What happens when a simple Ancestry.com subscription reveals a 50-year-old kidnapping? In this gripping episode, I'm untangling the viral Instagram story that left thousands confused between two women both named Tonya, both kidnapped as children, and both discovered through DNA testing decades later.

Dive deep into the heartbreaking true crime case of Suzanne Marie Sevakis (known as Sharon Marshall and Tonya Hughes), whose identity remained a mystery for 24 years after her suspicious death in 1990.

Then discover the miraculous reunion story of Tonya Kellett, who was days away from canceling her DNA subscription when a life-changing phone call revealed her biological family in Kansas had been searching for 50 years.

This episode explores:

- Franklin Delano Floyd’s decades-long crimes and the Netflix documentary “Girl in the Picture”

- How Ancestry.com DNA matching reunited separated families

- The dark reality of parental kidnapping in the 1960s-70s

- FBI cold case investigations and genetic genealogy breakthroughs

- Why these two cases are constantly confused online

- The power and limitations of consumer DNA testing

Perfect for true crime enthusiasts, cold case fans, and anyone fascinated by genealogy mysteries, missing persons cases, and stories of survival and reunion.

**Content Warning:** Child abduction, abuse, and murder discussed (non-graphic)

## RESOURCES & REFERENCES

Tonya Kellett Case

- **KFVS12 News** - “50-year-old cold case helps solve another decades-long mystery” (May 2016)

- **Emporia Gazette** - “Long lost sisters reunited after nearly 50 years” (January 2016)

- **Ancestry.com** - DNA matching service used in reunion

Suzanne Sevakis Case

- **Netflix Documentary** - “Girl in the Picture” (2022)

- **FBI Cold Case Investigation** - Published report (January 2017)

- Available at: fbi.gov/news/stories/cold-case-investigation

- **Books:**

- “A Beautiful Child” by Matt Birkbeck

- “Finding Sharon” by Matt Birkbeck

Additional Information

- **National Center for Missing & Exploited Children** - missingkids.org

- **DNA Doe Project** - Uses genetic genealogy to identify Jane/John Does

- **NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System)** - namus.gov

Legal & Historical Context

- Parental kidnapping laws evolved significantly between 1960s-1980s

- Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (1980)

- Missing Children Act (1982)

**Note:** All information presented is based on verified public records, court documents, news reports, and official FBI case files. No claims or statements have been fabricated or exaggerated.

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CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of child death, car accident, & grief

In 1957, two sisters were killed in a tragic car accident in a small English town. A year later, their mother gave birth to twins. What happened next is either the most insane series of coincidences in history, or proof that we don’t understand death at all.

This episode dives deep into one of the most documented and disturbing reincarnation cases ever recorded. We’re talking birthmarks in impossible places, kids recognizing locations they’d never been to, spontaneous memories of a fatal accident, and predictions made before birth that actually came true.

I’ll walk you through the entire story - the tragedy, the bizarre rebirth, the mounting evidence, and yeah, the skeptical explanations too. Because honestly? Even the rational arguments can’t fully explain what happened to the Pollock family.

Fair warning: this one starts dark and gets progressively weirder. We’re covering child death, trauma, and some genuinely unsettling details that’ll have you questioning everything you think you know about consciousness and the afterlife.

Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this case is absolutely wild. And spoiler alert - I’m telling you upfront that I believe something unexplainable happened here. But you can decide for yourself

Grab a drink, get comfortable, and prepare to have your mind absolutely blown.

This is the story of the Pollock twins.

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

**Primary Sources:**

- Stevenson, Ian. “Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation” (1974) - University of Virginia Press. The Pollock case is documented as Case 10.

- Stevenson, Ian. “European Cases of the Reincarnation Type” (2003) - McFarland & Company

**Additional Reading:**

- “Children Who Remember Previous Lives” by Ian Stevenson (1987)

- “Reincarnation and Biology: A Contribution to the Etiology of Birthmarks and Birth Defects” by Ian Stevenson (1997)

- Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia - continues research in this field

**Documentary Coverage:**

- The case has been featured in multiple paranormal documentaries and reincarnation research programs

- BBC and other British media covered the case during the 1960s

**Note:** All facts presented in this episode are derived from documented sources, witness testimonies, and Dr. Stevenson’s published research. No claims have been fabricated or exaggerated for entertainment purposes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Goldfield Hotel stands as Nevada’s most haunted building - but the real story is far stranger than any ghost tale.

Deep in the Nevada desert sits a four-story monument to greed that’s been abandoned for 80 years, yet refuses to stay quiet. The Goldfield Hotel was built during the last great gold rush of the American West, when mining magnate George Wingfield ruled an entire state and 20,000 fortune-seekers flocked to a town that shouldn’t exist.

But when the gold ran out, something else moved in.

From the infamous Room 109 where chains drag across floors in empty rooms, to “The Stabber” who lunges at visitors with phantom knives, to voices of children echoing from abandoned mine shafts beneath the basement - the Goldfield Hotel has earned its reputation as one of America’s most actively haunted locations.

We separate the documented history from the manufactured folklore, exploring how a cattle driver turned gambler became Nevada’s most powerful man, why this opulent hotel was built on top of mining graves, and what happens when paranormal investigators capture footage that defies explanation.

*Content Warning: Discussions of suicide, violence, and disturbing paranormal phenomena*

-----

Resources & References

Historical Sources

- "Nevada Historical Society Archives" - George Wingfield papers and Goldfield documentation

- **Esmeralda County Records** - Hotel construction and ownership documents

- **Goldfield Historical Society** - Local history and firsthand accounts

- **University of Nevada Special Collections** - Mining era newspapers and photographs

Paranormal Investigation Reports

- **Ghost Adventures (2008)** - Original documentation and video evidence

- **Ghost Hunters Investigation Files** - Audio recordings and temperature readings

- **Nevada Paranormal Research Society** - Ongoing investigation reports

- **Independent researcher documentation** - Multiple EVP recordings and witness testimonies

Key Publications

- *“George Wingfield: Owner and Operator of Nevada”* by Elizabeth Raymond

- *“Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps”* by Stanley Paher

- *“Goldfield: The Last Gold Rush on the Western Frontier”* by Sally Zanjani

- *“Haunted Nevada”* by Janice Oberding

Documentary Sources

- **Travel Nevada Tourism Board** - Official historical documentation

- **National Register of Historic Places** - Architectural and historical records

- **Nevada State Historic Preservation Office** - Building preservation reports

- **Local newspaper archives** - Tonopah Times-Bonanza, Goldfield Chronicle (1900s-1940s)

Verification Notes

All paranormal claims presented are based on documented witness testimonies, published investigation reports, and recorded evidence from credible paranormal research organizations. Historical facts verified through multiple primary sources and academic publications.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Halloween!! In this special bonus episode, we're diving into our very first listener tales featuring real paranormal experiences, ghost stories and unexplained phenomena shared by YOU!!

We kick things off with some chilling DM stories and emails from listeners who've experienced the unexplained. then we deep dive into our first featured guest Heathers truly unnerving supernatural encounters.

Get Cozy and grab an extra bag of candy & press play now

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Join me on this spooky fun bonus episode of Creepy Shit with Special Guest Podcast Hosts from Something Strange.

We are discussing two essential paranormal loving authors along with a blood soaked Countess that history tried to forget!

Grab your favorite bevi, cozy up and press play now!

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Listener Discretion is advised.

Dive deep into the chilling true story of the Circleville Letters - one of Ohio’s most disturbing unsolved mysteries. For nearly 20 years, anonymous letters terrorized the small town of Circleville, Ohio, exposing dark secrets, threatening lives, and tearing apart a community.

This comprehensive investigation covers the mysterious death of Ron Gillispie, the shocking booby trap that nearly killed school bus driver Mary Gillispie, and the controversial conviction of Paul Freshour - who may have been wrongly imprisoned while the real letter writer remained free. Explore the twisted tale of anonymous harassment, small-town paranoia, and a case that remains unsolved to this day.

**What We’ll Cover:**

- The complete timeline of the Circleville Letters from 1976-1994

- Details of Ron Gillispie’s suspicious death in 1977

- How the booby trap nearly killed Mary Gillispie in 1983

- Why Paul Freshour’s conviction is controversial

- Evidence the letters continued while Freshour was in prison

- Top suspects and theories in this unsolved case

- Why this case remains one of America’s strangest mysteries

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

Primary Sources

**CBS News / 48 Hours**

- “The Circleville Letters: You’ve Got Hate Mail” (May 2024)

- “Has the Anonymous Author of the Infamous Circleville Letters Been Unmasked?” (May 2024)

- Erin Moriarty investigation and interviews

- Crime Junkie Podcast

- “INFAMOUS: Circleville Letters” episode (January 2025)

- Whatever Remains Podcast**

- Host: Marie Mayhew

- Comprehensive multi-episode series on the Circleville Letters

Secondary Sources

**All That’s Interesting**

- “Inside The Eerie Mystery Of The Circleville Letters That Terrorized An Ohio Town For Nearly 20 Years” (2025)

**Columbus Navigator**

- “Small Town, Big Secrets: The Chilling Circleville Letter Mystery That Stunned Ohio” (October 2024)

**Mental Floss**

- “Unknown Sender: The Mystery of the Circleville Letters” (2021)

**Unsolved Mysteries Wiki**

- Detailed case documentation and episode information

**Vocal Media / Criminal**

- Multiple investigative articles on the case

Court Documents & Official Records

- State of Ohio v. Paul L. Freshour (1983) - Pickaway County Common Pleas Court

- Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation reports

- Pickaway County Sheriff’s Department records

- Ron Gillispie death investigation files

Additional Resources

**Books:**

- “The Circleville Letters: A True Story of Small-Town Terror” by Erin Moriarty (2023)

**TV/Media:**

- Unsolved Mysteries (Season 7, Episode 6, 1993)

- 48 Hours on Paramount+ - “The Circleville Letters”

For More Information

Visit the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office or Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for official case information. This case remains unsolved and tips are still accepted.

**Case Status:** Unsolved

**Location:** Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio

**Time Period:** 1976-1994

**Victim:** Multiple residents of Circleville, Ohio

**Convicted:** Paul Freshour (attempted murder only, 1984)

*All information presented is based on publicly available sources, court records, and investigative journalism. No claims are made regarding the guilt or innocence of any individuals mentioned.*

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WARNING: This Episode contains highly graphic content, is not suitable for children. Listener discretion is advised!

This week we’re diving deep into the absolutely terrifying history of Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts - the real-life inspiration behind Arkham Asylum. We’re talking Gothic architecture, lobotomy horrors, patient mistreatment, and some of the most documented paranormal activity in American history.

From Dr. Walter Freeman’s brutal ice-pick procedures to modern-day hauntings that’ll make your skin crawl, this abandoned asylum’s dark secrets will blow your mind.

Join me as we explore the Salem witch trial connections, underground tunnel mysteries, urban explorer encounters, and why this demolished mental institution continues to be one of the most haunted places in New England. Trust me, this true ghost story will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the supernatural.

EPISODE REFERENCES & RESOURCES

Historical Sources:

• Massachusetts State Archives - Danvers State Hospital Patient Records

• “Danvers State Hospital: A History” by the Danvers Historical Society

• National Archives - Mental Health Treatment Documentation (1878-1992)

• “My Lobotomy” by Howard Dully (Freeman lobotomy survivor account)

Paranormal Research:

• New England Paranormal Research Society Investigation Files (2003-2004)

• “The Stone Tape Theory” by T.C. Lethbridge

• Dr. Michael Persinger’s Electromagnetic Field Studies

• Christopher Payne’s “Asylum: Inside the Closed World of State Mental Hospitals”

Additional Reading:

• “The Lobotomist” by Jack El-Hai (Biography of Walter Freeman)

• “Ghosts of Danvers” by Sam Baltrusis

• H.P. Lovecraft’s References to Arkham Sanitarium

• Salem Witch Trials Historical Connection - Hathorne Family Records

Documentary Resources:

• “Danvers State Hospital: The Real Arkham” (2018)

• Various urban exploration video documentation (pre-demolition)

• Local news archives covering hospital closure and demolition (1992-2006)

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1961, suburban housewife Joan Risch vanished from her Massachusetts home, leaving behind a blood-soaked kitchen and two young children.

But when investigators discovered she’d been secretly researching murders and disappearances for months, the case took a shocking turn. Did Joan become the victim of a brutal crime, or did she pull off one of history’s most elaborate disappearing acts?

This deep dive explores the mysterious case that’s baffled investigators for over 60 years, examining the evidence for staged disappearance, murder, and everything in between. Join us for a compelling look at one of New England’s most controversial cold cases.

## REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

**Primary Sources:**

- Lincoln Police Department Case Files (1961)

- The Boston Globe Archives (1961-1996)

- The Fence Viewer Newspaper (1961)

**Key Resources:**

- “Into Thin Air: What is the Likeliest Explanation for the Disappearance of Joan Risch?” - Medium

- Wikipedia: “Disappearance of Joan Risch”

- Lincoln Public Library Checkout Records (1961)

- Original Police Investigation Documents (PDF archives)

**Additional Reading:**

- “Gone Girl - Joan Risch” - Morbidology

- Various True Crime Podcasts and Documentaries featuring the case

- Contemporary newspaper accounts from Boston-area publications

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