PNW Haunts & Homicides
Join Caitlyn and Cassie as they chat about true crime, the paranormal, and all kinds of spooky sh*t in the Pacific Northwest. Just two "normal-ish" friends who wanted more local, creepy stories so they never sleep or leave their houses again.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pnw-haunts-homicides--5955451/support.
Leah Roberts: The Crash That Wasn't an Accident | Unsolved, Bellingham, Washington
On March 9, 2000, Leah Roberts left her home in Durham, North Carolina, on a Kerouac-inspired cross-country road trip in search of something she couldnât quite name, telling no one exactly where she was going. At 23, in the wake of multiple personal tragedies she had recently dropped out of college just as graduation was nearly in sight. Days later, she reached Bellingham, Washington.Â
Five days later her Jeep was found wrecked at the bottom of an embankment, where many important and prized possessions remained but there was no sign of Leah. What investigators would eventually uncover about that crash sit...
Pacific Northwest Reddit Stories: Hiking Horrors
In this episode, we dive into chilling Reddit true stories from across the Pacific Northwest, featuring creepy encounters, unexplained mysteries, and possible paranormal activity in Oregon and Washington. First, a couple hiking Hobbit Beach on the Oregon Coast discovers a disturbing forest altar made of candles, feathers, eggs, and animal bones before crossing paths with two suspicious strangers. Then, we explore a terrifying encounter on the Pacific Crest Trail near White Pass, Washington, where a solo female thru-hiker is stalked by a man obsessed with missing hikers and bodies disappearing in the surrounding bogs. Next, we examine a sighting of...
Two Deaths, One Date: Patience Boston & the Purrinton Family | York & Augusta, Maine
On July 9, 1734, a Native woman named Patience Boston confessed to drowning an eight-year-old boy in a well â then walked two miles to turn herself in. Seventy-two years later, to the day, a respected Maine farmer spent an evening sharpening an axe and reading his Bible by candlelight before murdering nearly his entire family.
Two tragedies. Same calendar date. Both set in colonial Maine, centuries ago.
Two documents, centuries-old that survive only because someone who knew the people involved decided to write down what happened â a pair of Puritan ministers shaping one woman's last words into a less...
Ghost of the Gold Dredge
Deep in eastern Oregon, the historic town of Sumpter is home to one of the Pacific Northwest's most fascinating Gold Rush landmarks: the Sumpter Valley Dredge. Built to recover gold flakes from the Powder River, these massive gold dredges operated around the clock, reshaping the landscape and leaving behind towering tailings that are still visible today. Now preserved as the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area, visitors can tour one of the largest surviving gold dredges in the United States, explore its mining history, and even try gold panning.
But the dredge isn't just famous for its gold...
Kristil Krug: She Did Everything Right | Broomfield, Colorado
In October 2023, Kristil Krug began receiving threatening messages she believed were coming from an ex-boyfriend she hadn't spoken to in years. She filed police reports, kept a detailed log, installed cameras, obtained a concealed carry permit, and ran home defense drills with her children. She told her father: "Someone's going to die. It's either me or him."
She was right. She just didn't know the threat was already inside her house.
On December 14, 2023, eleven days before Christmas, Kristil's husband Daniel was waiting for her when she came...
Loni Kai Okaruru: Washington County's Unsolved Hate Crime
In honor of Pride Month, we're resharing this very important unsolved murder. đ We'll see you next Thursday!
Loni Kai was a vibrant, friendly, well-liked young woman. She has also graced the 5 of Hearts in a cold case deck of cards. Loni was born Lorenzo Okoruru in the Mariana islands, but by 2001 she was living in the Hillsboro/Aloha area of Oregon with some of her extended family that lovingly supported her whole heartedly. This one hits close to home, quite literally. On August 26th as she tried to make her way home in...
Deborah "Debe" Atrops: If Anything Happens to Me | Beaverton, Oregon
In November 1988, Deborah "Debe" Atrops left a hair appointment in Tigard, Oregon and never came home. When she was found â what investigators discovered would haunt Washington County for decades.
