Twisted and Mysterious

Sarah and Faren Bearowitz
  • 5.0 (3)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A true crime and mystery podcast.

  1. Killer Valentine: Love, Muscle, and Murder

    1D AGO

    Killer Valentine: Love, Muscle, and Murder

    This week on Twisted & Mysterious, we’re diving into the explosive and controversial case of Sally McNeil and Ray McNeil — a bodybuilding power couple whose marriage ended in gunfire on Valentine’s Day. On February 14, 1995, Sally shot and killed her husband, fellow bodybuilder Ray McNeil, inside their Oceanside, California home. She immediately called 911 and claimed self-defense, alleging years of domestic abuse. Prosecutors argued it was intentional murder fueled by jealousy and rage. The jury convicted her of second-degree murder. In a twist that feels almost too on-the-nose, the killing happened on Valentine’s Day. Her trial began on Valentine’s Day. And Sally had even competed in her first bodybuilding competition on Valentine’s Day years earlier. Love, muscle, violence — all colliding on the same date. We break down their volatile relationship, the role of steroids and control in 1990s competitive bodybuilding culture, the courtroom battle over self-defense versus premeditated murder, and the later reexamination of Sally’s conviction decades after the case first made headlines. And because this is Twisted & Mysterious, we also acknowledge the slightly scarring childhood experience of seeing entirely too many flexing, oiled-up bodybuilding photos of relatives — because nothing says Valentine’s Day like unresolved trauma and biceps. This is a story about power, image, domestic violence, and the complicated line between victim and perpetrator. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com.

    1h 2m
  2. The Isdal Woman: Codes, Cold War, and an Unreasonable Amount of Garlic

    FEB 8

    The Isdal Woman: Codes, Cold War, and an Unreasonable Amount of Garlic

    In November 1970, a woman was found dead in a remote valley near Bergen, Norway. She had no identification, no known past, and no one ever came forward to claim her. What investigators did find was far stranger: suitcases filled with wigs, labels cut from every piece of clothing, multiple aliases, a notebook written in code—and witnesses who remembered one oddly specific detail. She reportedly smelled strongly of garlic. How much garlic are we talking? Culinary preference? Attempted invisibility? Fear of vampires? We may never know—but it’s only one of many bizarre clues in a case that has baffled investigators for more than fifty years. As authorities traced her movements across Europe, a disturbing picture emerged—constant travel, coded notes, questions about military bases, and behavior that raised serious Cold War suspicions. Was she a spy? Or a woman who went to extraordinary lengths to erase herself from history? In this episode, we break down the evidence, the theories, and the unanswered questions surrounding The Isdal Woman—a mystery involving secrecy, identity, and yes…an unreasonable amount of garlic.

    41 min
  3. Sweats, Snacks...and a Locked Door

    JAN 28

    Sweats, Snacks...and a Locked Door

    Greg Fleniken lived a quiet, predictable life. During the week, he worked as a landman in Beaumont, Texas, staying at the MCM Elegante hotel. On weekends, he went home to Lafayette, Louisiana, to be with his wife. He didn’t party. He didn’t socialize. His evenings followed the same routine: change into sweats, grab a snack, and watch a movie in bed. On the morning of September 16, 2010, Greg was found dead in Room 348. At first glance, it appeared to be a natural death. No signs of a struggle. No noise. No one had entered the room. And, yes, they checked the room for Acme anvils. In this episode of Twisted & Mysterious, we follow the case that transformed an ordinary, predictable death into a baffling homicide investigation. From the locked hotel room and unexplained injuries to the private investigator who saw what others overlooked, we explore how a quiet life ended in a way that no one could have predicted. What happened to Greg Fleniken inside Room 348? Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com. The Body in Room 348, Vanity Fair — [https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/05/true-crime-elegante-hotel-texas-murder?srsltid=AfmBOop6i7a27o3jonnqvJTxmGEUR-MjQjSNwQMoU4GK1Gqe8y8lFueJ] RedHanded Podcast, Episode: “The Body, the P.I., and the Hole in the Wall” — [https://redhandedpodcast.com/episodes/waabr5xk2hsdcj5-g626a-gpax5-4tebp-tss8w-hkfcn-lrslk-wht58-ctzhh-65dds-w8zgg-jaahc-ctgg9-fbdk3-zwfmg-8a6c4-yjeyk-xt4zm-hbxp4-xrkle-d5an6?rq=greg%20fleniken]

    44 min
  4. The Pendle Witches and Vibes-Based Justice

    JAN 21

    The Pendle Witches and Vibes-Based Justice

    In 1612 England, you could be accused of witchcraft for being poor, annoying, related to the wrong people—or, in one unfortunate case, simply having a wonky eye. This week on Twisted & Mysterious, Faren tells the story of the Pendle Witches, one of the most infamous and absurd witch trials in English history. What started as a minor encounter quickly spiraled into full-blown hysteria, dragging two rival families into a mess of accusations, superstition, and “evidence” that would not survive even five minutes in a modern courtroom. We break down the trials, the wildly unreliable testimony (including a disturbingly enthusiastic child witness), and how fear, politics, and paranoia combined to sentence ten people to death. Were these accused witches actually practicing dark magic—or were they simply unlucky enough to exist at the wrong time, with the wrong neighbors, and the wrong eye? Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com.

