Alternative Interests
Join Crystal and Kat as they take turns each week diving into all things weird, dark, and spooky. From True Crime to Cults and Conspiracies and all things Supernatural, this show is sure to capture all of your alternative interests.
Episodes
Episode 150: Warren Barnes
Warren Barnes was a beloved member of the community of Grand Junction, Colorado. A man who loved reading as much as he could and would take time to feed the birds while he ate lunch, he was also the type that you could set your watch by. Wh…
Episode 149: The Hillcrest Primary School Tragedy
On December 16, 2021, what should have been a day of celebration for Hillcrest Primary School students marking the end of the school year turned to tragedy in an instant. In the wake of an unforeseen accident that is sadly not unique of its…
Bonus: Interview with Cierra Sweitzer
In the second of two bonus episodes, Crystal speaks with Preston's mother, Cierra. She shares her experience navigating the worst day of any parent's life, her observations and surprising aspect of the way the justice system is working in …
Bonus: Preston Sweitzer
In the first of two bonus episodes, we discuss the tragic death of 5 month old Preston. This episode does involve discussion of his injuries and statements from his care team so please use caution when listening. It is important to note, a …
Episode 148: Mark Van Dongen
Mark had been dating his girlfriend Berlinah for several years before he decided the relationship wasn't what he wanted; he broke things off, moved out, and started dating someone new. Berlinah could not accept Mark's decision and made repe…
Episode 147: Cherish Perrywinkle
Cherish was 8 years old when absolute scum from the depths of hell befriended and gained the trust of her mother, Rayne, while they were out doing some last minute shopping. This heartbreaking case is difficult to tell but is an important l…
Episode 146: Benjaman Kyle
Benjaman Kyle was the assumed name of a man who was found naked and nearly unconscious behind a Burger King in 2004. For over a decade he knew nothing of his life before he was found, and despite efforts on several fronts for answers, he st…
Episode 145: PSA - Sextortion
Sextortion is a steadily rising form of online blackmail, primarily targeting teenaged boys. The warning signs are easy to spot if you are aware of what they look like; we are aiming to increase awareness and create the opportunity for more…
Episode 144: Ben & Melissa Oxley
Melissa Oxley was suddenly jolted awake in the middle of the night after hearing a loud noise. She went to investigate and found the front door of the home wide open, and returned to find her husband, Ben, dead in the bed where they had jus…
Episode 143: Jailyn Candelario
In 2023, 16 month old Jailyn suffered for 10 long days while her mother simultaneously enjoyed herself on a vacation with her friends. Content Warning: This episode is rough and involves discussion of neglect/abuse of a young child.
Episode 142: Colleen Ritzer
Colleen was one of those bright souls who worked hard daily to uplift those around her and lived her life being a positive influence to everyone lucky enough to know her. In her second year as a teacher, one of her students took her life an…
Episode 141: Ryan Waller & Heather Quan
When Ryan and Heather didn't show up on Christmas day and phone calls went unanswered, worried family went to their home to check on them. Police eventually made their way inside, and thus began one of the most grossly mishandled situations…
Episode 140: ABCs of Cryptids - B is for...
Everyone knows B is for Bigfoot when we're talking Cryptids, but we're sharing a couple lesser known beasts including a Wisconsin canine, an adorable (if sensitive) Scottish friend, and a Pacific Northwest hybrid.Â
Kate Webster
Another woman of many names: born Catherine Lawler, resurfaced as Kate Webster, playing at Kate Thomas... One thing that remains consistent is that she lies.Â
Episode 138: The Kunz Family Murders
In the small rural town of Athens, Wisconsin, the Kunz family were known as strange loners at the center of decades worth of rumors. On July 4th, 1987 the entire family save for one member was murdered in their home, stirring up more rumors…
Episode 137: The Porco Family
One morning Peter Porco went about his daily routine, waking up, getting dressed, making coffee and breakfast, and ultimately succumbing to devastating injuries sustained in a horrific attack on both he and his wife the night before. This h…
Episode 136: Elyse Pahler (Revisited)
Elyse Pahler was a spunky 15 year old girl in 1995, enjoying all the perks of being an adventurous teenager. She had a wide variety of passions and interests and had an entire bright future ahead of her. Unfortunately, three boys she truste…
Episode 135: Yorkshire's Pathetic Crossbow Killer
Stephen Griffiths fancied himself a criminal mastermind, and a superior creature above the lowly human race. He is best known for a moniker he gave himself in the courtroom, widely believed to be a publicity stunt. Stephen targeted women st…
Episode 134: Max DeVries
Max DeVries went missing while on a family vacation in Aruba on May 12th, 2004. His mother has worked tirelessly the last 20 years searching for her son and trying to get any kind of law enforcement involvement to move the search forward. P…
Episode 133: Hannah Upp (Revisited)
Hannah Upp is a bright, beautiful soul missing from St. Thomas. She went missing in September of 2017 in the days between Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. Due to the chaos surrounding the island in those days, she could be anywhere. Furt…
