Too Close to Home Podcast
Too Close To Home sticks its nose into every creepy orifice on this crazy planet we call home. With foul mouths, dark humor, and irresistible charm, Jenn and Becky cover the true crime of now and yore, the supernatural, and the unknown terrors which could be lurking near your very doorstep. Stay safe, keep your head on a swivel, and don’t bring it Too Close To Home! Platforms/Social Media/Merch: www.tooclosetohomepodcast.com
Episodes
126: The Haiku Stairs - The Mysterious Disappearance Of Daylenn Pua
The hit song "Stairway To Heaven" isn't the only thing with that name to be forbidden; take for example the Haiku Stairs, or Stairway To Heaven, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Once the home of secret United States Navy communication facili…
125: The Murder of Emmitt Till, Part 4 - A Sign Of The Times
We open this closing chapter on the murder of Emmitt Till with the quick indictment of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, the individuals responsible for his brutal murder, and what David Halberstam called "the first great media event of the civil …
124: The Murder of Emmitt Till, Part 3 - Let The World See What I’ve Seen
We pick up Emmett Till's story with his journey from Chicago to Mississippi, where he learns very quickly that life is quite different, and the sharecropping life is not for him. In a time of kids being kids, a fateful decision to visit Bry…
123: The Murder of Emmitt Till, Part 2 - The Point Of No Return
We pick up where we left off with the infamous formation of everyone's most hated wizards, the Ku Klux Klan, during the Reconstruction era; this movement sparked a rise in hate crimes and lynchings for decades to come. As we enter the Jim C…
122: The Murder of Emmitt Till, Part 1 - Caucasity, Cotton, and Context
The infamous 1955 murder of Emmett Till rocked the Mississippi Delta region, and was a strong catalyst for the later phases of the Civil Rights movement. Importantly, his brutal murder brought renewed spotlight to the history of violent per…
121: The Loveland Frog - Michigan J. Frog Could Neva
We have more fun cryptid surprises in store for you this week with a short yet sweet episode! Today we talk about the bipedal, wand-waving, small-town local legend by the name of the Loveland Frog! First spotted in Loveland, Ohio, the Lovel…
120: The Flatwoods Monster - Hysteria Bouts
Imagine you are playing outside an elementary school, when suddenly a bright light flashes across the sky and crashes into a nearby hillside. When you go to investigate, you discover something terrifying... something otherworldly. We are ta…
119: Bigfoot and the Emerald Triangle, Part 3 - Worst Camp Ever
First we puff, puff, pass while providing a basic education on legal and illegal hemp qualities and strains, talk about the crackdown on drug operations with CAMP, "Campaign Against Marijuana Planting", and then we get right into the star o…
118: Bigfoot and the Emerald Triangle, Part 2 - Reefer Madness
In part 2 of our series, we start by getting a lesson on biomechanics and species divergence: two things which help us understand how ol' Sassie could potentially be a real, living being. We then take a massive detour and talk about the his…
117: Bigfoot and the Emerald Triangle, Part 1 - Sassy Origin Stories
Time to pass the dutchie 'pon the left hand side, and straight into the hands of probably the most famous cryptid in the world... Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch! We go way back to the beginning with the origins of the Bigfoot legend as described…
116: The Milton Florida Murders, Part 2 - Organic Brain Damage
We jump right into the investigation into the murders, and Lawrence is quickly identified as a number one suspect, and the search of his home yields many discoveries... some hilarious and some disturbing. Following some robbery and car chas…
115: The Milton Florida Murders, Part 1 - The Devil Is In The Details
In this listener request series, we shed light on a little known yet brutal series of murders which occurred in the small town of Milton, Florida in 1998... one that our own Becky actually grew up in! We jump straight into the crime spree o…
114: The Yukon Beaver Eater - The More You Know
Just imagine for a second that you are an innocent beaver... hiding away in your dark, wet habitat... when all of a sudden, you are exposed to a beast with a voracious appetite... one that loves to eat beaver. Now get your mind out of the g…
113: Rudolph Hoess, Part 5 - FAFO
As a member of the WVHA, Rudy had unfettered access to everything involved in the concentration camp system, and it was his expertise that led him to spearhead Operation Hoess: The mass deportation and execution of Hungarian Jews. During th…
112: Rudolph Hoess, Part 4 - Naughty Nazi
With the Final Solution well underway, we first start by discussing the role of Sonderkommandos: Jewish prisoners who were responsible for the "dirty" work involved in the mass killings, and the horrors they had to perform and endure. Durin…
111: Rudolph Hoess, Part 3 - The Final Solution
The life of a concentration camp prisoner is something most people could never truly fathom. In part 3 of this series, we discuss a small part of what that was like; we touch upon the role of music, the conditions the prisoners and guards d…
110: Rudolph Hoess, Part 2 - Arbeit Macht Frei
We pick up Rudolph Hoess' story from his beginnings at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, to his promotion to commandant, to the chaotic construction of the "zone of interest" which would grow into the most infamous concentration camp of…
109: Rudolph Hoess, Part 1 - Professional Prisoner
We are beginning perhaps the darkest series we have ever produced: the rise of Rudolph Hoess, the commandant of Auschwitz, and the countless atrocities performed under his ever watchful gaze. In the first part of this series, we explore Rud…
108: Mata Hari - The Naked Spy
She was an enigmatic, alluring dancer and seductress who turned into one of the most unlikely and infamous spies of all time; of course, we are talking about the international woman of mystery herself... Mata Hari! Born in the Netherlands, …
