E399 Em's Day O' Fun and a Ghost Renovator

Update: 2024-09-29

Digest

The podcast begins with a conversation about Christine's health and her struggles with insomnia. The conversation then shifts to the recent tour and the need for relaxation. Christine reveals her new hobby: cryptid photography. The podcast then delves into the history of a haunted Victorian mansion in Gardner, Massachusetts, owned by Sylvester Pierce, a furniture manufacturer. The town became known as "Chair City" due to Pierce's successful furniture business. The podcast recounts the tragic death of Sylvester Pierce's wife, Susan, shortly after they moved into the mansion. The mansion became a social hub for artists, politicians, and businessmen, attracting notable figures like President Coolidge and PT Barnum. The podcast explores Victorian mourning rituals, including the three stages of mourning: deep mourning, ordinary mourning, and half mourning. The podcast discusses the social expectations and practices associated with each stage, including clothing choices and the duration of mourning. The podcast continues the history of the mansion, detailing its changing ownership and eventual purchase by Lillian and Edwin, the main characters of the story. Lillian's fascination with the house leads them to purchase it despite Edwin's initial reservations. The podcast recounts Edwin's premonition about the house, where he dreams of floating into the mansion and witnessing an 1800s party. The next day, during a tour of the house, Edwin realizes that his dream accurately depicted the mansion's layout and even identifies the spot where he saw a man in black. The podcast describes the couple's experiences in the haunted mansion, including strange occurrences like moving objects, shadow figures, and the unusual behavior of their dogs. Lillian remains unfazed by the paranormal activity, while Edwin becomes increasingly uneasy. The story begins with Edwin, a man whose wife Lillian doesn't believe in spirits, experiencing a series of strange events in their new home, Pierce Manor. He sees a clear shadow person walking through the house, and the shadow even interacts with light sources. The neighbors start noticing unusual activity in the house, including Lillian painting constantly despite the cold weather and a young boy running from room to room. Edwin denies these claims, but the neighbors' observations raise questions about the house's true inhabitants. Edwin's discomfort grows as he experiences more unsettling events. He sees a dark shadow morphing into a man, and then encounters a man in flannel who vanishes into thin air. He leaves the house for some fresh air and learns that a man across the street had just died of a heart attack at the same time he saw the man in his house. Edwin and Lillian research the history of Pierce Manor and discover that at least five people, including Sylvester Pierce, his wives, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and a renter, died in the house. Rumors also suggest that the youngest son turned the house into a gambling hall and brothel, where a sex worker may have also died. Edwin wakes up to find Lillian humming and dressed nicely, which is unusual for her. She doesn't respond to him and walks through the cold rooms without seeming to mind. Later, Edwin discovers that Lillian has been digging in the basement all day, her clothes filthy. Lillian finds a pelvic bone while digging in the basement. The police are called, and it's discovered that the bone is animal, not human. Lillian is disappointed, believing the boy she and the neighbors saw was murdered and buried in the house. New neighbors move in, and their son also sees the boy in the window. The activity in the house becomes even more undeniable. Window screens blow in with no wind, dishes fall, doors open and close, and children's footsteps are heard in the attic. Lillian challenges the spirits to reveal themselves, and a demonic roar is heard in response. Edwin creates a Facebook page about the house, seeking information and attracting paranormal investigators. He allows them to stay overnight and charges fees to renovate the house. Lillian, however, is uncomfortable with strangers in their home. The more people investigate the house, the more active the hauntings become. Growling is heard throughout the house, EVPs with strange commands are recorded, and things follow people home. One woman is pushed down the stairs and caught by something else. Psychics and mediums visit the house and report seeing a woman strangled to death in one of the bedrooms, two dark entities in the basement, and a little girl greeting people in the hallways. One investigator is scratched in the shape of the Roman numeral four and hears a voice saying "Squeeze every throat." A psychic reveals that a ghost named Maddie, who used to watch over the Pierce children, is still in the house and trying to manage the other spirits. However, she is losing control due to the influx of new spirits brought in by the investigators. During a final investigation, Lillian faints and doesn't wake up for three days. Edwin is also in a trance and can't remember anything from those three days. The only thing he remembers is seeing a woman in white floating upstairs and sobbing uncontrollably. Edwin and Lillian decide to move out of the house after Lillian is paralyzed in bed and screams for Edwin to get something off of her. They move in with Lillian's sister, and continue the tours despite the unsettling events. Zachary, a paranormal investigator, buys out the entire house for an investigation. The city eventually shuts down the tours due to conflict between the psychics and local investigators. The house is now open for history tours, but paranormal investigations are forbidden. Zachary mentions a man named Jay Stemmerman who lived in the house, but no sources confirm his existence. A researcher suggests that Jay may have brought darkness to the house, but refuses to comment further. During Zachary's investigation, the team experiences strange events, including loud bangs, shuffling sounds, a camera dying, a woman's voice, something touching Aaron's shoulder, and an EVP saying "go to sleep." The spirit box reveals the name David, a name heard earlier in the investigation, and a little girl saying "hi." The episode shifts to an extended update on the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case, covering her release from prison and new information about her life. The hosts discuss their previous episode on the case and how their podcasting style has evolved over the years. Gypsy Rose Blanchard was born in 1991. Her father, Rod, was 17 when he found out about the pregnancy and married Dee Dee, but they separated soon after. Dee Dee began fabricating illnesses for Gypsy, claiming she had sleep apnea, a chromosomal genetic disorder, and muscular dystrophy. Gypsy was diagnosed with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and received a feeding tube. Dee Dee used this to control Gypsy's food intake and administer medication. Gypsy's family noticed that she was eating normally and walking when Dee Dee was in the hospital, but she returned to her wheelchair and feeding tube when Dee Dee came home. Gypsy's family discovered that Dee Dee was poisoning her own stepmother with weed killer. They kicked Dee Dee out of the house, and Gypsy and Dee Dee faced housing insecurity and moved frequently. Gypsy and Dee Dee were living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, destroying their apartment complex. Dee Dee neglected to contact her family, seemingly enjoying the attention and worry. They were flown to a hospital by helicopter, and Dee Dee relished the special treatment. This chapter delves into Dee Dee's manipulative behavior, including fabricating diagnoses and exploiting Gypsy's trust. It explores the challenges Gypsy faced in escaping her mother's control and the consequences of her actions. This chapter focuses on Gypsy's move into a new home and Dee Dee's continued manipulation of her daughter. It highlights the impact of Dee Dee's actions on Gypsy's life and the challenges she faced in navigating her own identity. This chapter explores Gypsy's secret online life and her encounter with Nicholas Godejohn at a sci-fi convention. It examines the complexities of their relationship and the role it played in Gypsy's eventual escape. This chapter details the events leading up to Dee Dee's murder, including Gypsy's escape attempt, her return home, and the subsequent punishment she endured. It culminates in the tragic death of Dee Dee at the hands of Nicholas. This chapter explores the aftermath of Dee Dee's murder, including Gypsy's arrest, her time in prison, and her eventual release. It examines the challenges she faced in navigating her newfound freedom and the complexities of her story.

Outlines