Safety Tricks & Tips 101: Protecting Yourself at Home, Out in the World, and Online (not an exhaustive list*) In this special safety-focused episode of Beyond the Ferns, I break down practical, real-world tools for staying safe—because if this podcast has taught us anything, it’s that dangerous people and situations exist and unfortunately, they live alongside us in this world! Whether you’re settling in at home, heading out for errands, or navigating the digital world, there are simple steps you can take to stay aware, prepared, and protected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week's episode, we are headed to Minnesota covering the controversial case of Byron Smith and the murders of Nick and Hailie. Byron Smith was a retired security engineer living a quiet, isolated life in Little Falls, Minnesota—a man who kept to himself and had grown increasingly uneasy after a string of break-ins at his home. On Thanksgiving Day 2012, that unease collided with the actions of two teenagers. Nick and Haile were known in their community as typical teens—inseparable, always driving around town together, and bonded in a way that felt more like siblings than cousins. Around noon on Thanksgiving, the pair entered Smith’s home through a window, unaware that Byron was inside the house when they stepped in. What happened next inside that quiet basement staircase would become one of the most controversial and widely debated self-defense cases in Minnesota’s history. From Byron's detailed home audio recordings to the community’s shock at the teenagers’ deaths, the case sparked intense questions about fear, boundaries, premeditation, and the limits of “defending your home.” The story that unfolded in the aftermath—through interviews, recovered security footage, and hours of audio—left the public deeply divided on what truly happened in that dark, silent house on Thanksgiving Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this week's episode, I will be covering the Tinder App Murder of Sydney Loofe. In November 2017, 24-year-old Sydney Loofe from Lincoln, Nebraska went on a date with someone she met through Tinder. After posting a cheerful Snapchat about getting ready, she vanished the next day. Her sudden disappearance — leaving behind her car, wallet, and even her beloved cat — immediately alarmed her family and friends. As investigators retraced Sydney’s final steps, digital evidence quickly pointed toward two individuals she had met through the app. Their movements, purchases, and online activity set off major red flags, leading to nationwide headlines and an intense search. The investigation uncovered a deeply disturbing pattern of deception and manipulation. Over several weeks, detectives pieced together phone records, surveillance footage, and online data that tied the suspects to Sydney’s disappearance. What followed was one of Nebraska’s most shocking and heavily debated criminal trials, raising questions about online safety, coercion, and the dangers of meeting strangers through dating apps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this chilling episode, Beyond the Ferns covers the absolutely brutal and senseless 2006 murder of 16-year-old Cassie Jo Stoddart — a case forever dubbed “The Scream Murder.” What began as a quiet weekend of house-sitting in Pocatello, Idaho, turned into a real-life horror story when two classmates, inspired by the Scream franchise, plotted and carried out her killing. A planned murder of their friend turns into a whole "death list" they expected to carry out with more classmates at their school. However, fortunately, they are caught before those crimes can turn into reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Halloween night, 1957, a knock on the door turned deadly in the quiet suburbs of Los Angeles. When Peter Fabiano opened it, he was greeted not by a costumed child, but by a figure in disguise — a mask, a brown paper bag, and a .22 caliber revolver. Within seconds, he was dead. What really took place on Halloween Night? And with unknown enemies - who would do this to someone that seemed like an ordinary, well-liked, family man? There's a lot more that meets the eye... and we will dive deep into life in the 50s and what could have caused such a tragic ending for the Fabiano's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, we’re stepping inside one of the most infamous collections of haunted artifacts in the world — Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum, tucked away in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada. Within its darkened halls lie hundreds of relics steeped in tragedy — objects said to carry the weight of death, despair, and sometimes… something far worse. In this episode, we’ll explore some of the museum’s most chilling pieces: Peggy the Doll, whose gaze alone has left visitors trembling… Dr. Death’s Van, a mobile tomb with a sinister past… and a staircase salvaged from a home so violently haunted, it had to be torn to the ground. So—turn down the lights, take a deep breath, and join me… as we uncover the stories, the history, and the dark legends that refuse to stay buried inside Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this chilling episode of Beyond the Ferns, we peel back the curtain on three of the most haunting urban legends whispered across America — each with a face you’ll never forget. First, we explore the unnerving encounters with the Black-Eyed Children — pale, emotionless kids who appear at night, asking to come inside. Their eyes? Pure black. Their presence? Utterly wrong. Are they lost souls, alien hybrids, or something far more sinister? Next, we step into the fog-filled streets to meet The Smiling Man, a figure seen dancing under flickering streetlights at 2 a.m. — moving in jerky, inhuman motions, his grin stretching too wide to be real. Those who’ve seen him say it’s the kind of smile that freezes you in place. Finally, we end with a timeless ghost story out of Chicago — Resurrection Mary. The vanishing hitchhiker who leaves drivers shaken and forever changed. A woman in white, searching for a ride home along Archer Avenue, returning each night to Resurrection Cemetery. From paranormal folklore to eyewitness accounts, this episode dives deep into the origins, theories, and spine-tingling experiences that keep these legends alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Long before it became a symbol of fear, the Ouija board was a parlor game — a curious invention of the late 1800s when spiritualism swept through American living rooms. Families gathered around the board by candlelight, fingers resting lightly on the planchette, hoping to reach loved ones “beyond the veil.” It was marketed as wholesome entertainment, a way to connect, to wonder — not to summon. But everything changed in 1973, when The Exorcist hit theaters. From that moment on, the Ouija board was no longer a game — it became a gateway. A doorway for something darker. In this episode, Beyond the Ferns explores the board’s eerie evolution from innocent pastime to cultural taboo, and dives into real stories of those who claim they made contact with something they couldn’t explain. From sudden cold spots to planchettes moving on their own, these tales blur the line between imagination and the unknown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, we are heading to a hidden on a quiet hilltop overlooking Louisville, Kentucky, stands one of America’s most infamous haunted locations—Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Built in the early 1900s, Waverly was originally designed as a hospital to treat patients suffering from tuberculosis, or “the White Plague,” which swept through the country with deadly force. At the height of the outbreak, the sanatorium housed hundreds of patients at once, many of whom never left. With no cure available, doctors relied on experimental treatments—ranging from constant fresh air exposure, no matter the weather, to controversial surgeries that sound more like horror stories today. Death was a daily visitor at Waverly Hills and because of this hospital administrators had to get "creative" to hide the multiple deaths a day. To say this place is haunted, doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. Join along as I take you step by step through the history of Waverly Hills and the paranormal that lines every each of the facility to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 1978, fifteen-year-old Mary Vincent set out to hitchhike to California—searching for freedom, escape, and a new beginning. But what should have been a simple ride toward a fresh start quickly spiraled into a nightmare that would change her life forever. Exhausted, vulnerable, and against the warnings of her fellow hitchhikers, Mary accepted a ride that would lead her down a dark and unimaginable path—a fight not just for escape, but for survival itself. Her story would go on to shock and captivate the nation—a tale of courage, resilience, and the unbreakable will to live. Join me as we revisit Mary Vincent’s harrowing journey from horror to justice—a haunting reminder that even in the face of unspeakable cruelty, the human spirit can rise above and defy all odds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 2000, sixteen-year-old Molly Bish vanished from her lifeguard post at Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts — a small-town mystery that would grip the nation. Her disappearance sparked one of the largest and most exhaustive searches in state history. When her remains were finally discovered three years later, the answers everyone hoped for never came. In this episode, Beyond the Ferns unravels the haunting story of Molly Bish — from her final morning to the decades-long investigation that followed. We’ll examine the key suspects, shifting theories, and the chilling clues that continue to leave investigators — and Molly’s family — searching for justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices