Madwoman in the Attic
A podcast about weird, wild, and witchy women. From real life women-in-the-attic stories to the secret lives of cult leader wives, we dig deep into the stories of women who for one reason or another were ostracized, feared, or locked away. Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
Episodes
52: The Canton Witch Trials | Karen Read Pt. 1
A drunken fight. A snowstorm. A cracked headlight. And a body in the snow. In this episode, we invite our very first guest, Janelle Archer, to tell the story of one of the biggest witch hunts of the decade, Karen Read and the murder of John…
51: You've Got Blackmail | Mary Gillispie & the Circleville Letters
This week, Maggie tells a story that has it all: An affair, threatening letters, a booby trap, and a still-unsolved mystery. This is the story of Mary Gillispie and the Circleville Letters.*Special bonus content: Maggie does a reading from …
Minisode 7: Celebrating our 50th
We've recorded FIFTY EPISODES!!! Our haters are quaking in their boots. To celebrate, we had our audience ask us questions about the experience. Questions like "FMK your favorite episodes?" and more!We now have a Discord just for Patreon su…
50: You're Not My Mom! | Evil Stepmothers
Meredith Blake. Fiona Montgomery. Lady Tremaine. Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent. For our FIFTIETH EPISODE, Sarah shares the history of the Evil Stepmother trope and why it remains so prevalent in modern media.We now have a Discord just for Patr…
49: Keep Calm and Curie On | Marie Curie
She started in secret, at a time and place where women weren’t allowed to pursue higher education. Later, her name would be on textbooks, institutes, and even the periodic table. This week, Maggie shares the story of a woman who changed the…
48: Vlogger to Villain | Ruby Franke
In 2024, a mormon mommy blogger of 6 was sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse. This week, Sarah shares the story of Ruby Franke.We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you can support us on Patreon a…
Minisode 6: LEEP for the Stars
This week, Sarah tells us about her LEEP experience + everything she didn’t know (and learned the hard way) about HPV and cervical cancer. We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you can support us on Patreon and gab with…
47: Cell Outs | Henrietta Lacks
In this episode, Maggie shares a story about the woman who had a hand in dozens of scientific advancements, including the Polio vaccine, zero-gravity space travel, and AIDS research. But this isn't your traditional Women in STEM story. We n…
46: Black Widow Betty | Betty Lou Beets
In this episode, Sarah tells us the story of Betty Lou Beets, a Black Widow Killer who was one of the only women to ever face the death penalty in (you guessed it) Texas.Enjoy the podcast? Be sure to like and subscribe — it really helps us …
45: Imaginary Fiend | Candy Jones
In this episode, Maggie digs into one of her ~special interests~ to tell us the story of Candy Jones. IYKYK. And if you don't know, well...you're in for a wild ride. We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you can support…
44: Radioactivist | Karen Silkwood
It's a terrible day for our haters because we are BACK baby! And we're having a ~nuclear~ kick off to 2025 with the (alleged) murder of Kerr-McGee whistleblower, Karen Silkwood.We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you …
43: Gilded Cage: Marie Wilmerding
A woman, clearly suffering from mental illness, is publicly shamed and ostracized. It’s a tale as old as time that could be about anyone from Blanche Monnier to a dozen Disney Channel stars. In this episode, Maggie tells us one such story a…
42: Cook to Crook | Martha Stewart
Today's madwoman built a billion-dollar empire serving wine...and serving time. In this episode, Sarah tells us about our favorite domestic diva (and Snoop's bestie) Martha Stewart. ---We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For…
41: Blood Bath | Elizabeth Báthory
The Blood Countess bathed in the blood of 600 women to stay young and beautiful. Or DID she? In this episode, Maggie tells the story of Elizabeth Báthory, whose story has been retold so many times over the centuries that we're not really su…
40: This is The Skin of a Killer, Bella | Stephenie Meyer
It's our 40th episode (!!!) and it's about time Sarah got to talk about her favorite subject: Twilight. In this episode, we chat about Stephenie Meyer, the Mormon roots of the Twilight series, and the impact (and chokehold) it had on young …
39: Appalachian Apparition | The Greenbrier Ghost
It's spooky season, so it's time for a ghost story! This week, Maggie tells us about the only ghost that ever impacted a legal trial—Elva Zona Heaster, the Greenbrier Ghost. We also chat about Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, obvi. ---We now h…
38: Fräulein Fraudster | Anna Delvey
Wanna-be socialite, fake heiress, scam artist, and now...Dancing with the Stars contestant? After her rise to courtroom-fashion fame in 2019, Anna Delvey is back in the spotlight in 2024 with her bedazzled ankle monitor and a severe lack of…
37: Dead & Rotten | Mary Ann Cotton
In this episode, you'll hear the story of English serial killer, Mary Ann Cotton. Far more importantly, you'll hear Maggie and Sarah talk about sandwiches for 15 minutes.We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you can sup…
36: Primate Prima Donna | Jane Goodall
We are finally BACK, and this week, Sarah tells us about the woman who revolutionized animal behavior studies and inspired generations of women to enter the field of zoology. It's the Primate Prima Donna herself, Jane Goodall.---We now have…