Episode 132: Appalachian Cryptids
There is no shortage of cryptids in the Appalachian region of the United States, and guest host Jane came back to talk about a few! We discuss Bigfoot's Appalachian cousins in the north and south, as well as a reptilian cryptid famous in Oh…
Episode 131: Unsolved Murders on Bumble Bee Road
On October 17, 2003 Lisa Gurrieri and Brandon Rumbaugh were celebrating their one year anniversary by recreating their first date. They drove out to Bumble Bee Road just north of Phoenix, Arizona to spend an evening stargazing and camping o…
Episode 130: The Chung-Gerrish Family
In August of 2021, Jonathan Gerrish and his wife Ellen Chung took their young daughter Miju out for a typical family nature outing and didn't come home. When their nanny came for her scheduled shift and found a suspiciously empty home, she …
Episode 129: Tatiana Tarasoff
When one young man's vision for the dream relationship with the love of his life is stripped away, his obsession and inability to move on led him to murder the woman he adored. Today's case is one that many may not know, but almost everyone…
Episode 128: Natasha Ryan
17 year old Natasha Ryan disappeared one day without a trace after leaving for school one morning. Despite a history of running away in the past, her family felt this time was different and spent years searching for her. When other young wo…
Episode 127: Tsutomu Miyazaki
This poor excuse for a human is truly one of the worst we have covered on this podcast and so we must give a warning now that this episode discusses murder and sexual abuse of young children, please listen at your own discretion. Tsutomu Mi…
Episode 126: Lacey Fletcher
Many of us know what it is like to hit a rough patch with our mental health and are familiar with the struggles that can overwhelm someone in the midst of a mental health crisis. In this episode we discuss the tragic and senseless death of …
Episode 125: Sweepstakes Life
Reality television has been popular for decades, with some shows taking more risks than others in the chase for viewers; in the late 90s in Japan, one game show network pushed boundaries to extremes. One season of the show featured 22 year …
Episode 124: Hell on Wheels
This week's episode discusses the recent case resulting in the loss of the potential of three vibrant young lives after a car crash. The driver, dubbed "Hell on Wheels" by the judge, changed the trajectory of not only the people in the car,…
Episode 123: The Samaritan Foundation
The Samaritan Foundation was a short lived organization of individuals that shared the beliefs of their leader, Linda Greene. We discuss how Allen Ross became involved with the Samaritans, and ultimately how that connection resulted in his …
Episode 122: Hannah Clarke
Hannah Clarke and Rowan Baxter had what appeared to be the picture perfect marriage, cultivating a public image of a family of fitness enthusiasts in love with each other and their three beautiful children. We must remember, however, that s…
Episode 121: Oba Chandler
Part 2 of 2 After Jo, Michelle, and Christe Rogers' bodies were found in Tampa bay, investigators searched for leads to find their killer. After one woman's tips repeatedly went overlooked, they finally found a lead suspect in Oba Chandler.…
Episode 120: Jo, Michelle, and Christe Rogers
Part 1 of 2 Jo and Hal Rogers raised their daughters Michelle and Christy on their dairy farm, working hard together to keep things running. In 1989, after a year dealing with lawyers, police, and the legal system, Jo decided to take the gi…
Episode 119: Bobbie Jo and Lisa
In this episode we explore one of the most inexplicably horrible crimes that can be committed, and the two women involved. We discuss Lisa's troubled and traumatic upbringing, the circumstances that led Bobbie Jo to cross paths with her, an…
Episode 118: Poisoning Plots from Germany
In this week's episode we talk about three separate instances of food poisoning and extortion from Germany. After hearing these stories, you might think twice about using the refrigerator at work and you'll definitely want to take a close l…
Episode 117: Valentine's Crimes
After our long hiatus we are back! To ease back into the show, we brought several stories revolving around the passion and heartbreak surrounding February 14th. Â
Episode 116: Richard Speck Part 3
**Sound Note: We had extreme technical difficulties that were not caught until after we ended the recording. We were dealing with a significant audio lag, and around 42:00 Kat's audio cuts out and we received no notification that this had h…
Episode 115: Richard Speck Park 2
Richard Speck is one of America's most infamous murderers, committing what was immediately dubbed the "Crime of the Century" in Chicago, Illinois in July of 1966. His brutal slaying of 8 young student nurses was callous and horrifying, and …
Episode 114: Richard Speck Part 1
Richard Speck is one of America's most infamous murderers, committing what was immediately dubbed the "Crime of the Century" in Chicago, Illinois in July of 1966. His brutal slaying of 8 young student nurses was callous and horrifying, and …
Bonus: Interview with Christina Keller
In this episode you can hear the full interview with Marty Duram's ex-wife Christina. She shared so much information including: How she and Marty met, how Glenna knew Marty, detailed information about why her children broke into the house a…