Highway to Hell

Monte Mader
  • 5.0 (66)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Highway to Hell, the unique crossroads where wanderlust meets mystery. Every episode, I take you on a journey to breathtaking destinations around the globe, unveiling not just the beauty of travel but the shadows that lurk behind the postcard-perfect views. From unsolved mysteries to infamous crimes, I explore the darker tales hidden within the world's most enchanting locales. So pack your curiosity, keep your wits about you, and join us as we dive deep into the thrilling intersection of travel and true crime. Your adventure into the unknown starts now.

  1. 6D AGO

    30. West Memphis 3- Part 1

    Occasionally there's a story with so much to it and so much nuance, that we break it up into two pieces instead of making a three hour episode. So here is part one! On May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—were reported missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. Their bodies were discovered the next day in a drainage ditch in an area known as Robin Hood Hills. The boys had been beaten, bound, and mutilated. The brutality of the crime sparked community panic. Police quickly focused on three local teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr., largely because Echols was interested in heavy metal culture and wore black clothing during the height of the “Satanic Panic.” Misskelley, who had an IQ below average and was interrogated for hours without a parent or lawyer, gave a highly inconsistent confession that he later recanted. No physical evidence linked the teenagers to the murders. In 1994, the three were convicted—Misskelley and Baldwin received life sentences; Echols was sentenced to death. Over the next two decades, investigative journalists, forensic experts, and attorneys raised major concerns about coerced confessions, mishandled evidence, untested DNA, and alternate suspects. New DNA testing (2007–2011) found no genetic material connecting any of the West Memphis Three to the crime scene. With growing legal pressure, the defendants entered Alford pleas in 2011, allowing them to maintain innocence while accepting time served. They were released after 18 years in prison. The case remains controversial, with ongoing debate about wrongful conviction, police bias, and the influence of Satanic Panic on the investigation Legal Documents & Court Records Arkansas Supreme Court: Echols v. State (1996). Arkansas Supreme Court: Misskelley v. State (1996). Arkansas Supreme Court: Baldwin v. State (1996). West Memphis Police Department investigation files. DNA testing records submitted during 2007–2011 appeals. 2011 Alford Plea filings, Craighead County Circuit Court. Books & Scholarly Works Leveritt, Mara. Devil’s Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three. Baldwin, Jason; Echols, Damien; Misskelley Jr., Jessie. Life After Death (Echols memoir). Hobbs, Pamela. “The West Memphis Three: Media, Moral Panic, and the Politics of Fear.” Journal of Southern Studies. Burnett, Joe. The Case of the West Memphis Three: Wrongful Conviction and the American Justice System. Documentaries & Investigative Journalism Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000). Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011). West of Memphis (2012). Arkansas Times and Memphis Commercial Appeal investigative archives. Forensic & Expert Analyses Dr. Werner Spitz, forensic pathology evaluations (2007–2011). Dr. Michael Baden, forensic analysis on post-mortem animal predation vs. mutilation. FBI files and behavioral assessments (released through FOIA).

    1h 15m

  2. JAN 6

    29. The Candyman- Houston, TX

    ⚠️ Content Warning:This episode contains discussion of extreme violence, sexual abuse, and the murder of minors. Listener discretion is strongly advised. This episode examines the crimes of Dean Corll who operated in early 1970s in Houston, Corll, later dubbed “The Candyman”, used manipulation, coercion, and the assistance of two teenage accomplices to abduct, torture, and murder dozens of boys and young men. We trace how Corll gained access to victims, the role his accomplices played, and how systemic failures—including ignored disappearances and marginalized victims—allowed the crimes to continue for years. The episode walks through the investigation that finally exposed the murders, the discovery of multiple burial sites, and the shocking moment when Corll’s killing spree ended not with arrest, but with his own death at the hands of an accomplice.

