Middle-Aged and Mediocre

<p>A comedic podcast centered on the complexities of life, encompassing its various highs and lows, moments of joy and sorrow, as observed by two individuals who share a passion for collecting VHS tapes and the era that shaped them. Their lighthearted approach aims to offer entertainment amid the tumultuous nature of existence, steering clear of excessive seriousness. Ray Gun Radio presents... Middle-Aged and Mediocre!<br /> <br /> Email us at middleagedmediocre@gmail.com<br /> <br /> Follow us on:<br /> Facebook.com/middleagedandmediocre<br /> Instagram @ middleagedandmediocre</p>

The Man Who Killed Halloween - The Pixy Stix Killer

Urban Legends... The man with the hook hand who preys on young couples parked at a makeout spot. A babysitter that keeps receiving threatening phone calls only to discover that the call is coming from inside the home! The woman driving home at night that’s followed by someone flashing their lights at her and terrifying her as she drives only to discover that they were trying to warn her of the killer in her backseat! There are of course the classics like looking in a mirror with the lights out while you repeat “Bloody Mary” over and over and the girl who gets bitten on the cheek by a spider only for the bite to swell and bulge until it bursts open hatching hundreds of baby spiders. Urban legends are still being created to this day; with The Slender Man being one of the more famous examples in recent memory.  While some of these or none of these may have their roots in any kind of truth, one urban legend has persisted for almost 50 years due to the actions of a killer on Halloween night. There's a reason why parents are reminded every year to check their children's candy hauls for a razor blade or poison. That reason took place in 1974 on Trick-or-Treat night in Pasadena, Texas. This is the true story of that yearly reminder that comes around every Halloween. This is the story of an 8-year-old boy being poisoned and murdered by a Pixy Stik laced with cyanide that he got while trick-or-treating. 

10-25
45:53

Amish Homicide: The Edward Gingerich Story Part One and a Big USFL Show

(Main story begins at 22:15) Edward Gingerich was an Amish fella who never quite fit in with the community he so desperately wanted to escape.  He married his wife, Katie, because he felt pressured to do so and had three children with her, all of which he ignored and resented. We explore the downward spiral that Ed found himself on that ultimately led to him being the first Amish person to be convicted of murder.   Also, we're a big USFL show around here.

04-15
01:12:12

From Riches to Robberies: The Story of Steve Carroll

Some men have it all. Wealth, success, love, respect, etc. Some men have it all plus more that they keep hidden away from others. This was the case with Steve Carroll. Steve was living the high life and he made sure that everyone lived it with him. He made sure his wife never had to work again. He flew his friends all over the world and gave them a taste of what it was like to live the lifestyle of the rich & famous. By all accounts, to anyone who knew him, Steve was living the perfect life. Steve had his secrets and demons, though, and as soon as they came to light, his whole world came crashing down. A secret family, a gambling addiction, and a habit of finding his way out of jobs that most would kill for; this is the story of how Steve Carroll went from having it all to losing everything and desperately just trying to hold onto a slice of the lifestyle he had become so accustomed to. Credit for this story goes to Jeff Gottlieb's article on Medium: "Death of a (Really Good) Salesman" https://medium.com/truly-adventurous/death-of-a-really-good-salesman-872a98f9c98e

04-03
01:32:09

REEL CRIMES - Spree Killer Kurt Kunkle

Kurt Kunkle wanted to be internet famous.  After a decade of failure, Kurt decided that if he couldn't be famous, he would be infamous.  In this episode, we relive the day that Kurt put his plan into action and left a trail of bodies all over Los Angeles, and live-streamed each and every deranged minute.   Stick around for the end to find out which one of your hosts is more internet famous.

03-28
01:04:41

The Murder of Rachel Burkheimer

Rachel Burkheimer was a young woman who was loved by all and had so much promise. After a year of tragedies and loss, Rachel turns to the wrong people and that decision leads to her death. 

03-13
54:51

Katherine Mary Knight: Cannibal Housewife

We once again find ourselves in Australia for a story about a human being who is an absolute maniac.  Katherine Mary Knight kept one-upping herself when it came to committing acts of mayhem and violence until she ultimately attempted to go as far as she could possibly go.   We also talk about the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie on Netflix, and just a heads up, there are a ton of spoilers. Credit for this story goes to Nikki Young and her article on Medium.com about this case.  Nikki is the host and creator of the Serial Napper podcast which can be found on Apple, Spotify, and Youtube. Go to serialnapper.podbean.com/ for more info.

02-20
55:51

Ray and Faye Copeland: America’s Oldest Couple On Death Row

In this episode, we discuss the story of America’s oldest couple on death row, Ray and Faye Copeland, and how they earned such a notorious record. We also help you get ready for Super Bowl Sunday by going over 10 tips for how to be a perfect Super Bowl party guest. Finally, a Feel Good involving the game of Wordle. As always, please rate, review, subscribe, follow, and tell all your friends to start listening. Enjoy!

02-13
01:05:31

We Were Brady'd!!! (aka The Royal Jumble)

Tom Brady was reported to be retired when we recorded this and just over an hour later, he wasn't retired! So, we look even dumber than usual during this episode. Curse you, Brady! Cash & Joel talk about the AFC and NFC Championship games, the Super Bowl, the history of Super Bowl Halftime Shows, the 2022 Royal Rumble, The Matrix movies, The Righteous Gemstones, Peacemaker, and more!  Cash also goes on a rant, so if you enjoy that, this is a good episode for you! 

01-29
52:23

Hardbody Harrison - Professional Wrestler Turned Sex Trafficker

Harrison Norris Jr. was an average-at-best professional wrestler but when it came to being a world-class piece of shit, he was a champion.  Our first episode of 2022 and we promise we'll do better next time...

01-09
45:11

REEL CRIMES - Christmas Eve Terror on Parking Level 2

Another installment of REEL CRIMES is here just in time for the holiday season. Angela Bridges is stuck working late on Christmas Eve in 2007 and just wants to get to New Jersey to spend the holiday with her family. Her car won't start, she's locked in the building, and the only help she can find takes the opportunity to ask her to just stick around and have dinner with him. From there, her bad day turns into a nightmare as the security guard who was more interested in sharing a meal with her rather than helping her leave the building reveals his sinister intentions. Joel recounts the events from that night in this series that is a re-telling of a movie presented in a true-crime style narrative. Enjoy! Cash also fills Joel in on all of the murderous local news that has been going on lately including a decapitation, some home invasions, and rumors of dead bodies being found all over town. Stick around to find out some new dating slang terms that are sure to help you in all of your romantic ventures!

12-03
01:09:22

The Bizarre Disappearance of Bryce Laspisa and The Incredibly Cursed Town of Skidmore Missouri

We have two stories coming at you this episode and they have their fair share of mystery.  In our first story, we talk about the disappearance of 19-year-old Bryce Laspisa whose erratic behavior will lead you confused and clueless just as it has left Bryce's parents, friends, and investigators since August of 2013.  For seemingly no reason, Bryce leaves his college town and heads towards his parents' home miles away but never makes it home.  There has been no trace of him since that night.  It truly sounds like something you would see on an episode of "The Twilight Zone" but on that show, you would at least get some explanation as to what happened.  With this story, over 8 years later, all we are left with is questions. Our second story of this episode is all about the small town of Skidmore, Missouri, and its dark, vicious history.  Home to an all-around giant piece of shit, Ken Rex McElroy (who we covered all the way back in episode 15!), Skidmore has seen its fair share of brutal murders and mysterious disappearances.  This story covers a lot of depraved acts committed by Skidmore's citizens and sounds less like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" and more like a grindhouse horror film you would only find on a list of Video Nasties.  Enjoy, ya weirdos, and please be sure to #CANCELMAAM

11-18
01:03:32

The Unsolved Mystery of Paddy Moriarty

Season 2 Episode 6 ----------- When there’s a murder in a small town with only 12 residents everyone’s a suspect… but when everyone seems to have a motive, detectives still have their work cut out for them.  This week we’re traveling to the Outback to talk about the unsolved murder of Paddy Moriarty. We have a new format this week where we just get straight into the story and save the witty, hysterical, award-winning banter for the end of the show.  Let us know if you like it or not!  *Minimal Australian accents used. Promise. **Okay... define "minimal"... ***CRIKEY!

11-12
01:13:33

Doctor Satan - France's Most Prolific Murderer

Marcel André Henri Félix Petiot was born on Jan. 17, 1897, in the town of Auxerre.  As a young man he impaled insects on their knitting needles; he imprisoned tiny birds and did not feed them so that he could watch them die of starvation, though, some days he did let a bird go free but not before he had stuck pins into its eyes to blind it; he attempted to drown his cat in boiling water... and he had black eyes, which really should have been a warning sign. His legitimacy as a physician is still a question to this day but there is no doubt that he murdered dozens, if not hundreds, of people under the guise of helping them escape Occupied France during World War II.  This is the story of a depraved human being who used people's fear and hope to prey upon them and rob them of their lives and their valuables. This is the story of Doctor Satan. Enjoy Cash butchering a French accent! 

