E410 The Loose Moose Trio and Mr. I Need a Ride

Summary

Episode Summary: E410 The Loose Moose Trio and Mr. I Need a Ride

And That's Why We Drink hosted by Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz masterfully intertwines the realms of true crime and the paranormal in their latest episode, "The Loose Moose Trio and Mr. I Need a Ride," released on December 15, 2024. This episode delves into chilling ghost stories and terrifying true crime tales, promising an engaging and suspenseful listening experience for both new and returning listeners.

Returning from the Poor Decisions Tour

The episode kicks off as Christine and Em return from their recent Poor Decisions Tour. Christine enthusiastically shares, "We’re back from our first half of the Poor Decisions tour, and yesterday or two days ago, we released our second half" ([02:46] Christine Schiefer). They discuss their excitement about performing in new, random locations this year, attributing their comfort to familiarity with their tour script: "It's a script that we pretty much have memorized at this point... it's a lot less scary" ([03:14] Em McCory).

Ghost Adventures Review: Adobe Deli

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to reviewing an episode from Ghost Adventures focused on the Adobe Deli in Deming, New Mexico. The hosts provide an in-depth analysis of the restaurant's haunted history.

History and Hauntings

Christine begins by recounting the setting: "We are talking about the Adobe Deli, which was originally the Lewis Flats Elementary School from 1957 to 1977" ([43:54] Christine Schiefer). The establishment’s transformation from a school to a restaurant is highlighted, emphasizing the eerie ambiance created by the dense collection of bric-a-brac and taxidermy.

Em adds details about the hauntings: "Their EMF detector intelligently spikes... they get crazy EVPs" ([56:10] Em McCory). The hosts discuss various paranormal activities reported, such as shadow figures, moving lights, and strange noises, which contribute to the restaurant's haunted reputation.

Analytical Insights

The duo critically examines the Ghost Adventures team's experiences, questioning the authenticity and dramatization of the paranormal phenomena. Christine observes, "The EVPs relate to ghostly messages like 'sit down' and 'knife'" ([56:19] Christine Schiefer), analyzing how these elements are used to build suspense and enhance the show's cinematic quality.

Em reflects on the show’s storytelling: "Cinematic magic. You are. I can't believe I've never seen this episode" ([73:30] Em McCory), underscoring the dramatic flair that makes the Adobe Deli episode particularly compelling.

The Tragic Murder of Mike Barajas

The heart of the episode is the recounting of the tragic story of Mike Barajas, a beloved community member whose life was cut short in a harrowing crime involving family betrayal and financial desperation.

Meeting Sandra and Forming a Family

Christine narrates Mike's background: "Mike met Sandra Siegel while serving in the army at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas" ([87:49] Christine Schiefer). Their relationship blossomed despite age differences and Sandra's responsibilities as a divorced mother of two young daughters. Mike's dedication is evident as he "treated them like his own biological children" ([89:14] Christine Schiefer).

Relocation to Colorado and Rising Tensions

Seeking financial stability and closer family ties, Mike moved with his family to Colorado Springs. However, the relocation introduced new tensions as his eldest daughter, Dawn, began struggling academically and behaviorally, leading to conflicts within the household.

The Night of the Murder

On February 13, 2013 ([87:57] Christine Schiefer), Sandra and Dawn were at the hospital while Mike was at work. Dawn returned home to find the house ransacked and Mike dead, wrapped in bed sheets. A suspicious man in a T-shirt and shorts was seen begging for a ride, [100:14] Em McCory adds.

Investigation and Unraveling the Mystery

The investigation led to Tommy Wright, a 34-year-old with a criminal background. Em explains, "Forensic analysis matched the murder weapon to Tommy's possession, corroborating his confession" ([117:58] Em McCory). Tommy confessed to the crime, revealing that Sandra had orchestrated the murder to secure life insurance due to mounting gambling debts: "I'll give you $500 for killing him" ([117:58] Christine Schiefer).

Christine highlights the criminal dynamics: "They played the phone call in which Sandra was like, yes, I'll give you $500 for killing him" ([125:46] Christine Schiefer). This confession led to Sandra's conviction for first-degree murder and Tommy's sentencing to 40 years for second-degree murder. Dawn also pled guilty to second-degree murder, receiving a 45-year sentence.

Community Impact

The community, initially shocked, found relief that the murder wasn’t a random act of violence but a calculated family betrayal. Em reflects, "If our next door neighbor got murdered, I'd go, oh, fuck" ([126:48] Em McCory), illustrating the typical fear response to such crimes.

Personal Anecdotes and Reflections

Throughout the episode, Christine and Em intersperse personal stories and reflections, adding depth to their narrative. Em shares his struggles with health issues: "I've been dealing with sinus problems and feeling really under the weather" ([10:00] Em McCory). Christine relates her experiences with insomnia and the importance of relaxation apps like Calm: "Calm helps me with my sleep, my anxiety, my stress" ([42:53] Christine Schiefer).

Relationship Dynamics

The hosts also explore their relationship dynamics, discussing how they handle personal challenges together. Em humorously muses about kissing on a show: "Could you do it? I don't think I could kiss you" ([05:09] Em McCory), showcasing their playful rapport.

Insights and Takeaways

• Betrayal and Financial Desperation: The story of Mike Barajas underscores how financial stress and family betrayal can lead to tragic outcomes.

• Authenticity in Paranormal Reporting: The review of the Adobe Deli episode highlights the fine line between genuine paranormal investigation and dramatized storytelling.

• Personal Resilience: Christine and Em's candid discussions about their personal struggles emphasize the importance of resilience and support systems in navigating life's challenges.

Notable Quotes

"I'll give you $500 for killing him." – Tommy Wright ([117:58] Christine Schiefer)

"The team felt bursts of cold air and saw shadow figures." – Em McCory ([56:24] Em McCory)

"Calm helps me with my sleep, my anxiety, my stress." – Christine Schiefer ([42:53] Christine Schiefer)

"If our next door neighbor got murdered, I'd go, oh, fuck." – Em McCory ([126:48] Em McCory)

Conclusion

In Episode E410: The Loose Moose Trio and Mr. I Need a Ride, And That's Why We Drink delivers a powerful blend of true crime and paranormal storytelling. Through the harrowing tale of Mike Barajas's murder and the eerie review of the Adobe Deli's ghostly activities, Christine and Em engage listeners with a narrative that is as informative as it is captivating. Their ability to intertwine personal anecdotes with detailed storytelling ensures that the episode resonates deeply, making it a standout entry in their series.

Listeners are left reflecting on the complexities of human relationships, the thin veneer of community trust, and the unsettling mysteries that lie just beneath the surface of everyday life. As always, Christine and Em reaffirm their podcast's motto: "The world's a scary place. And that's why we drink!"

Transcript

[Christine Schiefer]

This Christmas, or should I say no Rel. Give the gift that truly keeps on giving. And that is a lifetime membership to Rosetta Stone. Yes, lifetime membership. Rosetta Stone is the most trusted language learning program available on desktop or as an app. And it truly immerses you in the language you want to learn. So I've been practicing my French and I really, really love the app. Leona was sitting next to me, and every time I would pronounce something, it would tell me how well I pronounced it. Not just like, ding, you got it right, but it was like. Like a kind of a circle where it would tell you how close you are to the. To the actual pronunciation. And I thought that was so cool because that's something I'm really insecure about when I speak languages, is getting the pronunciation right. So I love Rosetta Stone. I've been really into it, trying to get everything up to snuff. Do you need a gift idea or a last minute gift? Give your family and friends the gift of language. 50% off all 25 languages for a lifetime and no shipping fees. Give the gift that keeps on giving. Don't put off learning that language. There's no better time than right now to get started today. And that's why we drink. Listeners can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off, visit ww Rosetta stone.com drink that's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% off at ww Rosettastone.com Drink today for yourself or as a gift that keeps giving. Hey, Em, have you ever had sleep paralysis on your Helix mattress?

[Em McCory]

No, because it's so cozy. But I will tell you what I have had on on my Helix mattress and that is up a good effing nap.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, it is a good nap bed. I never thought I was a nap person, but that's the only bed that I can actually take naps on. It's very comfortable.

[Em McCory]

There's truly nothing that made me more excited. I mean, I have talked on the show about getting that bed frame, but I mean, no such thing as a nice bed frame without a nice bed.

[Christine Schiefer]

With its own throne to sit upon. Yes.

[Em McCory]

The first nap in this place. Oh, man. Game changer. And that was all because of Helix Sleep.

[Christine Schiefer]

I love that thing. And I had it before. I never said this a million times, but I had it before we ever actually even had them as a sponsor. So it was like, extra exciting. I was like, I have so much to say. Thank you for coming aboard because I've already experienced this for several years and I love it. So anyway, we're obviously big fans of Helix. We can't promise there will be no sleep paralysis, but, you know, worth a shot. Go to helix sleep.com/drink for 25% off site wide plus two free dream pillows with any mattress purchase.

[Em McCory]

That's helixsleep.com drink.

[Christine Schiefer]

On the road again. Just kidding. We're home. Hi, everybody. We're back from our first half. Seventh tour. I was gonna say first. Like, remember the time I said it's episode one and he said, no, it's not.

[Em McCory]

It was. That was a beautiful mistake you made. Yeah. No, we're finally back from our first half of the Poor Decisions tour. And as we're saying this, yesterday or two days ago, we released our second half, so we're going back out again, which I.

[Christine Schiefer]

Everyone was like, do you have time to rest? I was like, wait till Monday. There's an Instagram post coming.

[Em McCory]

Well, I. I love when we are going back on the road with a tour we already feel comfortable with. That's fine.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's true. If it were make it a lot easier.

[Em McCory]

If it were a whole new tour where we had to do all new footage, we had to write a whole new show and we had to come, that would have been obviously way too much. But the to. It's a script that we pretty much have memorized at this point.

[Christine Schiefer]

It's a lot less scary.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, I'm totally happy to just not the thing. The tour is lovely. It's just the travel that. That's a lot and so since we won't be traveling, I'm. I'm happy to take the break for. It's a good enough break for me.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes. And we've had the best time. We also added a bunch of. Through this last tour, had a bunch of book signings. So that was cool too, because we got kind of like the meet and greet aspect and we got to stay like an extra day in a lot of cities because of that. So that was cool. But, yes, we are back on the road. So go buy tickets. I'm actually, this will be a fun one because I feel like we have some really random spots in there this year.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, we. The. The last few years are like. I feel like we went to more like the mainstream spots, which is what I was kind of expecting to happen this time around too. But our manager and our. And our tour manager, our booking manager, they. They swear by these spots that we should give them a shot so I'm. We're going.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. So if you want tickets, go to. And that's why drink.comlive. we are very excited about it. We also have a lot of like, merch up on the. I was just saying I always forget to bring up merch on the. I don't know why I'm making this like a promo intro, but I don't know. I feel like there's important stuff we never talk about. So here's me attempting to say them. So anyway, go look at us on the Internet.

[Em McCory]

Okay, I'll look at myself as well on the Internet.

[Christine Schiefer]

Good idea. Good idea.

[Em McCory]

I do. At least once a month. Just a quick googs.

[Christine Schiefer]

You do. I do not. I Google you. Not myself though. I Real quick. Before we ask each other why we drink, which is the usual standard fare for the show, I wanted to point out also that because we're on Patreon and we do these like, yappy hours after the episode this time I brought some conversation cards for us.

[Em McCory]

Oh, I love that.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, they're for relationships. And I did actually buy them for. For Blaze for Valentine's Day. And then we both got Covid. So they're unopened.

[Em McCory]

I got conversation. I got conversation starters. Or maybe Allison got them for us. We got them at some point years ago, and then they just kind of sat on our like, coffee table. We never touched them. But every now and then, like before we'd go to bed, it's like, oh, let's pull a card. And half. We've been together for so long that I feel like half the questions you already know the answers to. So I would be excited to. I'm intrigued about you and me.

[Christine Schiefer]

I don't know what's in these ones yet because Blaze and I have never opened them because we were like, well.

[Em McCory]

Valentine's over, we're too busy. I'm excited to maybe grow in our relationship. Maybe me too. Maybe we'll kiss at the end. I will.

[Christine Schiefer]

That would be now. Listen, this is way the way to get our Patreon up and on.

[Em McCory]

If you join us at our top tier, you'll get a video of me, a virtual kiss, begging Christine for a kiss.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, actually, they're getting that right now, I think.

[Em McCory]

You know what? I actually, I have a question for you because this was. This was asked to me if we were like in a show.

[Christine Schiefer]

Uh huh. We are. What do you mean though?

[Em McCory]

Like in a TV show or something? If we got like booked as a special and we had to kiss, could you do it? I Don't think I could kiss you.

[Christine Schiefer]

It depends on what the stakes are.

[Em McCory]

I really don't think. I actually. Just thinking about it, I don't think I could do it.

[Christine Schiefer]

I think I would probably have to be, like, obliterated.

[Em McCory]

Can I gay squeal afterwards? I can't even. Just thinking about it, I can't.

[Christine Schiefer]

It would have to be part of the script. Like, it would have to be that we're so uncomfortable because it would be so obvious that it would have to be part of the story. Like, otherwise, we can't pretend that, well, we're not that good of actors.

[Em McCory]

No more than a peck. Anything else is like, it's too much.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, certainly not more. No. A peck is the farthest I think I could get with anything.

[Em McCory]

Like, I literally, like, covered in sweat all.

[Christine Schiefer]

Why I even asked this. The loose. The loose mousse sweatshirt you got me is real sticky all of a sudden. I'm sweaty and hot.

[Em McCory]

I. First of all, it's lovely that you're wearing that sweatshirt. I didn't know if you still had that one.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, of course. It's my cozy loose mousse. How could I not?

[Em McCory]

That's. Can I talk about the loose moose real quick?

[Christine Schiefer]

Always.

[Em McCory]

Okay, so there was. We were driving through New England at one point, and you were driving, I think, with Lisa. So it was just Eva and me, obviously. I follow all those websites with like, the roadside attractions and things like that and the TikToks. And I'd always heard about this one restaurant on this, like, on the side of the highway in Connecticut and like Union, Connecticut, I think it's called. I don't want to mess it up. Hang on a sec. It was. It was basically a restaurant, but it's. It's like a one book.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, I got it. The Traveler.

[Em McCory]

Yes.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hold on. The Traveler restaurant. Yes. Quote the food and book people. Union, Connecticut. I'm so dumb. It was on my sweatshirt the whole time.

[Em McCory]

Well, okay, so I've always heard about this place. And apparently it's like a book themed restaurant where it's like half a library or something. Or when you go, you get like, you. You. It's a. It's a book restaurant. I've always heard about it. And we just happened. I didn't even think of us driving past it anything like that. But all of a sudden, Eva and I are in the car driving through Connecticut and I see this massive sign that says, like, travelers restaurant coming up. And I went, eva, turn in now. I was like, I don't even care. If we're late to wherever we're going, I know we have a show tonight. I don't care. Turn in. And we went in there. We ended up having, like, this really great lunch. The person who was our server or, like, somehow is involved in owning the restaurant, like, listens to our show and, like, was so, like. Like, like, fangirling, which zombie? And Eva and all downstairs, there's a whole library. The whole top. There's books everywhere. And so I don't know the story behind the loose moose, specifically. I think there was, like, if Eva were here, she'd be able to tell you. But there was a moose outside at some point. Like a statue of a moose?

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, they said it was, like, the biggest moose in. Or, I don't know, was talking about a moose. And then they said, oh, over time, like, it got famous.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. It became known as, like, the loose moose. That was, like, in their. In their front yard. And so they ended up making merch for the loose moose in the traveling restaurant. I'm totally butchering the story, but the whole point of what I wanted to say was that I was so excited that I stumbled upon something I'd been, like, waiting to find. I felt like a pirate finding treasure that I'd been looking for. It was wonderful.

[Christine Schiefer]

And now I get to wear the treasure, and.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, so then we got Christina sweatshirt. Eva has the red one. I have the green one. And we're like Alvin and the Chipmunks, huh?

[Christine Schiefer]

Except I just wasn't there.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, but in spirit, you were.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, always. Always. Why do you drink this, weekend, girl?

[Em McCory]

I drink because I'm so out of control, sick. I think it's because I've been doing that thing where I, like, have not let. I mean, we've talked about this so many times, but I think part of my burnout is, like, physically letting my body just deteriorate. You know what I mean? And I've just been go, go, go for so long, and not even in, like. Like, not just tour. I know people are gonna be like, oh, it's because of tour. Behind the scenes, I've got things going on lately, and everyone is fine currently, but everyone was not fine for a second, and I was dealing with that, and just. It's just been a lot of stuff. So I think I've just not let my, like, mentally. Because even if I, like, was home relaxing or if I was, like. If it looked like on the outside, I was just sitting on the couch and, like, resting, I. My mind was just in a million places, and so now that everything's kind of over with, the moment I got home for the holidays, my body just started breaking down. I just had, like, a really bad runny nose for a second. And I haven't had a cold in, like, two and a half years. Right. And so I think this is like two and a half years worth of my immune system, like, breaking down. I don't know. I just. I'm really going through it over here. So I brought several boxes of tissues. So sorry to our editor, Jack, for the amount of times you're gonna have to cut today. And I also literally. This is so sick. I don't even wanna say it out loud. I literally have a spittoon because I just have so much coming out of my head.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's so hot.

[Em McCory]

Let's kiss.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, I changed my mind, by the way. My contract has got to be edited. Yeah, I need triple what they were paying me before.

[Em McCory]

I'm. I'm literally just like. I'm. Thank God. I'm on the other, like, side of it now. Like, Christine and I were supposed to record yesterday. The day before that, I was like, in such a brain fog. I couldn't even do notes if I tried. So I'm. I'm better. I'm getting better. Tomorrow I think I'll be totally good, but I'm racing the clock because in, like, two days, my friend from home, Deirdre, gets married. And so.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, yeah, no big deal.

[Em McCory]

I'm, like, desperately trying from, like, episode six.

[Christine Schiefer]

She was like, one of our first ever characters on the show, and now she's getting married, which is so crazy.

[Em McCory]

I know. And I also, I. In the middle of writing, like, a best person speech and all this. And so I'm just. I'm trying to make sure my head is clear enough that I've written so.

[Christine Schiefer]

Many best person speeches just for yourself that I feel like you should. They should be easy for you.

[Em McCory]

Well, this one is easy. I'll. Maybe we'll talk about it in.

[Christine Schiefer]

During our conversation starters.

[Em McCory]

During our. Yes, during that. But I. Luckily it's. I've got a good direction on that speech, but I just want to make sure it's good. Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

You could practice your speech in the Patreon Yappy hour. We could. I'll give you little applause.

[Em McCory]

Thank you.

[Christine Schiefer]

I was gonna say feedback, but we don't do that. We just give claps.

[Em McCory]

Just criticism. We listen and we judge.

[Christine Schiefer]

Only positive. Only good vibes.

[Em McCory]

Well, so the bad part is that I'm desperately sick. And also I Came home early because my mom needed some help health wise. She's okay now, but for a second we didn't know. So I came home early. And now the best thing I can do for her health is stay the fuck away from her. So it's been its own mind fucking with your spittoon. Me and my spatoon. I'm like, can I help you, Bob? And she's like, but the good reason why I drink is I'm back on the east coast, which means it's raining outside.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, yeah. Honestly, your window looks like a transplant in my window right now because we're in the same hemisphere. Well, that's not right math or right geometry or. You know what I mean?

[Em McCory]

It's fun.

[Christine Schiefer]

We're in the same space, sort of mentally and physically, certainly.

[Em McCory]

Anyway, so I got to wake up to, like, it being dreary outside. Oh, I miss dreary. It really. Actually, I think this is 50% of why I feel so much better today.

[Christine Schiefer]

Better? You look better.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, well, I. Because I woke up and I was like, oh, my God, it's snuggle season. Let's get into it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Do you know how much I realize I love this? Which I didn't know because I do get seasonal affective disorder, But I was, like, laying in bed this morning and I changed my sheets. By the way, big hot tip, folks. Flannel bedding is a game changer. Although if you have a.

[Em McCory]

The sweats.

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, the sweats, but also shedding animals. It, like, collects hair. So every morning, Blaze walks in with a little handheld vacuum and vacuums the comforter. Um, no. So I put a quilt on top so that. That has kind of fixed it. But I tell you what, I took a shower this morning, climbed back into my flannel bed, and then all three of my furry boys, like, just went around me because it's cold. I tell myself it's because they love me, but really it's because it's cold out. And I was like, this is a prime nap situation. I'm in a prime nap zone.

[Em McCory]

I feel like, sorry, my light fell. I've never actually thought about the fact that if you have fur, like, the flannel is a problem. It never even occurred to me. Sorry. I'm trying to figure this out. There you go. But now that you say it, that plus the fact that I have a sweating problem, I feel like, oh, it's not for you. I feel like the flannel would just. I would just wake up in, like, a big foot suit.

[Christine Schiefer]

To clarify, Blaze Has a separate blanket that's for like.

[Em McCory]

That makes sense.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hot sleepers. And I'm just like. Let me just bundle into my. La. Used to call me hp, which stood for hot potato. Because I would literally wrap myself in, like, heated blankets and just like, lay there. And I was like, I want to be a hot potato. And he was like, okay, weirdo. So anyway, hp. Yeah, so I. I still. I still like to be all snuggly. But anyway, I feel you with your kind of dreary vibe.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, no, there's nothing I love more than a reason to not be productive. And the.

[Christine Schiefer]

I get it.

[Em McCory]

The rainy weather really does that to me. So anyway, that's the good reason I drink. Bad reason I drink. Also, like, one of my sinuses feels a little clogged, which I don't love, but it's because I've been blowing my nose so insanely hard.

[Christine Schiefer]

I love this, like, check in, like. Okay, let me check. Left sinus.

[Em McCory]

All right, well, no, like, this whole part right here feels really sore. And I've. I've terrorized myself into thinking that there's like a. Like a snot clot or something stuck in my face.

[Christine Schiefer]

I mean, I could easily get that out for you with a little massage, but it's fine.

[Em McCory]

I wish you were here to rub my face.

[Christine Schiefer]

I would. I just actually learned a lymphatic drainage massage for my face because I also have so many sinus problems.

[Em McCory]

Anyway, those are all my reasons. Why do you drink, Christine?

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, there are countless reasons. Let me count the ways. This morning, right before we recorded, my father showed up at my doorstep again.

[Em McCory]

Oh, my goodness, here we go with this.

[Christine Schiefer]

With his annual calendars. I don't know if you know about this, but he sends calendars out to everybody in the world. And I'm talking he buys like 40, 60, 80 of them. I don't know how many. Just dozens of these things and their calendars with his photography on them. And he's been making them since I was like eight or even younger maybe. And he likes. He's like a photographer. He likes to take photos. Not a once have I ever been in this calendar. I just. It's just his photos of, like, rocks and like moss and like, graffiti. And then he makes like this. This calendar and everybody gets it, and he puts everybody he knows birthday on it. Like, I'm not kidding. Like, when he was with this one person, his partner, he would put their kids birthdays on this thing. Like it. Everybody's birthdays goes on this thing. And the first year, he finally made, like, the comeback of the calendar and everything. I flipped up to June 4th.

[Em McCory]

You weren't on there.

[Christine Schiefer]

I wasn't on there.

[Em McCory]

That's beautiful. That's certainly a poetry. You should tell your therapist my dead.

[Christine Schiefer]

Dog was on there. But I search. I sure wasn't. Oh, my dad's partner's child was on there a few days later, but I wasn't. So anyway, that's. And he said, well, I didn't put my own birthday on there either. And I said, okay, great. So now we're both just the sacrifices of your calendar. Like, you and I don't get our birthdays. So anyway, now he does put my birthday on it, and he makes a point to show me every year, which was not the intended outcome of my many complaints. Yeah.

[Em McCory]

If anything, you just drew attention to it. And now I really did hear more about it.

[Christine Schiefer]

And as most people know, especially if you listen to BHQ Sandy, where we did an episode called Reviews of Bernie's Mail. My mailing address. His mailing address is my house. And so all of these Vista Print calendars got delivered to my house. These huge boxes. Anyway, he came by this morning and just decided to just. He's like, I'm going to the airport now. Anyway, here's some big news about many people in the world in your life. And then he started to cry. And then he left. And I went, okay, I have to go record with Em now. So here I am. I'm out of sorts a little bit. I'm with you. My face hurts, my sinuses are swollen, my body aches. I'm tired and sweaty, and my flannel has cat hair on it. And also, fun fact, Leona met Scuba Santa yesterday. And this is the biggest news I have to bring to you. She went to the aquarium and met Scuba Santa.

[Em McCory]

And when was she just out of her mind, excited?

[Christine Schiefer]

She was not careful. She did care. She cared. But she was very hesitant.

[Em McCory]

Very.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, not. Not hesitant at all. Just very. Like, what of it?

[Em McCory]

You know, very renata.

[Christine Schiefer]

Very renata about it. And she showed up and went and met Scuba Santa. And apparently when they were bringing her up, you know, the staff, they said, what do you want for Christmas? She said, I don't know. And they said, well, what do you want to ask for? Ask Santa. Do you want to ask him for a doll? And she said, no. And they said, what about a monster truck? And she said, I want a monster truck. And now all she talks about is how she asked Scuba Santa for a.

[Em McCory]

Monster Truck Funkle M is on the case. Don't even worry about it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Don't even start with me. I shouldn't have even told you this because I had to frickin. Because there's a certain one that's special and oh gosh. Anyway, I had to be very strategic about this and how to, how to ship it to my house without. Anyway, so I'm in that boat now, which is very fun. And of course we got a bunch of. We can post a bunch of photos of Leona and Scuba Santa, which because Blaze paid for these stupid photos and you know, it was probably like outrageously expensive for a shitty plastic frame. I would request that we post it on Instagram so that at least we have some value for our monetary spend anyway. Other than that, you know, the world's. Everything is falling apart, but we're here and people are listening and I'm really happy about that. And oh, side note, sorry now I'm feeling a little manic, but that's fine.

[Em McCory]

I love Madam Christine. Let me blow my nose really quick. Hold on. Keep the man. Keep the mania though.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay, I'll keep the. Keep the energy alive. Look alive. So I also wanted to add that. What was I going to say that was so manic. Now I. Now I don't remember.

[Em McCory]

I distracted you with my ways.

[Christine Schiefer]

I know. With your wily ways.

[Em McCory]

Um, well, since I distracted. Oh, okay. Keep going.

[Christine Schiefer]

Apparently there's been. So we are in with a new network that we really love called Q Code and they're just very like kind and hands on and have helped us a lot. But there have been a shift in ads and I know some people have complained. I want to be like very clear though that because it's, it's. It doesn't probably seem like it when you listen to it, but we are doing the same amount of ads as before. They're just spread out differently because I guess they have a system where they are able to figure out like the least. And I know a lot of you are going to disagree right now, but the least annoying way to play ads because sometimes, you know, in podcasts are like bunched up like back to back to back to back. And yeah, you can like skip through like several minutes, but we're trying to spread them out a little more just to test it out to see if like, oh, maybe like 60 seconds is like a more suitable break than like several five minutes, you know, like a chunk of feminine. So anyway, we're testing things out but don't worry like we didn't add more ads than before. They're just spread out, so they just have a different feel to them. And Em and I are doing them together now, so it feels like more fun. And they're probably a little longer because it's the two of us talking.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, Sorry.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, no, no. But I feel like they're more engag. Entertaining, hopefully, because of that. So just a heads up. And we are just, you know, doing that because it's the way we keep the podcast rolling, but we didn't really shift anything big over here, so don't. Don't stress.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. Thank you for the psa, Christine.

[Christine Schiefer]

I just a heads up, because I do know that fear, that fear of listening to something you've listened to for so long and then being like, something's different. And I do know that fear very well. So don't worry. I. I hear you and I see you.

[Em McCory]

What was I going to say? I was going to say one last thing.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, and my vape is broken.

[Em McCory]

Oh, no.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my God.

[Em McCory]

Whoa. Is. Christ.

[Christine Schiefer]

How will I fill my sinuses with this horrible vapor if I don't have a vape that works?

[Em McCory]

You know, one of the worst parts about this is that I love me a candle and I just. I right now just can't light anything. I've. I've literally, I've been taking, like, three showers a day just to stand in the steam.

[Christine Schiefer]

Thera Flu sells shower tablets.

[Em McCory]

Oh.

[Christine Schiefer]

Or no, maybe it's Alka Seltzer, but one of them sells shower tablets. And they're so nice. You put them on the floor of your shower and it's like menthol, eucalyptus, whatever, and it, like the steam and it's beautiful. Really nice. If you, like, Blaze and I used to just trade, we'd be like, get in the shower. Here's the Theraflu tablet. Then we trade. They're really nice. So if you need some, like, you know, self care.

[Em McCory]

I never had the Theraflu. I had, like, the. The normal, like, shower steamers, but I've never had, like, one for when you're sick. That's.

[Christine Schiefer]

I would try. It's really nice because it does feel like you're getting extra, like, breathing something.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. Well, this is the first day where my ears are not clogged. My head is not foggy. Besides this one sinus thing, I'm actually, like, kind of scared about it. I have a friend who just had, like, a sinus surgery, so now I'm like, in my head that I need sinus surgery.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my God.

[Em McCory]

Other Than this one thing and my. In a dry cough. I'm like back to normal as a sinus. Christine. Yeah, I was, I was going to say no, Christine heard me on the phone the other day and I sounded like, who is this?

[Christine Schiefer]

Stop calling this number. How did you get this number?

[Em McCory]

And I'm really, It's me, chocolate.

[Christine Schiefer]

And I said, oh, things have gone wrong. That was exactly how that sound is what came out of M after that. Yeah, Noise.

[Em McCory]

Just hacking it. Poor. I couldn't get a word in without hacking. It was disgusting.

[Christine Schiefer]

All right, listen, our show is literally called and that's why we Drink. And I usually prove that show title to be correct and I love a good night of drinks. But I actually found something that really helps me feel great the next morning, which is called ZBiotics. It's a pre alcohol probiotic from the brand Z Biotics. I cannot wait to tell you about it. M Their probiotic was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. It's this byproduct, not dehydration, that's to blame for your rough next day. Pre alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. This is a proactive solution that wards off feeling miserable the next day. Instead of a reactive approach like drinking electrolytes or eating greasy food, which you can also do, it has been actually a really big help. I may or may not take it with me on tour because where do I drink the most? Well, one can guess. I kept hearing about pre alcohol and wondered what it was actually like. Now that I've tried it, I get why everyone is talking about it. And with their GMO technology, ZBiotics is continuing to invent probiotics that will help with everyday challenges of modern living.

[Em McCory]

Go to zbiotics.com drink to learn more and get 15 off your first order. When you use drink at checkout. Zbiotics is backed with 100 money back guarantee. So if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to zbiotics.com drink and use code drink at checkout for 15 off. Thank you ZBiotics for sponsoring this episode and our good times.

[Christine Schiefer]

I mean, as somebody with a toddler, I literally doesn't phase me in the slightest. But yeah, I do get the. The self conscious feeling. But I. I'm just glad you're feeling better. And I am an expert at sinus massage because I have Chronic sinusitis. Fun fact. And they swell up and they hurt like a. And I. Yeah, right under my eye. So I'll send you the pressure points. There's pressure points that clear. That drain your sinuses by just. Okay, gently pushing them to. I can do them now here to here, where the. Where your brow bone meets. There's like, a little notch in between. Do you feel a bow notch there?

[Em McCory]

If you move? Yeah. And now I'll never unfeel it. Thank you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yep. You're welcome. Now if you press that, That's a pressure point. Then you can go along your eyebrows, your temples, and then underneath your sinuses. So, like, here in the kind of hollows of your cheeks, like, underneath. Do you feel how there's kind of like, a little, like, tunnel up there? That's your. So, yeah, you can kind of, like, massage and pressure it, and then over time, hopefully I'll send you the full thing, but it'll drain your sinuses. It's really nice.

[Em McCory]

Thank you.

[Christine Schiefer]

We're so old.

[Em McCory]

What do you. What do you drink, Christine? I drink a lot of water.

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, this is the first time I'm sitting down since I got home from tour, so this is what I discovered next to my spot. An empty wine bottle and an empty body armor. And guess what? Broken fucking vape. So you know what? I'm having a day. It's fine. I'm not drinking anything, but it's okay. And you're just drinking water.

[Em McCory]

I'm drinking bottles of water until I have to pee myself because I just. I'm trying to. I. Yesterday was the first day I got my taste back, and I had two smoothies, and they were delicious.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hell, yeah. Flush it out. Fluids.

[Em McCory]

Anyway, I'm a doctor. Yeah, I know.

[Christine Schiefer]

Here, press the spot between your eyes. That'll fix it. Here, let me fix it.

[Em McCory]

If you were here, I would just be forcing my head into your hands like I'm Gio wanting a pet.

[Christine Schiefer]

I was gonna say. Wow, that sounds weirdly familiar. Oh, right, because it happened five minutes ago.

[Em McCory]

Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. I do give him little puppy massages, too.

[Em McCory]

Oh, what? Oh, I could puppy right now. Well, that'd be lovely. Yeah, get me right. What is the Reiki for right under this right here?

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, I know the pressure, the acupressure, but I can't.

[Em McCory]

Perfect.

[Christine Schiefer]

Can't do it from here.

[Em McCory]

Can you Reiki me a hug? That'd be nice.

[Christine Schiefer]

Absolutely. I'll do it right now.

[Em McCory]

Thank you. Yeah, I could really go for a puppy, actually, while we're talking about it puppy. That would do me a lot of healing.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'm just kind of eyeing Gio, like, how much. How many stamps would that take?

[Em McCory]

I would pay it overnight, babe. That's all.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'm in.

[Em McCory]

Okay, one last nose blow before I tell you my story.

[Christine Schiefer]

The inaugural nose blow before I go, go. One last nose blow before I go go. Time to tell you a story. Oh. Oh.

[Em McCory]

What's the story? Wishbone. Okay, that's what it sounded like.

[Christine Schiefer]

Was that not enough Inspector Gadget? Okay, no. I said one last blow before I go go. You have to know. You know, you have to tell me. You know what I'm trying to emulate.

[Em McCory]

Wake me up before you go.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes. Thank you.

[Em McCory]

Everyone. Buckle up. Also, appreciate your nasal cavity if it is unclogged, because, man, I really took her for granted.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, man.

[Em McCory]

Let's take a big breath through your nose.

[Christine Schiefer]

I feel like learning about all the sinus problems that we've all had for decades. And I'm's like, wait a minute. Welcome to I don't get sickle up.

[Em McCory]

When I do, it's a. It's a real monster.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hold on. Let me throw a pretzel at G and find my blanket. God, we're so un. This is. It's like things change because we're old and we get more aches and pains now. But, like, things also don't change where I accidentally unplug my mic, throw a pretzel at Geo, and then drop my blanket and spill all the books off my shelf. Things are still the same.

[Em McCory]

It's at 32 to be sitting in the same room I sat in when I was 4. It's like, oh, nothing's changed. And then also, as I get out of the bed, having that thought, I go, then you creak.

[Christine Schiefer]

You're like, why am. What's that creaking sound? Oh, it's my body. Got it.

[Em McCory]

It's my own back. Yeah. Well, when I was in Seattle recently, I. I bent down to grab something, and my aunt heard me go, oh, yeah. And she was like, if you're old now, then, like, what does that make me?

[Christine Schiefer]

My mom gets very concerned. She's like, I don't like that you do that. And I'm like, well, I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. And she's like, please stop. Because you're like, don't act like you're old and frail. And I was like, I am. I don't know what to tell you.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, it's not good. Anyway, this is A story for you that I don't know how I should have thought this through. But we're just going to wig it, all right?

[Christine Schiefer]

You know, we've got gadgets and gadgets and toys all aplenty. But, you know, what most people really want for the holidays is to spend time with those they love. And that's why I think the best gift you can give, besides, like, the presence of yourself, is an aura digital picture frame. And em, I think your family probably has these. I know my family has them. We love this bad boy.

[Em McCory]

When I can't be near my mom, I just gave her a frame of about with a thousand pictures of me in it. And that seems to keep her quiet. I don't get as many phone calls, which is lovely.

[Christine Schiefer]

She just talks to the picture of you. You can preload it with pictures. So it's really fun because they just plug it in and it's like immediately like her granddaughter's there and it's just such a fun invention.

[Em McCory]

Name the number one digital photo frame by wirecutter. Aura frames are incredibly smart and easy to use, allowing you to upload unlimited photos and videos directly from your phone to the frame. Plus, you can order the frame online and preload with photos. Like Christine just said, it's also easy to set up. It takes about two minutes to set up a frame using the Aura app, and you get free unlimited storage. You add unlimited photos and videos and invite as many people as you want to a frame. There are absolutely no hidden fees or subscriptions.

[Christine Schiefer]

Save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's bestselling carver matte frames by using promo code drink at checkout. That's a U R A frames.com promo code drink.

[Em McCory]

This is called the Adobe Deli, which it's also called the Lewis Flats School.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, so like opposite things.

[Em McCory]

Yes.

[Christine Schiefer]

Like, where do you go to school? Oh, at the deli. What?

[Em McCory]

Oh, where are you getting.

[Christine Schiefer]

Where are you getting a sandwich? Oh, at school. What?

[Em McCory]

Like, if only they went hand in hand like that. Today it is the Adobe Deli. So actually, let me look up the, like, the full name of it, because I know it's got a long.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's a catchy name, though. The Adobe Deli.

[Em McCory]

The Adobe Deli Restaurant. Okay. It's the Adobe Deli. Great. So this is in Deming, New Mexico, and it was originally the Lewis Flats Elementary School, which is why it's called.

[Christine Schiefer]

I see.

[Em McCory]

But it has turned into a steakhouse saloon. It only gets Better.

[Christine Schiefer]

I always wished my elementary school would turn into a steakhouse saloon, but it just never happened. Never materialized. Maybe it's because we were in an old chapel.

[Em McCory]

I always wanted to leave my school to go to a steakhouse saloon.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wouldn't that be nice?

[Em McCory]

I would have certainly paid more or less attention if I also had a stake in front of me.

[Christine Schiefer]

Or less. You know what? That is a good pitch to the school board. It would either help or hinder our learning and education.

[Em McCory]

There's a 50% chance you would get exactly what you want or nothing.

[Christine Schiefer]

I would argue it's not quite 50. 50. It's probably like 99 to 1.

[Em McCory]

That's a good point. Well, I will say we had a. We had a great cafeteria system or lunch system at my school where, like, we didn't actually have a lunch period. We would. We had like, basically like a little restaurant in our school.

[Christine Schiefer]

What, like an actual deli?

[Em McCory]

Oh, look at that.

[Christine Schiefer]

I don't know. That's what it sounds like you're explaining.

[Em McCory]

I can't believe I had the nerve to say I was jealous when I had it.

[Christine Schiefer]

You had a restaurant in your school?

[Em McCory]

I mean, like, restaurants, like a very lax. Like the. The faculty kitchen was open and they would have a caterer come in. Oh, and it was. But it wasn't like a fancy caterer. It was like a. They would bring in, like, pizza slices.

[Christine Schiefer]

And isn't that like what normal schools do?

[Em McCory]

Well, so instead of having a lunch period, you would just order whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, multiple times a day if you wanted, and you just brought it to class with you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, wait, so you didn't have a lunch period? I feel like that's illegal.

[Em McCory]

No, they just. They, I think, think because I was at a college prep school and they wanted to teach us, like, time management. They were like, okay, well, like, at college you would have to pick your own time. Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

At college, my professor was like, don't bring pizza into my classroom.

[Em McCory]

Well, so there was a lot of times in school that I was eating while I was learning, man.

[Christine Schiefer]

We were absolutely not. One time I had a lollipop upstairs and I had to vacuum the third floor for the rest of the afternoon in detention.

[Em McCory]

Oh, really? No, they had like a smoothie station and pizza station. They had a sandwich station.

[Christine Schiefer]

Certainly not.

[Em McCory]

So anyway, I can't believe I had the nerve to be like, I wonder how it would make me perform when I know how it would make me perform. And it was exactly B average.

[Christine Schiefer]

Right.

[Em McCory]

It was pretty straight down the middle yeah, 3.0. Yeah. So anyway, this place was a school, then it became a steakhouse and saloon. So in 1977, that's when the school closed and it went up for auction. In 1978, it was opened up by this guy named Van Jacobson, which anyone named Van, I immediately think you've got a story.

[Christine Schiefer]

Very weird that you say that, because my dad literally came over to talk about his friend Van this morning. See, I'm telling you, I had to get his calendar ready. I had to get Van. Van's calendar ready. And he does, by the way, he sure does have a story. And I'll tell you that another time because it's not my place to stay here. But he's a character.

[Em McCory]

I've never met a Van, period. But also, I've never.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wow. I was like, how is this gonna end?

[Em McCory]

Oh, but I've never met a Van who didn't have an interesting story. I feel like it's.

[Christine Schiefer]

I gotta tell you. I gotta tell you about mine later.

[Em McCory]

Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Because I've known him since I was a kid.

[Em McCory]

Well, so this is where I tell you a sidebar. Kind of like our first derailment of the story. Because when I say the school closed in 1977, there are a lot of sources that I read that would mention different parts of the school's history, but the school was actually at, like, three to six different locations. In one newspaper article, it said three locations. A different source said, like, it was the sixth iteration of the school. So the school was, like, all over the place. So whenever. If you're looking up this location later and you're looking at the history of the school, it might not have been at this actual location. It's just. It could have been at a different building. You know what I'm saying?

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay. Yeah. So. But it just closed as an establishment, basically. Even if it wasn't the same location. Okay, got it.

[Em McCory]

The school this. The school that closed, that then became the actual restaurant was the last iteration of the school. Oh, I see.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay.

[Em McCory]

But before that, there was like five or six. There was, like five. Ish other locations. Gotcha.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay.

[Em McCory]

So when they say, like, oh, yeah, and the school used to do this, it's like, well, I don't know if that was at this site or at a different property.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay.

[Em McCory]

I only mentioned that because then I started digging into the school's history because I was trying to figure out what time period this building opened as the school. Because there's so many locations. I was trying to figure out when this one Opened. I figured out the answer, by the way, which is that this, this building I'm talking about was the school from 1957 to 1977. So an exact 20 years.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay.

[Em McCory]

But on my journey of research, I learned that the building prior to this was a two room schoolhouse, which you know I love.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, you love a one room schoolhouse. You can't trick me.

[Em McCory]

I love a one room more. But a two room. I'm still intrigued, especially because there were up to 40 kids in eight different grades.

[Christine Schiefer]

And the other, the other room was just the faculty diner where you could go.

[Em McCory]

It's just the cafeteria where there isn't a lunch period.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wow. That's our college prep.

[Em McCory]

This school had outhouses for bathrooms, wood stoves for heat, a windmill for water. And it had a rattlesnake problem where the kids fathers would come out each morning to the snakes because it was like the 1930s and so that was their only option. Or so they.

[Christine Schiefer]

No orcan man.

[Em McCory]

No orkin man. But yeah. Can you imagine a school full of children and rattlesnakes?

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes, I can and I am. And it's really an upsetting visual.

[Em McCory]

Imagine an episode of Abbott elementary where there's just.

[Christine Schiefer]

It feels like an episode of Abbott elementary, though.

[Em McCory]

A rattlesnake infestation problem.

[Christine Schiefer]

Somebody accidentally brought us and you know they're gon some weird guy in to fix the snake problem and one gets in the ceiling. Listen, we could write a script for days on this.

[Em McCory]

There were two teachers in this school who also served as the principal, the fire builder, and the custodian.

[Christine Schiefer]

Fire builder. Oh, fire builder for fires. To warn them.

[Em McCory]

Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

I thought you were meant like a firefighter. And I went, okay. Dwight Schrute, volunteer.

[Em McCory]

Well, I'm sure if the fire building didn't go well, they also had a ship. Ship shapeshift into a firefighter.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Em McCory]

But yeah. One of my favorite things about touring one room schoolhouses is that all the teachers were also fire builders. And they'd have to come in early or a lot of them lived at the school and they would have to wake up early and like stoke.

[Christine Schiefer]

Where do they live if there's one room?

[Em McCory]

I think the one that one of them that I went to literally had like a Murphy bed.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh.

[Em McCory]

Like literally lived in the room or there a lot of people. They'll have like a shed outside that's.

[Christine Schiefer]

Kind of like welcome to my house.

[Em McCory]

I know, yeah. Mtv.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'll teach you about arithmetic now.

[Em McCory]

Hello, children and snakes. Come on in.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold on, don't look out the window. Your dad's beheading another rattler. Just stay seated and let me put my bed away. What the fuck kind of school is this? It sounds like the school M went to.

[Em McCory]

So not only were they the principal, the fire builder, and the custodian, but the kids also helped with the janitorial work. Which is another thing I've learned on my tours at one room schoolhous houses is that instead of recess, it would basically be like, okay, now chore time. Where, like, you're gonna help me.

[Christine Schiefer]

Like, okay, but like, to be fair, they just got to watch a massacre of rattlesnakes every morning. So it's like, you know what? You got your entertainment. Okay? Yeah, it's time for it to get buckled down and get to work.

[Em McCory]

Education and a show. Now put some, you know, put some elbow into it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's move it.

[Em McCory]

Apparently one of the teachers was interviewed and said, oh, yeah, I remember back then the kids would bring lunch in tin cans, which my prep school would have rolled over if they heard about tin can.

[Christine Schiefer]

It would have been like a. I don't know, some sort of like new fangled.

[Em McCory]

A Stanley lunchbox or something.

[Christine Schiefer]

Stanley thermos. Yeah.

[Em McCory]

Apparently when the school transferred buildings to this one, the one that I'm talking about today, the kids were the ones who moved all the furniture in which I love that this child labor is.

[Christine Schiefer]

They had gave zero shits back then, man.

[Em McCory]

No. And then the last thing I'll say before I get back to our regular programming is I. When I was looking up this school and like all the newspaper articles, they said something that took me off guard, which was one article was talking about rural 1930s school learning. They were talking about, oh, the kids are gonna go to Lewis Flat school to learn all about the three Rs. I was like, what the are the three Rs? So I wanted to ask, offer you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, yeah.

[Em McCory]

Oh, you know, 1930s education. What were the three Rs?

[Christine Schiefer]

Racism.

[Em McCory]

Okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

Racism and racism. No. Okay, let me think. Respect, rat catching and rattlesnake catching. Rattlesnake kill, murdering, rattlesnake wrangling.

[Em McCory]

I mean, I literally, my first thought was like, reduce, reuse, recycle.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's like the obvious one I should have thought of.

[Em McCory]

But I was like, I don't think they were doing that in the 30s. So apparently this was like a phrase from like the early 19th century where it was talking about reading, writing, arithmetic, because there was an R in each of them.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, so they'd say reading, writing, rithmetic. Yeah, I've heard, I've heard that. But beginning of, was it 19th century or 20? Like beginning of the 1900s or beginning of the 1800s?

[Em McCory]

Early 19th century. So 1800s, I guess.

[Christine Schiefer]

1800S. Got it. Rithmatic. I mean, it's very clever. Like it's funny because it's like, oh, we clearly haven't learned it yet.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, so it's arithmetic, reading, writing, arithmetic. So anyway, those are the three R's. Fun fact if you want to clever, tell your kid what to go learn.

[Christine Schiefer]

Here's a fun fact about me. My insomnia is back with a vengeance. And that is why I cannot live without calm. Calm helps me with my sleep, my anxiety, my stress. Meditations. They have sleep stories and breathing exercises. I love using calm. It's my go to app.

[Em McCory]

Each person faces unique challenges in their daily lives, and mental health isn't about a cookie cutter approach. That's why CALM offers a wide range of content and programs to help you navigate life's ups and downs.

[Christine Schiefer]

These include meditations to help you work through anxiety and stress, boost your focus, build healthier habits, take care of your physical well being. I'm partial to the sleep stories and sleep meditations. That's always my go to, especially with my little Bluetooth sleep mask. I just listen to CALM sleep stories and they have calming music that helps you to fall asleep naturally. They even have grounding exercises, which I recently discovered because my therapist told me I needed to. And if you're feeling overwhelmed or detached, it's like a really cool thing to open up and kind of like get back in your body.

[Em McCory]

Plus, CALM puts the tools you need right in your pocket and can help you dedicate just a few minutes each day to live a happier, healthier life. Stress less, sleep more, and live better with Calm. For listeners of our show, Calm is offering an exclusive offer at 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com drink.

[Christine Schiefer]

Go to cm.com drink for 40% off unlimited access to Calm's entire library. That's comm.com drink.

[Em McCory]

So, okay, 1957. Now the building I'm talking about for the rest of the show. That building opened as the last iteration of the Lewis Flats Elementary School. It closed in 1977. Like I said earlier, the next year it ends up getting bought by Van Jacobsen.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay.

[Em McCory]

And it became the Adobe Deli. So one of the things that this restaurant is known for is what city are we in? It's in New Mexico. It's in New Mexico Deming. New Mexico Deming. One of the things that this restaurant is known for is its ambiance or wall decor because they have a lot of bric a brac all over the walls.

[Christine Schiefer]

Bric a brac.

[Em McCory]

You know, I love a bric a brac. There's a lot of signs and weird trophies and awards and posters and taxidermy and old west and.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, and, you know, so much dust.

[Em McCory]

So much dust. Oh, my God. Every time I go into one of those places, I'm like, I feel like this is a health code violation for sure.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. I'm like, I'm gonna order a Pepsi.

[Em McCory]

And just kind of COVID my drink.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hand over it. Yes, exactly.

[Em McCory]

Like, can I blow into the cup first to make sure?

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, yeah, yeah, you gotta.

[Em McCory]

Because as. As kitschy as it is. I love kitsch. But.

[Christine Schiefer]

But, but then a food don't go together.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, yeah. But I know that there's something going on here. There's at least a spider near me.

[Christine Schiefer]

At least.

[Em McCory]

This place also literally has its own trolley car in there. Like he.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's kickass.

[Em McCory]

Van Jacobson really collects everything and puts.

[Christine Schiefer]

It all in all in the spaghetti warehouse vibes. Not that I've ever been inside one.

[Em McCory]

Before, but they sound like they make sense together. Yes. Okay. Yeah. There's actually a review on TripAdvisor that says that lists some of the things that are in this restaurant.

[Christine Schiefer]

Let me play the beach tea standing music.

[Em McCory]

Okay. A large collection of mounted animal specimens that were won at an auction and reportedly owned by. Owned by a cartel boss. An outhouse that has bullet holes from a gunfight involving Billy the Kid.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wow.

[Em McCory]

A wood box from the O.K. corral. A flag with 48 stars. An 1892 post office, which.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wait, what?

[Em McCory]

Like a whole post office is in there? Okay. The most beautiful wood burning stove with pyrite instead of glass along the top of the stove. And a stuffed 12 to 15 foot alligator.

[Christine Schiefer]

This is like what I want my house to be like, just like. Just like brick of brac. Interesting. Just like a retro vintage.

[Em McCory]

We had a restaurant like that in Fredericksburg when I was a kid called Spanky's. Oh, my God, it was the best. They had like statues of like Spider man on the ceiling so it looked like he was crawling over you and like bicycles.

[Christine Schiefer]

And is it still open?

[Em McCory]

No, it's.

[Christine Schiefer]

What happened to all this stuff in there?

[Em McCory]

Great question, because I would to this day, I think about that spider man.

[Christine Schiefer]

I wonder where he is.

[Em McCory]

Anyway, they would have gotten along. Maybe it's at Van Jacobson's place. It could be Fun fact for people who care. The menu has Boar's Head products, which I love. I know.

[Christine Schiefer]

They just had a recall, though.

[Em McCory]

I know, know, I know. And so did cucumbers.

[Christine Schiefer]

You. Oh, no, our other favorite.

[Em McCory]

Well, I love cucumbers on my boards. Head products. So I was having a real problem that day.

[Christine Schiefer]

Woof.

[Em McCory]

But usually I'm a Boar's Head girly, so I do know that about you.

[Christine Schiefer]

You did eat that the morning of my wedding as we all got dressed with the photographer.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, sure did this. The menu also has a steak that takes two servers just to bring out. Out.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, to carry it. Oh, my God.

[Em McCory]

To carry it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my God.

[Em McCory]

And on the menu, one of the options is Bigfoot, and it's sold at market value.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hello.

[Em McCory]

I don't. I couldn't tell you.

[Christine Schiefer]

I don't know if it's looking fantastic.

[Em McCory]

I would order it out of curiosity, but I don't know if it's like a gag.

[Christine Schiefer]

I know. Like, is that just like a big steak? Or like, are you gonna pretend? Are you gonna play along and be like, it, sip, cut a nice prime rib of Bigfoot it?

[Em McCory]

Or like, do you just. Do they sell you like a slipper? Like a Bigfoot, you know?

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, I was like, pardon. Okay, I see, I see. Yeah, I guess we'll have to find out.

[Em McCory]

And then here's a quote about the bar. The bar has over 200 whiskeys and bourbons, 400 tequilas, and one of the largest selections of scotch in America.

[Christine Schiefer]

Jesus. Wow. So they're not even just talking the talk. They are, like, delivering on the product too. That's interesting.

[Em McCory]

They're going for it. So anyway, that's a little information on the Adobe Deli restaurant. Shockingly, very little to find about this place. But as for the ghosts, the reasons why there might be ghosts there is because, first of all, the area that the restaurant is in has a lot of minerals containing quartz. So that's one of the thoughts, is that it might just be energy heavy. Also, this area was a World War I training camp, which later became a tuberculosis sanatorium.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my Lordy. Okay, that's a double whammy.

[Em McCory]

Well, triple whammy, because then after it was abandoned, it became used, allegedly for devil worship. And so it became like one of those local hotspots for teens.

[Christine Schiefer]

Right. Because it's a tuberculosis hospital. And what could that use? A pentagram.

[Em McCory]

So all the Satanists are going there.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wow.

[Em McCory]

So that's three reasons, I guess in one Location. Also, this area was a heavily indigenous space, which I am aware of the controversy there, but we will get. It's important to mention because of something that happens later, but it's a heavily indigenous space. So the argument is that there's a lot of energy there from that history. Although I don't often like to totally mention that because then it implies that, like, the stereotype that they're mystical and supernatural and causing a curse on everybody. And that's just not. Not my jam. But it is important to mention it, and you'll see why in a second. So, as for this actual restaurant, there has been one death here, which was in the 1980s, and a guy during, like, a. An event that was being hosted here. The guy had a heart attack mid dance and just literally danced till he dropped.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my Lord. I was trying to think of, like, all the ways you could die with all that bric a brac. But it wasn't even a falling Spider man or anything.

[Em McCory]

It was nothing like that, unfortunately. It was just partying too hard.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's like in Mouse Hunt, my least favorite movie of all time.

[Em McCory]

Now, that is a obscure reference.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, well, yeah, that's what I'm here for.

[Em McCory]

You know what movie I loved? And now as I get older, I go, ooh, was Fievel Goes West.

[Christine Schiefer]

Can't Stand it. Scared the absolute out of me. Made me so traumatized. That mouse movie. A Tail of a Mouse or whatever the fuck. I didn't sleep for weeks.

[Em McCory]

An American Tail.

[Christine Schiefer]

I used to lay there and just, like, shake. I was so scared. That movie fucked me up so bad. I will never forgive it.

[Em McCory]

I watched it. He was the one that was the one about Nazis, right? Like, I.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes. He's like a Holocaust survivor, and then he loses his parents, and it's, like, devastating. And I watched it when I was, like, four.

[Em McCory]

I watched it way too often as a kid.

[Christine Schiefer]

Too early and young and often.

[Em McCory]

I watched it way too often in, like, kindergarten. Like, it was one that they would play all the time. Right before nap time.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yep.

[Em McCory]

And I remember watching it later as an adult, and I was like, this is about fucking Nazis. And I was like, how the media literacy was not there for me when I was.

[Christine Schiefer]

I definitely did that very quickly as a kid, probably because of, you know.

[Em McCory]

Because you're a little German child.

[Christine Schiefer]

Family history. But I was like, I know what's happening here. And I really. My mom was so pissed because my dad had taken us to, like, some dinner party or something. And, like, all the kids went in the Basement and watched that movie. And I was probably like four and she said I came home just like shaking. Like, I don't anyway, that movie me up big time.

[Em McCory]

But, well, you would think as a, as a Jew my ancestors would have been like, pay attention to this now.

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, it sounds like you. Well, I was gonna say it sounds like you did. And then I went, actually, no, it does not.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, it sounds like I watched it.

[Christine Schiefer]

It sounds like you enjoyed it. Which, like, wasn't the point that your ancestors were like, well, not for fun.

[Em McCory]

In one ear and out the other. Totally.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. And they're like, look at Christine, she's traumatized. As she should be.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. Well, I guess between the two of us, maybe they, they were like, if.

[Christine Schiefer]

Anyone needed the trauma, I guess it was me. Yeah. Generationally, it was my turn to take some of that on.

[Em McCory]

Maybe I just remember watching it and just being like, this is great. And then watching it later and going.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh my God, this mouse is what's up? He is having floppy newsboy hat. I love it. He's nailing it with that tweed outfit I just saw.

[Em McCory]

I think I just saw him as like going on an adventure. I must have been like playing with Legos while it was in the background or something.

[Christine Schiefer]

But I wish you'd probably eating your fucking pizza from the deli and like I had to be starved in my seat at a real school watching probably so. Oh my God, it's fucked me up.

[Em McCory]

Whether you're looking for a bit of special sparkle for yourself or to give the best Christmas gift of all time to either your, as Christine just said, lover, sexy mailman to your, your family.

[Christine Schiefer]

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[Em McCory]

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[Christine Schiefer]

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[Em McCory]

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[Christine Schiefer]

You also get 30 day returns and a diamond price match guarantee. And seriously, you cannot be the ease and convenience of shopping Blue Nile or their selection. It's an absolutely gorgeous collection. You know, they've got thousands of independently graded diamonds for you to sift through. Take your time. Take a look. It's beautiful. I gravitate toward the kind of the simple necklaces. But I don't know what you and your sexy mailman listen to or want to get involved in. It's none of my business.

[Em McCory]

Send them a letter and ask. Go to blue nile.com to shop Blue Nile, the original online jewelers since 1999. That's blue nile.com blue nile.com I'm like.

[Christine Schiefer]

Man, I'm so paranoid about Leona now. I'm like, I not paranoid, but I'm like, I'm so cautious because something was playing the other day and I was like, I think it was just Toy Story. And I was like, I'm. I don't want her to watch this. And BL is like, it's Toy Story. And I was like, but it's scary. Wait till she's like six. I don't know. But I'm also such a baby.

[Em McCory]

I see. I. You just gotta go into it knowing that something eventually is gonna her up.

[Christine Schiefer]

I mean, I just don't want it to be on my account. I don't. The cow. See, I wasn't there. So at least when she was traumatized by Count Von Count, I was not part of the process. And then afterward I was like, okay, let's deal with this. And she's like, I just want to watch the count all day now and face my fears.

[Em McCory]

And I was like, okay, that's a badass little girl.

[Christine Schiefer]

I can handle that.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, but did she really say that?

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh. So the count came up on show and I was like, ah, click thumbnail later. And she goes, go back to the left. And I went, she knows left and right. Now all of a sudden she goes, go back to the left. Going back to the left. And I was like, oh, honey. Yeah, we don't have to watch this one. She's like, click it. And I was like, oh, my.

[Em McCory]

She's like a little Wednesday Adams.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, it's so bad because I'm like, oh, no. She's like wanting to like, get scared, you know, which is like torture porn for a four year old. Yeah. She's like, I want to watch it. Oh, this feels like me watching crime shows at 2 in the morning. Like, it is her crime show.

[Em McCory]

It's like, I want to watch this dirty little Dracula. I want to watch him count.

[Christine Schiefer]

I want to figure him out.

[Em McCory]

Count his days.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, he's better count his days are numbered. You know what I mean?

[Em McCory]

Anyway, hang on. I got blown Sorry.

[Christine Schiefer]

I just basically, well. And blows her nose. I just wanted to say how traumatized I am by everything in this world. And if you were also traumatized because you're a very, very sensitive young child, then we're in. I feel you. Leona, apparently, is not one of them, but I was.

[Em McCory]

No, Leona seems like someone who's gonna run into a wall and then run into it again just to make sure that she really felt it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Literally with you by her side. Yes, Correct.

[Em McCory]

So while. Okay, sorry. Blah, blah, blah. The guy was dancing, and then he had a heart attack and fell over. That's how he died. So that's the only death on the property. While closing, staff have since heard footsteps, voices, and music playing on the speakers that have turned off. So they think maybe it's the voice.

[Christine Schiefer]

Ooh.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. I don't like the voices thing. They've also heard, like, mimic voices, which I don't like at all.

[Christine Schiefer]

You know, that. That mimic thing, I think, for some reason, is so scary to our generation. I don't know what it is, but there's something about, like, doppelgangers and mimics that, like, blew up on TikTok. We talked about that. It feels like one of those creepy, like, urban legends that's going to be, like, specific to our generation. I don't know why.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, I feel like I never heard about them until I got older. Many people have also felt something watching them through the building, seen apparitions, shadow figures and moving lights. And one investigative team also got a picture of a face reflecting off of a TV screen. People feel bursts of cold air. They smell we are weird odors. They get crazy EVPs. They've gotten EVPs of clapping, which I hate for some reason. Worse than a voice.

[Christine Schiefer]

So creepy.

[Em McCory]

I hate.

[Christine Schiefer]

You know what that makes me think of? Like, a quiet place or something where it's like. Like the clap to make it like, oh, it feels like something bad's about to happen. Oh, why am I traumatized by every movie I've ever seen? No wonder I hate.

[Em McCory]

That one is worth it, though. That one is fair.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's the least scared I've been at any movie, and I've only watched F and Bambi.

[Em McCory]

There's also an EVP of someone saying, sit down, which, please remember that because that comes back later. Okay, so it's been said that in the back dining area, there's a portal to the other side. Multiple investigators have deemed this place side of the building.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, it's called a door, guys. I wish I had the Other side.

[Em McCory]

I wish I had my sound effects.

[Christine Schiefer]

So I could do the crickets. I'm actually so glad I just realized you don't. So now I can say whatever I want.

[Em McCory]

Do you remember the one time we'd had a live show and there was literally a cricket in the fucking restaurant?

[Christine Schiefer]

That was so good. That felt like God's prank on us. You know what I mean?

[Em McCory]

At some point, you did something where you made a joke or you made a joke that, like, it wasn't actually meant to be a joke, but there was. There was silence afterwards, and I was like, where's that cricket? And that was, like, the biggest laugh we got all night.

[Christine Schiefer]

I like that you're like, I remember my joke about the cricket.

[Em McCory]

I don't remember what you said, but I remember thinking, like, oh, this is the perfect moment for that cricket to show up.

[Christine Schiefer]

I forgot. And it was literally like, chirp, chirp, chirp. I mean, it's like the last sound that you want to associate with your own comedy. And boo. Besides boo. Exactly. Yeah. Crickets. I actually. I prefer boo. I feel like boo's at least a reaction. At least somebody's there.

[Em McCory]

That was still so good, though. I remember just hearing a cricket the whole time, and I remember thinking, like, is someone fucking with us?

[Christine Schiefer]

Like, is there a literal button or something?

