We Would Be Dead

We Would Be Dead
  • 4.7 (208)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly true crime podcast that finds humanity in the darkness, humor in the history and the devil in the details.

  1. Mind Matters (Based on a true story: Stranger Things, Part 2)

    4D AGO

    Mind Matters (Based on a true story: Stranger Things, Part 2)

    Did the Netflix series Stranger Things take over your life this holiday season? Do you like conspiracy theories, government secrets, magic and monsters? Have you ever wondered how much the United States Government would pay for a psychic division? Then boy do we have a good news for you! This episode is the second in a series of the true, and not true stories that inspired the world of Stranger Things.  In this episode we'll cover: Project Stargate and The Men Who Stare at Goats FYI: If you didn't watch the show, don't worry. The stories we are going to explore in this series exist on their own, you don't need to have seen the show to understand or appreciate them. We just love a theme! If you are curious though, any images we think may be relevant, or are interesting points of comparison, will be included in the corresponding week's photo suite.    Click to learn more (sources) https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00789R002800180001-2.pdf https://lifeoutofbounds.com/2015/06/01/jim-channon-intergalactic-shaman/ https://www.reddit.com/r/RBI/comments/1hvio2n/gate_the_nefarious_gifted_and_talented_programme/ https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5e1ede584653d00964acbb49   Episode Credits: Hosts/writers: Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel Editor/Composer/Producer: Jon Katity WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    2h 3m
  2. Heroes and Monsters (Based on a true story: Stranger Things, Part 1)

    JAN 22

    Heroes and Monsters (Based on a true story: Stranger Things, Part 1)

    Did the Netflix series Stranger Things take over your life this holiday season? Do you like conspiracy theories, government secrets, magic and monsters? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hear Holly struggle to explain quantum physics? Then boy do we have a good news for you! This episode is the first in a series of the true, and not true stories that inspired the world of Stranger Things.  In this episode we'll cover: The Montauk Monster, Camp Hero, The Philadelphia Experiment/ Project Rainbow, The Montauk Project, and Nina Kulagina the Russian Woman with telekinetic powers. FYI: If you didn't watch the show, don't worry. The stories we are going to explore in this series exist on their own, you don't need to have seen the show to understand or appreciate them. We just love a theme! If you are curious though, any images we think may be relevant, or are interesting points of comparison, will be included in the corresponding week's photo suite.    Click to learn more (sources) https://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/29/montauk.monster/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/montauk-monster-dead-racco_b_116550 https://nypost.com/2008/07/29/montauk-monster/ https://www.livescience.com/2772-montauk-monster-likely-raccoon.html https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-happens-when-a-body-decomposes-in-water-180963994/ https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/06/06/history-plum-island-animal-disease-center https://parks.ny.gov/parks/fortterry/details.aspx https://www.usace.army.mil/About/History/HistoricalVignettes/Fort-Terry/ https://www.archives.gov/research/foreign-policy/related-records/paperclip https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/operation-paperclip-167222690/ https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/gsa-properties/plum-island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Kulagina https://www.cia.gov/readingroom https://web.randi.org https://archive.org/details/archive-search-report-camp-hero-2000/page/n75/mode/2up https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparetimeradio/2587438677 https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/camp-hero-montauk-conspiracy-theories/ https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-Topics/Camp-Hero-FUDS-Montauk-New-York/ https://patch.com/new-york/easthampton/bp--the-story-of-camp-hero-in-montauk https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/p/philadelphia-experiment.html https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7984451/ https://www.amazon.com/Montauk-Project-Experiments-Time-ebook/dp/B004OEKH5Q Episode Credits: Hosts/writers: Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel Editor/Composer/Producer: Jon Katity WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    1h 56m
  3. Which Side Is Which (Leongatha Mushroom Murders, Part 2)

    12/16/2025

    Which Side Is Which (Leongatha Mushroom Murders, Part 2)

    In late July 2023 Erin Patterson invited her former in-laws to lunch at her home in Leongatha, Australia. This gesture of hospitality was framed as a chance for them all to reconnect. Instead, it became the center of a case that shocked the world. Over night all 4 lunch guests became desperately ill. Rumors began to fly immediately, and investigators began piecing together a chain of events that no one in this small community could have imagined.  In this installment we will examine how this horrible event was able to occur and what lead up to it.  Click to learn more (sources) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial-wednesday-may-28/105348612   https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fnation%2Ferin-patterson-trial-death-cap-mushrooms-seen-near-accuseds-home-months-before-fatal-lunch%2Fnews-story%2Fb9a4b965adbe1070edcf03b430484abc&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE&V21spcbehaviour=append   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-08/erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial-jury-evidence/105476940   https://www.9news.com.au/national/erin-patterson-guilty-the-timeline-of-events-that-led-to-the-verdicts/8af7134e-ea24-41e2-a55c-46d114949195   https://www.nbcnews.com/world/australia/australia-mushroom-murderer-left-half-alive-lone-surviving-victim-says-rcna226920   https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74zwevy181o   https://www.sgst.com.au/news/timeline-of-erin-pattersons-mushroom-murders https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/07/erin-patterson-hospital-visit-beef-wellingtons-mushroom-exhibits-revealed-ntwnfb   https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8zr16y21o   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-06/erin-patterson-mushroom-murder-trial-evidence-timeline/105245152   https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce82lj7g1g7o   https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0m8glx2zleo   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/28/erin-patterson-computer-text-messages-mushroom-lunch-trial-australia-ntwnfb   https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-08/mushroom-murder-erin-patterson-legacy-analysis/105745284?fbclid=IwY2xjawOIi_VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyCGNhbGxzaXRlAjMwAAEe9mUhuPckO6bqE0lX5CHydZajfAcGS0emygIXlUEj-mt_T8EXhBsQEtEnNIc_aem_hIds4nARmeVO7kJnq5fBLQ Episode Credits: Hosts/writers: Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel Editor/Composer/Producer: Jon Katity WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    1h 38m
  4. The Mushroom of Course! (Leongatha Mushroom Murders, Part 1)

