And That's Why We Drink – Episode 468: "MySpace Siren Calls and Sit Down Comedians"

Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz
Date: February 1, 2026
Podcast Theme: True crime and the paranormal, with banter-filled personal stories and lots of nostalgia.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Christine and Em take listeners for a nostalgic deep dive into MySpace days, reminisce about cringeworthy teen internet behavior, and swap stories of adolescent longing and heartbreak. The hosts set the stage with playful banter before diving into their signature content: Em covers the haunting of the Cripple Creek (Teller County) Jail, and Christine breaks down the controversial case of Angelika Graswald and the kayak death of Vincent Viafore. Along the way, listeners get a blend of humor, pop culture throwbacks, sincere reflections, and critical takes on interpersonal and legal missteps.

1. Opening Banter & Nostalgia (02:26 – 24:46)

Key Discussion Points

• Teenage Branding & Beverages:

  • Christine and Em recall old vitamin water bottles with snarky labels (“we know you’re stalking your ex right now” [03:51]) and how such quirky marketing defined their youth.
  • MySpace era's obsession with being "so random" and how those formative years shaped their senses of humor and social media habits.

• MySpace Memories:

  • Coding personal pages, agonizing over "Top 8" friends, and the all-important "profile song."
  • Christine admits to featuring Glenn Miller Orchestra and Billy Talent tracks to “send a message” and be “perceived in a certain way” [07:03, 07:44], while Em reminisces about Dashboard Confessional and Cartel.
  • Both hosts discuss how MySpace personality quizzes became a surrogate diary: “Every time I said, when was the last time you cried? I’d be like, last night.” (Christine, 08:28)
  • Yearning for attention from crushes, hoping secret messages would be interpreted (“I just wanted to be perceived… wanted to be seen, but only by a crush” [08:40–08:51]).

Notable Quotes

• “I just wanted people to… I just wanted to be perceived in a way, a certain way.”
  -- Christine (08:40)
• “I would read my crush’s posts…” – Em (10:15)
• “I’m literally siren calling this guy into my atmosphere…”
  -- Christine (11:11)

Memorable Moment

Christine’s tale of using a ringtone at her school assembly to get her crush’s attention, leading Em to joke about “siren calling” boys via public audio (11:11).

2. The Haunted Cripple Creek Jail (Em’s Paranormal Story) (29:45 – 64:20)

Key Discussion Points

• Old Teller County Jail/Cripple Creek/Outlaws and Lawmen Museum:

  • History: Built in 1901 after the Gold Rush influx, original wood jail repeatedly burned down, leading to a brick “state of the art” facility [33:56–34:01].
  • Jail Structure:
    • 14 cells, originally meant for six people each (!) – “6.5 by 9 ft for six people. That’s… a rug” (Em, 43:12).
    • Female cells upstairs; all shared one (ostensibly for all) lone toilet.
    • Notorious for overcrowding, lack of privacy, and terrible sanitation.
    • “State of the art”: Had electricity, one shower, and indoor plumbing—sort of (it worked poorly).
  • Inmates: Most crimes were mild (sex work, larceny, public drunkenness, gambling) — “They were all just a little drunk or a little horny, you know what I’m saying?” (Em, 39:26).
    • Celebrity prisoner: Boxer Jack Dempsey stayed for petty larceny.

• Ghostly Activity:

  • Reported phenomena: Voices, EVPs, heavy breathing, cold spots on the infamous catwalk, unexplained door slams, keys jingling, footsteps pacing as if on patrol [55:29–57:01].
  • Apparitions:
    • Rosie the Matron: Seen monitoring rooms, confiscating items that appear mysteriously (marbles, personal effects) [58:24, 58:52].
    • Male Officer Ghost: Seen trying to enter after hours, confused employee as a living person—then vanishes [60:50].
    • Children’s Spirits: Children were once imprisoned with their mothers; “very sad, but they’ve been seen upstairs looking out of windows” [62:52].

• Historical Oddities:

  • The jail was decommissioned in the 1990s—“We were alive when this closed!” (51:55)—because it lacked a rec yard.
  • Reopened as a museum in 2007.
    • “You can walk in and sit in the solitary confinement cell… Imagine if you’d been in prison there—now it’s a museum.” (55:10)

Notable Quotes

• “They were all just a little drunk or a little horny…” — Em (39:26)
• “You’re standing in a 6.5 by 9 room with six sheets hanging from the ceiling.” — Em (43:44)
• “At that point you might as well just be lying in the hammock and sometimes someone’s standing up to stretch their legs.”
  – Christine (44:10)

Memorable Moment

Christine's riffing on luxury items being confiscated by Rosie the ghost matron:
“Who goes into prison with Jimmy Choos and a Birkin bag?” (59:45)

Timestamps

• Jail History/Gold Rush: 34:01–37:03
• Jail Conditions: 42:08–47:37
• Ghosts & Paranormal: 55:29–64:20

3. True Crime Deep Dive: Angelika Graswald & Vincent Viafore (Christine’s Story) (67:14 – 119:16)

Key Discussion Points

• Background:

  • Angelika (Latvia-born, multitalented, outdoorsy) and Vincent (project manager, “party animal,” 46, two kids) [68:42–69:42].
  • Engaged fives months after meeting, both twice-divorced, “handsey, cutesy couple.”
  • Plan: Kayak excursion to Bannerman Island for engagement (and racy) photos, 2015.

• Incident:

  • Conditions on Hudson River deteriorate; Vincent falls in, lacks lifejacket.
  • Angelika’s 911 call: “He’s getting further away and he’s not going to make it, he’s going to drown.” [79:14]
  • Angelika rescued, Vincent disappears, presumed drowned.

• Investigation & Interrogation:

  • Police suspicious of her “calmness” in ambulance—Em & Christine criticize this as misogynistic and narrow-minded [81:00].
  • Odd social media posts in days after (cartwheels, cigars, shots) cast suspicion.
  • Police seize on her mention of kayak “plug” missing (a drainage plug, not a fatal flaw).
  • Christine details the language/cultural barriers: “She just thought, Oh, I have to go to the station…” (91:54).
  • Interrogated for 11 hours, police use manipulative tactics (“it’s like therapy for you”—Detective Decordo, 95:10).

• Confession and Charges:

  • Under duress, Angelika admits she “felt good” when he was gone, but never says she killed or intended harm.
  • Police attempt to spin her admissions into a murder or subconscious killing theory; Christine and Em call this a stretch [106:42–107:19].
  • Body found—no sign of foul play, but ME marks “cause of death: kayak drain plug intentionally removed by other” [112:24].
  • Kayak expert testifies that missing plug was insignificant, and police demo was forcibly staged [114:28].

• Resolution:

  • Angelika pleads to criminally negligent homicide (four years), released after 16 months.
    • “She thought by speaking and telling them everything, she would clear it up... Boy, was I naive.” (118:16)
  • Vincent’s family continues blaming her, though evidence for intentional harm is tenuous.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s like therapy for you.”
  -- Detective (with skepticism), recounted by Christine (95:10)
• “She just thought, Oh, I have to go to the station… She just did everything she thought she was supposed to do.”
  -- Christine (91:54)
• “I wanted him dead and now he’s gone, and I’m okay with that.” (Christine, quoting Angelika under stress, 111:36)
• “This was a tragic accident, in my opinion.”
  — Christine (119:09)
• “I am exactly where you are, Christine. I am on board with you. That’s crazy.”
  -- Em (119:05)

Memorable Moments

• Christine’s deep frustration with police and ME’s logic:
  “The coroner’s report is marked as homicide… ‘kayak drain plug intentionally removed by other’.” (112:24)
• Authentic moments of empathy:
  “Imagine going through everything she’s gone through… and now they’re holding her, where she’s trying to be nothing but cordial…” — Em (95:57–96:20)

Timestamps

• Case Setup & Bannerman Island: 67:14–74:03
• Incident & Immediate Aftermath: 74:03–81:00
• Police Focus & Interrogation: 81:00–107:19
• Legal Outcome & Reflection: 107:19–119:16

4. Notable Quotes & Running Jokes

• “I just wanted to be perceived in a certain way.” — Christine (08:40)
• “They were all just a little drunk or a little horny, you know what I’m saying?” — Em (39:26)
• “Who goes into prison with Jimmy Choos and a Birkin bag?” — Christine (59:45)
• “More like Detective Farto.” — Christine, in a fit of frustration over police incompetence (95:35)

5. Timestamps for Key Segments

• MySpace Nostalgia: 02:26–24:46
• Why We Drink: 24:42–27:01
  • Christine: Thankful for her therapist (“Just felt especially thankful for my therapist…” 24:43)
  • Em: Waiting for lost packages, drinking leftover Crystal Light (24:49)
• Paranormal Segment: Cripple Creek Jail: 29:45–64:20
• True Crime Segment: Graswald/Kayak Case: 67:14–119:16

6. Episode Tone & Language

Playful, irreverent, self-deprecating, and emotionally honest. The hosts alternate between silliness (quips about MySpace dramas, jailhouse Birkin bags), sharp social critique (law enforcement technique, gender roles), and sincere empathy (for victims, the wrongfully accused, and therapists everywhere).

7. Suggested Listening & Listener Takeaway

• If you loved:

  • Millennial nostalgia, heart-on-sleeve true crime storytelling, and ghost story tours with a dose of skepticism and dark humor.
  • Reflections on how media, culture, and systems can shape narratives—often to the detriment of justice or personal growth.

• Listener Note:

  • The episode is a great window into youthful yearning, emotional memory, and the perils of snap judgment—whether it’s about teen quizzes, prison hauntings, or a woman on trial for her fiancé’s accidental death.

8. Closing (119:16 – End)

• Plugs for the website, where listeners can find all episodes and transcripts.
• Lighthearted sign-off: “Add us on MySpace.” (119:48)
• Tease for future Patreon content: MySpace Top 8 politics discussion (119:59–120:16).

That’s why they drink—nostalgia, injustice, ghosts, and sometimes… just package delays and cold IPA.