Dawn of Mantis: True Crime, Mysteries and More

Send us Fan Mail Halloween is once again upon us! In this special episode, we tell several gruesome tales of murder and mayhem that have occurred on Halloween throughout the years. We also celebrate our 400th episode! Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming sleep system for bedsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make ...

Send us Fan Mail On Halloween Eve of 1938, Orson Welles produced an adaptation of HG Wells' (no relation) literary masterpiece "War of the Worlds" on his theatrical radio show. However, the program seemed so real that many listeners believed Martians really were invading New Jersey, and panic ensued. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling &...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover the murder of Maria Marten- a woman who disappeared in the Spring of 1827 after leaving with her fiancé, William Corder, to elope to the nearby town of Ipswich, England. They’d met up at a location known as “The Red Barn”, but after leaving together that day, Maria was never seen again. For months, William insisted she was fine and provided excuses why nobody had seen or heard from her. Her mother Ann began to have dreams that Maria’s body was hidden...

Send us Fan Mail In this smash n grab episode of hilarious historical stories, we spin two yarns involving both the deadly potential and life saving properties of poop, followed by a tale of the inconsolable giggles that nearly ruined a few people's lives. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming sleep system for bedsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On Easter Sunday of 1963, Geraldine was found dead in the grocery store she owned and operated in West Frankfort, Illinois. Her cause of death? Geraldine's head had been severed from her body by the store's industrial meat saw. Astonishingly, it only took investigators a short time to decide that her manner of death was- suicide. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we examine the highly suspicious death of Jim Potts- a private investigator who was looking into a series of allegations of misconduct against the Galena, Kansas police department. Jim had expressed concerns for his safety in the months leading up to his death. Then, in the early morning hours of August 26th, 2003, his body was discovered - with a bullet wound to the back of the dead - lying on the side of the road right outside Galena. When police immediatel...

Send us Fan Mail In 1987, Elaine Dardeen and her two children were savagely beaten to death with a baseball bat. Her husband Keith was initially a suspect, that is, until his mutilated body was found in a nearby field, with three gun shots to the head. To this day, the case remains unsolved. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming ...

Send us Fan Mail In 2011, police in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, were investigating a disturbing series of desecrated graves. But when investigators finally followed the trail to the apartment of Anatoly Moskvin, a respected historian and linguist with an unusual fascination with cemeteries, they discovered something far more disturbing than anyone could have imagined. Inside the apartment were life-sized dolls, dressed in children's clothing and carefully arranged throughout the rooms. But these...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover the strange case of the Eriksson sisters- a pair of identical twins who, after living separate, completely normal lives for years, quickly went insane after reuniting. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming sleep system for bedsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a...

Send us Fan Mail After years of contention with fellow business men and city officials in Granby Colorado, Marv Heemeyer purchased a Komatsu bull dozer and spent the next two years transforming it into an impenetrable tank. Then, on June 4th, 2004, he used it to destroy several buildings in Granby- each one associated with one of his perceived enemies. When the big dozer finally powered down, Marv took his own life- the only life lost that day. In the decades since, Marv has become either a f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we review the recent Netflix documentary “Maternal Instinct”, which covers the story of a woman named Taylor Parker, and how she deceived and manipulated everyone around her for several months. She faked an 8 million dollar inheritance, she pretended to be several different people through social media, email and text communications, she even faked being pregnant- all seemingly to win over the affections of a man named Wade Griffin and impress his friends and ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with City of Prairie Grove Mayor David Faulk for an amazing conversation. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming sleep system for bedsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

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Send us Fan Mail In March of 1998, seventeen year old Jeffery Franklin murdered both of his parents and attacked 3 of his 4 siblings with a hatchet. He'd become obsessed with Satan and the occult, and had developed an addiction to snorting prescription pills. Jeffery soon believed that the devil himself was demanding a blood sacrifice- unfortunately, the blood of his own family. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’re covering the incredible case of Margot Freshwater- a woman given a 99 year sentence for murder in 1969. But just 18 months into her sentence, she escaped. Decades passed by, and everyone assumed she had likely died while on the run- she was even declared legally dead. However, in the spring of 2002, 32 years after he escape, Margot was found living under an assumed identity in the very same town she’d grown up in. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specialize...

