Coffins & Confessions

Dae and Spencer

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History
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Coffins & Confessions is a dark true crime and history podcast where we uncover the stories that were meant to stay buried. From chilling murders to haunting events of the past, we dive deep into the details, share our thoughts, and bring the truth to light… because secrets don’t stay buried.

22h ago

Buried in History #005: Affair of Poisons Pt. 1

What happens when poison, black magic, murder, and the French royal court all end up in the same story? Well… things get complicated pretty quickly. In 17th-century France, rumors began spreading about a growing network of poisoners, fortune tellers, occult practitioners, and people looking for ways to get rid of their enemies. What started as a criminal investigation would eventually become one of the biggest scandals to ever shake the court of King Louis XIV. In this Buried in History segment of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer dive into part one of the Affair of the Poisons, one of the strangest scandals of the reign of the Sun King. We’ll meet the people at the center of the scandal, explore the world of poison and occult practices in 17th-century France, and look at how investigators began uncovering a much larger network than anyone initially expected. And then things get even more interesting when the investigation begins reaching closer and closer to the royal court, including a connection to one of King Louis XIV’s most powerful mistresses. Who was really involved? How widespread was the use of poison and magic? And how did an investigation into mysterious deaths turn into a scandal that threatened to reach the very top of the French monarchy? This is only the beginning. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses poisoning, murder, occult practices, accusations of witchcraft, and historical criminal investigations. Britannica Editors — Affair of the Poisonshttps://www.britannica.com/event/Affair-of-the-Poisons Britannica Editors — Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, Marquise de Montespanhttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Francoise-Athenais-de-Rochechouart-marquise-de-Montespan Butler, E. M. — Ritual MagicCambridge University Press, 1949 Dolan, Michael — “The Affair of the Poisons: France’s Witch Hunt Against the Occult”https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/affair-of-the-poisons-france-witch-hunt-occult Funck-Brentano, Frantz — Princes and Poisoners: Studies of the Court of Louis XIVTranslated by George Maidment, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1901 Hutton, Ronald — The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan WitchcraftOxford University Press, 1999 Kors, Alan Charles, and Edward Peters, editors — Witchcraft in Europe, 400–1700: A Documentary HistoryUniversity of Pennsylvania Press, 2001 Lynn, John A. — The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714Longman, 1999 Miquel, Pierre — Louis XIV: The Sun KingÉditions Michel Lafon, 2001 Monter, E. William — Witchcraft in France and Switzerland: The Borderlands During the ReformationCornell University Press, 1976 Newman, William R. — “The Affair of the Poisons: Toxicology, Medicine, and Criminal Investigation in Seventeenth-Century France”ScienceDirect, Elsevierhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352007822001792 Norton, Rictor — “The Affair of the Poisons”Encyclopedia.comhttps://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/poisons-affair Parker, Geoffrey — The Grand Strategy of Philip IIYale University Press, 1998 Peabody, Sue — “The Affair of the Poisons and the Politics of Louis XIV’s Court”French History, vol. 14, no. 3, 2000, pp. 285–302 Ranum, Orest — The Fronde: A French Revolution, 1648–1652W. W. Norton & Company, 1993 Schenk, Jochen — “Poison, Power, and Politics in the Court of Louis XIV”Historical Research, vol. 84, no. 225, 2011, pp. 465–482 Spang, Rebecca L. — Stuff and Money in the Time of the French RevolutionHarvard University Press, 2015 Trevor-Roper, Hugh — The European Witch-Craze of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth CenturiesHarper & Row, 1969 Wolf, John B. — Louis XIVW. W. Norton & Company, 1968
6d ago

