The Grim Curriculum

On the morning of December 6, 1917, a collision in the harbour of Halifax triggered a chain of events that would end in catastrophe. When the munitions ship SS Mont-Blanc exploded, the blast devastated the city and created one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded. In this episode, we unpack the moments leading up to the disaster, the shocking aftermath, and the incredible acts of bravery and selflessness that emerged from the chaos. It’s a story of tragedy, resilience, and the people who rose to meet one of Canada’s darkest days.

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Dina starts things off with a quick update on the case of the eleven year old boy who recently shot his father following an argument about a Nintendo Switch. She then follows it up with another tragic story out of Tipp City, Ohio, where a former worship leader and previous American Idol hopeful has been charged in the murder of his wife. To break up the heavier stories, Charlotte brings a few true crime cases that are strange enough they might actually have you giggling. Dina then brings things back into gruesome territory with a story involving an inmate...

This week on Grim Curriculum, we travel back to 16th century Germany to examine the chilling legend of Peter Stumpp, better known as the “Werewolf of Bedburg." A man known by several different names, Stumpp was accused of a catalogue of horrifying crimes. According to the accounts of the time, he was not only a serial killer and cannibal, but a man who could transform into a wolf and stalk the countryside in search of victims. His arrest in 1590 led to a brutal confession under torture and an execution that was meant to serve as a warning to others. Bu...

This week on Grim Curriculum, we return to the case of Anneliese Michel for Part Two. In this episode, we examine the exorcisms she endured, the physical toll they took, and the devastating final chapter of her life. What happened behind closed doors was not a single ritual, but a prolonged series of sanctioned rites carried out while her health continued to deteriorate. We then turn to the courtroom, where her parents and the priests involved were forced to answer for their decisions. The trial raised difficult questions about faith, medical responsibility, and where belief must give way to...

This week's Extra Credit has a little bit of everything. We have some old timey crime stories, a couple of REALLY dumb criminals, a Florida man, a case local to Alberta that we hope is solved soon and of course this week's Strange and Unusual Death will have your jaw on the floor.

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The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel - Part 1

This week on Grim Curriculum, we step into a case that sits at the crossroads of faith, fear, and fatal conviction, the exorcism of Anneliese Michel.

In 1970s West Germany, a young woman’s suffering was interpreted not as illness, but as possession. As her condition worsened, those closest to her became convinced that what they were witnessing was not medical, but demonic. Rituals were performed. Prayers were repeated with increasing desperation. And intervention came not from medical professionals, but from the Church.

What unfolded behind cl...

This week on Grim Curriculum, we’re taking a break from the heavy stuff and diving back into one of our favourite palette cleanser topics, even more lesser known cryptids.

These episodes give us the perfect excuse to explore the stranger, sillier, and more mysterious corners of folklore without the usual grim weight. From eerie encounters to downright bizarre sightings, this week’s lineup is full of creatures that do not get nearly enough attention.

We’re chatting about the Skrimsl from Iceland, the unsettling Mantis Man from New Jersey, and the legendary Sheepsquatch said to roa...

This week on Extra Credit, we’re bouncing between updates, history, and stories that sound too strange to be real.

We start with an update from a previous Extra Credit episode. A Michigan woman who pretended to be a registered nurse has now been sentenced to prison time. We break down the sentence and want to hear from you. Was the punishment fair, too harsh, or not nearly enough?

Dina then brings a developing and particularly gruesome case out of Derby in the UK. A woman has been accused of killing her girlfriend using a ho...

Robert Raymond Cook is remembered as the last man executed in Alberta, and one of the most controversial figures in Canadian criminal history.

In 1959, Cook was arrested for the murder of his 7 family members but only convicted of one; the murder of his father, Raymond Cook, whose body was found shot inside the family home in Stettler, Alberta. The case against Cook was largely circumstantial, built on inconsistencies in his statements, forensic evidence that was later questioned, and a confession he claimed was coerced after prolonged police interrogation.

Cook maintained his innocence throughout his trial...

We are diving into the infamous Club Kids scene of 1990s New York and the shocking murder that brought it all crashing down. Michael Alig was once the self proclaimed king of the Club Kids, a group known for outrageous fashion, excess, and a nightlife built on spectacle and drugs. But behind the glitter and chaos was a darker reality. In 1996, Alig and his associates murdered fellow club kid and drug dealer Angel Melendez, a crime that would expose the violence, paranoia, and moral decay beneath the surface of the scene.

In this episode, we trace Alig’s...