11-04
01:09:51

The Exorcisms of Latoya Ammons

Season 2 Episode 3--- This one is out of control right from the start. We have a story that seemed creepy and perfect for this time of year the first time Cash read it but as you'll find out while listening to this episode, it mostly just makes for an entertaining story that is perfect to mock for its absurdity. With that being said, credit for this story goes to Marisa Kwiatkowski at the IndyStar. Hope you enjoy!  A woman and three children who claimed to be possessed by demons. A 9-year-old boy walking backward up a wall in the presence of a family case manager and hospital nurse. Gary police Capt. Charles Austin said it was the strangest story he had ever heard. Austin, a 36-year veteran of the Gary Police Department, said he initially thought Indianapolis resident Latoya Ammons and her family concocted an elaborate tale as a way to make money. But after several visits to their home and interviews with witnesses, Austin said simply, "I am a believer." Not everyone involved with the family was inclined to believe its incredible story. And many readers will find Ammons' supernatural claims impossible to accept. But, whatever the cause of the creepy occurrences that befell the family — whether they were seized by a systematic delusion or demonic possession — it led to one of the most unusual cases ever handled by the Department of Child Services. Many of the events are detailed in nearly 800 pages of official records obtained by The Indianapolis Star and recounted in more than a dozen interviews with police, DCS personnel, psychologists, family members and a Catholic priest. Ammons, who swears by her story, has been unusually open. While she spoke on condition her children not be interviewed or named, she signed releases letting The Star review medical, psychological and official records that are not open to the public — and not always flattering. Furthermore, the family's story is made only more bizarre because it involves a DCS intervention, a string of psychological evaluations, a police investigation and, ultimately, a series of exorcisms.

10-21
01:32:20

REEL CRIMES - The Camp Crystal Lake Murders - Season 2 Episode 2

We have been wanting to do this for a while and we finally got it done! This is our first episode in a new series called "Reel Crimes" where we will be presenting reviews of various films as true crime stories. We had fun with this one and we will be doing some more of these in the future so let us know what you thought.  In 1958 at Camp Crystal Lake, counselors Barry Jackson and Claudette Hayes were found murdered inside a storage cabin. Twenty-one years later, Steve Christy (not the Buffalo Bills kicker, fortunately) spends $25,000 on his family's camp with plans to refurbish the cabins and facilities. From there, a brutal series of murders takes place leaving only one survivor/witness that recounted the horrific events of Friday, June 13th, 1979 to the local police officers who pulled her from the lake before she could drown.

10-11
56:33

The Tragedy of The Children of God Sex Cult and Ricky Rodriguez

We are back with Season 2 and we are starting things off with a gut-punch of a story!  The Children of God was formed in 1968 in Orange Beach, California under the guidance of David Brandt Berg and began as a band of hippies who would proselytize in the streets, and distribute literature. In 1969, after having a revelation "that California would be hit by a major earthquake", he left Huntington Beach and "took his followers on the road". Over time, David Berg would grow more authoritative and after making a young woman named Karen Zerby his second wife, he began to take the group in a dark and sexually depraved direction. Ricky Rodriguez would be the first son of Karen Zerby and hailed as the prince of Berg's sex cult. Still operating today as The Family International, this cult remains firm in their stance that they are a victim of persecution and while they recognize some aspects of their murky past, they ultimately still operate with enough skeletons in their closet to fill most of their communes. This is the story of how the Children of God came to be and how Ricky Rodriguez, the prince, would become another chapter in the tragic tale of just another sex cult preying on the faithful.  If you want more info check out www.xfamily.org for an extensive breakdown of the cult's history, beliefs, fronts they operate, individuals associated with the group, and a lot of info on the various alleged criminal acts committed by the group. 

10-04
01:20:10

The Villisca Axe Murders

Allllllll the way back in our first episode, while talking about the Hinterkaifeck Murders (go back and listen now), we mentioned that a few years prior to that massacre, a similar horrific crime scene was found in Villisca, Iowa. We also mentioned that we might cover that story at some point. Well, some point has arrived, and with it, our investigation into the Villisca Axe Murders. The Villisca axe murders occurred between the evening of June 9, 1912, and the early morning of June 10, 1912, in the town of Villisca, Iowa, United States. The six members of the Moore family and two house guests were found bludgeoned in the Moore residence. Much like the Hinterkaifeck Murders, the scene led investigators to believe that the murderer had hung around the crime scene for a while, using the home as their own. Also on this episode... Futurama is now! Suicide booths are now a thing in Switzerland and a bunch of nerdy stoners in Massachusetts baked an 850-pound pot brownie to celebrate National Brownie Day. Enjoy the new episode! (We're looking for sponsors!)

12-10
59:45

It's-A 2 Million Dollar Mario! - SO MANY BEES - Texas Man Loses Deadly Snake But Apologizes So It's Fine - AND A TRUE CRIME STORY... Episode 60

Hey hey, the boys are back! This week they talk about an NES game that sold for 2 million dollars, a couple who bought a house with what many would consider being too many bees in the walls, and an extremely poisonous & deadly snake on the loose in Texas. Once the current events are covered, the guys get back to basics with a true crime story.  This week's episode covers a former player for the Green Bay Packers, Randall Woodfield, the "I-9 Killer", whose reign of terror left a lot of victims strung across Oregon and California, and those are just the ones we know he committed.  His victims could easily number in the hundreds.  

08-10
01:04:49

New Marriage Rules - Eyebrow Crabs - Fun With Hookworms - Chili Dogs - Gator Toss... Episode 58

New Marriage Rules - Eyebrow Crabs - Fun With Hookworms - Chili Dogs - Gator Toss... Episode 58

07-26
46:43

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