Mugshot Mysteries

Kathryn and Gabriel
  • 5.0 (11)
  • TRUE CRIME

Putting mysteries in the lineup. True crime podcast investigating unsolved cases, cold cases, paranormal phenomena, and the stories that won't let you sleep. Hosts Kathryn and Gabriel dive deep into historical crimes, infamous outlaws, unexplained mysteries, and modern cases that divide America with the kind of dark humor and chemistry that makes hour-long deep dives fly by. From vintage mugshots to ghost ships, from exorcisms to healthcare scandals, from disappeared outlaws to haunted houses: if it's unsolved, unexplained, or unforgettable, we're putting it in the lineup. What we cover: True crime (historical and modern), cold cases, paranormal investigations, unsolved murders, conspiracy theories, forgotten criminals, and the mysteries that still haunt us. Expect thorough research, psychological analysis, skepticism mixed with curiosity, and two hosts who aren't afraid to disagree, joke, or go down rabbit holes together. Our vibe: Smart storytelling meets dark comedy. We take the cases seriously but not ourselves. Because sometimes the best way to examine a murder, a haunting, or a centuries-old mystery is with a partner who gets it...and isn't afraid to call you out when you start believing in ghost pirates. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. 5D AGO

    The Flatwoods Monster: The True Story of West Virginia's 1952 UFO Encounter

    September 12, 1952. Seven people climb a hill in Flatwoods, West Virginia after watching a red light streak across the sky. At the top, they encounter something ten feet tall with a spade-shaped head, glowing eyes, and a metallic body. They run in terror. Several begin vomiting. To understand what happened, you need to understand 1952 America. The Soviets had the bomb. Boys were dying in Korea. UFOs appeared on radar over Washington DC. Kathryn and Gabriel examine witness testimonies and Project Blue Book's barn owl conclusion. They investigate the unexplained chemical smell and what extreme fear does to visual processing. Then the twist. Gray Barker, who spread the story and invented Men in Black mythology, didn't believe in UFOs. Four months later, the CIA's Robertson Panel recommended debunking UFO reports to prevent mass hysteria. The Flatwoods Monster wasn't extraterrestrial. It was created from atomic age fears. SOURCES: Barker, Gray. "The Monster and the Saucer." Fate Magazine, January 1953. Barker, Gray. They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers. New York: University Books, 1956. Feschino Jr., Frank C. The Braxton County Monster: The Cover-Up of the Flatwoods Monster Revealed. Charleston, WV: Quarrier Press, 2004. Nickell, Joe. "The Flatwoods UFO Monster." Skeptical Inquirer 24, no. 6 (November/December 2000). Ruppelt, Edward J. The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1956. Robertson Panel Report. "Report of Meetings of Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects." CIA, January 14-18, 1953. Stewart, A. Lee Jr. "Visitors from Outer Space." Braxton Democrat, September 18, 1952. United States Air Force. Project Blue Book Case Files, Case #2020, September 12, 1952. LIFE Magazine. "Have We Visitors from Space?" April 7, 1952. Charleston Gazette newspaper coverage, September 13-30, 1952. Pittsburgh Press special report on Flatwoods incident, September 1952. CBS Television interview transcripts with Kathleen May and Eugene Lemon, September 1952. Korean War casualty records for Braxton County, West Virginia, 1950-1952. Churchill, Winston. "Sinews of Peace (Iron Curtain Speech)." Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, March 5, 1946. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QuSXZTo3Uo "Duck and Cover." Federal Civil Defense Administration, 1951. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9scNl9h4Q Samford, Maj. Gen. John A. "Statement on Flying Saucers." Press conference, Pentagon, Washington, DC, July 31, 1952. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MbGYAv7Cg DISCLAIMER: This podcast discusses the Cold War including nuclear weapons, the Red Scare, Korean War casualties, and theories involving mass psychogenic illness and government coverups. We present both skeptical and believer perspectives while emphasizing genuine witness trauma and 1950s American anxiety. The views and interpretations expressed are those o Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    52 min

