Champagne and Murder, Please

Brittany
  • 4.0 (8)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Champagne and Murder Please, the podcast where the eerie, the unexplained, and the downright terrifying come to life. Each episode, we dive into true crime cases, from infamous murders to unsolved mysteries, explore the dark history of witches and occult practices, and venture into the world of the paranormal—where ghosts, hauntings, and curses lurk in the shadows. Plus, we investigate cryptids like Bigfoot, the Mothman, and other legendary creatures that blur the line between myth and reality. If you love all things spooky, sinister, and strange, you’ve found your new obsession.

  1. 18h ago

    To Protect or Betray?

    This week we're looking at two officers who used the power of the badge to do exactly what they swore not to: Zachary Wester, the Florida deputy who planted drugs on innocent people during traffic stops, and Daniel Holtzclaw, the Oklahoma City cop who targeted vulnerable women he assumed no one would believe. Two very different crimes, one uncomfortable question — how many more are out there who just haven't been caught? If anything in this episode resonated with you or brought something up, please know you're not alone — and support exists, even if reaching out feels hard. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 (24/7, free, confidential)Online chat: rainn.org National Domestic Violence Hotline1-800-799-7233 | Text "START" to 88788thehotline.org Crisis Text LineText HOME to 741741 You don't have to have "the right words" or even be sure of what happened to reach out — these lines are there to listen, not to judge. Take care of yourselves out there. https://www.wctv.tv/2024/11/13/rico-conviction-vacated-former-jackson-county-deputy-accused-planting-drugs-traffic-stops-2019/ WMBB/mypanhandle.com, https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/jackson-county/former-jackson-county-deputy-resentenced-after-racketeering-charges-overturned/ WJHG, "Former deputy Zachary Wester sentenced to more than 12 years for planting drugs," July 14, 2021 — https://www.wjhg.com/2021/07/14/former-deputy-zachary-wester-sentenced-more-than-12-years-planting-drugs/ WFSU News, March 5, 2026 — https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2026-03-04/floridas-high-court-weighs-rico-charge-against-a-jackson-deputy-who-planted-drugs-on-innocents https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/21/463867164/former-oklahoma-city-police-officer-sentenced-to-263-years-for-sexual-assaults https://feminist.org/news/holtzclaw-sentenced-to-263-years-for-rape-and-sexual-assault-of-13-black-women/ https://www.democracynow.org/2015/12/15/daniel_holtzclaw_convicted_of_serial_rape https://okcfox.com/news/local/holtzclaw-victims-to-address-the-media

  2. Jul 16

    Ten Feet Tall and Full of Lies

    Long before viral hoaxes and deep fakes, there was the Cardiff Giant — a ten-foot stone "man" unearthed from a New York farm that had people lining up (and paying admission) to gawk at what they believed was a biblical relic or a fossilized ancient. It was neither. It was gypsum, a con man's imagination, and America's gift for believing exactly what it wants to. We dig into the hoax, the man behind it, and the P.T. Barnum plot twist you didn't see coming. https://www.farmersmuseum.org/cardiff-giant/ https://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5824/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-cardiff-giant-one-of-historys-most-famous-hoaxes-72691312/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cardiff-giant https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cardiff-Giant https://www.history.com/articles/cardiff-giant-hoax https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibitions/ongoing/cardiff-giant https://archive.org/details/cardiffgiant00newy https://books.google.com/books?id=Qb4DAAAAYAAJ (contemporary 19th-century accounts) https://www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/ (period newspaper coverage) History – The Cardiff Giant Fools the Nation Readex – The Tallest of the Tall Tales The Cardiff Giant reference overview History: The Cardiff Giant Fools the Nation, 145 Years Ago. Live Science: Cardiff Giant: "America's Biggest Hoax." JSTOR Daily: The Cardiff Giant: The Biggest Hoax of the 19th Century. Central New York History: Today in History: The Cardiff Giant.

  3. Jul 9

    Something's Lurking in Ohio... Something's Breathing in Illinois

    This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we're leaving the world of serial killers behind and stepping into two mysteries that still refuse to die. First, we're heading to the banks of the Little Miami River in Loveland, Ohio, where terrified witnesses claim they came face-to-face with a creature that looked more like something out of a fever dream than reality. Standing several feet tall, covered in leathery skin, and sporting unmistakably frog-like features, the Loveland Frogman has spent decades hopping between local legend, police reports, and cryptid lore. Is it just another case of mistaken identity... or has something strange really been hiding in the shadows all along? Then we're traveling back to the summer of 1944 in Mattoon, Illinois, where ordinary families began waking in the middle of the night unable to move, overcome by a mysterious sweet-smelling gas that seemed to drift through open windows before vanishing without a trace. Panic swept through the town as more reports poured in, newspapers fueled the hysteria, and a phantom attacker became one of America's most bizarre unsolved mysteries. Was the Mad Gasser a real criminal, an industrial accident, mass hysteria, or something even stranger? Pour yourself a glass of champagne, lock your windows, and maybe don't trust anything croaking at you from the dark. Because this week, we're diving into one legendary cryptid and one unexplained panic that continues to haunt the Midwest decades later. As always, we'll sprinkle in a little history, a lot of speculation, and just enough sarcasm to get us through another unforgettable night. https://www.lovelandfrog.com/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-loveland-frog-legend-180981453/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/loveland-frogman https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2023/03/03/loveland-frogman-ohio-cryptid-legend-explained/69961627007/ https://www.newspapers.com/ https://www.ohiomagazine.com/travel/article/the-loveland-frogman-legend https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2023-03-03/loveland-frogman-ohio-legend-history-cryptid https://www.history.com/news/mad-gasser-of-mattoon-illinois https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-mad-gasser-of-mattoon-180979675/ https://www.newspapers.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Gasser_of_Mattoon https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/madgasser https://www.jstor.org/stable/40168543

  4. Jul 2

    Fire in the Sky: The Disasters That Changed Everything

    This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we're diving into three devastating explosions that transformed celebrations into nightmares. First, we travel back to the 1905 fireworks tragedy that shocked the nation and helped usher in stricter regulations and safety standards that still influence fireworks displays today. One terrible night proved that a few sparks could change an entire industry. Then, things take an unexpected turn as we investigate the bizarre and deadly worm farm explosion in Benton, Tennessee. What sounds like the beginning of a dark joke became a very real disaster that left a community searching for answers. Finally, we head to California to examine the Simi Valley fireworks catastrophe, a modern reminder that even with regulations and experience, fireworks remain as unpredictable as they are beautiful. Pour yourself a glass, settle in, and join us as we explore three stories where celebration met catastrophe, and where the echoes of a single explosion reshaped laws, communities, and lives forever. Stay safe, and don't take candy from strangers. Library of Congress Newspaper Archive on the Brockton Fireworks Disaster Massachusetts State Fire Marshal History Resources Consumer Product Safety Commission: History of U.S. Fireworks Regulations The Washington Post: "Blast at Fireworks Factory Kills 11" Wikipedia: Benton Fireworks Disaster The Cleveland Daily Banner Archives Los Angeles Times: Investigation Finds Faulty Shell Caused Simi Valley Disaster CBS Los Angeles: 28 People Injured During Fireworks Mishap in Simi Valley The Week: Watch the Simi Valley Fireworks Disaster

  5. Jun 25

    Welcome to Hell's Half Acre: The Bloody Benders

    The American frontier was supposed to be a land of opportunity, but for dozens of unlucky travelers passing through southeastern Kansas in the 1870s, it became their final destination. This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we're diving into one of the most disturbing cases in American history: the story of the Bloody Benders. To weary travelers, the Bender family appeared to be ordinary homesteaders running a small inn and general store on the edge of the prairie. But behind a simple canvas curtain lurked a nightmare. As settlers, drifters, and businessmen disappeared along the Osage Trail, rumors spread across the growing frontier. What investigators eventually uncovered beneath the Benders' property shocked an entire nation and cemented the family’s place in true crime history as what many consider America's first family of serial killers. We'll unravel the enduring mystery that remains unsolved more than 150 years later: what happened to the Bloody Benders after they vanished without a trace? Pour yourself a glass of something bubbly and join us as we step into one of the darkest corners of the Old West. https://www.kshs.org https://labettecountyhistory.com https://www.smithsonianmag.com https://www.loc.gov https://www.nps.gov

  6. Jun 19

    Buried Truths: Christine Jessop and Pearl Bryan

    This week, Brittany and Vanessa take a heartbreaking journey through two cases that continue to haunt the people who know their stories. First, we travel to rural Ontario to discuss the murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop, a bright little girl whose disappearance in 1984 devastated her family and shocked an entire nation. What followed was a decades-long fight for justice filled with wrongful accusations, investigative failures, and a truth that would remain hidden for nearly forty years. Then we step back into the late 1800s to examine one of America's most infamous unsolved murders: the case of Pearl Bryan. Young, educated, and full of promise, Pearl's life ended in a crime so shocking that it sparked headlines across the country and inspired legends that still linger more than a century later. From a secret romance to a gruesome discovery and a mystery that refuses to die, Pearl's story remains one of the most disturbing cases in true crime history. Two victims. Two different centuries. Two families forever changed. Pour a glass, settle in, and join us as we uncover the lives behind the headlines. Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of child murder, violence against women, dismemberment, wrongful conviction, and other disturbing content that may not be suitable for all listeners. Until we speak to you again, stay safe... and don't take candy from strangers. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/15/the-christine-jessop-case-a-timeline-of-one-of-canadas-most-notorious-unsolved-murders.html https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/how-the-christine-jessop-murder-case-sparked-justice-system-reform-in-canada https://globalnews.ca/news/7398765/christine-jessop-case-calvin-hoover/ https://innocencecanada.com/exonerations/guy-paul-morin/ https://www.trace-evidence.com/christine-jessop https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-christine-jessops-brother-says-he-finally-has-answers-after-36/ https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/how-a-family-tree-helped-police-identify-the-man-they-believe-killed-9-year-old-christine-jessop-1.5146876 Jackson v. Commonwealth case summary Kentucky Court of Appeals case text for Jackson v. Commonwealth Historical overview of the Pearl Bryan murder case NKY Tribune article on Pearl Bryan and Gilded Age scandal culture Discussion and historical theories surrounding Pearl Bryan’s missing head https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Pearl_Bryan

  7. Jun 11

    When Control Turns Deadly

    Pour yourself a glass and settle in, because this week we're heading to Ohio for two cases that left entire communities searching for answers. First, we're diving into the Pike County Massacre, one of the most shocking family murder cases in modern American history. In April 2016, eight members of the Rhoden family were found murdered across multiple crime scenes in rural Pike County, Ohio. As investigators unraveled the mystery, they uncovered a tangled web of custody disputes, family feuds, control, and secrets that would ultimately point to an entire family willing to do the unthinkable. Then we're shifting gears to the controversial case of Mackenzie Shirilla. What began as a teenage love story ended in a devastating crash that killed two young men and sparked a national debate: was it a tragic accident, reckless driving, or something far more intentional? We'll walk through the evidence, the trial, and the questions that continue to divide public opinion. Two Ohio cases. Ten lives lost. Countless questions left behind. Grab your champagne, and let's talk murder. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_County_shootings https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/30/rhoden-family-killing-verdict/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/19/rhoden-family-ohio-murders-sentencing-wagner/ https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/04/21/pike-county-massacre-10-years-later-one-trial-remains-family-murder-case/ https://apnews.com/article/726d2a73502d1a3e2c6ea6bec4ec726c https://apnews.com/article/0ed638df1a9731fb8a35c2561b6d5dff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izeSkD64N_0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOopCxrwpE https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/8/2025/2025-Ohio-334.pdfhttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/08/mackenzie-shirilla-found-guilty-of-murder-in-crash-that-killed-boyfriend-friend.htmlhttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/08/mackenzie-shirilla-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murdering-boyfriend-friend-in-crash.htmlhttps://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cuyahoga-county/mackenzie-shirilla-trial-strongsville-crash-boyfriend-friend-killed/95-7d9d4f52-07e5-4f94-9bca-c35a00dd3f9chttps://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/i-team/appeals-court-upholds-mackenzie-shirillas-conviction-for-strongsville-crash-that-killed-twohttps://www.netflix.com/title/81763177https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mackenzie-shirilla-ohio-teen-sentenced-life-prison-deadly-crash-boyfriend-friend/

  8. Jun 4

    The Witch in the Walls: A Night with the Bell Witch

    For more than 200 years, people have been telling the story of the Bell Witch. It is a tale filled with strange voices in the dark, unexplained knocks on cabin walls, whispered threats, family tragedy, and a mysterious entity that seemed determined to make itself known. Over time, the story grew from a local Tennessee legend into one of the most famous hauntings in American folklore. This week, we're pouring a glass and stepping back into the early 1800s to walk through the story of the Bell family and the spirit said to have haunted them. From the first unsettling encounters to the moments that turned the haunting into legend, we'll explore the people, places, and events that have kept this story alive for generations. Rather than telling you what to believe, we're inviting you into the story itself—the history, the folklore, the eyewitness accounts, and the mysteries that continue to spark debate more than two centuries later. Was it a spirit? A curse? Something we still don't understand? Or simply a story that grew larger with each retelling? We'll leave that for you to decide. So dim the lights, settle in, and join us as we journey into one of the most famous supernatural legends in American history: The Bell Witch. https://archive.org/details/authenticatedhis00ingrhttps://tnency.utk.tennessee.edu/entries/bell-witch/https://www.bellwitchcave.comhttps://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bell-witchhttps://skeptoid.com/episodes/4081https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net

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About

Welcome to Champagne and Murder Please, the podcast where the eerie, the unexplained, and the downright terrifying come to life. Each episode, we dive into true crime cases, from infamous murders to unsolved mysteries, explore the dark history of witches and occult practices, and venture into the world of the paranormal—where ghosts, hauntings, and curses lurk in the shadows. Plus, we investigate cryptids like Bigfoot, the Mothman, and other legendary creatures that blur the line between myth and reality. If you love all things spooky, sinister, and strange, you’ve found your new obsession.

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