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The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
  • 4.8 (109)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Weekly

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people. Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: 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 celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment. New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.

  1. Marilyn Monroe: Dark History of How Hollywood Built and Broke an Icon

    4d ago

    Marilyn Monroe: Dark History of How Hollywood Built and Broke an Icon

    Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognisable women who has ever lived, but the version the world fell in love with was, in many ways, built in a studio. Today, we trace how Marilyn Monroe emerged from Norma Jean’s unstable and abusive childhood to become the Hollywood icon everyone thinks they know. We follow her early modelling career, her studio-made voice, and the blonde bombshell image she spent years trying to outrun. But there is a darker side to this story too: the marriages, the power struggles, and the myths that shaped her final years. Marilyn Monroe’s story is what happens when public fantasy grows far bigger than the woman forced to carry it. Topics Include norma jean’s childhood, foster homes, and abuse how marilyn monroe was made by hollywood the breathy voice, the bombshell image, and studio control joe dimaggio, arthur miller, and public fascination jfk, conspiracy theories, and the final unraveling Resources and Further Reading Marilyn Monroe - Encyclopaedia Britannica Marilyn Monroe - FBI Vault Marilyn’s Method - The Criterion Collection Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon We’re Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. 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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 51m
  2. Zodiac Killer: Unsolved Mysteries, Ciphers and the Dark History of the Hunt

    May 26

    Zodiac Killer: Unsolved Mysteries, Ciphers and the Dark History of the Hunt

    The Zodiac Killer did not just murder people; he turned the case into a public game of fear, symbols, letters and unsolved ciphers. This episode follows the Zodiac Killer from the first lovers’ lane attacks in Northern California to the murder of taxi driver Paul Stine, tracing how a string of true crime cases became one of America’s most enduring unsolved mysteries. We unpack the Zodiac Killer murders, the taunting newspaper letters, the coded messages, the Z340 cipher, surviving witnesses, and the strange public performance that made the case feel bigger than the crimes themselves. We also look at the suspects and theories that have kept the case alive, including Arthur Leigh Allen, Lake Berryessa, Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, and the haunting question of why the Zodiac Killer was never caught. This is dark history, historical true crime, real life mysteries and true crime stories at their most unnerving: a serial killer podcast deep dive into what really happened, what remains unknown, and why the hunt still fascinates listeners decades later. Topics Include  zodiac killer murders zodiac killer letters and ciphers z340 cipher and the unsolved codes arthur leigh allen and other suspects why the zodiac killer was never caught Resources and Further Reading  The Zodiac Killer Part 01 - FBI Vault The Zodiac Killer Part 02 - FBI Vault Zodiac Killer - Wikipedia Who Is the Zodiac Killer? - Biography The Solution 340-Character Cipher - Wolfram Blog Host & Show Info  Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music:Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action  Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon We’re Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. 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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 24m
  3. Genie Wiley: Dark History of the Child Hidden From the Whole World

    May 24 • Subscribers Only

    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

    1h 25m
  4. John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Case and the Dark History Behind It

    May 19

    John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Case and the Dark History Behind It

    John Wayne Gacy was never just the killer clown; he was a trusted local man hiding sexual violence, murder, and years of missed warnings in plain sight. Today we explore the real story of John Wayne Gacy, starting with 15-year-old Robert Piest’s disappearance and the police work that finally broke the case open. We trace Gacy’s public image as a contractor, community figure, and Pogo the Clown, then follow the darker pattern behind the headlines: earlier assaults, parole failures, ignored red flags, victims lured into danger, and the horrifying crawl space discoveries beneath his house. Rather than treating John Wayne Gacy as a simple monster-myth, we ask what really happened, why the killer clown label became so sticky, and how a man with such a visible life kept offending for so long. It is a dark history episode for listeners drawn to true crime stories, true crime cases, famous trials, serial killer podcast deep dives, and strange true stories about the people who hide in plain sight.   Topics Inclued  robert piest and the disappearance that broke the case the truth behind the killer clown myth john wayne gacy’s double life and public image police failures, parole failures, and missed warnings the crawl space discoveries, confessions, and trial Resources and Further Reading  John Wayne Gacy - Encyclopaedia Britannica John Wayne Gacy's Artwork - Encyclopaedia Britannica John Wayne Gacy - FBI Vault John Wayne Gacy - Biography.com John Wayne Gacy: A Timeline  - Biography.com Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes - Netflix John Wayne Gacy - 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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 34m
  5. Room 1046: A Kansas City Hotel Murder and One of True Crime’s Unsolved Mysteries