CASE #006: The Miyazawa Family Annihilation

On December 30, 2000, a quiet neighborhood in Setagaya, Tokyo, became the scene of one of Japan’s most disturbing unsolved murders. Inside their home, the Miyazawa family was found murdered. But what makes this case even more bizarre is what investigators believe happened after the killings. The person responsible didn’t simply leave the house and disappear. Investigators believe the killer stayed inside for hours, using the family’s computer, eating food, and leaving behind an unusual amount of evidence. And somehow, more than 25 years later, no one has been arrested. In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the Setagaya Family Murders, from the timeline of that terrible night to the evidence left behind and the investigation that has continued for decades. We’ll talk about the clues investigators have uncovered, the evidence that has been analyzed over and over again, and the strange details that make this case so difficult to understand. Who entered the Miyazawa family home that night? Why did they leave behind so much evidence? And how can a case with this much evidence still have no identified killer more than two decades later? The Setagaya Family Murders remain one of Japan’s most infamous unsolved cases, and the person responsible is still out there somewhere. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses the murder of a family, including children, and contains disturbing subject matter. • Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department — The Setagaya Family Murder Case https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/multilingual/english/safe_society/wanted/seijo.html • The Japan Times — The Setagaya Family Murders: Japan’s Most Infamous Unsolved Case https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/30/japan/crime-legal/setagaya-murder-search/ • True Crime Discussion — Setagaya Family Murders https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/ • YouTube — The Setagaya Family Murders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbEH6SBRsjM • Hirose, Kenji — “The Role of DNA Evidence in Japanese Cold Case Investigations” Journal of Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation
Jul 31

CASE #005: The Disappearance of LeeAnna Warner

On a warm summer evening in 2003, five-year-old LeeAnna Warner disappeared from her family’s front yard in Chisholm, Minnesota. In just a matter of moments, a quiet neighborhood became the center of a massive search, and a mystery that has remained unsolved for more than two decades. In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the heartbreaking disappearance of LeeAnna Warner. We’ll walk through the timeline of the day she vanished, the search efforts that followed, the leads investigators pursued, and the theories that have emerged over the years. We’ll also look at the questions that continue to surround LeeAnna’s disappearance. How could a five-year-old vanish from a familiar neighborhood without leaving behind the answers investigators needed? What happened during those missing moments? And after more than twenty years, is there still a piece of the puzzle waiting to be found? Despite countless hours of searching, investigation, and national attention, LeeAnna’s case remains unsolved. More than two decades later, her family is still waiting for answers, and LeeAnna is still missing. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses the disappearance of a child and topics that may be difficult for some listeners. • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children — LeeAnna Warner https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/965221/1 • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children — A Mother’s Dying Plea https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2024/a-mothers-dying-plea • National Missing and Unidentified Persons System — LeeAnna Warner https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP6788 • The Deck Podcast — LeeAnna Warner https://thedeckpodcast.com/leeanna-warner/ • Morbidology — LeeAnna Warner: Vanished While Walking Home https://morbidology.com/leeanna-warner-vanished-while-walking-home/ • IMDb — LeeAnna Warner Case Coverage https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14576674/ • Federal Bureau of Investigation — Child Abduction and Missing Children Investigations Resources https://www.fbi.gov • National Institute of Justice — National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/national-missing-and-unidentified-persons-system-namus
Jul 21

Buried in History #004: Freedom Rides

In 1961, a group of Americans got on a bus. That might not sound particularly interesting. But these weren’t ordinary bus rides. The Freedom Riders were students, activists, clergy, and everyday Americans who decided to test whether the laws against segregation in interstate travel were actually being enforced. They knew what could happen. And unfortunately, they were about to find out. In this Buried in History segment of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a trip through the story of the Freedom Riders and the journey that helped expose just how deeply segregation was still woven into everyday life across the American South. We’ll explore who the Freedom Riders were, why they decided to take the trip, and what happened when their buses rolled into communities where segregation was still being fiercely enforced. From arrests and beatings to firebombed buses and angry mobs, the Freedom Riders faced an incredible amount of violence, and somehow, they kept getting back on the bus. Because their goal was pretty simple: “If the law says we’re allowed to sit here… what happens if we actually do it?” So how did a group of people boarding a few interstate buses become a major turning point in the Civil Rights Movement? And how many times can you get thrown off a bus before you decide, “Okay, maybe we should stop doing this”? Turns out, the answer was not enough times. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses racism, segregation, racial violence, arrests, and historical discrimination. Arsenault, Raymond — Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial JusticeOxford University Press, 2006 Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University — Freedom Rides and Civil Rights Movement Documentshttps://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/ National Park Service — Freedom Ridershttps://www.nps.gov/ Congress of Racial Equality — CORE History and Freedom Rides Archiveshttps://www.core-online.org/ SNCC Digital Archives — Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committeehttps://snccdigital.org/ Morgan v. Virginia, 328 U.S. 373Supreme Court of the United States, 1946 Interstate Commerce Commission — Desegregation Orders for Interstate Travel Facilities, 1961 Encyclopaedia Britannica — Freedom Rideshttps://www.britannica.com/
Jul 15

