Ad-Free New Episodes

US$6.99/mo or US$49.99/yr after trial

Morbid

It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Morbid ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

  1. 2 HR AGO

    The 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks (Part 1)

    When Stephen Spielberg released his iconic film Jaws in the summer of 1975, he not only kicked off the phenomenon of the summer blockbuster, but also reignited the public’s fascination with and fear of shark attacks. Although based on a book of the same name, that novel was itself heavily influenced on several real-life events from the past, including one particular summer on the Jersey Shore. In the early twentieth-century, most Americans didn’t think much about sharks or the other potentially dangerous fish and animals that lived in the ocean. In fact, the majority of Americans don’t live in coastal areas and probably didn’t know there were differences between species. That all changed in the summer of 1916, when a loan shark killed four people and critically injured one person in the waters along the Jersey Shore. More than merely accidental bites, the attacks seemed almost intentional, leading to the widespread belief that a man-eater was stalking the waters of the northeastern state.  In the century that has passed since, the Jersey Shore shark attacks have fueled Americans imaginations and nightmares, leading to widely celebrated novels and films about sharks, but also contributing to serious misunderstandings about sharks and their behavior, often with terrible consequences. Recommendations in this Episode Listen to Laughing in the Dark an 'Are You Afraid of the Dark' Rewatch Podcast with @mikie_sirois & Dave (@thatqueerwolf) (in addition to Bryan and Aileen!)  Grab SIGNED EDITIONS of The Butcher Legacy from Barnes & Noble before they run out! References Asbury Park Press. 1916. "Bathers need have no fear of sharks." Asbury Park Press, July 5: 11. —. 1916. "Governor urges safeguards such as Asbury Park has." Asbury Park Press, July 13: 1. —. 1916. "Nets and armed motorboat patrol to protect bathers." Asbury Park Press, July 7: 1. —. 1916. "Shak driven from city bathing ground." Asbury Park Press, July 8: 1. Capuzzo, Micahel. 2001. Close to Shore: A True Story of Terror in An Age of Innocence. New York, NY: Broadway Books. Central New Jersey Home News. 1916. "Man and two boys fall victims to new raid of shark in Matawan Creek." Central New Jersey Home News, July 13: 1. Florida Museum of Natural History. 2024. Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary. Accessed July 30, 2025. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/. Morning Call. 14916. "Swimmer mangled by shark at sea dies in two hours." Morning Call (Paterson, NJ), July 4: 7. New York Times. 1916. "Human bones found in shark's stomach." New York Times, July 16: 5. —. 1916. "Many hunt sharks." New York Times, July 9: 3. —. 1916. "Many see sharks, but all get away." New York Times, July 14: 1. —. 1916. "Shark guards out at beach resorts." New York Times, July 8: 18. The Times. 1916. "Creek yields body of boy shark slew." The Times (Trenton, NJ), July 14: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    59 min
  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Murder of Olga Kupczyk (Part 2)

