Podcast Summary: "Haunted Toilets and Frozen Jail"
And That's Why We Drink — Episode 466
Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz
Release Date: January 18, 2026
Episode Overview
This week's episode blends personal updates, comedic banter, and the signature mix of true crime and the paranormal. Christine and Em open up about recent personal struggles and household disasters before leaning into a chilling haunted hotel story (the Alaskan Hotel in Juneau, AK) and continuing the saga of the Fort Worth Trio disappearance. The episode seamlessly combines emotional vulnerability, wild storytelling, witty improv, and a touch of occult theorizing— classic And That's Why We Drink.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Catch-Ups and Chaos [02:00–23:44]
Fredericksburg Rivalry & Merch Musings [02:02–06:20]
- Christine buys a t-shirt in Fredericksburg, Texas, sparking a one-sided rivalry with her hometown Fredericksburg, Virginia.
- Both hosts brainstorm tongue-in-cheek merch ideas (river otter mascots, “Fredericksburg, Texas can kick rocks”).
Why Do You Drink? Segment [06:22–23:44]
- Christine opens up about a series of personal hardships including a recent pregnancy loss, household illnesses, and a brutal water leak caused by a haunted toilet ("when it rains, it pours").
- Notable Quote (Christine, 10:27): “People on the Internet are very sleuthy and very good at reading between lines ... I have to respect them for that.”
- Christine details how the water catastrophe struck (“saved” by a ghostly presence tucking her in).
- Em shares about her own chaotic household, drinking from a prized Buc-ee’s mug, and the persistent post-pandemic “ick”.
Memorable Mom Quotes About Parenting and Spirits
- Discussion about children’s existential questions (“When are you going to die?”) and navigating grief, Santa, and magic.
- Notable Quote (Christine, 14:31): “So I was like, does the spirit of Christmas ever die? … Christmas magic is immortal. And she’s like, there’s no such thing as magic.”
2. Story #1: Paranormal— The Alaskan Hotel Hauntings [26:36–71:09]
Background & Setting the Scene [28:16–31:12]
- Situated in Juneau, opened in 1913 during the gold rush.
- Touted as Alaska’s most haunted hotel—appearing as #5 on USA Today’s “Best Haunted Hotels” list.
History & Haunted Lore [31:16–45:40]
- The hotel was at the “crossroads of future civilization, but in the past of frontier lawlessness.” (30:37)
- Colorful early history: boarding house, speakeasy during Prohibition, and brothel (for “minErs with an E”).
- Noted for rowdy clientele: “Scoundrel, scumbag, legislator, conman, murderer, thief—you name it.” (38:18)
Ghost of Alice (Room 219 and 218) [44:48–51:16]
- Alice’s story: deserted by her miner husband, she worked in the hotel as a sex worker to survive. When her husband returned, he killed her in a fit of rage.
- Paranormal activity: guests see Alice’s apparition, feel her presence, or hear her voice. She is interactive with investigators via spirit boxes and Ovilus devices.
- Notable Evidence (48:38): During a spirit session, the Ovilus says “July” (matching the psychic’s vision of the death date), then “Alice”, then “Hell”.
Room 315 Incident (2007 Navy Sailor Story) [52:18–59:56]
- A Navy sailor requested the most haunted room (315), then suffered a terrifying episode: screams for help, breaking glass, writing HELP in blood on walls/ceiling, and leaping out the window into a narrow alley. Miraculously, he survived.
- Notable Quote (Em, 55:22): "The blood wasn’t just on the walls. It was on the ceiling, on the floors, on the bed. It was everywhere.”
- Since the event, guests report hearing residual “help me” screams caught on 12 security cameras.
- Notable Quote (Em, 62:33): “All 12 security cameras caught 'help me' throughout the hotel.”
- Room 315 is now only rented out by request, usually as a last resort.
Basement Hot Tub Ghost—Charlie & Demonic Activity [63:12–68:24]
- 1988: Young Josh Adams (son of current owners) discovers a guest’s dead body (Charlie) in the (decidedly non-glamorous) basement hot tub.
- The basement is now considered demonic—Josh reports demonic figures and claims exorcisms have failed.
- Josh claims to have participated (willingly and unwillingly) in diabolical occult rituals on the premises.
- Notable Moment (Em, 68:12): “At the end of the episode, Josh says he both willingly and unwillingly, on separate occasions, was a part of, quote, diabolical rituals in the hotel.”
General Phenomena and Miscellaneous Hauntings [69:27–70:31]
- Techno-loving poltergeists, moving towels/bedding, flickering lights, shadow figures, voices, and time slips reported.
- Notably, a staff member once saw a man walking the basement, only to see his face suddenly right in front of the security camera (71:00).
3. Story #2: True Crime— The Fort Worth Trio Disappearance, Part 2 [74:25–133:04]
Previously On: Recap [74:25–77:00]
- On December 23, 1974, three girls (Rachel Trelisa, 17; Renee Wilson, 14; Julie Ann Mosley, 9) vanish while shopping before Christmas in Fort Worth, TX. Rachel's locked car is found in the parking lot; a strange letter appears addressed to her husband.
- Immediate chaos: false sightings, prank calls, and a traumatizing phone call ("Mama") possibly from Julie.
The Tommy & Deborah Drama (Distrust Closer to Home) [77:17–83:55]
- Deep dive into Rachel's husband Tommy: multiple quick marriages/divorces, including a whirlwind engagement to Rachel’s older sister Deborah, who lived with the couple.
- Notable Reaction (Em, 78:47): “So, no, you didn’t mention any of this last week. And I—”
- No hard evidence links Tommy to the disappearance, but suspicion remains; even other families and Rachel’s brother Rusty openly speculate about his possible involvement.
Family Fractures and the Role of Rusty [86:56–91:44]
- Rusty (Rachel’s brother), consumed by the case, becomes obsessed with seeking answers—even at the expense of family relationships (accusing sister Deborah of involvement).
- They eventually reconcile by 2020, but the emotional toll is evident.
- Notable Quote (Deborah, 89:48): “You have an uncontrollable need for things to be the way you need them to be, not the way they were.”
Theories & Speculation: Witnesses, Security Guards, Serial Killers, and Human Trafficking [91:45–125:36]
- Multiple witness reports: An elderly woman claims to have seen the girls being hustled into a yellow truck with lights (possibly a security vehicle). Another witness claims to see a man forcing a girl into a van, later dismissed as a “family dispute.”
- Police officer says he saw the girls with a security guard on the night of their disappearance (97:31); records are sparse, nothing comes of this lead.
- Context: Rachel and Deborah’s abusive father may have influenced the sisters’ early exits from home (marriage, engagement); not a suspect.
- Serial killer theories abound:
- Kenneth Granville: Active in Fort Worth at the right time, murders multiple women/children (107:02).
- Glenn McCurley (Carla Walker case): Parallels in victimology and abductions.
- Henry Lee Lucas, Otis Toole, Dean Corll (“The Candyman”), and Mike DeBardeleben (“Mall Passer”): All floated as potential suspects due to MO or proximity to malls, but with no hard evidence.
- Em’s Gut Theory (112:09): The abduction required at least two perpetrators—likely a young man/woman team to appear less threatening or to “lure” the girls.
Modern Theories: Trafficking & Opportunistic Attack [118:14–126:17]
- The possibility of the girls being trafficked or the victims of a coordinated, opportunistic attack is discussed as the likeliest scenario.
- Em (121:49): “I think these days...the ones that are most successful is when one person in the plot is a woman, because women feel safer with women.”
- Christine notes: The randomness of the trio’s trip (last-minute guest, time of year) makes a targeted attack unlikely, suggesting opportunism by predators already prowling the mall.
- The case remains a painful mystery—no evidence, no closure.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Christine, 19:02 (On the Haunted Toilet): “To my therapist, I said, ‘Well, when it rains, it pours...get it?’”
- Em, 48:17 (On the Ovilus responses): “He turns it on and the first word he got was ‘July’ ... and then [it says] ‘Alice’. It’s eerie how it immediately went to Alice.”
- Christine, 55:15 (Describing Room 315 aftermath): “He used the blood to write ‘HELP’ on the walls … the blood wasn’t just on the walls, it was on the ceiling, on the floors, on the bed. It was everywhere.”
- Em, 62:33 (Shared EVP): “All twelve security cameras caught ‘help me, help me’ throughout the hotel.”
- Christine, 79:04 (On the family relationships): “She broke up [with Tommy], was already with someone else, but it doesn’t look good.”
- Em, 112:09: “My thought is that it was a two-man job...and maybe not someone they knew personally, but someone their age…”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:02–06:20 – Fredericksburg Texas/Virginia rivalry & merch brainstorm
- 06:22–23:44 – Why Do You Drink, Christine’s personal update & haunted toilet story
- 26:36–71:09 – Haunted Alaskan Hotel (Full story)
- 44:48 – Ghost of Alice begins
- 52:18 – Room 315 sailor incident
- 63:12 – Basement hot tub ghost / demonic reports
- 74:25–133:04 – The Fort Worth Trio, Part 2 (Recap, family drama, theories, suspects, speculation)
Overall Tone
The episode is both witty and emotionally candid—balancing Christine’s very real struggles with humor, and blending the supernatural with grounded, empathetic storytelling. Unsparing when discussing the bizarre and the tragic, Christine and Em keep the tone conversational, irreverent, and sometimes darkly comical.
Final Thoughts
“Haunted Toilets and Frozen Jail” is classic ATWWD: emotionally open, deeply researched, and never short of hilarious, tangential asides. From spectral tucking-in to the mysteries of the Alaskan Hotel and the enduring pain of a 50-year-old unsolved disappearance, the episode reminds listeners: “The world’s a scary place — and that’s why we drink.”