Podcast Summary: Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode Title: Stranger Danger
Release Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Production: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Episode Overview

This episode of Cabinet of Curiosities, "Stranger Danger," presents two fascinating, true tales that explore the theme of outsiders and the unease, suspicion, or outright danger that can come from encountering the unknown—whether it's a missing airplane that sparks global fears or a misunderstood immigrant who becomes the stuff of local legend.

First Story: The Mystery of Aircraft 844AA

[00:45 - 06:42]

Key Discussion Points

• What Happens to Old Airliners:
  The episode opens by asking what becomes of commercial jets after their passenger days are done, noting their afterlives can sometimes take strange and illegal turns.

• The Saga of 844AA:

  • A Boeing 727, tail number 844AA, retired from American Airlines, is purchased by Maury Joseph, a Florida-based CEO of an airline leasing company.
  • Joseph sells the aircraft to Keith Irwin, a South African entrepreneur hired to transport fuel by air to diamond mines in war-torn Angola.
  • Rough and dangerous working conditions, payment problems, and unreliable clients plague the venture from the start.
  • With the business failing, Irwin's crew leaves, and the aircraft sits idle, accruing storage fees.

• Disappearance and Aftermath:

  • Maury Joseph sends Ben Padilla to Angola to recover and prepare the aircraft for sale.
  • On May 26, 2003, both Padilla and the plane vanish. The plane was last seen making erratic movements on the runway before taking off without authorization and disappearing over the Atlantic.
  • The event sparks fears of terrorism and prompts U.S. authorities to alert embassies across Africa.
  • Despite global efforts, the aircraft has never been found and remains the largest missing aircraft in history.

• Lingering Questions and Theories:

  • People debate whether Padilla stole the plane or was a victim himself.
  • Theories include theft for parts, a crash, or nefarious use, but no trace was ever recovered.

Notable Quotes

• On the risks of the aviation business:
  “Whatever you think of Maury, Irwin, Ben and the plane cargo business, it seems like surely there has to be an easier way to make a living.” (Aaron Mahnke, 06:38)

• On the lingering mystery:
  “No trace of 844AA has ever been found. It's the largest missing aircraft in world history.” (Aaron Mahnke, 06:26)

Second Story: The Lafayette Vampire – Teodor Glava

[07:33 - 13:26]

Key Discussion Points

• Teodor Glava’s Arrival:
  Romanian immigrant Teodor Glava arrives in Lafayette, Colorado, in 1914 after years of hardship in Austrian-Hungarian marble mines, hoping to start anew by working in the local coal industry.

• Outsider Status and Community Fear:

  • Glava’s physical appearance—tall, emaciated, and pale—makes him appear “straight out of every vampire legend they had come to fear.”
  • Isolated, with no family nearby, and speaking little English, he remains a mystery to townspeople.

• Tragedy and the Birth of a Legend:

  • Glava succumbs to the Spanish flu in 1918 before reuniting with his family.
  • Buried in the pauper's section of the local cemetery, his poorly made headstone erroneously reads he was from "Transylvania."
  • The pandemic’s toll leads to superstition. Locals, desperate for someone to blame, dig up Glava's grave, convinced he is the cause—a vampire.
  • Signs of natural post-mortem changes (shrunken gums and skin, apparent nail and hair growth) are interpreted as proof of vampirism.

• The Attempt to 'Kill' the Vampire and Its Aftermath:

  • A wooden stake is driven through his heart by villagers.
  • When a sapling grows from the grave the next spring, legend says the vampire's heart took root.

• Modern Legacy:

  • Today, Glava’s grave is a local oddity, covered with roses and trinkets from well-wishers, and still marked by the century-old tree, symbolizing how the story has shifted from fear to folklore.

Notable Quotes

• On the superstitious response:
  “When they spotted Glava's strangely scrawled headstone and that terrifying word, Transylvania, they recalled the pale, lanky stranger who had wandered into their midst so recently and hatched a plan to rid themselves of this pandemic—they would need to dig up and kill the vampire.” (Aaron Mahnke, 11:15)

• On the truth behind 'vampiric' signs:
  “Now, as any mortician will tell you, these changes to Glava's body were not supernatural at all. Skin and gums shrink after a person dies and begins to decompose, making hair, nails, and teeth appear longer, especially without the modern embalming processes we have today.” (Aaron Mahnke, 12:10)

• On the legend’s transformation:
  “Nowadays, Glava has become a legend in Lafayette... Passerbyers probably think that they're seeing the final resting place of a beloved local resident, but have no idea that they're actually looking at the legendary vampire of Lafayette.” (Aaron Mahnke, 13:00)

Memorable Moments & Atmosphere

• The juxtaposition of two tales united by themes of paranoia, misunderstanding, and the outcast’s fate.
• Vivid narrative details—like a plane vanishing into thin air, or a sapling growing from a “vampire’s” grave—capture the eerie, mysterious tone that defines the show.
• Both stories explore how the unknown can fuel extraordinary events, whether by igniting international incident or local folklore.

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Intro & Theme Setup: 00:45
• 844AA’s Journey & Disappearance: 01:03 – 06:26
• Theories and Aftermath of Missing Plane: 06:26 – 06:38
• Setting the Scene in 1914 Colorado: 07:33
• Teodor Glava’s Death and Vampire Panic: 09:40 – 12:20
• Legend’s Evolution & Modern Grave: 12:55 – 13:26

Final Thoughts & Tone

Aaron Mahnke guides listeners through the "Cabinet" with trademark curiosity and a knack for highlighting how humans grapple with the unexplainable. The stories balance factual narration with the chilling power of legend and rumor, leaving listeners pondering how truth, fear, and folklore intertwine.

For the curious and the courageous, this episode is a reminder—sometimes the stranger the story, the more it reveals about our deepest fears and the lengths we’ll go to explain what we don’t understand.