Buried in History #003: Emergency Medical Services

Today, when you dial 911, help is only a few minutes away. But it wasn’t always that way. Before ambulances were equipped with modern medical equipment, before paramedics were trained to provide advanced care, and before emergency medical services became the system we know today, getting help during a medical emergency could be a matter of luck, and how quickly someone could get you to a hospital. In this Buried in History segment of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a trip through the history of emergency medical services, from battlefield medicine and horse-drawn ambulances to the development of modern paramedicine. We’ll explore the people, inventions, tragedies, and breakthroughs that helped transform emergency care into the lifesaving system millions of people depend on today. From Dominique Jean Larrey’s battlefield ambulances to the creation of organized emergency medical systems in the United States, we’ll look at how medicine learned to bring the hospital to the patient. So how did we go from simply rushing the injured to the hospital to having trained professionals providing lifesaving treatment before they even arrive? And who decided that maybe an ambulance should be more than just a really fast ride? Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses medical emergencies, traumatic injuries, war, and historical medical practices. • National Academy of Sciences — Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society (1966) https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9978/accidental-death-and-disability-the-neglected-disease-of-modern-society • Baskett, P. J. F. — “Emergency Medical Services: A Historical Perspective” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1990) • Schyberg, M. — “The History of Ambulance Services” Prehospital and Disaster Medicine (2005) • Iserson, K. V. — “War and Medicine” Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (2014) • United States Department of Transportation — EMS History and Development https://www.ems.gov/ • Encyclopaedia Britannica — Ambulance https://www.britannica.com/ • French Military Medical Archives — Historical Records on Dominique Jean Larrey and the Napoleonic Medical Corps
Jul 7

CASE #004: Travis the Chimp

In 2009, a quiet Connecticut neighborhood became the scene of one of the most disturbing animal attacks in modern American history. Travis, a 14-year-old chimpanzee who had been raised in a human household for most of his life, suddenly attacked a longtime friend of his owner. What followed was a horrific encounter that left Charla Nash with life-changing injuries and sparked a national conversation about exotic animals, human attempts to domesticate wild species, and whether warning signs had been overlooked. In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the story of Travis the chimpanzee, his unusual upbringing, the events leading up to the 2009 attack, what happened that day, and the aftermath that followed. We’ll separate the sensational headlines from the documented facts, talk about what we know about chimpanzee behavior, and explore the bigger question behind the tragedy: Can a wild animal ever truly become a household pet? As always, we’re here to tell you the story, give you the facts, and have a conversation along the way. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses severe injuries, trauma, animal attacks, and the realities of exotic animal ownership. • New York Magazine — Jori Finkel, “The Untold Story of Travis the Chimp” https://nymag.com/news/features/70830/ • Nonhuman Rights Project — “Travis and Tragedy” https://www.nonhumanrights.org/blog/travis-and-tragedy/ • PETA — “Travis the Chimpanzee: A Tragedy That Never Should Have Happened” https://www.peta.org/news/travis-chimpanzee-chimp-crazy/ • Charla Nash — Public Interviews and Statements Public interviews and statements regarding the 2009 attack and recovery. • Brigham and Women’s Hospital — “Face Transplant Gives Chimp Attack Victim a New Beginning” https://www.brighamandwomens.org/ • NBC News — “Chimp Attack Victim Charla Nash Receives Face Transplant” https://www.nbcnews.com/ • The New York Times — “Woman Mauled by Chimpanzee Receives Face Transplant” https://www.nytimes.com/ • Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute — Chimpanzee https://nationalzoo.si.edu/ • Jane Goodall — In the Shadow of Man Mariner Books, 2000. • Frans de Waal — Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. • National Geographic Society — Chimpanzees https://education.nationalgeographic.org/ • United States Department of Agriculture — Animal Welfare Act & Regulations https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ • Connecticut General Assembly — Laws Regarding Possession of Exotic Animals State of Connecticut Legislative Records. • Connecticut State Police — Travis Incident Reports and Records 2009. • Associated Press — “Chimpanzee Attack Victim Sues State of Connecticut” Associated Press Archives, 2010. • CNN — “Chimp Attack Victim Charla Nash Undergoes Groundbreaking Face Transplant” 2011.
Jul 1

Buried in History #002: Jane Mansfield & the Mansfield Bar

One tragic night on a Louisiana highway changed Hollywood forever. In the early morning hours of June 29, 1967, actress Jayne Mansfield was traveling through Louisiana when the car she was riding in collided with the back of a tractor-trailer. The crash shocked the nation, sparked years of rumors and misconceptions, and would eventually become connected to a piece of highway safety equipment found on tractor-trailers today. In this Buried in History segment of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the events leading up to Jayne Mansfield’s final journey, what happened on that dark stretch of highway, and the facts behind the crash. We’ll also uncover the story behind the Mansfield Bar, the rear underride guard that became associated with Jayne Mansfield’s death, and explore how a tragic accident helped bring greater attention to an important highway safety issue. Because sometimes the stories buried in history aren’t just about what happened, they’re about what changed because of it. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses a fatal motor vehicle accident and traumatic injuries. • Autoweek — “Here’s Why Those Extensions on Semi-Trailers Are Called Mansfield Bars” https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/but-wait-theres-more/a2142281/heres-why-those-extensions-semi-trailers-are-called-mansfield-bars/ • MotorTrend — “The Story Behind Jayne Mansfield and the Mansfield Bar” https://www.motortrend.com/news/the-story-behind-jayne-mansfield-and-the-mansfield-bar
Jun 17

Buried in History #001: Unit 731

During World War II, deep within Japanese-occupied China, a secret military program was conducting experiments that would become one of the darkest chapters in modern history. Known as Unit 731, the program operated under the appearance of a medical and scientific research facility. Behind closed doors, however, Japanese military personnel conducted horrific experiments on prisoners and civilians while researching biological and chemical warfare. In this Buried in History segment of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer uncover the history of Unit 731, the people behind the program, the atrocities committed in the name of science, and the complicated aftermath that followed the end of World War II. We’ll separate the documented history from the myths that have grown around the subject and explore how a program responsible for unimaginable suffering was allowed to remain largely hidden for decades. And because this is Buried in History, we’re taking a look at one of those chapters of the past that most people never learn about, but probably should. Listener discretion is strongly advised. This episode discusses war crimes, human experimentation, biological warfare, and other disturbing historical events. • Pacific Atrocities Education — Human Experimentation https://www.pacificatrocities.org/human-experimentation.html • U.S. National Archives — Japanese War Crimes / Interagency Working Group Documents https://www.archives.gov/files/iwg/japanese-war-crimes/select-documents.pdf • All That’s Interesting — Unit 731 https://allthatsinteresting.com/unit-731 • NPR — Japan’s Germ Warfare and Biological Weapons Program https://www.npr.org/2025/08/14/nx-s1-5497951/japan-germ-warfare-biological-wwii
May 29