Debe was 30 years old. She was a mother to an eight-month-old daughter. She had told a friend: "If anything happens to me, Bob did it."
It would take decades, a new cold case unit, and a trial that raised as many questions as it answered to bring this case into a courtroom.
But the Washington County Sheriff's Office st...
The Most Haunted House in Washington
Step into haunted Port Gamble, Washington, a historic mill town founded in 1851 and home to the infamous Walker-Ames House, known as the most haunted house in Washington. From ghostly women in the windows and children's voices in the attic to mysterious EVPs, shadow figures, and unexplained apparitions, this abandoned home has become a legendary paranormal hotspot.
In this episode, we explore the haunted history of Port Gamble, chilling ghost tour encounters, paranormal investigations, and firsthand accounts from former residents. We also uncover eerie stories from the town's other haunted landmarks, making this a must-listen for fans of ghost...
Logan Schiendelman - I Hope to Survive This Week | Tumwater, WA
On May 20, 2016, multiple 911 calls reported a black Chrysler Sebring drifting across multiple lanes of Interstate 5 south of Tumwater, Washington â with no one at the wheel. When authorities searched the car, they found a wallet, phone, keys, cash, and curiously a bag of snacks still sitting upright in the center console. What they didn't find was 19-year-old Logan Schiendelman. Ten years later, no one knows what happened to him.
The week he disappeared, Logan sent a text to a young woman he'd met on a dating app. It read:Â "I hope to survive this week."Â Those six haunting words are...
The Ghost That Saved A Lighthouse
Explore the haunted history of the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse on the Oregon coast. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was abandoned after only three years and nearly demolished before locals fought to save it. Today, itâs famous for chilling ghost stories, including the legend of Muriel, a teenage girl who mysteriously vanished inside the lighthouse in the tale The Haunted Lighthouse. Along with eerie legends of a phantom lighthouse keeper and unexplained hauntings at Yaquina Head Lighthouse.
We also uncover sightings of a Captainâs ghost wandering near the lighthouse after his fatal shipwreck at the Devil's Punchbowl, also known as â...
Nancy Moyer: Two Wine Glasses on the Table | Tenino, WA
On the evening of March 6, 2009, Nancy Moyer stopped at a grocery store in Tenino, Washington, paid by check, and drove home. After that night, she was never seen again. She left behind her purse, her keys, her car, and two wine glasses on the coffee table. Â
When Bill, her husband from whom she had separated, brought their daughters back two days later, he found the front door ajar, the lights still on â and no Nancy. Her purse was inside. Her keys were inside. Her car was in the driveway. She was not the kind of woman who walked away.
Lindsey Baum: Unsolved | McCleary, WA
On the evening of June 26, 2009, ten-year-old Lindsey Baum left a friend's house in McCleary, Washington for the short walk home, but she never arrived.
McCleary is the kind of town where everyone knows each other - fewer than 2,000 residents, two dozen streets, one major employer. It was exactly the kind of place Melissa Baum thought was perfect for a fresh start with her two kids after relocating post-divorce from Tennessee. It felt safe. It felt quiet. And then it didn't.
What followed was a massive, multi-agency investigation - hundreds of law enforcement personnel, dozens of FBI...
Portlandâs Titanic Exhibit: A Haunting Tragedy
This episode dives into the immersive Titanic Artifact Exhibit at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), blending haunting history, real-life tragedy, and eerie modern-day coincidences. The exhibitâs emotional weight builds through authentic artifacts, heartbreaking survivor and victim stories.
The episode also explores Pacific Northwest connections, including Herman Klaber and the Warrens of Portland, alongside modern tragedy with Paul-Henri Nargeolet and the Titan submersible implosion. Paranormal elements surface with reports of haunted exhibits and a mysterious flood at the Volo Museum on the anniversary of the sinking, blending history, ghost stories, and maritime mystery into on...
