E470 Leatha Weatha and Dirty Santa Texts

Summary

And That's Why We Drink – Episode E470

Title: Leatha Weatha and Dirty Santa Texts
Date: February 15, 2026
Hosts: Christine Schiefer, Em Schulz
Guest: Taylor (from Creeps and Crimes), Eva (producer)

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Episode Overview

This episode is a blend of true crime, the paranormal, and lighthearted banter that the And That's Why We Drink audience knows and loves. It features a playful "unhinged speed dating" segment with Taylor from Creeps and Crimes, a deep-dive paranormal story about the haunted Laurel Hall Mansion, and the emotionally driven first part of the true crime case—the Tote family murders. The episode is a showcase of the hosts’ signature balance of dark content and comedic relief, navigating grief, friendship, nostalgia, and the absurdities of modern life.

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Key Segments & Highlights

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**Unhinged Speed Dating with Taylor (Creeps and Crimes)

[01:29–16:39]**

Main Points:

• Host Christine and Taylor from Creeps and Crimes participate in a speed-dating Q&A led by Eva.
• The vibe is loose, comedic, and warm, featuring questions submitted by listeners and other podcasts.

Memorable Questions & Answers:

• "Which random VHS tape did your family watch on repeat?"

  • Taylor: "Snow White, the original cartoon. I ruined that tape.”
    [02:57]
  • Christine remembered hiding "Dumbo" under her mattress to avoid watching it—a recurring family trauma.

• First cartoon crush?

  • Taylor: “Not Snow White. Sully from Monsters Inc.” [04:56], sparking laughter and a discussion about John Goodman and celebrity encounters.
  • Eva feels “a lot of people's answer is that, like, animal characters, and that always makes me feel a little weird to say aloud.” [04:46]

• Dream reincarnation?

  • Taylor: “A house cat. Just laying in the sun, eating my food.” [06:25]
  • Eva: “Maybe a member of the Irwin family—so I'd be a family member of the Irwins.” [06:39]

• How many seagulls in your home before you think they’re being put there on purpose?

  • Eva: "If there were 10 in my house, I'd be like, an invasion of seagulls has occurred." [07:45]
  • Taylor (East Tennessee): “One. I've never seen a seagull here. If there’s one, someone put it there.” [07:58]

• Ross and Rachel: Were they on a break?

  • Taylor: “Who cares? He was disrespectful, and he's a whiny baby.” [08:17-08:52]
  • Eva: “He was disrespectful. My answer: irrelevant.”

Other Fun Bits:

• Discussion about AIM usernames, emotional support water bottles, and hydration trends.
• Taylor declares the "Ello" pop and fill bottle as "the water bottle of 2026." [15:26]
• Running jokes about forgetfulness, podcast chaos, and Blockbuster nostalgia.

Notable Quote:

“Red lips, red shirts and all. Look at us.” – Taylor [02:24]

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**Mid-Show Banter: Food, Illness, and Social Media Drama

[16:56–38:13]**

Key Discussion Points:

• Eva details a bizarre snack: “Bread with butter and big hunks of mozzarella cheese off a block.” [17:10]

  • Christine jokes: “Unhinge your jaw, girl. You do what you got to do for the bread.” [17:35]

• Eva is sick ("the sickly podcast"), leading to talk of tea habits and the appeal of honey sticks. [18:09–19:11]

• Christine describes Facebook battles and generational views on politics:

  • “I have been getting into heated arguments about how I am not interested in keeping anyone in my life that’s MAGA… I made it my personal vendetta.” [19:34–23:22]

• Blend of serious (political rifts) and playful (local newspaper “Brad Corb did it again” running gag). [26:23–28:12]

  • “You know what? I can always rely on Brad Corb.” – Christine [27:37]

• Banter about tea preferences, loose leaf vs. bags, with horror at loose tea’s “stems.” [32:06]

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**Paranormal Story: The Haunted Laurel Hall Mansion (Cuttingsville, VT)

[39:06–76:08]**

Story Overview:

Christine takes listeners through the story of the Laurel Hall Mansion (aka the Bowman House), a lavish estate built in the late 1800s by John Bowman, who suffered tragic family loss.

Key Facts & Details:

• Background:

  • John Bowman: successful tanner, wealthy, benevolent employer.
  • Suffered loss of two daughters (Addie, as an infant; Ella, early 20s) and wife Jenny within six months of Ella's death.
  • Built Laurel Hall Mansion and an elaborate mausoleum across the street in honor of his family.

• Era Context:

  • Built during the peak of Victorian spiritualism and elaborate mourning customs.

• Mausoleum:

  • Cost (today): ~$2.5 million, made from granite and marble, held marble busts of the family, and a life-size grief statue of John.
  • Bowman wanted his staff to maintain the mansion for 60 years post-death, as if awaiting the family’s return from the afterlife (bedding changed, meals made, fires lit, etc.). [67:28]

• Hauntings:

  • Reports: flickering lights, shadowy figures, full-bodied apparitions of the Bowman family, unexplained crying and conversations, dark stains, slamming doors. [70:57–75:16]
  • Bookstore owners (when property was a haunted bookshop) refused to stay after dark due to paranormal activity.

Notable Quotes:

“If he wanted to, he would. Even when you’re dead, if he wanted to, he would.” – Christine, on Bowman’s devotion to his lost family. [59:24]

“People claim to see a flickering light in the windows now, as if someone’s walking through.” – Christine [70:57]

Memorable Moments:

• Tangent about cartoon giraffes (Joshua/Jeffrey) and “banana phone.” [53:50]
• Christine’s vendetta against “Joshua” the dog at the dog park, “Do not pass Go. Do not.” [56:22–57:06]
• Appreciation for Victorian cemetery aesthetics and park-like design. [58:23]

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**True Crime: The Tote Family Murders (Part One)

[81:47–151:45]**

Case Summary:

Eva covers the tragic case of Anthony ("Tony") Tote, who murdered his wife Megan, their three children, and the family dog in Celebration, Florida, in late 2019. This true crime segment is content-heavy, emotional, and covered with deep research.

Key Details:

• Backdrop:

  • The Totes seemed idyllic—successful, devoted, moved from Connecticut to Disney’s “Celebration” neighborhood in Florida.
  • Tony was secretly drowning in debt and under federal investigation for insurance fraud.
  • Megan’s health was in decline; Tony’s was too, due to stress and diabetes.

• Timeline of Disappearance:

  • Holidays 2019: The family goes incommunicado under the pretense of illness and a tech-free St. Augustine trip.
  • Aunts, landlord, and agents grow concerned. No photos, no calls, no Christmas greetings; a void that alarms family members.
  • Multiple wellness checks, but nothing overtly suspicious seen from outside the house.

• Discovery:

  • On January 13, 2020, agents serve a federal warrant and find Tony alone, incoherent on Benadryl, and the decomposed bodies of Megan, all three children, and the dog in the master bedroom.
  • Scene details: The bodies are organized, holding rosaries/crucifixes; a “suicide note” claims it was a mutual family decision.
  • Tony survives his suicide attempt.

• Confession and Defense:

  • Tony confesses in detail—claims religious delusions, that the family would be united in the afterlife.
  • Later recants, attempts to frame Megan as the instigator (a tactic the hosts scorn as typical "family annihilator" deflection).

• Deeper Context:

  • Tony’s own childhood trauma—his father hired a hitman to murder his own mother in the 1980s; Tony witnessed it at age four. The episode ends here; the next episode will explore this further and the conclusion to the case.

Notable Quotes:

“They were just living their lives, going to Disney, probably having a good time.” – Eva, reflecting on the children’s innocence [95:49]

“He started to now sew seeds of blame toward Megan... This wasn’t the first time she had tried something. He said there had been multiple attempts.” – Eva, regarding Tony’s manipulations [148:51]

Memorable/Heavy Moments:

• The chilling discovery scene: “The house had all the curtains drawn. It was dark, it was dim... Tony standing at the top of the stairs in a t shirt and his underwear, leaning against the wall, mumbling incoherently... and says, ‘Megan is upstairs sleeping forever, probably.’” [121:54]
• Eva’s controlled outrage at the "suicide note": “He obviously wrote it on their behalf and then planned on doing it to himself and then couldn’t go through with it.” [136:53]

Episode Tone:

• This segment maintains an empathetic but unflinching style. Both hosts keep each other (and the audience) grounded with clarifying questions, dark humor, and genuine concern for victims.

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**Listener Q&A, Outtakes & Closing Banter

[151:46–End (~156:20)]**

• Episode wraps with reminders about the anniversary of the show (nine years!), plans for part two of the Tote case, and general affection for the WWD community.
• Updates about feeling sick, Mac & cheese, and shared excitement about lucky episode dates.
• Callbacks to ongoing jokes (dirty Santa texts, celebratory drinks).

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Notable Quotes, Moments & Timestamps

• Christine (on old friendships and politics):
  “I just. I think this is how my brain is reacting to cracking in half with the horrible news that's coming out every day. I’m just like, if I just flood other people's feeds and at least my eyes aren’t alone in this…” [24:04]

• Taylor (on cartoon crushes):
  "Not Snow White. Sully from Monsters Inc. ...Maybe it was his voice.” [04:56]

• On the Tote Murders:
  “Tony, what happened to your family? ...He freely admitted to murdering his wife, his three children, and their dog, Breezy... said he did it out of love and a desire to save them.” [138:50]

• On the paranormal:
  “People claim to see a flickering light in the windows now, as if someone’s walking through.” [70:57]

• Hosts celebrating longevity:
  “Nine year anniversary episode—very cool. Well, happy anniversary everyone.” [156:07]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:29] Start of speed dating Q&A feat. Taylor (Creeps and Crimes)
• [16:56] Main hosts return (post-collab segment); food chat, sickness, and Facebook drama
• [39:06] Paranormal segment: Laurel Hall Mansion (main narrative starts)
• [81:47] True Crime begins: The Tote Family Murders (part one of two)
• [151:45] End of true crime segment (next episode will continue the story)
• [155:21–156:20] Show wrap-up, anniversary notes

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Conclusion

This episode epitomizes the blend of morbid curiosity, humor, and vulnerability that makes And That’s Why We Drink so beloved. The mix of a horror-tinged Vermont manor, a harrowing modern true crime case, and the hosts’ personal tangents and speed-dating fun creates a rich listening experience for both devoted fans and newcomers.

Transcript

[Christine]

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[Eva]

Hello and welcome to and that's why we drink. I, in a first ever event, have worn a red lip today for my date. I love it. I'm here with Taylor. We're doing a fun as Eva called it unhinged speed dating segment. I just. Taylor and I just kind of showed up. So we don't really know. We don't know what's happening.

[Taylor]

We have no idea what's going on. I actually told Morgan, who recorded with Jerry last night. I was like, I'm, you know, I'm so grateful that you got with Jerry, but I'm also even more grateful I got with Christine, because one thing about me and Christine is we never know what the hell the hell's going on. So this is gonna be the most eventful one.

[Eva]

It's just like, okay, that way, that's just like, how we thrive and live, you know? We're joined by Eva in the corner there with a buzzer, and she has a Buzzer from Blockbuster. Don't ask me where that came from or why she owns it. But it's here. It's here. And we have some questions that we're gonna ask. And Taylor and I obviously are ready to kick things off.

[Christine]

We are ready to go.

[Taylor]

Red lips, red shirts and all. Look at us.

[Eva]

And I'm going to ask the first question. And Eva has this, like, buzzer up, like, ready, ready, ready to go. Oh, my God. No pressure. Okay, Taylor, I'm going to ask you the first question here. Okay. Which random VHS tape did your family of origin watch on repeat? And the subtext is, and why was it all Dogs Go to Heaven? Which is one that my family watched on.

[Taylor]

Right, Exactly. Okay.

[Eva]

Oh, good.

[Taylor]

So Do I have 30 seconds from Eva?

[Eva]

It was just buzzing. Taylor, five seconds.

[Christine]

Hello?

[Taylor]

Okay, so I was an only child for the first, like seven years of my life. And then my little sisters came, and by the time they came, CDs are the only. Like, DVDs were the only thing. So I was the only one with vhs. So it was me and I was the queen of the house. So therefore it was Snow White, the original cartoon. And I cried and screamed every single time that she did that, like, mirror transition.

[Eva]

Terrifying.

[Taylor]

Terrifying. But I literally ruined that tape. So.

[Eva]

Fantastic. That's a good answer. This was sent into us, by the way, from that's pretty dark podcast. Eva, will you tone it down? Hard to do. I'm just. I'm just kidding. I mean, it's a 40 year old button. I don't know. I don't know. It's like three decades old. All Dogs go to Heaven. I think my dad tried to make us watch Dumbo a lot and All Dogs Go to Heaven, and I think he really was trying to push the, like, suffering.

[Taylor]

Yeah, see, those are horrible movies. You're gonna take it away from your family.

[Eva]

I had to tie Dumbo under my mattress. And it was like years later that we moved out and my dad was like, why is this great film under the mattress? So it was a lot of traumatic events. And then like that weird soccer one about green. Green. Not the Green Mile, the other one for not green.

[Christine]

My.

[Eva]

Please, God, what is that? Green soccer movie.

[Taylor]

Hold on.

[Eva]

Oh, Green Machine. Oh, what? It's not the big. The big Green.

[Taylor]

Who was your first cartoon crush from Spooky Delight? Underscore.

[Eva]

I don't think I realized what it. I don't think I. I don't. It was probably a girl cartoon, and I didn't understand what was happening, and I Wanted. But honestly, I don't know. I feel like a lot of people's answer is, like, that. Like, animal characters, and that always makes me feel a little weird to say aloud, so I don't.

[Taylor]

Yes.

[Eva]

I. This is so lame. I don't really have an answer.

[Taylor]

I feel like a lot of people choose, like, Danny Phantom, too.

[Eva]

Like, yeah, that's a good answer.

[Taylor]

Okay, I have one. And I'll just say the timer is going to be quick. Actually, not Snow White. Sully from Monsters, Inc. Whoa.

[Eva]

Interesting.

[Taylor]

And I don't know why. Like, it's not like I married a.

[Christine]

Big burly man either.

[Taylor]

Like, I did it, but it's just.

[Eva]

Like, maybe you should have for.

[Taylor]

Maybe it was his voice. And who voiced him? Who voiced Sully?

[Eva]

It's not Billy Crystal. So that's the good news.

[Taylor]

Sully. Thank God. Sully's Monsters, Inc. Let's see. James P. Sullivan.

[Christine]

Who are you, sir?

[Taylor]

I'm like, who the is James P. Sullivan?

[Christine]

Never heard of that man.

[Taylor]

A day in my life.

[Eva]

Taylor's first crush.

[Taylor]

Wait, and what's so funny is, what.

[Eva]

If you had to say Sully? What if you said your first cartoon, Chris was James P. Sullivan? And we were all like, who the is that?

[Christine]

Okay, I'm gon you who play. Okay.

[Taylor]

John Goodman. You know that man?

[Eva]

John Goodman. I sat next to him on an airplane, and he was literally the most delightful person was he really. And he gave up his middle seat. He. Or he took a middle seat to, like, let somebody else in the aisle. And he sat next. He's a big man. He's a big dude. And he was, like, so kind. And someone said, like, I'm a huge fan. And he was like, oh, that's so sweet. And then, like, he kind of joked and, like, three different people sent him, like, whiskeys, and he's like, oh, I'm okay. No, thanks. And I was like, I'll take them. I'm gonna ask you the next one. What is your dream? Reincarnation. That's from Mirrorball Bookshelf. Oh, my God.

[Taylor]

I mean, I. I would always love to be a cat. Like, I think that'd be really nice to be a house cat. Just lay in the sun, eat my food, do the things.

[Eva]

Like, chase some around.

[Taylor]

Yeah. You know, play with my parents, annoy them at night. What about you?

[Eva]

Everybody and everything kind of sucks right now, so it's sort of like, yeah. What does. What Sounds enjoyable for me? Not really much. I mean, may, like, maybe like, of Robert Irwin's family member, like, A family member of the Irwin, where I'm like.

[Taylor]

That is such a great call right there. You nailed it.

[Eva]

Wow. Okay. Wow. Well, we did get a very specific answer for that question.

[Taylor]

Is it my turn to ask?

