Monstrous

Carrie Canny and Mandy Garthwaite
  • 4.6 (5)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Monstrous is a true crime and mystery podcast that also dives into legends, hauntings, and all things spooky and spine-tingling. Our show resonates with listeners who love not only true crime, but also the thrill of the unexplained. Hosted by two friends brought together by our sons — one a Southern storyteller with a passion for crime, the spine-tingling, and the unknown, but has a firm line with messing with the dead while the other is a Midwesterner with a love for true crime, an appetite for the spooky, and a passion for learning about the other side Join us every Monday as we cover murders, serial killers, cold cases, mysteries, cults and all things monstrous. Listener Discretion Is Advised.

  1. 5D AGO

    Junko Tabei

    This week on Monstrous, we step away from the usual darkness and into the thin air of the Himalayas for a story about quiet courage, not chaos. We’re telling the life story of Junko Tabei—a Japanese schoolteacher and mother who became the first woman to climb Mount Everest and one of the first women to complete the Seven Summits. Her journey wasn’t just about breaking records; it was about quietly redefining what women were “allowed” to attempt in one of the most male‑dominated, physically extreme sports in the world. This episode covers her childhood in post‑war Japan, her early love of the mountains, the formation of the all‑women Everest expedition, the avalanche that nearly ended it all, and the summit day that changed her life and the history of women in mountaineering. You’ll hear about her later climbs, her environmental advocacy, her writing, and how she used fear as a guide instead of an obstacle. Unlike most of our episodes, this is a family‑friendly, inspirational story that still matches the depth and research you expect from Monstrous. It’s about a woman who climbed mountains, wrote books, guided others, and kept going after an avalanche, cancer, and decades of public pressure. If you enjoy the show and want to help us keep growing, you can: • Leave a rating and review • Subscribe wherever you listen • Support us on Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/monstroustcpod Follow our socials: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561641454715 • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monstrouspodcast?_r=1&_t=ZT-94Neh2zo5DJ Email us at: monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    49 min

  2. MAY 4

    The Giggling Granny

    In this episode of Monstrous, we meet Nannie Doss — The Giggling Granny — the sweet, grandmotherly figure who baked cookies, giggled through interrogations, and poisoned everyone who got in the way of her idea of “true love.” She looked like everyone’s favorite grandmother: wire‑rimmed glasses, floral dresses, and a plate of freshly baked cookies. However, behind the kitchen door, she was one of America’s most prolific suspected arsenic killers, with eleven confirmed deaths stretching across multiple states and decades. We trace Nannie’s life from a strict, repressive upbringing in rural Alabama to her lonely‑hearts hunting of husbands, the suspicious “illnesses” and house fires, and the one stomach that finally looked odd enough to call for an autopsy. Then, the tables turned: Detective Harvey Tyree sat her down, laid out the photos, and watched her giggle through her own confession. Join us this week as we walk through this granny serial killer but remember to stay safe, watch for monsters and don’t kill people. Support us at • Buy us a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/monstroustcpod Follow us at • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561641454715 • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monstrouspodcast?_r=1&_t=ZT-94Neh2zo5DJ Got a case idea or a story you’d like to share? Email us at: monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    58 min

  3. APR 28

    Amusement Park Disasters

    Strap in for our wildest ride yet—Carrie takes you behind the scenes to uncover the dark history of amusement park disasters that turned summer fun into tragedy. From the 1930 Big Dipper derailment at Krug Park that killed four and banned coasters in Omaha, to Action Park’s decade-long reign of terror earning it the nickname “Class Action Park,” we dive deep into what went wrong, who paid the price, and the lawsuits that changed the industry. Hear the full stories of Battersea Fun Fair’s 1972 catastrophe that left five dead, including three children, when an overloaded wooden coaster collapsed and Schlitterbahn‘s 2016 Verrückt horror, where 10-year-old Caleb Schwab was decapitated on the world’s tallest waterslide, sparking criminal charges and a $20 million settlement. We’ll trace amusement parks from 16th-century pleasure gardens to Disneyland’s golden age, exposing how corner-cutting turned thrills into nightmares. Social links: https://buymeacoffee.com/monstroustcpod https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561641454715 https://www.tiktok.com/@monstrouspodcast?_r=1&_t=ZT-94Neh2zo5DJ Email us at: Monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    1 hr

  4. APR 20

    The Sleeping Sickness

    In this episode of Monstrous, we dive into the terrifying and baffling history of encephalitis lethargica, the mysterious sleeping sickness that swept the world in the early 1900s. What began as flu-like symptoms soon turned into a nightmare of extreme sleepiness, paralysis, violent spasms, and a terrifying aftermath that left many survivors trapped in their own bodies for decades. From World War I and the Spanish Flu to Constantin von Economo’s first observations, the global spread of the disease, the failed treatments, and the haunting work of Oliver Sacks, this episode explores one of the strangest medical mysteries in history. If you love strange true stories, medical horror, and historical mysteries that still don’t have clean answers, this one is for you. Social links: https://buymeacoffee.com/monstroustcpod https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561641454715 https://www.tiktok.com/@monstrouspodcast?_r=1&_t=ZT-94Neh2zo5DJ Email us at: Monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    53 min

  5. APR 13

    The 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks Part 2

    In the conclusion of our series on the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks, the nightmare moves where no one thought it could go: inland. Last week, we saw the terror unfold on the beaches of Beach Haven and Spring Lake. This week, we travel 11 miles away from the ocean to the quiet, murky waters of Matawan Creek. It’s a place where local "wisdom" said a shark could never survive—until July 12th proved everyone wrong. In Part 2, we cover: • The Warning Ignored: Why Captain Thomas Cottrell was laughed at when he spotted a fin in the "crick." • The Wyckoff Dock: The heartbreaking story of 11-year-old Lester Stillwell and the town’s frantic search for him. • The Hero of Matawan: Stanley Fisher’s legendary attempt to recover a body that turned into a fight for his own life. • The Final Victim: Joseph Dunn’s narrow escape from the jaws of a predator. • The Capture: How a 7.5-foot Great White ended the "War on the Sea" and changed marine science forever. We wrap up the legacy of the summer that inspired Jaws and discuss why we still look at the water differently over a century later. Social links: Buy Me a Coffee Facebook TikTok Email us at: monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    1h 50m

  6. APR 6

    The 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks Part 1

    Before there was Jaws, there was July 1916. In this episode, Carrie and MawMaw take you back to a sweltering summer on the New Jersey coast. While the country is gripped by a polio epidemic and a record-breaking heatwave, thousands of families flee to the "safety" of the ocean. But a deadly predator is lurking in the shallows—and the "experts" refuse to believe it exists. In Part 1, we cover: • The $500 Bet: Why scientists in 1916 were convinced sharks were harmless to humans. • The Beach Haven Tragedy: The story of Charles Vansant and the blood-stained hotel lobby. • The Spring Lake Attack: How the death of Charles Bruder finally broke the wall of denial. • War on the Water: The federal government gets involved as fishermen turn the coast into a hunting ground. Join us as we walk the line between Gilded Age luxury and primal horror. The water looked fine... until it turned red. Social links: Buy Me a Coffee Facebook TikTok Email us at: monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    1h 8m

  7. MAR 31

    The Sallie House

    It starts with a flickering light. A misplaced toy. A child’s laughter echoing from an empty nursery. For Tony and Debra Pickman, the haunting of their Atchison, Kansas, home felt like a tragedy—until the mask began to slip. In this episode of Monstrous, Carrie and MawMaw explore the terrifying evolution of the Sallie House. We dig into the brutal history of Dr. Charles Finney, the legend of the "girl on the operating table," and the violent "oppression" phase that nearly broke a family. We also discuss brand-new 2026 data, including "Hitchhiker Effect" reports and the "human-shaped voids" caught on high-frequency scans. Is the Sallie House haunted by a victim of history, or something that simply knows how to pretend? Support the show: Buy Me a Coffee Follow our socials for case photos and updates: Facebook TikTok Got a case suggestion or a personal story? Email us at: Monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    50 min

  8. MAR 24

    The Leongatha Mushroom Murders

    On a quiet Saturday in July 2023, in the Victorian town of Leongatha, an invitation to lunch was extended as an olive branch. Erin Patterson—a former air traffic controller—hosted her estranged in-laws and a local pastor’s family for a homemade Beef Wellington. But what was presented as a gesture of reconciliation, baited by a fake terminal cancer diagnosis, turned into a forensic puzzle that would captivate the world. Within days, three of the guests were dead, and one was fighting for survival. This episode deconstructs the timeline of a tragedy that was anything but accidental. We dive into the toxicology of the Death Cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides), explaining the biological cruelty of the "False Recovery" phase and how alpha-amanitin systematically dismantles the human body. We also examine the most haunting questions of the case: How did the host’s children survive eating the "same" meal? Why did her estranged husband, Simon, narrowly avoid the table? And how did a woman trained in high-stakes precision manage to "accidentally" serve the most lethal fungus on the planet? From the "9-second" CCTV footage that dismantled her alibi to the 2026 DNA "Fingerprint" that finally linked the poison to a specific forest grove, we follow the investigation that led to a landmark life sentence in September 2025. In This Episode, We Cover: • The "Test of Patience": How a fabricated cancer diagnosis was used to lure the victims to the table. • The Science of the Silent Killer: A deep dive into the molecular hijacking of the liver by amatoxins. • The "Two-Plate" and "Two-Wellington" Theories: Analyzing the survivor's testimony and the forensic evidence regarding the children’s "safe" meal. • Digital Smoking Guns: The 2025 trial revelations including the missing "Phone A," the search for undetectable poisons, and the damning "Mushrooms on a Scale" photo. • The 9-Second Alibi: How service station CCTV debunked the host's claims of being ill herself. The 2026 Verdict & Beyond: A summary of the 2025 sentencing and the latest Forensic Mycology breakthroughs currently impacting the appeal. Social links: Buy Me a Coffee Facebook TikTok Email us at: monstroustcpod@gmail.com

    55 min
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Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Monstrous is a true crime and mystery podcast that also dives into legends, hauntings, and all things spooky and spine-tingling. Our show resonates with listeners who love not only true crime, but also the thrill of the unexplained. Hosted by two friends brought together by our sons — one a Southern storyteller with a passion for crime, the spine-tingling, and the unknown, but has a firm line with messing with the dead while the other is a Midwesterner with a love for true crime, an appetite for the spooky, and a passion for learning about the other side Join us every Monday as we cover murders, serial killers, cold cases, mysteries, cults and all things monstrous. Listener Discretion Is Advised.

Information

  • Creator
    Carrie Canny and Mandy Garthwaite
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Carrie Canny and Mandy Garthwaite
  • Show Website
    Monstrous

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