Strange Country Episode 204: Exorcism

Dear Dash Hounds: Has worry from Covid taken over your life? Are you behaving in ways that seem rather devilish, as your rage powers on? Might you be possessed? If you are, Beth and Kelly know who to call and you will too after listening to this episode of Strange Country. We discuss the original muse/ inspiration for the movie The Exorcist. And we also learn that the need for such rituals has skyrocketed in the past 20 years. Of course we blame the orange monster for that. We hope you enjoy this brief escape from reality…or is it? Thanks always for listening, it is an act of love.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Allen, Thomas. Possessed. iUniverse. 2000.

  1. N. S., By, -, Service, C. N. S. C. N., & Service, C. N. (2021, March 11). U.S. priest in exorcism Ministry says focus should be on GOD'S POWER. The Catholic Sun. https://www.catholicsun.org/2021/03/11/u-s-priest-in-exorcism-ministry-says-focus-should-be-on-gods-power/.

Exorcism exposé. SLU. (n.d.). https://www.slu.edu/universitas/archive/2014/exorcism.php. 

SLU legends and Lore: The 1949 St. louis exorcism. SLU. (n.d.). https://www.slu.edu/news/2019/october/slu-legends-lore-exorcism.php. 

Gallagher, R. (2019, March 1). As a psychiatrist, i diagnose mental illness. also, i help spot demonic possession. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/01/as-a-psychiatrist-i-diagnose-mental-illness-and-sometimes-demonic-possession/. 

GALLAGHER, R. I. C. H. A. R. D. (2021). Demonic foes: My twenty-five years as a psychiatrist investigating possessions,... diabolic attacks, and the paranormal. HARPERCOLLINS. 

Guardian News and Media. (1999, January 27). Vatican lays down new rules for exorcism. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jan/27/religion.uk. 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, August 18). The Exorcist (film). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exorcist_(film).

Strange Country Episode 203: Weigh Down Workshop

Maybe you've tried Keto or Atkins or the blood type diet, but have you thought about maybe trying God? The Weigh Down Workshop was founded by Gwen Shamblin in 1986. She didn't believe in dieting, exercising or counting calories. Shamblin instead told followers to rely on God and pray that He will slap the Doritos out of your hand. Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly talk about this program turned church and how some cult experts see it as a cult.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Dello Stritto, Mike. “Weigh Down: Faith or Fraud?” News Channel 9, Cult Education Institute, 25 Nov. 2002, culteducation.com/group/1224-weigh-down/21806-weigh-down-faith-or-fraud.html.

Dugan, Jeanne. “Church Lady of Diet Weighs In On Trinity and Her Flock Flees.” Wall Street Journal, Cult Education Institute, 30 Oct. 2000, culteducation.com/group/1224-weigh-down/21821-church-lady-of-diet-weighs-in-on-trinity-and-her-flock-flees.html.

Ellin, Abby. “Religion Journal; Seeing Overeating as a Sin, and God as the Diet Coach.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 May 2004, www.nytimes.com/2004/05/29/us/religion-journal-seeing-overeating-as-a-sin-and-god-as-the-diet-coach.html?searchResultPosition=3.

“Firm Beliefs.” NewsChannel 5, Cult Education Institute, 5 Feb. 2004, culteducation.com/group/1224-weigh-down/21827-firm-beliefs.html.

Levenson, Michael, and Jesus Jiménez. “7 Presumed Dead After Plane Crashes Into Tennessee Lake, Officials Say.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 May 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/05/29/us/plane-crash-tennessee.html?searchResultPosition=2.

Mead, Rebecca. “Slim for Him.” The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2001, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/01/15/slim-for-him.

“Parents Convicted of Killing Son, 8.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 16 Feb. 2007, www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17191330.

Ross, Rick Alan. “Has Gwen Shamblin's ‘Weigh Down’ Diet Turned into a ‘Cult’?” Cult Education Institute, 30 June 2017, culteducation.com/group/1224-weigh-down/21804-praying-to-be-thin.html.

Shamblin, Gwen. The Weigh down Diet. Waterbrook Press, 2013.

“Why People Become Overweight.” Harvard Health, 24 June 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-people-become-overweight.

Williams, Phil. “Controversy Surrounded Brentwood Church, Founder for Years; Gwen Shamblin Lara among Those Presumed Dead.” WTVF, WTVF, 30 May 2021, www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/controversy-surrounded-brentwood-church-founder-for-years-gwen-shamblin-lara-among-those-presumed-dead.

Strange Country Episode 202: The Goat Castle

Today's Strange Country tale involves murder, racism and goats. The big three, as we like to say. In 1932, Jennie Merrill was murdered in Natchez, Miss. Her neighbors who lived in a dilapidated estate nicknamed The Goat Castle likely had something to do with it, but it was a black laundress named Emily Burns who was convicted of the crime. Because everything is garbage.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Carter, L. M. (2018, September 21). Murder, She Rewrote. Country Roads. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from https://countryroadsmagazine.com/art-and-culture/history/murder-she-rewrote/

Cox, K. L. (2017). Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race and the Gothic South. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.

Neighbor Pair Held in Natchez Murder. (1932, August 9). The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/1932/08/09/archives/neighbor-pair-held-in-natchez-murder-rh-dana-and-his-housekeeper.html?searchResultPosition=2

Octavia Dockery, 84, Lived in 'Goat Castle'. (1949, April 23). The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/1949/04/23/archives/octavia-dockern-84-lived-ingoat-castle.html?searchResultPosition=1

Strange Country Episode 201: Cahokia

You know Beth and Kelly have issues with numbers, and anything prior to or around BC, AD and CE is hard for us to comprehend. So please bear with us this episode as we go back 1,000 years to the hopping city of …Cahokia. Have you ever heard of it? We didn’t think so (but if you have, please tell us!) It is real and it is part of the important but ignored history of North America. And who can we blame for the fact that thousands of earthen mounds with rich and deep history have been plowed under? Dash Hounds - we know you can figure this out! Thanks for listening- it is an act of love.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Adena mound. Adena Mound - Ohio History Central. (n.d.). https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Adena_Mound. 

Baires, S. (2018, February 23). White settlers buried the truth about the Midwest's mysterious MOUND CITIES. Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/white-settlers-buried-truth-about-midwests-mysterious-mound-cities-180968246/. 

Gosart, U. (2018, March 17). The idea of the Vanishing Race. Performing Archive. https://scalar.usc.edu/works/performingarchive/ideavanishingrace. 

NEWITZ, A. N. N. A. L. E. E. (2022). Four lost Cities: A secret history of the urban age. W W NORTON. 

Miamisburg mound. Miamisburg Mound | OHIO'S HISTORY. (n.d.). http://touringohio.com/history/miamisburg-mound.html. 

https://moundville.museums.ua.edu/about/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS1TD6WFNeQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAXBA2Pt9wE

https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mound-builders-poverty-point-adena-hopewell-and-mississippian-cultures

Strange Country Episode 200: Santa Kimes

Strange County episode 200, everybody! That means, you've likely wasted 199 hours of your life. Why not waste an hour more with today's story of Sante Kimes, a grifter with a penchant for fraud, arson and murder. Beth and Kelly also share a new way to express anger.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Andrews, S., McLean, B., & Seal, M. (2000, March 01). The Story of Sante Kimes: Mother, Murderer, and Criminal Mastermind. Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 22, 2021, from https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2000/03/sante-kimes-mother-murderer-criminal-mastermind

Feuer, A. (2014, May 22). Sante Kimes Dies in Prison at 79; Killed and Swindled With Her Son. New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/nyregion/sante-kimes-dies-in-prison-at-79-killed-and-swindled-with-her-son.html?searchResultPosition=2

Rohde, D. (2000, May 17). Sante Kimes Chastised by Judge Over Contacts With News Media. New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2000/05/17/nyregion/sante-kimes-chastised-by-judge-over-contacts-with-news-media.html?searchResultPosition=1

Tefler, T. (2021). Sante Kimes. In Confident Women: Swindlers, Grifters, and Shapeshifters of the Feminine Persuasion (pp. 256-285). Harper Perennial.

The lady vanishes [ii]. (1999, November 20). The Guardian. Retrieved July 24, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/nov/20/weekend7.weekend5

Strange Country Episode 199: Tania Head

Tania Head told others she was on the 78th floor sky lobby when a plane crashed through the windows, nearly killing everyone on impact. Head said she made it out with seconds to spare before the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in what would turn out to be America's most devastating terrorist attack on Sept. 11. Head took her trauma and put it into action as president of a survivor's network. Trouble is, her story was completely untrue. Strange Country hosts Beth and Kelly discuss Head's deceit and their disbelief over the steps Head took to maintain her ruse.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

"9/11 ordeal was a pack of cruel lies." People [London, England], 3 Aug. 2014, p. 8. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A377173856/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=17676dad. Accessed 12 July 2021.

"Barcelona paper casts new doubt on Tania Head's Sept. 11 account." Sep 30 2007. Web. ProQuest. 12 July 2021.

"CON AIR." Daily Telegraph [Sydney, New South Wales, Australia], 14 Sept. 2013, p. 40. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A352528323/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=8bba2a26. Accessed 12 July 2021.

Dunlap, David W., and Serge F. Kovaleski. “In a Sept. 11 Survival Tale, the Pieces Just Don't Fit.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Sept. 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/world/americas/27iht-27survivor.7660692.html?searchResultPosition=14.

Fisher, Robin Gaby, and Angelo J. Gugliemo. The Woman Who Wasn’t There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception. Touchstone Books, 2013.

Graff, Garrett M. “On 9/11, Luck Meant Everything.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 10 Sept. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/september-11-blind-luck-decided-who-lived-or-died/597688/.

Gugliemo, Angelo J., director. The Woman Who Wasn't There. Amazon Prime, 2012, www.amazon.com/Woman-Who-Wasnt-There/dp/B00AHGXIE2.

Kovaleski, Serge F. "Comic Says His Story About 9/11 Was a Lie." New York Times, 17 Sept. 2015, p. C1(L). Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A428848750/ITOF?u=oswego&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=76b45bde. Accessed 12 July 2021.

Strange Country Episode 198: Fannie Lou Hamer

Britney Spears conservatorship got Kelly and Beth thinking about the ways society tries to clamp down on women's bodies. Because of Kelly's feeblemindedness, she forgot that Beth already covered the forced sterilization of Carrie Buck, but lucky for her--is lucky the right word?--there are a ton of forced sterilizations to choose from. Listen to the story of one such woman Fannie Lou Hamer who turned her trauma into activism.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

“About the Film.” Bellyofthebeastfilm.com, www.bellyofthebeastfilm.com/about.

Brown, DeNeen L. “Civil Rights Crusader Fannie Lou Hamer Defied Men - and Presidents - Who Tried to Silence Her.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 June 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/10/06/civil-rights-crusader-fannie-lou-hamer-defied-men-and-presidents-who-tried-to-silence-her/.

Buck v Bell, www.oyez.org/cases/1900-1940/274us200.

Cleghorn, Elinor. “The History of Coercion Dressed Up As Care Is a Long One.” Vogue, 25 June 2021.

democracynow. YouTube, YouTube, 17 Mar. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVPt1qr5MY. 

“Fannie Lou Hamer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 June 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Lou_Hamer.

Mills, Kay. This Little Light of Mine: the Life of Fannie Lou Hamer. The University Press of Kentucky, 2007.

Naftulin, Julia. “Inside the Hidden Campaign to Forcibly Sterilize Thousands of Inmates in California Women's Prisons.” Insider, Insider, 24 Nov. 2020, 

Pearce, Jessica, et al. “Mississippi Appendectomies: Reliving Our Pro-Eugenics Past.” Ms. Magazine, 28 Oct. 2020, msmagazine.com/2020/10/28/ice-immigration-mississippi-appendectomies-usa-eugenics-forced-coerced-sterilization/.

www.insider.com/inside-forced-sterilizations-california-womens-prisons-documentary-2020-11.

Strange Country Episode 197: Passing

From slavery through the Civil Rights Movement, passing was one means of avoiding the inequities and injustices of being Black in America. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about instances of light-skinned African-Americans leaving family ties and connections behind to pass for white.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Hammer, Josh. “Why America Needs to Ban Critical Race Theory in Schools.” New York Post, New York Post, 5 July 2021, nypost.com/2021/07/04/why-america-needs-to-ban-critical-race-theory-in-schools/.

Hirsch, Arnold R. “Massive Resistance in the Urban North: Trumbull Park, Chicago, 1953-1966.” The Journal of American History, vol. 82, no. 2, 1995, pp. 522–550. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2082185. Accessed 2 July 2021.

Hobbs, Allyson. A Chosen Exile: a History of Racial Passing in American Life. Harvard University Press, 2014.

Lopez, German. “Study: Anti-Black Hiring Discrimination Is as Prevalent Today as It Was in 1989.” Vox, Vox, 18 Sept. 2017, www.vox.com/identities/2017/9/18/16307782/study-racism-jobs.

Mancini, Olivia. “Passing as White: Anita Hemmings 1897.” Passing as White - Vassar, the Alumnae/i Quarterly, 2001, www.vassar.edu/vq/issues/2002/01/features/passing-as-white.html.

“Massacres in the United States.” Zinn Education Project, www.zinnedproject.org/collection/massacres-us/.

Ransom, Jan. “Trump Will Not Apologize for Calling for Death Penalty Over Central Park Five.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html.

Schwantes, Marcel. “Harvard Study Says Minority Job Candidates Are 'Whitening' Their Resumes When Looking for Jobs.” Inc.com, Inc., 11 Apr. 2019, www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/why-minority-job-applicants-mask-their-race-identities-when-applying-for-jobs-according-to-this-harvard-study.html.

Sim, Jillian A. “Fading To White.” AMERICAN HERITAGE, 1 Mar. 2019, web.archive.org/web/20190328214952/www.americanheritage.com/fading-white.

Todd, Kim. "Sensational: The Hidden History of America's 'Girl Stunt Reporters.'" Harper, 2021.

Strange Country Episode 196: Ellen and William Craft

Ellen and William Craft, both born into slavery, came up with an ingenious plan to win their freedom in 1848. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about their four-day excursion evading slave catchers, and question why history about Black Americans has some white people all riled up and frothing at school board meetings.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Bernstein, Brittany. “Florida Board of Education Approves Rule Banning '1619 Project' from Classrooms.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 10 June 2021, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/florida-board-education-approves-rule-165718175.html.

Craft, William. Running a Thousand Miles to Freedom. William Treedle, 1860, Google Books, www.google.com/books/edition/Running_a_Thousand_Miles_for_Freedom/C50TAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Dunbar, Erica Armstrong. “George Washington, Slave Catcher.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Feb. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/opinion/george-washington-slave-catcher.html.

Fulwood, Sam. “Gingrich Rejects Apology for Slavery.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 1997, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-14-mn-3177-story.html.

Holmes, Marian Smith. “The Great Escape From Slavery of Ellen and William Craft.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 16 June 2010, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-escape-from-slavery-of-ellen-and-william-craft-497960/.

Iati, Marisa. “What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Do Republicans Want to Ban It in Schools?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 June 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/05/29/critical-race-theory-bans-schools/.

McCaskill, Barbara. “The Profits and the Perils of Partnership in the ‘Thrilling’ Saga of William and Ellen Craft.” Melus, vol. 38, no. 1, Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States and the University of Connecticut, 2013, pp. 76–97, doi:10.1093/melus/mls008.

Morgan, Thad. “The Daring Disguise That Helped One Enslaved Couple Escape to Freedom.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 28 Feb. 2020, www.history.com/news/slavery-escape-william-ellen-craft.

Salcedo, Andrea. “A Lawmaker Wanted to Ban 'Divisive' Teaching on Race. Then He Mentioned 'the Good' of Slavery.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Apr. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/28/ray-garofalo-louisiana-good-slavery/.

Webb, Cassandra. “Arkansas Infant Mortality Rate Third Highest in the Country and Getting Worse.” KARK, KARK, 29 Jan. 2021, www.kark.com/news/local-news/arkansas-infant-mortality-rate-third-highest-in-the-country-and-getting-worse/.

Strange Country Episode 195: Leona Chalmers

Join Beth and Kelly this week as they discuss the best way to smell like a flower…It’s our best advice yet. Learn about how women have gone from wool to cotton to acetone and pesticides in hopes of stopping the monthly carnage that escapes from our loins. It’s hard to be a woman for so many reasons, but dealing with our monthly uninvited, jealous, coworker known as our menstruation is probably top on the difficulty list. Thanks for listening- it is an act of love

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Strange Country Episode 194: Emperor Norton I

Sometimes you just need to make an announcement in the newspaper declaring yourself Emperor of the U.S. especially if other people don't realize it. That's what Joshua Norton did in 1859. His next step was to abolish Congress. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about San Francisco's greatest tourist attraction and decree that you will love this episode with your very being.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Drury, William. Norton I, Emperor of the United States. Dodd, Mead, 1986.

“It's Good to Be King.” Wired, Conde Nast, 1 Mar. 2000, www.wired.com/2000/03/kingdoms/.

“Joshua A. Norton.” The Museum of the City of San Francisco, www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html.

Lumea, John. “Emperor Norton, Schizophrenic. Or Not.” The Emperor Norton Trust, The Emperor Norton Trust, 3 Apr. 2020, emperornortontrust.org/blog/2017/5/22/emperor-norton-schizophrenic-or-not.

Pitney, Nico. “Donald Trump Supporters Are Now Calling Him 'God Emperor'.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 14 Jan. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-god-emperor-creepy-reddit_n_579a6970e4b08a8e8b5d38b5.

Strange Country Episode 193: Poppies

Well Dash Hounds you have lovingly stuck with us through one of the shittiest times in history and listened to our tin-can audio, but not today! Beth and Kelly are vaccinated and slowly making their way back into this world. We are back to in-person studio recording, and it feels so good. As good as the ooze from the bulb of a poppy flower. Today’s episode is all about the illusive, romantic, beautiful and ironically deadly poppy flower. Do they grow in your garden? If they do listen. it is always an act of love but it may be an act of safe measure keeping you out of jail.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Cite your sources: 

DEA, Drugs of Abuse a Resource Guide. April 2020. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Opium-2020.pdf 

Hogshire, Jim. Opium for the Masses. Feral House, 2009. Accessed on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Opium-Masses-Harvesting-Natures-Medication/dp/1932595465

Sutherland, Karen. History.net How the Flowers of Flanders Field Became a Symbol of Veterans Day.

https://www.historynet.com/veterans-day-history-of-a-symbol.htm#:~:text=Canadian%20John%20McCrae%2C%20a%20World,symbol%20of%20life%20and%20remembrance.&text=It%20is%20perhaps%20the%20most,out%20of%20the%20Great%20War.

Malas, Nour. Selfie-Seeking Tourists Are Crushing California's Superbloom. March 24, 2019. WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-superbloom-means-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-tourists-trampling-flowers-11553447888

Miller, Vanessa. Man Who Died after Drinking Poppy Seed tea Remembered. Daily Camera. August 15, 2009.

https://www.dailycamera.com/2009/08/15/man-who-died-after-drinking-poppy-tea-remembered/

Pollan, Michael. Opium Made Easy.One Gardener's Encounter with the War on Drugs. Harper's Magazine.March 31 1997. Found on Wes Jones's blog https://www.wesjones.com/pollan1.htm#author

Semple, Kirk. Mexican Opium Prices Plummet. July 7, 2019. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/07/world/americas/mexico-drugs-migration.html

unodc. https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/20210217_report_with_cover_for_web_small.pdf

Trickey, Eric. Inside the Story of America's 19th Century Opiate Addiction. Jan. 4, 2018. Smithsonianmag.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/inside-story-americas-19th-century-opiate-addiction-180967673/

Whitlock, Craig. Overwhelmed by Opium. Dec. 9,2019 The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-opium-poppy-production/

Strange Country Episode 192: Tri-State Crematory

The only two things that are inevitable are death and Strange Country winning all the awards. So with that said, what are your plans? Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss some of the possibilities post-life, and the horror story of the Tri-State Crematory in Noble, Ga where corpses were strewn about the property and stacked like cordwood. The ashes given to loved ones contained burned wood chips and cement dust.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

“$39.5 Million Settlement in Crematory Case.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 11 Mar. 2004, www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4508246.

Arey, Norman. "CREMATORY PROBE: MARSH SISTER, PARENTS CHARGED\ DEATH CERTIFICATE SIGNINGS AN ISSUE." Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Atlanta, GA], 9 Mar. 2002, p. H1. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A83639840/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=d005f29b. Accessed 23 May 2021.

Arey, Norman. "FATHER OF CREMATORY CASE SUSPECT DIES." Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Atlanta, GA], 21 May 2003, p. B5. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A102084453/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=c2c96302. Accessed 23 May 2021.

Arey, Norman. "FAMILIES SETTLE CREMATORY SUIT FOR $80 MILLION." Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Atlanta, GA], 27 Aug. 2004, p. A1. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A121319424/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=e9632de2. Accessed 23 May 2021.

“Attorney Says Mercury Poisoning May Explain Tri-State Crematory Case.” Chattanoogan.com - Chattanooga's Source for Breaking Local News, 7 Feb. 2007, www.chattanoogan.com/2007/2/7/101204/Attorney-Says-Mercury-Poisoning-May.aspx.

Barry, Ellen. “Georgia Crematory Operator Apologizes, Offers No Excuse.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2004, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-nov-20-na-marsh20-story.html.

Brett, ByJennifer. "BIBB COUNTY: Man in notorious crematory case free from prison: 334 decaying corpses were found at Tri-State Crematory in 2002." Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Atlanta, GA], 30 June 2016, p. B1. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A456602215/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=a757b8b6. Accessed 23 May 2021.

Erizanu, Paula. “The Biodegradable Burial Pod That Turns Your Body into a Tree.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Jan. 2018, www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/world/eco-solutions-capsula-mundi/index.html.

Firestone, David. “Scores of Bodies Strewn at Site Of Crematory.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 Feb. 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/02/17/us/scores-of-bodies-strewn-at-site-of-crematory.html?searchResultPosition=7.

Galloway, Jim. "TRI-STATE CREMATORY INVESTIGATION: PATH OF GOOD INTENTIONS TURNS ROUGH FOR LAWMAKER." Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Atlanta, GA], 6 Mar. 2002, p. B4. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A83505156/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=db372c49. Accessed 23 May 2021.

Hendricks, Brent R. A Long Day at the End of the World: a Story of Desecration and Revelation in the Deep South. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.

Johnson, Dirk, and Vern E. Smith. "Unearthing A Grim Tale: The woods of North Georgia hid a terrible secret: a family business devoted to cremating the dead was not doing its job. A haunted community wonders why." Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2002, p. 30. Gale OneFile: Popular Magazines, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A83283930/PPPM?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=PPPM&xid=d619cb35. Accessed 22 May 2021.

Little, Becky. “The Environmental Toll of Cremating the Dead.” Science, National Geographic, 3 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/is-cremation-environmentally-friendly-heres-the-science.

Mikkelson, David. “Was the Weight of a Human Soul Determined to Be 21 Grams?” Snopes.com, 29 Dec. 2019, www.snopes.com/fact-check/weight-of-the-soul/.

Moskowitz, Clara. “Fact or Fiction?: Energy Can Neither Be Created Nor Destroyed.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2014, www.scientificamerican.com/article/energy-can-neither-be-created-nor-destroyed/.

Pearson, Michael. "CREMATORY INVESTIGATION: WHY DIDN'T TRI-STATE JUST CREMATE THE BODIES?" Atlanta Journal-Constitution [Atlanta, GA], 24 Feb. 2002, p. C1. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A83221950/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=03925209. Accessed 23 May 2021.

Rimer, Sara. “Crematory Owners Family Asks Why.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/02/24/us/crematory-owners-family-asks-why.html?searchResultPosition=3.

Roach, Mary. Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. W. W. Norton & Company, 2004.

Schwarcz, Joe. “The Real Story Behind ‘21 Grams.’” Office for Science and Society, 21 June 2019, www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/story-behind-21-grams.

Thomas, Ben. “The Man Who Tried to Weigh the Soul.” Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 17 Dec. 2019, www.discovermagazine.com/mind/the-man-who-tried-to-weigh-the-soul.

“UPDATE: Ray Brent Marsh Writes Public Letter of Apology.” WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports, www.wrcbtv.com/story/19611865/update-ray-brent-marsh-released-from-prison-after-crematory-conviction.

Strange Country Episode 191: War of the Worlds

On Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles broadcast a radio play version of HG Wells War of the Worlds. People didn't realize it wasn't a news broadcast, and mass panic ensued...or at least that's what the newspapers led people to believe. But it was really more panic-lite or fat-free panic where it doesn't taste nearly as satisfying. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss the infamous broadcast and the overreaction of the media, which luckily never happens anymore. . . oh wait.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Abumrad, Jad, and Robert Krulwich. “War of the Worlds: Radiolab.” WNYC Studios, 30 Oct. 2018, www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/war-worlds.

Klein, Christopher. “Inside ‘The War of the Worlds’ Radio Broadcast.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 30 Oct. 2013, www.history.com/news/inside-the-war-of-the-worlds-broadcast.

Memmott, Mark. “75 Years Ago, 'War Of The Worlds' Started A Panic. Or Did It?” NPR, NPR, 30 Oct. 2013, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/10/30/241797346/75-years-ago-war-of-the-worlds-started-a-panic-or-did-it.

Pooley, Jefferson, and Michael J. Socolow. “Orson Welles' War of the Worlds Did Not Touch Off a Nationwide Hysteria. Few Americans Listened. Even Fewer Panicked.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 29 Oct. 2013, slate.com/culture/2013/10/orson-welles-war-of-the-worlds-panic-myth-the-infamous-radio-broadcast-did-not-cause-a-nationwide-hysteria.html.

Schwartz, A. Brad. Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welless War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News. Hill and Wang, A Division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015.

Schwartz, A. Brad. “The Infamous ‘War of the Worlds’ Radio Broadcast Was a Magnificent Fluke.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 6 May 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/infamous-war-worlds-radio-broadcast-was-magnificent-fluke-180955180/.

Strange Country Episode 190: Cline Falls Ax Attack

In late June 1977, two Yale students decided to trek across the country following the Bicentennial Path. Only a week in, their trip was cut short when a man drove over their tent with his pick-up truck and tried to finish the young women off with an ax. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss this brutal, senseless attack and the bravery of Terri Jentz who tried to piece her story together and find her attempted killer.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources

Crombie, Noelle. “Kaye Turner Killer Makes Fourth Plea for Eventual Parole.” Oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2020, www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/01/kaye-turner-killer-makes-fourth-plea-for-eventual-parole.html.

Dolan, J. D. (2006, Apr 30). Open wounds; strange piece of paradise terri jentz farrar, straus & giroux: 542 pp., $27: [HOME EDITION]. Los Angeles Times Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.oswego.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.oswego.edu/newspapers/open-wounds-strange-piece-paradise-terri-jentz/docview/422086074/se-2?accountid=13025

Eidenmuller, Michael E. “A Crisis of Confidence.” Jimmy Carter - A Crisis of Confidence Speech - American Rhetoric, www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimmycartercrisisofconfidence.htm.

Jasper, David. “Holy Hoax, Axeman.” Kitchen Sink Archives, 9 Jan. 2011, www.kitchensinkarchives.com/2010/11/holy-hoax-axeman/.

Jentz, Terri. Strange Piece of Paradise. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

“Nearly 40 Years Later, Bend Man Keeps Search for Woman's Killer Alive.” Oregonlive, 14 Oct. 2018, www.oregonlive.com/today/2018/10/nearly_40_years_later_bend_man.html.

“News of Record: Police Log.” The Bulletin, 31 Jan. 2020, www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/news-of-record-police-log/article_45018879-9f34-5f8a-a523-6b6ce2de9c7d.html.

Roach, Mary. “Living to Tell.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 May 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/books/review/living-to-tell.html?searchResultPosition=1.

“Two of Bend's Most Gruesome Unsolved Crimes: Beware Crazies in the Wilderness.” Bend, The Source Weekly - Bend, 11 May 2021, www.bendsource.com/bend/two-of-bends-most-gruesome-unsolved-crimes-beware-crazies-in-the-wilderness/Content?oid=2186106.

Strange Country Episode 189: Bonnie Lee Bakley

Time to reconsider your job and look to marrying someone famous. Or not. Instead you can listen to the sad story about a con woman known by many names, but most famously for being the murdered wife of actor Robert Blake. Dash Hounds, here is a story of a lost woman who finally got what she wanted as far as being with a famous man, but at the ultimate price. Join Strange Country this week for the story and some side stories we feel are worth your time. Thank you always for listening; it is an act of love.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources

David, Lisa Selin. Why Modern Medicine Keeps Overlooking Menopause. New York Times. April 6, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/us/menopause-perimenopause-symptoms.html

Telfer, Tori. (2021). Confident Women. New York: HarperCollins.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Lee_Bakley

https://thecinemaholic.com/robert-blake/

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-blake-acquitted-of-wifes-murder

Yang, Allie. Bonny Lee Bakley Had a Remarkable Story that Played a Big Role at Her HUsband Robert Blake's Murder Trial. 1/11/2019.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/bonny-lee-bakley-remarkable-story-played-big-role-60056830. Accessed May 1, 2021.

Strange Country Episode 188: H.H. Holmes

H.H. Holmes carries the distinction of being America's first serial killer, possibly having murder between 20 to 200 people. But like most legends, things aren't always as the seem. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly peel away the layers of the white devil of Chicago in this episode and discover that it smells a bit like smegma.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources

“H.H. Holmes.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 12 June 2020, www.biography.com/crime-figure/hh-holmes.

Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. Vintage, 2004.

Little, Becky. “Did Serial Killer H.H. Holmes Really Build a 'Murder Castle'?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 23 Jan. 2020, www.history.com/news/murder-castle-h-h-holmes-chicago.

Pruitt, Sarah. “Was Paul Bunyan a Real Person?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 20 Nov. 2015, https://www.history.com/news/was-paul-bunyan-a-real-person#:~:text=Historians%20believe%20Bunyan%20was%20based,Michigan%20after%20the%20Civil%20War.&text=The%20French%20pronunciation%20of%20Jean's,evolved%20into%20the%20surname%20Bunyan

Selzer, Adam. H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil. Skyhorse. 2017

Stone, Rachel. “Backstory: The Oak Cliff Victims of Famed Serial Killer H.H. Holmes.” Oak Cliff, 12 Oct. 2017, oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2017/10/backstory-oak-cliff-victims-famed-serial-killer-h-h-holmes/#:~:text=Serial killer H.H. Holmes conned,estate holdings before killing her.&text=The Williams girls, Minnie and,returned with her sister Nannie.

Strange Country Episode 187: Minnie Cox

Kelly and Beth have missed you Dear Dash Hounds, but we are back! In this episode you will learn the important story of Minnie Cox, an African American postmistress at the turn of the 20th century. Cox was smart, wonderful and successful, but still treated terribly because she was black. Before we get to the details of her story, sit tight for some ramblings about cockfighting, Facebook, and post office anxiety. Or fast forward to the halfway mark and get ready to be angry about American history that should be part of our common knowledge. As always, thank you for listening; it is an act of love.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Garrett-Scott, S. (2018, March). Minnie Geddings Cox and the Indianola Affair, 1902-1904. Retrieved April 10, 2021, from http://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/articles/421/minnie-geddings-cox-and-the-indianola-affair

James K. vardaman. (2021, February 10). Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_K._Vardaman

Minnie M. Cox: A Postmaster's Story. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research-articles/the-history-and-experience-of-african-americans-in-america%E2%80%99s-postal-service/minnie

Momodu, S. (2020, February 26). Minnie M. COX (1869-1933) •. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/cox-minnie-m-1869-1933/

Strange Country Episode 186: Julie Monson and Jane Britton

What is about unsolved murders that stay with us? In particular why does the true crime genre skew female? In this episode of Strange Country, co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about Julie Monson and Jane Britton, two young women cut down in the prime of their lives. Monson disappeared after a night out in September 1981 in Auburn, NY. Britton was found bludgeoned inside her Harvard University apartment in January 1969. Today's Strange Country episode is sponsored by the Cayuga County Arts Council.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Case, Dick. “One Case Closed; Slaying Probe Reopened.” The Post Standard, 8 March 1993, pp. A9.

Conroy, J Oliver. “Why Are Women Obsessed with True Crime? Rachel Monroe Has Some Answers.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Aug. 2019, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/aug/20/rachel-monroe-savage-appetites-true-crime-book-interview.

Cooper, Becky. WE KEEP THE DEAD CLOSE: a Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence. Windmill Books, 2021.

Howland, Lance. “Auburn Girl's Murder Baffles Family, Cops.” Syracuse Herald Journal, 25 Sept. 1983.

“The Julie Monson Case.” Syracuse Herald Journal, 6 Oct. 1984.

Kenyon, Jim. “FBI Resumes Dna Tests in Julie Monson Murder Mystery.” WSTM, WSTM, 21 July 2015, cnycentral.com/news/local/fbi-resumes-dna-tests-in-julie-monson-murder-mystery.