    1h 25m

  3. 12/30/2025

    28. Harm and Hauntings in East State Penitentiary

    Welcome to our new release schedule! Midnight every Tuesday (we'll explain more next episode about the schedule change) Want ad free episodes? Bonus content? Early access to merch? Become a Hellion for $5 a month on patreon at patreon.com/highwaytohellpodcast Opened in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most radical and influential prison in the world. Built on the belief that isolation and silence would inspire penitence, it pioneered the “Pennsylvania System” of solitary confinement—an approach that quickly drew international attention and criticism. In practice, prolonged isolation caused severe psychological harm, mental breakdowns, and suicide attempts. Overcrowding, brutality, and abandonment eventually replaced reform, even as the prison housed infamous inmates like Al Capone before closing its doors in 1971. Today, Eastern State stands as a decaying monument to failed penal philosophy—and one of the most notorious haunted locations in the United States. Guards, historians, and visitors have reported disembodied voices, echoing footsteps, shadow figures, cell doors slamming shut, and sudden waves of panic or despair. Paranormal activity is most frequently associated with Cellblock 12, Death Row, and the long-sealed isolation cells. This episode explores how extreme punishment, silence, and human suffering shaped Eastern State’s legacy—and why many believe the trauma embedded in its walls never truly faded. Sources Alexis de Tocqueville & Gustave de Beaumont, On the Penitentiary System in the United States American Philosophical Society — archival exhibits on early incarceration and youth prisoners Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation (1842) David J. Rothman, The Discovery of the Asylum Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site — official archives & institutional history Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site — Staff & Visitor Incident Reports Eastern State Penitentiary Preservation Coalition — 1990s restoration records Eastern State Penitentiary staff and guard incident reports — archived testimonies Eastern State preservation staff interviews (1990s–2000s) Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia — “Eastern State Penitentiary” Harry Elmer Barnes, The Evolution of Penology in Pennsylvania JSTOR — scholarly articles on prison discipline, solitary confinement, and the Pennsylvania System Library Company of Philadelphia — archival materials on prison discipline and the iron gag National Trust for Historic Preservation — Eastern State Penitentiary documentation Pennsylvania Department of Corrections — Annual Reports (19th–20th centuries) Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission records Rebecca McLennan, The Crisis of Imprisonment Scholarly discussions of “place memory” in carceral ruins Scholarly literature on solitary confinement and mental health referencing Eastern State as a case study The Philadelphia Inquirer — historical reporting and interviews related to Eastern State University of Delaware — Finding Aid: Eastern State Penitentiary Medical Log Books, 1840–1868 U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence on prison conditions and the Eighth Amendment WHYY — Philadelphia public media reporting on Eastern State history and paranormal accounts

    1h 15m

  4. 12/24/2025

    27. Missing & Murdered- Laci Peterson

    Christmas Eve release for a Christmas Eve crime! Thank you so much for the love and support from new Hellions who have become followers and subscribers! Follow us on IG at @highwaytohellpod Topic you want to hear? Highway@montemader.com On December 24, 2002, Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant, disappeared from her home in Modesto. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies in Scott Peterson’s statements and evidence of an extramarital affair. He told police he had gone fishing in San Francisco Bay the morning Laci vanished—where the remains of Laci and her unborn son, Conner, were discovered. In 2004, Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder for Laci and second-degree murder for Conner. Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was later reduced to life without the possibility of parole. Sources: 48 Hours investigative reporting on the case timeline, marina evidence, and trial strategy (CBS News, 2003–2004). ABC’s acquisition of taped phone calls between Amber Frey and Scott Peterson (entered as trial exhibits). ABC News / Good Morning America exclusive interviews with Amber Frey and investigators (2003–2004). Associated Press coverage of California Supreme Court ruling overturning death sentence (2020). Associated Press coverage of the trial, verdict, and sentencing (2004–2005). Autopsy reports (Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office), completed by Dr. Brian Peterson (sealed but publicly referenced in court). Berkeley Marina parking records (Dec. 24, 2002). California Attorney General, Respondent’s Briefs in People v. Peterson (Direct Appeal). Cell phone records subpoenaed from December 2002–January 2003 (used in timeline reconstruction). CNN coverage of investigation developments, body discovery, and trial timeline (2002–2004). Court TV daily trial coverage including direct summaries from courtroom transcripts (2004). Documented police inventories of evidence seized during arrest (vehicle contents). FBI Trace Evidence Laboratory notes on mitochondrial DNA testing of hair recovered from the pliers. Financial and property records documenting Peterson’s termination of lease, car sale, mail changes, and satellite cancellation. Frey, Amber. Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson (2005). GPS tracking logs and surveillance warrants issued January 2003 (Stanislaus County). Habeas corpus petitions filed by Scott Peterson (2005–present). KTVU, KRON, and Northern California regional broadcast reporting on discovery of remains at Point Isabel and Richmond shoreline (April 2003). Law review articles discussing People v. Peterson, circumstantial evidence standards, and California’s application of Witherspoon/Witt in jury selection. Los Angeles Innocence Project filings (2024–2025), including new-evidence submissions and requests for discovery. Los Angeles Times investigative coverage of the disappearance, search efforts, autopsy details, and trial testimony (2002–2004). Los Angeles Times reporting on Peterson appeals and developments (2005–2025). Modesto Bee continuous local reporting from Dec. 24, 2002 onward (search efforts, discovery of remains, hearings, trial, verdict, sentencing, appeals). Modesto Police Department missing person reports (Dec. 24–25, 2002). Modesto Police Department press releases (2002–2003), including “Relationship Verified in Peterson Case” (Jan. 24, 2003). NBC News reporting on the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision and subsequent resentencing. NOAA & USGS tidal and hydrology data used by state experts during trial testimony. People v. Peterson, 2020, California Supreme Court, S132449. San Francisco Chronicle reporting on searches in SF Bay, tidal modeling testimony, and body discovery (April 2003). San Francisco Chronicle courthouse reporting during jury deliberations and sentencing (2004). San Mateo County Superior Court, People v. Scott Peterson, trial transcripts (2004). Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office filings and responses in Scott Peterson post-conviction proceedings (2003–2025).

    1h 6m

  5. 12/19/2025

    26. Beast of Jersey

    For more than a decade, Jersey (one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy) was haunted by a figure locals came to call the Beast of Jersey. A masked man who moved through hedgerows and farm lanes at night slicing phone lines and entering homes while families slept. He abducted women and children from their beds assaulted them in their rooms or out in the fields and then returned them hours later, all while their families were fast asleep. Today we meet Edward Paisnel: his background, his double life as a respected builder and beloved “Uncle Ted,” his access to children’s homes, and the crimes that terrorized an island from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. We examine how fear and suspicion led to the wrongful vilification and exile of Alphonse Le Gastelois. Paisnel was finally caught by chance after a reckless night drive (how many of these men were caught by traffic violations) and how the evidence: his mask, nail‑studded coat, and taped torch confirmed survivors’ accounts with chilling precision. We also explore how the case lingered, no just through the firsthand testimonies that convicted him, but the unanswered questions surrounding institutional failure, and the folklore and ghost stories that grew in the wake of collective trauma. Small islands can create big legends. This episode is a examination of one of the most disturbing cases in British criminal history. Sources Joan Paisnel, The Beast of Jersey (New English Library, 1972; later reprints). Ward Rutherford, The Beast of Jersey: The Final Chapter (Redberry Press). Ward Rutherford, The Untimely Silence (Hamish Hamilton, 1973). Hillsdon, Jersey Witches, Ghosts & Traditions (1987). Robert Sinsoilliez, Histoire des Minquiers et des Écréhou (1995). States of Jersey, Proposition P.111/1999: Alphonse Le Gastelois – Ex Gratia Payment. States of Jersey, Minutes of the States Assembly, 14 September 1999. Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, Final Report (2017). Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, Appendix 1: Chronology of Significant Events. Jersey Heritage Archive catalog entries relating to police and inquiry records (e.g., ZC/D/AW1/A1). States of Jersey, Public Records (Jersey) Law 2002 – Report R.62/2016. The Guardian (Jersey care homes and Paisnel coverage, Feb–Mar 2008). The Times — Simon de Bruxelles & David Brown (26 Feb 2008). Irish Examiner — Tom Palmer (27 Feb 2008). Jersey Evening Post (various articles, 2012–2015). BBC Jersey (coverage relating to Alphonse Le Gastelois and later reflections). Bailiwick Express (historical investigations and retrospective features). The True Crime Database – “Beast of Jersey.” The True Crime Enthusiast – “The Beast of Jersey.” All That’s Interesting – “Edward Paisnel, The Beast of Jersey.” Back on the Rock (Jersey blog, July 2020). “Edward Paisnel.” “Alphonse Le Gastelois.”

    1h 9m

  6. 12/12/2025

    25. Heavens Gate

    In this episode, we examine the rise and tragic end of Heaven’s Gate, one of the most infamous cults in modern American history. Founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, the group fused New Age spirituality, Christian apocalypticism, and science-fiction belief into a rigid worldview centered on ascension to a higher evolutionary level. We trace the group’s origins in the 1970s, its recruitment tactics, isolationist lifestyle, and the psychological mechanisms that reinforced obedience, identity loss, and total devotion to leadership. The episode culminates in a detailed breakdown of the 1997 mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, California, carried out in the belief that a spacecraft trailing the Hale-Bopp comet would transport members beyond Earth. We explore how apocalyptic thinking, charismatic authority, fear of the outside world, and technological alienation converged to produce one of the deadliest cult outcomes in U.S. history—and what Heaven’s Gate still teaches us about high-control groups, belief radicalization, and vulnerability in times of uncertainty. Sources: Benjamin E. Zeller, Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion (NYU Press, 2014).(JSTOR) Robert W. Balch, “The Evolution of a New Age Cult: From Total Overcomers Anonymous to Death at Heaven’s Gate,” in Sects, Cults, and Spiritual Communities: A Sociological Analysis, ed. W. W. Zellner & M. Petrowsky (Praeger, 1998).(Dokumen.pub)James R. Lewis, “Legitimating Suicide: Heaven’s Gate and New Age Ideology,” in UFO Religions, ed. Christopher Partridge (Routledge, 2003).(ResearchGate) George D. Chryssides (ed.), Heaven’s Gate: Postmodernity and Popular Culture in a Suicide Group (Ashgate/Routledge, 2011/2021).(Better World Books)John R. Hall, Apocalypse Observed: Religious Movements and Violence in North America, Europe and Japan (Routledge, 2000).(Wikipedia)Rosamond C. Rodman, “Heaven’s Gate,” in Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, ed. Eugene V. Gallagher & W. Michael Ashcraft (Greenwood, 2006).(Internet Archive) W. Davis, “Heaven’s Gate: A Study of Religious Obedience,” Nova Religio 3, no. 2 (2000).(JSTOR) W. G. Robinson, “Heaven’s Gate: The End,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (1997).(OUP Academic)Various scholarly essays reprinted in Chryssides’ anthology and Zeller’s volume.(Better World Books)San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, “Heaven’s Gate Case” (official case overview and FAQ).(San Diego County Sheriff)Los Angeles Times, “39 Dead in Apparent Suicide: Bodies Found in Rancho Santa Fe Mansion,” March 27, 1997.(Los Angeles Times)ABC News, “Heaven’s Gate Investigator Saw Dozens Dead With Their Shoes On,” March 25, 2007.(ABC News)History.com, “Heaven’s Gate cult members found dead,” This Day in History entry.(HISTORY)The New York Times’ contemporaneous coverage of the suicides and profiles of Applewhite and members (e.g., Barry Bearak, “Eyes on Glory: Pied Pipers of Heaven’s Gate,” April 28, 1997).(Wikipedia)

    1h 10m

  7. 12/05/2025

    24. Devil in the White City- HH Holmes

    Thank you for listening! Please share and subscribe! Herman Webster Mudgett — better known as H.H. Holmes — is often regarded as America’s first documented serial killer, but long before the murders came fraud, reinvention, and carefully engineered charm. A medical student with a fascination for cadavers, he began his criminal life forging documents, taking out insurance policies on stolen corpses, and committing small-scale scams that sharpened his skill for deception. In Chicago, using aliases and credit manipulation, he built the infamous "Murder Castle" — a multi-level property designed with secret rooms, gas lines, soundproof spaces, and controlled entryways. While later retellings exaggerated elements of torture, confirmed historical evidence shows Holmes used the building primarily to isolate victims, commit insurance schemes, and dispose of bodies with chilling efficiency. Holmes is linked directly to several murders, including those of his employee and probable mistress Julia Conner, her young daughter Pearl, and later the children of his business associate Benjamin Pitezel. Although newspapers of the era sensationalized the number of victims into the dozens or even hundreds, historians note that the confirmed count is considerably smaller — perhaps 9, possibly more, but far from the mythical 200. Holmes' trial for the death of Benjamin Pitezel exposed his layered hoaxes and corpse substitutions, ultimately leading to his conviction and execution in 1896. The Holmes story persists because it lives at the intersection of fact and folklore: a man of intelligence, charisma, and absolute moral vacancy, who weaponized trust and opportunity in a rapidly industrializing American city. Sources Erik Larson — The Devil in the White City Adam Selzer — H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil Harold Schechter — Depraved: The Shocking True Story of America’s First Serial Killer David Franke — The Torture Doctor: The Murder, Madness, and Mayhem of H.H. Holmes The Philadelphia Inquirer — 1894–1896 Holmes arrest, trial, and Pitezel coverage Chicago Tribune — reporting on the Murder Castle, fraud schemes, arrest, execution New York Times — trial updates, confession coverage, execution reporting Trial Transcripts of United States v. H.H. Holmes (Pitezel case) Insurance fraud documentation filed under Holmes/Mudgett aliases Philadelphia police arrest reports — Holmes + accomplices (1894) Death sentence and execution records — Moyamensing Prison, 1896 Architectural references & investigation notes regarding the Chicago “Castle” structure Recovered correspondence between Holmes, Minnie Williams, and business associates Confession documents attributed to Holmes (with known factual inconsistencies)

    1h 19m

  8. 11/28/2025

    23. Albert Fish- New York City

    And here's the Albert Fish episode! Sorry every body I uploaded them out of order on accident. But here we are. TW: Extreme child abuse and assault Albert Fish (1870–1936) was an American serial killer, cannibal, and sadomasochist whose crimes in the early 20th century remain some of the most disturbing in U.S. criminal history. Raised in an abusive orphanage and plagued throughout his life by violent sexual compulsions and self-harm, Fish targeted children, abducting, torturing, and murdering several—most infamously twelve-year-old Grace Budd, whose case led to his capture after he sent her family a chilling letter detailing the crime. Known by monikers such as “The Gray Man” and “The Boogeyman,” Fish displayed extreme psychopathy, claiming to have felt moral justification for his actions and reporting pleasure in pain, including driving needles into his own body. He was arrested in 1934, found sane enough to stand trial, convicted, and executed by electric chair in January 1936, leaving behind a legacy of horror that continues to fascinate and appall criminologists, historians, and true-crime researchers. Sources: Bardsley, M. (2012). Albert Fish. Crime Library. Retrieved January 1, 2014, from http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/fish/index.html Constantine, N. (2006).  A history of cannibalism. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books. Douglas, J. E. (2006).  Crime classification manual: A standard system for investigating and classifying violent crimes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Hickey, E. W. (2013).  Serial murderers and their victims (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Johnson, G., & Jenks, A. (2008).  Albert Hamilton Fish. Radford, VA: Radford University. Newton, M. (2006).  The encyclopedia of serial killers (2nd ed.).  New York: Facts on File, Inc. Philbin, T., & Philbin, M. (2009).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish The killer book of serial killers. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. Ramsland, K., & McGrain, P. N. (2010).  Inside the minds of sexual predators. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Mayer, R. (Director). (2009).  The bogeyman’s gonna eat you – Albert Fish, the vampire of Brooklyn (Motion picture). United States of America: Mill Creek Entertainment. Schechter, H. (2012). Psycho USA. New York: Random House. Schechter, H. (2012, February 24). Cannibal 'Albert Fish' documentary [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orJiXNQeScs Schechter, H. (2003).  The serial killer files. New York: Random House. Schechter, H. (1990).  Deranged: The shocking true story of America’s most fiendish killer. New York: Simon & Schuster. Smith, D. J. (2003).  100 most infamous criminals. New York: Sterling Publishing Company. Wilson, C., & Seaman, D. (2004).  The serial killers: A study in the psychology of violence. London: Virgin Publishing. Vronsky, P. (2004).  Serial killers: The method and madness of monsters. New York: Penguin

    1h 25m
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5
out of 5
66 Ratings

About

Welcome to Highway to Hell, the unique crossroads where wanderlust meets mystery. Every episode, I take you on a journey to breathtaking destinations around the globe, unveiling not just the beauty of travel but the shadows that lurk behind the postcard-perfect views. From unsolved mysteries to infamous crimes, I explore the darker tales hidden within the world's most enchanting locales. So pack your curiosity, keep your wits about you, and join us as we dive deep into the thrilling intersection of travel and true crime. Your adventure into the unknown starts now.

Information

  • Creator
    Monte Mader
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Monte Mader
  • Show Website
    Highway to Hell

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