[Eva]

I think so.

[Taylor]

Okay. I'm even numbers, right? Okay. Literally, I don't know how me and Morgan run this podcast because I have.

[Christine]

No idea what I'm doing half the time.

[Taylor]

Your listeners are like, is she gonna ask if it's her turn again?

[Eva]

Serious? No, don't worry. They'll be like, christine needs to know what's going on on her show.

[Taylor]

So the next question is, how many seagulls would you have to find in your home to think that someone was putting them there intentionally? From underscore. Underscore.

[Eva]

Megan Ruth. What is Megan Ruth?

[Taylor]

That's a craziest question.

[Eva]

Very high question to ask. Like, a real seagull or, like, little statues of seagulls.

[Taylor]

Because a real seagull, right?

[Eva]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, I don't know that any amount would make me think. If there were 10 in my house, I'd be like, oh, an invasion of seagulls has occurred. I don't know that I would, like, blame a person for it, but do you know? I don't even know the answer.

[Taylor]

One, A single. But there's none here. Like, I've. I've never seen a seagull in East Tennessee my entire life. So if someone brave, a seagull would stay in my house, I'd be like, logan, this house did.

[Eva]

The hell in here. Well, this one is interesting. Were Ross and Rachel on a break? Taylor. This is From Alyssa Marie, 10.

[Taylor]

One of the most, like, poignant parts of that entire, like section of the film was the fact that he did not respect her job or film the show was that he did not respect her job. That he just, like, kept barging into her office, and he kept being like, it's just a job. And she's like, you don't understand. It's something that, like, I'm actually good at. And, like, I do. And honestly, if a man ever, like, so were they on a break? Who cares?

[Eva]

He was disrespectful. My answer, irrelevant. Relevant. He's just a dick. Like, whether he's on a break or not, irrelevant.

[Taylor]

And he's just a big whiner baby.

[Christine]

Oh, he's a whiner.

[Taylor]

Just don't relate to a whiner baby. If a man is a whiner baby to me, I can't be a part of it. Only women are allowed to be whiner babies.

[Eva]

We need enough for both of us, you know, we don't need another one. I mean, do you think, like, James P. Sullivan would ever be a whiny baby?

[Taylor]

No, absolutely not. That's why he took that middle seat.

[Eva]

And will always bring it back.

[Taylor]

Christine, this is from Bab Glow, underscore Glow Glow. What was your aim username?

[Eva]

I'm always Crazy 444.

[Taylor]

You know, I could have answered that for you, cuz I've listened to your podcast for so long.

[Eva]

The Mount M brings it up every week. Like, everybody probably already knows that.

[Taylor]

I don't think I had one.

[Eva]

Oh, I guess you're. Yeah.

[Taylor]

In any, like, chat room that I did have, I literally always just put my name because I was like, well.

[Christine]

What if you don't know that it's me?

[Taylor]

And so that's where we got.

[Eva]

I would just, like make up fake names and be like, I hope you don't know it's me.

[Taylor]

Well, it's so funny because everyone's like, what was your first email? And like, I had a few crazy fake emails that I still own to this day that I will never ever tell the truth behind because I have about like seven that I put in my rotation.

[Eva]

Hell yeah.

[Taylor]

But so everyone, like, what was your crazy email name? And mine was literally Taylor H@First American Equity.

[Eva]

Com.

[Christine]

Because that was my dad's company and he put me on there when he.

[Eva]

Made me an email. It's always like the parents making the email.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

If an alien studied you for a week, Taylor, what incorrect conclusion would they reach? And I think it might have something to do with anything we've said already because I feel like, like the. The phones, the last names, the voice goes on.

[Christine]

Are you kidding me?

[Eva]

The Sully Crush.

[Taylor]

Okay. Depending on the week that they hit me. Okay, if they hit me on ovulation week, they would be like, this bitch's face is so symmetrical.

[Eva]

Wow.

[Taylor]

And they'd be like, she's so energetic. She goes and works out so much. She gets so much done at work and she didn't even have to take her second dose of Adderall. That's how much she got done. And then they would catch me in my luteal cycle and they'd be like, she's a raging crazy bitch. But that would be the correct.

[Eva]

Okay, that's sort of the base level. Okay. I think it's pretty transparent once you come into my home. Like, what's going on? You know, I don't know that. Like, Even during my ovul, which, like, I haven't even thought to put that together. I think if I had a better understanding of what part of my cycle did what to me, I'd probably have a little grass.

[Taylor]

The day you wake up and you think your eyebrows look good, like, that's if I wake up and I'm like, wow, my eyebrows look so. Even today I'm like, oh, my God, I must be serious.

[Eva]

I don't think I've ever woken up and thought I liked my eyebrows. So maybe truly.

[Taylor]

No, it truly is about like this, like how my face looks in the morning when I wake up. Like, some mornings I wake up and I'm like, oh my God. I think I guash on only one side of my face last night.

[Christine]

Like, what happened to her? Okay, so the next one is.

[Taylor]

Can you give me a ride after this from wild underscore Puff Taylor, I.

[Eva]

Would give you a ride any day of the week. Ever since you came to that live show where you had to drive back with Morgan for work at like 4 in the morning. And I was just like, I cannot believe these people came all the way.

[Christine]

People are crazy.

[Eva]

What is the most common. Oh, this is interesting. What is the most common compliment that you receive from Kimberly Ariel?

[Taylor]

It really depends. Like, if it's about, like, me as a person, a lot of people like my voice. And I'm like, well, that's literally the most highest comment you could ever get me because that's literally my entire job.

[Eva]

So I just like when people call me funny. That's my favorite compliment. I think that's probably. I don't know, you guys.

[Christine]

I don't know.

[Eva]

Tell me my compliment.

[Taylor]

I know my favorite compliment that people give you online.

[Eva]

What?

[Taylor]

Because I agree with them often. My favorite compliment that your listeners or not even just anyone gives you online is like, how. What's the word? Like how well spoken you are and how you actually can think a lot before you speak. I don't have that gift. So the next one, the final one we have is shout out your emotional support water bottle style, brand, color, stickers, situation, etc, if you have one. And if you don't, why don't you like hydration? And this says a little note from Eva. Inspired by creeps and crimes talking about their emotional support water bottles.

[Eva]

Oh, my God. Taylor, you inspired a speed dating question. Oh, my God.

[Taylor]

I'm really honored to be here and get this question for everybody.

[Eva]

Okay. Okay. I have this beautiful big. It's like this Stanley. And it's the. It's it's black, but it has chrome accent. And Eva mailed that. Mailed them out to, like, the couple of us on the two years ago, I think. And it was. It. This was last year.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

It has like, our. Our name on it and like a thirsty little rat, like, little in, like, the chrome color. And it's just like, so, like, I feel like when I hold it, I'm like, oh, this feels fancy. I mean, unless you see the rat on the side, but other than that.

[Christine]

You see the big giant rat and.

[Eva]

Then it's like buck teeth, but other than that. And then, you know, it has like a little sticker that says scrappy. I just. I don't know. It's just my. That's definitely my. My comfort one. And it has my name in giant letters. And as a Gemini, that, like, really speaks to me.

[Taylor]

Of course it does. Yes. And I agree 100%.

[Eva]

Here it is.

[Christine]

Oh.

[Eva]

Oh, that's a cutie.

[Taylor]

So this is my. Ello, everyone. Morgan has the same exact one. They're 22 ounce pop and fill. Hers is green. Mine is yayo.

[Eva]

And.

[Taylor]

But the reason why this is the best, best lo. Water bottle, because they have multiple water bottles. Because not only, like, I could throw it in my purse and I'm okay, right, right, right, right. This is why it's called the pop and fill.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Taylor]

This little part pops up, and then you have the nipple that you can, like, suck the water up through, which is attached to the inside where there's a straw.

[Eva]

Oh, my.

[Taylor]

So you can just fill up the water bottle without taking the straw out. And you can put the ice in without taking the straw. But if you need to clean it, you can screw the whole lid off. And here's another thing.

[Eva]

What will they think of next?

[Taylor]

They have a lock on the side. E L, L, O. E L, L, O.

[Eva]

Okay, Yellow.

[Taylor]

We've declared these the absolute. And this is the pop and fill. We have declared these the water bottles of 2026. Everyone wants to go a walla.

[Christine]

No, Wrong.

[Taylor]

We're going. Ello. We're going.

[Eva]

Enough water in there.

[Taylor]

They have a larger one. And I. If I had the larger one, I would have to fill it up as much as I want. So me and. I'm gonna get me and Morgan 1. We don't do stickers on things because we're pickers. So we pick everything off of everything.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Taylor]

And I think that was our last question. Wow.

[Eva]

Taylor. I had the best time on our date. I had.

[Taylor]

Hey, you want to see each other? Again.

[Eva]

Absolutely. No, imagine. Hmm. Let me get back to you. I'm really busy.

[Taylor]

No, I'm all of a sudden blocked from all the pear pods.

[Eva]

Like, emails and stuff.

[Taylor]

Are we in a competition? Did, like, do we win?

[Eva]

I think we did. I'm pretty sure. Right, Eva?

[Taylor]

I'm pretty sure we won. Right?

[Eva]

Anyway, well, thank you, Taylor. Go listen to creeps and crimes wherever you get your podcasts. It's such a fun show. Taylor and Morgan are just. Just a delight, and they talk about the same we do, so it's just.

[Christine]

Bound to be a good time all.

[Taylor]

The same for everybody. All right, guys.

[Eva]

All right. On that note, thanks for listening. And I guess on with the episode.

[Christine]

What the hell are. What's that?

[Eva]

I don't want to tell you.

[Christine]

Let me guess. Was that an apple slice?

[Eva]

No.

[Christine]

Is it tuna and celery?

[Eva]

No. It is some bread, then I didn't have anything to put on it, so I put butter, and then I put big hunks of mozzarella cheese off of a block.

[Christine]

Why wouldn't you want to tell me? That sounds delicious. Was it to keep me from being jealous?

[Eva]

It looks pretty gnarly.

[Christine]

I thought I saw a slice hit the ground, and I did see you eat that. That's what we should be talking about.

[Eva]

Okay? That's right.

[Christine]

Unhinge your jaw, girl. You do what you got to do. For the bread. That looked good. That looked delicious. I don't know why we were hiding that from me, but it's just one.

[Eva]

Of those, like, meals you look at and you go, oh. Oh, dear.

[Christine]

No. That's how I feel about you and tinned fish, though.

[Eva]

That's how, like, I am about most food, so.

[Christine]

Yeah, well, welcome to the sickly podcast. Christine is not feeling 10 out of 10 today. But, ma', am, I bet you're feeling at least one point better with that bread in your system, so.

[Eva]

I am. I'm feeling. I'm feeling okay. I just sound terrible.

[Christine]

How long. How many days in are you?

[Eva]

Four or five? I feel better. I just sound worse. You know, when you near the end, you start to sound worse for some reason.

[Christine]

Mm. Like your body's trying to reset.

[Eva]

Yeah, I sound worse.

[Christine]

You sound.

[Eva]

But I.

[Christine]

Fine.

[Eva]

I slept till, like, noon.

[Christine]

You sound. You don't sound as bad as I think you think you sound, but you do sound sick.

[Eva]

Mm. Mm. Well, I've got tea. Speaking of drinking things, what type of tea?

[Christine]

What do you put in it? How do you take your tea?

[Eva]

Thank you for asking. I. So I went to World Market with Leona, and they were selling these cute little honey sticks. Like, not like the honey stick that you. They're like little stirrers, but at the end they have, like, a little heart made of honey. And you, like, stir your tea. I was like, what a genius idea, because I have honey up here, but so sticky. And then it gets everyone. You gotta find a spoon to stir it. And it's like, it's giving Sharks Tank. You know what it is? Giving Shark Tank. I think I'm gonna invest, like, a whole 300 in something like this.

[Christine]

I certainly hope so.

[Eva]

Honey on a stick.

[Christine]

I saw. I don't know if I saw. I think it was like, some clickbait. I, I, I think I saw something about, like, Pete Davidson went on Shark Tank for, like, was asking, like, a half a million dollars for his sock company. This had to be quick. Or I had a dream.

[Eva]

Feels like an SNL skit or a dream.

[Christine]

Well, I've been having to be really careful about what I'm seeing online these days because my mother and I have been getting into heated arguments about how I am not interested in keeping anyone in my life. That's maga, for obvious reasons.

[Eva]

Oh, no, Your mother disagrees. She's like, no, come on, she's nice.

[Christine]

She. Let's put it this way. She voted the right way. And, you know, she's. We. We don't need to throw hate at her. I think she still is trying to show some sort of compassion. She's. Because I'm not into it.

[Eva]

Because I'm not. I'm not feeling it. But in, in their day and. Oh, wait, did we record? Yes. Phew. Sorry. I'm traumatized from last week. In their day and age. In their day. In their elderly days. Now I'm gonna make. Now your mom's gonna go. No contact with me. In their day and age, though, it was like, oh, we could all get along. And now it's like, things have not. Not gone that way anymore. I.

[Christine]

And I think our generation, at least people I was surrounded with. I grew up in kind of country club living, so I was surrounded by people from a few walks of life.

[Eva]

Let'S put it that way.

[Christine]

And I remember it being normal that you could break bread with those people, but this is a different ball game we're in now.

[Eva]

And totally the stakes are much higher.

[Christine]

And so my mom's defense has been, like, for other people, not for herself, for anyone. Everyone back up. Leave our Bob alone. But she said, like, well, have you considered that maybe they're not getting the same material or they're not seeing the same things on their screen that you're seeing. And so they're just not educated. And I'm like, okay, then I'll educate them. And so I've been on Facebook recently, flooding my mom's friends profiles. Yeah. So, like, I'm gonna save them. I don't know what's wrong with me.

[Eva]

I've just been born getting information that says m. SH Posting on Facebook. And I'm like, what? And then it, like, happens every day. And I'm like, is. I'm, like, really into Facebook now?

[Christine]

No, I'm not at all. But I'm just so frustrated because I've. I've heard through the grapevine that people in Fredericksburg are upset with me because I no longer want to speak to them. And I'm like, okay, well, then I'll show you why I don't want to talk to you. So I made it my personal vendetta for absolutely no reason. But I've been on Facebook recently, which has not happened in a long time. And now I have to double check everything I'm reading. Some. Like, these people really have just been reading completely different information than me, including Pete Davidson going on Shark Tank for half a million dollars with the socks.

[Eva]

What if that was a dream and you posted about it and you were like, this is real news.

[Christine]

Silly.

[Eva]

Silly. Maybe it. And now everything's AI who the hell knows? You know what I mean?

[Christine]

But you know what's wild? So I've been getting in fights with this one guy on Facebook.

[Eva]

Oh, I think I saw him probably.

[Christine]

He's.

[Eva]

He's a work.

[Christine]

He's a nightmare. Well, he was from.

[Eva]

Oh, no. He for sure went on Shark Tank with some socks.

[Christine]

Oh, okay, so then maybe people on Facebook, information. No, this one guy's been a real nightmare. But he. My favorite part is. I'm not gonna say what I said. I was a little harsh, and then I. I regretted. I was like, I don't need what I have to say out there. So I deleted what I said. But he. He kept being like, really? We're family. And I'm like, babe, I haven't seen you since I was 4 years old. What the are you talking about?

[Eva]

We're not family. Please.

[Christine]

And also, we're not. Like, you're a random guy from my town. What are you talking.

[Eva]

And also. So the. What?

[Christine]

Yeah, exactly.

[Eva]

Like, I've cut out closer people for less, baby. You know, like, it. We're burning it all down. He said 26.

[Christine]

He said something about, like, whatever, you can just go chase a ghost. And I was like, I have chase. Literally. I was like, what a weird thing to say. I was.

[Eva]

You know, that that's the thing that's offended me the most so far. Well, now I'm pissed.

[Christine]

Well, I thought it was very silly because he's very proud. Why? I ended up saying, like, it got me a job. So I'm pretty sure, like, I don't know what you're complaining about.

[Eva]

Got me a job. I made a job. I made a career out of it. You.

[Christine]

He. But the whole argument was about, like, deflection, deflection, deflection. And then I made a point. He was like, whatever, go chase a ghost. And I was like, okay, whatever. Anyway, so I've been having a lot of fun, a lot of fun on Facebook.

[Eva]

Maybe that's why it said has never been said since 2012.

[Christine]

Yeah. And by fun, I really. It's not fun. I just. I don't know why I've brought this duty upon myself, but I think I'm over my mom defending people that are still in our circles. And I'm like, I'm just gonna. Now they have no reason to not see what's going on. And if they're still in our circles, then I really. I can't. I don't have to defend myself to anybody, including my own family at this point.

[Eva]

Yeah, I mean, I know. Yeah. I mean, people just see things, and then they're like, that's irrelevant to me because it doesn't fit my view. You know, it's. But, I mean, it sounds like it did something with that guy, so that's good. It got him all. All worked up. So that's nice.

[Christine]

I kind of love that.

[Eva]

But, like, that, honestly, is beautiful in and of itself.

[Christine]

Thank you. I really have no business even doing this. I just. I. I think this is how my brain is reacting to cracking in half with the horrible news that's coming out every day. I'm just like, if I just flood other people's feeds and at least my eyes aren't alone in this. I don't know.

[Eva]

You're just like, let me just like. Yeah, Yeah.

[Christine]

I don't know.

[Eva]

Anyway, Derek. I don't know the guy's name, but here, Derek, watch this. It's not Derek, right? Because then it would be.

[Christine]

No, that'd be so crazy. Anyway, so I guess that's why I drink that I've, like, become one of those, like. I don't know. I'm not, like, proud of myself for doing it. I just. I think I. I don't know why I did it. I need to talk to a therapist anyway.

[Eva]

Your turn. Why do you drink, Christine? I drink because my phone keeps, like, giving me Facebook notifications. It's like, M. Schultz shared three posts. And I'm like, And you know what it keeps saying is M shared posts you missed. And I was like, then I missed, like, what is happening? And then I always think, like, is this some sort of life update? The way Facebook is making it sound, it's like, you've missed M's major life updates.

[Christine]

My big ass milestone nuts. Yeah.

[Eva]

Well, Em and Derek, the fight that. When I was glad I went into my notifications and got a little. Little peep on that.

[Christine]

But royale. No battle royale. I. It's mainly the exact same things as I've been posting on Instagram or wherever I can post them. But I've just. I have a new audience now, and so I've actually found some. I didn't know this, but I was assuming there were some people who had. Who were on the wrong side of history in my hometown who I have found out are very on my side and have actually, like, jumped on the comments also, which is very wonderful. And.

[Eva]

Oh, that's always so, like, satisfying when you see people that you were, like, not sure where they would land, and then they're like, yeah, no, burn this shit down. You're like, oh, thank God.

[Christine]

You know what? I was the most beautiful of them all is this never happens. But there were three men from my hometown who all apparently voted in our favor, which I did not see coming. And they all were, like, defending my post to that shitty guy. And I was like, oh, Derek, I'm just watching men fight over me.

[Eva]

Ah. Oh, Em, how does it feel?

[Christine]

Oh, it's been. I've been waiting my whole life.

[Eva]

Especially when they bring up, like, Trump and immigrants. And you're like, this is so. It's about so romantic.

[Christine]

Oh, I wanted to show you. I. I told you last week that one of my favorite newspapers in my town is the Burbank Bulletin.

[Eva]

That's right.

[Christine]

And I wanted to let you know that Brad Corb has done it again. You don't say Burbank Bulletin. And then let me. Let me please just prove this to you, because I now.

[Eva]

This. Talk about breaking news Facebook, step aside. I want to know about this situation.

[Christine]

I went looking for it because I was like. Like, I literally just. It came in the day that we recorded.

[Eva]

It's meant to Be. This is called Analog breaking news, people. Okay, this is.

[Christine]

This is the original Facebook post.

[Eva]

That's right. This is the. This is where Derek has to sit down and just accept the facts.

[Christine]

Derek, look with. Look within yourself.

[Eva]

Look within. Look at the. Derek, pick up a Burbank bulletin and eat kick. Brad did it again. Brad did it it again. Wait, Brad. Brad did it again with the sale of Karina's house in. What does that say? Panorama City.

[Christine]

In Panorama City. Yeah. Brad did it.

[Eva]

Hell yeah.

[Christine]

Every time, every goddamn month this comes out. Brad has done it again.

[Eva]

So I can't it really. In a world full of darkness.

[Christine]

You know what? I can always rely on Brad Corp.

[Eva]

I mean, we need a little bit of sunshine, you know, I feel like.

[Christine]

At this point, point one, there's gonna be a month where Brad Corb doesn't do it again. And he's gonna be like, cut the press. I don't.

[Eva]

I was gonna say, like, there's not gonna be a. An issue. Like, what are they gonna release an issue without Brad doing it again?

[Christine]

Like, we.

[Eva]

Although I would say, like, the day he doesn't do it again is the day that that newspaper sells out through the roof.

[Christine]

You know what I'm saying? I would make Brad Corb sign it. I'd be like, I need you to. I need you to know that I've.

[Eva]

Been waiting for this day. We thought you could never do it.

[Christine]

Anyway, that was. I. As soon as we'd finished recording, it showed up at my door and I went, well, I gotta see if Brad did it again.

[Eva]

He has the fact that this thing. Wow. It's.

[Christine]

Wow.

[Eva]

It's good. It's good.

[Christine]

Thank you.

[Eva]

I needed that little, like, light of sunshine in my life. Thank you.

[Christine]

You're welcome.

[Eva]

Are we both drinking tea?

[Christine]

Oh, finally.

[Eva]

We never have done that.

[Christine]

470 episodes.

[Eva]

It's only nine years in. I finally figured out how to drink a cup of tea. I think I'm. Anyway, I'm not very good at it.

[Christine]

We. We got stuck on the honey stick. But do you put anything else in it or is it just honey?

[Eva]

Sometimes I put a splash of milk. If it's like an Earl Gray situation, I put like, a little splash of milk and honey. But, you know, today I'm just rocking with, like, the honey stick, and it's kind of. It's kind of a vibe. I like it. Yeah. Got me some Harney and Sons. You know those pretty ones, those pretty tin containers that then I keep and tell myself I'm going to fill with wildflower Someday.

[Christine]

I understand.

[Eva]

I just feel a dust.

[Christine]

Well, I have. I. I put out an Instagram post about it, and I would like to also leave it to. To the masses here as well. I. I still don't really know what to do because everyone kind of gave the same answer, but it wasn't really an answer I was looking for.

[Eva]

I was gonna ask what the cons. What. So you were looking for. For a way to turn the scent of this tea that Allison doesn't usually drink, this loose leaf tea. Right.

[Christine]

Into a candle or something.

[Eva]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Christine]

And a lot.

[Eva]

Extract the scent and use it for something else.

[Christine]

Yes. Allison's obsessed with the smell, but neither of us will drink it. It's just the smell that we like. But I'm so tired. It's been sitting with us since the last apartment. Like, I'm. I'm tired of this. I don't want this anymore. I'd rather use it for good and not take up space. You know what I mean? We already live in a kind of a small spot, and the spot where all of our coffee and tea goes like, this is a big bag of loose leaf tea. And I'm like, it's got to get out of here.

[Eva]

Yeah, it's got to, Graham.

[Christine]

So I'm trying to find a way to keep the scent, but get rid of the tea. And a lot of people said, like, wax melts or something.

[Eva]

Or like, oh, oh, to put it in. Okay, okay.

[Christine]

Are those just little candles? Am I mixing it up with something else?

[Eva]

So a wax melt is more like. You have little, like, shapes of the hardened wax, and then you put it on, like, a dish or something, and you put like, a little tea. Tea light. Light. They make. Can't they make Mac. Well, Matt. Bye. They make wax melt warmers. That's weirdly hard to say. And you put it in, like, a little dish, and then the light, like, kind of melts it, and it, like, makes a really nice smell.

[Christine]

I see. I. It blows my mind that a candle is not just that. Is that not just a big wax melt?

[Eva]

Well, there's no fire involved. Well, I guess there is fire using a little candle underneath, but it's more just like, it heats up little. And then you can reuse it.

[Christine]

Right.

[Eva]

So it'll, like, kind of harden and you can light it. I have a candle warmer that's, like just a really. It's a light bulb, and it, like, warms the candle and melts the wax, and then it lasts a lot longer.

[Christine]

Nice.

[Eva]

Sort of like that.

[Christine]

Maybe that's what I. Maybe everyone's. I mean, everyone's saying either that or, like, melting it for, like, an oil diffuser or something. Or, like.

[Eva]

I think that's probably really similar. Yeah. Okay.

[Christine]

Well, I don't. I just wish I could just because.

[Eva]

Like, that's like a lot of work.

[Christine]

Work. Because I don't. I would love to just throw it in, like, a candle and then burn it, but I feel like burning it isn't. It's not the same thing.

[Eva]

Yeah. Can you see what the ingredients were? Like, is there a way to see what's in it and then, like, kind of try to replicate what scent she likes a lot?

[Christine]

Probably. I mean, it's literally just an Earl Grey tea. But there's something about this Earl Grey tea. So I'm like, I'm not, I'm no, I'm no magician.

[Eva]

You drink it. It doesn't taste as good as it smells.

[Christine]

It does not taste as good as it smells, but it, I mean, it tastes fine. But it's like, like, I. She would prefer to smell it compared to me drinking it.

[Eva]

Understood.

[Christine]

The wants are different. And also, I'm not a big fan of loose leaf tea. I want. I like tea bags.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Loosely freaks me out. I feel like I'm just drinking stems.

[Eva]

You are. I know.

[Christine]

And one's gonna slip in there. And then I'm paranoid for every sip. I'm like, what got in my mouth?

[Eva]

So what about the little.

[Christine]

It's not. It doesn't work. I don't care. I don't care. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. It's literally never.

[Eva]

What about. No kidding.

[Christine]

Unless there's tight lock on it. And even then it still has little holes. The whole thing's made of holes. Something's going to get out.

[Eva]

Yeah. It's got to be made of holes, you know, because of the water.

[Christine]

Like, I want my tea to look like this at the bottom. You know what I'm saying? I want there to be nothing, just a plastic container.

[Eva]

A plastic container?

[Christine]

Yeah. Oh, I, I, well, never mind. The time has passed. I was going to say another reason why I drink, but I just realized that we, that we've done that already.

[Eva]

Oh.

[Christine]

But next time. Next time. I've got one in the chamber for the future. Oh.

[Eva]

Whoa. I don't get dressed up often, but when I do, I typically feel more comfortable when I'm wearing some sort of shapewear. And I've tried them all, and to be honest, they've Never looked cute underneath. You know the, the outfit you're wearing. Honey Love though is different. They have these crossover, they're the most beautiful. Like they look like lingerie honestly. And so when you wear it, you feel, you feel sexy before you even put your, put your beautiful dress on. You know what I'm saying? Anyway, get that out of your mind. Also it says you can show it if you want. And I'm like yeah, you wish. You know what I'm saying? Honey Love, I do love them. They're an independent female founded brand with products designed by women who actually wear them including the founder Betsy. And you gotta say that's a green flag. Honey Love recently launched their new crossover contour bra which features their best selling wireless crossover bra design plus built in molded light foam pads built in. That's important for extra support and beautifully contoured shape. So treat yourself to the most advanced bras and shapewear on the market. Use our exclusive link to save 20 off Honey [e-mail] Drink that's HoneyLove.com Drink. After you check out they'll ask where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you. Experience the new standard in comfort and support with Honey Love.

[Christine]

If you have been a part of this podcast for for the last nine years you have known that since the beginning we have been big, big fans of HelloFresh. We love HelloFresh. Please use HelloFresh if you are into home cooking. If you're just trying to make cooking at home more of a thing. I know for a while I was doing a lot of restaurants and now I want to be at home. You can also choose from over 35 high protein weekly recipes including new Mediterranean and GLP1 friendly options. They also have bigger portions to satisfy everyone. As someone who loves a portion, Tanya, you're going to be happy with HelloFresh. And there's now three times the seafood for no upcharge and you can impress guests or treat your with new grass fed steak ribeyes everybody. I also recently just had their Honey Mandarin chicken stir fry and then for lunch a couple days ago I had their Honey Mustard chicken salad wraps. Very very yummy. Make meals with seasonal produce like pears, apples, asparagus. It's just, it's so wonderful. We have loved them since the beginning. Please go check it out. If you are hungry and feel like cooking go to hellofresh.com drink10fm to get 10 free meals and a free Zwilling knife which is a 140 44.99 value on your third box. Offer valid while supplies last. Free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only. Varies by plan. Okay, I have a story for you, Christine. Thank God. And we. I don't. We're gonna learn together because I did these notes a bit of what a bit ago. So let's find out together. This is.

[Eva]

That was gonna be my big thing.

[Taylor]

Sorry.

[Christine]

What?

[Eva]

This is like the third day that it was like I was. We were supposed to record Thursday and I was like, let's record tomorrow. Then like an hour before, I was.

[Christine]

Like, I'm freaking out.

[Eva]

I'm never gonna get these notes done. And then now we're here and I'm sick and it's just a mess. Anyway, I apologize because then I was like, oh, poor. I'm not gonna remember their story because it's been like a week. And anyway, it's never stopped me before. That's okay. Fair enough.

[Christine]

This is the. The. The main name for it is the Laurel Hall Mansion. Although I have seen online it also being called the Bowman House, but it's the Laurel hall mansion.

[Eva]

So Laurel hall is prettier.

[Christine]

And it was named Laurel Hall. Bowman House is just named. It's like the house that the Bowmans lived in, but the Bowman's named it Laurel Hall. So like, shouldn't we respect.

[Eva]

Even they knew it was a nicer name.

[Christine]

Have you figured out yet what your. Your family house would be named? I'm so tired of those Christmas Christine. Just figure it out.

[Eva]

You're tired of it. You're the only one that brings it up. Keep waiting. I like the Christine Cap Chapel is fun.

[Christine]

I think that was hysterical.

[Eva]

But that was my name. And then that. That includes nobody else in the house. Which is fine.

[Christine]

I mean, which is fine. That's fine.

[Eva]

Let's do it.

[Christine]

Beautiful. Let's. I mean, Geo's Castle. There might as well be a Christine Chapel attached.

[Eva]

Geo's Castle is cute because that does sound like a video game game.

[Christine]

It does. I love that. And also, if you were to say Giovanni's Castle, it sounds like a Muppets place adventure.

[Eva]

Okay. Something just felt okay. So these headphones are really old and they have like these little like, you know how the. The peak peels off? Yeah. But like it looked like something just fell out of my hair because I was moving it and something big, just a chunk fell. And I want people to know that was the headphones and it was not a spider or something gross thing out of my head, out of my hair. Just so you know?

[Christine]

Okay, thank you. Because I didn't see. But I'm. I'm glad I don't have to worry.

[Eva]

Just don't need that slow mo of, like, just something.

[Christine]

I think it's on your shirt right there. Yes.

[Eva]

Yeah, it is. It's like this gross. Like, whatever this is.

[Christine]

It's beautiful. Mine is still pretty solid.

[Eva]

And mine is destroyed.

[Christine]

Mine. Mine are pretty good. And when I was last at my aunt's for Thanksgiving, I. I don't know if stole is the right word, but I took without permission. Borrowed. Yeah. Well, I took without permission headphones that once belonged to someone who lived there, and now they no longer live there. And so. And that counts. And they. When they left, they said they took everything, and anything that was left in their house was up for grab. So I went, okay, thank you.

[Eva]

So, yeah, that's the definition of.

[Christine]

They were nice headphones.

[Eva]

Hell, yeah. Are those them?

[Christine]

No. I'm waiting for these to crap out, and then I've got nice new ones, but.

[Eva]

Got it, got it, got it, got it.

[Christine]

But these. These have lasted a long time. These went on, like, two tours with us.

[Eva]

Yeah, they look. They look much more put together than these, obviously.

[Christine]

No, yours look. Yours literally says studio on top. That's so fancy.

[Eva]

So. It does, doesn't it? Mon.

[Christine]

Studio monitor.

[Eva]

The. Does that say, oh, studio monitor. It's upside down and backwards in my. In my view.

[Christine]

Here we go. This is the Laurel hall mansion. It is near Cuttingsville, Vermont. And it is. It's. So my understanding of it, which you'll realize my confusion. My understanding of it is this is an entire estate where, like, we're just talking about the mansion specifically.

[Eva]

Okay, okay.

[Christine]

Which technically makes it a manor, by the way, because if I have not screamed this enough, a manor is just the main house people live in on an estate of buildings.

[Eva]

I know you've screamed about it, but I do appreciate the re up in information. Thank you.

[Christine]

Thank you. So this is technically the Laurel Hall Manor.

[Eva]

Manor.

[Christine]

But less educated people than me decide to name it Laurel Hall Mansion.

[Eva]

Pathetic.

[Christine]

Disgusting. So this mansion is directly across from a cemetery, which is important. The cemetery is similarly named. This will confuse you because that the mansion is Laurel hall hall, the cemetery is Laurel Glen. Okay, you don't have to care about that anymore, but just know that I took the time to write that down. So there's a mansion across. The mansion is across in the cemetery, and in the cemetery is the Laurel Glenn Mausoleum. So the Laurel Glenn Mausoleum and the. And Laurel hall mansion are owned by the same people.

[Eva]

Okay.

[Christine]

They just pick the worst, similar names. The mansion. Fun fact, I don't know about the mausoleum, but the mansion is on the national register of historic places. And our main character is John Bowman. He was a tanner and he made his wealth selling leather goods to the union during the Civil War. And he was, I guess, especially famous for his boots and shoe soles.

[Eva]

You know what's so funny is nowadays like if you do that job, you're basically like a bespoke Etsy creator. Better.

[Christine]

You're like, I'm a cobbler at heart.

[Eva]

Right. Like I'm a leather. Leather good. Leather good. I make leather fine leather goods now.

[Christine]

It's a hobby.

[Eva]

Yeah. And it's also like a, like a business. But it's like a really like up there, like fancy business. You're totally selling things for high prices because it's homemade, handmade.

[Christine]

I mean and if you do work in leather in like a, like a. An old cobblestone shop ran by grandpapa at one point. And you're the fifth generation leatherman of your time. This is not information for you. But I need everybody else to know that if I needed a leather good today, I wouldn't nowhere to go except Etsy.

[Eva]

So yeah, I would have to like look for local leather goods.

[Christine]

So if you are that leatherman or tanner or I need you to really start promoting yourself, get a Gen Z or to do your TikTok and you'll be fine.

[Eva]

And then em will find it and.

[Christine]

Then I'll know exactly where to go.

[Eva]

Instead of em googling where to find leather goods. We would like you to get viral. To get viral so we can find it. So actually. So it can find us.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

Is what we're trying to say.

[Christine]

Yeah. I really, I really. You've already done this is on the leather work. But I need you to do one more thing.

[Eva]

That's right. So we're gonna get on Tick Tock later. It's just gonna be leather. Leather goods actually it's gonna be like leather goods 2.99 off the tick Tock shop.

[Christine]

I think we should redo the SNL bit of sweater weather but make it leatherweight weather.

[Eva]

Ah, that is good.

[Christine]

Use that. To the tanners who are trying to build a tik tok and get famous leather weather.

[Eva]

Yeah, yeah. You told them to use Gen Z folks. Now you're trying to come up with ideas and I feel like you're immediately kind of giving them conflicting.

[Christine]

And I'm using Gen X references too.

[Eva]

That's exactly what I was going to say next. And also kind of the content is a little bit outdated.

[Christine]

I'm multi generational. Okay. This is why it's not my thing.

[Eva]

The Gen Z do, where they're like, I had a Gen Z intern film my. My thing. And like, mom, Donnie's was like, yay. You know, like, do that.

[Christine]

You know, if it worked for him, it could work for any.

[Eva]

It was pretty good. And even I saw it and I'm not very youthful.

[Christine]

Well, so John Bowman, he was that guy when it came to the union we love. And I didn't see anything about any other team, I'll tell you that. So I think he was just. I'm gonna assume he's one of the good ones. I'm also going to assume he's one of the good ones because not only was he super successful, he was loved by his employees. He literally not just like, made sure that they could afford to live. He, with his own wealth, built them houses so they would have homes.

[Eva]

That's nice.

[Christine]

And then whatever the average wage was at the time, he doubled it. So he doubled their. The minimum wage, which I think what I know. So we love him.

[Eva]

Okay. But then I ask why.

[Christine]

Interesting that you, like, it's one thing to like, give.

[Eva]

I know.

[Christine]

I'm immediately like, what's your agenda?

[Eva]

Suspicious. You're trying to use. Are you trying to use money to control me?

[Christine]

You want me to work twice as hard? Is that what you're saying? Yeah.

[Eva]

Are you trying to put pressure on. Yeah, exactly. I'm. Thank you.

[Christine]

I got you. I mean, it's fair. We can't ask him. Do you have a Ouija board?

[Eva]

Do I have a stupid question?

[Christine]

We could find out tonight.

[Eva]

Okay, how about during the. Tonight? Tonight? Okay, how about. How about during the yappy hour, I will open my ghost at. What is it called again? Ghost Tube.

[Christine]

Ghost Tube, which I used recently.

[Eva]

Oh, good. Because. Oh, and we can discuss your use of it because also I just went, you know, we love a rocket money. And I just went on there the other day and it was like, ghost Tube subscription. I was like, oh. But instead of canceling it, I was like, I got to use that more. So today we use that.

[Christine]

I love it. Love it. Happy to.

[Eva]

Great.

[Christine]

So he does John Bowman. He married his true love, Jenny, and they got pregnant. They had a daughter, Addie. Unfortunately, Addie had scarlet fever and died in infancy. And a couple years later, they had their second daughter, Ella. But in her early 20s, Ella mysteriously fell ill and also passed away. And I say early 20s, because some sources said 19, some said 23. Anyway, her early 20s. And we don't know how she passed away, but the thought is something in the realm of typhoid, cholera, scarlet fever, or consumption as we.

[Eva]

As you love it.

[Christine]

Ella was their only child that survived into adulthood. So when she passed, John and Jenny were devastated. Especially devastated. And six months later, this is, like, the real kicker. Six months after they had to grieve, their daughter Jenny also died.

[Eva]

Oh, my gosh.

[Christine]

So he's going through it. He's going through it. Oh, no. And right before she died, the two of them had been discussing building their dream home to distract from the grief.

[Eva]

Get out of here. This is so sad.

[Christine]

I know.

[Eva]

And you said it was a few months later. Right.

[Christine]

Six months later. Which, like, you haven't even begun to grieve after. By six months, it's just the shock has worn off, and now you've got a whole new shock.

[Eva]

The shock has worn off, but also, it's not like she was already sick. So you were, like, preparing for, like, losing two people. It's like, okay, we're. We're ready now to grieve that. And it's like, nope. Now, here's another thing. Like, right as you think, like, you've passed that grief. O. Yeah.

[Christine]

So. And the. The irony of, like, one of their last conversations being like, how do we deal with this grief? And then she dies, and he's like, horrible. Now. I didn't even know what to do then. Now I don't know what to do at all.

[Eva]

Terrible.

[Christine]

Well, now that he's alone, he's grieving his wife and his daughter, and I'm sure still grieving, you know, his. His other daughter who passed in infancy. John decided to go through with it anyway as one of Jenny's last requests, and he decided he was going to build what would have been his family's forever home.

[Eva]

Oh, my God. That's so dark.

[Christine]

I know.

[Eva]

But also, like, so. I mean, beautiful in a way of, like, he had something to do, you know, like a. Like a. A mission.

[Christine]

To me, it feels like even though she thought that she was requesting this for him, she was actually, like, almost giving him a task like she was before she passed. She got to give him. She got to tell him what to do.

[Eva]

Project. Right.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

In her honor, almost.

[Christine]

Yeah. So that's how he looked at it, as like, if she were here, we would be doing this.

[Eva]

And can you imagine how guilty you'd feel, though, on your deathbed? You're like, sorry, I would have waited.

[Christine]

They. What was I going to say? Oh, so they lived in New York, but they came back home to. They. He came back home to his state of Vermont and found this one spot he could build, which was across from Laurel Glenn Cemetery.

[Eva]

Okay.

[Christine]

And so simultaneously, not only did John build himself their dream home, but across the street in the cemetery, he built a mausoleum for his family to be, in turn, heard. So we're gonna talk about the mausoleum first. Even though the house. The house being haunted is what we're focusing on. The mausoleum is so important to this. Right. So this was during the first big wave of spiritualism, and funerals and memorials were an especially busy business. They were very lavish. This was like the Victorian era. So everything was very gaudy and through the roof and. Yeah, yeah. And, yeah.

[Eva]

As someone who lives in a house that was reconstructed in the 2000s to attempt to look like a Victorian style, it's something else, really, with all the, like, gilded, you know, curly cues like that.

[Christine]

And also, actually, we remember when we went to the Winchester house, and they were telling us all about, like, the Victorian mourning period.

[Eva]

Oh, that was crazy. Yes.

[Christine]

I wonder how much of that played into, like, his grief in building this house. Because, like, talk about properly mourning in a Victorian way of, like, I'm going to build you a house and a mausoleum.

[Eva]

Yeah. And, like, the.

[Christine]

The.

[Eva]

The pomp and circumstance behind the grieving back then was, like, something. Yeah.

[Christine]

So in his morning, he put his full focus into construction and aimed to have the best mausoleum in the whole cemetery. And he put it right at the edge of the cemetery's road, so that way, it was, like, directly across from his house so he could always watch his family.

[Eva]

Oh, my gosh.

[Christine]

I know.

[Eva]

Oof.

[Christine]

Please hold. I'm gonna listen to what Hank's telling me to do.

[Eva]

I was like, em, do you think he's talking to you?

[Christine]

I've officially snapped, if that.

[Eva]

I was like, okay.

[Christine]

No, it happens to us. I'm gonna take a page out of his book, and he's slurping away. But that'd be crazy.

[Eva]

I was like, it sounds a little bit like he's just making dog noises.

[Christine]

It's like, Alison needs to come home. Yeah.

[Eva]

I was gonna say, you're really having a moment there.

[Christine]

First time arguing with people on Facebook. That's literally not my style at all usually, but. But I. I can't stop it all of a sudden. I don't know what's going on with me.

[Eva]

Maybe you found, like, a new outlet. You're like, this is actually really fun because also, like, you're not as sensitive as I am. And. And that's a compliment. I mean, not anymore, really, but. No, no, no, no, no. Sorry. What I mean is, you are never as sensitive as I was. I'm much better about it now, but, like, gotcha. I would get, like, so bad out of shape if somebody commented something. And you've always been just like, whatever them, you know, like, you're better at that. So I feel like maybe you found, like, a new. New passion project, I think.

[Christine]

Well, I. I think I'm. I think the main motivator has really just been like, I'm tired of people using the defense of, like, oh, well, they don't know. And it's like, there's no way you can't.

[Eva]

And also that's because, first of all, that's. Second of all, that's.

[Christine]

Yeah. And I think my. My original motivator with this was like, if that's how you really feel, then I'll make sure that they do see all this stuff.

[Eva]

Yeah. You're probably regretting that.

[Christine]

Can't use that argument.

[Eva]

Em's just, like, all over the place.

[Christine]

Feed.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

I love that you're making a name for yourself.

[Christine]

I don't even know if I am. If probably it's not. If it's even being seen.

[Eva]

If M didn't share on fa. If I wasn't friends with M on Facebook, I would never have known that Pete Davidson went on Shark Tank and won.

[Christine]

And I'm so glad I pushed that to you.

[Eva]

You know what? Go. Go hunt a ghost. You know what I'm saying?

[Christine]

Go chase a ghost. Go chase a ghost.

[Eva]

Go chase a ghost is so good because it's like, go kick rocks. But it's, like, way less of an insult. It's not. It's not. It's just good. Like, it's like, okay, guy. Yeah, I will.

[Christine]

And I. In any other circumstance, I would say, like, that was a good one.

[Eva]

That was a good one.

[Christine]

But the fact that, like, it was like, he really thought that was a good one makes it not a good one.

[Eva]

Like, but that makes it so much better to me because I'm like, oh, I love that this guy thought he was insulting us, when really, like, I would love nothing more than to go chase a ghost. Okay.

[Christine]

I think his whole bit is thinking he's really killing it.

[Eva]

Like, which makes me laugh.

[Christine]

Anyway, I and ghost. There have been a few other people who've said things too, but he's like, I've Been. This is how I know that my stuff is getting pushed through people's feeds. Even if they don't want to see this content is because since I started pushing stuff out non stop, I'm not tagging anybody. I'm just putting it out. And hopefully it lands on Content farm. Yeah, yeah.

[Eva]

And yeah.

[Christine]

And he has now been posting just as much as me and tagging only me every time to be like, as a.

[Eva]

So you're getting him spiral.

[Christine]

I'm freaking him out. Which I love. I love.

[Eva]

Okay, good.

[Christine]

And I've even been writing things. Like whenever he tags me, I'll write, like, weird how obsessed you are with my opinion.

[Eva]

Like, no, literally, Derek. Like, you're being really weird, dude.

[Christine]

Like, it's chill crazy, like. And also, like. Anyway, he's a piece of. Okay, so let's see where we are now. Okay. He decided that he was gonna put a mausoleum at the foot of the cemetery so he could always watch over his family. The cemetery. I had a hard time understanding what was going on in the world of my sources because some people were covering only a part of it. Anyway, what I have gathered is that this incred. This cemetery was not very flashy. It was actually like maybe kind of small and not being taken care of. But he came up with some sort of agreement with the town that he would then he would fund improvements for the entire cemetery if he could put in this like, really flashy mausoleum. William.

[Eva]

Oh, okay.

[Christine]

I think. I think the agreement was something like if you were born in this town, like, you have a free.

[Eva]

This guy.

[Christine]

I know.

[Eva]

Community minded, you know what I'm saying?

[Christine]

I've always had that about him. We'll have to tell him about that later on the Ouija board.

[Eva]

Oh, yeah. Write that down for sure. On the ghost tube.

[Christine]

Get him on the horn.

[Eva]

Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring. The ghost tube. Oh, you know?

[Christine]

Yeah, I don't. I do know now.

[Eva]

You don't know. You don't know what I'm singing. Oh, no.

[Christine]

Was that a jingle? You. That wasn't. You created that?

[Eva]

No, it's a Raffy original. Banana Phone.

[Christine]

Open Banana Phone. Sorry. I actually don't always have Raffy at the front of mind.

[Eva]

But why, you know, if. First of all, talk about a activist. He wrote a song about mine. Uploads. He's like anti fascist. Like he and he and Ms. Rachel are on like this next level. Like, I gotta say, social agenda.

[Christine]

Rafi gets me going. And by the way, I think we've had to have talked about this at some point, hundreds of episodes ago. However, if you don't mention Joshua Giraffe, I don't want to hear it.

[Eva]

We've had an extreme. You're right that we've discussed this, because I hadn't known about Joshua Giraffe. And then you told me about it, and I looked it up and it upset me. And I thought, this is not the Rafi I remember.

[Christine]

That was during his, like, rebel years, I think.

[Eva]

Yeah, clearly he had. He kind of, like, veered off track for a minute. My favorite album is where he's dressed as Papa Noel on the COVID And it's his Christmas album, and I. I made everybody listen to it Christmas morning, and Blaze was so ill that he could barely sit up. But he's sitting there and I'm. It's like Papa Noel and I made everyone sit there like six in the morning and listen to it. Anyway, banana phone is. Oh, next level.

[Christine]

I'm sorry I didn't catch the reference right away, but you were right. I should have known. I should have known. Anyway, shout out to Joshua. I miss you every day. Haven't thought about it in a long time.

[Eva]

Who's that again? The giraffe?

[Christine]

Yeah. Oh, my God. There's a dog at the dog park named Joshua. I hate him.

[Eva]

Joshua.

[Christine]

Don't get me started.

[Eva]

Please, please.

[Christine]

I have never hated a dog more in my life.

[Eva]

What if the dog were a giraffe? Would that make it different?

[Christine]

No, I don't think.

[Eva]

If you met a giraffe and they were like, this is Joshua, you'd be like, oh, my God. I get it.

[Christine]

Yes. I thought you meant if Joshua the dog dressed up as a giraffe.

[Eva]

Oh, no, no. I mean, like, if it were a literal jerk.

[Christine]

If I met a draft and his name wasn't either Jeffrey or Joshua, we're done.

[Eva]

Fair. Good.

[Christine]

Case closed.

[Eva]

I get it now. Giraffe has the just sound. I was about to ask why they all sound on, like, J names.

[Christine]

Joshua Draft, Raffy, Jeffrey Draft for Toys R Us. Because I'm not an idiot. Let's start there.

[Eva]

Okay, well, let's. Wow. Let's get back to basics.

[Christine]

Let's start back at day one.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Jeffrey Giraffe.

[Eva]

Do not pass Go. Do not.

[Christine]

You know what I can't stand about Jeffrey Draft is. It's Jeffrey with a G. Geoffrey.

[Eva]

It's kind of got to be. You know why.

[Christine]

I know. With the draft.

[Eva]

I know, I know.

[Christine]

I don't like it anyway, if you know a dog named Joshua and he goes to the dog park from 4 to 6. Tell him this. How about that? Okay. Big old middle finger.

[Eva]

Jesus. I'm just like, put a giant middle finger to the camera. Okay, so first of all, Derek has gotten M, like, on a new one.

[Christine]

I feel like Joshua know each other.

[Eva]

God damn. M's on a tear here. Like, like, oh, yeah, you want the Derek treatment. Everybody sit the down.

[Christine]

I literally had people at the dog park text me when Joshua was there, and they're like, don't come. Joshua's here. And I'm like, like, thank you for telling me. I can't stand this dog.

[Eva]

My God.

[Christine]

And he can't stand me, by the way. And he can't stand Hank.

[Eva]

Well, I wouldn't stand you either if you couldn't stand me.

[Christine]

He, like, actively the. It's. It's the owner. We all know it's the owner, but it's also Joshua. I really have a problem with both.

[Eva]

No, I was gonna say it seems like it's a little more than that.

[Christine]

It's both of them. The owner does not seem to care that Joshua is actually vicious. And then, like, starts real, real bad fights. Real bad fights. Especially with Hank. And, like, Hank is terrified. And it's very, very bad. It's very bad.

[Eva]

And with a name like Joshua, it's like, Joshua Heel. You know, it just feels insane.

[Christine]

I can't say. And then the guy, he just, like. He'll see it happen. They just keep scrolling on his phone. He's such. I don't even want to talk about it. Okay.

[Eva]

Yuck.

[Christine]

Anyway, where were we? The secret cemetery. I swear to God, this. These were short notes. I just can't stop myself. The cemetery was not flashy. He decided that he was going to help build it up so that way he could put his mausoleum there.

[Eva]

And.

[Christine]

And when it came to the cemetery's remodeling. This is a quote. He greatly improved the cemetery, turning it into a smaller version of an elaborate park cemetery. And besides enlarging the cemetery, his extensive improvements included an 800 foot cemetery wall with three gates, walks and carriage drives, shade trees, two fountains, and benches.

[Eva]

Wow.

[Christine]

He really said.

[Eva]

Lovely.

[Christine]

I'll give you a cemetery.

[Eva]

This is a parkno.

[Christine]

I love when they used to be park parks. Anyway.

[Eva]

They still are, but. Yeah, it's not. Not, not. Not often.

[Christine]

You don't see a lot of park cemeteries these days. I think this is how we ended up with the estate definition for this place. Because technically, there's land on one side of the street, and he owns property on the other side and he's also funding the stuff going on on the other side. Plus, during his expansion, each of these properties seem to like bleed into each other. And he built even more buildings on the property. Property between his house and the mausoleum. So it just became a building building out his.

[Eva]

His whole estate.

[Christine]

An industrial complex of sorts.

[Eva]

Oh, nice.

[Christine]

He. He built a conservatory or a greenhouse. And keep in mind this was so he could. He built all this just so he could give his family a nice place to like be. But he. My favorite part was that he added this greenhouse and it was just so he would always have fresh flowers for the. Them.

[Eva]

He's.

[Christine]

If he wanted to, he would. Folks. I'm just saying, even when you're dead, if he wanted to, he would.

[Eva]

That's seriously.

[Christine]

And I think even though that was the original intention, now I think they use the greenhouse area, like for all the flowers in the cemetery. I think they've like really put it to work. Now. He also built cottages for his caretakers. He built barns. He built an ice house. And as for the mausoleum itself, it took 125 workers just to build this one mausoleum. It's huge. Huge. It costs the equivalent of two and a half million dollars today.

[Eva]

Whoa.

[Christine]

And it's made of like seven. There's a quote, 750 tons of granite, 50 tons of marble, 20,000 bricks, over 500 barrels of cement, 10 barrels of plaster and 100 loads of sand. Like, it's huge.

[Eva]

What the.

[Christine]

The entire. The inside of it is almost entirely made of marble, including marble busts of his wife and daughters.

[Eva]

The fact that the. That's the inside.

[Christine]

The inside like crazy. And then the real kicker and what this mansion is most known for now because tourists will go, and they always remember this one thing which is across the way from the mansion. When you look at the cemetery and you look at the mausoleum, outside of the mausoleum is a life size, I think, marble statue of himself in grief.

[Eva]

Oh, no.

[Christine]

It's a little scary looking looking of a statue. If you were 5, you might not want to stand next to it to take a picture with it. But it's outside the mausoleum. He's in funeral clothing. He's holding a funeral wreath and a key to the tomb so that one day he can also go in and he's looking into the vault, mourning.

[Eva]

Oh my God.

[Christine]

Yeah. This is a man who loved his family. I mean, this.

[Eva]

Here's the thing. This is a man with a vision.

[Christine]

Vision, you know? Yeah. And like one that will keep. It will perpetuate after he's gone for sure. Which. It's weird that he built us. I feel like a statue is usually commemorative of a person after they've passed. But the fact that he's stood next to that statue and has since passed, it's kind of trippy.

[Eva]

It's like, so trippy. Can I look up a picture of it? Because I'm just curious. What's his name again?

[Christine]

Laurel Hall Mansion, statue.

[Eva]

I'm, like, so curious. Is he, like, crying in it? No.

[Christine]

I only saw one picture of it, and he's just, like, sad. He's just kind of like. You can tell he's in grief.

[Eva]

That is like a wild. Oh, dear.

[Christine]

Like, as a child, I would be scared because it's just like a large man kind of hunched over and looking sad. But as a. As an adult, I'm like, that's clearly. He's just like.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

You know.

[Eva]

Oh, wow. Yeah, he just looks sad. He has his hat off and he's, like, clutching into his chest.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

He's leaning on the mausoleum, like, to. For. To steady himself. I mean, it's very.

[Christine]

It's a great statue.

[Eva]

Wow.

[Christine]

It's, again, obvious. It's. You don't have to wonder what it's all about.

[Eva]

Oh, and then you can fill. He. You can fill it with different flowers. Like, he has, like, a spot in his arm where you can, like, fill it with a bouquet.

[Christine]

Yes. He's a funeral. He's holding his top hat and a funeral wreath. Wreath. And I think you can put flowers in the wreath. And then he's also holding a key to the tomb, I think.

[Eva]

Wow, this is something else, man.

[Christine]

Which, like, I'm. And I like that. The statue. I know I just brought this up, but the statue was built by someone who was still alive. I like that he was able to approve it. Like, this is exactly how he wanted it to look.

[Eva]

Oh, yeah. He's like, that looks just like me.

[Christine]

Yeah, he's like, I get it.

[Eva]

Nailed it. Oh, inside there's like a little. A little. Little baby.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

Playing. That's sad, dude.

[Christine]

Yeah, it's very, very sad. This was just the mausoleum across the street. At the same time, remember, he's also doing construction, building his wife's dream home. And when that was done, they were built within, like, one or two years of each other, they were finished. But the mansion was 21 rooms. It had 16 foot ceilings. It had. It had every kind of room you could imagine. It had music rooms, grand parlors. It had a. Oh, my God, why can't I imagine A room. It's got that, then they've got. It has a wraparound porch. You know, I love a wraparound porch. It has a tower. You know, I love a tower.

[Eva]

Love a tower.

[Christine]

Ornate wallpaper. It had electricity. It had temperature regulated running water, which was unheard of at the time. It had baths, it had porcelain sinks, it had stables. It had fire hydrants on the property. It was, wow, very fire.

[Eva]

Oh my word.

[Christine]

Very state of the art.

[Eva]

He thought of everything.

[Christine]

So fun fact, this was designed by a guy named G.B. croft, who I think you would have wanted to use for your own house. Because his designs, he was known for, I guess, making Victorian mansions, but they were specifically extra haunted looking. Yeah, I love that he was known to make exaggerated Victorian buildings. So I think the, the, the one, one of the sites I looked at said that he would build things a little extra juttered out so when the sun hit it. Right. The shadows were more intense, sharper angles.

[Eva]

Oh, I love it. I love it.

[Christine]

Love him. So anyway, fun fact, it was designed by that guy. And sadly, because he wanted this to look like his wife's dream home, even though his family was no longer with him, he still put in all the bedrooms that they would have wanted. Wanted.

[Eva]

Oh, wow. So this is, this is sounding very Sarah Winchester.

[Christine]

Yes. Yeah. They would have probably done well in group therapy together, right?

[Eva]

Like not letting go of. Of your grief, you know, for better, for worse. Yeah.

[Christine]

Yeah. John Bowman had multiple bedrooms built in into the home, at least four of them, which we assume would have been for his family and a guest room. And despite the fact that, that this is a quote, this is like the SAS quote I saw on any of the sites. This mansion was built for a man who had no family. Oh, dear God, it was so sad. Despite that he. He built all those rooms. And again, this was when spiritualism was very normalized. And so it's rumored that around the time John began talking to close friends and staff about the afterlife a lot. Very Sarah Winchester.

[Eva]

Good, good catch is I just, I can't stop thinking about it.

[Christine]

It seems that he maybe built Jenny's dream house and so close to her and their daughter's bodies, because then maybe they would be drawn to the house or it'd be easy for them to find him again so they could all be reunited like as go as ghosts, I guess just that they could be with him.

[Eva]

Okay.

[Christine]

Other rumors are that he actively got into studying the occult and he was looking for ways to bring his family back. And I don't know means, but that's the rumor.

[Eva]

Okay.

[Christine]

He used the house as a summer home, basically, and he used it to, like, entertain friends sometimes. So he wasn't there all the time.

[Eva]

Over.

[Christine]

Come on over. Look at the mos.

[Eva]

It's a really normal, happy, not at all sad time.

[Christine]

Don't look in the bedrooms.

[Eva]

Don't look out the window to the cemetery. That's. That looks like me, but it's not.

[Christine]

Yeah. Actually, the statue, we're going to have people cover that up when you come over.

[Eva]

Perfect replica of me if you're.

[Christine]

I have to explain myself myself, otherwise.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

When he wasn't there, he had staff offer tour, so it was already like a museum. When he.

[Eva]

Oh, wow.

[Christine]

Was alive, he was really prepping for what was going to happen.

[Eva]

He's, like, quite a businessman, though. He's like. He's got it down.

[Christine]

He was like, if I'm gonna do this and I'm. I'm not, I might as well make some money off of it. But when he was staying there, he'd spend his time looking at the mausoleum mostly and often walking across the street just to sit with his wife and kids. They said he would go over, like, every day after dinner and just sit with them. Oh, my God.

[Eva]

Oh. Oh. I mean, I guess I can understand because you're just like a walk away and you can just chat.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Eva]

It's just so sad.

[Christine]

Just sad. At the end of his life, he did move into the house permanently. He did pass away there. And he was also interred in the mausoleum. When he died, though he. In his will, they found $50,000, which today would be $2 million.

[Eva]

Oh, my word.

[Christine]

With a note for it to be for future upkeep of the mansion. Oh, and with this money, by the way, came some very odd rules for the staff that pointed to him really rooting for this existence of an afterlife. Because remember, he was like, what if hopefully they can come find me and live in this house with me? And that's why I built it. This is a quote. His will allegedly stated that he wanted his caretakers and servants to act like he would be coming home each evening. So in addition to mowing the lawn and tending to the garden gardens, servants would change the bedding each night as if he would want to come home to a fresh bed to sleep in. Fires would be lit and the cooks would prepare an elaborate meal which would be presented in the dining room just in case he showed up unannounced one night and wanted a warm supper from the dead. From the dead. So.

[Eva]

Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Okay, this is becoming a little bit.

[Christine]

Rough, I think he was thinking, because I also, my understanding was that it was. Was like the table had to be set for four.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

And I think he thought, hopefully when I die and find them, we can all live in this house together.

[Eva]

That's not how that works, bud.

[Christine]

I know. Also, like, what do we do with the food then? Did the, the staff go, like, I.

[Eva]

Hope they get to eat it. I mean, it just feels so, like, strangely wasteful in a weird way. I don't know.

[Christine]

Yeah. And I, I, I hope that maybe they didn't have to cook meals, but they just had to set the table.

[Eva]

Table.

[Christine]

And then it's, like, symbolic of, like, oh, they could have dinner together. But it sounds like cooking meals to, say, elaborate meals. Yeah. It was also allegedly stated that this would be done, like I said, for the whole family, including his wife and daughters, and the table would be set for all four so that if they found each other on the other side, they could all come home and have family dinners together. But in 1953, the funds of $2 million finally ran out after over 60 years. Years.

[Eva]

Wow.

[Christine]

Which means over 60 years of your job being putting out food for people who won't eat it. That's crazy. Oh, dear. Items in the home were auctioned off. No more dinners were. Were longer made, and the mansion was basically rented out to people. And eventually it was handed over to a couple who converted the mansion into a, quote, haunted bookshop.

[Eva]

Okay. But imagine the day he does come back and he's like, where the is my view food? Veal cutlet. What the.

[Christine]

Yeah, I'd be pissed, honestly, if I. I'd be like, where did the money go? And we'd be like, it's been 60 years, dude.

[Eva]

We've literally fed you 60 times over.

[Christine]

And also, in today's world, $2 million would get you, like, a year of food for sure.

[Eva]

Yeah. $2 million. 60 years is wild.

[Christine]

Insane. I'm surprised that they. Yeah. That it lasted that long. They should have. It would have been fun if they could have made it last 100 years. And then, like, the centennial was, like, the final meal, you know, last supper. You know, I would make it a themed party.

[Eva]

I'd be like, I know you would.

[Christine]

One last time.

[Eva]

That might be when he shows up. Can't resist.

[Christine]

That'd be so nice. I'd be so honored. I'd be like, he showed up for my party. Oh, my God.

[Eva]

A.

[Christine]

The house is now maintained by the local historical society and holds Tours and open houses for people throughout the year. But the mausoleum and cemetery are open to the public. Where you can see the mansion across the way, you can see the statue which by the way is covered in the winter in case you're going there to see. Seems that today the house is haunted. And maybe John was right that his family has finally reunited.

[Eva]

It seems like he live in the house together. He put that energy so much into it. It wouldn't surprise me if there is some lingering energy of the whole family.

[Christine]

You know, 100 I, I, I feel like if that doesn't work, I don't know what would.

[Eva]

Exactly. Exactly. Because like, like to manifest or something.

[Christine]

Before death and then after death be living out your own.

[Eva]

It. It would really believe it and like act on it and spend money on it and put resources and time and energy and you're 100% right. The manifesting of that is insane.

[Christine]

Cinematically, this would be a wonderful movie.

[Eva]

Tm tm.

[Christine]

People claim to see a flickering light in the windows now as if someone's walking through. People feel someone watching them on the stairs. People have seen shadows moving around them them. They hear conversations when nobody is speaking, including. This is how the movie would end. A man, a woman, a younger woman and a baby all talking with each other as if they're like all reunited. People also hear a baby crying and see a woman walking through the mansion as if going about her day. So like she's finally getting to live out what she would have. One source said that staff have straight up seen the Bowman family all gliding through the rooms together. And when the building has been leased out. One family's husband was skeptical, but his wife and daughter swore that the place was haunted. They would wake up to a woman standing over their beds. They would wake up to hearing a baby crying and they couldn't find the source of it anywhere. On one tour that happened at this house, a little girl stuck her tongue out at a painting and the painting threw itself off the wall and hit her in the face.