    May 12

    Room 1046: A Kansas City Hotel Murder and One of True Crime’s Unsolved Mysteries

    A man checks into the President Hotel under a false name — and Room 1046 becomes a locked-door nightmare. The death of the man known as Roland T. Owen remains one of the strangest true crime stories of 1930s Kansas City. Behind the name was a deeper mystery: Artemis Ogletree, a false identity, a hotel room filled with unanswered questions, and a cast of names that still feel like pieces from a puzzle no one has ever fully solved. This historical true crime episode follows the eerie Room 1046 case through the President Hotel, the Kansas City murder investigation, the mystery letters, and the people connected to the story, including Eugene K. Scott, Mary Soptic, Don Kelso and the elusive “Louise”. Was Room 1046 the scene of a planned hotel murder, a meeting gone wrong, or something even stranger? For listeners drawn to unsolved mysteries, real life mysteries, cold case podcast stories and dark history, this is a chilling look at how one hotel room became a lasting legend. Room 1046 is not just a murder case. It is a strange history of aliases, silence, fear and unanswered questions that still refuses to stay buried. Topics Include The President Hotel in Kansas City in January 1935 Roland T. Owen and the false identity trail The note to Don and the name Louise The attack inside room 1046 Artemis Ogletree and the letters sent after death Why the Room 1046 case remains unsolved Resources and Further Reading Murder of Artemus Ogletree - Wikipedia The Creepy Murder In Room 1046 - Youtube The Man Who Locked Himself In - Criminal The Owens Case - Kansas City Mag   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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 18m
  6. Nepal Royal Massacre: A Dark History of Prophecy, Power and Palace Killings

    May 5

    Nepal Royal Massacre: A Dark History of Prophecy, Power and Palace Killings

    A royal dinner becomes a bloodbath, a prince lies in a coma, and the Nepal Royal Massacre turns a dynasty into one of modern history’s most disturbing mysteries. This dark history episode follows the Nepal Royal Massacre from the Shah dynasty prophecy and the “tenth generation” curse to Crown Prince Dipendra’s blocked relationship with Devyani Rana, royal astrology, status, and the marriage politics simmering inside the palace. On 1 June 2001, a family gathering in Kathmandu ended with King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and much of Nepal’s royal family dead — and with an official account that many Nepalis struggled to believe. We trace the palace massacre, the early “accident” cover story, Dipendra being crowned king while in a coma, Gyanendra’s succession, the Kathmandu riots, and the conspiracy theories that still cling to the case. For listeners of true crime stories, royal scandals, real life mysteries and strange true stories, the Nepal Royal Massacre is a chilling collision of love, power, prophecy, public distrust and historical true crime. Topics Include:  The Shah dynasty prophecy and the “tenth generation” curse Crown Prince Dipendra and Devyani Rana Royal astrology, status, and marriage politics The June 2001 family gathering inside the palace The massacre, the “accident” cover story, and Dipendra’s coma Succession, outrage, and the conspiracy theories that followed Resources and Further Reading  Nepalese royal massacre - Wikipedia A royal massacre - ABC Massacre at the Palace - by Jonathan Gregson Nepal Royal Family Massacre - Zero Hour Documentry Host & Show Info  Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music:Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action  Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon Certified Freaks: Submit your job Descriptions Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. 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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 12m
  7. Michael Jackson Allegations Part 2: Famous Trials, Settlements and the Legacy War

