On November 2, 2016, thirty-four-year-old so-called “Supermom” Sherri Papini went out for a run near her home in Redding, California, and disappeared without a trace. Three weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, Sherri was discovered on the side of the road in a nearby county, where she said her captors had released her.

In the days that followed, Sherri claimed she had been kidnapped by two unknown Latin American women, who physically abused her, including branding her on the shoulder with the word “Exodus.” The case garnered considerable attention from the local and national media, but when it came to details on her abductors and their motives, Sherri was surprisingly tight-lipped, giving the police and FBI little to work with.

In March 2022, more than five years after her supposed abduction, the nation was shocked to learn that federal agents had arrested Papini and charged her with faking her own kidnapping. A month later, Sherri pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to more than a year in prison. The news was stunning and left everyone wondering, why would a seemingly ordinary and ostensibly happy mother orchestrate such a bizarre hoax?

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

References

ABC News. 2016. "Missing California mom found alive after captor abandons her in restraints, sheriff says." ABC News, November 24.

Ayestas, Jonathan. 2024. "Sherri Papini has yet to pay $300,000 fine for faked 2016 California kidnapping." CNN Newswire, March 26.

Bella, Timothy. 2022. "A mother said she was kidnapped. Now she admits it was all a hoax." Washington Post, April 13.

Bever, Lindsey, and Kristine Guerra. 2016. "Missing California mother found alive three weeks after her apparent abduction, police say." Washington Post, November 25.

Bonvillian, Crystal. 2022. "Feds detail how missing mom branded, starved self in 2016 kidnapping hoax." Cox Media Group, March 9.

CBS News, Sacramento. 2016. "Full text of November 30 press conference about Sherri Papini's abduction." CBS News, Sacramento, November 30.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2022. Sherri Papini criminal complaint and affidavit. Criminal complaint, Los Angeles, CA: Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Gumbel, Andrew. 2022. "California jogger Sherri Papini staged own violent kidnapping, FBI says." The Guardian, March 4.

—. 2016. "Kidnapping, reverse ransom and a bounty: the strange case of Sherri Papini." The Guardian, December 30.

Hurley, Beven. 2022. "Why did it take five years to charge 'supermom' Sherri Papini with fabricating her own abduction?" The Independent, March 4.

Larimer, Sarah. 2016. "California mother was 'branded' and covered in bruises after apparent abduction, husband says." Washington Post, November 29.

Longoria, Sean. 2016. "Mother of 2 goes missing near Redding." Record Searchlight (Redding, CA), November 4: 1.

—. 2016. "Audio tells of Papini response." Record Searchlight, November 27: 1.

Sabalow, Ryan. 2016. "Familty of 'supermom' holds on to hope." Sacramento Bee, November 12: 1.

—. 2016. "Keep an open mind in unusual kidnap story, experts say." Sacramento Bee, December 3: B1.

—. 2016. "Relative defends husband of missing 'supermom'." Sacramento Bee, November 9: A14.

—. 2017. "Sheriff's office silent on Papini details." Sacramento Bee, January 31.

—. 2016. "'Supermom' hasn't been seen since taking a jog." Sacramento Bee, November 8: A4.

Sandhu, Amber. 2016. "Missing mom sought." Record Searchlight (Redding, CA), November 5: 1.

Serna, Joseph. 2016. "A setback in kidnapping case?" Los Angeles Times, December 1: B3.

Shulman, Alayna. 2016. "Sherriff gets help in search." Record Searchlight, November 8: 1.

—. 2017. "Will 2018 bring more Papini details?" Record Searchlight, December 28: 6.

Solis, Nathan. 2022. "Tale of abduction by Latinas fueled racial unease." Los Angeles Times, March 6: B2.

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On April 25, 2004, Broadmoor Hospital inmate Peter Bryan attacked a killed fellow inmate Richard Loudwell, a man awaiting sentencing for the murder of an eighty-two-year-old woman. The fact that the murder occurred in England’s most famous and supposedly secure psychiatric hospital was shocking, but more shocking was that this was Bryan’s third murder, and the second in as many months. Indeed, just two months earlier, while he was under the care of doctors and social workers in an open in-patient mental health hospital, Bryan left the facility in February and a few hours later he’d killed, dismembered, and partially cannibalized forty-three-year-old Brian Cherry.

Peter Bryan’s murders were highly sensationalized by the press, particularly the tabloids, who fueled the ongoing moral panic over the abysmal state of England’s mental health system. While the reporting did little more than exacerbate the public’s growing anger with the government, they nonetheless highlighted a very important question everyone wanted answered: How was a man with Bryan’s mental health and criminal history able to get released institutional care, and moreover, why was he not under surveillance when he murdered a third time—this time in heavily guarded psychiatric hospital?

References

Bennetto, Jason. 2005. "Care in the community patient sought `buzz' from killing and eating his victims." The Independent, March 16.

Bowcott, Owen. 2009. "Cannibal who killed three had seemed normal, NHS finds." The Guardian, September 3.

Chelsea News. 1994. "Grudge ended in murder." Chelsea News, March 3: 1.

Cheston, Paul. 2005. "Cannibal set free to kill in London." London Evening Standard, March 15.

Feller, Grant. 1993. "Police hunt evil King's Road murderer." Chelsea News, March 24: 3.

Garvey, Geoff, and Peter Dobbie. 1993. "Girl battered to death in King's Road." Evening Standard (London, England), March 19: 73.

Mishcon, Jane, Tim Exworthy, Stuart Wix, and Mike Lindsay. 2009. Independent Inquiry into the Care and Treatment of Peter Bryan - Part I. Mental Health Treatment Review, London, England: National Health Service (NHS).

Raif, Shenai, and Andrew Barrow. 2005. "Triple-killer 'cannibal' told: you'll never be freed." The Independent, March 14.

Tendler, Stewart, and Laura Peek. 2004. "Cannibal fears after body found cut apart." The Times (London, England), February 19.

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At first glance, there wasn’t much to the mild and unassuming Jerry Brudos; however, when investigators looked into his background, they discovered several arrests for theft, prowling, and sexual assault. And the more they learned about Brudos’ life, the more certain they became that he was the man they were looking for.

Ultimately, Jerry Brudos was convicted of the murders of Jan Whitney, Karen Sprinker, and Linda Salee and given three life sentences. His capture and incarceration were a big relief to the women of Oregon, but his cooperation with law enforcement and the FBI would prove invaluable as the latter established what would eventually become the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

References

Associated Press. 1969. "Fisherman's grim discovery started search for slayer." Albany Democrat-Herald, June 30: 21.

—. 1969. "Coed provided first lead in murder case." Oregonian, June 4: 11.

Capital Journal. 1969. "Salem student, 19, feared kidnaped." Capital Journal, March 29: 1.

Carbonell, Dan De. 2006. "36 years later, killer's death relieves victims' families." Statesman Journal (Salem Oregon), March 29: 2.

Leibman, Faith H. 1989. "Serial Murderers: Four Case Histories." Federal Probation 41-45.

Long, James. 1969. "Photo found in Brudos' home shows girl hanging by rope." Oregon Daily Journal, June 7: 1.

Morrison, Allen. 1969. "Brudos tells of attacks, killings." Oregon Statesman , June 28: 1.

—. 1969. "Indicted in death of Miss Sprinkler." Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 5: 1.

Olmos, Robert. 1969. "Crews widen river search for clues in girls murders." Oregonian , May 15: 19.

Oregon Journal. 1968. "2 teen-age girls missing." Oregon Daily Journal, February 6: J7.

Oregonian. 1968. "Help sought in search." Oregonian, December 23: 24.

—. 1969. "Office aide disappears ." Oregonian, April 26: 14.

Painter, John. 1969. "Sudden shift in plea signals end of trial." Oregonian , June 28: 1.

—. 1969. "Tests stall state trial of Brudos." Oregonian, June 6: 1.

Roby, Larry. 1969. "Parole agency explains eligibilty of Brudos." Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), July 2: 15.

—. 1969. "Judge discloses warrant details on Brudos." Capital Journal, June 6: 1.

Rule, Ann. 1983. Lust Killer. New York, NY: Random House.

Statesman Journal. 1969. "Brudos home alleged site of 2 slayings." Staesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 18: 1.

Wong, James. 1969. "Somebody probably saw Linda Salee's killer--but will the person speak up?" Oregon Daily Journal , May 15: 5.

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Over the course of 1968 and well into 1969, several young women in Salem, Oregon went missing and would later turn up dead—all murdered and showing signs of having been tortured. Many of the cases bore certain similarities, but it wasn’t until investigators questioned the friends of one of the victims, Karen Sprinker, that they came to identify a suspect and eventually arrested thirty-year-old Jerome “Jerry” Brudos.

At first glance, there wasn’t much to the mild and unassuming Jerry Brudos; however, when investigators looked into his background, they discovered several arrests for theft, prowling, and sexual assault. And the more they learned about Brudos’ life, the more certain they became that he was the man they were looking for.

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

References

Associated Press. 1969. "Fisherman's grim discovery started search for slayer." Albany Democrat-Herald, June 30: 21.

—. 1969. "Coed provided first lead in murder case." Oregonian, June 4: 11.

Capital Journal. 1969. "Salem student, 19, feared kidnaped." Capital Journal, March 29: 1.

Carbonell, Dan De. 2006. "36 years later, killer's death relieves victims' families." Statesman Journal (Salem Oregon), March 29: 2.

Leibman, Faith H. 1989. "Serial Murderers: Four Case Histories." Federal Probation 41-45.

Long, James. 1969. "Photo found in Brudos' home shows girl hanging by rope." Oregon Daily Journal, June 7: 1.