[Eva]

Now that is some Scooby Doo shit. I love it.

[Christine]

I feel like, don't disrespect me. Yeah.

[Eva]

Like I've been waiting for someone to stick their tongue out at me for hundred of hundreds of years.

[Christine]

I like how since the 1800s, sticking your tongue out someone really is like, I guess so.

[Eva]

Maybe it meant something way worse back then.

[Christine]

You know? Maybe. I wonder what the where it first came from. Like what's the origin to sticking your tongue out of somebody?

[Eva]

Maybe it's just innate Interesting.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

Just like an innate reaction.

[Christine]

There is a dark stain in the house that people think is blue blood. Oh. Which would mean that it has to be John's blood because nobody else ever lived there. Or someone who had an accident, didn't tell anybody on the tour. But apparently if you step on that blood stain, people feel incredible dread.

[Eva]

Yeah. I mean, I would argue most blood stains I step on wouldn't bring me joy.

[Christine]

That's a. You know what? Why the am I reporting this? That's a great point. That's a great point.

[Eva]

I'm just here to, like, be, you know, it's sort of like the View.

[Christine]

You're right.

[Eva]

I love a sounding board, you know?

[Christine]

Who on the View would you be?

[Eva]

I've never seen it in my life. I have no clue. You'd be.

[Christine]

You'd be Christine. Got it.

[Eva]

I wouldn't be on it because they'd be like, you're this. You know nothing of what's happening.

[Christine]

Well, police have been called by locals thinking that somebody has gotten into the house after hours, but nobody's ever found. And one time, a couple's car broke down in front of the house. They saw a light was on in the house. They went to go knock on the door for help, and they didn't hear anyone on the other side. And the light turned itself off in the window. Like.

[Eva]

That'S me. When the, like, people, door to door come to the door, and I'm just like. If I slide really slowly down the wall, they'll never know I was here. And they're staring right at me, you.

[Christine]

Know, I know they're from a different era, but they're very meant for today. If they're like, who the is at.

[Eva]

The door for real? Like, immediate panic when the doorbell rings.

[Christine]

As they finished fixing the car, though in horrific news, they heard heavy breathing next to them. And then the trunk opened itself, slammed itself down. And this is a quote. Then one by one, all four doors opened and shut and the hood was.

[Eva]

Slammed down one by one. Oh, that's upsetting.

[Christine]

Talk about cinematic. That's.

[Eva]

Yeah, that's some Steven King. Yeah.

[Christine]

Too much for me. When the building was a bookstore, the owners tried to sleep upstairs a few times. And after, like, two times, they never came back. They.

[Eva]

Wow.

[Christine]

They were like. We heard so many doors slamming, so many footsteps on the stairs, they could never say the night again. And fact, once it was dark, they would close up shop and just go home. And I'll end on this quote from the owner of the bookstore. He said as soon as the sun starts to go down, everybody is asked to leave and we take off too. They were like, I want nothing to do with that.

[Eva]

Now it's their house.

[Christine]

It's their house now.

[Eva]

Yeah, this is cinematic and this is quite a movie. Like I would watch this. This is cool.

[Christine]

I think so. But I think it's at least very precious that, that like, maybe they all did really find each other and.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

Can you imagine being a ghost for decades? And then you're like, oh, my God, like, now where do we live? And it's like, oh, my God. My. I'm watching my husband across the street build this fucking giant thing. As soon as he dies, we're in.

[Eva]

Like a porcelain, a gorgeous porcelain with heated water. I mean, damn.

[Christine]

You think as a ghost. She was like, don't put that there. And he couldn't hear, so it's still a little fucked up.

[Eva]

Write that down. I'm gonna have to move that sconce to the others to the east facing wall.

[Christine]

He'll never understand. He'll never understand. He's saying it all. I know, but he's all we've got left. We gotta just root for him.

[Eva]

He's nailing Christine style curtains to the wall. Staple gun.

[Christine]

Anyway, that's the Laurel hall mansion.

[Eva]

Very good. Very creepy.

[Christine]

Thank you. I.

[Eva]

That is like dark and sad and weird.

[Christine]

It is. I. I know that was a bit. I don't do a lot of bummers, but.

[Eva]

Well, whatever, you know, it reminds me of all those stories we've heard that I feel like are. I mean, maybe they are not less common, but I feel like back in then if you had such a. Such a. I mean, there was a lot of tragedy, but if you had such a tragedy where you lost your. Both of your children and your wife and you didn't have like the resources, an outlet. You're a man. You don't have like therapists. You don't have like a group of buddies who are going to be open and like help you heal. You know, it's just like, what are you going to do? You have to have an outlet.

[Christine]

And like, and there was a. And like the Internet. And like, so, right, you don't know what to do. If you were to go talk to somebody, you'd have to wait like two to three weeks for their letter to get to you.

[Eva]

It's like, so of course you fixate, right? You're like fixating on this project. Like, this will fix. This will help because it'll like, make a place for us I mean, it's sad, but it's like kind of very human.

[Christine]

Oh, yeah. If something. Even with all the resources I, I currently have, if my entire family died, I can't promise I wouldn't lose it. Right. Yeah.

[Eva]

And then you think about back then. It's like the lack of resources, the different time culturally. Oh, yeah. Oh.

[Christine]

And it was probably encouraged back then. If there was. If this was like the Victorian mourning period. They were like, oh, he's doing it right.

[Eva]

Sure. And if he's putting money into like the town and making. Yeah.

[Christine]

They were like, be sad.

[Eva]

Keep being sad. You're doing great.

[Christine]

Really good. Yeah.

[Eva]

Oh, wow.

[Christine]

Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you so many times there, but.

[Eva]

No. What a. What a story. Thank you for sharing. I'm gonna go blow my nose because I'm sure everyone's really sick of hearing me, like, try to quietly clear my throat. But after that I'll get out. Ghost tube. Maybe we can see who's around.

[Christine]

Be wonderful.

[Eva]

Who are we gonna talk to again?

[Christine]

John Bowman.

[Eva]

Oh, we were gonna talk to him. Okay.

[Christine]

We can talk to whoever you want.

[Eva]

Okay.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Eva]

Brb.

[Christine]

We have said it before, but we cannot be more grateful for Mint Mobile. They have been so helpful to us. When we were on the road. That really, really was so wonderful to have. Before that we were really struggling. Stopped paying way too much for wireless just because that's how it's always been. Mint exists purely to fix that. And same coverage, same speed, just without the inflated price tag. It really has been such a gift to us. We hope you also use it. It really, I, I hope that you no longer have to struggle. And with a seven day money back guarantee and customer satisfaction ratings in the mid-90s, Mint makes it easy to change. Try and see why people don't go back. If you're ready to stop paying for more than you have to, new customers can make the switch today for a limited time and get unlimited premium wireless for just 15amonth. Switch [e-mail] ATWD that's mintmobile.com ATWD upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 month plan. Guaranteed $15 a month equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only. Only 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is is busy. Capable device required availability, speed and coverage varies. Additional terms apply. CMIT mobile.com so I don't own a cat, but everybody in my circle owns cats. My childhood best friends own cats. My mom owns cats. Actually My mom has the litter boxes in my room. Thanks so much, mom. And every time I go home, she goes, I hope it doesn't smell like litter in there. And it always does. So what I'm going to do to prevent this problem from now on is I'm going to get my. My mom Boxy Pro. What makes Boxy Pro different is that in their cat litter, their formula has probiotics in it, which stops the bacteria that causes those odors so you never have to smell your litter box ever again. So that means Boxy Pro keeps the box continuously odor free. Infinitely. And all you have to do is scoop off the top. There's no dumping anymore. And no wondering if your house smells gross to guests. So, mom, you are welcome. And if you are like my mom and you're like, I hope it doesn't smell bad, get Boxy Pro. And you don't have to about worry about that. If you are tired of switching litters looking for the one, get boxy at b c a t dot com. It's the last litter you'll switch to. Enjoy 30 off with code [e-mail] drink. That's B, O X I, E C a t dot com forward slash drink. All right, thank you, everyone for coming to this week's musical. That is Mr. Bill.

[Eva]

Yeah, we went in. Yap. Yeah, we're talking. Hoping to talk. Some ghosts. Not a single ghost. Shut up. But M played the theme song for a former tenant of the home they live in.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

Resident of the home.

[Christine]

Someone who lived here before me was.

[Eva]

Had his own theme song.

[Christine]

Quite the singer, songwriter, so.

[Eva]

And we did get to listen to that. And the ghosts had nothing to say.

[Christine]

I think they bounce. They're like.

[Eva]

That's probably out over it. Yeah.

[Christine]

All right, well, I bummed you out for once, so I'm just really hoping you brought nothing but happiness today. Christianity scene.

[Eva]

I'm so glad that finally, for once, I can say, just kidding. I brought a really horrible story today. I'm gonna blow my nose real quick. Sorry, Jack. Every time I blow my nose. I'm so sorry, but cut it out.

[Christine]

Sure. Christine also did a really, I'm assuming very good job on her notes because they apparently are very long. They took a long time to get through. There was like at least 15 pages worth of notes. And so it took a lot of study. And oh, my word, I'm proud of you. I don't even know what. What your topic is yet, but Christine sounded stressed about it, so we're gonna give her a Round of applause. Yay.

[Eva]

Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. It was. It was one of those where I started researching it. I mean, you know this, and you've done this same scenario a million times, but I was like, oh, this is pretty straightforward. And then all of a sudden it. It's like watching three part docu series and like, I'm on newspapers.com taking clippings of like, articles from. I mean, it is insane. Okay. And I. When I texted you to say, it's too many pages, it's 15 pages. And then I worked on them all day that day, and at a certain point I looked down, it was 19 pages. And I went, God. Well, that did the opposite of what I was hoping.

[Christine]

What's the average page count for your notes?

[Eva]

Seven.

[Christine]

Okay, got it.

[Eva]

So, like, it's. Yeah, so, yeah, seven is usual for me. So 19 is not as crazy as if it was like yours are like one or something because you make them so tiny.

[Christine]

Mine are one, but they're one in eight point font. Yeah, exactly.

[Eva]

Because. Because you're a psychopath, you're a normal person. Yeah, sort of. So this is the story of the Tote Family Mercury murders. And I think part of the reason that there's so much about it is that it happened in 2019. So it's relatively recent. And so there are just a lot. There's a lot of coverage on it and there's a lot of coverage online about it.

[Christine]

I am, I imagine, the hardest stories for you to cover, which tell me if I'm wrong. But not just in the day and age of the Internet and tick tock and everyone can like, give their opinion. But. But as soon as True Crime podcasting became popular, I would imagine that there's just almost too much information.

[Eva]

Oh, you're totally right, because. And I'm one of those people who's like, the more info, the better. So I'm like adding like details like, this is the movie they watched. This is the, you know, this is the character. Like, I was adding everything. And at a certain point you just have to be like, it's too much. It's too much.

[Christine]

Yeah. So I would imagine I would personally, out of fear, want to stick with the ones that, that are. That have less information. So that way it's like a succinct story and you don't feel bad about doing a lot of information.

[Eva]

Yeah, that's what I thought I was doing. But then you're right, because once you realize like, oh, there's so Much more. It's like, well, I can't just cover half of it. Like I can't half ass it, you know? Also I'm. I opened my little mini DPEP because I really need a little something, a little treat, you know.

[Christine]

You know what I found recently, which is not common around here, is a Mr. Pibb.

[Eva]

I fucking love Mr. Pib.

[Christine]

I think I love Mr. P more.

[Eva]

Than Dr. P. I think I do too.

[Christine]

I.

[Eva]

Although now it's called PIB Extra.

[Christine]

No, the one I found is a full blown classic. Mr. Pib, P extra was my favorite as a kid.

[Eva]

Maybe I flipped him.

[Christine]

P Extra had like lightning on it.

[Eva]

Oh, I thought Mr. Pib changed. Maybe not. Maybe not.

[Christine]

I've never seen this logo before. So I do think they rebranded. I think they're right.

[Eva]

Oh, I just looked it up. Yeah, for sure. Look the.

[Christine]

At.

[Eva]

At this.

[Christine]

It looks nothing like I remember. But I. They don't make a lot of Mr. Pib out here. I just never see it. And I went, was in a gas station, I went, what the hell is this? And I bought six of them.

[Eva]

M of it. Okay. Wow.

[Christine]

Tell me.

[Eva]

Coca Cola brought Mr. Pib back in October 2025, nearly 24 years after discontinuing the original brand. Oh, was that. Because for a while it was just PIB extra and that was it. And then in 20, late 2025, and in 2026, it's rolling out as Mr. PIB again throughout the nation.

[Christine]

It sure is. And I am very excited about that. I was wondering, I was like, is this just a Southern thing or something? Because I haven't seen Mr. Pip since I left.

[Eva]

No, it's definitely not. But I'm glad it's coming back. I miss that you eat that with a Snickers and a Twizzler and you're on a road trip and you're going to be awake all night.

[Christine]

Dude, don't even talk to me.

[Eva]

I'm so excited you are not falling asleep at the wheel. That's what my stepdad always told me. Get a pib extra or Mr. Pib some twizzlers and a Snickers bar and you will not be falling asleep.

[Christine]

I. I got. I like a little Twix action. That's I would say a Twix and a Pib.

[Eva]

Yum. Okay, let's hear our the dark tales of today. This is the tote family murders. We've got this family. Of course they're picture perfect. Of course they light up a room. Of course they are. Well Loved in town. They live in Connecticut. Their names are Tony and Megan, their high school sweethearts from small town Connecticut, who built a very normal kind of middle to upper class lifestyle. They met in high school. Tony was voted most likely to succeed as his superlative. He kind of fulfilled that. He earned a master's degree in physical therapy and opened his own practice in Colchester, Connecticut, which, by the way, fun fact is where. Where Blaze worked at Blockbuster in high school in Colchester, Connecticut.

[Christine]

Get out. Fun.

[Eva]

Yeah. At the local Blockbuster. Still have the T shirt. It's pretty cool.

[Christine]

Fun.

[Eva]

Yeah. So Megan, who also held a degree in physical therapy, was described by her friends as a gentle, kind hearted soul. She was just a very empathetic, loving person who wanted more than anything to be a mother. By the late 2000s, that dream came true. They ended up having three kids. It was Alexander, also known as Alec, Tyler and Zoe. They were a very beloved family. You know, he coached youth soccer. He volunteered at like a special needs school. He just like a very in the mix kind of family. Megan homeschooled the kids, but was very, very insistent about taking them places, traveling them cultural things to travel to meet other kids. So they were still very social even though they were homeschooled. Around 2017, the totes made a big life change that in hindsight, marked the beginning of kind of their downfall. They moved from Connecticut to the town of Celebration, Florida. Do you know much about this town?

[Christine]

My mother's obsessed.

[Eva]

Really?

[Christine]

She's obsessed with.

[Eva]

Oh, my God.

[Christine]

That was one of her big, like, retirement dreams. She's like, one day maybe I'll just move to Celebration, Florida. I'm like, okay, girl.

[Eva]

That is the most like Reagan era nonsense I've ever heard.

[Christine]

She, you know, stuck in her way sometimes.

[Eva]

Celebration. Okay, so if you're not familiar, it's basically an upscale master planned community originally conceived by the Walt Disney Company. It's like right near Disney World. It's like this storybook type town. The idea behind it was it's. It's basically a social experiment is what it was described as like. It's the. Your mom would just waltz right into a social experiment on purpose, happily.

[Christine]

And then she'd go, I don't really know what that's all about, but I'm.

[Eva]

Loving this and I do not care. It's meant to be very story, but it's meant to look like old school, traditional Americana Disney vibes, like just pristine green.

[Christine]

Like the chance to live in Disney World. Like, if you could. It's like, it looks like you're living on like, I imagine, Main street usa. Yes.

[Eva]

And even the hospital is like disguised as like an old timey hotel. Like, you know, it's just really something else.

[Christine]

As someone who loves sets, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I wouldn't eat that up.

[Eva]

Oh, and fascinating. I mean, it's fascinating. And especially because it was created by this sort of like over. Over committee who like kind of secretly. It's a little creepy. Like the whole thing is a little creepy the way it was created. But, you know, everything's very whimsical. It's meant to encourage community. And they have like these little courtyards where people can gather. And you know, apparently from what I saw, you can get from there to inside Disney within six minutes. Holy. Yeah, it's, it's built for Disney heads.

[Christine]

It really is just an extension of Disney. It's just. Okay.

[Eva]

And it's no longer owned by Disney. They sold it, but it was originally owned by Disney. Now it's just like right next to it and it sort of still vibes that same way.

[Christine]

Imagine working at that hospital and like, you need, you need full access to like people rolling in and gurneys and there's just tourists coming in to take pictures.

[Eva]

Oh my God. And there's just like Robin Williams, like in, in what's that movie?

[Christine]

It's Patch Adams or something.

[Eva]

Patch Adams with a clown nose. And you're like, no, this is a real hospital, please. Like, not a theme park anymore. So they moved there and they bought a home on Reserve Place. In celebration, they wanted to kind of have this like sunny, warm Florida dream, much like Linda. But of course, Tony, he's still working, so he's still tied to Connecticut in this way. He continues to run his physical therapy clinic up in Connecticut. Then he would commute down to Florida, which is not unheard of, you know, especially if you have the money for that kind of thing. He would fly down, down on weekends to be with his family. So that often meant he spent weekdays alone in Connecticut and weekends with his family in Florida. So I know I already kind of hinted at this, but in Connecticut, the family was very socially engaged, very active within their community. But in celebration, neighbors didn't really know them as well. They were more withdrawn. They kind of kept to themselves. They didn't dislike the family, but they just didn't know too much about them. They did know that Megan was a trained yoga instructor and physical therapist and was a. Was homeschooling her kids. Kids, but privately, which was not really known by neighbors or people on the surface is that Megan had been dealing with some health challenges. So in 2017, according to Tony, during one of the family's frequent trips to Disney world, she was bitten by a tick and contracted lyme disease. Yeah. And this became chronic. And Tony would later claim that Megan's health never fully recovered. That she suffered persistent pain, fatigue, fatigue, even miscarriages, which led to bouts of depression. By 2019, some friends had noticed Megan had lost weight and become more subdued, Like a less bright version of herself. Tony also started to change. He had once been like very fit and energetic and active. But very quickly he'd gained a significant amount of weight. He developed type 2 diabetes which he attributed to stress and things were struggling and. Do you have a gift? Guess. Because I, I, I'd forgotten that I wrote the notes in this way. But it's an, it's an interesting question. Do you have a guess as to why like her health decline seem, appears to be related to lyme disease? Do you have a guess as to what Tony's health decline has to do with.

[Christine]

I would just guess something hormonal. I have no idea.

[Eva]

Money. Why?

[Christine]

What?

[Eva]

He was crashing and burning financially. So he is gaining weight, he's developing diabetes, he's stress eating, he's not taking care of himself, he's not sleeping. His cortisol I imagine is through the roof. This guy. Classic story. Finances. Can you up? He was grappling with a full on financial crisis behind closed doors. In April 2019, 19 federal agents from the u. S. Department of health and human services open an investigation into Tony's Connecticut physical therapy practice for health care fraud. Auditors discovered that Tony had been billing Medicaid and private insurers for therapy sessions that never happened. Effectively charging patients for care they never received.

[Christine]

Dang.

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

So it's just a lot of fraud.

[Eva]

A lot of fraud. Okay. A lot of fraud. Fraud, fraud. Over time, the fraudulent billing added up to about $130,000 in ill gotten funds. And by his own later admission, he'd been using this income to like keep his family afloat financially. He had to help pay, he had to pay the mortgage on the celebration house. They went to Disney World often. Basically they're living out of their means, you know, outside their means. Tony had also taken out additional loans from financial firms. So that was the. Excuse me, the 100 some hundred thirty thousand dollars was insurance fraud, then the like. For just as an example, he apparently filed insurance claims for one patient for like 53 visits in like a four month period. And they hadn't come in once. So, like, he is, like, pushing it. Like he's looking through wherever he can get.

[Christine]

He's full. In full panic.

[Eva]

He's in full panic. He's. He's pushing it to the limit. And of course, it caught the eye of the feds. But in addition to the financial. The, the investment fraud, he's also taking out additional loans from financial firms. So in 2019, he was over a hundred thousand dollars in debt, being sued by creditors for none payment. Court records in multiple states showed liens, eviction notices, and lawsuits. So, like, the stress, it makes my hit sweat just thinking about it. The pressure was immense. And at first, when they investigated and questioned him about the billing irregularities, he maintained his innocence. Like, he really tried to bluff his way out. And it's like, good luck, guy. They've seen it all before, before.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. Yeah, I'm stressing for him.

[Eva]

I know. He told agents that Megan knew nothing about the scheme, that she was totally out of it, out of the picture about this. He also said that his employees had nothing to do with it. He. He confessed, finally said, okay, yeah, I, I'm in a tough. I'm in a tough place. I'll cooperate. This is my doing. My wife had nothing to do with it. My employees had nothing to do with it. It was all call me. So he took the blame. And definitely the children, of course, did not know. They were pretty young. At this point.

[Christine]

At this point, am I allowed to.

[Eva]

Yeah, yeah, talk away.

[Christine]

Am I allowed to pity him so far, because it sounds like I.

[Eva]

You're allowed to do whatever you want, baby. I'm not gonna tell you what to think and feel.

[Christine]

Well, I just, I, So far, I can't imagine. You know, I'm imagining he got into the fraud out of panicking.

[Eva]

Like, I mean, think about that. Like, stress. Like, we've all been in, like, that. Well, maybe not all of us, but we've. Most of us have been in that financial stress of like, how do you squeeze another penny out? Yeah.

[Christine]

I could see desperation, doing crazy things.

[Eva]

And then like.

[Christine]

And now your whole family is going to have to deal with the repercussions from that. So in that way, I do feel bad for him. I don't. I'm not defending the fraud, but I can understand the fraud.

[Eva]

Yeah. I mean, and it's like a tale as old as time, right? Like, you get in over your head, you try to. You try to borrow some money. Money, and then you need to borrow money to pay back that Money, then, I mean, it's just like, classic story.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

So just to give you an idea, the kids at this point, Alec was 13. The oldest, Tyler was 11, and then Zoe was 4. Just to give you an idea of, like, the age of the kids. So they were not privy to this. Right. Like, they didn't know. They were just living their lives, going to Disney, probably having a good time. So he confessed. He said, my kids, my family, my employees had nothing to with do. Do with this. Essentially, he was living this double life. Right. On the one hand, he's a family man and he's taking his kids to Disney and he's just like, man about town. And then secretly, he's drowning in debt and legal trouble and the kids are after him. Okay. By late 2019, Tony's precarious balancing act was heading toward disaster because his license to practice physical therapy had expired in September 2019 after he failed to renew it. And he's still at the office. Office. And his clinic is faltering. One office had been evicted because he didn't pay rent. Patient appointments be. Were being cancelled because he was just calling and saying personal reasons, I can't do your appointment. I mean, he can't. He doesn't have a license to even practice anymore.

[Christine]

And he's just hiding to the.

[Eva]

He's just hiding. Totally. And so around Thanksgiving of 2019, his business is pretty much collapsing. Collapsing. The feds are like, we need to talk to you about this and get this figured out. And he says, okay, okay, yes, I will talk to you about this, but I have to go to Florida for Thanksgiving. I'll be back by December 8, is what he tells them. So meanwhile in Florida, the Tots had moved into a rental home in the North Village area of celebration, which is a different house that they had been in. But by December, they were also behind on the rent there.

[Christine]

Jesus.

[Eva]

I know. It's just like this stress and.

[Christine]

And his wife still has no idea.

[Eva]

As far as we know. As far as we know.

[Christine]

Wow.

[Eva]

The federal agents said they did not believe Megan had any knowledge of this.

[Christine]

And I feel so bad for her too, in hindsight, being like, oh, I was like, saying, let's go on all these trips or let's do this, or we should get this for the. This kid's birthday present. It's like he was. Especially if she's panicking. Yeah. And she's, you know.

[Eva]

So on December 26, 2019, the day after Christmas. Yikes. The Oscala County Sheriff's office posted an eviction summons on the totes door for failure to pay rent. And Tony essentially knew that federal agents were closing in and there wasn't really much else he could do. Like time was running out. He said he was going back by December 8th. The clock is ticking. It's end of November. But of course they tried to maintain some sense of normal. See for the first time in years they decided not to travel back to Connecticut for the holidays. Which was. They usually went back to Connecticut for family events like Christmas. You know, to see family to be in like the winter weather, the snow. Oh apparently celebration. Florida also like puts out fake snow like in the winter months. Like they like put.

[Christine]

You gotta. There's no snow coming.

[Eva]

And they also pipe bird song through hidden speakers throughout. Oh my God. Neighborhood.

[Christine]

Oh my God. I mean creepy. It does feel it. I like how there's two feels Disney. There's two trains of thought here because you say creepy and I think that sounds magical.

[Eva]

Yeah, right. I. I know, I know. So you're like, you're, you're like I'm into it actually.

[Christine]

I, I could understand the. For the aesthetic I get. They're, they're committing to a bit. I love commitment. Remain to a bed.

[Eva]

You know what? I can't fault you for that. That's beautiful. All right, so back to this. So they're trying to maintain like some sense of normalcy at this point. You have to imagine that Megan knew at least about the rent payments. Right. Because there be if they have eviction notices on the door. Like she's got to have some understanding. I would think that things are not quite as picture perfect as they seem.

[Christine]

Right.

[Eva]

So they decide to not go to New England this year to see relatives, but stay in the Sunshine for the 2019 holidays. On December 14, 2019, Alec and Tyler participated in a music recital. They were gifted musicians at their school. In celebration. It was a holiday concert showcasing talented kids in the community. That night, 13 year old Alec received a special commendation for his piano and violin performances. 11 year old Tyler earned an award award for his skills on piano and guitar. There's some really cute photos of the brothers like smiling and holding their little like awards. And then. I know it's really sweet. And then Zoe, age 4, won a free year of dance lessons in a raffle and was like beside herself with delight because she just loved. She was like a little princess. Like she loved to twirl. And a year of dance lessons was so exciting. No one realized this would be the last time that the tote children were ever seen alive. And in public.

[Christine]

Oh, big shift from where I thought we were heading.

[Eva]

Okay, my bad.

[Christine]

Okay, so I've got my thoughts immediately, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna let you carry on on. Thanks.

[Eva]

In the coming days, some neighbors believed they saw the family preparing for a trip. One neighbor later told police they observed the totes SUV packed with belongings. And they did see the SUV drive away from the home on December 15th. And it's unclear clear where they were going, if anywhere. But Tony had told various people about an upcoming educational like homeschool trip to St. Augustine. And so that's where people and family members thought they were going for months. Megan had mentioned to relatives that she and Tony wanted to take the boys to St. Augustine as a learning adventure. And so, you know, the plan was to go after Christmas once everyone was feeling better from the colds they had. So as the Christmas 2019 approached, the Toad's communication with extended family became like a little bit dicey, like sporadic and a little bit off. Right. So about a week before Christmas, Megan's aunt in Connecticut, Cynthia or Cindy Copco, received a text from Tony. So this would be her niece's husband. Her nephew in law received a text from Tony that struck her as a bit unusual. Tony told Cindy that the family was leaving for a short vacation and would be going off the grand grid and that they would be turning their phones off for a while. Oh, I know, Red flag. He specifically said not to worry if no one could reach them. Given that Cindy was both Megan's aunt and godmother and one of her closest confidants, this was a little bit jarring. It wasn't like unheard of. Like she was like, well, I could picture them doing like a tech free getaway with the kids. Right? Something like that. Sometime around December 22, Tony sent another update update claiming the family had arrived in northern Florida en route to St. Augustine, but that, oops, Megan had lost her phone. So she won't be able to talk to you.

[Christine]

Oh, okay.

[Eva]

Soon after, a message came from Megan's own phone. That's weird. Didn't she lose it? That's a great point to aunt Cindy. And this time the text said that the entire family had come down with a terrible flu. Quote, they've had the flu for probably a couple weeks. They were really down and out during COVID Christmas is how Cindy later remembered the message. The text explained they were delaying the St. Augustine excursion until everyone recovered. Which is like, weren't you just on the way there and then you lost your phone? And now you're home and saying you're delaying the trip. It's just weird. It's all weird. It said, we're just going to wait till we're over this, and then we're going to head out. Initially, these expl Explanations didn't totally raise red flags. I mean, we know. I know personally how rough flu season can be, and, like, it can literally incapacitate a whole family. Even if not everyone's sick, everyone can be put out. Totally. It made sense that the trip might be postponed if anybody was sick. But in hindsight, Aunt Cindy just felt like something was off, especially because she never heard Megan's voice on the phone. And they always called. Cindy is like, this ain't right, dude.

[Christine]

She's like, I got a feeling in my. My gut, and my gut's not wrong.

[Eva]

And my gut's never wrong. She was a little concerned that Megan never called because they always talked on at least Christmas Day, but there was just silence on the other end. And when she asked if they could talk, Megan would say, oh, I'm too sick to talk on the phone. I mean, hello. Have we never been in MySpace era? We know.

[Christine]

I want you to say it again.

[Eva]

Because my webcam's broken.

[Christine]

I need a clear hit of that so I can use it as a text tone later. I to need. I need you to go, I mean, hello.

[Eva]

I mean, hello. I mean, hello. Have we not been around the MySpace era? Like, you know, if somebody is catfishing you, that's what they say. They say, my webcam's broken. Oh, I'm too sick to talk on the phone. That's what I did. I broke up with a boyfriend that way. Am I proud of it? No. But did I know what I was doing? Absolutely.

[Christine]

We're not. We're. We're mean, not idiots, you know?

[Eva]

Right. I'm socially averse to any sort of conflict. Not idiot. Not an idiot. Maybe a little bit.

[Christine]

There's a lot of things. I am stupid. At least one of them stupid ain't.

[Eva]

One of them, okay? I know when someone's catfishing someone. So Cindy's concerned, as she should be, that Megan does not want to talk. Megan's too sick to talk. Megan, the kids are too sick to talk. No one can talk to her. It's Christmas day. They're not up in Connecticut. As usual, things are just, like, a little bit concerning. At one point, a family member texted Tony, this is a huge red flag, asking for photos of the kids opening their presents on Christmas morning. I mean, that's like a normal thing. Right. Like, I always sure. With my family members. I'm like, oh, what did so and so get? And I want to send pictures of like Leona opening things. It's just part of like family culture.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

So people ask for photos of the kids opening the presents and Tony replies, oh, the kids are still sleeping on Christmas morning, huh?

[Christine]

I mean, I'm. I'm just trying to. I'm trying to come up with an excuse. Excuse here. And I can see if I were a parent, it's Christmas. I still don't really want to wake up early. So maybe we're all just late. Late bloomers.

[Eva]

I never want to wake up early either. And leona sleeps till 9. Guess who woke up at 5:30am on Christmas morning and said a man. Santa came? No, Leona.

[Christine]

I thought I was expecting a Geo or a blaze in there.

[Eva]

No, a blaze was incapacitated with the world's worst super flu. I was Santa. It was a nice nightmare. So she wakes up at 5:30 and I'm like, I just went to bed. I really can't do this. I thought you were gonna sleep till at least eight for me. Nope. So kids like lose all sense of like sleeping in on Christmas. Okay. As far as I'm concerned, a 4 year old, an 8 year old, 11 year old, I don't think they're sleeping in late. But maybe. Listen. Maybe. But if that's the case, I want to add to that. He never sent photos. It's not like later that day or the next day he sent photos. Like there's just nothing.

[Christine]

That's a great point. I had not looked at it through the eyes of a. Of someone who is responsible for a child 24 7. You're totally right that they. You tell them Santa's going to be here and you get a day of opening presents. Yeah.

[Eva]

Hey, there's like dozens of presents downstairs for you.

[Christine]

I.

[Eva]

And cinnamon rolls and no school. Come on.

[Christine]

That sounds nice. I could use that right now. That sounds great.

[Eva]

Really good.

[Christine]

Sounds really nice.

[Eva]

Sounds really good.

[Christine]

No, you're totally right. Okay, so the essential assumption now where. Where we are, where we Hindsight is that they are probably already gone by Christmas. Okay.

