The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
  • 4.8 (119)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

Love strange true stories, true crime, dark history and real-life mysteries, but not ten-part series that turn listening into homework? The Compendium is a weekly documentary-style podcast that gives you one complete, thoroughly researched story from beginning to end in a single listen. Each week, Kyle Risi takes co-host Adam Cox inside one remarkable real-life story that Adam has not heard before. As Adam asks the questions you are thinking, Kyle unpacks the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?” From infamous crimes and forgotten history to cults, frauds, survival stories, celebrity scandals and remarkable people, the subject changes every week.

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  1. 2d ago • Subscribers Only

    Salem Witch Trials: The Dark History of America's Deadliest Witch Hunt

    In 1692, an enslaved woman named Tituba told a Salem courtroom that the Devil had come to her and bid her serve him. Her confession lit the fuse that would become known as the infamous Salem witch trials, the deadliest witch hunt in American history.  Within months, more than a third of Salem Village had been accused, imprisoned and were awaiting trial. Nineteen people were hanged. One man was pressed to death under stones for refusing to plead. And a four-year-old girl sat in custom-made shackles while her accusers watched. But this is not really a story about witches. It is a story about mass hysteria, and how a Puritan community primed by centuries of European witch hunting, religious paranoia and moral surveillance convinced itself to kill its own neighbours on the strength of spectral evidence: testimony that someone's ghost attacked you in the night. We trace the strange true story from Cotton Mather's witchcraft playbook to the witch cake, the Devil's book, the confessions that saved lives, and the moment the accusations reached the governor's wife and the whole thing collapsed. Plus the surprising link between Salem and our home town of Norwich. Topics Included what caused the Salem witch trials Tituba's confession and why it changed everything spectral evidence and why no alibi could save you the witch cake ritual and the first three accused the arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good Giles Corey's death by pressing and his final strategy how the accusations reached the governor's wife and ended the trials the 330-year fight to clear every victim's name the Norwich connection to Bridget Bishop

    Salem Witch Trials: The Dark History of America's Deadliest Witch Hunt

  2. 5d ago

    Princess Diana Part 1: The Royal Romance That Was Over Before It Began

    Princess Diana thought she was marrying into a fairytale. By the honeymoon, she had to send a memo just to have lunch with her own husband. This is Princess Diana before the icon, before the cameras, before the People's Princess the world thought it knew.  In Part 1 of our Princess Diana trilogy, we go right back to the beginning: a wealthy but emotionally cold childhood, parents locked in a bitter divorce, and a young Diana Spencer who grew up convinced she was never quite good enough.  We follow her into the strangest courtship imaginable, a handful of heavily chaperoned dates with Prince Charles, a royal “audition” she didn't know she was failing or passing, and an engagement agreed after the couple had met barely a dozen times.  From the first day, the cracks are there. The press hounds her relentlessly, the palace offers no support, and Camilla Parker Bowles never quite disappears. Behind the gloss of the 1981 royal wedding watched by 750 million people sits a lonely teenager, struggling with bulimia and the slow, dawning realisation that this was never going to be the love story she imagined.  A story of family, fame, royal scandals and the human cost of becoming a symbol.  This is where it all begins. Part 1 of 3.    Topics Include  Diana's emotionally cold childhood and her parents' bitter divorce The custody battle and the sense that she was a disappointment Diana's extraordinary, instinctive gift for empathy How Charles and Diana actually met — through her older sister Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles before the marriage The royal “audition” and the search for a suitable bride The whirlwind engagement after barely a dozen meetings The 1981 royal wedding and its hidden tensions Loneliness, bulimia and royal protocol on the honeymoon The discovery that reignited the Camilla affair Resources and Further Reading  Diana’s childhood and family background - Britannica Diana’s struggles with bulimia and mental health - Vogue Diana: Her True Story - In Her Own Words - by Andre Morton The Diana Chronicles - by Tina Brown Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Princess Diana Part 1: The Royal Romance That Was Over Before It Began

  3. Jul 14

    Genie Wiley: Dark History of the Child Hidden From the Whole World

    Genie Wiley was locked away for thirteen years, but rescue was only the beginning of one of psychology’s most haunting cases. This episode follows the story of Genie Wiley, a child kept in near-total isolation, deprived of language, movement, comfort and the outside world until she was discovered at thirteen. Her case became a landmark in debates around language acquisition, childhood development and the critical period hypothesis — but behind the research papers was a vulnerable girl who needed care, safety and time. We trace Genie Wiley’s childhood isolation and abuse, the Los Angeles welfare office discovery, and the scientists, linguists, psychologists and caregivers who became involved after her rescue. The case raises a deeply uncomfortable question: when does helping a child become studying her? And when does science start taking more than it gives? This is dark history, hidden histories and one of those strange true stories where the facts are already devastating enough. For listeners interested in psychology case studies, child neglect, developmental psychology, scientific ethics and what really happened after the headlines, Genie Wiley’s story remains as heartbreaking as it is important. Topics Include Genie Wiley’s childhood isolation and abuse The Los Angeles welfare office discovery The critical period hypothesis Language acquisition after childhood deprivation The scientists and caregivers who studied Genie The ethical line between care and research Resources and Further Reading Genie Wiley - Wikipedia The Mockingbird Don't Sing - IMDB Starved, tortured, forgotten: - The Guardian Wild Child Speechless After Tortured Life - ABC News Genie - Encyclopedia Britanica The Development of Language in Genie - UCLA Linguistics PDF Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Genie Wiley: Dark History of the Child Hidden From the Whole World

  4. Jul 7

    Somerton Man: The Mystery Given a Name After 70 Years

    A body on an Adelaide beach. A hidden scrap of paper. A mystery that seemed to end with a name, yet still refuses to feel solved. The Somerton Man case is one of Australia’s most enduring real life mysteries: an unidentified man found dead on Somerton Beach in 1948, no ID in his pockets, and a tiny hidden clue reading “Tamám Shud”. This episode follows the Somerton Man mystery through The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the alleged code, the mysterious nurse Jessica Thomson, poison rumours, Cold War spy theories and the decades of speculation that turned a lonely death into one of the world’s great unexplained mysteries. We also explore Derek Abbott’s DNA work and the breakthrough that may have finally identified the man as Carl Webb. But if the Somerton Man now has a name, why does the story still feel so unfinished? For listeners of a documentary podcast, history podcast, Australian true crime, cold case podcast stories and strange true stories, this is a case about what really happened, what evidence can answer, and what it cannot. It is part historical mystery, part forensic puzzle, and part dark history: a dead man on a beach, a literary clue in his pocket, and a final line that still sounds like a challenge — Tamám Shud. Topic Include the body found on Somerton Beach in 1948 the Tamám Shud clue and The Rubaiyat the Somerton Man code Jessica Thomson and the nurse connection Cold War spy theories and poison rumours Derek Abbott and the Carl Webb DNA breakthrough Resources and Further Reading Somerton Man identified  - ABC News Carl Webb The Somerton Man - ABC News Somerton Man photographs - ABC Australian Story Somerton Man - Wikipedia Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Somerton Man: The Mystery Given a Name After 70 Years

  5. Jun 30

    Bob Lazar: The Area 51 UFO Claim That Changed Everything

    Bob Lazar, Area 51, S-4 and Element 115 are concepts that all sit at the centre of one of the most famous UFO stories ever told — a claim that helped drag alien cover-up lore into the mainstream and turned Area 51 into modern conspiracy culture. Sounds wild, and the actual story will leave you questioning everything you know. Because in 1989, renowned investigative journalist George Knapp introduced America to a man claiming the US military was hiding alien spacecraft near Groom Lake. That man would later reveal himself as Bob Lazar. Today, we unpack Bob Lazar’s extraordinary claim that he worked at S-4 reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology, inside one of the most secretive military sites in America. He says had seen alien craft, watched test flights, and even encountered the mysterious Element 115 — the supposed fuel source behind the technology. But today we proof test his claims, we’ll trace the missing credentials, the FBI raids, the shifting evidence, and the question that still divides UFO culture decades later: was Bob Lazar telling the truth or was he selling a myth. Topics Include Bob Lazar and the 1989 George Knapp broadcast Area 51, Groom Lake and the secret S-4 facility Element 115 and alien propulsion claims The alleged flying saucers and “sport model” craft Lazar’s missing credentials and credibility questions UFO lore, government secrecy and public belief Resources and Further Reading Bob Lazar’s 1989 interview - 8 News Now Out There - Desert Companion / KNPR The Secret History of the U-2 - National Security Archive Area 51 and the Accidental Test Flight - CIA Moscovium - Royal Society of Chemistry Bob Lazar & Jeremy Corbell - The Joe Rogan Experience Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers - Netflix documentary page S4: The Bob Lazar Story - WANA Channel documentary page Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Bob Lazar: The Area 51 UFO Claim That Changed Everything

  6. Jun 28 ·  Bonus

    Anatoly Moskvin: The Russian Doll Maker Who Stole from the Dead

    A respected historian. A flat full of dolls. And a discovery that turned a cemetery investigation into something far darker. This bonus feed-swap episode is a special cross-promotion with our friends over at Fringe Beyond Limits, who bring us their take on Anatoly Moskvin, the Russian historian and linguist better known as the Doll Maker. In 2011, police investigating grave desecrations in Nizhny Novgorod searched Moskvin’s apartment and found what appeared to be life-sized dolls. They were, in fact, mummified remains taken from local cemeteries, dressed, arranged, and treated as if they were still alive. What makes the Anatoly Moskvin case so unsettling is not only the crime itself, but the belief system behind it: a fixation on cemeteries, burial rituals, resurrection, and the idea that the dead were calling out to be cared for. It is a strange true crime story about obsession, delusion, grief, and the uncomfortable line between punishment and psychiatric treatment. Topics Included Anatoly Moskvin and the Doll Maker case the 2011 Nizhny Novgorod grave desecration investigation the mummified bodies found inside Moskvin’s apartment Moskvin’s fascination with cemeteries and burial rituals the childhood story linked to his fixation on death the use of clothing, wigs, glass eyes, and music boxes the psychiatric evaluation and paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis the impact on victims’ families debates around justice, mental illness, and cemetery security Fringe Beyond Limits Hosts:  Frank, Brie and Lynette Website: https://fringebeyondlimits.com/ Listen on Spotify: Fringe Beyone Limits Listen on Apple: Fringe Beyons Limits Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Anatoly Moskvin: The Russian Doll Maker Who Stole from the Dead

  7. Jun 23

    DashCon 2014: The Failed Tumblr Convention and the Ball Pit Meme

    DashCon 2014 was supposed to be Tumblr’s great real-world fandom convention. Instead, it became one of the internet’s most infamous event disasters: a chaotic weekend of guest cancellations, volunteer confusion, a sudden $17,000 hotel panic, the Welcome to Night Vale fallout, and one tiny ball pit that became a meme so powerful it practically achieved sentience. Today we unpack how DashCon went from sincere community dream to public internet humiliation. We’ll trace the Tumblr culture that made the convention possible, the amateur planning and budget fantasy that made it unstable, and the disastrous decisions that turned a fandom gathering into a cautionary tale about what happens when online enthusiasm meets real-world logistics. Was DashCon a scam, a failure of good intentions, or simply catastrophic incompetence with a ball pit attached? Today, we dive into the failed Tumblr convention that became internet history. Topics Include tumblr culture before it spilled across the wider internet how dashcon went from fandom fantasy to real convention the $17,000 hotel panic and the welcome to night vale fallout why the ball pit became the meme that outlived the event the difference between bad intentions and catastrophic incompetence Resources and Further Reading DisasterCon: how a fan convention’s big dream became a nightmare - The Verge The inaugural DashCon 2014 did not go as planned - The Daily Dot DashCon organizers tell their side of the con disaster story - The Daily Dot DashCon - Fanlore The Story of Dashcon - Youtube (Sarah Z) The Failure of Dashcon - Youtube Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    DashCon 2014: The Failed Tumblr Convention and the Ball Pit Meme

  8. Jun 16

    Taylor Parker: Part 2, Reagan Hancock, Braxlynn Sage, and the Lie That Collapsed

    Taylor Parker had already been caught in one impossible lie: she claimed she had given birth on the side of a highway, but doctors quickly realised she had not been pregnant at all.  In Part 2 of the Taylor Parker case, we go behind the fake pregnancy and into the years of deception prosecutors said led to the murder of Reagan Hancock and the death of Braxlynn Sage. This is the part of the story where the scattered lies start to form a pattern: invented illnesses, fake inheritances, forged paperwork, spoofed phone calls, false identities, and a relationship with Wade Griffin built inside a world Taylor had manufactured around him.  Then the story moves into the crime scene, the investigation, and the Taylor Parker trial, where prosecutors argued this was not confusion, panic, or a tragic misunderstanding, but calculated deception carried to its most horrific conclusion. A restrained but deeply unsettling true crime story about fantasy, control, and the moment a lie becomes too dangerous to survive.      Topics Include  the Taylor Parker case part two the fake pregnancy and Wade Griffin deception forged paperwork, fake identities, and invented inheritances Reagan Hancock and the final escalation the foetal abduction of Braxlynn Sage Jessica Brookes’ discovery of the crime scene Taylor Parker’s changing explanations after arrest the trial evidence and death sentence jailhouse schemes and fake confession letters why Reagan and Braxlynn remain the centre of the story Resources and Further Reading  Parker v. State of Texas - Justia Taylor-Parker-Probable-Cause-Affidavit - Document Cloud Texas woman sentenced - CNN   Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Taylor Parker: Part 2, Reagan Hancock, Braxlynn Sage, and the Lie That Collapsed
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4.8
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119 Ratings

About

Love strange true stories, true crime, dark history and real-life mysteries, but not ten-part series that turn listening into homework? The Compendium is a weekly documentary-style podcast that gives you one complete, thoroughly researched story from beginning to end in a single listen. Each week, Kyle Risi takes co-host Adam Cox inside one remarkable real-life story that Adam has not heard before. As Adam asks the questions you are thinking, Kyle unpacks the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?” From infamous crimes and forgotten history to cults, frauds, survival stories, celebrity scandals and remarkable people, the subject changes every week.

Information

  • Creator
    Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    160
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
  • Show Website
    The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
  • Provider
    Kyle Risi

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