Highway to Hell

Monte Mader

Welcome to Highway to Hell, the unique crossroads where wanderlust meets mystery. Every episode, I take you on a journey to breathtaking destinations around the globe, unveiling not just the beauty of travel but the shadows that lurk behind the postcard-perfect views. From unsolved mysteries to infamous crimes, I explore the darker tales hidden within the world's most enchanting locales. So pack your curiosity, keep your wits about you, and join us as we dive deep into the thrilling intersection of travel and true crime. Your adventure into the unknown starts now.

  1. 15 HR AGO

    34. The Curious Case of Jon Benet

    A ransom note was found on the stairs of the Ramsey house on December 26, 1996. Patsy Ramsey quickly called police and reported that her daughter, JonBenét, was missing. The police treated it as a kidnapping since the three page ransom note demanded $118,000, the exact Christmas bonus, her father John had received. Police failed to secure the entire scene, failed to search the house thoroughly,but several hours later John Ramsey searched the house himself and found JonBenét’s body in a small basement room. She had suffered a severe skull fracture and had been strangled with a homemade garrote fashioned from a broken paintbrush handle and cord. An unusually long ransom note written in the families home, physical evidence from the family on her body, no sign of forced entry but also- no indications of prior abuse. Perhaps one of the strangest cold cases in US history. Sources Books Steve Thomas. JonBenét: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation. St. Martin’s Press, 2000. Lawrence Schiller. Perfect Murder, Perfect Town. HarperCollins, 1999. James Kolar. Foreign Faction. Ventus Publishing, 2012. Paula Woodward. We Have Your Daughter. Prospecta Press, 2016. Paula Woodward. Unsolved: The JonBenét Ramsey Murder 25 Years Later. City Point Press, 2021. Cyril Wecht & Greg Saitz. Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?. Onyx Books, 1998. Primary / Official Documents Boulder Police Department. Case reports, warrants, affidavits, and investigative summaries (1996–2000). Boulder County District Attorney’s Office. Grand jury proceedings and charging documents. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Forensic analysis support reports (DNA testing, handwriting analysis, behavioral science input). Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Laboratory reports and forensic testing records. Boulder County Coroner’s Office. Autopsy report of JonBenét Ramsey, December 27, 1996. Grand Jury Indictment (People v. John and Patricia Ramsey), 1999 (publicly released redacted indictment, 2013). Major Contemporary Journalism / Archives The Denver Post investigative coverage archive (1996–present). Rocky Mountain News historical coverage archive. The New York Times national reporting on the investigation and legal developments. CBS News case timeline and documentary reporting. ABC News investigative specials and interviews. Court TV trial analysis and case coverage (archived). Documentaries / Long-form Reporting (use cautiously but commonly cited) The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey. CBS. JonBenét Ramsey: What Really Happened?. ABC News. Dateline NBC special episodes on the case.