    11/21/2025

    The Mushroom of Course! (Leongatha Mushroom Murders, Part 1)

    In late July 2023 Erin Patterson invited her former in-laws to lunch at her home in Leongatha, Australia. This gesture of hospitality was framed as a chance for them all to reconnect. Instead, it became the center of a case that shocked the world. Over night all 4 lunch guests became desperately ill. Rumors began to fly immediately, and investigators began piecing together a chain of events that no one in this small community could have imagined.  In part one we'll examine the "who", "what" and "where" of this case, but you'll have to wait until part 2 for the "how" and "why"! Click to learn more (sources) All sources will be provided in the show notes for Part 2 of this case. We don't want to give anything away! Episode Credits: Hosts/writers: Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel Editor/Composer/Producer: Jon Katity WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    1h 29m

  5. 11/06/2025

    Engulfed (Shortly After Midnight, episode 3)

    When the darkness reaches its Zenith And the moon floats high and white When the spirits scream And knife blades gleam It’s…. Shortly After Midnight Hello fiends, and welcome to the darkest time of day.  In this week's original story, we bring you, Engulfed, a dark, slow-burn story about a glance that turns into an obsession. What starts as a spark of connection becomes something dangerous, something that smolders beneath the surface until it can't be contained. Desire, loneliness, and fire. They all have one thing in common: once they start they're hard to control.    Engulfed is a We Would Be Dead Production, written by Leslie Weidel and read by Jon Katity.  Sound and score by Jon Katity, and sparkling prologue / epilogue commentary by cohosts Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel.   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    39 min
  6. Monster (Frankenstein: Facts & Fiction)

    11/01/2025

    Monster (Frankenstein: Facts & Fiction)

    Happy Halloween Fiends! Join us for a deep dive into the world of Victor Frankenstein, his monstrous creations, and all the tortured poets and mad scientists who inspired OG goth girl Mary Shelley to write this torrid tale.   Click to learn more (sources) https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/history-quirky-science-science-science-everywhere/professor-aldinis-strange-antics https://www.grahamhenderson.ca/percy-bysshe-shelley-blog/shelleys-mighty-heart https://www.britannica.com/biography/Luigi-Galvani https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alessandro-Volta https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/things-to-do-gernsheim-frankenstein-castle     WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    1h 47m

  7. 10/16/2025

    Polly Pocket (Shortly After Midnight, Episode 2)

    When the darkness reaches its Zenith And the moon floats high and white When the spirits scream And knife blades gleam It’s…. Shortly After Midnight Hello fiends, and welcome to the darkest time of day.  This week's original story, Polly Pocket, is a spellbinding blend of nostalgia and nightmares told through the eyes of the scariest creatures known to man, Middle school girls. Set In the not so distant past, this terrifying tale takes us on a trip to a charming little hideaway deep in the woods, filled with dappled sunlight, singing birds and terrifying secrets.     Polly Pocket is a We Would Be Dead Production, written and read by Holly Knapp, with sound and score by Jon Katity, and sparkling prologue / epilogue commentary by cohosts Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel.   WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    1h 12m
  8. The Pallor of Affluenza (Margarida Bonetti & Hilda Rosa Dos Santos, Part 2)

    09/18/2025

    The Pallor of Affluenza (Margarida Bonetti & Hilda Rosa Dos Santos, Part 2)

    In late 2021, successful journalist and podcaster Chico Felitti relocated to a quiet, old money neighborhood of the mega city of Sáo Paulo Brazil called Higienópolis. One day while on a walk with his dogs he stumbled on an abandoned old manor house, a ghostly figure, and an unbelievable secret hidden right in plain sight.  In part 2 we will learn more about Margarida Bonetti's terrible secret. We'll uncover the details of her strange life in America, examine the circumstances that would let her keep such a monumental secret, and ultimately tell the story of the woman she kept in modern day slavery for 19 years: Hilda Rosa Dos Santos. Click to learn more The Fugitive Heiress Next Door (WAPO Article) Abandoned: The Woman in the Decaying House Documentary Rene's Appeal Documents Original WAPO article Hilda reunites with the detective on her case 35 Potluck Ideas (just in case)               WWBD Merch Buy your WWBD swag here!  Join the Conversation

    1h 46m
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4.7
out of 5
208 Ratings

About

A weekly true crime podcast that finds humanity in the darkness, humor in the history and the devil in the details.

Information

  • Creator
    We Would Be Dead
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    216
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020-2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    We Would Be Dead

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