Crimes and Witch-Demeanors
32 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 37 ratingsThe podcast that puts the “ahh!” in bibliography. Join your host, Joshua Spellman (an archivist and witch), every Wednesday to discuss ghost stories, historic true crime, legends, and tales of the paranormal through a critical lens. Each episode begins with a story as it’s typically told, and then we have a ghoulish gossip sesh where we examine historic and archival resources to learn what really happened and read first hand encounters of ghosts, goblins, and ghouls.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Sophie's Voice
October 06, 2021 10:30 - 23 minutes - 31.8 MBBuilt in 1990, the Harvey Public Library is sitting on a secret. But shh! What is it? Before the library was erected, the gruesome murder of Sophia Schmidt Eberlein took place on its grounds. Now her spirit haunts the library causing mischief and mayhem. Buy some merch and support the podcast! https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com/shop Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to contact@crimesandw...
The Lady in Glass
September 22, 2021 10:30 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBIn Jamestown, New York lies a mysterious stone statue of a woman encased in glass...some say it's not only a statue, but her corpse lies within it. Who was she? Why is she trapped in a prison of glass? Her name was Grace Galloway but how she got there is not so easy to answer. Buy some merch and support the podcast! https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com/shop Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stor...
Gilded Murder
September 15, 2021 10:30 - 26 minutes - 47.7 MBFilled to the brim with scandal, murder, and historic characters ranging from Queen Victoria to Thomas Edison to Wyatt Earp, the history behind the Golden Gate Villa is nothing to scoff at. In 1907 Santa Cruz was served a salacious historic scandal resulting in a horrific tragedy...leaving the house rumored to be haunted in its wake. Buy some merch and support the podcast! https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com/shop Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandw...
Blood & Wisteria: The Ghosts of Grumblethorpe
September 08, 2021 10:45 - 22 minutes - 31.9 MBWhat does a persistent blood stain, wisteria, and freshly baked bread have in common? Located in the heart of Germantown in Philadelphia, Grumblethorpe, a historic home and garden, is haunted by ghosts and boasts an incredibly rich history. Buy some merch and support the podcast! https://www.crimesandwitchdemeanors.com/shop Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] ...
Nuns vs. Vampires
August 18, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 26.6 MBNew Orleans has been known for its vampires for centuries...but how did these creatures of the night arrive in the New World? Did the Casket Girls bring them in the coffins they carried or were the Casket Girls simply casualties of history? Women, like many before them, who did not fit the mold of society, and therefore transformed into bloodthirsty nocturnal monsters? Tune in and find out! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your fee...
The Sallie House
August 04, 2021 10:30 - 31 minutes - 45.2 MBYou've heard of the Amityville Horror, but have you heard of the Sallie House? This small house located in Atchison Kansas is home to the ghost of a young girl who died on the operating table during emergency surgery. Her tormented spirit tortured the Pickman family for years. But who was Sallie? Did she even exist? Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like Th...
The Scary Dairy: The Ghosts of Camarillo State Mental Hospital
July 21, 2021 10:30 - 24 minutes - 35 MBCows say "moo" and the ghosts go "boo!" The "Scary Dairy" and the greater Camarillo State Mental Hospital (currently California State University Channel Islands) is haunted by the tortured spirits of former patients and staff. But...is it really? What really happened there? Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.faceboo...
Queer Ghosts: Remembering the Victims of the Upstairs Lounge Arson Attack
June 23, 2021 11:00 - 26 minutes - 37.6 MBBefore the Pulse Massacre in 2016, the UpStairs Lounge Arson Attack was deadliest known assault on a gay club in US history. Not only was this a horrific event, killing 32 individuals, the apathy and lack of response by the local community illustrates how far queer liberation has brought us and how much further we need to go. Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected]...
Death's a Drag
June 02, 2021 10:30 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBWe're kicking off Pride Month by heading to the gayest town in the USA and investigating the flamboyant ghost of the Rose & Crown Guest House. However, this jolly ghost teaches us an important lesson about life and how to live it. Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Episode Tr...
3 O'Clock on a Thursday
May 26, 2021 11:00 - 29 minutes - 40 MBJust north of Appleton, New York lies a winery with a dark past: murderous Free Masons and more than 5 deaths that occurred at 3:00pm on a Thursday. But what is the truth? Let's take a deep dive into the archival record to find out if Marjim Manor serves up more than just good spirits. Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://w...
The Red Lady and Other Tales (My Personal Ghost Stories)
May 19, 2021 11:00 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBWe're taking a detour from the usual historic romp to discuss some of my personal ghost stories and paranormal experiences. The Red Lady, a ghost who gave me a book, and more! Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Episode Transcript: Available below the sources in the show notes ...
Nurse!
May 12, 2021 11:00 - 27 minutes - 39.1 MBGrey Nurses are mysterious figures that appear in hospitals all across the world, regardless of culture or region. Who are they and where do they come from? It's hard to say - but Adelaide, South Australia may be the key to finding out. Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like The Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Episo...
Americus Horror Story: Hotel
May 05, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 47.9 MBWe’re making like the devil and heading on down to Georgia. Most people’s minds go straight to Savanah when picturing the haunted South, but today we’re setting our sights the smaller, lesser known town of Americus. Specifically, we’re honing in on the historic Windsor Hotel. Among the living, many denizens of the dead are said to be checked in as permanent guests-- but are the only true spirits those on the shelf in the pub? Follow the Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.c...
Fools Rush In: The Many Hauntings of Kenyon College
April 28, 2021 10:30 - 32 minutes - 46 MBLocated in Gambier Ohio, Kenyon College was founded in 1824, which has given it ample time…197 years to be exact…to collect its fair share of ghosts. A fraternity initiation gone wrong, a destructive dormitory fire, an elevator shaft incident, a car crash, and a diving accident are just some of the misfortunes that plague this university’s past. In fact, one of these tragedies nearly destroyed its reputation, causing enrollment to plummet, and just as the college recovered, another catastro...
The Satanic Origins of Niagara Falls & Devil's Hole
April 21, 2021 04:00 - 26 minutes - 38.1 MBSo much history surrounds Niagara Falls it is near impossible to dive into: from initial exploration by white folk, exploitation of the falls and indigenous peoples, to the history of hydroelectric power, strange mortuary science experiments, and daredevils who have ridden down the falls in barrels (only some who have survived) – like the water over the crest, the history seemingly never ends. However, while Niagara Falls is heralded for its natural beauty, booming tourist trade, and rich h...
Winderbourne Mansion
February 10, 2021 05:06 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBAbandoned for well over a decade, the Winderbourne Mansion in Boyds, Maryland is a decaying reminder of a tragic past. Once belonging to the wealthy Totten family, things quickly took a turn as their children died. Is this property cursed? Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Episode Transcript...
Deuels and Doorstops
February 03, 2021 05:00 - 23 minutes - 32.1 MBDoing things a little differently this week and investigating the history behind one of my personal paranormal encounters at the Deuel House in Buffalo, New York. Belonging to my friend, we have not known who may haunt the halls...until now! Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Follow Lauren (the owner of the Deuel house) on Instagram: http://instagram.com/fern.and.folly Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] ...
Witches, Demons, & Trees - Oh My!
January 27, 2021 05:00 - 26 minutes - 51.6 MBThe story of the Witches' Tree is often underplayed as a whimsical tale of how a strange tree in Louisville's historic district came to be. However, the truth is much more disturbing and horrifying involving the deadliest tornado event in the history of the United States. Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crimesandwitc...
The Princess and the Plantation: Anta Madjiguene Ndiaye & The Kingsley Plantation
January 13, 2021 05:00 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBToday we’re headed down to the wetlands of east Florida, just outside of Jacksonville, and investigating the spirits that haunt Kingsley Plantation: the princess turned slave, turned slave-owner, Anna Kingsley; the vengeful and malevolent entity known as “Old Red Eyes”; and the ghostly white peacocks that scream in the night are just some of the known apparitions. However, are these truly the ghosts that haunt the plantation? Or is the true haunting the racial tropes that persist within th...
The Artist, the Knight, and the Unnamed
January 06, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 54 MBThis week we investigate the spirits of New York's State Capitol Building in Albany and the ghosts that reside there. However, the scariest ghost of all may be the lost history that resulting from the 1911 library fire. Learn about William Hunt, Samuel Abbott, and listen to uncover the names of two previously unknown ghosts! Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Like U...
The Murder of Francis Rattenbury & The Ghosts of the Fairmont Empress
December 30, 2020 05:00 - 27 minutes - 38.7 MBMany ghosts haunt the famed Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada including that of its architect, Francis Rattenbury. Rattenbury himself was part of a salacious love triangle that led to a murder-suicide in Bournemouth, England. His ghost, however, haunts the Empress in Canada alongside the spirit of Lizzie McGrath and the lost soul of Margaret. Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to cr...
The Witches of Winter (La Befana, Perchta, Frau Holle, and Gryla)
December 23, 2020 05:00 - 29 minutes - 42.3 MBDid you know that many of the attributes Santa Claus actually come from a beloved winter witch? The giving gifts in a stocking if you’re good, leaving you a lump of coal if you’re bad, and the whole sliding down the chimney to do so schtick? Yeah, that’s all plucked straight from the mythology one of our winter witches. But be forewarned…not all of our witches are good: some are frightening cannibals or violent hags that embody the ruthless spirit of winter itself. But history suggests th...