  2. JAN 26

    The Mothman of Point Pleasant: The True Story Behind the Legend

    November 15, 1966. Two young couples encounter a seven-foot creature with glowing red eyes and ten-foot wings at an abandoned TNT plant in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Over the next thirteen months, more than one hundred witnesses report seeing the same impossible entity. Then, on December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapses during rush hour, killing forty-six people. The sightings stop. Was the Mothman a harbinger of disaster? A misidentified sandhill crane? Mass psychogenic illness consuming a stressed Cold War community? Or something that doesn't fit any category we have words for? Kathryn and Gabriel investigate the original witness testimonies, the strange Men in Black who visited journalist Mary Hyre's office, the telepathic alien Indrid Cold who stopped sewing machine salesman Woodrow Derenberger on Interstate 77, and the engineering failure that brought down America's deadliest bridge collapse. They examine theories from mass hysteria to interdimensional incursion, exploring why traumatized witnesses never recanted their stories and what it means that Point Pleasant transformed their terror into a annual festival. This episode covers the psychology of collective fear, Carl Jung's archetypal winged figures, stress corrosion cracking in eyebar suspension bridges, and why paranormal investigator John Keel arrived a skeptical journalist but left believing in ultraterrestrials. We discuss the two bodies never recovered from the Ohio River, the curse of Chief Cornstalk that never actually happened, and whether a twelve-foot stainless steel statue represents healing or exploitation of tragedy. SOURCES: Keel, John A. The Mothman Prophecies. New York: Tor Books, 1975. Sergent Jr., Donnie, and Jeff Wamsley. Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend. Point Pleasant, WV: Mothman Lives Publishing, 2002. Derenberger, Woodrow W., and Harold W. Hubbard. Visitor from Lanulos. New York: Vantage Press, 1971. National Transportation Safety Board. Collapse of U.S. 35 Highway Bridge, Point Pleasant, West Virginia, December 15, 1967. Highway Accident Report NTSB-HAR-71-1. Washington, DC: NTSB, 1971. Bartholomew, Robert E., and Hilary Evans. Panic Attacks: Media Manipulation and Mass Delusion. Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2004. Point Pleasant Register, November 16-December 31, 1966 (Mary Hyre columns and news coverage). Athens Messenger, November 1966-February 1970 (Mary Hyre's "Where the Waters Mingle" column). Huntington Herald-Dispatch, November 17, 1966 ("Bird, Plane, or Batman? Mason Countians Hunt 'Moth Man'"). FBI Case Files on Point Pleasant UFO and Mothman sightings, 1966-1967. DISCLAIMER: This podcast discusses a bridge collapse that killed forty-six people, psychological trauma experienced by witnesses, and theories involving mass psychogenic illness. While we approach the Mothman phenomenon with both skeptical and believer perspectives, we maintain respect for the victims of the Silver Bridge disaster and the genuine fear experienced by witnesses. Content includes references to Cold War anxiety, infrastructure Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    1 hr

  3. JAN 19

    Flannan Isles Lighthouse Mystery Scotland 1900: Three Keepers Vanished, Rogue Wave Theory, Supernatural Disappearance Unsolved