Send us Fan Mail In 1990, 21 year old UCLA student Ronald Steven Baker's body was found in a train tunnel near the Manson Family's infamous Spahn Ranch near Los Angeles. His murder was initially believed to be occult related, but investigators would soon discover Ron's death was the result of a botched kidnapping plan carried out by his own roommates. (Subject Matter Begins @ 7:05) Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audi...

Send us Fan Mail From 1976 to 1986, three women were found murdered and dismembered in Oklahoma City. To this day, no one knows exactly who their killer was, but he has since become known as the Oklahoma City Butcher. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming sleep system for bedsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we cover the mystery of the I-70 Killer- an unidentified man who murdered half a dozen people across several states during a 2 month period in 1992. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.BedJetEnd sleepless nights with the world's #1 best-selling cooling & warming sleep system for bedsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a co...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we review the recent Netflix documentary "The Crash", and also do a brief synopsis of the case for those not familiar. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we examine the 1995 disappearance of 62 year wealthy socialite Jackie Levitz, who vanished from Vicksburg, Mississippi just weeks after moving there. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover a few amazing events that have happened during passenger flights, from a boy stowing away in the plane's wheel well, to a passenger quite literally coming back from the dead. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to mobsters and organized crime in the 1920s and 30s, you probably think of cities like New York and Chicago, and gangsters like Al Capone, Bugs Moran and Lucky Luciano. But what if I told you that during that same period there was also an expansive criminal network made up of mobsters every bit as cunning and ruthless, not in the American Midwest or northeast, but in Sydney, Australia. Based on their affinity for carving each other up, this became known as the ...

Send us Fan Mail Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Paul and Cody from the "Haunted Ozark Theater" podcast stop by to talk about all things horror. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In February of 1985, in Yonkers, New York, Alex Mengel quickly escalated a routine traffic stop to the murder of a police officer. Followin that, he engaged in a short lived crime spree that took the life of an innocent woman, and didn't end until he himself was finally killed. (Subject Matter Begins @ 5:37) Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In the summer of 1991, 14 year old Trey Cooley attended a shooting competition with his father at a shooting range in Dallas, Texas. Before the day was over, a freakish series of one in a million incidents would lead to Trey's death. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we review the recent Netflix documentary on the unsolved disappearance of Amy Bradley. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In July of 1984, after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop, Wayne Lee Crossley suddenly pulled a gun and shot the police officer multiple times. Following that, he fled to a nearby Hotel bar called "The Other Place", where began firing indiscriminately at the people inside and in the parking lot. After he believed everyone was dead, Crossley turned the gun on himself and ended his own life. To this day, no one is sure why Crossley snapped that day. (Subject Matter Be...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the tragic double homicide that occurred at Devil's Den State Park, in Northwest Arkansas in July on 2025. Clinton and Cristen Brink, who'd just moved to the area, were attacked on the trail by a lunatic named Andrew McGann, who had also just moved to Northwest Arkansas. Thanks to eye witness tips and swift police work, McGann was captured within four days of the incident. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, re...

Send us Fan Mail On the night of June 15th, 1839, three strangers showed up at the Wright family cabin in Cane Hill, Arkansas. When William Wright opened the door, he was killed where he stood. What followed was a senseless and horrific massacre that resulted in the deaths of five members of the Wright family. In the following months, four men were hanged for the crime, but in the months and years that followed, many began to fear they'd killed the wrong men. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Its hard to imagine, but there have been several cases in which a person went missing for years, only to discovered to have never left their home. These are two of those cases. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we review the recent Netflix documentary "Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart". Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we continue following the investigation, including eliminating several people of interest, and finally, we cover the DNA evidence that "linked" her abductor to the crime decades later. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover Morgan's life, the details of her disappearance, and the beginning of the investigation. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we bring you a mixed bag of bizarre stories so outlandish that they are hard to believe. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In November of 1982, Don Kemp left his fast paced life in the New York advertisement business to take a solo trip across America and work on a book about history he'd deamt of writing for years. Instead, his 1979 Chevy Blazer was found abandoned off highway 80 in Wyoming. It was still running, had half a tank of gas, and there was one set of footprints leading into the frozen prairie. Don was never seen alive again. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Teresa Williams, Crystal Parton, Cynthia Mabry, and Julianne Helton were real people with families, futures, and lives abruptly cut short by an inhuman monster. In December 1976, 13-year-olds Teresa and Cynthia and 14-year-old Crystal vanished in rural Arkansas. Years later in Missouri, 25-year-old Julianne Helton’s promising life ended in similarly horrific fashion. It would soon be discovered that all four girls were killed by the same man- James B Grinder. Redbeard S...

Send us Fan Mail In early December of 1958, Kenneth and Barbara Martin gathered their three children into their Ford station wagon and drove from their Portland home to the Columbia River Gorge to collect greenery for Christmas decorations. At some point during the short trip, the family and their car vanished in the Oregon wilderness, and it would be close to 70 years before the Martin Family Mystery would solved.... at least, partially. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live...

Send us Fan Mail On the afternoon of October 5th, 2018, 27 year old television producer Terrence Woods Jr was filming a reality show with a dozen other crew members in the remote Idaho wilderness when he suddenly threw down his equipment and sprinted into the woods. That was the last time he was ever seen. In the years since, many people have put forth their own theories as to what may have happened, including Terrence's parents. Was it a case of someone snapping and running away, or did some...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover the curious case of "The Bodies in the Bayou". In September of 2025, a cluster of bodies was found in Houston's waterways within a two week span. This has caused many to suggest a serial killer may be at large. Law enforcement insists that is not the case, but could there be? Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you ...

Send us Fan Mail In 1977, a young Mormon missionary named Kirk Anderson vanished in Surrey, England, only to later reappear with a story that shocked both sides of the Atlantic. He alleged that Joyce McKinney, his ex girlfriend, and an accomplice had abducted him at gunpoint, transported him to a secluded cottage, and held him captive as a sex slave for days. This episode examines the known facts, the investigation, and why the so-called “Manacled Mormon” case remains one of the most controve...

Send us Fan Mail Merry Christmas! In this episode, we examine three tragic events that have occurred on Christmas Day throughout the years, along with one mystery that has endured for over a hundred years. And of course, we do our best to sprinkle in a little comedy and holiday cheer amongst the mystery and mayhem. So, pour yourself a glass of eggnog, throw another log on the fire, put in those earbuds to drown out the in-laws, and have yourself a very “Mantis” Christmas! Redbeard SoundRedBea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss the I-44 Tri-State Truck Explosion. In September of 1970, the Tri-State trucking company and the Teamsters Local 823 Union were locked in a heated battle. Union truckers had been on strike for weeks, but their demands were being ignored. Instead, Tri-State had simply hired more non-union workers to fill the void. In retaliation, a few union drivers decided to set up along Interstate 44 near Springfield, Missouri to shoot and disable passing Tri-Sta...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into the story of Karen Silkwood — a lab technician at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who stumbled into a nightmare. After raising alarms about contaminated equipment, falsified inspection records, and dangerous working conditions, Karen found herself the target of intimidation, mysterious exposures to plutonium, and escalating pressure. On November 13th, 1974, she set out to deliver documents to a reporter — evidence she ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover the origins of “The Highway Serial Killings Initiative”- an FBI program that identifies and links unsolved murder cases that have occurred along interstate highways to support law enforcement agencies. We also talk about one of the most notorious killers the program has helped capture- Bruce Delane Mendenhall, a long haul trucker/murderer also known as “The Truck Stop Killer”. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we cover the extraordinary disappearance, and RE-appearance, of Brenda Heist. On an ordinary morning in February of 2002, the 43-year-old mother dropped her two children off at school near her home in Lititz, Pennsylvania. After returning home briefly- Brenda vanished. Her laundry was left in the dryer. Dinner was thawing in the sink. Her car was soon found abandoned. Her family believed she had been taken—or worse. But they never could’ve guessed what would ...

Send us Fan Mail J Paul Getty III was the grandson of J Paul Getty, the richest and as well as the cheapest man alive. When he was kidnapped and held for ransom in 1973, his famously frugal grandfather refused to pay. That is, until pieces of J Paul III began arriving in the mail.... Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commis...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is about a New Age cult and it’s strange leader, a middle aged woman named Linda Good McGillis. Linda claims to be the equivalent of every religious deity combined, and says she is the leader of an intergalactic space force that she communicates with via a holographic computer that only she can see. Believe it or not, Linda has a few thousand followers online, and several in person as well. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live...

Send us Fan Mail In July of 1983, actress, beauty queen and model Tammy Lynn Leppert vanished without a trace. In the preceding weeks her mental state had diminished, and she had insisted someone was out to kill her. Were her fears justified, or another product of a psychotic break? Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive...