Morbid

Morbid

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It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.

  1. 17 FEB • WONDERY+ EARLY ACCESS

    The Unsolved Murder of Jeannette DePalma

    This episode is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ members and will be released on all platforms on Monday, February 17th. To stay up-to-date on new podcasts and more from Wondery, sign up on https://wondery.fm/morbid-wondery-newsletter. On the afternoon of August 7, 1972, sixteen-year-old Jeannette DePalma left her house in Springfield, NJ and was never seen alive again. Six weeks later, Jeannette’s remains were discovered when a neighborhood dog returned to its owner at a newly built apartment complex, carrying Jeannette’s badly decomposed arm in its mouth. The news of Jeannette’s death spread quickly around the small town and the rumors about the circumstances were not far behind. According to witnesses, the girl’s body was surrounded by occult symbols and objects, and within a few weeks news outlets began reporting that Jeannette had been the victim of ritual human sacrifice. For more than five decades, the murder of Jeannette DePalma had fascinated New Jersey residents and has even captured the attention of news outlets from around the country and occasionally around the world. Yet the more coverage the case receives, the more the rumors of occult murder and Satanism seem to grow, obscuring the more relevant facts and the tragedy at the heart of the case. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Associated Press. 1972. "Police probe death of girl." Asbury Park Press, October 3: 11. —. 1972. "Witchcraft seen possible in teen-age girl's death." Central New Jersey Home News, September 30: 3. —. 1972. "Was girl black magic victim?" Courier-News (Brunswick, NJ), September 30: 1. Burks, Edward. 1971. "'Satan cult' death, drugs jolt peaceful Vineland, N.J." New York Times, July 6: 35. Chadwick, Bruce. 1972. "Priest's theory: devil's disciples killed girl." Daily News (New York, NY), October 4: 399. Hughes, Sarah A. 2021. American Tabloid Media and the Satanic Panic, 1970-2000. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Lenehan, Arthur. 1972. "Springfield cops find girl's body." Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), September 21: 10. —. 1972. "'Witchcraft' implicated in DePalma murder." Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), October 3: 8. Muscavage, Nick. 2019. "What happened to Springfield teen found dead near Watchung Reservation in 1972?" Courier News, August 23. Pollack, Jesse, and Mark Moran. 2015. Death on the Devil's Teeth: The Strange Murder That Shocked Suburban New Jersey. Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. Schwartz, Art. 2015. "Conspiracy or serial killer?" Hudson Reporter, January 25.

    1h 17m
  2. 13 FEB • WONDERY+ EARLY ACCESS

    The Disappearance of Bobby Dunbar

    This episode is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ members and will be released on all platforms on Thursday, February 13th. To stay up-to-date on new podcasts and more from Wondery, sign up on https://wondery.fm/morbid-wondery-newsletter. Two decades before the Lindbergh baby became America’s most famous missing child, four-year-old Bobby Dunbar, went missing in Opelousas, Louisiana, setting in motion one of the strangest kidnapping stories in the nation’s history. In the summer of 1912, the Dunbar family took a trip to Swayze Lake in St. Landry Parish, where Bobby wandered off and disappeared. The boy’s disappearance was followed by an eight-month search across the American south, until Bobby was ostensibly found in the company of William Walters, a handyman traveling through the Mississippi. Bobby’s parents were elated to have their son back after such a long absence, but the problem was, very few people seem convinced that the boy was in fact Bobby Dunbar. After extensive news coverage of the search, Walters’ trial for kidnapping, and the joyful return of Bobby to his family, interest in the case began to fade, but for the Dunbar family, questions remained about Bobby’s identity. Had the Dunbars, in their desperation to find their son, unintentionally kidnapped someone else’s child? Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Crowley Post-Signal. 1913. "Charges fell to ground." Crowley Post-Signal , April 11: 5. Daily Advertiser. 1914. "Walters' trial at Opelousas." Daild Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), April 21: 1. —. 1914. "Supreme court frees Walters." Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, LA), June 30: 1. McThenia, Tal, and Ira Glass. 2008. "The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar." This American Life. Chicago, IL: Chicago Public Media, March 14. New York Times. 1912. "$6,000 for missing boy." New York Times, November 10: 1. —. 1912. "Kidnapped boy murdered." New York Times, December 15: 14. Ray, S.W. 1914. "Opelousas jury hears life story of other mother." Times-Picayune, April 23: 8. St. Landry Clarion. 1912. "No trace of lost Bob Dunbar." St. Landry Clarion , September 7: 1. —. 1912. "Robert Dunbar, 4 years old, mysteriously disappears." St. Landry Clarion , August 31: 4. —. 1914. "Asks that fair play be given to the accused." St. Landry Clarion, April 18: 1. —. 1914. "Fair play for Walters." St. Landry Clarion, April 18: 1. Times-Democrat. 1913. "Recognizes playmates." Times- Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 26: 1. —. 1913. "Does not identify boy." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 22: 1. —. 1913. "Dunbar boy talking." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), May 20: 4. —. 1913. "Hunting for kidnappers." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 27: 1. —. 1913. "Is not Bruce Anderson." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), April 26: 1. —. 1913. "Now believes boy hers." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), May 3: 1. —. 1912. "Scores search for missing lad." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), August 25: 1. —. 1912. "Suspicion turns toward negroes." Times-Democrat (New Orleans, LA), September 2: 1. —. 1913. "Movements of Tinker." Times-Democrat, May 23: 1.

