In September 1944, as World War II raged overseas, the small town of Mattoon, Illinois felt under attack. Dozens of people reported smelling a sickening sweet odor drift into their bedroom at night. It allegedly smelled like gardenias and left them feeling ill and, in some cases, paralyzed. The town’s leading theory was that a madman was running around town ... Show More
Yesterday
The (Faked?) Death of an Argentine Tycoon
“Power is having impunity.” In January 1997, a photojournalist is found murdered on the side of the road in General Madariaga, Argentina. The investigation into his death becomes a cultural flashpoint, exposing a sprawling conspiracy with ties to some of the most powerful forces ... Show More
45m 57s
Jul 2
Who Shot Vincent Van Gogh?
For over a century, common belief was that Vincent Van Gogh died by suicide. But in 2011, two Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers suggested the art world had it all wrong, and Vincent covered up his own homicide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
42m 43s
Jun 25
Untraceable Poison? The Bogle-Chandler Mystery
On New Year’s Day in Sydney, Australia, two dead bodies are discovered near a river. Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler are married – but not to each other. And both of their spouses have strong alibis.They’re found just hours after dying, and yet experts can’t determine wha ... Show More
37m 6s
Nov 2022
This Paralyzing Gas Caused Panic in a Small Town | Mad Gasser of Mattoon
In 1944 the small town of Mattoon, Illinois was in a panic for weeks. A number of residents had woken up to a strange odor which caused alarming symptoms like paralysis, and it appeared someone was attacking victims with gas. Today, we discuss the peculiar mystery of the Mad Gass ... Show More
1h 15m
Jan 2020
Herrin Massacre
In the spring of 1922, the United Mine Workers of America announced a national strike. And then, that summer in Herrin, Illinois, 23 people were murdered over two days. Men, women, and children came out of their houses to watch, and in some cases, to take part in the violence. Sc ... Show More
27m 53s
Jan 2017
E28: The Hall-Mills Murder
Two corpses are found posed under a tree in New Brunswick, New Jersey. An heiress, a reverend, a cheating wife, a charming bachelor, the local oddball, and the love affair that turned deadly—with this cast of characters, it’s no wonder the case kicked off one of the biggest media ... Show More
39m 59s
Oct 2022
EP. 86 ILLINOIS - John Wayne Gacy (PT. 1): Who WAS The Killer Clown?
It was the 1970s, and young men who had their whole lives in front of them started going missing around the greater Chicago area. While some disappeared while looking for a job in the city, or hanging out near the Greyhound bus station, or walking along the roads outside of Chica ... Show More
1h 20m