Beyond the Ferns

Susie Winn
  • 4.5 (24)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Beyond the Ferns is a true crime, paranormal, and all things spooky podcast. Each episode is built upon meticulous research and immersive storytelling—bringing you in-depth details you didn’t even know you needed... until now. No episode is complete without some comedic relief, Y'ALL ...he did what?!?!?, and hot takes. At the heart of it all is a commitment to preserving the humanity behind person's story. Victims and survivors are not reduced to headlines—they are given a face, a name, and a legacy. Through a justice-centered lens, Beyond the Ferns sheds light on cases that have gone cold, gives voice to those who no longer have one, and works to uncover the deeper understanding behind each story.

  1. 4D AGO

    70. Life and Crimes of Serial Killer Belle Gunness Part II - Indiana's Black Widow

    This week, we are staying in Indiana to finish out Belle Gunness' horrifyingly shocking legacy! After arriving in La Porte, Indiana, Belle Gunness seemed determined to build the kind of life she had always wanted—land, financial security, and control. To neighbors, she appeared hardworking and capable, running her farm with a steady hand while raising children and welcoming a steady stream of hired men, visitors, and suitors through her doors. But beneath the surface, strange patterns began to emerge. Farmhands disappeared without much explanation. Men who arrived carrying savings or dreams of a new life were suddenly gone, often with Belle calmly offering a reason no one could fully verify. As the years passed, rumors around the farm grew harder to ignore. Belle continued expanding her property and finances, even as tragedy seemed to follow closely behind her. Fires, sudden deaths, missing people, and whispered suspicions became woven into the story surrounding the isolated farmhouse on McClung Road. Then, in the spring of 1908, everything changed when a devastating fire tore through the property in the middle of the night—leaving behind a scene so horrifying that it would turn the quiet Indiana farm into one of the most infamous crime scenes in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m

  2. MAY 4

    69. Life and Crimes of Belle Gunness Part I - Indiana's Black Widow

    This week, we are headed to Indiana! Belle Gunness didn’t just chase a better life—she seemed to study where money followed misfortune, and then quietly position herself in its path. Born as Brynhild Paulsdatter Størseth in rural Norway in 1859, she grew up in poverty, where survival meant hard work and very little security. But when she immigrated to the United States in the 1880s, something shifted. In Chicago, she moved from domestic labor into a life that, on the surface, looked ordinary—marriage, children, a modest home. Underneath it, though, patterns began to form. Fires. Insurance policies. Sudden deaths that came with payouts. Her first husband, Mads Sorenson, died under circumstances that raised concern and all pointed back to Belle. But it wouldn't end or even begin with Mads. Each time, the money came through. And each time, Belle moved forward—never collapsing under grief for long, but instead using those moments to rebuild, often bigger than before. By the time she relocated to a farm in La Porte, Indiana, her methods seemed more deliberate. She placed personal ads, attracting men—often immigrants like herself—who arrived with cash, property, or the promise of both. Many were never seen again. Neighbors noticed the steady flow of visitors, and the silence that followed. Belle wasn’t impulsive. If anything, she appeared calculated—someone who understood systems like insurance, property ownership, and trust, and found ways to exploit them. Whether through arson, suspected poisoning, or manipulation, money was often at the center of what followed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min

  3. APR 27

    68. The Mathis Family Murders "The Mysterious Masked Intruder"

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    1h 6m

  4. APR 21

    67. The Murder of Janet March - "The Story He Told"

    In this week's episode, we are headed to Tennessee! On the surface, Janet March seemed to have built a beautiful life. She was an artist, a mother of two, and living in an affluent area of Nashville with her husband, successful attorney Perry March. Perry was intelligent, ambitious, and by many accounts, difficult to be around. He had built a reputation as a sharp attorney, but behind the scenes, cracks had already started to form in both his career and his marriage. By the summer of 1996, Janet and Perry’s relationship was unraveling. The couple fought often, there were rumors of infidelity, and Janet had begun talking seriously about divorce. Then, in August, Janet suddenly vanished. Days passed before she was officially reported missing, and by the time investigators began looking into what happened, precious time had already been lost. What followed was a case filled with strange behavior, mounting suspicions, years of legal battles, and a man who seemed more focused on controlling the story than finding his missing wife. In this episode, we look at who Janet was before she became a headline, the warning signs in her marriage, and the long road investigators took to uncover the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 22m

