fast and are incredibly rare with only 2 known sightings. Next, Kelsey covers the Boneless, featuring the phrase "undulating mass of gelatinous flesh", it's a segment you don't want to miss. 

Alanna caps things off with Sam the Sandown Clown, a ghost clown who may or may not also be an alien or a robot. Listen to the s...

Hey you lovely listeners, today we have a wee episode to tide you over while our co-host is on the mend. Alanna is reading some local ghost stories to you!   To be fair, it's since she feels bad she switched topics and delayed recording, sorry! Send help lol.

We pulled from the book by Barbara Smith, previously featured on the McKay Museum Hometown Haunts  episode, so listen to that one too if you haven't( between ep 165-166 in the feed.) Smith has researched ghost stories and legends from all across the province, from Native warrior Chief spirit sto...

It's been a minute since we did a castle haunt or horror, so here are two very cool, eerie castles to live up to our name!

Quick into of obligatory bitch session and catch-up, this time we go on about annoying and aging bodies, can anyone relate to that? Taking meds with side effects and lucky if they don't hurt your damn liver! Side shout-out to a couple comments from last episode and we're off to Germany!

Kelsey takes us to Eltz Castle, Wierschem, Germany, and it's long, long history that we skip over for...

Hey cryptic cuties, hope your 2026 is treating you well and we are so excited to be back. We have a fun episode for you, diving into the fascinating world of counterfeiting, forgeries and replicas, featuring everything from the well done, all the way to the bizarre and laughable. 

Starting with the arrest of Frank Bourassa, Kelsey covers how a life of crime led one man on a path to printing millions and becoming named the world's greatest counterfeiter. 

Alanna closes out the ep with a collection of expensive forgeries that shook the world, as well as...

Happy Holidays, here is your second helping of psychic stuff! We love talking about parapsychology, and of course, we are not the only ones. So Alanna's topic of the day is telepathy; trying to test it, a brief history of our fascination with it, and into the most recent claims and controversies! 

After some minor Game of Thrones spoilers (its old, come on, it's ok ), we dig into some topics discussed on the Telepathy Tapes Podcast and the response to both it's popularity, and some pushback against it.  So some spoilers for that podcast too, as we ta...

Hello Cryptic Crew, and welcome back to our latest episode! 

This time its Kelsey's turn to deliver a curious case of a man who had some very prophetic dreams. Chris Robinson (not the one married to Amanda Knox, not to be confused with Canadian icon Christopher Robin either, you're welcome :) 

He was often accurate at predicting disasters like airplane crashes and received the information through dreams. He even had a working relationship with local police. Theories include other worldly guides giving him advance knowledge, but you be the judge! We like to try and keep ou...

Welcome back, this week we dive into some drug-related crimes. Kelsey  shares the scary tale of the Paraquat Vending Machine Murders in Japan- we are sad to say we'd never heard of it. A motive is nothing but senseless murder of strangers, so it's especially hard to fathom. So random.

Then we move to the Canadian Maritimes where the story might be called Cocaine Plane, but it doesn't really get off the ground? It's been called the biggest drug bust in the country's history, but what really went down is more unexpected than we ever guessed. Tune i...

This week is a Patreon Peek! We opened up the vault to give us some time to recover from some colds that can take down a host for a bit. But we love this episode, two very different takes on forensics, first a crimes solved with some, and then a teaching tool to solve killings with a unique twist. 

So Kelsey covers the Soham murders, so-called for the area of the crimes, and trigger warning for child violence. But Forensic science and botany would play a big role in the evidence in this case, key to solving i...

Samhain/Sauin season is here and a Happy All Hallow's Eve to all of you! Call them creepy campfire stories, or what you want but we wanted the dark and eerie vibes this time!

So let's all snuggle in for the first tale of terror- Kelsey's recitation  of the Man Who Watched Me Sleep story?! Or should we say the Red Man Story...

Either way, we on the edge of our seats and butts puckered! Always watching me....

 then it's on to some older tales...

In some sort of old-school stories of...

Hey cryptic cuties! Hope you are all enjoying the fall and spooky season as much as we are. This week we thought we would take a look at 2 cases involving disguises or costumes (in honour of halloween of course). 

First up, Kelsey shares the details of the murder of Marlene Warren, who was shot on her doorstep by a creepy clown, and whose identity would take decades to confirm. 

Alanna lightens the mood with the life and crimes of William Sutton, known as "Slick Willie" or "Willie the Actor", a man who frequently wore disguises du...

Hello friends and Happy Spooky Season! It's official we hit 200 episodes and it's time for something completely different!  A man with 3 buttocks! no wait, that's a different show...

Intro includes topics from A.I. actors, cryptid-inspired flavors, and light laughing  at children's descriptions of cryptids. Then we move into our appetizer, the Cryptid Quiz! How well do YOU know your cryptids? Play along and find out, we haven't covered all of these ones! So you think you're smarter than a podcaster, lol, our new show! Wink!

BTW, there are SO many sea creatures, damn!! Love a...

Sorry for the late evening episode, it's been a long week here at C+C HQ! 

We're kicking off the spookiest season with some witchy, pagan style celebrations and we couldn't be more excited! Or hungry, by the end of the recording. Applesauce and pork and root veggies, hell yeah! 

So once we go over some of the sausage and symbols of the autumn fest, Kelsey gives us some other ways to get your Mabon on. Yes, there is lots of red, orange and gold so the fall vibes are strong with this one!

...

Happy September cryptic cuties, hope you are enjoying the last of the warm weather before we dive straight into fall and pumpkin spice everything. This week we investigated a few more cults we wanted to share with you all, we hope you find cults as fascinating as we do.  

Kelsey creeps Alanna out by telling her about a group that hit a little too close to home. The College of Integrated Philosophy may seem harmless on the surface, but they have had their fair share of controversy and court cases over their decades long history. 

Al...

Hello and welcome back to another creepy, cryptic episode of your favourite paranormal podcast! This time we are diving into some visual, mental and certainly mysterious phenomenon.

 We have all probably heard of deja vu, but what do we really know about it causes, or correlations? Kelsey puts on her professor glasses and gives us a mini-lesson on the science we've learned about this glitch-type feeling. Surprising causes have been reported on, as well as other similar or opposite phenomenon, like jamais vu. 

Alanna takes us to Aberfan, Wales and an event that was seen by...

Welcome back cryptic cuties, we hope you are having a great summer. Apologies for Kelsey's audio quality, we didn't notice it when we were recording (but ironic given us talking about other podcasts audio in our into), hopefully everyone still enjoys the ep! 

Kelsey kicks things off with the tale of Canadian folk hero 'Monica la Mitraille', a successful bank robber who took matters into her own hands in order to provide for her children. Featuring a high speed car chase that sounds like something out of a movie, its hard to believe it actually happened. 

...

Hey you beautiful people, we're back (on our bullsh*t :P ) First we chat about some milestones like graduation, adulting, gardening, and something we now know is called "holiday Creep". Spoilers, it's not a true crime or cryptid though! Just scary capitalism! Also it's the summer of Mr. Pink for one of us....

But Kelsey case dives us right in to some older accounts of vampirism, exhumation, and in particular the confounding case of Arnold Paole, the Monster of Medvegna, maybe. This story out of 1700's Serbia has as many as 17 vampires (fave number of Alanna!) , cattle...

What does a one person submarine and a secret spy ring have in common? The American Revolution of course! This week we decided to learn a bit more about our neighbours to the south and take a deeper look at some of the events surrounding their independence. 

Kelsey has the low down on Bushnell's Turtle, a submersible with a success rate of zero, that still managed to become world famous thanks to its inventors and pilots. Alanna shares the story of Anna Strong and the Culper spy ring, who were able to remain undetected thanks to some p...

It's high time to head back to the Maritimes, but for creepy guys and not true crime time! So we went down the East Coast to collect the weirdest, wildest, and occasionally most depressing/pitiful of the cryptids of North America.

We start with a Pukwudgie, and end with a Squonk, and there are a few other weirdos in between. .Some Creature VIPs if you ask me! Their tricksy, some are teary and weepy as a teenager, and I think we can all relate to that!

So tune in and turn on to some of...

Well, we've done it again, another episode of crimes on the water.Why are there so many cases to choose from? So enjoy pondering Kelsey's "lifeboat case'  an oldie but a crazy one that presents a moral dilemma. What would you do in that situation?

and then Alanna Takes us on a journey of cruise ship crimes. Mostly disappearances,from the well-known story of Amy Bradlel, to a couple called Hue Pham and Hue Tran all who seem to vanish into thin air.Or into deep water....

 Even if not murder, we have some very su...

Hey cryptic cuties! This week we have a wild ep focusing on just some of the different types of twins out there in the world. Kelsey has a collection of some famous conjoined twins over the centuries and how being conjoined effected their lives. Alanna takes things in the opposite direction, with the stories of some twins who were intentionally separated at birth and raised by different families in a study of nature vs. nurture. Closing the ep out are some anecdotes of twin telepathy. 

Happy listening! Let us know if you know any twins and do t...

This week we are back with a vengeance! First up is the story of Lauren McCluskey. A track and filed star who story ended too soon in a tragic way, involving stalking. The repercussions were great from this horrible, yet probably preventable murder.

Then it's on to something completely different with 10 Cent Beer Night. Alanna covers this infamous Cleveland baseball promo-night-gone-wild. And it does get fairly nude and violent, as Monty Python might say! So get ready for a roller-coaster episode all about athletes and insanity! Cause Sports!!

Darkcast Promo of the week : Missing in...

We're back, did you miss us? This week we have some very creepy hospitals to share with you, one located very far from us, and another much closer to home. Kelsey covers the Clark Air Base Hospital, a sinister building with a violent past, it is no surprise it is said to be super haunted. 

Alanna tells us about the Charles Camsell Hospital, featuring first hand accounts from patients and nurses, it's safe to say its complicated history has both good and very dark experiences. 

Don't go exploring any abandoned buildings, you may find yourself be...

Hello you lovely listeners and happy Friday! We had a busy week here in Cryptic-ville, so here's a little double feature to get you through to our next episode. We think you'll enjoy!

It's our friends over at F**k That pod, with two gripping tales. The Eastbound Four:The West Atlantic City Murders is first up. Covering the murders of Kim Raffo, Barbara Breidor, Molly Jean Dilts, and Tracy Ann Roberts in 2006, you won't want to miss it. 

Then it's The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich which we had never heard of before and are h...

This week we pry into some closed-up cases- a couple mysteries with some big clues and many questions. Like Kelsey covering the death of Mee Kuen (Deborah) Chong, a woman who was just selling her house. She was then tragically killed and the police were left to try and unravel the reason why. 

Finally we have the case of the Spy in the Bag, aka the death of Gareth Williams, a highly intelligent agent skilled in math and codes. The man was working for MI6 at the time of his death, and the details just don't add u...

Hey cryptic cuties, we hope you are enjoying our South America focused eps for the last couple weeks. We love learning about different countries and their folklore, and are always excited to share it with you all. 

Kelsey takes a dive into the beliefs of the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina, whose folklore centers around duality and balance between opposing forces, bleeding into everything, including their creatures. 

Alanna shares the history of el duende, a trickster spirit that may try to lure you into the woods. It is said to target lonely single women , or...

Heading to Argentina this week, to see what true crimes we can find there, and boy did we find a few. Starting off with a wild yet mostly harmless robbery.

Remember our first heist episode, 10,000 years ago? Neither do we, but we know Kelsey's case had fake mustaches, just like this case, but this one sees your fake mustache, and raises you a fake yarmulke! It's kind of bonkers really, with Ninja turtle inspired plans and themed names, negotiations by Pizza the hut*, and elaborate plans, this case is a real Oceans 7-11 meets the Italian-American job!<...

You only live once, you know what they say! Or do you? For some people's stories, it's not so clear.

In Kelsey's case, a woman puts the "awake" back in, well, a wake. The Legend of Margorie McCall, or the Lady with the Ring, is steeped in mystery as only a story from the 1700's can be. From body-snatchers to romantic doctors to dramatic jump-scare surprises, it really runs the gamut. Don't miss it and don't mess with the Lady of the Ring!

We time-travel forward to 1990 for the British Airways accident of Flight 5390. Also...

Move over Ace Ventura, we have a furry team of case-cracking critters on the team! At least 3 birds, including a pet duck, cats and dogs too. All solving the murder or missing persons case of their owner or someone else entirely!

It's a rowdy, wild round-up of pet hair, disgruntled employees, a Beady-Eyed Lane bird, TSA tangents, and movie mentions of course! Oh and Gordo the diva cat inserts himself in the mix,  we think he was jealous of all the animal attention, maybe?

Tune in to these tails of true crime and send us p...

We hope you survived last weeks ep, this one is much lighter. We thought we should celebrate Spring, renewal and rebirth, with a bit of a cryptid twist. First we learn about the Miniwashitu, a creature who is both feared and respected by the Indigenous groups in North Dakota. Its arrival in the spring is long awaited, and it also has a very important job to do. 

Next up is the Tiyanak, a terrifying creature from Filipino folklore that commonly takes the form of a helpless baby. Once you have been lured closer by its crying, its a...

So it's another true crime, so we warn you it sucks. However. we always can learn something, we hope.

Kelsey tells us of the story of Maria and Domenico, a Telanovela -esque tale that might just also qualify as a tale as old s time.

Then we have a massive trigger warning for graphic details, etc. 

Unfortunately, mental health issues plagued Vince Li. so he tried to make himself as safe S POSSIBLE.  Listen to find out. 

Love you all, Keep it Cryptic!

We LOVE our Darkcast Network shows, such as Cause of Death: !00 Seconds to Midnight! This show reminds us when and why to really be wary of humanity's collapse! Are we really going down with the next big Volcano eruption? etc. 

It's so fascinating my friends, so sit back and see if bats are going to kill us or not. Or something else!

And we shall return next eek for your regular scheduled programming! so Keep it Cryptic!

Everyone wish Alanna a happy birthday!!! For this very special ep we covered two very old civilizations and cultures that have definitely left their mark on history. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius caused devastating damage to Pompeii and surrounding areas, but how much do you really know about the city? We take a trip back in time and learn a bit about what life may have been like over 2000 years ago. 

Alanna takes a deeper look into some Celtic traditions, from fire festivals to handfasting, and a whole lot more. 

We hope you enjoy, happy St...

APOLOGIES for the Delay, tech issues struck again! Trigger warning: for Abuse, Attempted Suicide, Miscarriage and sexual abuse mentions. Please listen with care. 

Old Hollywood Part Two is here and its all about the "Goddess and the Gangster" aka Lana Turner and Johnny Stompanato. Let's just say it's a bit of a rollercoaster, rags to riches story with a raging violent streak.

We go through Lana's early life and who she married before she met Johnny (she could give Liz Taylor a run for her money!) and their love story. Of course, it's true crime s...

Hey cryptic cuties, this week we take a trip back in time to the Golden age of Hollywood.  In 1949 Jean Spangler was a star on the rise, only in her late 20's she was already a triple threat and seemed to be gaining more recognition for her many talents. All that changed  when Jean didn't return home the morning after shooting for a new film all night. As investigations began, more and more questions are raised with very few answers. Tune in as we unravel all the details, from theories and suspects, to the possible connection to another famous Ho...

Join us as we discover and uncover some lesser featured notable African Americans for Black History Month! So many people have fought so hard for their rights in history, we love learning about the ones we never learned much of in school. 

Kelsey tells us the life and legacy of Marsha P. Johnson, an activist, drag queen, and American sweetheart that took New York by storm. She is remembered for her work in gay rights, as well as advocating for trans rights and AIDS activism. Truly a treasure that did so much for her community, and was t...

Social media has been a huge part of our lives for the last 20 years, with its ability to connect people from all around the world to brightening someones day with a viral video or meme. Todays ep features 2 cases when social media platforms were used for a far more sinister reason. Kelsey covers a series of Death Lists that appeared on Facebook in early 2010, targeting almost 100 young people in Columbia it led to the death of 3 people before police took it seriously. 

Alanna details the case of Claire Miller, who stabbed her older sister in a sudden a...

What is the occult? It's the supernatural, the spiritual and mystical beliefs and practices. So it can be so many things, really. Which we love! 

Kelsey covers an early tarot-researcher and occultist named Etteilla, from 18th-century France. He made significant strides in tarot card reading in his time. And then for something completely different! 

Scent, memory and the spiritual side of fragrance use like incense is the theme of Alanna's segment. Some people believed that incense helped guide the soul to its final repose after death, and we discuss what makes bad "scent branding" and ot...

This week we have two very different survival stories for you, featuring a lot of trigger warnings, so take care of yourselves as you listen. 

Kelsey shares the story of Jennifer Holiday and her cousin Ana Franklin, who are on a late night drive when a vehicle begins following them. What happens next is something anyone would struggle to keep their cool during. Alanna covers the Teka Adams case, filled with strange and bizarre actions, it feels straight out of a horror movie. 

Shout out to the I Survived tv show, check it out for mo...