    Apr 28

    Michael Jackson Allegations Part 2: Famous Trials, Settlements and the Legacy War

    Fame, money, media frenzy and courtroom drama collide in the Michael Jackson allegations — a story still argued over decades later. The Michael Jackson allegations remain among pop culture’s most disputed true crime stories: a tangled history of accusations, denial, civil settlement, tabloid obsession and legal uncertainty. This episode follows Jordan Chandler and the first allegations, the 1993 civil settlement and why it settled so little in the public mind, Martin Bashir’s documentary, Neverland, the Gavin Arvizo case, and the 2005 trial that ended in Michael Jackson’s full acquittal. We also examine Leaving Neverland, the legacy war that followed, and the difficult question at the centre of famous trials, celebrity scandals and media scandals: how do people judge a global icon when the evidence, the money, the power dynamics and the public narratives all pull in different directions? For listeners interested in pop culture scandals, real life mysteries, historical true crime and true crime stories handled with care, the Michael Jackson allegations are less a simple verdict than a cultural fault line — one that continues to shape how we talk about fame, accusers, doubt, belief and legacy. Topics Include  jordan chandler and the first allegations the civil settlement and why it settled nothing martin bashir, neverland, and gavin arvizo the 2005 trial and full acquittal leaving neverland and the legacy war Resources and Further Reading  Michael Jackson - Encyclopaedia Britannica Pop Star Michael Jackson Not Guilty of Child Molestation - PBS NewsHour Michael Jackson Acquitted of Child Molestation Charges - ABC News Michael Jackson’s Trials and Tribulations - ABC News Michael Jackson Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A Timeline - Rolling Stone 10 Undeniable Facts About the Michael Jackson Sexual Abuse Allegations - Vanity Fair Neverland's Lost Boys - Vanity Fair Michael Jackson's Legacy Under Microscope in New Sex Abuse Film - Reuters Leaving Neverland - Netflix 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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 36m
  8. Michael Jackson Part 1: A Dark History of Fame, Motown and the King of Pop

    Apr 21

    Michael Jackson Part 1: A Dark History of Fame, Motown and the King of Pop

    Michael Jackson became the King of Pop before he was ever allowed to be ordinary. This episode traces Michael Jackson from the Jackson 5 and Motown to Off the Wall, Thriller, MTV, the moonwalk and Neverland, following the talent, pressure and isolation behind one of music’s most famous lives. We begin with Joe Jackson, childhood pressure and the Jackson family home, then follow the breakout voice that made the Jackson 5 a Motown phenomenon. From there, the story moves through Off the Wall, Thriller, Billie Jean and the moonwalk, as Michael becomes a global icon and one of modern culture’s defining historical figures. But this is also a dark history of image, control and fame: the Pepsi burn, changing public perceptions, Neverland Ranch, and the first Jordan Chandler allegations that mark the moment everything turns. For listeners of biography podcasts, music scandals, pop culture scandals, hidden histories and strange true stories, Michael Jackson’s rise is dazzling, uncomfortable and impossible to separate from what came next. Topics Include  Joe Jackson, childhood pressure, and the Jackson family home The Jackson 5, Motown, and Michael’s breakout voice Off the Wall, Thriller, MTV, and the moonwalk The Pepsi burn, image changes, and Neverland Jordan Chandler and the moment everything turns Resources and Further Reading  Michael Jackson - Encyclopaedia Britannica The Jackson 5 - Motown Museum Michael Jackson - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Pepsi fire left Michael Jackson in pain - Los Angeles Times Host & Show Info  Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music:Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action  Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon We’re Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. 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 PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare 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.

    1h 18m
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
109 Ratings

About

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people. Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: 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 celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment. New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.

Information

  • Creator
    Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    151
  • 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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