Morrison, Allen. 1969. "Brudos tells of attacks, killings." Oregon Statesman , June 28: 1.

—. 1969. "Indicted in death of Miss Sprinkler." Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 5: 1.

Olmos, Robert. 1969. "Crews widen river search for clues in girls murders." Oregonian , May 15: 19.

Oregon Journal. 1968. "2 teen-age girls missing." Oregon Daily Journal, February 6: J7.

Oregonian. 1968. "Help sought in search." Oregonian, December 23: 24.

—. 1969. "Office aide disappears ." Oregonian, April 26: 14.

Painter, John. 1969. "Sudden shift in plea signals end of trial." Oregonian , June 28: 1.

—. 1969. "Tests stall state trial of Brudos." Oregonian, June 6: 1.

Roby, Larry. 1969. "Parole agency explains eligibilty of Brudos." Capital Journal (Salem, Oregon), July 2: 15.

—. 1969. "Judge discloses warrant details on Brudos." Capital Journal, June 6: 1.

Rule, Ann. 1983. Lust Killer. New York, NY: Random House.

Statesman Journal. 1969. "Brudos home alleged site of 2 slayings." Staesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), June 18: 1.

Wong, James. 1969. "Somebody probably saw Linda Salee's killer--but will the person speak up?" Oregon Daily Journal , May 15: 5.

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Just because October is over doesn't mean that Spooky Season needs to end!! Today, our friend Bridget Marquardt drops by to tell us about her NEW PODCAST-- "Ghost Bunny" available everywhere you find podcasts, NOW!

On today's show Bridget shares spine tingling ghostly encounters she had, and Ash & Alaina talk about ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING games that none of US would want to play... like ever!

For more games, check out 'Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark' by Lucia Peters!

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Weirdos! Are you ready to talk about Vampires? Today we are joined by the ICONIC actor Doug Jones, the nicest monster in Hollywood! He has played everyone from Billy Butcherson in the Hocus Pocus films, the Fawn & the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, to the Amphibian Man in the Academy Award winning film The Shape of Water, as well as the titular role in David Lee Fisher’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror available NOW on AppleTV, Amazon Prime, and other purchasing platforms! We ask him about his experience playing the hilarious Baron Afanas on What We Do in the Shadows which entered its final season on October 21st on FX! Ash tops off the episode telling us about a vampire legend from Poland. It has goat throwing! It has pacts with the devil! It has supernatural halitosis! It is the vampire story that keeps giving, hopefully, with the aid of our friend Dougie, will come to a theater near you at some point in the future!

Looking for the Full story of Cuntius?? Visit https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/An_Antidote_Against_Atheism/Book_III/Chapter_IX

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Weirdos! It's *ACTUALLY* Halloween!!! Join us for a fresh batch of tales brought TO you, BY you, For you, FROM you, and ALLLLL about you!

Today we have shadow men throwing ass, ghostly exes, sinister DIY masks, annoying kids scaring young treat or treaters, and Big Wave bringing it all home for you! AND as a special treat! Check out the VIDEO from this episode available on ALL platforms on 10/31/24!

If you’ve got a listener tale please send it on over to Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line :)

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In January 2014, a strange article appeared in the Indianapolis Star about Latoya Ammons, an Indiana single mother of three who claimed that for more than a year, she and her children were besieged by demons in their rented home. Ammons claimed, among other things, that the house was constantly infested with black flies, the children were levitated from their beds, and her nine-year-son became possessed and walked up a wall backwards. And that was only the beginning; by the end of just one year in the house, the Ammons family claim they were terrorized by all manner of supernatural assaults, from ghostly apparitions to demonic entities.

Latoya Ammons’ story might well have gone unnoticed, had it not been for the surprising number of witnesses to the paranormal events, from family and friends to police officers and social workers. Still, Latoya was not without her critics or skeptics—some accused her of fabricating the story to get out of her lease, while others assumed she was simply delusional. Regardless of the explanation for the cause of the events, there’s no denying that Latoya Ammons story is one of the most terrifying paranormal experiences heard in decades.

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

References

Biddle, Kenny. 2018. Demon House Deconstructed. May 21. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/demon-house-deconstructed/.

Dawn, Randee. 2024. Is 'The Deliverance' based on a true story? August 30. Accessed September 30, 2024. https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/the-deliverance-true-story-latoya-ammons-rcna167984.

Kwiatkowski, Marisa. 2014. "The exorcisms of Latoya Ammons." Indianapolis Star, January 26: A1.

Maginot, Mike. 2012. "Report seeking permission of bishop for exorcism." Indianapolis Star. May 21. Accessed September 27, 2024. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1005721-report-to-bishop.html.

Nickell, Joe. 2014. "The '200 demons' house: a skeptical demonologist's report." Skeptical Inquirer 20-24.

Washington, Valerie. 2012. Intake officer's report of preliminary inquiry and investigation. Intake report, Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Department of Children's Services.

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