107: Kyle Plush
We are taking a more somber turn this week as we discuss the tragedy and legacy of Kyle Plush: a 16-year old boy who suffered an avoidable death when Cincinnati police and 911 call center workers failed to rescue him. In the wake of a wrong…
106: Josef Fritzl, Part 4 - Unprecedented Crimes
Just like some select vault dwellers from the Fallout universe, we have Fritzl's underground family finally coming to the surface and seeing the light of day; with the help of Dr. Reiter, the enormous task of healthcare and integration into…
105: Josef Fritzl, Part 3 - Leaving The Dungeon
As Josef Fritzl enters into his not-so-sexy sixties, we see him start providing his incestuous family with additional room and amenities, but this does not mask the horrifying health conditions that slowly accrue over time. While becoming s…
104: Josef Fritzl, Part 2 - Subterranean Second Family
When we last left the incestuous Josef Fritzl, his now 18-year old little Liesl was re-captured, and it is here that the horrors truly begin. Trapped in a makeshift basement prison and repeatedly raped, Elisabeth was forced into bearing his…
103: Josef Fritzl, Part 1 - Another Dingaling Is Out
He was a Nazi sympathizer, a genius engineer, had a penchant for indecent exposure, and was also responsible for the incestuous imprisonment of his own daughter Elisabeth for 24 years. In part 1 of this series, we explore Josef Fritzl's hum…
102: Giovanni Bugatti - Worst Doctor Ever
We are stepping back into history for a quick little jaunt through the Papal States. More specifically, discussing umbrella maker and Mastro Titta (master of justice)... Giovanni Battista Bugatti. During his 68 year tenure, he was responsib…
101: The Donner Party, Part 3 - The Party’s Over
When good manners break down and desperation is rampant, a reprieve in the form of rescue parties finally start trekking across the snow to save the devastated pioneers; however, some of the worst horrors have yet to come. While some are in…
100: 100th Special
Hello friends! As we wrap up a crazy year, and celebrate our 100th episode, we take a look back at some of our favorite and most popular recordings. You will also be treated to some updates involving the Delphi murder case and the release o…
99: The Donner Party, Part 2 - We’re Donners, Not Dahmers
When we last left our fateful crew, they found themselves in the midst of a great salt desert. With supplies and water running low to non-existent, and oxen scattering off in all directions, things only get worse for the Donner party as the…
98: The Donner Party, Part 1 - Pioneer Gangsters
It's time to load up on your oxen and food supplies, because we are hitting the trail to manifest our destiny! While most people know at least some details about the fateful Donner family, there is far more to this journey than meets the ey…
97: The Murder of Bob Crane, Part 2 - Becky Is On The Case
In part two of this wild sexcapade journey gone horribly wrong, we dive headfirst into the investigation of Bob Crane's death. From woefully amateur coroner and police work to John Carpenter's gift (or curse) of gab, we look at how the inve…
96: The Murder Of Bob Crane, Part 1 - Hogan’s Hero
He was an eclectic radio personality, a saboteur of the Nazi regime, a sex addict and pornographer... and his mysterious death still leaves lingering questions to this day. We are discussing the eponymous hero of Hogan's Heroes himself: Bob…
95: The King Otter - What’cha Gonna Do When Ottermania Runs Wild On You?!
Half dog. Half fish. All otter. The utterly royal Dobhar-chú, or water hound, is an infamous creature within the oral traditions of Irish and Scottish folklore. From 17th century Ireland to present day, there are stories aplenty of close en…
94: The White Prison Escape - That’s A D*** Good Woman Over There, Y’all!
The tale of Vicky and Casey White (no relation) is a love story for the ages. One of them was a well-respected security guard for a small-time jail... the other was a career criminal and inmate under her charge. In 2020, a blooming and very…
93: The History Behind The Clery Act
We are taking a slightly more serious turn with this episode by discussing the horrible murder at Lehigh University that led to the creation of The Clery Act of 1990 (officially known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy…
92: A Brief History Of Alcatraz - Becky Gets Nostalgic
Put on your creepiest Nicolas Cage smile, because we are heading to The Rock itself... Alcatraz Island! Through research and our own firsthand experiences, let us take you on a little ferry ride as we explore the beginnings of Alcatraz and …
91: The Stanford Prison Experiment - No One Said Go For The EGOT, Okay?
What happens when you bring a number of bushy and bright-eyed college students to play guards and inmates for the awesome pay of $15 a day? We find out within the confines of Jordan Hall at Stanford University: a prestigious research instit…
90: Larry Hall, Part 2 - When Opportunity Comes Knockin’, Sling Cocaine
Athlete. Ladies' man. Drug pusher. Anti-hero. Operative. These are just some of the words you could use to describe Jimmy Keene, the individual recruited by the FBI to befriend (and gather incriminating evidence against) Larry Hall. We disc…
89: Larry Hall, Part 1 - Entering Our Burnside Era
Get ready to fix bayonets and charge while letting your epic mutton chops flutter in the wind, because we are about to discuss re-enactment soldier, Mopar enthusiast, and suspected serial killer Larry Hall! In part 1 of this series, we look…
88: Cambyses II - Older Than Methuselah
We are going way back in time for a cautionary true crime tale, y'all... one that involves an ancient king, a corrupt judge, and the ultimate "f*#$ around and find out" symbolic punishment! In this short and sweet episode, we will divulge a…
87: Herb Baumeister and Fox Hollow Farm, Part 2 - There’s A Portal In My Toilet
As we begin part 2 of this series, we see the firsthand account provided by Tony Harris concerning Herb Baumeister's modus operandi, and how old Herb's life gets turned upside down (but not in a fresh prince sort of way). While Herb's metap…