Americaâs Only Emperor: The Strange, True Story of Emperor Norton
What happens when a city decides kindness is better than cruelty?
In this special crossover episode, we're teaming up with the wonderful folks over at Rainy Day Rabbit Holes to explore one of the strangest â and most unexpectedly heartwarming â stories in American history: Joshua Abraham Norton, the self-declared Emperor of the United States.
Born into loss, shaped by fortune, and broken by ruin, Norton vanished into obscurity â only to reemerge in 1859 with a proclamation that probably should have ended badly. But San Francisco, being San Francisco, leaned in. What followed was a twenty-year "reign" that was equal...
He Never Made It to the Funeral: The Murder of George Cecil David
George Cecil Davidâs journey from Neah Bay to Port Angeles along Washingtonâs rugged coastline should have ended in a somber gathering just days laterâfamily and friends coming together in remembrance. Instead, it became the beginning of a mystery that would remain unsolved for years.
In March of 2016, renowned Indigenous artist and master carver George Cecil David was on his way to Vancouver Island to attend a funeral, stopping in Port Angeles along the wayâbut he never made it to his final destination.
What followed was a complex investigation involving surveillance footage, missing evidence...
Creepy People Chronicles: Shadow Figures & Ghost Sex
This episode features stories of real-life paranormal encounters, blending eerie roadside sightings with deeply personal ghost experiences that blur the line between reality and perception. One listener recounts a terrifying shadow figure sighting on a dark, snowy country road. Describing a human-like silhouette illuminated briefly in oncoming headlights before vanishing without a trace. The unexplained encounter leaves lingering questions about shadow people and other supernatural phenomena, especially after repeated visits to the same location yield nothing.
The second story takes a spicy turn into ghostly apparitions and possible entity attachm...
The Fenn Treasure: A Real-Life Hunt That Turned Deadly
A hidden treasure. A cryptic 24-line poem. The hunt that followed blurred the line between adventure and obsessionâand in some cases, turned deadly.
In this collaborative episode with the Rainy Day Rabbit Holes podcast, we dig into the story of Forrest Fenn and the decade-long mystery that sent thousands into the Rocky Mountains searching for gold.
What begins as a story about curiosity and exploration quickly turns darkerâwith dangerous terrain, mounting controversy, and lives lost along the way. We break down the infamous poem, the clues that captivated a generation, and the question that stil...
Tylenol Murders
Weâre taking a break this week and using the time to amplify the voices of other creators we love in the true crime space. This week weâre bringing you a fabulous story from the Rainy Day Rabbit Holes podcast hosted by our friends Shea & Jody.
This episode delves into the chilling events surrounding the Tylenol murders of 1982 and the subsequent Excedrin poisonings in 1986. It explores the tragic deaths caused by cyanide-laced capsules, the investigations that followed, and the impact these events had on product safety regulations in the United States. The discussion highlights the key figures invo...
Not an Accident: The Cheryl Keeton Murder
On a dark September night in 1986, a van sat abandoned on the Sunset Highway outside Portlandâwith the engine running. Upon closer inspection there was a purse on the gas pedal, and blood everywhere.
What first appeared to be a tragic accident quickly unraveled into something far more disturbing.
Cheryl Keeton was a successful attorney, a mother of three, and a woman in the middle of a bitter divorce. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a story of control, fear, and a staged accident that quickly began to fall apart ârevealing a murder.
In this...
Superstitions From Around the World
This week we dive into the strange, fascinating world of superstitions, starting with a few well-known ones before venturing into some truly bizarre beliefs from around the globe. The episode explores classic superstitions like unlucky black cats, knocking on wood, the taboo of walking under ladders, the bad luck of breaking mirrors, and why you shouldnât open an umbrella indoors.Â
From there, we travel through a collection of unusual cultural superstitions. In parts of South America and Spain, sweeping someoneâs feet with a broom is said to doom them to a lifetime of being single, while in th...
