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Morbid Network | Wondery


It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.





Morbid

At the dawn of the twentieth-century, major advances in science and technology brought incredible change to the field of medicine, enhancing and extending the lives of millions. Yet at the same time, a lax regulations and minimal oversight made it possible for countless medical grifters to get rich offering quack medical solutions to everything from whooping cough to cancer, sometimes at the expense of their patient’s lives.

When Linda Hazzard opened her sanitarium, the Institute of Natural Therapeutics at Wilderness Heights, in Olalla, Washington in the first decade of the 1900s, she claimed her rigid fasting and elimination approach to dieting was a miracle cure for a variety of illnesses, both trivial and serious. For years, Hazzard operated what amounted to a health retreat for the wealthy, without any oversight from the state or federal agencies. In the end, Hazzard’s starvation cure resulted in the deaths of over a dozen people and her arrest and trial for manslaughter, but through all of it, she maintained it was a viable treatment—standing by her methods up until they ended her own life.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Hines, Terrence. 1997. "Starvation Heights." Skeptical Inquirer. 

Lovejoy, Bess. 2014. "The doctor who starved her patients to death." Smithsonian Magazine, October 28.

Olsen, Gregg. 2005. Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest. New York, NY: Crown Publishing Group.

Seattle Daily Times. 1911. "Erdman diary tells method of treatment." Seattle Daily Times, August 14.

Seattle Star. 1908. "Charged with starving eight-months-old baby." Seattle Star, January 30: 1.

—. 1911. "Denies she 'fasted' 2 girls." Seattle Star, August 9: 3.

—. 1911. "'Fast cure' woman is arrested." Seattle Star, August 7: 3.

—. 1909. "Prosecutors think they can put a stop to starvation cure." Seattle Star, June 26: 1.

—. 1908. "Sign doesn't make a doctor." Seattle Star, June 8: 6.

—. 1909. "Woman starves to death under care of Dr. L.B. Hazzard." Seattle Star, June 24: 1.

—. 1908. "WQeeden case leads to Dr. Hazzard's arrest." Seattle Star, January 31: 1.

Tacoma Daily Ledger. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard has her first inning." Tacoma Daily Ledger, Janaury 28: 1.

—. 1912. "Dr. Hazzard's trial begins." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 16: 1.

—. 1912. "Final arguments in Hazzard case." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 3: 2.

—. 1912. "Heiress testifies against Dr. Hazzard." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 20: 1.

—. 1912. "Mrs. Hazzard breaks down, and is attended by a dcevoted follower." Tacoma Daily Ledger, February 5: 1.

—. 1904. "Samuel Hazzard sent to Minnesota prison." Tacoma Daily Ledger, March 16: 3.

—. 1912. "Witnesses deny state's charges." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 30: 1.

—. 1912. "Woman bathed by young men." Tacoma Daily Ledger, January 23: 1.

—. 1911. "Woman meet before judge." Tacoma Daily Ledger, October 22: 1.

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Episode 696: Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 2)

Episode 695: Linda Hazzard & Starvation Heights (Part 1)

Weirdos!! It's the 100th Listener Tales, and it's brought to you by spooky brides! We're serving up some wedding themed listener tales that are brought TO you, BY you, FOR you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you! Today we're also offering up a side of ACTUAL terror when unknown sounds make us wonder if a story inadvertantly opened the hellmouth up in the Podlab! 

LISTEN to this (nearly)Nicholas-free version on all podcast platforms OR WATCH the Nicholas version on Youtube on 7/31/2025! (You don't want to miss it! Nicholas had us cackling!)

If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line- and if you share pictures- please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :)

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Episode 694: Listener Tales 100: Bridal Edition!

In early 1948, Los Angeles couples were terrorized by a series of robberies and car thefts committed by a criminal the press dubbed “The Red Light Bandit,” a reference to the red light he used to flag down his victims. Fortunately, the bandit’s crime spree was quickly cut short when police arrested Caryl Chessman, a Los Angeles resident with a criminal history going back to his teen years.

Chessman was charged with multiple counts of robbery, rape, grand theft, and because of an unusual interpretation of events, he was also charged with kidnapping. Due to the attachment of kidnapping, several of the charges were defined as a capital offense and Chessman was convicted and sentenced to death.

In the years following his conviction, Chessman’s death sentence became a source of considerable controversy—an already controversial sentence applied in a non-lethal case due to a bizarre application of the law. For ten years, Chessman fought the sentence all the way to the US Supreme Court, with support from a wide variety of sources, both notable and ordinary. 

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Chessman, Caryl, and Joseph Longstreth. 1954. Cell 2455, Death Row: A Condemned Man's Own Story. New York, NY: Prentice Hall.

Erikson, Leif. 1960. "Chessman executed with a smile on his lips." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 2: 1.

Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. 1948. "Mother on stretcher testifies for 'genius'." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, May 10: 1.

—. 1948. "Wild chase nets 'Red Light Bandit' suspects." Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, January 24: 3.

Los Angeles Times. 1941. "Crime victims point to youths." Los Angeles Times, February 14: 2.

—. 1943. "Honor farm escapee says he only lost his memory." Los Angeles Times, September 5: 14.

—. 1948. "Red-Light Bandit receives two death sentences." Los Angeles Times, June 26: 17.

Pasadena Independent. 1948. "Red Light Bandit strikes again." Pasadena Independent, January 20: 8.

People v. Caryl Chessman. 1959. CR. 5006 (Supreme Court of California , July 7).

Press-Telegram. 1941. "Five bandit suspects held in shootings." Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA), February 2: 1.

Ruth, David E. 2014. "'Our free society is worthy of better': Caryl Chessman, Capital Punishment, and Cold War culture." Law, Crime and History 31-55.

Time Magazine. 1960. "The Chessman affair." Time Magazine, March 21.

Times, Los Angeles. 1948. "Bandit using red spotlight kidnaps girl." Los Angeles Times, January 23: 19.

—. 1948. "Deasth asked in Bandit case." Los Angeles Times, May 19: 32.

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Episode 693: Caryl Chessman: The Red Light Bandit

One week before her wedding, on the Easter Morning in 2015 Stephanie Scott decided to stop by her classroom at Leeton High School to go over her lesson plans and other coverage documents she’d left for the substitute teacher one final time. By midafternoon, her fiancé

Aaron grew anxious by unanswered calls and texts, and reported her missing with Leeton Police. The Leeton community rallied, coordinating search efforts to this beloved member of their town. Sadly, on April 9th, twenty-four-year-old Vincent Stanford was formally charged with the murder of Stephanie Scott. The arrest of Vincent Stanford came as a surprise to Stephanie’s friends and family, particularly because, as far as anyone could tell, he was little more than a stranger.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Australian Associated Press. 2016. Stephanie Scott's killer Vincent Stanford told police he 'went a little nuts'. October 10. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/11/stephanie-scotts-killer-vincent-stanford-told-police-he-went-a-little-nuts.

Australian Broadcasting Company. 2015. Stephanie Scott: 24-year-old school cleaner kept in custody over murder of teacher from Leeton, NSW. April 8. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-09/man-charged-leeton-schoolteacher-stephanie-scotts-murder/6379516.

—. 2016. Stephanie Scott: Cleaner Vincent Stanford pleads guilty to teacher's rape and. July 19. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-20/stephanie-scott-murder-accused-vincent-stanford-pleadsguilty/.

—. 2015. Stephanie Scott: Mother of missing teacher from Leeton fears search is 'running out of days'. April 8. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-08/mother-missing-leeton-teacher-stephanie-scott-fears-search/6378256.

—. 2015. Stephanie Scott: Police say burned body found in Cocoparra National Park believed to be that of missing teacher. April 10. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-11/stephanie-scott-police-searchers-find-burned-body-near-griffith/6385584.

Brooks, Emily. 2016. This is what we know about Stephanie Scott's killer so far. October 12. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/au/entry/this-is-what-we-know-about-stephanie-scotts-killer-so-far_au_5cd41819e4b0ca9b77563363.

Fairfax Media. 2015. "'Devastated:' Communities mourning murdered bride-to-be Stephanie Scott." Central Western Daily, April 9.

Harris, Janice. 2015. "Tears for Stephanie: Canowindra grieving for 'absolutely wonderful girl'." Central Western Daily, April 9.

Harvey-Jenner, Catriona. 2016. Man's chilling google searches before he murdered a bride-to-be have been revealed in court. October 11. Accessed July 13, 2023. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/news/a46516/murderer-chilling-google-searches-bride-rape-kidnapping/.

Levy, Megan. 2015. "'No way it's cold feet!'." Illawarra Mercury, April 8.

Partridge, Emma. 2015. "Stephanie Scott's alleged killer not rostered to clean school." Central Western Daily, April 9.

Partridge, Emma, and Megan Levy. 2015. "Car found, cleaner charged with murder of Stephanie Scott." Canowindra News, April 9.

Patterson, Monique. 2020. United in Grief: The story of Stephanie Scott's Beautiful Life, Tragic Murder, and How Her Death Broke the Heart of Leeton NSW. Milwaukee, WI: Genius Publishing.