LaRue, William. “Bianco's Close Friends on the Stand.” The Post Standard, 25 Feb. 1986, pp. 1–1.

LaRue, William. “Testimony Suggests Monson Body Was Moved.” The Post Standard, 28 Feb. 1986, pp. 4–4.

LaRue, William. “Witness Says He Was Mistaken About Car.” The Post Standard, 22 Feb. 1986, pp. 3–3.

Nolan, Maureen, and Neil MacFarquehar. “'There Is No Happy Ending for Us'.” Syracuse Herald Journal, 6 July 1985, pp. 1–2.

“Social Psychologist Amanda Vicary and Spotify Reveal Why Women Are So Obsessed with True Crime-And Share 4 New Podcasts Coming in 2020.” Spotify, 29 Jan. 2020, newsroom.spotify.com/2020-01-29/social-psychologist-amanda-vicary-and-spotify-reveal-why-women-are-so-obsessed-with-true-crime-and-share-4-new-podcasts-coming-in-2020/.

Tuttle, Kate. “Why Do Women Love True Crime? New York Times. 16 July 2019. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/books/review/kate-tuttle-true-crime-women.html

Wallack, T. (2017, Jun 17). Unsolved cambridge murder raises a question: When should outside investigators get a chance? Boston Globe Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.oswego.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.oswego.edu/newspapers/unsolved-cambridge-murder-raises-question-when/docview/1910533609/se-2?accountid=13025

Wallack, T. (2018, Nov 21). Killer identified in 1969 murder of harvard student in cambridge: DNA offers link to serial rapist. Boston Globe Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.oswego.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.oswego.edu/newspapers/killer-identified-1969-murder-harvard-student/docview/2135909993/se-2?accountid=13025

“Widow Killed Near Radcliffe Dorm; Police Cite Britton Case Similarities: News: The Harvard Crimson.” News | The Harvard Crimson, 7 Feb. 1969, www.thecrimson.com/article/1969/2/7/widow-killed-near-radcliffe-dorm-police/.

“Woman's Hour - True Crime: Five Reasons Why Women Love It.” BBC Radio 4, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5BQCFMQd3mPqj7YT4hlvdCL/true-crime-five-reasons-why-women-love-it.

Strange Country Episode 184: Anthony Gignac

For decades, Anthony Gignac pretended to be Saudi royalty, racking up hotel bills, department store charges, and even swindling Syracuse University out of money. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly would talk more about this, but are trapped in Nigeria with their huge fortune, and need your help. If you could send your bank account number, they would be happy to share in their wealth.

Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands

Cite your sources:

Cohn, Scott. “Four Surefire Ways to Spot a Con Artist-and What to Do When You See Them.” CNBC, CNBC, 4 Jan. 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/01/03/four-sure-fire-ways-to-spot-a-con-artistand-what-to-do-when-you-see-them.html.

Eder, S. (2008, Dec 21). Siblings with sordid past turn to bernadette noe; the former lucas county GOP leader assists two brothers whose records rouse suspicion. The Blade Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.oswego.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.oswego.edu/newspapers/siblings-with-sordid-past-turn-bernadette-noe/docview/380807805/se-2?accountid=13025

Long, Stephanie Topacio. “8 Strange Facts About Con Artists, Because They're More Common Than You Think.” Bustle, Bustle, 15 Jan. 2016, www.bustle.com/articles/135836-8-strange-facts-about-con-artists-because-theyre-more-common-than-you-think.

Scott, Cathy. “The Art of the Con and Why People Fall for It.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 26 Sept. 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/crime-she-writes/201909/the-art-the-con-and-why-people-fall-it#:~:text=By definition, a con artist,up taking the victim's money.

Seal, Mark. “The Amazing 30-Year Odyssey of a Counterfeit Saudi Prince.” Vanity Fair, 5 Oct. 2018, www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/he-actually-believes-he-is-khalid-the-odyssey-of-a-counterfeit-saudi-prince.

Seal, Mark. “How the Fake Saudi Prince, Anthony Gignac, Was Exposed.” Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2018, www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/10/how-the-fake-saudi-prince-anthony-gignac-was-exposed.

Stack, Liam. “Man Who Posed as Saudi Prince and Defrauded Investors Out of $8 Million Is Sent to Prison.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/01/us/fake-saudi-prince-anthony-gignac.html?searchResultPosition=2.

Swenson, Kyle. "He convinced people he was a rich 'Saudi prince.' He was really a poor street kid from Bogota." Washingtonpost.com, 30 May 2018. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A540885876/STND?u=nysl_sc_flls&sid=STND&xid=47c3f428. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

Weaver, J. (2018, May 30). Bogus saudi sultan pleads guilty, faces years in jail anthony gignac admits he stole $8 million from dozens of victims in his pretended role. Portland Press Herald Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.oswego.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.oswego.edu/newspapers/bogus-saudi-sultan-pleads-guilty-faces-years-jail/docview/2046443596/se-2?accountid=13025