    1h 30m

  2. 2 FEB

    33. Quiver Over Care- The Story of Andrea Yates

    Andrea Yates, a Texas mother of five, drowned her children in a bathtub on June 20, 2001, shocking the nation. She immediately confessed to police and was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. Her medical history showed years of severe postpartum depression and psychosis, multiple hospitalizations, and suicide attempts. Doctors had warned her husband, Rusty Yates, that further pregnancies could worsen her condition and that she should not be left alone with the children. These warnings went unheeded. Rusty and Andrea adhered to a strict conservative Christian framework that emphasized traditional gender roles, homeschooling, and isolation from secular influences. Andrea gave up her nursing career to become a full-time mother, homeschooling all five children while managing household duties under increasing mental strain. A significant influence was evangelical street preacher Michael Woroniecki, whose writings and sermons the Yateses followed closely. Woroniecki preached that women must be submissive and that modern society was spiritually corrupt. He taught that mothers could lead their children to damnation by failing to follow God’s will. Andrea, in her delusional state, internalized these messages and believed her children were spiritually doomed. This religious pressure, combined with extreme isolation and untreated psychosis, shaped Andrea’s belief that killing her children was a way to save them from eternal suffering. Her statements after the killings reflected this belief, as she said she was trying to be a good mother and protect her children from Satan. Her case remains one of the most deeply tragic examples of how rigid religious ideology and untreated mental illness can collide. Sources: Texas v. Yates, 99-CR-2990 through 99-CR-2994, Harris County District Court, trial transcripts and court records, 2002.Texas v. Yates, retrial transcripts and court records, Harris County District Court, 2006.Yates v. State, 171 S.W.3d 215 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005), Texas Court of Appeals opinion overturning the first conviction.Resnick, Phillip J. “Filicide in the United States.” American Journal of Psychiatry, 126(3), 1969, 325–334.Resnick, Phillip J. expert testimony in State of Texas v. Andrea Yates, 2002 and 2006.Dietz, Park. expert testimony in State of Texas v. Andrea Yates, 2002.Spinelli, Margaret G. “Maternal Infanticide Associated With Mental Illness: Prevention and the Promise of Saved Lives.” American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(9), 2004.Friedman, Susan Hatters, and Deborah Hensel. “Child Murder by Mothers: A Critical Analysis of the Current State of Knowledge and a Research Agenda.” American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(9), 2005.Journal of Forensic Sciences. maternal filicide and postpartum psychosis (2000–2010 issues).National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Educational materials on postpartum mental illness and psychosis.Michael and Debi Woroniecki, Mission to the World ministries newsletters, sermons, and correspondence admitted to evidenceHassan, Steven. Combating Cult Mind Control. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 2015 edition.The New York Times. “Texas Mother Found Guilty in Drowning of Her Children.” 2002; and follow-up reporting Houston Chronicle. Brian Rogers and staff. Ongoing coverage of the Yates case, 2001–2006.The Washington Post. “Yates Conviction Overturned” and related trial coverage, 2005–2006.Los Angeles Times. “Depression, Religion and the Yates Family Tragedy,” 2002 investigative reporting.Associated Press. National wire service reports on the Yates arrests, trial, appeals, and retrial, 2001–2006.ABC News. 20/20. “The Andrea Yates Story” broadcast segments and transcripts.NBC News. Dateline NBC. Andrea Yates case episode and transcripts.A&E Network. The Crimes That Changed Us, Season 1, Episode “Andrea Yates,” Investigation Discovery. The Cult Behind the Killer, Andrea Yates Cummins, Eric. “Religion, Motherhood, and Mental Illness: The Andrea Yates Case.”

    1h 25m

  3. 27 JAN

    32. Skinwalkers & The Navajo Nation

    In this episode, we step into one of the most unsettling corners of American folklore: the legend of the skinwalker. Rooted in Navajo (Diné) tradition, the skinwalker—often called yee naaldlooshii, “with it, he goes on all fours”—is not a cryptid or campfire monster, but a deeply serious and taboo figure tied to witchcraft, shapeshifting, and the deliberate misuse of spiritual power. Medicine men who, in a search for power, violated the deepest laws of the Dine to hold that power. We explore the cultural origins of the story, what skinwalkers are believed to be within traditional belief systems, and how colonization, fear, and modern media distorted those teachings into horror mythology. From sacred law to whispered warnings, we trace how the legend moved from protected Indigenous knowledge into pop culture fascination—and why many Navajo people still refuse to discuss it openly. Then we shift into the modern era: Skinwalker Ranch, strange sightings across the Southwest, and firsthand accounts from ranchers, travelers, and locals who describe encounters they still can’t explain. The episode includes real stories—unsettling, personal experiences that blur the line between folklore, psychology, and the unknown. Then we end with a breathtaking road trip through the majesty of the Navajo nation. Listener discretion advised: discussions include disturbing imagery and intense personal encounters. Sources Blackhorse Lowe & Dustinn Craig (Diné filmmakers). Interviews and cultural commentary on Navajo witchcraft taboos and the dangers of public discussion/misrepresentation. Brugge, David. Navajos in the Catholic Church Records of New Mexico, 1694–1875. University of New Mexico Press. Denetdale, Jennifer Nez. Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita. University of Arizona Press. Hale, Berard. Origin Legends of the Navajo Night Chant. Yale University Press. Iverson, Peter. Diné: A History of the Navajos. University of New Mexico Press. Kluckhohn, Clyde. Navajo Witchcraft. Beacon Press. (Foundational anthropological study of witchcraft accusations, yee naaldlooshii beliefs, and social function of “skinwalker” narratives.) Luckert, Karl W. Navajo Mountain and Rainbow Bridge Religion. University of Utah Press. Matthews, Washington. Navajo Legends. American Folklore Society. Reichard, Gladys A. Navajo Religion: A Study of Symbolism. Princeton University Press. Schwarz, Maureen Trudelle. Molded in the Image of Changing Woman: Navajo Views on the Human Body and Personhood. University of Arizona Press. Witherspoon, Gary. Language and Art in the Navajo Universe. University of Michigan Press. Witherspoon, Gary. Navajo Kinship and Marriage. University of Chicago Press. (Helpful for understanding hózhó, balance, and why witchcraft is framed as social rupture.) Young, Robert W., and William Morgan. The Navajo Language: A Grammar and Colloquial Dictionary. University of New Mexico Press. (For correct terminology like yee naaldlooshii.) Skinwalker Ranch / modern paranormal claims (separate from traditional Diné belief) Kelleher, Colm A., and George Knapp. Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah. Paraview Pocket Books. Knapp, George, and Colm Kelleher. Skinwalkers at the Pentagon. Mystery Wire. Shermer, Michael. “The Utah UFO Ranch and the Problems with Paranormal Investigation.” Skeptic Magazine. Ziegler, Charles. “Folklore, UFO Mythmaking, and the Misappropriation of Indigenous Legend.” Journal of American Folklore.

    1h 32m

  4. 20 JAN

    31. West Memphis 3- Part 2

    The continuation of the West Memphis 3 case with a travel itinerary in Memphis!!! Want these episodes ad free? Subscribe to be a hellion at patreon.com/highwaytohellpodcast

    1h 15m

  5. 13 JAN

    30. West Memphis 3- Part 1

    Occasionally there's a story with so much to it and so much nuance, that we break it up into two pieces instead of making a three hour episode. So here is part one! On May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—were reported missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. Their bodies were discovered the next day in a drainage ditch in an area known as Robin Hood Hills. The boys had been beaten, bound, and mutilated. The brutality of the crime sparked community panic. Police quickly focused on three local teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr., largely because Echols was interested in heavy metal culture and wore black clothing during the height of the “Satanic Panic.” Misskelley, who had an IQ below average and was interrogated for hours without a parent or lawyer, gave a highly inconsistent confession that he later recanted. No physical evidence linked the teenagers to the murders. In 1994, the three were convicted—Misskelley and Baldwin received life sentences; Echols was sentenced to death. Over the next two decades, investigative journalists, forensic experts, and attorneys raised major concerns about coerced confessions, mishandled evidence, untested DNA, and alternate suspects. New DNA testing (2007–2011) found no genetic material connecting any of the West Memphis Three to the crime scene. With growing legal pressure, the defendants entered Alford pleas in 2011, allowing them to maintain innocence while accepting time served. They were released after 18 years in prison. The case remains controversial, with ongoing debate about wrongful conviction, police bias, and the influence of Satanic Panic on the investigation Legal Documents & Court Records Arkansas Supreme Court: Echols v. State (1996). Arkansas Supreme Court: Misskelley v. State (1996). Arkansas Supreme Court: Baldwin v. State (1996). West Memphis Police Department investigation files. DNA testing records submitted during 2007–2011 appeals. 2011 Alford Plea filings, Craighead County Circuit Court. Books & Scholarly Works Leveritt, Mara. Devil’s Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three. Baldwin, Jason; Echols, Damien; Misskelley Jr., Jessie. Life After Death (Echols memoir). Hobbs, Pamela. “The West Memphis Three: Media, Moral Panic, and the Politics of Fear.” Journal of Southern Studies. Burnett, Joe. The Case of the West Memphis Three: Wrongful Conviction and the American Justice System. Documentaries & Investigative Journalism Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011). West of Memphis (2012). Arkansas Times and Memphis Commercial Appeal investigative archives. Forensic & Expert Analyses Dr. Werner Spitz, forensic pathology evaluations (2007–2011). Dr. Michael Baden, forensic analysis on post-mortem animal predation vs. mutilation. FBI files and behavioral assessments (released through FOIA).