[Em McCory]

You know, Did Jiminy come to the show? Okay, so anyway, yes, there's a portal to the other side of the other side of the door. Multiple investigators have deemed this place haunted and scared employees have literally asked Van to come back to the bar after he's left because they're so scared of being alone with the activity.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, Van.

[Em McCory]

Van himself has had a weird moment where one time he was making coffee in the kitchen and some of it spilled on the floor. So he, like, threw a dish rag over it to wipe it up. And when he picked up the rag, the coffee stains on the rag spelled out Van die.

[Christine Schiefer]

What?

[Em McCory]

Like, die, Van his day and die.

[Christine Schiefer]

I literally thought you were gonna say, like. And then the coffee stains were gone or something, and it never was. And then you said, like, it spelled out words that it just was taken me by. Taking me by surprise. Van Die. Okay, it had to be really clear because you don't necessarily look at a stain and think, what is this spell? If it were words, like, it must have been so clear that he just glanced at it and went, holy shit.

[Em McCory]

Especially because despite this, he's unsure if the place is really haunted, so he doesn't even really believe in the ghost.

[Christine Schiefer]

Which means did he get a picture of this thing?

[Em McCory]

I didn't. There's no picture that I saw. But like a. If you already aren't a believer and then you see that and you're like, oh, that's fucking weird. It's like, worth mentioning, then it must be pretty clear.

[Christine Schiefer]

You'd think so, right? Like, because otherwise it would mean you were looking for a sign. And obviously if he doesn't believe it. Yeah, that's really strange, Emma. I don't know.

[Em McCory]

So that is when it comes to just googling. That was literally fucking all I could find. But then, of course, guess who's been there?

[Christine Schiefer]

I'm like, who?

[Em McCory]

So this is for those of you who want this essentially a review, a play by play, a play by play of an episode.

[Christine Schiefer]

Do you want me to play the One Star beach to Sandy music again with my vocal cords?

[Em McCory]

Yes.

[Christine Schiefer]

What if we have Jack put the music under it just for shits and gigs?

[Em McCory]

That'd be beautiful, except this is a lot of bullet notes.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay, well, it is on loop, so we'll see if we can pull it off.

[Em McCory]

Well, so this was in 2018. And this is episode or season 20, episode four of Ghost Adventures. And this is where I also have to say, this is all the info. It's almost like I'm giving you a second rundown of the history. Because none of this was online anywhere. All the info I'm about to tell you, it was like two different stories. And I checked. It's not. But all the history, you would have thought any of that would have been something that, like, Zach used as a reason why the place is haunted. They never mentioned the guy dancing and falling. They never mentioned.

[Christine Schiefer]

So where was that source from? Like. Or what source was that from?

[Em McCory]

That was. Those were all of my Internet sources.

[Christine Schiefer]

That was like, was. Was that like, from their website or was that like a different.

[Em McCory]

There was like, article. Let me see how many articles. There were 11 sources.

[Christine Schiefer]

Some of them were told that story and then Ghost Adventures was different. Yeah, that's weird.

[Em McCory]

And so, yeah, this just goes into, like, who's telling the truth. But yeah, and some of them were like newspaper articles. Some of them were. Most of them were newspaper articles. But then there was like, only in your state and Trip Advisor. But most of them were like Santa Fe, New Mexican, the Deming Headlight, Deming Headlight, New Mexico magazine, newspapers.com, the actual restaurant website.

[Christine Schiefer]

So it's even from their own website. See, that's crazy, because if that. That would be the story you'd think they'd tell in person, too, if it's on their website.

[Em McCory]

Well, so the. The death of the body, that was from a newspaper article? I don't think that was on the website.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, so maybe they don't lean into that or something.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, so maybe they don't. Maybe he, like, really doesn't believe in the ghost, so he just doesn't talk about it a lot. But it. Basically, everything I'm going to tell you now I did not see on any other sources except from Zach. Meanwhile, anything I saw in those sources does not get mentioned. So, like the ghost of the man dropping. They don't even talk about him.

[Christine Schiefer]

Remember when you did do this about a spaghetti warehouse?

[Em McCory]

I think I sure do, yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Or whatever the fuck.

[Em McCory]

The spaghetti factory or something.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You switched them by mistake and it was very. Listen, that might have been the show with the cricket, because I think.

[Em McCory]

Remember when I learned about fucking black holes by accident?

[Christine Schiefer]

Remember when you thought. You thought you had a fever, but really there was an actual ant walking across your notes on stage?

[Em McCory]

That was Florida. That was the last time I've felt this sick.

[Christine Schiefer]

The number of, like, insects that have been involved. What about the time you got hand, foot and mouth? I'm going to quote you on this if you tell me that you've. Not that. That wasn't as bad, but this is.

[Em McCory]

Like a cold symptoms. That was its own. That was a literal disease. It felt like that was crazy.

[Christine Schiefer]

I mean, it was.

[Em McCory]

That was. That was its own.

[Christine Schiefer]

That felt like a literal dise. Disease.

[Em McCory]

To this day, I call it the thing that you would wish on your worst enemy. Because it was.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my Lord. Okay, all right.

[Em McCory]

Because it. No, because it was. They're going to recover and they're going to be fine. But in terms of, like, pain and inconvenience, it's the. It's the exact thing you want to give somebody you hate.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, I'm going to give somebody Crohn's disease. Good luck with that. I'm going to hand that out, see what happens. That's my punishment.

[Em McCory]

If you wanted just. If you wanted to wish something on someone, you knew they'd recover eventually. Hand, foot and mouth disease is the thing for sure.

[Christine Schiefer]

I mean, it seems like that's exactly what happened and what I did, but. Oh, finances, my finances. I think all our finances can take a little bit of a hit during the holidays. So if you've ever had to borrow from your savings or increase your debt a little bit on a credit card for holiday expenses, we've Been there. Take control of your finances by using a Chime checking account with features like no monthly or maintenance fees, fee, free overdraft up to 200. That's pretty big. Or getting paid up to two days early with direct deposit. You can learn [e-mail] Drink. See, here's what it'll do. Okay, this is pretty cool. If you overdraft, which has happened to some people in the room that I'm in, which is just me and just you in that room, you know what? It's happened. Okay. But guess what? Chime allows you to overdraft up to 200 with no fees. It's almost like you have a friend who's like, here, I'll spot you.

[Em McCory]

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[Christine Schiefer]

Enjoy the holidays while keeping your financial goals on track with Chime. Open your account in 2 minutes at chime.com drink that's chime.com drink Chime feels like progress. Banking services and debit card provided by the Bancorp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA members, FDIC Spot Me eligibility requirements and overdraft limits of apply. Direct deposit timing depends on submission of payment file. Boosts are available to eligible Chime members enrolled in SpotMe and are subject to monthly limits. Fees apply at out of network ATMs and for OTC withdrawals.

[Em McCory]

Anyway, hand fed mouth disease is my weapon of choice is all I'm going to say.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my Lord, I am so. Comment.

[Em McCory]

That's why I want to. I wanted to say that this information is going to sound like different.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah.

[Em McCory]

But I will say Van Jacobson was like heavily involved in this episode. So he was there.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's so confusing if his website says it. You know, that's just so weird.

[Em McCory]

I also want to mention that in terms of Ghost Adventures episodes, this one is cinematic art.

[Christine Schiefer]

That. And you know, that's saying something because this is a cinematic show.

[Em McCory]

This. I feel like it was actually written. I mean, arguably it was written. Maybe it wasn't. I don't know. But if it wasn't, everything fell in place very beautifully.

[Christine Schiefer]

Is this. Is this one that got an Oscar that Zach got an Oscar for?

[Em McCory]

Are you kidding me? Does he have an Oscar?

[Christine Schiefer]

No.

[Em McCory]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

Is this what Zach got a Tony for?

[Em McCory]

I was like, you have to be kidding. Well, he probably got a Grammy for that fucking Rhonda. Holy shit.

[Christine Schiefer]

So if not. But he deserves one. And he's been cheated out of it.

[Em McCory]

The immortal portal Grammy. It's hit platinum.

[Christine Schiefer]

He's gonna be in Wicked too.

[Em McCory]

I know. Oh, my God. So, okay, here's why it's cinematic art. Let me just tell you how this episode goes. So. Oh, and I also want to say, fun fact, that when this episode came out, the Adobe Deli hosted a watch party during its premiere, which I love now.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's so cool. That's so cool. Fun.

[Em McCory]

It included a steak dinner and an investigation at the end of it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, and that's our dream. To watch the episode and then get to like, do a ghost hunt at that place.

[Em McCory]

Steak and a ghost? Are you kidding me?

[Christine Schiefer]

Steak? I mean, come on.

[Em McCory]

So, okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

In a one room schoolhouse. Hang on, it's getting.

[Em McCory]

Actually, I have to go.

[Christine Schiefer]

The more I think about it, the number of whiskies. I mean, think about it. It's like made for. I mean, I don't drink whiskey, but I'll take a try at tequila.

[Em McCory]

Well, there's 400 tequilas.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, exactly. I'll. I'll make it work, but.

[Em McCory]

And apparently they have their own signature tequila you can bring to. So.

[Christine Schiefer]

This is so fun.

[Em McCory]

Okay, so remember I told you all about the bric a brac all over the walls.

[Christine Schiefer]

I remember.

[Em McCory]

That is why Zach came here. Starts there. Because he believes that everything has a lot of connect. Energy connected to it. So he was like, the chaotic energy is obviously coming to this place.

[Christine Schiefer]

Like everything in this place he believed had or everything in the world he believes has Earth.

[Em McCory]

He is a big believer. And everything has energy.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, so he found out this place had a lot of junk all over it and. Not junk, sorry, art. And then said, oh, I gotta go there because there's all this stuff. Okay, gotcha, gotcha. He probably wanted to collect it for his fucking museum.

[Em McCory]

Hold that thought. So shut up. So on top of all that energy, this is why I mentioned the indigenous thing earlier. Zach suspects that the building is haunted because of the indigenous people who, quote, slaughtered settlers in their sleep.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my God. Zachary Alexander Bacon's get it Together you.

[Em McCory]

So that's the story they're going with. Not that like the town is made. Of course, not that it's near a World War I training camp, sanatorium, local legend, Satanist gathering area.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay, but how awkward if you're the owner. What's his name again? Van. What if you're Van and you're like, I put on this big watch party and then Zach like, wrote a whole new history. You know what I mean? Like, what if he told him, like, no, no, here's the backstory. It's on our website. And then Zach was like, actually, I like to go with the Native American theory. Like, what if they watched it and went, holy. That is not maybe.

[Em McCory]

Honestly, maybe that's what happened. I don't know. Oh, like, you know when, like, Van, like, slowly started turning the volume down.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes, exactly. And he's like, should we start the ghost hunt early?

[Em McCory]

Like, bring out more steak. Distract them.

[Christine Schiefer]

Where's the commercial break?

[Em McCory]

So Zach talks to Van. Well, okay, actually, sidebar to that whole conversation. We just said, I don't know if Van is on top of it socially.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, that's an interesting thing to say. Sneak on that.

[Em McCory]

Not in, like, a. Like, I think he's maybe out of touch with the way we see things.

[Christine Schiefer]

Because this is getting more and more.

[Em McCory]

Well, if you. If you watch it, just. Just trust the process on this. Let me see.

[Christine Schiefer]

What the fuck does he say? Okay, okay.

[Em McCory]

So, okay, Zach goes there, because obviously the indigenous people murdered everybody. How dare they? Right? Then Zach talks to Van, who tells him. Oh, yeah, I'm saying indigenous, by the way, never once was the word indigenous used in the show.

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, obviously.

[Em McCory]

Van tells him, oh, yeah, this indigenous guy who's an alcoholic, which was not necessary. Sorry. Died in the parking lot when his car caught on fire, and he burned inside of it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Jesus.

[Em McCory]

But. So why wasn't that in any of the newspaper articles? And Dan is the one who said this.

[Christine Schiefer]

What the is going on at this place?

[Em McCory]

And so when he apparently. I think he was saying, by mentioning the alcoholic thing, maybe it's like he fell asleep in his car, right? I guess. But anyway, the car overheated, and the grass was dry, so the car caught on fire, and then he burned inside of it. Then the guy's family, family, also indigenous, asked Van if they could bring the charred remains back to the property and do a proper ceremony or a proper ritual for their loved one who passed away. And so that's another reason why he thinks it might be haunted, because an indigenous person died here, and then his remains were brought back and a ritual was performed on the property. So. But again, where was that in the newspaper? Never saw that anywhere. So then we get to all of the BRIC. A BRAC. Van says that 40 of the hundreds of items, 40 of them are from an auction where the original owner of these items killed two men. What, over drugs is what he had to say.

[Christine Schiefer]

And so what the What? Wait, what kind of items were they? Did you see, like. Did you see what kind of stuff it was?

[Em McCory]

That was so a lot of his taxidermy me. One of them that they really honed in on was a water buffalo.

[Christine Schiefer]

Stop.

[Em McCory]

Taxidermied water buffalo. And Zach says, do you think this water buffalo witnessed these murders? And then.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wait, wait, wait, let me answer. Yes, I do.

[Em McCory]

Well, so not. So they're talking about all these items. Zach goes, do you think this water buffalo that you bought from the original killer trailer, do you think he saw the murder? And then Ghost Adventures zooms in on the water buffalo and edits a teardrop into his eye.

[Christine Schiefer]

Absolutely not.

[Em McCory]

Here's the picture for you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Absolutely not. You're fucking with me right now. I'm like, do you see it? Is it. No, not yet. It's opening. My computer's so slow. Sorry. Is this some sort. I mean, you can't make this shit up.

[Em McCory]

Literally, the edit is the tear rolling down his face.

[Christine Schiefer]

You know, Zach had to have come up with this, right? Like, this is not. I mean, what in God's name is happening right now?

[Em McCory]

Isn't that. Do you see the picture?

[Christine Schiefer]

I see the picture.

[Em McCory]

Isn't it so unnecessarily dramatic? It zooms control. It zooms in on the face, and as it pans out, the tear starts dropping. This is insanity.

[Christine Schiefer]

This is insanity. You're right. Cinematic magic. You are. I can't believe I've never seen this episode.

[Em McCory]

So then he interviews Zach, interviews this one employee who says that her cousin came in to do a cleansing there, but then the cousin started acting weird. So they, like, physically had to remove her from the building, and she still wasn't acting right. And it felt like someone was physically pulling them back into the house, which is terrifying. So anyway, the team, when they start investigating or doing their. Their walkthrough, they feel cold air throughout the night. They also get a figure from the SLS camera or the stick figure camera. They see a little stick figure pop up. Their EMF detector intelligently spikes. So, like, whenever it's.

[Christine Schiefer]

What if they saw a big water buffalo?

[Em McCory]

Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

Sls?

[Em McCory]

Yeah. Like, are you kidding me? What if they saw only the tear rolling down? They saw. So their EMF detector spiked. Whenever it was asked, they got flashes of weird light. They felt like something was jabbing them. They got orbs. But at some point, Zach sees a shadow move in a room, and he says, this room feels like it's the most negative. Let's call this the scary room. From now on, because we're going to return to it. Okay, so this is the scary room. And this is where Zach says it feels the most negative. Anyway, so in this scary room, way back when, there was a bar bartender there named Craig who actually fell asleep in the scary room after the bar closed. And he woke up to feeling what felt like five or six people sitting on his chest. He could no longer hear anything. And when it all kind of broke, he was. He felt free again. But all he heard was the phrase sit down, which was that EVP that.

[Christine Schiefer]

Another team had heard up.

[Em McCory]

So we heard sit down in the stereo in the other room was blaring by its. And it had turned on by itself. So during this interview, Zach and this bartender that they're interviewing, they do an ep.

[Christine Schiefer]

They're interviewing Craig.

[Em McCory]

They're interviewing Craig. Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, got it. Okay.

[Em McCory]

So he's telling the story of this happening.

[Christine Schiefer]

For some reason, I thought he died. Oh, no, I think because he said he fell asleep in the kitchen. I thought it was going to catch on fire again or something. But okay, so he's part of that.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. So they're asking him about the story.

[Christine Schiefer]

Gotcha.

[Em McCory]

They hear the story. While they're doing this, Zach asks one of the EMF detectors to spike all the way to red if it can hear them. And two, two different times he asks that. And it does intelligently spike right away. Very creepy. Flash forward because we didn't hear this in the moment, but an EVP was caught during this of Craig's voice. Like the camera is on Craig and he's not talking. Ah, the camera is on Craig and he's not talking, but you can hear his voice saying, fuck you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Ew, that is so gross. I hate that. It's like using your identity to master.

[Em McCory]

And your power because you're just sitting there and it's taking your energy.

[Christine Schiefer]

That's so nasty. I don't like that. I don't give you permission to do that, you little creepy ghost.

[Em McCory]

It also, there was another creepy voice that came through, but it was kind of inaudible in the silence. So when Craig does actually speak, he says, I guess he can feel something around him. And he kind of has like a vulnerable moment and he says, did you know my dad? Like he asked the ghosts, did you know my dad? And he thought, apparently as he asked that, he heard in his head, he heard the word Mike, which was his dad's name.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh.

[Em McCory]

And it. He's said, like, I. I heard the name Mike. And he got emotional and he left the property. Well, later on playback, they got an EVP of a voice saying mike.

[Christine Schiefer]

And he didn't even. It was it at the same time he. Around the same time he heard it. Oh, my Lord.

[Em McCory]

So here we go. So Zach finds out that a few feet away from the restaurant, there's a little shed that Van keeps additional bric a brac in. And it's a specific collection that sounds.

[Christine Schiefer]

Shady as fuck, but I know it's just creepy taxidermy. Animals. Animals.

[Em McCory]

Well, this collection is indigenous artifacts.

[Christine Schiefer]

I knew there was something shady going on. God damn it.

[Em McCory]

But apparently Van himself on camera says they are 9 to 1500 years old, and he just.

[Christine Schiefer]

900 to how many?

[Em McCory]

Wait, 9 to 900 to 1500 years old.

[Christine Schiefer]

My brain, like, couldn't even compute that.

[Em McCory]

But who knows how real that is? Let's be sure, because I'm sure he's.

[Christine Schiefer]

A historian also amongst all this other shit. So that. And that's so fucked up to be like. Anyway, I keep it in this shed, like. Jesus Christ.

[Em McCory]

Yes. And especially because the items are. I hope I'm saying it right. Membres, kill hole bowls, which are bowls that. In that culture, when someone passes away, they would put a bowl that had a hole in it in the center. They would put it over their face when they buried the body. I think when they buried the body or when they were at least preparing the body for death, and the hole allowed the spirit to come out and fly away or go to the other side.

[Christine Schiefer]

Fly away?

[Em McCory]

Fly away. I don't know. To wherever you want to fly. And not only is this something very, like, important to that culture, like, holy and sacred, but it's also, like, attached to the spirit world.

[Christine Schiefer]

Right, right. Like, it's a very sacred thing. Yeah. Wow.

[Em McCory]

So Van says he's like. Shows him, like, this whole display. There's, like, several of them. Several of them just, like, lined up on a shelf.

[Christine Schiefer]

So it's sort of like a death mask, but not like a mask. It's a. Yeah, a cover. Like a shroud.

[Em McCory]

It's literally. Yeah, it's literally a bowl with a hole in it. And they just put it on someone's face. Yeah. And it has, like, all these, like, you know, art on it.

[Christine Schiefer]

They.

[Em McCory]

They're all individually. They all look different.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, cool.

[Em McCory]

So anyway, he sees all of these. Even Zach feels shaken up by this. He's like, oh, God, thanks for showing.

[Christine Schiefer]

Me your shed, guy. Yeah.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. This, like, random white cowboy in New Mexico is like, look at all these, like, not saying the word indigenous Artifacts.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Em McCory]

That are 9 to 500 years old, which, like, first of all, how. Like, are you just guessing that number? Because if anyone in their right mind actually gave you that number, they would also tell you to, like, donate these or not.

[Christine Schiefer]

I mean, not necessarily for yourself. If they're selling them, you think, you know. Yeah, if people are selling them. Yeah.

[Em McCory]

Like, I don't think they're for sale, though.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, no. Like, I. Because I go on estate sales a lot, and people, like, wealthy folks, love to collect like this and put it on display, and then when they pass away, they go for sale. And you always hope it goes somewhere, you know, where it's, like, respected and appreciated, whatever. But you never know. I mean, I could just easily pay.

[Em McCory]

That's true.

[Christine Schiefer]

A couple hundred bucks and take it to my house and be like, look what I have, you know? So I think there's a degree that some people just don't even realize, you know, that's true. So it could very well be that somebody just sold it from an estate sale or something, and he bought it like that other guy and, like, put it in his shed and.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. So anyway, this. This is like his personal collection. This is why I was saying earlier, I don't think he was. He's as progressive as maybe we are.

[Christine Schiefer]

Is that what you were saying? We couldn't figure out what you were saying because you just kept saying he's socially.

[Em McCory]

Oh, I see. Different.

[Christine Schiefer]

And we were like, what?

[Em McCory]

Sorry, Sorry, I meant, like, socially, like, politically.

[Christine Schiefer]

Behind the times, maybe.

[Em McCory]

Behind the times, yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

And then again, it's 2024 and Trump is our next president, so maybe we're behind the times. I don't know any. I don't know, you know, fuck my life.

[Em McCory]

So Zach is obviously even uncomfortable a little bit. And Vance.

[Christine Schiefer]

Not obviously, but thank you for pointing that out. You said, obviously he's very uncomfortable. I know, but that's not obvious. Usually he's not. So if he is uncomfortable, that means, like, Van has pushed him pretty far.

[Em McCory]

That's true. So Van.

[Christine Schiefer]

Bar.

[Em McCory]

Van tells him when people see these bulls, they say they feel spirits near them. And he seems a little, like, surprised. Like, Van himself is surprised that people say that they feel spirits on these things. He also says that ever since collecting them, he has dreams about indigenous people, and he doesn't see a correlation.

[Christine Schiefer]

What, so he's still maintaining that he doesn't believe in ghosts.

[Em McCory]

Right.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my Lord. Okay.

[Em McCory]

Van even picks up one of the bowls and, like, kind of passes it over to Zach and says, hold One for yourself.

[Christine Schiefer]

No.

[Em McCory]

And then Zach literally says, I think this is the one time I'm gonna not hold the object.

[Christine Schiefer]

Shut up. Shut up. Like, I just got a flash of those headlines of Post Malone crashing his car after the Divock box, and Zach won't touch this. That's amazing. Wow.

[Em McCory]

He. He's like, I'm good. So later, Zach hears a noise and sees a shadow dart by. By a mural. In. In this. In this restaurant, a mural happens to be three indigenous faces staring at you. So Zach.

[Christine Schiefer]

Fuck.

[Em McCory]

So Zach makes this a part of the storyline where it's like a shadow darted by the indigenous people staring at me. So it must be them.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah.

[Em McCory]

Which I will say the mural is actually kind of jarring in the middle of the night. It's three massive faces staring at me.

[Christine Schiefer]

But also, there's a giant wild boar over there, you know?

[Em McCory]

Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. So. So Aaron alone is in the scary room, and he says, I'm feeling an energy in here. And the ovulus says the word laugh. Then he hears clattering, like silverware hits the floor. So, like, silverware moved by itself and hit the floor, he takes off. Then when they're all together. Yes. Oh, you definitely hear it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, okay.

[Em McCory]

And it sounds exactly like Civil War hitting the floor. Later, they confirm that, but when I heard it, I was like. That was like a fork or something, for sure. The Ovilus then says group after bar, which Zach takes as they're. It's talking about them because they're the group after the bar closed. Okay, sure. And then the Ovilus says, apocalypse, tease, altar, curse. And Zach takes that as their curse after teasing the altar of the bulls. And now they're. They're. They're the end of the world because.

[Christine Schiefer]

Such a little doof dingus is what he is like.

[Em McCory]

Okay, so he was like, tease the altar, and now we're cursed. I didn't tease any altar. And the friends, the guys. The other guys were like, yeah, you did, dude. Yeah, you did. Because what, they didn't show you on camera, mister, I'm not gonna hold the object. Guess who bought one of them off a van?

[Christine Schiefer]

No. So he was just gonna not, like, tell that part.

[Em McCory]

He was. He literally was like, I'm not gonna hold it. But then he bought one, so I'm sure he held it.

[Christine Schiefer]

Of course he did. Of course he did. He. I swear to God. This guy. This guy. And now it's in his fucking museum.

[Em McCory]

So while talking about this and, like, the even The. The other guys are like, yes. You literally tease the altar by buying one of them. The ovulus says, knife, wish, disease.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, no, that's no good.

[Em McCory]

So Zach asks the spirits to show themselves and through the window.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hand, foot, mouth.

[Em McCory]

Mouth. Yeah, truly. Zach asks the spirits to show themselves, and through the window, he sees a shadow walk past a door. So he goes to check the door and finds crushed animal bones left on the soup.

[Christine Schiefer]

Okay, crushed animal bones.

[Em McCory]

Which.

[Christine Schiefer]

Do they show it?

[Em McCory]

Yes, they do. But also, like, I'm not convinced that that wasn't somebody who just put a fucking skull there. But this is where Zach says, oh, guys, by the way, we're in skinwalker territory. They come back into the scary room. They actually find a knife on the ground and realize that that's what dropped. That's what Aaron heard. And the ovilus had said the word knife.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes.

[Em McCory]

As the group leaves the room, they hear something else drop. And when they go back to check the room. Room, now a sign is on the floor that was on the wall. It's now fallen on the floor. And the sign said, it's all about me.

[Christine Schiefer]

Ew.

[Em McCory]

This is when they start freaking the out because they look up and realize the sign, like the shadow earlier, happened right next to the mural of the three faces. So at this point, they're looking back on when the ovulus said group after bar, and they originally thought it was about them. Now they think group after bar is about this mural because it's the group of faces just past the bar and right at. At the mural. At the bottom of the mural, the sign falls. It says, it's all about me.

[Christine Schiefer]

Ugh.

[Em McCory]

Aaron asks, is it okay that Zach has the bowl? And they hear this huge crashing sound. Aaron smells rotten eggs. And then they hear another slam. And when Aaron runs off, the next time you see him on camera, he's on the ground because at some point, his knees buckled and he fell and got scra. Scratches on his head. Isn't that, like, so dramatic? And then the show ends. Cuts of black.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my God. Cinematic.

[Em McCory]

Cinematic. So, wow. Anyway, that was. That was very long, but that was the Adobe deli.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow. Em, tell me. I have a short story for you today, and I was not prepared for.

[Em McCory]

I really thought it was going to be a short one. It was like the notes were half what they usually are. It was just ghost adventures notes.

[Christine Schiefer]

It had to be ghost adventures. That must be why. Why, Why I couldn't contain myself. But we also always do this where we're like it's short, so then we just banter and then make it longer than it should have been.

[Em McCory]

Whoops.

[Christine Schiefer]

So this one is about Mike Barajas. And when I say this one, I mean this episode that I'm about to tell you, right?

[Em McCory]

You just, you just kind of dropped right into it.

[Christine Schiefer]

So this one, I've never found a good way to start my segment. Usually it's, it's Emma, have to pee and then an awkward tangent. But I'm going to try something new, which is today's story is about Mike Barajas. So Mike Barajas, full name, Miguel Barajas, nickname Mike. He was in his early 20s serving in the army at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas when he met a woman named Sandra Siegel. So Mike lived off base and he stopped every morning at the same gas station and convenience store for gas drinks and snacks. And it didn't hurt that he met Sandra at this gas station because she worked there and she had the same shift and she was kind of cute and a few years older than him. And so he would stop in almost every day and chat up Sandra. And as time passed, their casual morning chit chat became like much more in depth conversations. And Mike and Sandra really got to know each other and started to really like each other. So Sandra was born in 1960 right there in El Paso. And she had always been strong willed and straightforward, like a very, no nonsense, very blunt kind of person. She could be a little harsh with her honesty, but people actually seem to like that about her. She had been married just out of high school, and so by the time she was working at the gas station and met Mike, she was already divorced and she was a couple years older than him, but she was already divorced and had two young daughters at home who were both under 6 years old. And so I imagine that the day that Mike at, you know, learns about the two kids at home and the divorce, I imagine that she's probably like, this is going to be a test of our new friend. Big day for us. Let's see if we get past this. But they did, and it did not scare him away. He, he really, really liked Sandra and was willing to try and make things work. He was, like I said, a few years younger, I think about five years younger. And he was actually the eldest of four boys that had been born into a military family that moved around a lot in childhood. And he was very used to being kind of like the eldest, the more responsible one. And so when Sandra told him about her daughters, it just didn't really faze him much. And as kind of just a very chill and natural leader type, he. He didn't really mind. So they got together and just a year after they met, Sandra and Mike were married and he became a 21 year old stepfather to two children. Children. Big, big commitment.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

So just like he'd been with his younger brothers when, when he was a kid, Mike was very doting toward the two girls, very devoted to them, treated them like his own biological children. And once his initial contract with the army ended, Mike decided to leave and take a civilian job as a hospital security guard so that he would be able to stay home more often, have easier shifts, and spend more time with his new family, his new daughter. Daughters. So the family all lived together in El Paso until Don and Angie grew into teenagers. And that's when the family moved almost 600 miles north to Colorado Springs. So Mike's brothers and some of his extended family lived there. And Mike desperately wanted to move closer to his family. He was really close to his brothers and Sandra and the girls had gone to Colorado to spend Christmas with his family for years. But when it came to moving there, they were like, it's a big ask, you know, it's a completely different climate, obviously from El Paso to Colorado.

[Em McCory]

Right.

[Christine Schiefer]

You're very far away from Sandra's family, who is all in El Paso. And, you know, they're teenage. The daughters are teenagers, so they would have to like uproot in high school. You know, what a massive. It's a massive. Right, a big shift. And so Mike was just really, really pushing this idea. And eventually, you know, they thought, okay, well, well, we're going to do this for you. And they decided to uproot to Colorado Springs. Mike's brother Greg got him a job as a mechanic at a car dealership. And it paid a lot more than what he did in El Paso. So that was like a selling point as well, that he was going to make a lot more money up there. And because he was the family's breadwinner, they were like, well, okay, I guess that answers that question. And they went up there so that he could start this new job and. And they uprooted. According to those who knew them, they stayed a very tight knit, normal family as far as people knew, even though financially they, you know, were much better off now. But in high school, dawn, one of the daughters, began to struggle with her grades and she started acting out. She started getting in trouble, very, you know, typical teenage stuff. And Mike tried to guide her kind of the way he had his younger brothers. But Don rebelled against that and they really chafed and started to, I don't know, butt heads. Butt heads. And. Yeah, there was. There was now conflict in the home and tension.

[Em McCory]

Well, what was their age gap? Because he was pretty young, right?

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. So he was 21, and the kids were about. They were under 6.

[Em McCory]

Okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

So, yeah, so 15 years.

[Em McCory]

Okay. For a second, I was like, is. They're. That makes sense. That feels parental. A 15 year difference.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. I think it's enough. I think it's at least enough where if you met this person also at age 6, that they would seem like an adult to you from the beginning. But, I mean, as someone who has a stepdad who's quite young, especially compared to my biological dad, it is a. There is a weird. I feel like there can be sometimes a weird dynamic when you get older of, like, you're not even that when you realize, like, wait, you were 21 when you became my dad? You know what I mean? There can be that kind of realization, I think. But, yeah, I don't. I don't know if it was just because dawn was rebellious by nature. I don't know if she just really didn't get along with him anymore. I don't really know. But there was conflict and tension in the house. And so as soon as she graduated high school, she moved out and left home. And she started kind of doing that thing where she moved from place to place, living with different boyfriends, and struggled with substance use disorder. And her family really worried about her, but it was just like they couldn't save her. Like, they couldn't connect with her. They didn't know what to do. And Mike just felt like there was nothing he could do. Even though she was, to him, his oldest daughter. That's kind of how he. I mean, that's how he saw her. That's who she was. And he still felt like she had kind of just slipped his grasp somehow. So he had no choice but to focus on life at home. With his wife, Sandra, and their youngest, Mike lived a routine life. It was a life he liked. He worked hard at his job. He was very well liked, very respectful, expected. He was also very much like a. Like a neighborhood guy where, you know, he'd be out working on the car and chat up everybody who walked past. Everybody in the car also said, like, if they had car trouble, he would just come check it out to be nice and then would take the time to explain it. And, you know, he would just help people out mechanically. With their cars for free and would volunteer at Catholic church on Saturdays and Sundays. And just very much, much like the. The guy on call if a neighbor needed anything, like help with anything and.

[Em McCory]

A pillar of the community.

[Christine Schiefer]

I was waiting for someone to say it. Yes, precisely. So in 2013, Mike and Sandra celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. And 33 year old dawn had recently moved back in temporarily, and her younger sister still lived at home. So I don't know the exact age between her and her sister, but it was probably three, four years. Three, four years, something like that. Cool. So now they're all under the same roof again. And Mike did his best to get along with dawn, even though they had had that kind of separation for a while. And the neighbors didn't really. As much as they knew, as much as they knew Mike. They didn't really know Sandra that much, but they said they had often seen her, seen her with Mike on the porch, having an iced tea, having a drink in the evening. That seemed like very normal, very happy neighbors.

[Em McCory]

You know, when I was. One of my dreams in a dream house is to have a wraparound porch that I can sit in a rocking chair and drink lemonade.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yep.

[Em McCory]

And I always wanted that like a slow rock and someone walks by and just go, howdy, Bob. Hey, Bob. You just, just know all your neighbors.

[Christine Schiefer]

And then you say kind of the same line, kind of develop like an inside joke line with somebody.

[Em McCory]

And just nothing gets me like the idea of a wraparound porch. Ooh, and it's raining a little bit. Ooh, Ooh.

[Christine Schiefer]

And you got a blanket on your lap. Oh, it's so nice.

[Em McCory]

Please. Oh, my God. Mark my words, one day I will have a wraparound porch. One day I'll have a porch.

[Christine Schiefer]

Wow. Now that'll be the day.

[Em McCory]

Oh, man. Okay, sorry. I heard sitting on the porch together, and I was like, that just sounds like a lovely little fantasy.

[Christine Schiefer]

Now I'm dangerous dreaming, man.

[Em McCory]

A Victorian mansion with a wraparound. Please. Mamma Mia. Okay, say less. What's, what's. What's an element of your dream house, Christine?

[Christine Schiefer]

I don't know. As you know, I'm getting into my shadow work and I'm like, finally figuring out that I don't know anything about myself. So these kind of questions, I never know the answer. What do I want in a dream house? Definitely. But see, I have so a balcony I like because I can see people, they can't see me. So. And we do have a balcony here. And it is delightful because I have my bird feeder and I can drink out there and do other things with my.

[Em McCory]

You can sit on a rocking chair and drink lemonade out there and I.

[Christine Schiefer]

Have my rocking chair and I can drink my quote unquote lemonade, which is just red wine and I can just watch the neighbors and no one can see me. It's really nice.

[Em McCory]

Very jealous of you.

[Christine Schiefer]

It's really delightful. Well, come sit with me.

[Em McCory]

Sit a spell.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'm all, sit a spell. I'm here all by my lonesome, you know. Okay. So that's kind of what they were considered by neighbors. Just the normal sit on, on your porch in the evenings type of family. Now we head to February 13, 2013. This is the day before Valentine's Day. Sandra and dawn took Angie to the hospital while Mike was at work. Now Sandra is the wife, Don is the eldest, and Angie is the younger sister. So Sandra and Don take Don's younger sister Angie to the hospital while Mark is at work. Now we know that, but we don't know if this was like an emergency or just an appointment or an infusion. We don't know like what was going on. But we do know that they did go to the hospital that day for some reason. And meanwhile, Sandra stayed at the hospital with Angie into the evening while Don arrived home around 7pm so dawn arrives at the house. She finds the front door open, open. And she opens the door and shouts inside. Daddy and Mike should have been home from work. But there's no response.

[Em McCory]

And this is like the beginning of a fievel goes west, isn't it?

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh my God. This really. Don't say that to me now. My chest hurts. Ow. So inside the house, as she looks around, it's chaos. It looks like someone has just destroyed the place, ransacked the cabinets, the drawers. Furniture is on the ground. There's spray paint graffiti on the walls. And so she calls out for her dad again on the way to her parents bedroom. But when she sees that all of their bedding had been yanked into a pile on the floor, something about that like really freaks her out. And she backs out of the house and calls 911 to report a break in. And she's like, something's so wrong, something terrible has happened. They tell her to wait outside in case someone's still in the house. And they arrive a few minutes later with their weapons drawn and they do a sweep of the house. They don't find anyone inside, but they do find the body of Mike, who was wrapped up in his bed sheets, dead on the floor of his bedroom. So the Scene outside the house was chaotic. All these neighbors are, of course, like, what's going on? You know, and you and I are sitting on our rocking chairs, like, texting, blaze, tell us what's happening over there. We don't want to get up totally. Someone's telling us what's going on from afar. But, yeah, the scene was chaotic. All these neighbors are coming to figure out what is going on. First responders come and try to investigate if this was a burglary. Sandra arrives and asks to go inside and see her husband. And an officer says, you can't enter because it's a crime scene. They said, all I can tell you is that we have an unknown deceased victim in the house. And Sandra nearly collapsed, and she started to scream, crying. Why? Why? Why?

[Em McCory]

I can't. I just can't imagine.

[Christine Schiefer]

So Mike's brothers stood outside with Sandra and the crowd, just hoping for any sort of information or answers. And as they took in the scene, they noticed a man who just seemed out of place and did not look familiar. And he looked out of place because it was February in Colorado in below freezing temperatures. But he was wearing a T shirt and shorts.

[Em McCory]

Oh, forget it. Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

Just standing there and his appearance already made him stick out. But then he started acting weird, too. He approached one of the brothers. Remember, this guy's trying to figure out if his oldest brother has just been, like, murdered or is hurt or what. So this guy in a T shirt and shorts walks up to the brother and says, can you give me a ride home?

[Em McCory]

Mental illness.

[Christine Schiefer]

And the guy goes, who are you, huh? And why do you need a ride? And what? Like, what do you want? And he says, oh, I'm friends with Mike's daughters. And so he asked around everybody in the crowd, like, can someone give me a ride? And everyone's like, no, who the hell are you? And so he calls a taxi service.

[Em McCory]

And leaves on his own mental illness.

[Christine Schiefer]

So we're so weird.

[Em McCory]

Like, the first of all, my. My first thought, if this were a Law and Order episode, I'd be like, well, that's not the killer. Because it's too obvious.

[Christine Schiefer]

Because it's too obvious, right? Well, unfortunately, life is sometimes not stranger than fiction.

[Em McCory]

Wow. Really?

[Christine Schiefer]

That's.

[Em McCory]

But again, has to be something not totally clicking up there for him to be like, oh, I'm just going to stick out like a sore thumb, then get in everyone's face, ask a question to the distressed. And, like, I think I would argue.

[Christine Schiefer]

I would argue mental illness and drugs. Mental illness plus drugs equals not the most logical of decision making process.

[Em McCory]

Got it. Okay. I was like, you're not, you're not. Look, you're also catching me, like in the heat of this fucking CEO Luigi shooting situation.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

[Em McCory]

So I've been watching someone, the conspiracy, who may or may not be like a mastermind. And then I meet this guy and I'm like, okay, well, this is no Louisiana.

[Christine Schiefer]

I know, I know. It really doesn't strike the same chord when you hear kind of the story, which makes it almost. I mean, not that it makes it sadder or different or whatever, but it's just like, wow. Sometimes it's just like people do.

[Em McCory]

Right in your face. Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Right in front of you. And it's just shocking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. And so he's walking around because I had the same thought M. I was like, well, that's just silly. Like, obviously that's not red herring all the way. Red herring, exactly. Like it's either too obvious or like, who would be that stupid, you know? But then you're.

[Em McCory]

It's almost like that would be the. The move is like, well, I'm going to do the thing that's the most obvious because then no one think it's me because it's too obvious.

[Christine Schiefer]

Feels like the plot would be in the SVU episode or something. Like I was trying to prove I'm not the killer. Like, what are you talking. Talking about? But yeah, it's nothing so complicated. Just unfortunately just, you know, one plus one equals two. He's wandering around, asking for a ride. Everyone's like, who the hell are you? He says, I'm friends with Mike's daughters. Nobody gives him a ride. He calls a taxi. So detectives start speaking with Mike's family. He's got these brothers, he's got his wife and his daughters. And they ask if Mike had any enemies who might want to hurt him because it did look like a burglary gone wrong. Wrong. But they wanted to see if anyone maybe would have targeted him. There was a window broken from the outside into the basement. And somebody had pried open Mike's gun cabinet by force and stolen a weapon. The graffiti on the walls was suggested of gang activity. And there had been several breaks break ins in Colorado Springs recently, which as far as I know from just like reading in the news is like a pretty conservative, like a wealthy area or at least like a more a wealthier part of. Of the US And I think pretty Christian. And so I think that this kind of gang activity was sort of another. Well, was an actual red herring. This time.

[Em McCory]

I was gonna say Scott tried to plant the graffiti. Spray paint is really like the biggest curveball for me.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, that's a curveball. Yeah. Because that was just a red herring. That one was the red herring. And I think he thought, I've done enough.

[Em McCory]

I've gone too far.

[Christine Schiefer]

I've thrown them off the scent. Yeah, I've thrown them off the scent. Now I need a ride home.

[Em McCory]

I'm perfectly at the right distance of the sun. I have not flown too close.

[Christine Schiefer]

Right, right, right.

[Em McCory]

No one will ever see it coming.

[Christine Schiefer]

My wings are starting to soften. But I'm going to drop back down and ask if anyone can drive me home now because I'm tired. Yeah. So there had been several break ins. So they're thinking like, maybe this is gang activity, but maybe somebody targeted Mike. They're trying to figure it out. But it did seem as if Mike was home at the wrong time and that it could have just been a vine violent reaction to a burglary gone wrong. But of course, investigators need to look into it. One of Mike's brothers said that Mike's only enemy. Okay, imagine this conversation. So they're, they're basically interviewing Mike's brothers and one of them says, oh, he does have an enemy. And they say, who? And he says, his only enemy is his oldest daughter, Don. And they go, oh, so like your niece? And he's like, yeah, yeah, I believe this is the brother. So this, you know, this is the sibling of his siblings. This is like the outspoken one who's like, I'll say it if no one else will say it.

[Em McCory]

Right.

[Christine Schiefer]

He says, I believe Don was stealing Mike's belongings with her friends. And when Mike came home and caught her, things became violent. And so that was what this guy said. And they were like, whoa, we did not even pursue that avenue yet. So the police discovered that dawn did have previous drug related charges against her. So they brought her in for questioning. But she insisted she knew nothing about the break in and she had an alibi because she had been in the hospital hospital with her mom and sister that day. So detectives warned her that they would solve this case and that it would be wise for her to tell them the truth before someone else did. Which feels like I'm in trouble with my parents, like totally or with like a teacher. Like, you better tell me before someone else tells me. Then you're really in trouble.

[Em McCory]

I trust me. Nothing has ever scared me more in my life. So scary to this day. Like there are moments where like I want to lie. And then I'm like, but what if someone else tells? You know, like, oh my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh my God. The fear I had.

[Em McCory]

I had something happen recently where it's been resolved since, but I was like, I was really thinking, like, a white lie would really get me out of this. And I'm like, it's too risky. I. So that fear has been perfectly instilled as a kid. Perfectly instilled.

[Christine Schiefer]

Like, think about how much worse it'll be. Think about how much worse it'll be when I find out later. Like, ah.

[Em McCory]

For some reason the only thought in my head is like the slow punch of like. Of like a bully on the recess.

[Christine Schiefer]

Like a windup.

[Em McCory]

Yeah. It's like, you better tell me now because it'll be much worse later if you. If someone else.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'll give you something to cry about. Yeah. So basically they. The police tell her this, which apparently does not faze her because she says, I did tell you the truth. Bye. And leaves.

[Em McCory]

Okay, girl.

[Christine Schiefer]

So she was not as afraid of the world as we are, I guess. But Mike's brothers are like, hey, by the way, there was this fucking weird guy in a T shirt at the crime scene. And of course all the brothers are like, we saw all this weird happening and we'll tell the police. And so the police are like, okay, thank you. Because no one else seems to be telling us this.

[Em McCory]

Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

So now they know about the guy. And another brother, Chris, revealed a different detail that he remembered later, which is that he had called Mike, his landline that day at 6 p. Pm to talk to Mike. But a random man answered the phone.

[Em McCory]

Did he say, can you give me a ride?

[Christine Schiefer]

This part got me because I was like, you have got to be fucking kidding me. Like, really? So he answers the fucking phone and he says, wait, where's Mike? And he goes, oh, he's in the shower. Like, what? Like, why would you be there?

[Em McCory]

Yeah, why wouldn't you just.

[Christine Schiefer]

Who are you?

[Em McCory]

Why wouldn't you just not answer? Answer.

[Christine Schiefer]

You'll. We'll get to that. Because I did also. I said, you better have a reason. And technically he may have, but it. It did feel like, wow, you're the dumbest criminal of all time. And I know that there are so many of them, but like, this one just hurts me. I'm like, guy, come on.

[Em McCory]

Oh my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

So, yeah, he called and he realized later, like, that must have been my brother's killer that I talked to. So, like, he called the police and said, I have to add this to the story. And so on February 20, this is a week later, an obituary was published locally which said Mike's family would miss his big heart, sense of humor, and all around amazing man. And it announced a private viewing for his family and other invited mourners to attend a memorial mass at the church that Mike had always volunteered at. But meanwhile, investigators were looking for the strange T shirted man that Mike's brothers had reported and Mr. Griffin.

[Em McCory]

Graffiti.

[Christine Schiefer]

Mr. Graffiti. Mr. Answer the phone.

[Em McCory]

Mr. I need a ride.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. Mr. I need a Ride. And Mr. Worldwide. Nope, that's slander. I didn't mean pit bull. He's not part of this.

[Em McCory]

Mr. He's in the shower.

[Christine Schiefer]

He's in the shower. Wasn't me. Meanwhile, investigators were looking for the man they suspected he was the same person Chris had spoken to on the phone. Because like, what are the odds that two random weird men are around like acting strange in this small neighborhood? And so they're assuming it's the same guy, but they don't really have any real leads, so they start contacting local taxi companies. Because he took a taxi after nobody would give him a fucking ride.

[Em McCory]

That's totally true.

[Christine Schiefer]

Imagine asking the brother of the man you just murdered to give you a ride home. And assuming he would.

[Em McCory]

I'm telling you immediately I was like, mental illness. Like, first of all, you're not drugs. Totally makes sense as well. But I was like, you're in Colorado in February in shorts and now you're not able to read the room. I was like, something's a miss for sure.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes, yes, big time. And so you're right, it could be a number of things, but I think definitely mental illness and drugs are probably the two biggest culprits here. But yeah, so they're calling taxi companies, hoping like, oh, did you pick up some guy in a T shirt who was acting kind of weird? And miraculously one company said, yeah, we did. We picked somebody up at that event.

[Em McCory]

Were like, thank God you had you asked us. Cuz we've been talking about this weird.

[Christine Schiefer]

We've been trying to figure out who the hell this guy is. Yeah.

[Em McCory]

You know, whoever got that phone call at the taxing company went, please hold. And then. Guys, guys, guys, dude. Literally that guy we've been talking about all day, someone's asking about him, right? The cops asking for.

[Christine Schiefer]

Put it on speaker.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, you know, that was like the break room talk of the day for sure.

[Christine Schiefer]

And that's what happened. They finally, they called the right company and they said, yeah, that's absolutely Somebody we picked up at the house. And so they were like, okay, can we have the number he called from? So they're basically like piecing this together. They get the cell phone he used to call the cab, and they figure out that it's this 34 year old guy named Tommy Wright. And he had actually been arrested only days later for auto theft charges in another town. So I guess he couldn't find a ride and decided to make his own.

[Em McCory]

And this guy has some car troubles.

[Christine Schiefer]

He's got a fixation, my friend. He's got a. He's got some troubles indeed. And so he is arrested in a different town for the auto theft charges. And this is right about when they are linking up him up to his phone number. So Colorado Springs police tried to question him about being present at the Barajas house on February 13, but he gave them nothing. Which is like the first smart move this guy's done. I would argue argue is say nothing at all. And without any insight from Tommy himself, they turned to a warrant and they decided to search his apartment. And that is where they discovered a.45 caliber handgun matching the weapon used to kill Mike. Oh, easy peasy.

[Em McCory]

Whoopsies.

[Christine Schiefer]

So Sandra was shocked. She said that she knew Tommy's name, and even though she had never met him before, she knew about him because Don had actually brought him over before. It was a friend of her eldest daughters. And so remember when he said to the brothers, oh, I'm a friend of the daughters? He was. He's Don's friend. And so Sandra knew of him and said, wait, what the. Why would this guy come over and kill my husband? I don't understand. He's only been to our house once. Like, what's going on? Why would Don even bring a guy like that to our house? Just, like, totally beside herself. So once forensic analysis matched the gun discovered in Tommy's apartment to the bullets recovered from Mike's remains and confirmed that it was the same gun, they scheduled a grand jury hearing for May 17th to indict Tommy for first deegree murder. However, this hearing was postponed last minute because Tommy told the detectives he actually wanted to give them a full confession.

[Em McCory]

Oh, lucky everybody.

[Christine Schiefer]

Lucky everybody. Yeah. So in exchange, he requested several things. Said, I'll give you.

[Em McCory]

I need first, a ride. Second. All right. Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, a ride. Okay. He requests several things, including a ride and also Facebook access.

[Em McCory]

Right? Oh, oh, really? Okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

No, that's real. That one's real. He requested Facebook access, and they said no. And so he ultimately accepted. Pop and cigarettes.

[Em McCory]

Wow. Steep decline on the negotiations.

[Christine Schiefer]

He's not good at negotiating, just like me. He just caves.

[Em McCory]

It's like, maybe some pants since it's winter, but okay, sure.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. No, no, no, no, no. Certainly not that. Some pants. Yeah. Like the bottoms of my shorts, maybe.

[Em McCory]

Yeah, please.

[Christine Schiefer]

So basically they said, fine, we'll get you cigarettes and a Pepsi if you tell us what happened. He says, all right, it's a deal. And he confesses to stealing a gun from Mike's gun cabinet, lying in wait in the bedroom until Mike got home, and then ambushing him in the dark. He also said that he answered the landline phone and spoke to one of Mike's brothers after the murder. Murder. And then when the Mike's brothers came after to the crime scene, he was like, oh, you're Mike's brother that I talked to on the phone when I was killing him. Can I get a ride? Like, this guy just is out of his mind. So, yes, he says, I did answer the phone because I talked to Mike's brother when I answered, and that was after the murder. So I lied and said he was in the shower. So Chris, the brother who had called and been on the phone, was supposed to pick Mike up to go to Ash Wednesday mass. And so he drove to Mike's house and knocked on the door, and no one answered. And he was like, okay, whatever. So he left so he wouldn't be late for mass. He had no idea Tommy was inside watching him, having already murdered his brother and waiting for him to leave. Isn't that so dark?

[Em McCory]

Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

And Tommy said he did indeed kill Mike, but the break in was staged because Tommy was already in the house that day, like, hiding out.

[Em McCory]

And I'm sure everyone was like, yeah, we knew that.

[Christine Schiefer]

We figured that part out. Thanks.

[Em McCory]

The graffiti spray paint made no sense. So thanks.

[Christine Schiefer]

That was me, guys. Yeah.

[Em McCory]

We also figured genius contribution before all the actual illegal. Thank you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yes, exactly. Thank you so much for that. So Tommy said he had to stage the break in because he was already in the house that day with Mike's family that morning.

[Em McCory]

Oh, my God.

[Christine Schiefer]

And they said, pardon? What do you mean? And he said, well, okay, here's the thing. So the backstory of Tommy. Tommy met Don and Angie, the sisters, by chance one day at a 7:11, much like Mike had met Sandra at that gas station where she worked many years ago. Just another little pattern here, okay? They befriended Mike. They invited him back to their home. This was, like, ages ago. Where the trio used drugs together. And Angie claimed during this Friendship that Mike had been sexually abusing her, as in her stepfather had been sexually abusing her. Tommy said he was horrified by this, and he had actually once dated a woman whose young child had been sexually abused. And Tommy said he witnessed firsthand how much trauma it caused. So he just instantly hated Angie's stepdad and Don. Stepdad for. For sexually abusing her.

[Em McCory]

And was this true? Do we know if that's true?

[Christine Schiefer]

We. We shall get to it.

[Em McCory]

Okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

We shall get. I think I shall. I think I will answer your question. I believe I will.

[Em McCory]

Okay. Okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

So he hated Mike for inflicting that upon his own daughter. And the sisters repeatedly asked Tommy if he knew anyone who could take care of Mike for them. So Tommy said that on February 13, he finally agreed to kill Mike for them in exchange for their pickup truck and $5,000 in cash.

[Em McCory]

So. For a ride. Literally, for a ride.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, my God.

[Em McCory]

You're so m. This guy loves to go from here to there. He. He'll do anything from. He'll do anything for A to B.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'm telling you, he's always in transit.

[Em McCory]

This is on route.

[Christine Schiefer]

You know what I'm saying? He's always en route.

[Em McCory]

I'm telling you.

[Christine Schiefer]

Oh, man. That guy. So he says, I'll. I need a ride, though. And $5,000. But according to Tommy, that morning, Angie, the younger sister, was nearly unresponsive from drugs use, so she actually didn't even get involved that day. She was, like, comatose, basically.

[Em McCory]

Weirdly, like, the best alibi you could have.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, right. Exactly. Exactly. Instead, detectives were shocked to learn that someone else got involved. And that, my friend, is none other than Sandra.

[Em McCory]

Okay, okay. Because I did wonder in the beginning when, like, people were gathering, and all of a sudden, he shows up. He's like, can I get a ride? I was like, where the hell is his wife? And, like, why isn't. Why aren't we learning more about her?

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, remember, she stood there and screamed, why? Why? And tried to break her way into the house. And.

[Em McCory]

Oh, she did say that. Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. And they said, we can't tell you anything. We have. All we can say is there's one potential murder victim here or something, and she, like, collapsed and started screaming, and that was why nobody ever, ever, ever considered her, because she was such a good actor that they were, like. Either. Like, they were taken aback by this, I think.

[Em McCory]

So she. Okay, I'll. Okay, go for it. Go for it.

[Christine Schiefer]

So Tommy and Don got help making the murder plan from Sandra throughout the entire investigation, even as the daughter, Don, was questioned as a suspect. Sandra was never once considered even a person of interest.

[Em McCory]

Like, she's shooting the breeze over there.

[Christine Schiefer]

She's having. She's drinking her iced tea on the front porch. And they had never even thought of her as having any intel about how he was killed. And so the police on scene really saw Sandra's reaction, and it seemed so genuine to them that they really. And they took it at. At Took it at face value. And the obituary published just days later talked about their marriage and Mike's devotion to Sandra. And it was just difficult to imagine that she was so convincingly mourning Mike among his family and friends after having, like, orchestrated the whole thing.

[Em McCory]

Right.

[Christine Schiefer]

But Tommy insisted that she helped hatch the scheme to stage a break in. He said that they made the plan together. And then the women went to the hospital as an alibi. And as soon as they left, Tommy began staging the scene, spray painting the walls. And the women were supposed to pick Tommy up after he killed Mike. But when Chris called and Tommy answered, assuming it was Sandra calling, oh, to say, like, we're on the way to pick you up. It was Chris.

[Em McCory]

So he up there in the shower. He f. He up their story, the plan.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yep. And so he panicked after that, and he ran instead of waiting for the ride. So he panics. He runs out of the house. Cuz he's like, oh, this guy's. His brother knows someone's here. This is. You know, he just panics. He hides nearby for a while, and then he returns shortly. Later, later to the origin of our story where he is trying to find a ride home at the crime scene. Oh, that's.

[Em McCory]

Is that why. That's why he was just standing there.

[Christine Schiefer]

Hid for like, hours, and then came back and said, can someone drive me home?

[Em McCory]

He couldn't, like, go next door.

[Christine Schiefer]

Like, literally couldn't walk half a mile away and pretend to bum a ride from someone else.

[Em McCory]

He couldn't, I mean, like, call a cab somewhere else or like, hail a bus or something?

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah.

[Em McCory]

What are you talking about? So was he on. Do we know he was on drugs during this? Because this sounds.

[Christine Schiefer]

I do not know. I do not think that. I know that. I do not know. I do not know.

[Em McCory]

Okay. Yeah, I. That's. That's wild.

[Christine Schiefer]

Or if I do, we'll find out together, because I forget.

[Em McCory]

Okay.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. But as far as I know, as far as I recall, they don't really get into that. I can only assume if one of them, if they all three are active drug users in and hatched a plan on drugs to kill this person. And one of them is, like, unconscious in the hospital due to drug use. I can only guess that maybe he could be on something, but I don't know. There's no. There's no hard evidence for that, as far as I know. So. Because this is just how this always goes. He's explaining the story of the police, and they're like, you know what? It. It adds up. Like, even though that, like, we had never looked at Sandra as a possible suspect, the way he's explaining this, it does align down to the phone call and everything. But they needed more than just his word against Sandra's. So what they did was they had Tommy call Sandra secretly with the police, pretending he wasn't with the police. And he led her to admit on the phone that she owed him money for killing Mike at her request. Request. And she said, all right, I'll bring you $500. Meet me at Walmart, okay? And that is how the police knew for sure he was not lying. And Sandra had been involved in having her husband killed.

[Em McCory]

Gotcha.

[Christine Schiefer]

So they all took a little road trip to Walmart, and they arrested her on the spot. And they had the recording of her basically saying, I'll give you $500 since you killed him. And that was pretty much all the jury needed. You know, it was pretty obvious. Her trial began February 4, 2014. And, you know, her defense team, of course, tried to paint her as a victim of dawn, her own daughter, who was allegedly, like, this dangerous, sociopathic manipulator, and Sandra was terrified of her own daughter. But the prosecution then played that phone call in which Sandra was like, yeah, I'll give you 500 bucks for killing him. And people were like, whoopsies, nice try.

[Em McCory]

Which, like, was she going to let her, like, kids go down for this? And she was just going to.

[Christine Schiefer]

I don't know that she even realized that they would be on the hook. Like, I think these people just didn't even have enough foresight to realize, like.

[Em McCory]

Oh, like, if four people are.

[Christine Schiefer]

You know what?

[Em McCory]

I imagine one of them will crack.

[Christine Schiefer]

I wouldn't be surprised if she at least let dawn take the fall. Because it sounds like the way people describe their relationship is that, like, right. Don kind of ran the ship. So I don't. I don't know. I don't know if that's true. But I honestly, believe me, I mean, who knows? Maybe Don would have said, nope, my mom was involved, and I have proof. You know, maybe they could frame each other. Who knows? But sure, yeah. So she goes to trial, and, you know, they try to say she's a victim, but they play the phone call. And then testimony on behalf of Mike also tore apart the claim that he was abusing anybody, including especially his own daughters. So that seemed to have been just a total fabrication. The. The sexual abuse seemed to be a total fabrication. So instead, the prosecution presented evidence and witness testimony that Sandra had actually destroyed her family's finances through years of gambling. And that's where all this pressure was. That's why she even was involved in the first place.

[Em McCory]

So in a way, she's the family annihilator, when it's usually men.

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, family annihilator means that you kill the kids, too. Like, all the kids.

[Em McCory]

And I thought it was like when. Well, okay, I got it wrong. Sorry.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah, no, no. I mean, it's. It's. Yeah. I'm trying to think back, but it's usually when you basically massacre your own family because you think it's better than them living, like, in whatever state of financial distress or despair or, you know, usually finances.

[Em McCory]

But I think because of that, that's.

[Christine Schiefer]

Why I thought, like, oh, it makes sense.

[Em McCory]

If he finds out about the finances, then I'm done, so might as well get him of here.

[Christine Schiefer]

Well, actually, it wasn't even that. It was just for life insurance to pay it off, you know, Man. Yeah, that's. Yeah. So Mike told his brother. So, I mean, Mike knew about all the gambling. Sorry to clarify, Mike knew about all this because Mike's brothers knew about all this. So Mike told his brothers that their house was in foreclosure. Apparently, they had already filed for bankruptcy. And if Mike were killed, Sandra and their daughters would receive life. Life insurance, as well as retirement payments and other financial support from his job. And in Mike's obituary, the family also requested monetary donations instead of flowers. Wow. Isn't that bold?

[Em McCory]

Dang.

[Christine Schiefer]

The prosecution argued that Sandra and Dawn wanted to kill Mike to fund their gambling and drug use. So two. Two things.

[Em McCory]

And.

[Christine Schiefer]

And bada boom, bada boom. Sandra was found guilty of first degree murder, a conviction which carried a sentence of life in prison without parole in Colorado. And so dawn saw that happen and decided not to risk the same sentence. So she pled guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Tommy also pled guilty to second degree murder and received a 40 year sentence. The Baras neighbors were totally shocked by the plot lot, but admitted that they were relieved that it wasn't just like a random burglar. Running around town and that it wasn't somebody still on loose. Yeah, Yeah, I get it, too. That would be your instinct, right? To be like.

[Em McCory]

I mean, if our next door neighbor next. If our next door neighbor got murdered, I'd go, oh, fuck, Like, I'm in big trouble. And then if I found out it was like a family thing, I'd go, okay, not my problem.

[Christine Schiefer]

At least. Not. At least I'm not part of it. Right?

[Em McCory]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Mike's family was glad that justice was served against Sandra, Don, and Tommy. But of course, that's only so much that you can do to make up for something like this one person wrote about when they were talking about just remembrances. On Mike's obituary website. There are, like, these memorial entries and people like to leave kind of anecdotes. And one person wrote about a winter day when they were scraping the ice off their car, and Mike appeared and told them to get in the car and stay warm. And then he scraped the whole car off for them and said, have a good day at work and just, oh, let them go. And that was the kind of guy he was. He was an actual pillar of the community. So. Well, you're either murder or a murderer. I guess it's the only option.

[Em McCory]

He finally breaks the. The glass ceiling on that, I guess.

[Christine Schiefer]

Yeah. Good for him. He breaks the mold. The pillar mold.

[Em McCory]

Yeah.

[Christine Schiefer]

Maybe this pillar has just some nice curly cues on the top. You know, it's just a little fancier than the others. I don't know. But yeah. So that's how Mike will be remembered. Just a really kind, actually nice, gentle guy who got mixed up in a weird family. The wrong family. And, you know, it's just too bad. So that's that story.

[Em McCory]

Boy, that's a rough one.

[Christine Schiefer]

Now it's time to discuss all our deepest, darkest secrets on the Yappy Hour.

[Em McCory]

Mmm. That's right.

[Christine Schiefer]

I'm gonna open this bad boy.

[Em McCory]

Well, yeah, I guess. And this is the last one before Christmas. The last?

[Christine Schiefer]

I believe so, yes.

[Em McCory]

Well, happy Christmas Eve episode to everybody. And Christine is using her teeth. No. It always gets me going in the worst way.

[Christine Schiefer]

So sorry. That really isn't unpleasant. I'm so sorry. I know that that auditorially, that was really bad for everybody. If you want to find us, go to industry drink.com. if you want tickets to our live show. And that's why I drink.com live, you can find our book anywhere. Find Books are sold. You can join us on patreon patreon.com ATWWD podcast which is also our handle for all our social media media. And we're excited to see you out there in the world, and that's why we drink.