All posts by Strange Matters Podcast

History, Unsolved Crime, Unsolved Mystery

The Lost Heiress – Dorothy Arnold Mystery

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“On a crisp December day in 1910, Dorothy Arnold walked out of the pages of life and left behind her a mystery that outdoes fiction. There have been a thousand theories, a million rumors- but not one shred of real evidence which might explain where she went, how she went, or why.” This newspaper quote perfectly summarizes the unsolved disappearance case of Dorothy Arnold, the heiress of a wealthy New York family, who vanished suddenly and without explanation. 

Dorothy Arnold was a well known and liked socialite of a prestigious family.   The young woman had aspirations of becoming a writer, though all of her submitted works came back rejected.  Dorothy was secretly carrying out a romantic relationship with an older man, against her family’s wishes.  On one fateful day in December of 1910, Dorothy said farewell to her mother and left the house to go shopping.  The distinguished Arnold family would never see her again.

The mystery of this cases revolves around the bizarre question, how does a woman simply vanish while walking along a busy city street in the middle of the day?  There are far more questions than answers in this intriguing mystery: Did Dorothy run away?  Was she abducted, kidnapped, or murdered? Did her secret lover have anything to do with her disappearance?  Was Dorothy’s depression too great to continue living? Almost any theory is as plausible as any other due to the complete lack of evidence and clues following the young lady’s disappearance.

Listen to this episode of Strange Matters and hear all about what was called at the time the most famous Missing Persons case in American History!

 

History, Unsolved Mystery

The Endless Hunger – Tarrare & Charles Domery

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In this episode of Strange Matters the unique and interesting lives of Charles Domery and Tarrare are discussed.   Infamously known as the hungriest men who ever lived, these two individuals were cursed with a constant feeling of starvation, and an insatiable desire to eat anything possible to satisfy their endless hunger.   Capable of eating in a single meal what would normally satisfy a dozen men, there is still no answer as to what was the cause for their notorious appetite.

Both Charles Domery and Tarrare lived in Europe, born in the 1770’s.   From an early age they displayed an ability to eat a tremendous amount of food.  Both would go on to serve in the War of the First Coalition, where a shortage of food drove the men to eat anything they could get their hands on, from small living animals to even grazing on grass.   Experiments would be done on both men to test the limits of their appetite, where they performed impossible feats of eating.   Though the exact cause for Charles’ and Tarrare’s endless hunger is unknown, there are several medical explanations that may provide some clues as to what made these two men so special.   Regardless, there is little doubt that these two men stand at the top of history as the two hungriest men who ever lived.

 

 

Special thanks to listener Michael Adams for sending us new Strange Matters Artwork used for this episode!

Cryptozoology, History

The Sirrush – Ancient Cryptid

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In this Strange Matters Short the legend of the ancient creature known as the Sirrush is discussed.  This dragon-like beast was heavily featured through the great city of Babylon.   The Sirrush was an obscure creature that was nearly lost to time, and widely believed to be merely a myth.  However, after its rediscovery there have been new theories and explanations that would instead claim that the mysterious beast was in reality an actual living animal!

Was the Sirrush a descendant of the dinosaurs, a leftover of an extinct species? Perhaps a rare breed that was brought to Babylon from a distant land? Or are all the new theories a fantasy, and the truth remains that the Sirrush is, and has always been, simply a made up myth or legend created by the ancient people of Mesopotamia.  Check out this Strange Matters Short and hear all about this strange and interesting creature!

Unsolved Crime, Unsolved Mystery

The Mysterious Death of Debbie Wolfe

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In the winter of 1985, a young nurse named Debbie Wolfe left her shift at the hospital and headed back to her secluded cabin in the woods.  When she did not show up to work the next day, a search began to find the missing woman.  A few days later, a bizarre and unusual discovery would start off an investigation into one of the strangest deaths you could imagine.

In this episode the death and subsequent investigation of Debbie Wolfe is covered.  This unique death is made interesting by the fact that the police and detectives working the case were quite adamant that the whole thing was just a complete accident, while Debbie’s family and friends were convinced that foul play was involved in some way.  As more clues and pieces of evidence were found following Debbie’s untimely death, the amount of new questions raised would quickly outgrow what few answers were found.

Was the death of Debbie Wolfe just a freak accident that somehow seems to defy much of the evidence found? Or was there a mystery killer involved setting the whole thing up? Listen to this episode and hear for yourself about all the unbelievable twist and turns that followed the mysterious death of Debbie Wolfe.

History, Unsolved Mystery

The Bennington Triangle

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The Bennington Triangle is a region in Vermont that has gained some notoriety in the past due to a number of people that suddenly disappeared there under mysterious circumstances. In a five year span from 1945 to 1950, the Bennington area saw a bizarre string of people vanishing, seemingly without cause or explanation. What could possibly be the reasoning behind these strange disappearances?

In this episode of Strange Matters the history of the Bennington Triangle and the surrounding area is discussed, as well as covering all the main missing person cases that the region is known for. The possible theories and explanations for each mystery is also covered.

Is it possible that there is some type of connection between the unsolved incidents, or is it just a series of unfortunate events? Check out this episode to hear all about these bizarre cases of mysterious disappearances!

True Crime, Unsolved Crime, Unsolved Mystery

A Twisted Family – The Sharon Marshall Story

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Sharon Marshall was a friendly, pretty, and intelligent young girl.  Those that knew her all said she had great potential with a bright future.   What  people did not know however, was that her entire life was a lie.  Sharon was not really Sharon, in fact she had no idea who she really was.  All this girl knew in her life growing up was a constant state of deceit, abuse, and terror at the hands of one man, her father Franklin Floyd.

In this episode we discuss the twisted and bizarre family situation of Frank Floyd and Sharon Marshall.  This disturbing and confusing story involves kidnappings, abuse, and even murder.  For years the mystery of who Sharon Marshall really was has intrigued many who were invested in her story and that of her family, and fortunately in the recent years enough light has been shone on this case to finally reveal her true identity.