Hold My Sweet Tea

Pearl & Holly

Where True Crime collides with chilling ghost stories and Southern folklore.  Join us, sip sweet tea, and uncover shocking tales of murder, mystery, and the supernatural, all with a healthy dose of Southern charm and a touch of sass!

  1. Ep. 116-Mackenzie Shirilla Case: How Do You Prove Intent Before Impact?

    15H AGO

    Ep. 116-Mackenzie Shirilla Case: How Do You Prove Intent Before Impact?

    Send us Fan Mail A quiet back road at night doesn’t look like danger, but sometimes it’s the most frightening setting of all. We’re Holly and Pearl, and we’re unpacking the Mackenzie Shirilla case out of Strongsville, Ohio, where a late-night drive ends with a car accelerating past 100 miles per hour and slamming head-on into a brick wall. Two teenagers, Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan, die at the scene. Shirilla survives, and what first reads like a horrific accident starts to look, to prosecutors, like something else entirely.  We break down the crash timeline and the details investigators couldn’t ignore: clear weather, a straight road, no mechanical failures, and vehicle data suggesting no braking and no last-second correction. From there, the story pivots into the hardest part of so many true crime trials: intent. We talk teen relationship volatility, the state’s claim of a prior threat to crash the car, and how prosecutors used motive and digital evidence to argue a murder-suicide attempt.  We also get into the 2023 bench trial, the guilty verdict on multiple murder counts, and the life sentence with parole eligibility after 15 years. Then we zoom out to the public storm online, where TikTok and Instagram commentary fuels questions about trauma, memory loss, and whether justice landed in the right place. Listen, then share your take with us, subscribe for more, and leave a review if you want to help more folks find Hold My Sweet Tea.  Sources: Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now? — People Magazine By Alex Gurley (July 31, 2025) Website: https://people.com Woman gets 15 years to life in deaths of boyfriend, friend — Associated Press (August 21, 2023) Website: https://apnews.com Mackenzie Shirilla’s appeal denied after it was filed 1 day late — Court TV By Lauren Silver (March 17, 2026) Website: https://www.courttv.com 3News Investigates: New medical evidence challenges conviction — WKYC (April 18, 2025) Website: https://www.wkyc.com Strongsville woman sentenced to life in prison for crash that killed two — Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (August 21, 2023) Website: https://www.ccprosecutor.us

    25 min
  2. STAD: Ep6-What the Fouke? A Hairy Three Toed Giant Turns A Small Town Into A Legend

    3D AGO

    STAD: Ep6-What the Fouke? A Hairy Three Toed Giant Turns A Small Town Into A Legend

    Send us Fan Mail A small town in Arkansas builds a big legend, and the details are too strange to forget: dark hair head to toe, red eyes catching headlights, and three toed footprints stamped into swamp mud. We’re Holly and Pearl, and we’re taking Sweet Tea After Dark to Fouke, Arkansas to talk about the Fouke Monster, also known as the Boggy Creek Monster, with all the giggles and side comments that come with telling scary stories after dark.  We dig into what witnesses claim they saw in the early 1970s near Boggy Creek, why the setting matters in Southern folklore, and how the swamp itself turns every sound into a question. Then we get into the moment that makes this Arkansas cryptid story feel personal: the 1972 claim from Bobby Ford and his wife Elizabeth that their house shook, the siding got scraped, and whatever was outside didn’t bolt the second a shotgun appeared. Whether you’re a Bigfoot believer, a skeptic, or just here for a good tale, that scene sticks with you.  We also talk about how a local rumor becomes a national story once a film gets made. The Legend of Boggy Creek turns a backwoods monster into pop culture, and from there you get modern sightings, dare trips, “proof” that never materializes, and even a festival celebrating the creature. Along the way, we ask the question that sits under every cryptid podcast: are these monsters real, misidentified animals, or stories we use to warn each other about the dark corners of the world and ourselves?  If you love cryptids, paranormal legends, and Southern storytelling, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who’d drive Boggy Creek Road at midnight, and leave us a review so more night owls can find the show.

    23 min
  3. Ep. 115-When A Healer Becomes A Predator: Nathan Chasing Horse

    APR 27

    Ep. 115-When A Healer Becomes A Predator: Nathan Chasing Horse

    Send us Fan Mail Las Vegas hits different when the headline isn’t a party, it’s a predator hiding behind “healing.” We’re Pearl and Holly, and we’re breaking down the Nathan Chasing Horse case: a man prosecutors say used a Lakota medicine man persona, public appearances, and a tight inner circle to exploit Indigenous women and girls for years. We talk through what the Nevada jury conviction actually included, why some counts carry the possibility of life sentences, and how the case stretches beyond one state with other allegations and warrants in places like Montana and Canada. We also dig into the part that makes this story especially disturbing: the way cult-like coercive control can be disguised as spirituality. When someone promises protection, connection, and medical “miracles,” it can pull in people who are grieving, sick, isolated, or searching for identity and community. From Melissa’s search for her Lakota roots to Ren’s abuse being framed as a “life for a life” exchange, we focus on the mechanics of grooming, fear-mongering, and spiritual abuse. We also zoom out to the larger crisis: violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women is pervasive, often overlooked, and made worse when accountability breaks down inside systems meant to keep people safe. If you care about true crime with context, survivor-centered reporting, and the real-world warning signs of cult leaders and spiritual fraud, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: what red flags do you think communities miss most often?

    38 min
  4. Ep. 114-Chris Benoit: When the Machine Broke the Man

    APR 20

    Ep. 114-Chris Benoit: When the Machine Broke the Man

    Send us Fan Mail A final early morning text about the dogs and an open back door becomes the last breadcrumb before pro wrestling’s most haunting headline. We walk through the Chris Benoit case with care for the victims and clarity about what the public record shows, from the three day timeline inside the home to the unanswered question everyone still wrestles with: how does a celebrated performer reach a point where violence becomes the outcome?  We zoom out to the larger context that shaped the moment. Professional wrestling may be scripted, but the injuries are not, and we talk about the reality of repeated concussions, chronic pain, painkiller culture, and the long shadow of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE, head trauma, and mental health in contact sports are no longer fringe conversations, and Benoit’s postmortem findings pushed wrestling toward tougher wellness policies, drug testing scrutiny, and overdue discussions about brain health. We also unpack why reducing it to one factor like steroids misses how multiple stressors can collide.  Just as important, we center Nancy Benoit as a respected wrestling personality and professional in her own right, not a side character to someone else’s legacy. Her career, the strain in the marriage, and the prior reports of abuse open a necessary conversation about warning signs, the realities of coercion and control, and why “just leave” is rarely that simple. If you care about true crime, WWE history, CTE awareness, or domestic violence prevention, this conversation is heavy but vital. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us what part of this story you think people still misunderstand.

    44 min
  5. Ep. 113-Surgical Castration For Child Sex Offenders In Louisiana

    APR 13

    Ep. 113-Surgical Castration For Child Sex Offenders In Louisiana

    Send us Fan Mail Louisiana is taking a hard-line approach to crimes against children, and the details are more complicated than the headlines. We read through the core language of the state’s surgical castration law for certain sex offenses involving victims under 13, then talk honestly about what it means in practice: medical eligibility, court orders, and what happens when an offender refuses to comply. Along the way, we wrestle with the question people keep asking out loud, what actually stops repeat harm when registration and shame clearly are not enough. We also break down the difference between chemical castration and surgical castration, including what’s reversible, what’s permanent, and why “ongoing treatment” sounds simple until you remember who you’re dealing with. To ground the conversation, we walk through several Louisiana cases, including plea deals and long prison sentences, and we talk about why prosecutors sometimes negotiate agreements to protect victims from the added trauma of testifying at trial. This topic is heavy for a reason. We speak as survivors and as people who have seen how child sexual abuse can shape a life, and we share warning signs adults should take seriously, plus resources for reporting suspected abuse. If you care about child safety, true crime, criminal justice, and victim advocacy, listen, share this with someone who needs it, and then subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.

    35 min
  6. Ep. 112-Easter-Ween? How A Devilish Witch Panic Turned Into Easter Trick Or Treating

    APR 6

    Ep. 112-Easter-Ween? How A Devilish Witch Panic Turned Into Easter Trick Or Treating

    Send us Fan Mail Witches at Easter sounds like a joke until you hear the Swedish folklore behind it. We’re taking you to Sweden’s Holy Week, where people once believed witches flew through the night to Blåkulla, a mythical hill tied to the devil, feasts, and an upside-down world where normal rules collapse. What starts as eerie legend quickly turns into something more human: a snapshot of how communities tried to explain illness, loss, and bad luck when fear was easier than uncertainty. We also dig into the historical weight behind the stories, including the 1600s Swedish witch trials and why the panic felt so real that families locked doors, hid brooms, and lit fires for protection. Then we trace the other side of Easter’s roots, from Ostara and the spring equinox to the way eggs and hares moved from pagan symbols of fertility and protection into the modern Easter basket. The best part is the transformation. Today in Sweden and Finland, kids dress up as Easter witches (påskkärringar) with scarves, rosy cheeks, and tiny broomsticks, then go door to door trading drawings for candy and coins. It’s basically Easter trick-or-treating, and it’s one of the clearest examples of how dark folklore can evolve into a playful tradition while keeping small echoes like bonfires and feather decorations. If you love folklore, unusual holiday history, and the weird origins behind everyday traditions, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs “Easter ween” in their life, and leave us a review. What’s the strangest holiday tradition you’ve ever heard of?

    25 min
  7. STAD Ep.5-That One Time I Accidentally Joined a Cult (0/10, Do Not Recommend)!

    APR 2

    STAD Ep.5-That One Time I Accidentally Joined a Cult (0/10, Do Not Recommend)!

    Send us Fan Mail A cozy women’s circle in the Oregon woods sounds like the cure for loneliness until the “healing” starts to feel like control. Sarah writes in with a story that begins with tea, candles, journaling, and a leader who takes her hand and says, “I see you.” It feels warm, safe, and validating in exactly the way you crave when you’ve spent your life taking care of everyone else. Then the details get sharper. There are no clocks in the buildings. Cell service drops the moment you turn onto the property. Phones go into a lockbox. The group introduces long silence sessions where you sit perfectly still and start over if you break focus. “Alignment” becomes the explanation for every bad feeling, and distancing yourself from friends gets framed as protecting your energy. Even money gets renamed as an “energy exchange,” and attention becomes the reward for giving more. We talk through why high-control groups can hook smart, level-headed people, especially when they offer belonging and certainty first. When a member vanishes and a hidden journal raises one terrifying question, “What Is In The Tea,” Sarah realizes she isn’t becoming more herself, she’s becoming easier to control. If you’re into cult psychology, coercive control, spiritual abuse red flags, or the dark side of wellness communities, this one stays with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves creepy true stories, and leave a review with the biggest red flag you heard in Sarah’s story.

    27 min
  8. Ep. 111-The Unsolved Murder of James "Jimmy" Wood

    MAR 30

    Ep. 111-The Unsolved Murder of James "Jimmy" Wood

    Send us Fan Mail A stretch of River Road in Ponchatoula doesn’t look like the setting for a homicide investigation, but that’s where the disappearance of James “Jimmy” Wood leads. One moment he’s on camera near Highway 22 and Lee’s Landing. Then he’s gone, with his keys and belongings still at home and no clear trail to follow. We talk through what’s been released publicly and why we’re careful about what we don’t share while this remains an active investigation. You’ll hear the timeline that matters, what search efforts can and can’t do in dense South Louisiana woods, and why drones and thermal imaging aren’t magic when the trees are thick and the heat won’t let up. Months later, remains are found near his address, identified through forensic DNA work, and investigators say there’s evidence of gunshots. From there, the questions get sharper: what does “closure” really mean when there’s no arrest, and why do families feel like the hardest part begins after identification? If you’ve ever hesitated to speak up because your detail felt small, we’re asking you to reconsider. Listen, share this with someone in Tangipahoa Parish, and if you know anything, use the tip lines. Subscribe, leave a review, and send this to one person who cares about justice.

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Where True Crime collides with chilling ghost stories and Southern folklore.  Join us, sip sweet tea, and uncover shocking tales of murder, mystery, and the supernatural, all with a healthy dose of Southern charm and a touch of sass!

Information

  • Creator
    Pearl & Holly
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    122
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hold My Sweet Tea
  • Show Website
    Hold My Sweet Tea

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