The Grim Curriculum

We’re back with even more cryptids you may not have heard of, but probably won’t forget. In this unofficial part two of our lesser known cryptid series (see Episode 149 for Part 1), we dive into the murky waters and wild folklore surrounding Mokele Mbembe, the NASA Gargoyle, the Mapinguari, and the absolutely baffling Trunko. From dinosaur sightings in the Congo to mysterious monsters crashing space missions (maybe), we’re talking all things strange, sketchy, and slightly squishy.

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In 1804, fear of a ghost roaming Hammersmith’s streets led to a fatal mistake. A man was shot dead, and the case raised legal questions that still matter today.

This is the true story of the Hammersmith Ghost murder. 👻⚖️

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In the final part of our series on Fred and Rose West, we cover the final crimes at 25 Cromwell Street and how it all began to unravel. Thanks in large part to the determined work of DC Hazel Savage, the truth finally came to light. We walk through their arrest, Fred’s death in custody, Rose’s trial, and what became of her in the years that followed.

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In this Extra Credit episode, we’re covering a range of stories that caught our attention this week. We have an update about the sentencing of Victoria Goodwin, who tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband, Aaron Goodwin, of Ghost Adventures Fame. We also look at the case of Grant Harden, a former police chief convicted of murder and other just as heinous crimes, who escaped prison with help from a corrections officer, and a much lighter story about an inmate in Sweden who snuck out of prison to go to the dentist...and came back. We wr...

In Part 2 of our series on Fred and Rose West, we delve deeper into their twisted partnership and the horrors that took place inside 25 Cromwell Street, the so-called "boarding house of horrors." We explore how the couple lured their victims, often trolling local bus-stops, the escalating violence, and how one of their living victims came incredibly close to burning it all down herself.

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This is the first episode of our series on Fred and Rose West and we're diving right in. This is one of the most disturbing and haunting cases in British true crime history. Fred and Rose weren’t just serial killers, they were a couple who committed their crimes together, turning their family home into a house of horrors.

In part one, we are going back to the start; looking at Fred’s troubled past and rough upbringing as well as Rose’s own deeply dysfunctional childhood, and how the two came together to form a relationship built...

We are exploring some more true stories that are stranger than fiction, real-life horror plots, the ethics behind the Harvard morgue scandal, and the risks of snowboarding Everest. We also dig into a game-changing dinosaur discovery, the twisted tale of the Casanova Killer and his recent execution, and the ultra-rare old timey case of death by meteorite.

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In part two of our series on Richard Chase, we examine the tragic outcome of his untreated mental illness and escalating behavior. Over the course of just one month in early 1978, Chase took the lives of six random people in a series of deeply troubling acts. Thankfully, community members and law enforcement were able to come together to find the monster responsible for these heinous acts. In our opinion, to call Richard Chase a human being feels like an insult to humanity. His actions were so horrifying, so devoid of empathy or reason, that he can only be described...

Before he became known as the “Vampire of Sacramento,” Richard Chase was a young man showing clear signs of severe mental illness and violent tendencies. We are starting this series tracing his early life; from a dysfunctional home and troubling teenage behavior, including animal cruelty and substance abuse, to his eventual diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. As his delusions worsened, believing he didn't have enough blood and that his organs and bones were disappearing, Chase cycled through psychiatric institutions but was repeatedly released with little follow-up. A mix of personal decline and systemic failures laid the groundwork for one of the...

In this episode, Dina takes us through three unusual cases where methamphetamines and animals intersect in ways you truly wouldn't expect. One involves a cannon, another a raccoon, and the third features a cheeky corgi. You can guess for yourselves (or just listen to the episode, silly) which cases involve the meth. These stories highlight the bizarre consequences of drug use and questionable decisions.

Charlotte brings two stories that have us looking up to the skies, starting with news about the descent of the failed Soviet lander Kosmos 482 back to Earth, followed by the tragic 2005 crash of...

We thought it was time for a UFO story and we are taking a wild ride into one of the most famous alien abduction stories out there: The Case of Travis Walton. Back in 1975, Travis vanished from an Arizona forest while working with a logging crew, only to reappear five days later with a bizarre tale of being taken aboard a UFO. We break down what happened, the crew's polygraphs, public reaction, and why this case still has people debating decades later.

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In this episode, we dive into the heartbreaking and deeply disturbing case of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who drowned her five children in a bathtub in 2001. We explore the events leading up to that tragic day, including her struggles with severe postpartum mental illness, and examine how the legal system handled one of the most shocking maternal filicide cases in American history.

**Editor note: apologies for the audio quality. We were trying something new. Will dial it in for next episode!

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This week, the title says it all... more or less. We’re not sure how we feel about Scott Peterson getting help from The Innocence Project, but we are definitely curious to see how it all plays out. Then, we throw it back to 1907 with the case of Bertha Beronda, the "old-timey Lorena Bobbitt," who made headlines after attacking her husband with a razor. We also cover the troubling discovery of eight bodies on the East Coast, raising fears of a potential serial killer or serial killers. And finally, we talk about the Las Vegas veterinarian who went viral fo...

After years of targeting young women, we watched Edmund Kemper’s story take a shocking turn when he murdered his own mother, Clarnell, and her friend, Sara Hallett. Ed staged it to look like a burglary gone wrong and fled to Colorado.

Feeling the pressure, Kemper tried to turn himself in by calling the police multiple times, but at first, they did not believe him. Only after he insisted to an officer he knew personally, did they finally take his confession seriously. At trial, Ed pleaded insanity, but he was found sane and sentenced to life in pr...

Before the murder of his mother, Clarnell, Edmund Kemper targeted female college students in the Santa Cruz area. Between 1972 and early 1973, he murdered six young women, most of whom he picked up while they were hitchhiking.

Kemper used his size, calm demeanor, and articulate speech to appear non-threatening. Once the victims were in his car, he killed them—often through strangulation or shooting. Afterward, he engaged in acts of necrophilia and dismembered their bodies, disposing of the remains in various locations throughout the region. All the while, he went unsuspected by anyone.

Come ha...

From the latest Titanic documentaries to the science behind bringing extinct animals back to life (yep, we’re talking about the dire wolf!). We also get into some more intense true crime stories, including a heartbreaking murder committed by a 13-year-old girl in the UK. Things take a really cool turn when we talk about legendary forensic artist Lois Gibson, who’s helped crack over 1,266 cases. And of course, we couldn’t resist wrapping up with the bizarre mystery of spontaneous human combustion.

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We told you we had BIG plans for episode 150. To kick off, we’re diving into the early life of Edmund Emil Kemper III. Long before the headlines and the horrifying crimes, there was a kid growing up in a deeply dysfunctional home. From a rocky relationship with his overbearing mother to some seriously disturbing behavior as a child, Kemper’s story raises big questions about what really shapes a killer.

We talk a lot on this show about nature versus nurture, and honestly with Ed, it feels like an especially unlucky mix of both. We are unpa...

This week, we’re taking a break from our usual gruesome true crime tales to explore the weirder side of the unexplained! We've talked about many well known cryptids before but what about some of the lesser-known (and seriously bizarre) creatures out there, like the Underwater Abominable Snowman, the Dover Demon, the Snallygaster, and the Pope Lick Monster? From spooky sightings to downright strange backstories, these critters have some wild legends behind them.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

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It’s our 50th episode of Extra Credit and it's also our THIRD birthday! Not to mention we are just a couple of episodes away from 150 of The Grim Curriculum regular show. To celebrate, we’re diving into a mix of the strange, the shocking, and the downright bizarre (Let's be honest, this is really nothing new). We chat about Yolanda Saldívar’s denied parole (yep, she’s still behind bars for Selena’s murder), and a wild hitman plot straight out of Alberta. Plus, we take a deep dive (badum-tisss) into a recent tragic submarine accident in the Red Sea...

In this final part of our Ed Gein series, we dive into the disturbing discoveries made inside his "home of horrors" and follow the investigation that ultimately led to his arrest. We break down the details of his trial and explore the eerie legacy he left behind. We examine the impact Gein’s crimes had on society and still have, which is why his story continues to grip the public decades later.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

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Things are unraveling fast for Ed Gein. With his entire family gone, most notably his domineering mother, Augusta, there’s no one left to rein in his descent into madness. And descend he does. In this episode, we explore the dark path Ed takes without his mother’s oppressive presence to keep him “on the straight and narrow.” His mental and physical state deteriorate rapidly, and before long, the quiet town of Plainfield begins to notice something isn’t quite right. As locals joke with Ed about strange rumors, they have no idea just how disturbingly honest his answers really are...

This week Dina dives into the recent story of a man’s harrowing escape from allegedly horrific conditions at the hands of his stepmother. Plus, South Carolina has carried out its first firing squad execution in 15 years, reigniting debate around capital punishment.

But don't worry, it’s not all heavy. We’re lightening things up with some fascinating bird-related language trivia (Charlotte says the F word a lot) and a surprising list of people who can trace their lineage back to key figures from the Salem witch trials.

And for our Patreon beauties, we’re taste-te...

This episode kicks off our series on American murderer and grave robber Ed Gein. We delve into his troubled childhood and disturbing family life, discussing how his strict, overbearing mother, a deeply religious woman obsessed with sin and punishment, shaped his warped perception of the world. Isolation and an upbringing in an extremely dysfunctional household proved to be a toxic combination.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com

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We love ghosts around here and we especially love a haunted house but what about an entire haunted town? Well as it turns out the globe is riddled with haunted towns, cities and even islands. So today we ask you to join with us (mentally) on a trip to travel all over the planet to some of our favourite haunted destinations.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com

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For the video of this episode, chec...

Dina kicks things off this episode with her account of a truly eerie experience at a sketchy "estate sale" that felt ripped straight from a horror movie. We also break down the latest updates in the Menendez brothers’ case and how a newly appointed Los Angeles County DA is likely going to make their fight for freedom a lot harder.

The seemingly suspicious death of legendary actor Gene Hackman, and a potential breakthrough in the Jack the Ripper mystery also have us scratching our heads.

Of course we wrap every episode of Extra Credit up wi...

We are delving into one of history’s most bizarre and chilling true crime cases—the story of Carl Tanzler, a man whose creepy fixation led to a shocking crime. When 22 year old Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos succumbed to tuberculosis in 1931, Tanzler’s obsession took an even more disturbing turn. What followed was a ghastly tale of a crime so unsettling it defied comprehension.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com

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In this episode, we dive into the complex phenomenon of Hybristophilia—the attraction to criminals, particularly those who have committed heinous acts. Through case studies of infamous figures like Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez, we explore the psychological motivations behind this fascination, the allure of danger, and the often tragic consequences of such relationships. We also examine the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, the delusions that can accompany these attractions, and the societal implications of romanticizing violent offenders.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

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We've got ancient Roman tax fraud and why it's significant, A tragic story involving a very bad trip that ended in violence. Worry not though because we will bring you back up with the heartwarming story of Pelorus Jack.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com

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We have another Old Timey Hollywood case for you today. In 1922, Clara Phillips, known as the 'Tiger Woman,' was convicted of a shocking crime fueled by jealousy. Believing her husband was unfaithful, she lured and attacked 19 year old widow, Alberta Meadows. Her case became one of the most infamous true crime stories of the era, often being compared to other prolific Hollywood cases, The Black Dahlia murder and Winnie Ruth Judd.

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.co...

It was about time we flipped the script again and told your stories on the show! We have some potential paranormal encounters, a near miss with a mountain lion and an unexpected run in with a car jacker and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Enjoy!

(and remember you're a Womble)

Tell YOUR stories on the next episode of Grim Encounters!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com

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This edition of Extra credit includes a Florida woman caught with a very ironic tote bag, the disturbing courtroom behavior of convicted murderer, David Nish, and concludes with the tragic tale of a monkey named Jocko.

Enjoy!

We are hoping to do another Grim Encounters episode where we tell YOUR stories, very soon!

Email us your strange, unusual or hair-raising experience to ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com

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The Ariel School UFO incident occurred on September 16, 1994, near Ruwa, Zimbabwe, when 62 schoolchildren at the Ariel School reported seeing a UFO and strange beings. The children, aged 6 to 12, claimed a disc-shaped craft landed in a field near their school during morning break. They described humanoid figures with large eyes and black clothing who allegedly communicated telepathically, conveying messages about environmental concerns and humanity's behavior.

We are hoping to do another Grim Encounter Episode where we tell YOUR stories very soon!

Email us your spooky experience to us at ⁠thegrimcurriculum@gmail.com⁠

In Episodes 124 and 125, we delved into the story of Slenderman, and now Dina brings us an update on the infamous Slenderman Stabbing case. Can you imagine someone declining to have their death sentence commuted? Believe it or not, two individuals have opted to remain on Death Row—at least for now.

We also explore the chilling tale of the Malm Whale, a gruesome example of old-time taxidermy that’s still around today.

As always, we wrap up the episode with our "Strange and Unusual Death" segment, where you will find Charlotte ranting about Segways. It won...

Topsy the Elephant is one of the more tragic figures in history, remembered for her death in 1903, which involved an early and controversial use of electricity.

Topsy was executed on January 4, 1903. Her execution was part of a highly publicized event that was attended by spectators and filmed by the Edison Manufacturing Company. The short film, Electrocuting an Elephant, became one of the earliest examples of animal cruelty captured on film.

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Over the years, numerous individuals have been suspected of committing this horrendous crime—some backed by compelling evidence, others even confessing to the act. Yet, the mystery of who is truly responsible for the death of JonBenét Ramsey remains unsolved.

In this episode, we delve into the most popular theories surrounding this case, examining the suspects, the evidence, and the lingering questions.

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Do...

Happy New Year Everyone!

In this episode, we bring you a true crime update with the sentencing of Richard Allen. Don't worry—we’ve kept things fairly lighthearted for most of the show! We share some New Year’s reflections, talk about the games we’ve been enjoying over the holiday season, and dive into a couple of bizarre animal stories—one involving murderous ground squirrels. Plus, our Strange and Unusual Death segment features an incident with falling bears.

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We've been wanting to cover this case for a long time. In part one we dive into the chilling and unsolved murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, whose body was discovered in her family’s Boulder, Colorado home on December 26, 1996. Her death sparked national intrigue and outrage. A suspicious ransom note, mishandled evidence, and conflicting theories has led to decades of speculation: Was it an intruder, or could her family have been involved? Despite advances in DNA testing and years of investigation, the case remains unsolved, leaving haunting questions about what really happened that fateful night.

F...

We go from shocking, to funny and then onto tragic in this episode. Starting out with a semi-recent true crime case from South Korea. We also take a closer look at the controversial proposal to turn Jonestown into a tourist destination, share some lighthearted Christmas mishaps, and highlight the remarkable and wholesome story of the world’s oldest known wild bird. To close as always, we examine a strange and unusual death from the early 1900s.

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This week we are hopping into the Old Timey Crimey Machine to explore the bizarre and darkly humorous story of Michael Malloy, a man who survived numerous attempts on his life by a group of desperate men during the Great Depression. Despite the conspirators' relentless efforts to kill him, by poisoning, hypothermia and running him over, they would ultimately make him into a legend and get very little out of the whole scheme for themselves.

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In this very special episode of The Grim Curriculum, we interview filmmaker Billie Mintz and Manson historian James Dawson about the documentary 'Making Manson.' We explore the complexities of Charles Manson's narrative, the impact of mental health on his actions, and the differing perspectives of those involved in the case.

We highly recommend watching the documentary if you have the chance!

https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/making-manson/7556181585896322112

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We...