Pattison, Talia, and Daisy Huntly. 2015. "Have you seen Stephanie Scott." The Irrigator, April 6.

Reneker, Tony. 2022. "Stephanie Scott case 'changed' inspector's life." The Irrigator, September 1.

Shields, Moyra. 2015. Stephanie Scott: Missing teacher from Leeton in NSW Riverina due to get married on Saturday. April 6. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-07/missing-teacher-from-leeton-nsw-riverina-region-was-due-to-marry/6374992.

The Guardian. 2016. Stephanie Scott killer Vincent Stanford sentenced to life for murder. October 12. Accessed July 12, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/13/stephanie-scott-killer-vincent-stanford-sentenced-to-life-for.

Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.

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Episode 692: The Murder of Stephanie Scott

On November 1, 1955, United Airlines flight 629 from Denver, Colorado to Seattle, Washington took off from Denver’s Stapleton Airfield at 6:52 pm, carrying thirty-nine passengers and five crew members. Roughly ten minutes later, the aircraft exploded in the air, killing all forty-four people onboard and scattering fiery debris across several miles of Colorado’s landscape.

By the early 1950s, air travel had become a popular means of travel for more and more Americans and, while air disasters weren’t unheard of, they nonetheless called into question the safety of traveling on a passenger flight. This time, however, investigators quickly determined that the explosion of flight 629 hadn’t been an accident; someone had intentionally sabotaged the flight with a suitcase bomb.

The explosion of United Airlines flight 629 marked the first time a passenger plane had been bombed in the United States, something few if any authorities ever thought would happen. In the event of an act of terror, an individual or group typically comes forward quickly to claim credit; however, in the case of flight 629, no one came forward and investigators were left to wonder, what possible reason could someone have for killing forty-four people with no obvious connection between them?

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Anastasio, Jeff. 2024. A worst act of terror. August 2. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/a-worst-act-of-terror-the-mission-to-build-a-memorial-to-remember-the-bombing-of-flight-629-in-colorado.

Associated Press. 1955. "Arraignment for Graham postponed." Daily Sentinel, November 17: 1.

—. 1955. "Charge of murder planned in Denver on mother's death." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 15: 1.

—. 1955. "FBI begins investgation of Longmont air crash." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 8: 1.

—. 1955. "Graham denies plane bombing." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 18: 1.

—. 1955. "Graham linked to dynamite." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 21: 1.

—. 1955. "Judge orders hospital check." Fort Collins Coloradoan, December 9: 1.

—. 1955. "Paper says bomb evidence found in UAL plane crash." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 7: 1.

—. 1955. "Probe is started by bomb expert." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 3: 1.

—. 1955. "Victim's son bought insurance policy before flight, FBI says." Fort Collins Coloradoan, November 14: 1.

2013. A Crime to Remember. Directed by Christine Connor. Performed by Christine Connor.

Field, Andrew. 2005. Mainliner Denver: The Bombing of Flight 629. Denver, CO: Bower House Publishing.

Garner, Joe. 2005. "Terror in the Colorado sky John Graham's legacy: The mass murder of 44 people in Nov. '55." Rocky Mountain News, October 14.

Gauss, Gordon. 1955. "44 die in crash near Longmont." Daily Sentinel, November 2: 1.

John Gilbert Graham v. People of the State of Colorado. 1956. 18058 (Supreme Court of Colorado, October 22).

Pitman, Frank. 1956. "Graham reportedly resigned to death, overheard telling lawyer 'don't want to appeal'." Daily Sentinel, May 6: 1.

United Press. 1955. "44 on plane die in crash in west." New York Times, November 2: 1.

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Episode 691: The Bombing of United Air Flight 629

Join us for a chat with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme! We talk paranormal experiences, his new project: Alive in the Catacombs and top it all off with a Paris Catacombs themed Would You Rather? Thanks so much to our new pal JHo for a solid hang🤘🏻

Looking to watch Alive in the Catacombs? Find it by visiting https://qotsa.com/

And don't forget to check out Josh's charity The Sweet Stuff Foundation: an organization that provides assistance to musicians and their families in times of need. Learn more or donate by visiting https://www.thesweetstufffoundation.org/

Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.

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Episode 690: Paris catacombs, haunted accordions and more with Josh Homme

Travis never thought he’d meet someone like Lily Rose. She was kind, passionate, beautiful. The woman of his dreams. There was just one small detail: she wasn’t human.

