Podcast
A Study of Strange
Hosted by Convergent Content, LLC · EN
A Study of Strange is for lovers of true crime, mysteries, and high strangeness. Each week, host Michael May investigates the unknown, from bizarre crimes and unsolved murders to hauntings, urban legends, lore, cryptids, and unexplained phenomena.
The mission is simple: debunk common misconceptions, uncover hidden details, and explore the most unusual unsolved stories from history. Along the way, listeners hear from occasional guests like writers, entertainment industry insiders, and the occasional random oddball who all add fresh perspectives to these strange and dark histories.
Michael May is a filmmaker and performer known for producing films like Ghosts of the Ozarks and Fun Size Horror, and for hosting the true-crime automotive series Auto/Biography and Auto/Biography: Cold Cases on Motortrend TV.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Did Jack the Ripper Kill More Than Five?
Apr 1400:51:11Tap to summarizeJack the Ripper is history’s most infamous unidentified killer, but the Whitechapel murder files included 11 brutal and still-debated killings. Beyond the names most people know are other women whose strange deaths have raised troubling questions. In this episode, host Michael May and guest Rebecca Stevens explore three lesser-known Whitechapel murders that may have been committed by Jack the Ripper.Follow Guest Rebeccas Stevens! https://www.instagram.com/rebeccastevenstherapy/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLCDive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Special Announcement! A Study of Strange Returns April 14th!
Mar 3100:01:08Tap to summarizeWe are off for SPRING BREAK and will return in APRIL.Do you want to be on A Study of Strange? We want to hear your experiences with strange mysteries and the unexplained for an upcoming special episode. Have a story to share? Email astudyofstrange@gmail.com.Listen to short mysteries and find additional content on our Instagram and Substack.Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLCDive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →He Called 911 After Every Murder: The Weepy Voice Killer
Mar 2400:20:27Tap to summarizeIn the early 1980s, a serial killer terrorized the Twin Cities, and after every attack he called 911. Sobbing. Confessing. Begging police to find him before he killed again. His name was Paul Michael Stephani. The recordings of his calls are haunting, but Stephani was caught because one of his victims fought back.Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLCDive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →The Five Most Dangerous Documents in History
Mar 1700:21:53Tap to summarizeWe tend to measure destruction in body counts and blast radii. But some of the most catastrophic forces ever unleashed on humanity came from words on paper. We're counting down five documents that changed the course of history including the Malleus Maleficarum, Cigarette Papers, General Order #11, and more. Turns out the pen really is mightier than the sword.Support the show by subscribing to our Substack: https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLCDive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Denmark's Most Shocking Unsolved Murder
Mar 1000:26:50Tap to summarizeOn February 20, 1948, detectives in Copenhagen are called to Peter Bangs Vej 74 after a couple had been brutally murdered in their apartment. The crime scene contained strange clues and details, and they sparked decades of conspiracy theories. The notorious case of Vilhelm and Inger Jacobsen is still unsolved.Find information on the case at https://www.dobbeltmordet.dk/Register/Support the show by subscribing to our Substack: https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLCDive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →The San Francisco Witch Killers
Mar 300:50:28Tap to summarizeOn January 12, 1983, hitchhikers Michael Bear Carson and his wife Suzan murdered their driver, John Hellyar, in view of other motorists. After a high speed chase and their arrest, the couple would admit during a five hour press conference that they were on a mission from a higher power to kill witches. However, this strange true crime case of “The San Francisco Witch Killers” is not about one just one murder. The couple were convicted for three murders, but should be considered suspects in many more unsolved cases. With special guest, Darren Coyle.Visit www.darrencoyle.comSupport the show by subscribing to our Substack: https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLC Dive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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The Dungarvon Whooper
Feb 2400:18:13Tap to summarizeThis Canadian ghost story involves an alleged murder in the dense forests of New Brunswick in the 1820s. Ever since, the sounds of Whoops, Calls, and Screams can be heard from the vengeful ghost. The truth behind this campfire tale, though, is hard to discern, and may involve crazy hermits, a hit song, and a hurricane.Read the 19th century article that influenced the legend here.Subscribe to "A Study of Strange" on your favorite podcast platform! Rate and Review to help us reach more listeners!Substack https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLC Dive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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The Serial Photographer | Killer William Bradford
Feb 1700:17:58Tap to summarizeWilliam Bradford posed as a photographer to lure women into the Mojave Desert, promising them careers as models. Bradford was convicted of two murders but he is assumed to be an even more prolific serial killer because he left behind a trove of pictures of unidentified women who have not been found.Subscribe to "A Study of Strange" on your favorite podcast platform! Rate and Review to help us reach more listeners!Substack https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLC Dive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Werewolf Of Bedburg
Feb 1000:21:40Tap to summarizeIn 1589, a quiet German farming community was gripped by terror. Villagers swore they were being hunted by the mythical werewolf. Soon local farmer Peter Stumpp was arrested and accused of this heinous werewolfery. He confessed, under torture, and what followed became one of the most infamous and disturbing executions in history. Was Stumpp an actual supernatural beast, or a human killer shaped by one of history’s darkest eras?A true crime tale wrapped in folklore, this is a case where horror, belief, and reality collide.Subscribe to "A Study of Strange" on your favorite podcast platform! Rate and Review to help us reach more listeners!Substack https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/Theme Music by Matt GlassInstagram: @astudyofstrangeHosted by Michael MayEmail stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com©2026 Convergent Content, LLC Dive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →Carl Großmann: The Butcherin' Berlin Beggar
Feb 300:39:15Tap to summarizeA re-release of a classic episode. In 1921 police caught Carl Großmann in a frightening, murderous act that caused the papers to label him the "Berlin Butcher". Großmann is a notorious serial killer but his claim to fame today (selling sausages made of human meat) may be entirely made up. This episode is released in memory of our special guest, Sarah Lovett, co-host of "True Crime ABCs" who recently passed away. Her show is still available to enjoy at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-abcs/id1698385786 Subscribe to "A Study of Strange" on your favorite podcast platform! Rate and Review to help us reach more listeners! Substack https://astudyofstrange.substack.com/ Theme Music by Matt Glass Instagram: @astudyofstrange Hosted by Michael May Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com ©2026 Convergent Content, LLC LINKS: https://www.thetruecrimedatabase.com/case_file/the-berlin-butcher/ https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Carl_Gro%C3%9Fmann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtDxdt5L2aQ https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g/grossmann-georg.htm https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Extreme-Violence-Clare-Allely/dp/036748093X/ref=asc_df_036748093X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=533463736693&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=730500286153011470&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031201&hvtargid=pla-912353148443&psc=1&mcid=7b1b02f229193eb48ace7e3fc08875f5&gclid=CjwKCAiAlcyuBhBnEiwAOGZ2S8EGOvGTdlBw5bDqY06TbDBPwPOInPNrs-T7gbtVYlgs1Kn42CjYmRoCD_4QAvD_BwEDive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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