    56 min
  5. A Quiet Descent: The Murder of Brenda Powell

    JAN 12

    A Quiet Descent: The Murder of Brenda Powell

    This week on Twisted & Mysterious, we cover the murder of Brenda Powell—killed by her daughter, Sydney—in a case where nothing outwardly seemed wrong until it was. We walk through Sydney’s quiet descent into unreality, the secrets she kept, and the investigation that revealed just how disconnected her inner world had become from everyone around her. Also… yes. It’s late. Time blindness is undefeated. The case is devastating all the same. Listener discretion advised. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com.

    1 hr
  6. The Watcher House: Stalker, Prank, or Socially Awkward Menace?

    JAN 1

    The Watcher House: Stalker, Prank, or Socially Awkward Menace?

    Buying your dream home usually involves paint swatches and Pinterest boards—not anonymous letters signed “The Watcher.” But that’s exactly what happened to one family in Westfield, New Jersey. In this episode of Twisted & Mysterious, we dive into the bizarre true story of the Watcher House. Before the family ever spent a night in their new home, they began receiving unsettling letters from someone obsessively focused on the house, the renovations, and—most alarmingly—their children. Was it a neighbor with a disturbing fixation? A prank that went way too far? Or, as briefly but earnestly considered, someone who was just socially awkward and somehow thought this was a normal way to say hello? With no arrests, no clear suspect, and a family driven out of their own home, the Watcher was never identified. No break-ins. No violence. Just the lingering fear that someone nearby thought this was normal behavior—and still might. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com.

    1h 5m
  7. Five Kids, One Fire, No Bodies: The Sodder Children

    12/25/2025

    Five Kids, One Fire, No Bodies: The Sodder Children

    On Christmas Eve 1945, a house fire in Fayetteville, West Virginia destroyed the Sodder family home. By morning, five of the ten Sodder children were missing — and no bodies were ever found. Officials ruled that the children died in the fire, but almost nothing about the investigation made sense. No remains were recovered from the ashes. A ladder vanished. The family’s trucks mysteriously wouldn’t start. And in one of the strangest moments of the case, the local fire chief secretly buried a beef liver at the scene and later presented it to the family as the supposed heart of one of their children. As years passed, the Sodders received unsettling sightings, warnings, and even a photograph that suggested at least one child may have survived. Their parents spent more than four decades searching for answers — and never stopped believing their children were alive. In this episode of Twisted & Mysterious, we explore the baffling disappearance of Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty Sodder, the deeply flawed investigation, and the theories that continue to haunt this case nearly 80 years later. Audio note: This episode contains occasional background noise. Was it a tragic accident… or something far more sinister? Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com.

    1h 3m
  8. Too Young to Cook, Old Enough to Have a Husband and Three Kids: The Shanti Devi Story

    12/17/2025

    Too Young to Cook, Old Enough to Have a Husband and Three Kids: The Shanti Devi Story

    This week on Twisted & Mysterious, Faren tells the unforgettable reincarnation story of Shanti Devi, a young girl in 1930s India who insisted she was not a child at all—but a grown, married woman with three children, a past life, and some very strong opinions about how things used to be done in the kitchen. Her claims were so detailed and consistent that they eventually caught the attention of the Indian government, leading to a formal investigation into her alleged past life. While officials took the case seriously, we’re left asking the practical questions: is it fair to criticize your mother’s cooking when you can’t reach the stove, aren’t allowed near knives, and still need to hold someone's hand when crossing the street? And how exactly do you ground a 30-year-old mother of three who is currently eight years old? Add in historical documentation, existential whiplash, and a chaotic cold open featuring a kitten who clearly wants a producer credit, and you’ve got an episode that’s equal parts fascinating and ridiculous. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and consider subscribing to the show. You can find us on social media @twistedandmysterious and email us at twistedandmysteriouspodcast@gmail.com.

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A true crime and mystery podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah and Faren Bearowitz
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Twisted and Mysterious