CASE #003: The Story of Ed Kemper

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of murders across California would eventually lead investigators to one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. Edmund Kemper’s story is filled with disturbing warning signs, missed opportunities, and a pattern of violence that escalated over several years. From his troubled childhood and early crimes to the murders that ultimately led to his capture, his case would go on to influence how law enforcement studied and profiled serial offenders. In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the facts surrounding Edmund Kemper, the crimes he committed, the investigation that finally brought him to justice, and the lasting impact his case has had on criminal psychology and criminal profiling. We’ll talk through the timeline, the warning signs, and the investigation while also taking time to remember the victims whose lives are sometimes overshadowed by the notoriety of their killer. As always, we’re here to tell you the story, give you the facts, and have a conversation along the way. Content Warning: This episode discusses murder, child abuse, sexual violence, necrophilia, dismemberment, and other disturbing subject matter. Listener discretion is strongly advised. • EBSCO Research Starters — “Edmund Kemper” https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/edmund-kemper • University of North Carolina Serial Killer Archive — “Ed Kemper” https://csi.pressbooks.pub/uncserkill/chapter/chapter-9-ed-kemper/ • Crime + Investigation UK — Edmund Kemper Timeline https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/edmund-kemper/timeline • Find a Grave — Victim Records https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/214651?page=1 • Biography.com — Ed Kemper https://www.biography.com/crime/ed-kemper • FBI Behavioral Science Unit — References and Interviews on Edmund Kemper • California Department of Corrections — Parole Records
May 19

CASE #002: The Villisca Murders

It’s a warm June night in 1912, and Villisca, Iowa, is settling down after a night at church. Inside one small house, the Moore family and two young girls who had stayed over for a sleepover are getting ready for bed. By morning, all eight of them will be dead. The Villisca Axe Murders became one of the most infamous unsolved mass murders in American history. An axe, strange details left behind at the crime scene, a long list of suspects, questionable investigations, and even multiple trials would turn this quiet Iowa town upside down. More than a century later, nobody has ever been definitively identified as the killer. (Iowa Cold Cases) In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take you back to Villisca to walk through what happened that night, the investigation that followed, the suspects who found themselves under suspicion, and some of the theories that have kept this case alive for generations. We’ll dig into the history, talk through the theories, and probably ask ourselves a few times how investigators in 1912 managed to make an already complicated case even more complicated. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses the murders of adults and children and contains disturbing subject matter. • The Villisca Axe Murder House — Official Site Villisca Axe Murder House • Iowa Cold Cases — Villisca Axe Murders Iowa Cold Cases: Villisca Axe Murders • Smithsonian Magazine — “The Ax Murderer Who Got Away” Smithsonian Magazine: The Ax Murderer Who Got Away • Villisca Historical Society — Moore Family Home & Villisca Axe Murders Villisca Historical Society
May 12

CASE #001: JonBenét Ramsey Unsolved Murder

On December 26, 1996, six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing from her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado. Hours later, she was found dead inside the house. A ransom note, a complicated investigation, countless theories, and decades of unanswered questions would turn JonBenét’s murder into one of America’s most well-known unsolved cases. In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the facts surrounding JonBenét Ramsey’s death and the investigation that followed. We’ll walk through what happened, examine some of the biggest questions surrounding the case, and talk about the theories that have kept people debating this case for nearly 30 years. The investigation remains open and ongoing with the Boulder Police Department, which continues to pursue leads and work with DNA experts and other law-enforcement partners. No one has been charged with JonBenét’s murder. (City of Boulder) Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses the murder of a child and contains disturbing subject matter. • City of Boulder Police Department — JonBenét Ramsey Homicide Investigation Boulder Police Department: JonBenét Ramsey Homicide • EBSCO Research Starters — Ramsey Murder Case EBSCO: Ramsey Murder Case • Arizona Daily Star / Tucson.com — Annual JonBenét Ramsey Case Report Arizona Daily Star: JonBenét Ramsey Case Report • CNN — JonBenét Ramsey Murder Fast Facts

11 Episodes

Creator

Dae and Spencer
Years Active

2026
Episodes

11
Rating

Explicit
Show Website

Coffins & Confessions

Coffins & Confessions

Episodes

Buried in History #005: Affair of Poisons Pt. 1

CASE #006: The Miyazawa Family Annihilation

CASE #005: The Disappearance of LeeAnna Warner

Buried in History #004: Freedom Rides

Buried in History #003: Emergency Medical Services

CASE #004: Travis the Chimp

Buried in History #002: Jane Mansfield & the Mansfield Bar

Buried in History #001: Unit 731

CASE #003: The Story of Ed Kemper

CASE #002: The Villisca Murders

CASE #001: JonBenét Ramsey Unsolved Murder

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