    1h 15m

  6. 6 JAN

    29. The Candyman- Houston, TX

    ⚠️ Content Warning:This episode contains discussion of extreme violence, sexual abuse, and the murder of minors. Listener discretion is strongly advised. This episode examines the crimes of Dean Corll who operated in early 1970s in Houston, Corll, later dubbed “The Candyman”, used manipulation, coercion, and the assistance of two teenage accomplices to abduct, torture, and murder dozens of boys and young men. We trace how Corll gained access to victims, the role his accomplices played, and how systemic failures—including ignored disappearances and marginalized victims—allowed the crimes to continue for years. The episode walks through the investigation that finally exposed the murders, the discovery of multiple burial sites, and the shocking moment when Corll’s killing spree ended not with arrest, but with his own death at the hands of an accomplice.

    1h 25m

  7. 30/12/2025

    28. Harm and Hauntings in East State Penitentiary

    Welcome to our new release schedule! Midnight every Tuesday (we'll explain more next episode about the schedule change) Want ad free episodes? Bonus content? Early access to merch? Become a Hellion for $5 a month on patreon at patreon.com/highwaytohellpodcast Opened in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most radical and influential prison in the world. Built on the belief that isolation and silence would inspire penitence, it pioneered the “Pennsylvania System” of solitary confinement—an approach that quickly drew international attention and criticism. In practice, prolonged isolation caused severe psychological harm, mental breakdowns, and suicide attempts. Overcrowding, brutality, and abandonment eventually replaced reform, even as the prison housed infamous inmates like Al Capone before closing its doors in 1971. Today, Eastern State stands as a decaying monument to failed penal philosophy—and one of the most notorious haunted locations in the United States. Guards, historians, and visitors have reported disembodied voices, echoing footsteps, shadow figures, cell doors slamming shut, and sudden waves of panic or despair. Paranormal activity is most frequently associated with Cellblock 12, Death Row, and the long-sealed isolation cells. This episode explores how extreme punishment, silence, and human suffering shaped Eastern State’s legacy—and why many believe the trauma embedded in its walls never truly faded. Sources Alexis de Tocqueville & Gustave de Beaumont, On the Penitentiary System in the United States American Philosophical Society — archival exhibits on early incarceration and youth prisoners Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation (1842) David J. Rothman, The Discovery of the Asylum Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site — official archives & institutional history Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site — Staff & Visitor Incident Reports Eastern State Penitentiary Preservation Coalition — 1990s restoration records Eastern State Penitentiary staff and guard incident reports — archived testimonies Eastern State preservation staff interviews (1990s–2000s) Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia — “Eastern State Penitentiary” Harry Elmer Barnes, The Evolution of Penology in Pennsylvania JSTOR — scholarly articles on prison discipline, solitary confinement, and the Pennsylvania System Library Company of Philadelphia — archival materials on prison discipline and the iron gag National Trust for Historic Preservation — Eastern State Penitentiary documentation Pennsylvania Department of Corrections — Annual Reports (19th–20th centuries) Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission records Rebecca McLennan, The Crisis of Imprisonment Scholarly discussions of “place memory” in carceral ruins Scholarly literature on solitary confinement and mental health referencing Eastern State as a case study The Philadelphia Inquirer — historical reporting and interviews related to Eastern State University of Delaware — Finding Aid: Eastern State Penitentiary Medical Log Books, 1840–1868 U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence on prison conditions and the Eighth Amendment WHYY — Philadelphia public media reporting on Eastern State history and paranormal accounts

    1h 15m

  8. 24/12/2025

    27. Missing & Murdered- Laci Peterson

    Christmas Eve release for a Christmas Eve crime! Thank you so much for the love and support from new Hellions who have become followers and subscribers! Follow us on IG at @highwaytohellpod Topic you want to hear? Highway@montemader.com On December 24, 2002, Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant, disappeared from her home in Modesto. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies in Scott Peterson’s statements and evidence of an extramarital affair. He told police he had gone fishing in San Francisco Bay the morning Laci vanished—where the remains of Laci and her unborn son, Conner, were discovered. In 2004, Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder for Laci and second-degree murder for Conner. Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was later reduced to life without the possibility of parole. Sources: 48 Hours investigative reporting on the case timeline, marina evidence, and trial strategy (CBS News, 2003–2004). ABC’s acquisition of taped phone calls between Amber Frey and Scott Peterson (entered as trial exhibits). ABC News / Good Morning America exclusive interviews with Amber Frey and investigators (2003–2004). Associated Press coverage of California Supreme Court ruling overturning death sentence (2020). Associated Press coverage of the trial, verdict, and sentencing (2004–2005). Autopsy reports (Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office), completed by Dr. Brian Peterson (sealed but publicly referenced in court). Berkeley Marina parking records (Dec. 24, 2002). California Attorney General, Respondent’s Briefs in People v. Peterson (Direct Appeal). Cell phone records subpoenaed from December 2002–January 2003 (used in timeline reconstruction). CNN coverage of investigation developments, body discovery, and trial timeline (2002–2004). Court TV daily trial coverage including direct summaries from courtroom transcripts (2004). Documented police inventories of evidence seized during arrest (vehicle contents). FBI Trace Evidence Laboratory notes on mitochondrial DNA testing of hair recovered from the pliers. Financial and property records documenting Peterson’s termination of lease, car sale, mail changes, and satellite cancellation. Frey, Amber. Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson (2005). GPS tracking logs and surveillance warrants issued January 2003 (Stanislaus County). Habeas corpus petitions filed by Scott Peterson (2005–present). KTVU, KRON, and Northern California regional broadcast reporting on discovery of remains at Point Isabel and Richmond shoreline (April 2003). Law review articles discussing People v. Peterson, circumstantial evidence standards, and California’s application of Witherspoon/Witt in jury selection. Los Angeles Innocence Project filings (2024–2025), including new-evidence submissions and requests for discovery. Los Angeles Times investigative coverage of the disappearance, search efforts, autopsy details, and trial testimony (2002–2004). Los Angeles Times reporting on Peterson appeals and developments (2005–2025). Modesto Bee continuous local reporting from Dec. 24, 2002 onward (search efforts, discovery of remains, hearings, trial, verdict, sentencing, appeals). Modesto Police Department missing person reports (Dec. 24–25, 2002). Modesto Police Department press releases (2002–2003), including “Relationship Verified in Peterson Case” (Jan. 24, 2003). NBC News reporting on the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision and subsequent resentencing. NOAA & USGS tidal and hydrology data used by state experts during trial testimony. People v. Peterson, 2020, California Supreme Court, S132449. San Francisco Chronicle reporting on searches in SF Bay, tidal modeling testimony, and body discovery (April 2003). San Francisco Chronicle courthouse reporting during jury deliberations and sentencing (2004). San Mateo County Superior Court, People v. Scott Peterson, trial transcripts (2004). Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office filings and responses in Scott Peterson post-conviction proceedings (2003–2025).

    1h 6m
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About

Welcome to Highway to Hell, the unique crossroads where wanderlust meets mystery. Every episode, I take you on a journey to breathtaking destinations around the globe, unveiling not just the beauty of travel but the shadows that lurk behind the postcard-perfect views. From unsolved mysteries to infamous crimes, I explore the darker tales hidden within the world's most enchanting locales. So pack your curiosity, keep your wits about you, and join us as we dive deep into the thrilling intersection of travel and true crime. Your adventure into the unknown starts now.

Information

  • Creator
    Monte Mader
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Monte Mader
  • Show Website
    Highway to Hell

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