Skeptoid #923: The Voodoo Ax Murders

The 1928 murder of a folk healer ignited a media frenzy and moral panic, revealing how superstition and magical thinking can fuel real-world tragedy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices 

We’re sharing a preview of a new audiobook, Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth, which celebrates the wit and wisdom of the legendary science fiction author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. Douglas Adams was someone who thought ... Show More

Is there good science backing up the idea that you should eat based upon which of three body types you have? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices 

One of the many things that makes New Orleans one of the most unique cities in North America is its history of Voodoo. When it comes to New Orleans Voodoo there is no figure more important than the great Marie Laveau. But despite her enormous fame in the city of New Orleans she r ... Show More

If you've ever watched a Voodoo scene in a horror movie, you might be forgiven for envisioning zombies, dolls and witchcraft when asked what it is. But in this episode of American History Hit, Don speaks to Elizabeth James to find out the truth about the New Orleans strand of thi ... Show More

In 1692, years after Columbus sailed the Ocean blue, some weird shit started happening in Salem, Massachusetts. After disease and war plagued the town of Salem, people started getting down with bewitchment...or epilepsy? We don't know. We weren't there. We're not experts in docto ... Show More

Coined in the middle of the nineteenth century, the term "voodoo" has been deployed largely by people in the U.S. to refer to spiritual practices--real or imagined--among people of African descent. "Voodoo" is one way that white people have invoked their anxieties and stereotypes ... Show More

While the U.S. was wrapped up in the final days of World War I, New Orleans was facing an enemy right in their own backyard. In the early 20th century, a wave of fear rolled through Crescent City as a mysterious man began axing people in the dead of night while they were fast asl ... Show More

Come with me on my trip to one of the most haunted cities in the world, New Orleans. Which ghosts haunt the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1? Could Marie Laveau truly influence the legal system with her voodoo? And for as hard as I tried, did I actually see a ghost? Subscribe on Patreon ... Show More

Can the devil really drive someone to commit murder? Well, according to these cases it can. On this episode of Para(normal), the girls tell two chilling stories of those who blamed the devil for the unspeakable crimes they committed. Nicolina shares the story of Arne Cheyenne Joh ... Show More