Coal mining is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Explosions, collapses, and flooding are just some of the ways a miner could lose their life on the job. But in the early 1900s, not being a member of the coal miner?s union could get you killed just as easily. The Coal Wars, as they were called, saw striking union members carry out some of the most violent protests in the history of labor relations in the United States. Over the course of 2 days in June 1922, the town of Herrin, Illinois became the scene of a real-life horror movie as hundreds of armed strikers brutally murdered dozens of their replacements. The media quickly dubbed the killing spree the Herrin Mine Massacre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 lost power to both engines half way through its flight. The Boeing 767 with 69 passengers and crew onboard was flying at over 40,000 feet when the incident occurred and the chances of survival were not looking good. Without power, the flight crew would have to fly the 315,000 lb commercial airplane like a glider. It was a seemingly unwinnable situation with zero margin for error, and that?s when things got worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The murder of 18-year-old Rhonda Sue Coleman in 1990 has been a thorn in the side of the small community of Hazlehurst, GA for over 30 years. No arrests, no answers, and no justice. The family, friends and townspeople have never let go of the hope of finally getting the answers they so desperately seek.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the motto "Money, Sex, and Joy", you could be fooled into thinking that being part of The Order of the Solar Temple sounds fun. Their motto might have sounded attractive, but the strict rules, complete loyalty, and oh yeah, dying at the whim of your leader might be a turn off. In October 1994, the world watched as the bodies started to pile up in Europe and Canada. Members and their families were ritualistically murdered before being ceremonially set on fire. This club is not for everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the new homeowners arrived at their dream house, they were touched to find a welcome letter in the mailbox. It was such a thoughtful and old-fashioned custom for 2014. But what they read was terrifying and marked the beginning of a nightmare that lasted for years. "Allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood. My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know what lies within the walls? You have children. I have seen them. Once I know their names, I will call to them and draw them to me. Welcome my friends, welcome. Let the party begin.? It was signed The Watcher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It?s all fun and games ? until you get caught. In the 1950s, game shows were all the rage. Producers were under immense pressure to make the shows entertaining to keep audiences tuning in. They quickly realized the guaranteed way to create drama was to rig the outcome. But when a disgruntled ?loser? blew the whistle, the hoax was revealed and the genre almost disappeared forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a boy growing up in Germany in the late 1880s, Hans Schmidt enjoyed some pretty disturbing past-times. If he wasn?t hanging out at the town?s slaughterhouse mesmerized by the carnage, he was slicing the heads off animals just to watch the blood flow. Years later, as a priest within the ranks of the Catholic church, he would go on to do far worse. By the time he was arrested in 1913, Father Schmidt had committed a long list of crimes, but it?s what he did to a young woman in New York City that sent him to the electric chair. To this day, he is the only Catholic priest in US history to be executed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever since the invention of the freezer, people have been using it for imaginative ways to store stuff. Why not? Why would you expect to find anything other than frozen dinners and stale ice cubes in there? But if you need safe and secure storage for things you don?t want people to find, there?s no better place. From the congressman who stashed almost $100k in frozen pie crust boxes to the 97-year-old woman whose granddaughter wanted to continue to collect government assistance, the freezer is the one place people don?t look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When two police officers arrived at the side entrance of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the early hours of March 18th, 1990, the night guard buzzed them in. They said they were responding to a disturbance call and had a few questions. Before he had time to react, the officers had him in handcuffs. Just over an hour later, the two men dressed in police uniforms exited the side door, loaded their car, and drove off with over half a billion dollars in artwork. Over 30 years later, the stolen items have never been found and no one has ever been charged. To this day, it?s the most valuable property theft of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It?s incredibly rare for astronauts to make headlines for anything other than their epic space adventures. But in 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak changed that when she drove 900 miles across the country to threaten her astronaut ex-boyfriend?s new girlfriend. With a successful career in the US Navy and NASA?s elite space program, she wasn?t one to take rejection lightly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like any small community, it's hard to keep anything secret. But in the late 1970s, the quiet town of Circleville, Ohio found out just how deadly secrets could be. In a series of anonymous letters that brings new meaning to the old saying, the pen is mightier than the sword, a mystery writer used whatever information they could find to terrorize their targets. The letters, which number in the hundreds, have ruined lives, destroyed