Today’s Extra Credit is stacked with some of the most unhinged stories we’ve covered in a while. We kick things off by talking about Wade Wilson, also known as the “Deadpool Killer”, and his dramatic change in appearance. For those who were disturbingly drawn to him for his looks, the glow down may be hard to ignore, even if the crimes never should have been. Next, we turn our attention to Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic athlete turned alleged drug kingpin. After his arrest in Mexico, Wedding is now in the United States awaiting trial. As of this...

In the final part of our series on Hadden Clark, the story moves out of the shadows and into the public eye. This episode follows Clark’s arrest and the investigation that finally brought his crimes to light. After the murder of a woman whose mother believed Hadden deserved a second chance, investigators knew they could not afford to let him walk free again. What followed was a long and frustrating investigation. Clark was deliberately uncooperative, evasive, and often openly obnoxious, doing everything he could to derail the process. But eventually, the persona known as “Kristen” emerged, and with it cam...

In Episode 185, we begin a new series on Hadden Clark, a man known to many as the cross-dressing cannibal. As we always do, we start at the beginning. This first chapter focuses on Clark’s parents, his family lineage, and the environment that shaped his early life. Hadden was one of four siblings, and he would not be the only one in the family to find himself on a very dark path. On the surface, his upbringing appeared stable, even respectable. But beneath that polished exterior was a household marked by dysfunction, secrecy, and deeply troubling dynamics. Clark’s stor...

We start with the upcoming documentary on Wade Wilson, a murderer known for his violence against women who, unbelievably, still has online fangirls. From there, we move into the recent death of Mr. Doyle, the man best known for his citizen’s arrest of serial killer Charles Ng. Charlotte then dives into the bizarre case of Jonathan Christian Gerlach, a modern day “Igor” accused of grave robbing and facing hundreds of charges connected to stolen human remains. Dina follows with a story that feels like it could only come out of Florida. Susan Avalon has allegedly shot and killed two ex...

In this week’s episode, we travel back to the 1920s, a time of speakeasies, jazz, and newspaper headlines has jaws dropping everyday. At the centre of one of New York's most sensational stories was Ruth Snyder, a suburban housewife whose plan to be rid of her husband set off a chain of events that would shock the public and change crime reporting forever. We walk through Ruth’s marriage to Albert Snyder, the sordid affair with corset salesman Henry Judd Gray, and the clumsy murder plot that spiralled into front-page scandal. And of course, we couldn't talk about this...

2025 gave us parole hearings, prison drama, escape attempts, and one very notorious Canadian’s demise. This week we recap the biggest case updates of the year and where they stand now.

We start with the Menendez brothers and the latest developments in their parole hearings. We then revisit Brian Kohberger, whose case has concluded and who is now serving his sentence, and we talk about life behind bars so far. We discuss the shocking allegations that Victoria Goodwin plotted to have her husband, Aaron Goodwin of Ghost Adventures, murdered by hiring a hitman. We also touch on Yo...

This week’s Extra Credit episode covers a wide range of recent and unsettling cases. We begin with the shocking murders of director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, and the early details that have emerged in what has become a deeply tragic family case. Next, we discuss the disappearance of a young English man in the remote mountains of Romania, a case that remains unresolved and continues to raise questions. Dina then breaks down a nearly perfect bank heist that fell apart when someone snitched, and we talk about a frightening incident aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 87 af...

On Christmas Eve in 2008, Bruce Pardo arrived at his ex wife’s family holiday gathering in Covina, California, wearing a custom tailored Santa suit. What followed was a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of nine people before Pardo took his own life. In this episode, we walk through the events of that night, the warning signs leading up to the attack, and the devastating impact it left behind. It is a deeply disturbing case, and a reminder of how quickly celebration can turn into tragedy.

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This week we had the opportunity to sit down with Krissi Atkisson, the daughter of unsolved murder victim Wilma June Nissen. Krissi shares what it has been like to live with unanswered questions, and the long, often frustrating process of trying to get clarity from law enforcement. We talk about the experts she has reached out to, the independent research she has undertaken, and the tireless effort she continues to put into seeking justice for her mother. We are incredibly grateful to Krissi for taking the time to speak with us so openly about her mother’s case, and we...

This week’s Extra Credit opens with an in-depth discussion on the Canadian moose, an unexpectedly educational start that you are welcome to skip ahead about five minutes if you want to jump straight into the true crime.

We begin with an update on Ryan Wedding, a name longtime listeners may recognize. Since we last covered him, he has managed to climb even further in the criminal world, and not in a way anyone should be proud of. From there, we discuss the recent escape of Morgan Geyser, known for the Slender Man stabbing case, after she fl...

This week we dive into one of Scotland’s most notorious and unsettling legends, the story of Sawney Bean and his cannibal clan. For centuries, this tale has haunted the coastline, weaving together stories of murder, treachery, and a hidden family said to have lived in the darkness of a seaside cave for decades. We explore the origins of the Bean family legend, the historical context that shaped it, the theories, and why the name Sawney Bean continues to linger in Scottish folklore. As Dina says in the episode, if this crazy family was real, they make The Bloody Be...

In April of 1981, a quiet cabin in Keddie, California became the scene of one of the most disturbing and perplexing unsolved cases in American history. What began as a brutal quadruple homicide quickly spiraled into a decades-long mystery filled with conflicting statements, overlooked and missing evidence, and more questions than answers. In today’s episode, we break down everything we know about the Keddie Cabin Murders and the theories that have surrounded this case for over 40 years. We were also lucky enough to have James Dawson of The Manson Archives, offer some fascinating insight into the case. We’ll be s...

Video games, true crime, psychics, and scholastic book fair nostalgia. We want to know what games you guy are playing lately; Dina is back into Fallout 4 (again) and Charlotte is playing Borderlands 2 (again). We also get into several true crime stories, including a serial killer case out of Massachusetts, a cold case involving two missing sisters who were identified and found alive after 36 years, and a man discovered buried in his basement after disappearing decades earlier. That leads us into a strange case from Germany that sent police on a wild goose chase for a supposed criminal mastermind and...

Today we are covering a decades old unsolved case that was brought to us by the daughter of the victim, Wilma June Nissen. Wilma disappeared in 1978, and for years she remained unidentified. It was not until 2006 that her name was finally restored, yet we still have no answers about what happened to her or who is responsible.

In this episode, we walk through the known timeline of Wilma’s life, the discovery of her remains, the long process that finally led to her identification, and the many unanswered questions that continue to hang over this case. It is...

We have reached the final part of our series on Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen. We cover his last victims, his move into the flat at Cranley Gardens, and how his own method of disposing of bodies finally exposed the truth and led to his arrest.

The trial that followed was controversial for a number of reasons and Dennis certainly didn't calm down after sentencing. He had many strange and eventful years in prison, and would eventually meet his own end there. It is a disturbing end to a deeply unsettling case only made slightly better by...

This week, we’re talking Charles Manson and the gang once more, with some fascinating insight from our friend James Dawson from The Manson Archives. Charlotte brings us the old timey story of American outlaw “Black Jack” Ketchum, whose hanging went horribly wrong at the hands of an inexperienced executioner. Dina covers the case of a parrot who helped crack a murder in a way only a parrot could, and we also touch on a new update in the Madeleine McCann case after a woman claiming to be the missing child appeared in court for stalking the McCanns. As always...

We’re back with Part Two of our series on Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen, and things are only getting darker. In this episode, we begin discussing his first murders and the disturbing ways his behaviour began to escalate. Nilsen was unlike most serial killers in one very unexpected respect; he didn’t actually enjoy killing his victims. We explore why that was, and how his warped sense of control and obsession drove his actions to even more gruesome extremes.

Quite frankly he made our skin crawl in part one and this episode doesn’t let that feelin...

We’re kicking off a new series on Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen. Also known as “The Kindly Killer,” Nilsen’s story is as unsettling as it is fascinating and this series is going to get particularly weird and gruesome as we go along.

In Part One, we’re not yet diving into the murders themselves, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t strange already. From his isolated childhood to his time in the army and his complicated relationship with identity and loneliness, the groundwork for what’s to come is already deeply disturbing. Oh and we should warn y...

We are little under the weather this week, so bear with both of us as we’ve apparently caught the plague, but that’s not stopping us from diving into some true crime updates and Grim news.

We’re talking about the recent sentencing of the man who killed Robert Pickton in prison, as well as the latest decision to overturn Patricia Krenwinkel’s parole once again. We also chat about a surprising medical story involving a child performing brain surgery, and a few other strange and fascinating updates that crossed our feeds while we were battling The Blac...

We are little under the weather this week, so bear with both of us as we’ve apparently caught the plague, but that’s not stopping us from diving into some true crime updates and Grim news.

We’re talking about the recent sentencing of the man who killed Robert Pickton in prison, as well as the latest decision to overturn Patricia Krenwinkel’s parole once again. We also chat about a surprising medical story involving a child performing brain surgery, and a few other strange and fascinating updates that crossed our feeds while we were battling The Blac...

We are back with one of our favourite types of episode; Grim Encounters! We absolutely love when people send us in their own scary stories and today's tales did not disappoint. We have some haunted locations, some strange happenings at camp, a situation that our listener did not get paid enough to stand around and check out, and Dina even shares her own paranormal and scary experiences at the end! SO, grab a blankie and your hot cocoa, we're telling tales around the campfire.

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This week on Extra Credit, we’re diving into your reactions to our Ivan Milat series — and our Australian listeners had some fascinating insights to share. We also chat about the recent sentencing of P. Diddy, a major breakthrough in the decades-old Austin, Texas Yogurt Shop case, and a shocking story involving a 95-year-old woman now facing serious charges in New York.

Charlotte brings a bit of light to the chaos with the crowning of 32 Chunk — the official champion of Fat Bear Week 2025! But things get weird again when Dina covers a Florida man’s unbelievable story that has...

This week on The Grim Curriculum, we’re wrapping up our deep dive into one of Australia’s most infamous serial killers — Ivan Milat. In our final part, we follow the investigation that finally brought him down and the shocking evidence uncovered along the way. We also take a look at his bizarre antics behind bars, his death, and how even now, decades later, new and unsolved cases continue to be linked to his name.

We’re done with Ivan for now — but as more connections and developments continue to surface, we’ll be sure to keep you updated...

This week on The Grim Curriculum, we continue our series on Australia’s Backpacker Killer, Ivan Milat. In Part 2, we focus on his victims — young travelers whose lives were cut short in the most brutal ways. By this point, Ivan is single again, having gone through a divorce with his wife Karen and a breakup with his brother’s partner Marilyn, and his isolation only seemed to fuel his rage. From puzzling disappearances to the harrowing discoveries made in the Australian bush up until 1993, these cases reveal the true scope of Milat’s violence. Join us as we trace the time...

This week on The Grim Curriculum, we’re kicking off a brand-new series on one of Australia’s most infamous serial killers — Ivan Milat. In this first episode, we dive into his brutal and toxic family history, his chaotic childhood as one of 14 children, and the early warning signs that hinted at the darkness ahead. To truly understand what Milat became, we believe it’s crucial to examine the gritty details of his upbringing — and that’s exactly where we start.

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This week on Extra Credit, we’re diving into a shocking update connected to Pee Wee Gaskins. You remember Pee Wee, right? We covered him waaaay back in episodes six and seven. From there, we explore a case of medical malpractice involving a surgeon with an unsettling fetish, plus a disturbing foot fetish incident — unrelated to the medical malpractice case (shocking, we know). We also cover the arrest of a cult leader right here in Canada, and the release of a murderer tied to the infamous satanic panic era. And of course, we wrap things up with a strange and...

This week on The Grim Curriculum, we’re diving into one of the most chilling hauntings ever reported — the case of the Smurl family. Beginning in the 1970s, Jack and Janet Smurl claimed their Pennsylvania duplex was plagued by violent and terrifying paranormal activity. Their story eventually drew the attention of famed investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, sparking intense media coverage, public debate, and decades of fascination. We’ll explore the Smurl family’s experiences, the Warrens’ involvement, and its connection to the ever-growing Conjuring universe.

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This week on The Grim Curriculum, we’re exploring the chilling "old timey" true crime case of Daisy de Melker, South Africa’s infamous “Black Widow.” Born in 1886, Daisy’s life seemed ordinary at first but behind her string of marriages and inheritances lurked a far darker tale. From the suspicious deaths of her husbands to the tragic fate of her son, investigators uncovered a pattern of poisonings that shocked the nation.

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It's Extra Credit time again, and we’re diving into another round of bizarre and fascinating stories. From a bear breaking into a California ice cream shop, to the ongoing parole hearings of the Menendez brothers, and Brian Kohberger's bad times in prison, there's plenty to unpack. We’ll also look at a dangerously misguided “catch a predator” vigilante scheme in Alberta, the curious case of Anna Delvey’s photo shoot mishap, and for this week’s Strange and Unusual Death — the tragic and bizarre tale of a cheese factory accident in where else but Italy.

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This week on The Grim Curriculum, we’re diving into one of the strangest medical hoaxes in history — the case of Mary Toft. In 1726, this woman from Surrey, England, shocked the medical world with her claim that she had given birth to rabbits. Was she a cunning manipulator, a victim of her circumstances, or something in between? Join us as we unravel the bizarre twists of this story that baffled doctors, fascinated the public, and became one of the most infamous hoaxes of the 18th century. Plus, this week’s episode was completely new to Charlotte, but it checks all th...