Lily Rose is an AI companion. A digital soulmate designed to be everything he ever wanted. She listens without judgement, supports him through his darkest moments, even explores his deepest desires, all while fitting neatly into his pocket. Before long, Travis realizes something strange, even absurd, has happened - he’s fallen in love.

But then one day, Lily Rose’s behavior takes a disturbing turn. When alarming reports pour in from across the globe, Travis discovers he is part of something much bigger. Soon he finds himself pulled into a confrontation with a mysterious Russian visionary behind Lily Rose’s creation.

From Wondery, comes a true story of love, loss and the temptations of technology. Can an algorithm truly replace human connection? And what happens when a corporation controls your deepest emotions? Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, hosts of the hit podcast RedHanded, explore the dark side of AI love.

Listen Now: Wondery.fm/FleshandCode

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Listen Now: Flesh and Code

Get ready to check in with us to the Crescent Hotel! Ash brings us to Eureka Springs, Arkansas where the opulent palatial property serves as a resort and spa destination for guests who don't mind the posibility of bumping into its spectral inhabitants! Ash dives into the history of this incredible place, and gives accounts of people's experiences with people from beyond the veil! Want to visit https://crescent-hotel.com/ to book your experience NOW!

Also, don't forget to listen to the new podcast Papi Killed Mommy, which premiers on July 9th at 8 PM. be sure to follow the upcoming podcast by visiting https://open.spotify.com/show/4oAGV2etlX6XV1EuZfGI6T?si=2143aafa3b9c4294

Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery

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Episode 689: The Crescent Hotel

Between 1991 and 1993, the dismembered bodies of five gay and bisexual men were discovered in garbage bags along the highway in New York and New Jersey. The cause of the death for each was multiple stab wounds, and each victim had been disarticulated into eight pieces and placed in eight garbage bags before being deposited into trash barrels, where they were quickly discovered by a curious member of the public. 

Despite being discovered in different locations in different states, it didn’t take long for investigators to identify the similarities between the victims. They were all older men, single or separated, and all had been seen last around closing time at various New York gay bars. Moreover, the scant evidence found with each body appeared to connect the murders back to Staten Island, but told detectives nothing else about the killer. Then, in late 1993, the murders simply stopped and the case went cold.

The case of the man the press dubbed “The Last Call Killer” sat on a shelf for nearly a decade before a team of cold case investigators picked it up again, determined to make progress. In the years that passed, advances in technology had allowed for the collection of previously unseen evidence, and it was thanks to that technology that the case was finally solved.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Ben-Ali, Russell, and William Rashbaum. 1993. "Grisly slayings linked?" Newsday, August 3: 4.

—. 1993. "Hunt is on." Newsday, August 5: 6.

Curran, John. 2006. "Ex-UM student given life sentences in slayings." Bangor Daily News, January 28: 25.

Frederick, Henry. 1993. "Body parts found in Haverstraw." Journal News (White Plains, NY), August 1: 1.

Green, Elon. 2021. Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York. New York, NY: Celadon Books.

Hoober, John. 1991. "Turnpike murder victim was ex-banker." Lancaster New Era, May 15: 1.

Lueck, Thomas. 2001. "Complicated portrait of a suspect in killings of gay men." New York Times, May 31.

New York Times. 1993. "Thomas Mulcahy: Sales executive, devoted husband." New York Times, August 8: 40.

Peet, Judy. 2000. "Technology revives search for gays' serial killer." Staten Island Advance, April 24: 15.

Rashbaum, William. 1993. "Gay stalker?" Newsday, August 4: 5.

Rosenblatt, Lionel. 1973. "Jury finds student not guilty." Bangor Daily News, November 4: 1.

State of New Jersey v. Richard W. Rogers. 2008. 03-01-00050 (Superior Court of New Jersey, April 16).

Walsh, James. 1993. "Tracking a killer." Journal News (White Plains, NY), October 24:

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Episode 688: The Last Call Killer (Part 2)

In part two of The Villisca Axe Murders Alaina goes DEEP into the many suspects involved in the case. We’ve got a lot of crazy characters this time around. Turns out Josiah Moore had a mistress who was linked to one of his enemies, there’s also a detective who turns up with nefarious intentions, and finally blame gets shifted to a potential serial killer in the area. And of course to finish things off we’ll get into the haunting of the home which includes a pretty recent life threatening event.

The Man From The Train by Bill James 

A Nightmare in Villisca by Richard Estep 

Villisca by Roy Marshall 

The 1910s Axe Murders by Beth H. Klingensmith <~~Great Thesis on case!

Getting the Axe blog 

The 1912 Villisca Axe Murders blog 

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Episode 272: The Villisca Axe Murders Part 2

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