families, and left the people of Circleville terrified of skeletons in the closet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the only known case where a ghost helped police solve her own murder, the Greenbrier Ghost is not the only time the deceased have spoken from beyond to identify their killer. In their online blog, a victim documented the minutes leading up to his murder. And when a Russian spy was poisoned by a radioactive substance, he was able to tell officials where, how and when he was killed. Just when they thought they got away with murder, the dead had more to say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1968, while most of the world was looking toward space as the new frontier, a group of adventurers back on earth was embarking on an intrepid voyage of their own. The goal was to be the first person in history to sail around the world solo?. non-stop! It was called the Golden Globe Race and would test even the most experienced sailor, both physically and mentally. No assistance, total isolation, and mother nature constantly trying to sink them, racers risked it all for the excitement and glory. Some would die trying. Nine boats entered that year. Only one crossed the finished line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people have watched a high-speed police chase on television. There?s excitement and drama, but most of all, it?s the anticipation of how and when it will end that captures our attention. While most pursuits conclude with the driver pulling over and surrendering, some end in such spectacular fashion that even the police are left shocked. From driving straight off the edge of a cliff into the ocean to trying to get away backwards in a limo, some people will do anything to escape a hot pursuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It can be a zoo out there, especially in the world of crime. Just when authorities think they?ve seen it all, they?re reminded that, no, they really haven?t. In 2018, a man was kidnapped and held for ransom in a hotel room? by an alligator. Not weird enough? How about a parrot that helped put a murderer behind bars? Or the Florida Gators fan that used an actual Florida gator as a weapon? So yeah?that happened. You know it?s a jungle out there when animals get involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the events leading up to someone?s death raise more alarm bells than the actual cause of death, you know there?s a rabbit hole just waiting to be explored. The more chaotic and random the victim?s movements are prior to their demise, the more challenging it can be to put the pieces together. If the case doesn?t go cold, that is. The strange last days of both Blair Adams and John Wheeler top the list of bizarre cases of erratic behavior that still have investigators puzzled. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a German convent near the River Rhine in the 15th century, a nun started biting her fellow sisters who, in turn, began biting other nuns. Soon, the convent was full of holy servants uncontrollably biting each other. From there, it spread to other convents throughout the region. Physicians at the time could find no medical reason to explain the bizarre behavior and it would be a while before the term ?mass hysteria? was coined. The biting eventually subsided, but that wouldn?t be the last time a large group of people experienced a collective psychological episode, nor would it be the strangest. Not even close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There?s the short con and there?s the long game. The short con is quick, over in the blink of an eye while the long con can take days or even weeks. Then there?s Christian Gerhartsreiter. The game he played was on a whole different level. His con took place over the course of three decades and involved one of the most famous and wealthy families in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 25, 1972, an explosion ripped through the baggage compartment of JAT Flight 367. The plane tore apart at 33,000 feet. Metal, luggage and people fell to the earth. When the fuselage was found moments later, people were stunned to hear a scream coming from inside. They found flight attendant Vesna Vulovic, broken and battered, but still alive. She has the distinction of surviving a fall from the highest recorded height. She?s not the only one, however, to have fallen thousands of feet and survived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of medicine, there are plenty of curious cases that keep doctors guessing. Every now and then, however, there are things happening with a patient that simply can?t be explained. Such is the case of Gloria Ramirez, whose mysterious condition transformed her into a chemical weapon. With medical staff falling like dominos all around her, the patient would become known as ?The Toxic Lady?. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At first sight, Marilyn Hartman looks like the quintessential grandmother ? white hair, petite, with a friendly smile and overall disarming disposition. You don?t really give her a second look. However, over the years, her unassuming natural camouflage has enabled her to sneak past security and onto numerous commercial flights, earning her the nickname ?the serial stowaway?. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1927, giant inflatable character balloons have been an iconic part of the famous Macy?s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloons can be a staggering 6 stories tall and are maneuvered through the streets of Manhattan by groups of almost 100 strong people below. That may seem like a large number of people to handle a helium-filled balloon, until something goes wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They say that funerals are for the living, not for the dead. While traditions may vary, the sentiment remains the same, sending departed spirits off to their next adventure. For some of these rituals, the only limit, beyond the law, is the imagination. From extreme embalming, otherwise known as corpse posing, to Tibetan sky burials, where the entire body is devoured by vultures, there?s no shortage of fascinatingly macabre practices. Oh, did we mention erotic funerals? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In January 1935, just 24 hours after Roland T. Owen checked into room 1046 at the Hotel President in Kansas City, Missouri, he was found beaten and tortured. His wrists and ankles were bound with a cord, he had a skull fracture on the right side of his head, and had been stabbed multiple times in the chest. He was only semi-conscious and barely able to speak when police asked him if anyone else had been in the room, but he did manage to say one word before dying, ?nobody.? That was the beginning of one of the strangest and oldest murder mysteries in US history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late December 1980, a series of unexplained lights appeared near a US military base in England. The events took place over two nights and were captured by security personnel in detailed written documents and audio recordings. The case has been dubbed ?the British Roswell?, but unlike the events in New Mexico, what happened in Rendlesham Forest wasn't classified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think the solid ground you?re on is safe? For thousands of years, water has been slowly eroding the rock beneath your feet creating a chasm underground. Over time, that chasm became so large that it couldn?t hold up its roof. The roof that used to be your solid ground. So, it collapsed in on itself, taking you and everything around you with it. This is a sinkhole. Terrifying, unexpected, and in some cases, deadly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With over 53,000 world record categories, there?s no shortage of people wanting to be a title holder. Whether it?s stuffing hundreds of drinking straws in your mouth or free falling to earth from the stratosphere, there?s something for anyone looking to get their name in the record books. And these are just the tip of the iceberg for some of the coolest, most bizarre and incredibly ridiculous world records out there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout history, there are reported cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion, but are these stories real? Can people simply burst into flames with no apparent source of ignition? In 1951, Mary Reeser?s body was found completely incinerated, with only a pile of ash, her skull, and her left foot still in her slipper remaining. Curiously, her apartment was untouched by the fire. Was she a victim of this bizarre phenomenon or is the truth too hot to handle?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2010, when eccentric art collector Forrest Fenn announced that he had buried a chest filled with precious gems and rare jewelry estimated to be worth millions, a modern-day treasure hunt began. The chest was located somewhere in the vast Rocky Mountains and with only 9 mysterious clues hidden within the lines of a poem, finding it wouldn't be easy. In fact, for some intrepid explorers, it would be their final earthly adventure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes there are clear reasons why a town is deserted. Perhaps it was a natural disaster like a drought or a flood. There may have been a man-made event, like a chemical spill. Maybe a once thriving economy dried up. However, sometimes it?s not always obvious why a place is deserted. Take Centralia, Pennsylvania, for example. You would never know from driving through this mostly deserted small town that a Hell-like inferno is roaring beneath the streets. The fire was started in 1962 and is expected to continue for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifteen years ago, there were only a handful of priests approved to perform exorcisms in the US. Today, there are almost 10 times that. One of the most famous possession stories is that of Anneliese Michel who, in the early 1970s, underwent almost 70 exorcisms. Despite doctors insisting she had medical issues, the priests performing the rites believed otherwise. In the end, casting out the demons would cost her life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who came up with the crazy idea of traversing a rope hundreds of feet above the ground? It?s all about balance, not only on the wire, but also between risk and reward, adventure and insanity, life and death. If you're going to try walking the tightrope, remember not to look down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It?s hard to imagine anyone regretting winning the lottery. For an unlucky few though, hitting the jackpot was a curse, a disaster, and a horrible twist of fate that resulted in bankruptcy, injury, and even death. As the saying goes, sometimes a lot of money can be very expensive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carlos Rafael, the largest commercial fisherman in the US Northeast, found himself at the center of an investigation involving Russian mobsters, duffel bags full of cash, and fish. Millions of pounds of fish. The media nicknamed this charismatic seafood kingpin ?The Codfather?.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Animals have been unwillingly dragged into human combat for millennia. Sure, you?ve heard of horses, dogs, and even dolphins fighting beside soldiers, but over the years there's been some curious out of the box thinking when it comes to animal warfare. Armored elephants, flaming pigs, bat bombs, and more. When we start involving animals in battle, things can get a little wild. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It?s scary to hear the question ?is there a doctor on board?? when you?re thousands of feet in the air. But it?s terrifying to hear someone ask ?is there a pilot on board??. It doesn't happen often, but when passengers with little to no piloting experience are forced to take the controls, they better stay calm, have a pretty good sense of humor, and, most importantly, figure out where the button for the radio is located. In April 2009, a passenger flying home with his family found out why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people watch superhero movies and appreciate the story. Others walk away inspired to become a real-life crime fighter. Wearing a handmade costume and mask, these crusaders patrol the streets every night, fighting for justice and keeping crime at bay. For every homemade superhero there is a homemade supervillain seeking to control the city. The battle for good and evil could be happening right outside your front door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Didn?t know there was big money to be made in pigeons? Yeah, neither did we. In one of the craziest money-making schemes ever, an unlikely mastermind known as the Pigeon King managed to swindle hundreds of millions of dollars from eager investors. Move over Wall Street, the scams are going to the birds! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From lawnchairs attached to giant balloons to homemade flying saucers, people have tried to fly in bizarre and creative ways. In this episode of TRUE, listen to the story of a 20ft wide flying saucer built by the Heene family that was launched while accidentally carrying their 6yr old son. As the balloon hit an altitude of 7000ft, the country watched in shock waiting to see what happened to the little boy everyone thought was on board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A podcast that features strange stories and bizarre tales that you won?t believe are real? but they are, because they?re TRUE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of cool things have been happening behind the scenes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People quit their jobs all the time. Maybe it?s over money, or long hours, or maybe it?s because of a stressful work environment. Whatever the reasons, the process of quitting typically starts when the employee provides their employer with a notice of resignation. There may be some hugs and a few tears, but usually that would be the extent of any real drama. Then there are the not so normal departures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the 1970's and 1980's, you couldn't watch a televised sports game without seeing him. The most recognizable fixture in sports actually despised everything about it. He was there for the network cameras. He was there to deliver a message to the world, a dire warning of impending doom. But wearing a large multi-colored Afro wig and a fur loin cloth didn't help his credibility. However, the triple life sentence he received dramatically changed that image. The world would come to know him as Rainbow Man.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, Santa leaves his base of operation to bring Christmas cheer to billions of people around the world. However, the holiday season can also lead to Santa going a little crazy. Here are some stories that will make you think twice about messing with Santa Claus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a wealthy Manhattan socialite turned her mid-town mansion into luxury apartments, famous writers, musicians, and politicians lined up. The palatial brownstone, with its attractive address near Central Park and Madison Garden, was a New York City landmark and valued at almost $10 million. For years, things had been going well until a mysterious, yet charming businessman showed up one day offering cash for a short-term lease. Three weeks later, New York City police would launch one of the largest and strangest missing person cases in its history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's all fun and games until someone unwittingly assassinates a world figure. That's exactly what happened in 2017 to a couple of people who thought they were on a reality television show. Turns out they had unknowingly been recruited by a foreign government to carry out a deadly mission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Dr. Michael Mastromarino lost his license to practice dentistry, he found a new calling in a dark corner of the medical world, modern-day grave robbing. He and his crew of organ and tissue harvesters set up a vast network to collect and sell as much bio material as they could find. Too bad none of the families of the deceased knew about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Jack Idema became a tour boat captain in Mexico, the self-described super soldier moved to Afghanistan where he started a private prison. He ran it out of his rented townhouse and his team, Task Force Saber 7, used it to detain and interrogate suspected terrorists. Idema told everyone who asked that he worked for the US government. Problem was.......he didn't.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Swedish journalist Kim Wall began writing a story on amateur rocket building in Denmark, there was no way for her to know that it would lead to her death....inside a submarine. The bizarre circumstances and surreal conclusion captured headlines around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using military-grade weapons and gear, two bank robbers turned the streets of North Hollywood, California into a war zone. For nearly 45 minutes, Los Angeles police faced one of the most violent and prolonged gun battles they had ever experienced. The police may have had them greatly outnumbered, but the gunmen had the police completely outmatched. As if taken right from a Hollywood movie, the drama was captured live on camera and quickly had a nation glued to the TV. This was reality television on a whole new level and would go on to forever change the way law enforcement operates in the US.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices