True Weird Stuff

True Weird Stuff is the award-winning podcast hosted by Sheri Lynch. Surprising, odd, bizarre - and sometimes insane. Always true. Let us tell you a story…

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Adam & Eve Declassified

Today's True Weird Stuff - Adam & Eve Declassified

In the 1960s, the CIA classified a book called The Adam and Eve Story. The book claims that Earth undergoes catastrophic events approximately every 6,500 years, leading to the destruction and rebirth of civilization through disasters like pole shifts and mass extinctions. The book became declassified in 2013, but even then, only several dozen pages were made available...and the reason the CIA has kept the details of this book secret is still unknown.

Casket Girls

Today's True Weird Stuff - Casket Girls

In the 1700s, the French colony in Louisiana had a population problem: there weren't enough women. And so the French government rounded up and shipped over hundreds of women across the Atlantic to marry male settlers and help “civilize” the growing colony. The women carried what little belongings they had in small wooden trunks that looked like mini coffins, which is why the women were known as the Casket Girls.

Doomsday Clock: 89 Seconds To Midnight

Today's True Werid Stuff - Doomsday Clock: 89 Seconds To Midnight

Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock was established by a group of atomic scientists to represent to the public the likelihood of a human-made global armageddon, whether it's the looming threat of nuclear war, bioterrorism, or cyberwarfare. Over the years, the Doomsday Clock has found itself inching closer to midnight, and January 2025, the clock was set to 89 seconds before midnight...the closest it's ever been to doomsday.

The Arkansas Ghost

Today's True Weird Stuff - The Arkansas Ghost

January, 1929. A man named Connie Franklin moved to Stone County, Arkansas. The alleged 20-something began courting a 16-year-old girl named Tiller Ruminer, and on March 9th, 1929, the two were on their way to obtain their marriage license when a group of men attacked them. Tiller survived the brutal assault, but Franklin was tortured to death, and his body was burned in the woods. Months later, a pile of ashes and charred bones was discovered, leading to a bizarre moment in history that included Connie Franklin himself testifying at his own murder trial. And thus, the tale of the Arkansas Ghost was born.

Reliving The Black Eyed Kids

Today's True Werid Stuff - Reliving The Black Eyed Kids

In 1996, reporter Brian Bethel said he had an encounter with two children that left him terrified. Sitting in his car in a parking lot late at night, Bethel was approached by two young boys whose eyes were as black as coal. In the decades since Bethel shared his story, others have claimed to have similar encounters with children with pitch-black eyes asking for help, or asking to enter the person's home. Are these haunting run-ins an urban legend, or do you have reason to fear the black-eyed kids? (NOTE: This was originally released as episode #31. We're re-releasing it with a newly added Post Mortem discussion).

Another Icepick To The Brain

Today's True Weird Stuff - Another Icepick To The Brain

Rosemary Kennedy was part of the powerful and highly esteemed Kennedy Family. Rosemary was born with intellectual disabilities at a time when children with special needs were highly stigmatized. When she was 23 years old, Rosemary's father ordered her to have a lobotomy. The procedure left her permanently incapacitated, and her family would keep her mostly hidden from the public for the rest of her life. (NOTE: This was originally released as episode #29. We're re-releasing it with a newly added Post Mortem discussion).

Headless Valley

Today's True Weird Stuff - Headless Valley

The Nahanni Valley in the Northwestern Territories of Canada is a beautiful area that's home to strange and deadly tales, including the story of Frank and William McLeod. The two brothers set off into the Nahanni Valley in hopes of discovering a fortune in gold. Years later, their skeletons were found at an abandoned camp...and their heads were missing. Hence the reason the area became known as the Headless Valley.

The Last Duel

Today's True Weird Stuff - The Last Duel

The most famous duel in American history was between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. The premiere way of settling disputes and upholding unwritten codes of honor, the act of dueling would gradually fall out of favor over the 19th Century. However, dueling was still commonplace in Southern states like South Carolina. That is, until a duel in 1880 between Colonel E.B. Cash and Colonel William Shannon forced the state to ban the practice.

Jill the Ripper

Today's True Weird Stuff - Jill the Ripper

In 1888, the people of the Whitechapel district of London were terrorized by someone on a ruthless killing spree. Over 100 suspects were named, including a woman named Mary Pearcey. In 1890, Mary was convicted of brutally murdering her lover's partner and child, and Mary was sentenced to death. The brutal nature of the killings would lead to a theory decades later that claimed Mary Pearcey was the was the infamous Jack the Ripper.

Mirror, Mirror

Today's True Weird Stuff - Mirror, Mirror

Margaretha von Waldeck was the real-life inspiration for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Born to a noble family during the Holy Roman Empire, Margaretha's mother passed away when she was 4 years old. Her father, Count Philip IV, would go on to remarry a woman named Katherina von Hatzfeld. Katherina despised her stepdaughter, and had Margaretha sent away. Though beautiful and poised to make a name for herself in the history books, Margaretha's short life would play out like a fairy tale...minus the happy ending.