The Nesbitt Homestead Murders | Hood River, Oregon
In the early 1900s, the Hood River Valley was still frontier country. Homesteads were scattered across rugged land, neighbors lived miles apart, and life revolved around routine and survival.
When that routine suddenly stopped - others took notice. Â
Louisa Nesbitt and her daughter Alma vanished from their rural homestead without warning. At first, neighbors assumed the women had simply left the valley. But as time passed with no word from either of them, suspicion began to grow.
What followed would become one of Oregonâs most unusual early murder casesâone that tested the limits...
Ghouls of Grays Harbor
Pack your raincoat and your flannel, weâre heading to Grays Harbor in Washington, the salty gateway to the Pacific and the misty doorstep of the Olympic Peninsula. The most notable town on Grays Harbor is Aberdeen, hometown of Kurt Cobain. The town leans into its legacy with a welcome sign that reads âCome As You Are,â a nod to the iconic Nirvana anthem. Nearby, a humble highway sign became rock folklore and was eventually relocated due to its popularity with fans.
But Grays Harbor is more than grunge nostalgia. The st...
Mel's Hole of Mysteries
This episode originally aired in three parts - now conveniently edited down to one for your listening pleasure!
Today weâre going to talk about a very mysterious hole, known as Melâs Hole. Who is Mel, and what is so special about his hole? On Feb 21st 1997, a self described Willie Nelson Doppelgänger named Mel Waters, contacted radio talk show âCoast to Coast with Art Bell.â Five phone interviews over the course of 5 years detailed a bewildering tale with many peaks and pits!
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Extended versions: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
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Visit our website! Find us on Facebo...
Friday the 13th: Paraskevidekatriaphobia & A History of Bad Luck
In this episode we examine the history behind one of the worldâs most persistent superstitions. Friday the 13th has long been associated with fear and bad luckâbut where did that reputation come from, and why does it keep resurfacing across the centuries?
Join us as we delve into the fear of Friday the 13th â known as paraskevidekatriaphobia â tracing the dateâs uneasy legacy from medieval power plays to modern financial panic and how it became embedded in culture. Along the way, we explore how superstition, greed, and human behavior have repeatedly collided on the same allegedly cursed cal...
What Lies Beneath the Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo might seem like an unlikely setting for true crime and paranormal history, but beneath its family friendly surface lies a past with some unsettling chapters. In 2013, construction crews working on a new elephant habitat unearthed human remains. These undocumented burials trace back to Hillside Farm â a poor farm and sanatorium for the mentally ill and those with infectious diseases. The identities of those found remain unknown, their presence lingering as a quiet reminder of Portlandâs forgotten dead.
The episode also explores two modern tragedies that unfolded at the zoo. In 1970, a late night break-in led...
The Columbia Edgewater Country Club Car Bombing
On April 21st 1955, a deadly act of violence shattered the quiet grounds of Portlandâs Columbia Edgewater Country Club on Marine Drive. After an evening at the club attending a stag party, attorney and WWII veteran Oliver Kermit Smith returned to his car and started the engine. A bomb hidden beneath the driverâs seat detonated, killing him instantly.
Investigators quickly determined the explosion was deliberate. The device had been wired directly into the ignition system, ensuring detonation the moment the car was started. With no evidence of business disputes or outside enemies, attention soon turned to Smithâs pers...
Reddit AITA: Paranormal Nonbelievers
Join Caitlyn & Cassie as they chat about Reddit AITA stories featuring paranormal nonbelievers! How do you go about telling someone you don't believe in their ghost story? Or that there might be more physical evidence for Bigfoot than Jesus? Tune in for a fun discussion and let us know your verdicts!Â
Visit our website! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Patreon, & more! There are so many ways that you can support the show: BuyMeACoffee, Spreaker, or by leaving a rating & review on Apple Podcasts. Sources
The Disappearance of Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty Sodder
This week we're showcasing our friend Alecia of Truly Twisted. On Christmas Eve 1945, in the rural outskirts of Fayetteville, West Virginia, George and Jennie Sodder tucked their children into bed for the night with the anticipation of spending Christmas together the next morning. Tragically a fire quickly engulfed the home forcing the family to leave, but 5 of the children were still inside. What would unfold that evening is still one of the greatest mysteries in the true crime world today, leaving us to wonder, what happened to the Sodder Children?
Join Alecia on social media @itstrulytwisted on Instagram an...
Viva La Overreaction
This week we're showcasing our friends Trevin & Amanda - the hosts of Live, Laugh, Larceny. Â
Two petty crimes. Zero chill. And reactions so bad, theyâd make Coldplay blush.
This week, Amanda drops by before her second vacation in two weeksâand Trevin has his own vacation drama to share. His first time riding a bike as an adult turns into a near panic attack in a quaint ocean community, while Amanda faces a Beaver Lake, Arkansas dilemma when her husbandâs massive truck canât conquer the rocky terrain of a pebble beach.
In Killer...
The Chateau at The Oregon Caves: Chilling History & Hauntings
The Chateau still needs your help to preserve this incredible site and protect the bats - DONATE to this charming and eerie National Historic Landmark here!Â
This New Year's Day, we're venturing back into the mysterious Oregon Caves National Monument, a spelunking paradise in Southern Oregon. Discovered in 1874 by a hunter named Elijah and his brave canine companion, Bruce. The cave's first recorded encounter is a gripping tale of survival, complete with a bear encounter and a miraculous escape. With its stunning Marble Halls formed from metamorphosed limestone, this natural wonder's intrigue doesn't stop underground. The C...
Derrick Engebretson: The Nightmare Before Christmas
On December 5, 1998, eight-year-old Derrick Joe Engebretson vanished from the snowy slopes of Pelican Butte near Klamath Falls, Oregon. His heart-breaking disappearance took place while cutting a Christmas tree with his father and grandfather, shaking the surrounding community.Â
Derrickâs footprints led into the forest⌠and then simply stopped. No struggle. No trail. No remains. Despite massive search efforts involving local deputies, state police, search-and-rescue teams, dogs, helicopters, and decades of follow-up investigations, Derrick has never been found.
In this episode, we walk through the timeline of Derrickâs disappearance, the eerie details and the baffling, even divisive...
Trees of Christmas Past
đ In this in(tree)guing episode, we explore an abandoned Christmas tree farm in Oregon that found new life thanks to Mark Rohlfs, of Santa and Sons. What began as an overgrown, forgotten land became a source of âNatural Noble Firsâ, prized for their rustic, unshaped look. Customers embraced the wild aesthetic, while unused boughs were turned into wreaths, garlands, and regrowth materials, proving nothing was wasted.Â
đĽ The conversation also touches on devastation and resilience after the 2020 Oregon wildfires, which destroyed large portions of the farm, including thousands of seedlings. Instead of giving up, t...
Missing in Wenatchee: The Decker Sisters Case
In late May 2025, three young sistersâPaityn Decker (9), Evelyn Decker (8), and Olivia Decker (5)âdisappeared during a scheduled visit with their father, Travis Caleb Decker. Days later, their bodies were discovered in a wooded area near Rock Island Campground in the Cascade Mountains. Investigators uncovered forensic evidence, including DNA, linking their father to the killings, prompting a massive months-long manhunt across rugged mountain terrain.
In mid-September, human remains identified as Travis Deckerâs were located in a remote forested area, officially ending the manhunt and criminal proceedings. Yet significant questions remainâabout motive, the final weeks of Deckerâs life, and...
Creepy People Chronicles: Cryptids & Wake-Up Calls
In this listener story episode, Judi sends an update from Creepy People Chronicles: Mediums & Mischievous Spirits! Featuring the Delaney House, the symbolism behind her oracle card reading, and a fateful house fire that led her entire household to become volunteer firefighters. We also hear from Clint in Canada about a possible Halloween-night cryptid sighting! Ending tonightâs spooky tales with Kyleâs eerie but gentle, 3AM wake-up call.
If you have any true crime, paranormal, or witchy stories you'd like to share with us & possibly have them read (out loud) on an episode, email us at pnwhauntsandhomicides@gmai...
Labubu Adventures - Unboxing Joy
Could a quirky collectible convert skeptics into stans? Since Cassie couldnât join our full episode Haunted Dolls and the Labubu Curse, she put together a bonus episode of her very own!Â
We found ourselves unexpectedly enchanted by the whimsical world of Labubu. Initially, the cultural phenomena seemed like just another eye-roll-inducing trend, but before we knew it, they had captured our curiosity and a special place in our hearts. We even took a mid-pod field trip to indulge our newfound fascination! Â
Visit our website! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Patreon, & more! If...
Susan Cox Powell: Fire & Fallout | The Aftermath | Pt. 2
Two years after Susan Cox Powell vanished, tragedy struck again. During a court-ordered supervised visit in Graham, Washington, her husband Josh Powell locked a social worker out, attacked his sons Charlie and Braden, and ignited the house in a fire that shocked the nation. In Part 2 we piece together the aftermathâthe frantic 911 call, the investigation that followed, and the systemic failures that allowed a person of interest in Susanâs disappearance to retain access to his children. We examine how grief turned into activism through the Cox familyâs foundation, and how the familyâs tragic loss reshaped supervised-visitation policy...
Beyond the Cards: Art, Tarot, and Liminal Spaces
Join us for an engaging exploration of art and tarot with our guest, David, of Whiskey Terra Foxtrot. David offers insights into his creative process as he works on designing a hand-drawn Kickstarter tarot deck.
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âThe Liminal Deck is a traditional 78-card tarot deck with a non-traditional construction. De-gendered and de-saturated, drawing on vaguely unsettling, yet familiar imagery to recreate quiet contradictions of the dreamscape, it's the deck unlike any other.â
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Listen in as we explore the intersection of art, creativity, and spirituality, discussing the significance of animals like foxes and crows in artwork and their symbol...
Susan Cox Powell: Vanished | West Valley City, UT
When 28-year-old Susan Cox Powell vanished from her West Valley City, Utah, home in December 2009, her purse, phone, and keys suspiciously remainedâand her husbandâs story didnât add up. In part 1 we trace the chilling trail of red flags Susan left behind: a secret will, haunting journal entries, and an eerie home video âin case something happens.â From the Powellsâ tangled family history in Puyallup, Washington, to the night of the so-called midnight âcamping trip,â we uncover the control, manipulation, and obsession that built a pressure cooker inside their Utah home. Through interviews, court records, and Susanâs own words, we expl...
The Cannibal at the North End of the World: Baxbakwalanuksiweâ
This week, we venture deep into the mist-shrouded Pacific Northwest to unearth one of the regionâs most haunting legends in Kwakwakaâwakw folklore â the story of Baxbakwalanuksiweâ, the Man-Eater at the North End of the World.
Once banned by colonial authorities and nearly lost to time, the Hamatâsa, or âCannibal Dance,â is a ceremonial initiation that confronts humanityâs darkest impulses and the mythic hunger embodied by Baxbakwalanuksiweâ. Covered in gaping mouths and crying out âhap, hap, hapâ â âeat, eat, eatâ â this monstrous figure stalked not just the imagination of his people, but the very limits of what it means to be human.<...
The Unsolved Murders of the Evangelista Family
Happy Halloween! We have a trick AND a treat for you with this Truly Twisted bonus!
On the evening of July 3rd, 1929 the Evangelista family was brutally murdered, but by who? This week we delve into the strange beliefs of Benny Evangelista, the baffling details of the crime, and the lasting fear and legend that the St. Aubin Street Massacre left behind. This story is more widely known as the Detroit Occult Murders. Was this the work of a rival religious fanatic, a swindled follower in Benny's work, or something even more sinister?
Join me on...