The Beautiful Stranger: The Unsolved Case and Ghost of Kate Morgan…or Lizzie Wyllie…or…. (Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, California)
December 16, 2020 11:30 - 38 minutes - 52.2 MBA mysterious woman comes to stay at the Hotel Del Coronado and winds up dead five days later from an apparent suicide. However, as the investigation unfurls, it becomes apparent she was not who she said she was. Was she a runaway? A conwoman? An assassin? It depends who you ask. Join me to help unravel the web of lies the beautiful stranger wove on today's episode of Crimes & Witch-Demeanors. Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback ...
The Lady in the Attic (& Why Do Kids See Ghosts? The Spirit of Jane Woodman)
December 09, 2020 11:30 - 31 minutes - 44.3 MBA young girl in Newton, Massachusetts is visited repeatedly by the spirit of an old woman in her attic. After many discussions its revealed that the ghost has a mission for her...but what is it? This week we investigate the spirit of Jane Woodman and look at scientific reasons children seem to see ghosts so often. Follow Us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Visit the website: ...
The Ghosts of San Antonio's Menger Hotel
December 02, 2020 11:00 - 33 minutes - 47.8 MBEveryone always says “Remember the Alamo” and the ghosts of San Antonino are keen on making it difficult to forget. Particularly, the spectral denizens of the Menger hotel, once known as the “finest hotel the west of the Mississippi” now holds the moniker of “the most haunted hotel in Texas” The battle of the Alamo, a deadly fire, a murdered maid, and more are the causes of its infamous reputation, allegedly being home to over 32 spirits…including that of Teddy Roosevelt. Now…let’s hear th...
The Legend of Murder Creek & The Curious Case of Sadie McMullen
November 23, 2020 21:17 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBToday’s episode we’ll be talking about…murder creek. Yes, you heard that correctly. That is the official name of this place and it got its name from…you guessed it…murder. There are two stories that surround this creek: The Legend of Murder Creek which gave it its name, and the curious case of child murderess Sadie McMullen. Episode Transcript: https://crimesandwitchdemeanors.com/2020/11/23/episode-003-murder-creek/ Submit your feedback or personal stories to crimesandwitchdemeanor...
Episode 003: Murder Creek
November 23, 2020 21:17 - 34 minutes - 47.8 MBToday’s episode we’ll be talking about…murder creek. Yes, you heard that correctly. That is the official name of this place and it got its name from…you guessed it…murder. There are two stories that surround this creek: The Legend of Murder Creek which gave it its name, and the curious case of child murderess Sadie McMullen. Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crimesandwitchdemeanors Podcast ar...
Episode 002: Cleveland's Franklin Castle
November 22, 2020 18:19 - 40 minutes - 55.6 MBOne of the most famous haunted houses in all of Ohio is located on Franklin Boulevard, and known to most as Franklin Castle. This glorious home, though not a castle, has a unique architectural style, described as “Victorian eclectic” Its stone face and castle turret are strongly reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s Hill House (the book, not the poorly adapted Netflix show). However, can Franklin Castle hold a candle to Hill House? Tales of a family curse, a stern patriarch prone to fits of r...
Cleveland's Franklin Castle
November 22, 2020 18:19 - 40 minutes - 55.6 MBOne of the most famous haunted houses in all of Ohio is located on Franklin Boulevard, and known to most as Franklin Castle. This glorious home, though not a castle, has a unique architectural style, described as “Victorian eclectic” Its stone face and castle turret are strongly reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s Hill House (the book, not the poorly adapted Netflix show). However, can Franklin Castle hold a candle to Hill House? Tales of a family curse, a stern patriarch prone to fits of r...
The Legend of the Pigman
November 22, 2020 15:50 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MBJoin me in uncovering the truth behind the legend of Angola's Pigman. This half-man, half-beast spectre stalks Holland Road in Angola, New York. In life he was a brutal butcher responsible for murdering teens and countless others, in death he still terrorizes those who dare step foot on his property...or was he? We use archival resources to dissect this legend and discover the truth. Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Podcast Instagram: http...
Episode 001: The Legend of the Pigman
November 22, 2020 15:50 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MBJoin me in uncovering the truth behind the legend of Angola's Pigman. This half-man, half-beast spectre stalks Holland Road in Angola, New York. In life he was a brutal butcher responsible for murdering teens and countless others, in death he still terrorizes those who dare step foot on his property...or was he? We use archival resources to dissect this legend and discover the truth. Submit your feedback or personal stories to [email protected] Podcast Instagram: http...
Trailer
November 21, 2020 23:21 - 1 minute - 1.37 MBHi! I’m Joshua Spellman, an archivist, librarian, practicing witch, a lover of all things weird, and the host of the Crimes and Witch-Demeanors podcast. Join me for ghost stories, historic true crime, legends, and tales of the paranormal examined through the lens of a quasi-skeptic! We put the “ahh!” in bibliography and try and seek out the truth among our favorite tall tales. I’ve found that paranormal shows are either quite factual but dry or really entertaining but lacking in the resea...