35: Kamala is Brat | Kamala Harris
We never expected "brat" to apply to a presidential nominee, but here we are. In this episode, Maggie tells us about Kamala's history—both personal and professional—to take a deepr look at what kind of president she might be if she wins.---…
34: Pay it No Mind | Marsha P. Johnson
Drag has existed for thousands of years. In modern history, it more often existed in the shadows—in the clandestine gay bars, windowless closets, and streets where no one knew you well enough to question. And while there are hundreds of que…
33: Fran-sic Files | Frances Glessner Lee
All the true crime girlies know you shouldn't contaminate a crime scene—but what you probably didn't know is that the procedures we see on every crime show weren't common until the 1940s? Before then, bodies were handled by coroners with no…
Minisode 5: Super Special Q&A
We've crossed another milestone — 30 whole episodes! To celebrate, we asked our listeners to send in questions for us to answer for our 5th minisode. Enjoy!!Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
32: Queen of Hearts | Princess Diana Part 2
Princess Diana's death has sparked dozens of controversies and still occasionally makes headlines to this day. In Part 2 of our series on Princess Diana, Sarah tells us about her death, the most convincing controversies, and her legacy.---W…
31: People's Princess | Princess Diana Part 1
In 1997, about 2.5 billion people—nearly half of the world's population at the time—tuned in to watch the funeral of a princess. Welcome to our 2-part series on the people's princess and fashion icon, Diana Spencer, princess of Wales. In pa…
30: Hey Boss Babe! | MLMs
When you hear “Multi-Level Marketing,” you might automatically conjure an image of a white suburban mom with Live Laugh Love signs and Wine Mom T-shirts. And you wouldn’t be that far off—stay-at-home suburban moms have long made up the majo…
29: Ride or Die | Bonnie Parker
Outlaws. There’s something alluring about those who refuse to be governed—even more alluring when that outlaw is a young woman, not even 5 feet tall!In this episode, Sarah tells us the story of one woman whose criminal career was overshadow…
Minisode 4: Summer Bucket Lists
Summer Solstice is right around the corner! Get out your pens and paper or a crisp new Google Doc and write your summer bucket lists with us
28: ACAB! | Rosemary Ndlovu
A connection to law enforcement has often allowed the worst kinds of people to get away with crimes and violence. But some cops are just...too obvious to escape capture forever. Enter: Rosemary Ndolvu. In this episode, Maggie tells us of on…
27: Like a Virgin | Joan of Arc
Divinely inspired savior of France? Or just a delulu girl with hallucinations? You decide! This week, Sarah tells us the story of Joan of Arc who, whether she was legit or or not, has become a feminist symbol in both religious and secular c…
26: The Ring IRL | Okiku's Well
A servant girl. A powerful samurai. A spooky well in the middle of a castle. What happens next has inspired plays, books, and movies for centuries. This week, Maggie shares the real(?) tale of Okiku, the story that inspired The Ring.---We n…
25: The Nightingale IRL | Andrée de Jongh
The Comet Line helped Allied soldiers evade capture by Germans and return to Great Britain. Soldiers took risky train rides, trekked across dangerous terrain, and spent their nights in safe houses—all the while hoping they wouldn't be disco…
24: If it Ain't Baroque | Artemisia Gentileschi
This week, Maggie tells us about one of the greatest artists of the Baroque period — Artemisia Gentileschi. Despite a horrific assault and the very public trial that followed (which included torture, btw), she was able to leave her mark on …
23: How to Get Away with Murder | Nicole Brown
When a big historical moment happens, what do podcast girlies do? They derail their podcast schedule to record an episode about it, obvi. This week, Sarah tells us about the murder of Nicole Brown (AKA OJ Simpson's ex-wife). ---We now have …
Announcement! <3
No new episode this week (We know! You're devastated! But we're just girls!) but we wanted to drop a reminder about our Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you can support us on Patreon and gab with the gals about episodes, post yo…
22: Where TF is Shelly Miscavige?! Part 2
Okay, okay, now it's time to get to the good stuff. In this episode, we learn about Shelly's upbringing, her connection to Hubbard and David Miscavige, and her disappearance (and/or death?) for the last 17 years. Maggie also tells us about …
21: Where TF is Shelly Miscavige?! Part 1
It's our first 2-part episode, so of course we're trying to answer the 17-year-old question: where TF is Shelly Miscavige? In part 1, Maggie dives into the history of L. Ron Hubbard and the church of Scientology to set the stage. And it's a…
Minisode 3: Soul Pets
An episode to honor our first pod-dog. Rest peacefully, Luna 🖤Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
20: Cocaine Cowgirl | Griselda Blanco
It's 2024, year of the mob wife aesthetic. But why be the mob wife when you could be the ~mob boss~ and be feared by everyone—including the big man himself, Pablo Escobar? On this episode, Sarah tells us about the biggest, baddest, scariest…
19: Gorging Gorging Girls | The Fasting Girls
"Commit to the bit? We will DIE for the bit." – the fasting girls, probably ---We now have a Discord just for Patreon subscribers! For $3 you can support us on Patreon and gab with the gals about episodes, post your unhinged on hinged scree…