    1h 5m
  3. 5 DAYS AGO

    Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (Part 3)

    After his arrest, investigators would learn that, by the time he appeared on the game show, he was also a killer. In the year that followed, Alcala would go on to murder several other women until he was finally caught and convicted for his crimes. At his trial, Rodney Alcala was found guilty of eight murders, among other crimes, but he is suspected of several other murders, perhaps as many as one hundred or more. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Associated Press. 1980. "Forest worker tells of grisly body find, fingers defendent ." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), March 23: 7. —. 1980. "Witness in Alcala trial admits lying." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 44. —. 1980. "Jury deliberate murder charge." Oakland Tribune, April 30: E3. Brown, Doug. 1980. "Jury asks for the death penalty." Los Angeles Times, May 9: 32. —. 1980. "Prosecution rests case in penalty part of Alcala trial." Los Angeles Times, May 8: 63. CBS News. 2024. "Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game." 48 Hours .  Dunn, Edward. 1977. "Oneida woman slain in L.A." Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 15: 1. Esquivel, Paloma. 2010. "Alcala gets death penalty." Los Angeles Times, March 10: 72. Falcon, Gabriel. 2010. Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'. March 10. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814201903/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/dating.game.killer/index.html. Hicks, Jerry. 1986. "Alcala again given death sentence in slaying of girl, 12." Los Angeles Times, June 21: 50. —. 1986. "Alcala asks jury to spare him, insists he isn't a murderer." Los Angeles Times, June 19: 141. Jarlson, Gary. 1979. "Hunt for missing girls spreads to Oxnard." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 10. —. 1979. "In search for girl's killer, time is the principal foe." Los Angeles Times, July 14: 22. Kaye, Peter. 1981. "The long, painful path to justice." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), June 18: 19. Kirkman, Edward. 1971. "Fear of a new sex killing spurs 6 on trail." Daily News (New York, NY), August 8: 75. Levenson , Michael, and Eduardo Medina. 2021. "'Dating Game killer,' who preyed on woman in 1970s, dies in prison." New York Times, July 26. Liff, Mark, Joseph Martin, and Paul Meskil. 1977. "Attorney urges FBI to hunt daughter." Daily News (New York, NY), July 31: 3. Los Angeles Times. 1980. "Alcala defense wtiness's story repeated to jury." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 42. —. 1979. "The Southland." Los Angeles Times, June 22: 30. —. 1977. "Police now see link in strangulation murders of 10 LA women." Sacramento Bee, December 1: 22. Moynihan, Colin. 2012. "Convicted killer pleads guilty to 2 New York murders." New York Times, December 15: 20. OC Weekly. 2010. Rodney Alcala's murderous romp through polite society brings him to an Orange County courtroom again. January 21. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.ocweekly.com/rodney-alcalas-murderous-romp-through-polite-society-brings-him-to-an-orange-county-courtroom-again-6402172/. Pelisek, Christine. 2010. "Rodney Alcala: the fine art of killing." LA Weekly, January 21. Reyes, David. 1986. "Man convicted second time in murder of girl." Los Angeles Times, May 29: 43. Sands, Stella. 2011. The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. New York, NY: St. Martin's. Secret, Mosi. 2011. "After decades, charges in 2 Manhattan murders." New York Times, January 27: 24. Smith, David. 2024. "The terrifying true story behind Woman of the Hour." The Guardian, October 22. The People v. Rodney James Alcala. 1984. 36 Cal. 3d 605 (Supreme Court of California, August 23). Weinstein, Henry. 2003. "New trial, new charge in old cases." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 32. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 4m
  4. 3 FEB

    Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (Part 2)

    At the time of his appearance on The Dating Game in 1978, Alcala was a convicted sexual predator who had served time for sexual assault and had only avoided a charge of attempted murder on a technicality. After his arrest, investigators would learn that, by the time he appeared on the game show, he was also a killer. In the year that followed, Alcala would go on to murder several other women until he was finally caught and convicted for his crimes. At his trial, Rodney Alcala was found guilty of eight murders, among other crimes, but he is suspected of several other murders, perhaps as many as one hundred or more. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Associated Press. 1980. "Forest worker tells of grisly body find, fingers defendent ." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), March 23: 7. —. 1980. "Witness in Alcala trial admits lying." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 44. —. 1980. "Jury deliberate murder charge." Oakland Tribune, April 30: E3. Brown, Doug. 1980. "Jury asks for the death penalty." Los Angeles Times, May 9: 32. —. 1980. "Prosecution rests case in penalty part of Alcala trial." Los Angeles Times, May 8: 63. CBS News. 2024. "Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game." 48 Hours .  Dunn, Edward. 1977. "Oneida woman slain in L.A." Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 15: 1. Esquivel, Paloma. 2010. "Alcala gets death penalty." Los Angeles Times, March 10: 72. Falcon, Gabriel. 2010. Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'. March 10. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814201903/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/dating.game.killer/index.html. Hicks, Jerry. 1986. "Alcala again given death sentence in slaying of girl, 12." Los Angeles Times, June 21: 50. —. 1986. "Alcala asks jury to spare him, insists he isn't a murderer." Los Angeles Times, June 19: 141. Jarlson, Gary. 1979. "Hunt for missing girls spreads to Oxnard." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 10. —. 1979. "In search for girl's killer, time is the principal foe." Los Angeles Times, July 14: 22. Kaye, Peter. 1981. "The long, painful path to justice." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), June 18: 19. Kirkman, Edward. 1971. "Fear of a new sex killing spurs 6 on trail." Daily News (New York, NY), August 8: 75. Levenson , Michael, and Eduardo Medina. 2021. "'Dating Game killer,' who preyed on woman in 1970s, dies in prison." New York Times, July 26. Liff, Mark, Joseph Martin, and Paul Meskil. 1977. "Attorney urges FBI to hunt daughter." Daily News (New York, NY), July 31: 3. Los Angeles Times. 1980. "Alcala defense wtiness's story repeated to jury." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 42. —. 1979. "The Southland." Los Angeles Times, June 22: 30. —. 1977. "Police now see link in strangulation murders of 10 LA women." Sacramento Bee, December 1: 22. Moynihan, Colin. 2012. "Convicted killer pleads guilty to 2 New York murders." New York Times, December 15: 20. OC Weekly. 2010. Rodney Alcala's murderous romp through polite society brings him to an Orange County courtroom again. January 21. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.ocweekly.com/rodney-alcalas-murderous-romp-through-polite-society-brings-him-to-an-orange-county-courtroom-again-6402172/. Pelisek, Christine. 2010. "Rodney Alcala: the fine art of killing." LA Weekly, January 21. Reyes, David. 1986. "Man convicted second time in murder of girl." Los Angeles Times, May 29: 43. Sands, Stella. 2011. The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. New York, NY: St. Martin's. Secret, Mosi. 2011. "After decades, charges in 2 Manhattan murders." New York Times, January 27: 24. Smith, David. 2024. "The terrifying true story behind Woman of the Hour." The Guardian, October 22. The People v. Rodney James Alcala. 1984. 36 Cal. 3d 605 (Supreme Court of California, August 23). Weinstein, Henry. 2003. "New trial, new charge in old cases." Los Angeles Times, June 28:32. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 8m
  5. 27 JAN

    Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (Part 1)

    When Cheryl Bradshaw appeared on the popular game show The Dating Game in 1978, she was charmed by bachelor number one, Rodney Alcala, and by the end of the episode, she’d chosen him to take her on a date. However, just minutes after the episode finished taping, Cheryl met bachelor number two in person backstage and was immediately uncomfortable and quickly contacted producers of the show to cancel the date. What Bradshaw didn’t know at the time was that, in doing so, she had narrowly avoided spending an evening in the company of one of America’s most notorious serial killers. At the time of his appearance on The Dating Game in 1978, Alcala was a convicted sexual predator who had served time for sexual assault and had only avoided a charge of attempted murder on a technicality. After his arrest, investigators would learn that, by the time he appeared on the game show, he was also a killer. In the year that followed, Alcala would go on to murder several other women until he was finally caught and convicted for his crimes. At his trial, Rodney Alcala was found guilty of eight murders, among other crimes, but he is suspected of several other murders, perhaps as many as one hundred or more. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Associated Press. 1980. "Forest worker tells of grisly body find, fingers defendent ." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), March 23: 7. —. 1980. "Witness in Alcala trial admits lying." Los Angeles Times, March 26: 44. —. 1980. "Jury deliberate murder charge." Oakland Tribune, April 30: E3. Brown, Doug. 1980. "Jury asks for the death penalty." Los Angeles Times, May 9: 32. —. 1980. "Prosecution rests case in penalty part of Alcala trial." Los Angeles Times, May 8: 63. CBS News. 2024. "Rodney Alcala: The Killing Game." 48 Hours .  Dunn, Edward. 1977. "Oneida woman slain in L.A." Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), November 15: 1. Esquivel, Paloma. 2010. "Alcala gets death penalty." Los Angeles Times, March 10: 72. Falcon, Gabriel. 2010. Convicted serial killer won on 'Dating Game'. March 10. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814201903/https://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/08/dating.game.killer/index.html. Hicks, Jerry. 1986. "Alcala again given death sentence in slaying of girl, 12." Los Angeles Times, June 21: 50. —. 1986. "Alcala asks jury to spare him, insists he isn't a murderer." Los Angeles Times, June 19: 141. Jarlson, Gary. 1979. "Hunt for missing girls spreads to Oxnard." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 10. —. 1979. "In search for girl's killer, time is the principal foe." Los Angeles Times, July 14: 22. Kaye, Peter. 1981. "The long, painful path to justice." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), June 18: 19. Kirkman, Edward. 1971. "Fear of a new sex killing spurs 6 on trail." Daily News (New York, NY), August 8: 75. Levenson , Michael, and Eduardo Medina. 2021. "'Dating Game killer,' who preyed on woman in 1970s, dies in prison." New York Times, July 26. Liff, Mark, Joseph Martin, and Paul Meskil. 1977. "Attorney urges FBI to hunt daughter." Daily News (New York, NY), July 31: 3. Los Angeles Times. 1980. "Alcala defense wtiness's story repeated to jury." Los Angeles Times, April 30: 42. —. 1979. "The Southland." Los Angeles Times, June 22: 30. —. 1977. "Police now see link in strangulation murders of 10 LA women." Sacramento Bee, December 1: 22. Moynihan, Colin. 2012. "Convicted killer pleads guilty to 2 New York murders." New York Times, December 15: 20. OC Weekly. 2010. Rodney Alcala's murderous romp through polite society brings him to an Orange County courtroom again. January 21. Accessed November 19, 2024. https://www.ocweekly.com/rodney-alcalas-murderous-romp-through-polite-society-brings-him-to-an-orange-county-courtroom-again-6402172/. Pelisek, Christine. 2010. "Rodney Alcala: the fine art of killing." LA Weekly, January 21. Reyes, David. 1986. "Man convicted second time in murder of girl." Los Angeles Times, May 29: 43. Sands, Stella. 2011. The Dating Game Killer: The True Story of a TV Dating Show, a Violent Sociopath, and a Series of Brutal Murders. New York, NY: St. Martin's. Secret, Mosi. 2011. "After decades, charges in 2 Manhattan murders." New York Times, January 27: 24. Smith, David. 2024. "The terrifying true story behind Woman of the Hour." The Guardian, October 22. The People v. Rodney James Alcala. 1984. 36 Cal. 3d 605 (Supreme Court of California, August 23). Weinstein, Henry. 2003. "New trial, new charge in old cases." Los Angeles Times, June 28: 32. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    54 min
  6. 23 JAN

    The Unsolved Murder of Melissa Witt

    On December 1, 1994, nineteen-year-old Melissa Witt planned to meet her mother at a Fort Smith, Arkansas bowling alley, but by all appearances, she only made it as far as the parking lot. Two days later, investigators discovered Melissa’s car abandoned in the Bowling World parking lot, a trail of blood leading away from the vehicle. Six weeks later, animal trackers located Melissa’s nude body in an isolated part of the Ozark National Forest and the hunt was on to find her killer. In the thirty years since Melissa Witt’s murder, a number of strong suspects have popped up on investigators’ radars, including serial killer Charles Ray Vines, yet to this date no one has been charged with her death. After three decades of unanswered questions, Witt’s family are desperate to know, what happened to Melissa on the night she went missing, and will detectives ever be able to hold her killer responsible for her tragic death? If you have information regarding the murder of Melissa Witt, please call the Fort Smith Police Department at 479-709-5116 or email them at info@fortsmithpd.org. Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support! References Alvey, Tina. 1995. "Fort Smith teen's body found near Turner Bend." Madison County Record, Janaury 19: 4. Associated Press. 1995. "Man questioned about girl; police say he's not a suspect." Batesville Guard, June 14: 6. Cavallier, Andrea. 2024. "A teenager was snatched from the parking lot of a bowling." The Independent, August 10. Kilby, Brenda. 1996. "Long-sought man awaits questioning ." Tulsa World , May 6: 29. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    52 min

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About

It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.

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