Television, Strange Deaths, Dark History, and a Wolf Man
Review of December 2024 Episodes
The holiday season is almost over, and soon we will be in a new year with brand new episodes! But before this happens, it is time to review what we released in December. I always am writing, researching, and recording. The thing most of you don’t know is that I am usually six weeks to two months ahead of things. For example: the episodes you heard this month were actually recorded around Halloween. Maybe this explains the dark topics that you heard this month.
Our first episode was released on December 4th, and was called “Shocking Moments Caught on Live TV”. In the days of streaming services, we do not see this as much as we did in the past. But it does still happen. Some of the stories we talked about are things you wouldn’t expect to see. A great example of this were the tales of Budd Dwyer and Christine Chubbuck. Both of them planned their end for the biggest shock value, not thinking how this would affect the people who were watching live. Considering their mental state, I can’t blame them. But one who can be blamed is Vester Lee Flanagan. He clearly did not see that he was the actual villain in his own story, and decided to lash out at three innocent people. I can’t help but wonder if any of these people had reached out for help; would we be talking about them today?
Our next episode was released on December 11th; and it was a story that I debated for a long time about doing. Indigenous Residential Schools are very hot topics in Canada for very good reasons. That is because the federal government tried to strip the indigenous people of their rights and their culture. Doing so resulted in generations of trauma for thousands of people. It stole their culture, their beliefs, and their loved ones who many were never heard from again.
Ultimately, I decided that the dark history behind the Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta needed to be told. It is only through truth that we can move forward together. Even though there has been a lot of talk about Residential Schools, the subject of Indian Hospitals is one not really spoken about. It should be…in fact…it needs to be talked about. Many families still have no idea what happened to their loved ones, while others are dealing with the fall out from when they were forced into these types of facilities. Considering the atrocities that happened in these hospitals, no one should ever doubt that these places would be haunted by the spirits of the past.
After that dark topic, I decided to lighten things up a bit with our next episode “Some of the Most Strangest Deaths in History”. Death isn’t something to laugh about, but some of the stories that we told makes one think. For example, I would never imagine that I could die from a tsunami of beer, or my husband could die from tripping over his own beard. I never worried about getting a tortoise dropped on my head while walking on the beach, or that I could get smothered by a stack of clothing. If there is one thing this episode taught me, it is to appreciate life. We never know what may happen, even if it sounds like something that would never occur.
Our holiday gift to you on December 25th was the tale of Fritz Haarmann. This episode was suggested by a listener, and when I started researching this story - I couldn’t help but be shocked. If you look at this story as a nature versus nurture thing; it is puzzling. Fritz grew up with money, and had no need to get involved in crime. He was set to inherit some of his families wealth, and his father brought his son into his businesses several times. But on the flip side, Fritz was coddled by his mother while he was disliked by his father. He wasn’t socialized as a child, and there were clear mental health issues within the family. To me it seems like nature was definitely in play here, but so was nurture. Because of his mother, Fritz never had to take full responsibility for his actions. He became entitled, and he felt that he was treated badly by society even though it was normal treatment during these times. But in the end, Fritz did take responsibility for what he did even though his partner did not.
So…what is coming up for next month? I will give you all a few hints. On New Years Day; you will hear the tale of a very mysterious death. Next comes the creepy tale behind one of the most famous novels in the world. After that comes some ghosts, a cult, and a case that can only be described as disturbing.
If you missed any of these spooky episodes, be sure to check them out by following Horrifying History in your favourite podcast provider. Another way to listen is by going to our webpage:
https://horrifying-history-shop.fourthwall.com
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…and until next time…