    Flannan Isles lighthouse keepers mystery Scotland December 1900. Three experienced keepers James Ducat, Thomas Marshall, and Donald MacArthur vanished without trace from Eilean Mor island in the Outer Hebrides. No bodies found. No distress signals. Just a stopped clock, an unlit lamp, and one missing oilskin coat. Official explanation: rogue wave swept them into the Atlantic. Locals say the island took them back. One of history's most disturbing unsolved maritime mysteries. THE CASE December 26, 1900. Relief keeper Joseph Moore arrives at Flannan Isles lighthouse twenty miles west of Isle of Lewis Scotland. The lighthouse is dark. He climbs 160 steps and finds it abandoned. Clock stopped. Lamp prepared but unlit. Two oilskin coats missing. Three keepers vanished. James Ducat was Principal Keeper, 44, 20+ years experience. Thomas Marshall was Second Assistant, 28. Donald MacArthur was Occasional Keeper, volatile temper. Last log entry December 13. Slate notes December 15 morning suggest they disappeared that afternoon. Superintendent Robert Muirhead investigated December 29. East side undamaged. West landing facing Atlantic showed catastrophic damage. Iron railings bent. Railway track ripped from concrete. Storage crate 110 feet above sea level destroyed. Something reached eleven stories high. Prevailing theory: rogue wave. Scientists dismissed these as myths until 1995 when Draupner platform recorded an 85 foot wave. Muirhead concluded keepers went to west landing to secure equipment. Rogue wave struck without warning, swept all three into the sea. One rushed out without his coat. Bodies never recovered. Flannan Isles were called Seven Hunters for centuries. Locals avoided staying overnight, calling them other country, believing they were guarded by Phantom of Seven Hunters. Shepherds performed rituals when visiting. When the lighthouse was built in 1899, locals opposed it, fearing disaster. For seventy years after until automation in 1971, keepers reported feeling watched, hearing voices in wind, footsteps on stairs, names being called. Ducat. Marshall. MacArthur. SOURCES Northern Lighthouse Board official investigation records and keeper registers, National Records of Scotland marine accident documentation, Superintendent Robert Muirhead official report December 29 1900, Relief Keeper Joseph Moore sworn testimony, Contemporary newspaper coverage Scotsman and Oban Times December 1900, Mike Dash Fortean Times investigative research debunking fabricated log entries, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson Flannan Isle poem 1912, Celtic folklore Seven Hunters mythology, Trinity House Smalls Lighthouse incident records 1801, Antarctic wintering isolation psychology research, Draupner E oil platform wave measurement data January 1995, Isle of Lewis Gaelic oral tradition accounts. WARNING: This episode contains discussion of death, drowning, isolation psychology, and maritime tragedy. DISCLAIMER: The Flannan Isles disappearance represents a real tragedy. While we explore supernatural theories, we maintain respect for James Ducat, Thomas Marshall, and Donald MacArthur. This e Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    44 min

  4. JAN 12

    Belle Gunness Female Serial Killer La Porte Indiana 1908: Hell's Belle Black Widow Lonely Hearts Murders, 40 Dead, Unsolved Mystery

    Belle Gunness La Porte Indiana 1908. America's first prolific female serial killer. A lonely hearts scammer who lured at least 40 men to her farm with promises of marriage, poisoned them, bashed their skulls with a meat cleaver, and buried them in her hog pen. Then her farmhouse burned down with a headless woman inside five inches too short and fifty pounds too light to be Belle. Did she die in that fire or escape with a suitcase full of cash? THE CASE Belle Gunness born Brynhild Paulsdatter Storset in Selbu Norway moved to Chicago in 1881 and married Mads Sorenson. Their confectionery store burned down, insurance payout. Their house burned down, insurance payout. Two children died in infancy, both insured. On July 30, 1900, Mads died on the one day his two life insurance policies overlapped. Belle collected $8,500 and bought a pig farm in La Porte Indiana. In 1902 she married Peter Gunness. Eight months later a sausage grinder fell off a shelf and crushed his skull. Another insurance payout. Starting in 1903, Belle placed personal ads in Norwegian newspapers: "Comely widow who owns a large farm desires to make acquaintance of gentleman equally well provided. Triflers need not apply." She lured wealthy bachelors to La Porte with promises of marriage. Andrew Helgelien arrived with $2,900 in January 1908. Gone the next day. Ole Budsberg, John Moe, George Berry, Henry Gurholt all disappeared after visiting with cash. On April 28, 1908, the farmhouse burned to the ground. Four bodies in the basement: three children and a headless woman. When Helgelien's brother Asle arrived demanding answers, they dug in the hog pen on May 3. They found Andrew in a burlap sack. Then eleven more complete sets of remains. Dismembered torsos, separated limbs. Thousands of tourists descended on La Porte to watch. America's first true crime tourism event. The headless woman was five inches shorter and fifty pounds lighter than Belle. Workers found Belle's false teeth in the rubble, pristine despite the fire. Farmhand Ray Lamphere confessed on his deathbed that Belle killed a woman as body double, drugged her children, set the fire, and escaped. In 1931, Esther Carlson was arrested in Los Angeles for poisoning elderly men. Two men who knew Belle identified Carlson's body as Belle Gunness. DNA testing in 2007 was inconclusive. SOURCES Harold Schechter "Hell's Princess" (2018), La Porte County Historical Society archives, Ray Lamphere trial testimony (1908), Andrew Helgelien letters, Chicago Tribune and La Porte Herald (1908), Esther Carlson files (1931), Stephen Nawrocki forensic report University of Indianapolis (2007), Norwegian immigration records, Insurance documents. WARNING: This episode contains discussion of serial murder, dismemberment, child death, poisoning, and domestic violence. DISCLAIMER: The Belle Gunness case represents real tragedies. While we approach this with dark humor as a coping mechanism, we acknowledge the victims deserved justice. This episode is based on historical records and academic research. We're Kathryn and Gabriel. We cover true crime, unsolved mysteries Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    49 min

  5. JAN 5

    The Hinterkaifeck Murders Germany 1922: Footprints in Snow, Killer in the Attic, 6 Dead - Unsolved True Crime

    Germany, 1922. Footprints in the snow leading to a farmhouse. None leading back. Someone walked out of the forest toward the Gruber family home and never left. Days later, all six people inside were murdered with their own farm tool. The killer stayed for days afterward, sleeping in their beds, eating their food, feeding their animals. This is the Hinterkaifeck murders, Germany's most disturbing unsolved case. THE CASE On March 31, 1922, six people were brutally killed at Hinterkaifeck, an isolated farm in Bavaria, Germany. Andreas Gruber (63), his wife Cäzilia (72), their daughter Viktoria (35), her children Cäzilia (7) and Josef (2), and the new maid Maria Baumgartner (44) were all murdered with a mattock. For weeks before the killings, the family reported strange occurrences: footprints in the snow with no return trail, missing keys, an unexplained newspaper, and footsteps in the attic. The previous maid had quit six months earlier, claiming the house was haunted. She was right about being watched, wrong about it being a ghost. Someone was living in their attic. After the murders, the killer stayed at the farm for at least three days, keeping the fire going, tending to the livestock, and sleeping in the master bedroom. Neighbors saw smoke from the chimney and a figure at the property. When bodies were finally discovered on April 4, the crime scene had been hopelessly contaminated. Over 100 suspects were questioned. The case was officially closed in 1955 but remains unsolved. In 2007, German police academy students identified a prime suspect but refused to name them publicly out of respect for living descendants. SOURCES Andrea Maria Schenkel, "Tannöd" (2006) - Fictionalized account based on case files; "Hinterkaifeck: The Most Horrific Unsolved Murder in German History" documentary (2014); Bavarian State Archives case files; Munich Police Department historical records; 2007 Fürstenfeldbruck Police Academy cold case analysis; Contemporary newspaper coverage from Münchner Neueste Nachrichten (1922); Bill James, "Popular Crime" (2011); Court records from 1922 incest trial; Testimony of Lorenz Schlittenbauer, Michael Pöll, Jakob Sigl; Inspector Georg Reingruber investigation reports; Autopsy reports by Johann Baptist Aumüller; Witness statements from Michael Plöckl and neighbors; "Hinterkaifeck: Germany's Most Mysterious Murder Case" play (1991). WARNING: This episode contains discussion of violence, murder, child victims, incest, and domestic abuse. DISCLAIMER: The Hinterkaifeck murders represent a real tragedy. While we approach this case with dark humor as a coping mechanism, we maintain deep respect for the victims, especially the children. This episode is based on historical records and academic research. The true circumstances may never be known. Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    54 min

  6. 12/29/2025

    The Enfield Poltergeist: Britain's Most Haunted House - 30 Witnesses, Police Report, Real or Hoax?

    Britain's most documented haunted house. The true story of the Enfield Poltergeist. August 1977, 284 Green Street, Enfield, London: 11-year-old Janet Hodgson's bed shakes. Knocking from inside walls. A police officer witnesses paranormal activity—chair slides 4 feet by itself, official report. 18 months of supernatural events: ghostly possession, levitating children, flying furniture, horrifying voice claiming to be a dead man. 30 witnesses. This is the Enfield haunting. THE CASE: Aug 30, 1977: Bed shaking, rhythmic knocking | Furniture moves alone | Neighbors witness knocking that responds | WPC Carolyn Heeps documents paranormal activity (official police report) | Society for Psychical Research investigators Maurice Grosse & Guy Lyon Playfair: 180 visits, 25 vigils | Dec 1977: Deep masculine voice from Janet claims to be Bill Wilkins, 72, died in house | Records confirm Bill Wilkins lived & died at 284 Green Street | How did 11-year-old know? WHAT WE COVER: Poltergeist & RSPK theory | Hodgson family & haunted house history | 30 witnesses (journalists, photographers, BBC) | Graham Morris levitation photos | Ghostly voice from false vocal cords | Scientific explanations: infrasound, EMF, carbon monoxide | The "confession": Janet admitted 2% fakes | Investigator believed 98% genuine supernatural activity | Disturbing incidents: fireplace ripped from cement, scratches, teleportation | 2,000+ documented events BILL WILKINS GHOST CONNECTION: Possession voice: "I come from the grave, I am 72" | Died in chair, brain hemorrhage, blind | Pre-internet 1977—no Google | Grosse taped Janet's mouth—voice continued | Filled mouth with water—ghost still spoke REAL OR HOAX? Police documented supernatural activity | Too many witnesses for hoax | No financial gain | But: 2% admitted pranks, photos could be staged | Psychologist Chris French: "Not slam-dunk hoax" | 50 years later, still debated SOURCES: Playfair "This House is Haunted" (1980) | Willin "Enfield Poltergeist Tapes" (2019) | Society for Psychical Research archives | WPC Heeps report | Daily Mirror photos | BBC recordings | Janet Hodgson interviews (2015-2023) | Apple TV+ documentary (2023) | Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OWgImgIRic&t=24s | Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efA4nVnshd0 | Tandy & Lawrence infrasound | Persinger EMF | French Time Out (2016) WARNING: Discussion of possession, trauma, child witnesses. Audio may disturb. DISCLAIMER: Educational/entertainment only. We present documented accounts and multiple perspectives on the Enfield Poltergeist haunting. Not paranormal investigators. Scientific explanations presented alongside supernatural theories. Case unsolved. Janet Hodgson's trauma is real regardless of cause. The true story of Britain's most famous haunted house. Police documented paranormal activity. 30 witnesses saw supernatural events. An 11-year-old spoke in a dead man's ghostly voice. Real haunting or hoax? 50 years later, w Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    49 min

  7. 12/22/2025

    The Cost of Health: The Luigi Mangione Case - From Ivy League to Death Row - (Part 3 of 3)

    December 4, 2024, 6:44 AM. Masked shooter kills UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Shell casings etched: "Delay. Deny. Depose." Five days later: 26-year-old arrested at McDonald's. Ghost gun, manifesto, $10K cash in backpack. 57,000 laughing reactions. $1M defense fund. The case that divided America. THE CRIME: Nov 24: Arrives NYC via Greyhound | Nov 30: Checks in as "Mark Rosario" | Dec 4, 6:44 AM: Shoots Thompson, gun jams, clears it, continues | Flees on e-bike through Central Park | Dec 9: Arrested Altoona McDonald's LUIGI MANGIONE: Age 26, MD real estate family | UPenn engineering master's | Chronic back pain, spinal fusion 2023 | Withdrew from life | Missing persons report filed | NOT UnitedHealthcare customer—chose them "because largest" THE MANIFESTO: "These parasites had it coming" | "US #1 most expensive healthcare, #42 life expectancy" | References Rosenthal & Moore | "Not awareness issue...power games at play" THE DIARY: Aug 2024: "Don't feel any doubt it's right" | Oct: "Investor conference is windfall" | Rejects terrorism: "You wack the CEO...targeted, precise" | Critiques Unabomber | Notes: "FBI slower overnight, pluck eyebrows" LEGAL BATTLE: PA: Gun/forgery | NY: 9 charges, second-degree murder (15-life) | Sept 2025: Terrorism charges dismissed | Federal: DEATH PENALTY sought (AG Bondi) EVIDENCE FIGHT: Defense: No warrant for backpack search | Body cam shows officers debating | Prosecution: "Search incident to arrest" | Miranda violations alleged | Experts: "Long shot but not without merit" PUBLIC REACTION: #FreeLuigi 50K+ | Poll: 21% favorable | Most say denials share responsibility | Engagement topped Trump shooting | $1M raised | Street art, "Saint Luigi" merch | Inmates chanting support WHY IT RESONATES: UnitedHealthcare 32% denial rate (double average) | When millions feel "understood" watching CEO die—that's a symptom | Decades of exposés changed nothing SOURCES: Manhattan DA/DOJ filings | Pretrial testimony | Body cam | Manifesto (Klippenstein) | NBC, CNN, NY Times, PBS | Polls: YouGov, NORC | Legal analysis WARNING: Violence, murder, death penalty. Active case. CRITICAL DISCLAIMER: For educational/entertainment purposes only. This is an active criminal case. Luigi Mangione is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Nothing in this episode condones, justifies, or encourages violence of any kind. Brian Thompson's murder was a tragedy for his family. We present facts from court documents and public reporting to examine this case and broader healthcare issues, not to render judgment. We are not legal experts. Quotes from Mangione are from court-filed documents or confirmed sources. Public reaction discussed as social analysis, not endorsement. The death penalty is controversial. We present facts, not opinions on capital punishment. Healthcare policy is complex and political, reasonable people disagree. This episode examines why this case resonated, not whether violence is ever justified (it is not). Murder is not activism. Violence is not reform. But when millio Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    57 min

  8. 12/15/2025

    The Cost of Health: Delay, Deny, Defend - The Insurance Denials Behind Luigi Mangione (Part 2 of 3)

    $14.6 billion in fraud. The 2025 DOJ Takedown, the largest ever. One billion catheters billed. A couple makes $615 million from fake wound care. While the government chases criminals, insurers legally deny billions in legitimate claims. Using AI. With 90% error rates. When a UnitedHealthcare CEO was killed, 57,000 reacted with laughing emojis. This episode explains why. WHAT WE COVER: Criminal Fraud: Operation Gold Rush: Russian organization steals $941M using 1M stolen identities | Arizona couple: $1.2B billed, $615M received, $68M seized | 324 defendants, 96 were medical professionals | Why both government and private insurers get defrauded "Delay, Deny, Defend": From Jay Feinman's 2010 book | 20% claims denied (2023 average) | Only 1% appeal | 50% of appeals win | Half the denials were wrong | Industry playbook: delay, deny on technicalities, defend aggressively The AI Scandal: UnitedHealth nH Predict lawsuit: alleged 90% error rate | When appeals happen, 90% reversed | Federal judge allows suit (Feb 2025) | Cigna's PXDX batch denials | UnitedHealth denials doubled: 10.9% (2020) to 22.7% (2022) The Numbers: $260B hospital claims denied annually | 85% "non-emergent" ER denials were actual emergencies | 93% of doctors: prior auth delays care | 29% report serious adverse events/deaths | CEO pay: Witty $26.4M, Cordani $23.3M (200-370:1 ratios) Real Stories: Heart procedure pre-approved then denied for "spinal injections" never received | Newborn denied NICU day 4 | Stroke patient: $70K out-of-pocket, dies during appeals | Mental health denied, told "if she dies, Medicaid pays" | Fighting insurance as "second job" while sick Both Sides: Conservative: Prior auth prevents fraud/overutilization | Progressive: Profit motive incompatible with care | Reality: System both wasteful AND stingy | Insurance margins 3-5% but entire ecosystem profits Solutions: 12+ states regulating AI in claims | Pennsylvania overturned 50% of denials | Bipartisan reform efforts | Free AI tool fights denials | HSA expansion vs Medicare for All debate COMING PART 3: Mangione case, evidence, trial, folk hero status, what public reaction reveals SOURCES: DOJ: 2025 ($14.6B) & 2024 ($2.75B) Fraud Takedowns | Operation Gold Rush | Gehrke/King Arizona case | Estate of Lokken v. UnitedHealth (Nov 2023) | Cigna PXDX lawsuit (July 2023) | Federal ruling (Feb 2025) | Senate Subcommittee report (Oct 2024) | Kaiser Family Foundation denial surveys | AMA prior auth surveys | PMC/NCBI insurance denial studies | STAT News | CBS News | PBS News | Healthcare Finance News | Becker's CEO compensation | Feinman "Delay, Deny, Defend" (2010) CONTENT WARNING: Healthcare failures, fraud, death, serious illness stories. Listener discretion advised. DISCLAIMER: Educational/entertainment only. We present facts and multiple perspectives, not policy advocacy. Not medical/legal experts. Lawsuits reflect allegations, not proven facts. UnitedHealth denies AI claims; cases ongoing. CEO figures from public filings. Fraud cases from DOJ. Nothing condones violenc Send us your theories Support the show 📸 Can't get enough? Follow @MugshotMysteries on TikTok and Instagram for mugshots, unsolved mysteries, and the stories we couldn't fit (because Gabriel went on another tangent). ⭐ Rate us if you enjoyed this. Seriously, it's how the algorithm gods bless us. 🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode. Thanks for hanging with us. See you next time with another face, another crime, and probably another debate between us. Stay curious. Stay suspicious.

    45 min
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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Putting mysteries in the lineup. True crime podcast investigating unsolved cases, cold cases, paranormal phenomena, and the stories that won't let you sleep. Hosts Kathryn and Gabriel dive deep into historical crimes, infamous outlaws, unexplained mysteries, and modern cases that divide America with the kind of dark humor and chemistry that makes hour-long deep dives fly by. From vintage mugshots to ghost ships, from exorcisms to healthcare scandals, from disappeared outlaws to haunted houses: if it's unsolved, unexplained, or unforgettable, we're putting it in the lineup. What we cover: True crime (historical and modern), cold cases, paranormal investigations, unsolved murders, conspiracy theories, forgotten criminals, and the mysteries that still haunt us. Expect thorough research, psychological analysis, skepticism mixed with curiosity, and two hosts who aren't afraid to disagree, joke, or go down rabbit holes together. Our vibe: Smart storytelling meets dark comedy. We take the cases seriously but not ourselves. Because sometimes the best way to examine a murder, a haunting, or a centuries-old mystery is with a partner who gets it...and isn't afraid to call you out when you start believing in ghost pirates. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    Kathryn and Gabriel
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mugshot Mysteries
  • Show Website
    Mugshot Mysteries