    In November 1958, Frank Duncan’s pregnant wife, Olga Kupczyk, disappeared without a trace from their Santa Barbara home after enduring months of abusive treatment from her mother-in-law. A short time later, Frank’s marriage was inexplicably annulled after his mother, posing as Olga, showed up at the local courthouse with a man she’d hired to pose as her son, Frank. One month later, in mid-December, investigators in the small coastal town of Carpinteria, California, were directed to the location of Olga’s body in a shallow grave, after one of her killers confessed to kidnapping and murdering her the previous month. The arrest of Augustine Baldonado and his accomplice, Luis Moya, solved the mystery of what happened to Olga, but when it came to the motive for the murder, the truth was more shocking than anyone had expected. References Associated Press. 1959. "Mrs. Duncan shouts 'liar' at friend in court." Modesto Bee, March 1: 2. Blake, Gene. 1958. "Body of missing bride unearthed." Los Angeles Times, December 22: 1. —. 1959. "Find Mrs. Duncan guilty of murder." Los Angeles Times, March 17: 1. —. 1959. "Mrs. Duncan held sane, faces death." Los Angeles Times, March 25: 1. —. 1959. "Mrs. Duncan tried to hire her to kill, carhop says." Los Angeles Times, February 25: 2. —. 1959. "Mrs. Duncan's son weeps when death story is told." Los Angeles Times, February 27: 2. Hertel, Howard, and Paul Weeks. 1962. "Mrs. Duncan dies with 2 conspirators." Los Angeles Times, August 9: 1. Holt, Bob. 1959. "Frank Duncan in court outburst as D.A. Gustafson questions mother." Ventura County Star, March 5: 1. —. 1959. "Jury out 4 hours, 51 min. debating fateful verdict in murder-for-hire case." Ventura County Star, March 17: 1. —. 1959. "Mrs. Duncan testifies in own defense; admits 'plot' to break up marriage." Ventura County Star, March 4: 1. Larkin, Deborah Holt. 2022. A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. Los Angeles Times. 1958. "Body of missing wife pointed out." Los Angeles Times, December 22: 1. Martinez, Arlene. 2013. "Love, scandal and murder: Ventura County case drew national attention." Ventura County Star, June 30: 2013. Renner, Joan. 2013. "Mother-in-law knows murdwer: The tragic death of Olga Kupczyk." Los Angeles Magazine, June 17. The People of California v. Elizabeth Ann Duncan. 1960. 6490 (California Appeals Court, March 11). Ventura County Star. 1958. "Grand jury set for murder case." Ventura County Star, December 23: 1. Welsh, Nick. 2022. Elizabeth Duncan: The Last Woman Executed in California. October 13. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.independent.com/2022/10/12/elizabeth-duncan-last-woman-executed-california-history/. Williams, Brad. 1958. "Mother-in-law in jail on charge of fake annulment." Los Angeles Times, December 16: 1. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    45 min
  3. 23 FEB

    Melissa Ann Shepard: The Internet Black Widow

    In the news cycle, an elderly woman attempting to poison her husband would have garnered a pretty small amount of attention from the press, then faded away when a larger story came along. But it didn’t take long for the press to learn that the poisoning of Melissa Ann Shepard's new husband wasn't  the first time she had been suspected or convicted of attempted murder. In fact, Melissa Ann Shepard had a criminal history in two countries that went back decades, including many crimes that were very similar to the one she had just perpetrated only with a much worse outcome. Recommendations Follow @itsmartymiller on TikTok   References As It Happens. 2016. Victim questions release of notorious Internet Black Widow. March 16. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.3492260/victim-questions-release-of-notorious-internet-black-widow-she-ll-never-change-1.3492579. Associated Press. 2005. "'Black Widow' pleads guilty." Kingston Whig-Standard, March 15: 2005. Canadian Press. 2013. "'Black Widow' pleads guilty to drugging husband's coffee days after wedding." Globe and Mail, June 11. —. 2016. "Internet black widow off the hook." Hamilton Spectator, December 23: 10. —. 2013. "'Black Widow' gets 3 1/2 years for drugging husband." Toronto Star, June 12. —. 2013. "Alleged victim of 'Black Widow' holds no ill will as trial set to start." Windsor Star, June 7: 35. 2012. The Fifth Estate: The Widow's Web. Television. Directed by CBC News. Performed by CBC News. Elash, Anita. 2012. Police were asked to warn husband of 'Internet Black Widow'. October 5. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/police-were-asked-to-warn-husband-of-internet-black-widow-1.1163836. L'Heureux, Catie. 2016. "The real-life Gone Girl is 80, and terrifying." The Cut, April 13. McMahon, Tamsin. 2005. "Robert Friedrich was alive and well, then he met this woman." Kingston Whig-Standard, April 9: 1. O'Connor, Joe. 2012. "Romancing the 'Black Widow' ." National Post, October 3: 1. Sherren, Reg. 2013. "Internet Black Widow 'will do it again,' says former husband." CBC News, September 16. Starnes, Richard. 2005. "'Black widow' arrested in Florida." Ottawa Citizen, January 13: 7. Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 1m

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Ad-Free New Episodes

US$6.99/mo or US$49.99/yr after trial

About

It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Morbid ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

More From SiriusXM Podcasts

You Might Also Like