  5. APR 13

    66. The Unsolved Murder of Nona Dirksmeyer - And Still, He Walks Free

    In this week's episode, we are headed to Arkansas! In 2005, in the quiet college town of Russellville, AR, 19-year-old Nona Dirksmeyer was found brutally murdered inside her off-campus apartment. A student at Arkansas Tech University, Nona was known for her easygoing nature and close relationships— a talented woman who was crowned beauty pageant queen at Miss Jean Petit. In the earliest moments of the investigation, attention turned quickly to someone close to her—her boyfriend, Kevin Jones. He had been one of the last known people to see her, and his account of what happened raised questions for investigators. After discovering Nona, Kevin’s behavior—emotional, frantic, and, at times, inconsistent—drew intense scrutiny. He was brought in for questioning and interrogated for hours, as investigators worked to reconcile his version of events with the physical scene they were trying to understand. Early on, it seemed as though the case might center around him. But as the investigation continued, what initially appeared straightforward began to fracture. Evidence didn’t align as cleanly as expected. Certain assumptions were challenged. And questions started to surface—not just about what happened inside that apartment, but about whether the investigation itself was heading in the right direction. Kevin may have literal blood on his hand from rushing to Nona's side, but did he really do it? Over time, the case would shift in unexpected ways—introducing new angles, new individuals, and growing controversy over how key pieces of evidence were handled. Years later, the story of Nona Dirksmeyer remains one that lingers—not just because of the violence of that day, but because of everything that followed—and everything that still doesn’t quite fit. And there may be a person currently walking free, that many expect did this, but they can't quite prove it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 10m

  6. APR 6

    65. The Incomprehensible Murder of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind - "The Apartment Upstairs"

    In this week's episode, we are headed to North Dakota! Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind was a 22-year-old woman from Fargo who was eight months pregnant and preparing for a new chapter in her life. In August 2017, she vanished from her apartment complex after briefly going upstairs to help a neighbor with a simple request. When she didn’t return, concern quickly escalated into a desperate search led by her family and local authorities. As investigators worked to piece together her last known movements, the case began to unfold in unexpected ways, drawing in the surrounding community and capturing national attention. What initially seemed like a missing persons case soon revealed deeper, more troubling layers—raising questions about trust, vulnerability, and the hidden dangers that can exist in the most ordinary places. Savanna’s story is not only about the mystery of her disappearance, but also about the lasting impact her life and legacy have had—helping bring awareness to violence against Indigenous women and sparking conversations that continue today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 4m

  7. MAR 30

    64. The Mysterious Jack Cole Road & The Man that Vanished Into Thin Air

    On this week's episode, we are headed to the great state of Alabama! Tucked away in the quiet stretches of rural Alabama, Jack Cole Road doesn’t look like the kind of place that would carry a reputation. It’s just a narrow, winding road—lined with dense woods, long shadows, and the kind of stillness that seems to press in around you the deeper you go. But over the years, stories have gathered there. Strange lights flickering between the trees. Unexplained figures seen just off the roadside. Disappearances and speculation surrounding deaths. And then there’s the story of Orion Williamson. In 1854, on a seemingly ordinary day, Williamson was walking across his own farmland in Selma, Alabama—his wife and neighbors within sight—when something happened that has never been fully explained. He stepped forward… and simply vanished. No struggle. No sound. No trace left behind. A large search followed, combing through every inch of the land, but whatever happened to him left no answers. Nearly two centuries later, his disappearance still lingers as one of the strangest cases on record—often dismissed, debated, or quietly retold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min

  8. MAR 23

    63. Zach Bowen & The Murder of Addie Hall - Horror in the French Quarter

    In this week's episode, we are headed to New Orleans, LA! In the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when New Orleans was still struggling to find its footing, a volatile love story was quietly unraveling behind the doors of a French Quarter apartment. Addie Hall — a free-spirited bartender known for her magnetic personality and fiercely independent nature — had fallen into a passionate, often turbulent relationship with Iraq War veteran Zack Bowen. Together, they drifted through the strange, lawless days that followed the storm, forming a bond shaped by trauma, excess, and emotional instability. But by October 2006, what had once felt like survival-driven connection turned into something far more sinister. When police were called to the couple’s apartment on Governor Nicholls Street, they uncovered a crime scene so disturbing it would shock even seasoned investigators. Spray-painted messages, chilling notes, and the gruesome treatment of Addie’s body revealed a descent into psychological darkness that few could comprehend. The murder of Addie Hall remains one of New Orleans’ most haunting modern crimes — a case that raises unsettling questions about love, war, mental health, and the fragile line between devotion and destruction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 23m
See All (70)

4.5
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Beyond the Ferns is a true crime, paranormal, and all things spooky podcast. Each episode is built upon meticulous research and immersive storytelling—bringing you in-depth details you didn’t even know you needed... until now. No episode is complete without some comedic relief, Y'ALL ...he did what?!?!?, and hot takes. At the heart of it all is a commitment to preserving the humanity behind person's story. Victims and survivors are not reduced to headlines—they are given a face, a name, and a legacy. Through a justice-centered lens, Beyond the Ferns sheds light on cases that have gone cold, gives voice to those who no longer have one, and works to uncover the deeper understanding behind each story.

Information

  • Creator
    Susie Winn
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Beyond the Ferns
  • Show Website
    Beyond the Ferns

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