[Eva]

Correct. Correct. Tragically, yes. Em and I have spent a lot of time in a lot of airports, haven't we?

[Christine]

M. We sure have. We've flown this away.

[Eva]

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[Christine]

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[Eva]

Oh, I didn't even think that. That's really smart. Actually. I'd never even considered that we were just buying these things and sometimes they would be scams and then you'd, like, lose your money. It was just. It's always. It was never easy. Until now, thank God.

[Christine]

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[Eva]

So the kids are sleeping in. But then he never sent photos anyway. And like, this is not in character. Usually Megan is sending everyone photos. Usually Megan is, like, uploading pictures, taking videos. Like, this is her bread and butter. This is what they live for. But no, nothing. Quiet. The extended family began to suspect, of course, that something about Tony's story was not adding up. In Connecticut, Tony's sister Chrissy was especially uneasy because she'd always been really close with her brother and his kids, and she had been texting Tony through late December. And at first he said, you know, we have the flu. We'll be fine. But by the last week of the year, his replies kind of stopped and she started to get worried. So December 29, 2019, Chrissy was too worried. She placed a call to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office asking them to conduct a welfare check. She said, I'm wondering if someone can do a wellness check on my brother and his family. They've been really sick for the past week and a half, and I can't seem to get a hold of hold of them. She mentioned she'd been texting with Tony a few days prior, but he stopped replying and didn't call when he said he would. The only person Anyone had managed to contact in the family was Tony himself. Neither Megan nor the children had been heard from directly in some time. So she's worried, and she tells a 911 operator they take this seriously. They send deputies to 202 Reserve Place, and two deputies knock on the door, but they get no answer. The house is quiet. The window shades are down. There's nothing obviously ra. Wrong. They check around the perimeter. They speak to a few neighbors who say they haven't seen the tote family in a while, maybe since before Christmas. There's no sign of forced entry. They look through the door. There's still a Christmas tree standing inside, but there's nobody there. And so they're just thinking, oh, well, they're probably on a trip or, you know, celebration, like you were saying about Linda. Like, it's sort of a place. It's oftentimes like a place you go in the winter.

[Christine]

Right.

[Eva]

You're like a snowbird. Like, you go there because. So. So even though it's Christmas time, maybe they went somewhere for the holidays and they'll be back. Like, maybe this is a secondary home.

[Christine]

You even said, like, oh, they decide to stay home for the holidays, but they would usually go somewhere else. So it's easy to assume that they went somewhere else or like, friends invited them over or something.

[Eva]

Exactly. And the neighbors said like, oh, we don't know them that well. And, you know, they're in and out. So it's like, it's not that jarring or shocking. So they. They left. They. They wrote a report. Nobody answered. Nothing looked amiss. It didn't even look like anyone was. Was home. But the family was not reassured by this. I think. I would imagine it made them more uneasy. Right. It's like nobody answered the phone.

[Christine]

It would make also you was I. This is. Tell me if I'm crazy here, but I would think on Christmas, you. Even if you're not looking at your phone, you have your phone nearby because you always, like, call family to say Merry Christmas and things like that. So you would.

[Eva]

In 2019, like, we're all in touch at that time, you know. Yeah.

[Christine]

You're at least sending out a. A mass text message saying merry Christmas or.

[Eva]

Yes.

[Christine]

One of those chains where it's like, dirty, nasty Santa Claus or whatever. Do you know about those?

[Eva]

Yes. Squirt, squirt in my stocking. And it's like, what the. Renee, why the would you send this to me? We're 34 years old and I have a child. Stop sending me this.

[Christine]

You've been a naughty elf or whatever it is.

[Eva]

Oh, yeah. Tongue emoji. Tongue emoji. Squirt emoji. I mean, Jesus Christ. These things. I've been getting these. Them since, like, ninth grade, and they still come every year.

[Christine]

I'm telling you, Santa wants your cookies. You gotta shut the fuck up.

[Eva]

Who's the first per. Who's the person? Let's get baked, you know?

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

Who's the person in your life that sends those to you?

[Christine]

Oh, man, there's a lot. One of them. One of them is my friend Kai. One of them is my cousin. One of them is someone back home. But then I'm usually. It's usually in my friend Cole. Someone in his family sends it to me. It's not always fun.

[Eva]

Cole would do that. That feels right.

[Christine]

Um, It's a lot of people. I nice to know that it's. It's just immediately winter Renee for you.

[Eva]

Literally, Renee. One time, Eva's partner, Ray sent one, and I went like, oh, that's different from the one I got from Renee. And Ray goes, oh, I made this one. And I went, you are sick. I was like, you don't understand. Now this is next level. You made that one. Oh, no, no, no. These are usually copy pastas, you know? And I was like, never again. Never again. I will block you forever.

[Christine]

I'm gonna do my best to just stop speaking, because otherwise, I'm just gonna talk about.

[Eva]

We're just gonna find. Yeah.

[Christine]

Because every holiday, at least one gets sent to me. And they're always worse than the last one.

[Eva]

And then, like, it's always when you least expect them, like, oh, shamrock in the bed. And I'm like, why is there a.

[Christine]

The leprechaun ones are especially odd.

[Eva]

Leprechaun ones are like, maybe me, like.

[Christine]

The pot of gold, you know?

[Eva]

So uncomfy, dude.

[Christine]

Anyway, I taste the rainbow.

[Eva]

My God, it gets, like, out of control. This just. If you guys don't know what we're talking about, consider yourself so lucky that you don't have, like, disgusting psycho friends. Because, like, it's. For me, it really is just mostly Renee. But she will send, like, she'll. I'm assuming, get them from probably 16 of her friends, because that's just the kind of circle she rolls in circles. Like, you do love that. And then forward them to people who they know are gonna feel uncomfy. And they're always these weird, long diatribes with a lot of emojis, and they're just, like, deeply uncomfortable.

[Christine]

They try to be As X rated as possible. It's like the old email chains where it's like, if you don't send this to six people, bad luck forever. And it's so then you just.

[Eva]

Santa's elves won't blow you. And it's like, I don't want that.

[Christine]

To reel it back in. All this to say in 2019. One of those was probably getting sent to her phone or something like that. Like, you have your phone available in 20 Christmas morning to at least say hi to somebody or to see if elves will blow you, you know?

[Eva]

You know, you gotta know. And honestly, you think about it too. Like, you're in group chats, right? Like, they're so sociable with their town, with their neighbors, with their family. Extended family they're in.

[Christine]

Someone has to know where they are or, like. Or be able to reach them to say merry Christmas.

[Eva]

You think so? And like, if they're in a bunch of group chats, not responding to a single one, like, that's just shady. So Chrissy calls for this welfare check. You know, they go there, they don't notice anything. But the family doesn't feel particularly reassured. Over the next several days, multiple parties were trying to locate the family. The property manager of the home, in celebration, grew concerned, especially after finding a Facebook group called finding the tote family. Like, someone was looking for them. And she, the landlord, found this Facebook group and was like, oh, because she was trying to get the eviction notice to them and say, like, you who owes rent? And now she's seeing, like, oh, I don't even know. And she knew, of course, that they had kids. So she's starting to get really worried.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

The property manager contacted authorities separately, asking them to check the house, mentioning nothing had been heard from. From the family. And so multiple people are reaching out to say, like, they're concerned. Meanwhile, up in Connecticut, federal agents are actively hunting for Tony. Not because of the missing persons reports, but because his fraud. Fraud case. Ding, ding, ding. It's well past December 8th. Remember when he promised he would be back? And now it's after Christmas, and they're like, that's bad, buddy. Where are you? You promise you pinky promised us.

[Christine]

Speaking of, like, his cortisol levels through the roof, just because he was, like, having financial problems. Imagine now trying to escape this. Like, the feds, the FBI. How has he not had a heart attack from the stress yet?

[Eva]

Well, that's why his health just, like, plummeted. You know, like, people noticed he was. Was just, like, crashing and burning agents from the FBI's field office in New Haven and from HHS were aware that Tony had this home in Florida and suspected he might be hiding out there. So an FBI agent placed multiple calls to the Osceola Sheriff's office in early January alerting them that this guy, that now they're sort of starting to become familiar with this family because people keep calling for wellness checks, that kind of thing. Now the FBI calls and says, hey, just so you know, they have a federal arrest warrant out for Anthony, Anthony Tote. And he could be down there in that celebration house because he's not up here. So a team of federal agents quietly went to the tote residence on January 9, 2020. They hope to find Tony, arrest him on the health care fraud, and then can put to rest all these other concerns people were having. But there was no answer at the door. And it's been reported that agents did not see any movement. So again, they just kind of had to let it go. And now weeks have passed, two weeks have passed since anyone had heard Megan's voice or seen the children.

[Christine]

At that point, you just. Her sister has got to be like in PI mode and just, oh my word.

[Eva]

So it's his sister and her aunt, just for, for, for clarity's sake. But yes, it only because it becomes more relevant who's related to whom later. But you're right, like the, the dread must be.

[Christine]

People are absolutely talking around town now being like, have you seen.

[Eva]

Really, really worried, really worried. Especially because up there in Connecticut, like the employees are not being paid. There's just like, the appointments are canceled, he's gone, the kids are gone.

[Christine]

I mean, school, the school is like.

[Eva]

So on January 13, 2020, things escalate again. That morning, Chrissy calls the police. She's in Connecticut. She calls Florida police. She's now sounding a lot more urgent. You can listen to these calls online. She tells the dispatcher that her worries have increased. And in the second call, she reveals a chilling new detail. She says, and I quote, just in conversations with my sister in law, Megan was making a comment basically that the world is ending on December 28, and nobody has talked to them. She said so she tells them nobody had physically talked to Megan since December 26th. And, and that was just, I believe, a text message.

[Christine]

So we don't even know if that was her.

[Eva]

Right. And the comment about the world ending on the 28th was a little alarming. And now that they're kind of going weeks without hearing from them, she's starting to wonder if that has anything to do with it. Like if there was some delusion happening.

[Christine]

Sure. Did she have mental illness in her?

[Eva]

Not that we know of. No, no, nothing. Nothing in her history. Additionally, Chrissy pointed out that Tony had also stopped texting as of Monday, January 6th. Basically radio silence. So the Osceola county sheriff's office and federal agents decided to coordinate this time to serve an arrest warrant warrant on Tony that very day and do another welfare check and enter the premises if they have to. So January 13, a team of plainclose agents from the officer of inspector general general staked out the tote residence on reserve place. Accompanied by sheriff's deputies. They believe Tony was probably inside. After a short period of surveillance, the agents saw movement. Tony tot himself emerged onto the porch looking disheveled and dazed, blinking in the daylight. It looked like he was struggling to walk. He had some sort of a limp. The agents originally were going to just go. Go right up when he was outside, but he clocked him. They made eye contact, so he noticed their presence, darted back inside and shut the door.

[Christine]

Do you think they watched him just.

[Eva]

Slowly backtrack in 100%.

[Christine]

He looks pretty guilty.

[Eva]

Just scooch back on. Click the door locked. So of course, now they don't want to stand off, so they decide to enter. They knock, they announce themselves. When Tony doesn't reopen the door, they get a spare key, they unlock the door, and they step in immediately being hit by the pungent odor of decomposition. Yeah, it was a smell everybody recognized on the team. Unfortunately, the foyer opened onto a staircase. And at the top of the staircase, by the way, the. The house had all the curtains drawn. It was dark, it was dim. It was just creepy. And then there's Tony standing at the top of the stairs in a t shirt and his underwear, and he's leaning against the wall for support, mumbling incoherent, coherently. Agents start to ascend the stairs, and he slurred, don't touch me, I'll fall.

[Christine]

Huh?

[Eva]

He's just being dramatic. Yeah.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Eva]

Agent Melissa o' Neal calls out tony, where's Megan? Where are the kids? And Tony says, megan is upstairs sleeping forever, probably because.

[Christine]

Yeah, the smell of decomp. How do you. He. Either he. He knows through. I mean, obviously he knows he's lying, but either he thinks he's really getting away with it, which tells you he hasn't left in a long time because he doesn't recognize the smell that he just announced everybody.

[Eva]

I hadn't thought of that.

[Christine]

You know what I mean?

[Eva]

He probably just doesn't even realize that they can smell it so much. Yes.

[Christine]

Maybe he thinks he got away with it there, but like, there's no way.

[Eva]

Because I was thinking, like, how stupid is he? But you're right. Like if he was maybe used to it and he thought like, oh, I'll just get them out of the house. And then I. I can, like.

[Christine]

Which means he's just been sitting in that house for days if he doesn't even smell it.

[Eva]

Weeks.

[Christine]

You're right.

[Eva]

Unfortunately, I am right. He calls out her name. He goes, meg, Megan, this guy.

[Christine]

What do you, like? At some point you have to feel stupid doing this. Like you.

[Eva]

I sure hope so.

[Christine]

Come on.

[Eva]

At the very least, as if like beckoning her. Right. And. And then they say, where are the children? And he mumbles that he's not sure. Maybe they had a sleepover last night, but he can't remember he had a.

[Christine]

Sleepover with his wife and kids. What are you talking about?

[Eva]

No, no, no. He's saying maybe the. They said, where are the kids? And he said, I think maybe they went to a sleepover last night. I'm not sure. Really? Really.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Eva]

Tony's affect was very detached and strange. He was sort of acting like he's in a trance. So they escort him down the stairs, all wobbling, bubbly. They take him outside onto the porch while the others, you know, of course, rush in to look for Megan and the kids. Agents o' Neill and Jim Nguyen led the way upstairs and when they got up there, they noticed the primary bedroom door was wide open. They glanced in and they saw a pile of blankets on the king sized bed, some bundled objects on a mattress on the floor. But when they looked closer, they could see a pair of human feet protruding from under one blanket. And beside it, what looked like the shape of a body midsection under another cover. And they realized pretty quickly they were looking at multiple bodies. The first identified was 42 year old Megan Tote lying on the bed on her back, heavily decomposed. She was discolored. The heat down there, the AC had been off.

[Christine]

Oh my God.

[Eva]

Her skin, Agent o' Neal discredit described, had turned black as leather. I mean, they're basically like. Yeah, I mean they're decomposing fully. Bodies in the bed for weeks.

[Christine]

For weeks in the.

[Eva]

For weeks.

[Christine]

Oh my God.

[Eva]

Clutched in one of Megan's hands was a rosary with a crucifix, as if she had either died praying or someone had placed it there.

[Christine]

Yeah, forgiveness or something.

[Eva]

Yako Next to Megan on the bed under Layers of blankets were the remains of her two children. This is really hard to listen to people if you can't have already get. If you haven't already guessed. So just a heads up. Alec, 13 and Tyler, 11 were found side by side on a mattress placed on the floor next to the bed. It appeared as someone. As though someone had moved the boys bodies from their own bedrooms into their parents room, laid them there and then covered them with blankets and put a crucifix or rosary in their hands.

[Christine]

Like initially symbolic funeral in some way by yes putting them all together also probably to like keep the smell contained for a second at one point. No, no.

[Eva]

Because he hung out in this room. They found snack. They found snack wrappers. They found like he had been just like hanging out in there.

[Christine]

This is like the most up version of the story I just told of the man building. Like try like wanting to mausoleum.

[Eva]

Oh you right. You're right. I hadn't even thought. I hadn't even put that together.

[Christine]

Except he did it right. He did it the right way. He didn't kill.

[Eva]

How heinous to be like you have such a beautiful thing and now you.

[Christine]

How do you even. I. This is not what's important. But I also can't get past you are gonna get.

[Eva]

So please ask because I have the amount when I tell you sincerely I stayed up till 3am am for I think four total days doing these notes like it is. I'm so proud of you slowly killing me. And that's probably why I'm not healed from my illness yet.

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

But I got really invested in the details. So if you have a question, please feel free.

[Christine]

Well, I mean my. The first thing that is like just coming to mind is just like biologically like like the. The bacteria in the air that you're just sitting there and eating snacks and like. Like you're just eating particles. I imagine. Like it's just.

[Eva]

There's even a receipt where we can see what snacks snacks he bought there. I ask peanut M M's.

[Christine]

I don't know what I expected. I don't know what. I don't know. I don't know what I thought. Like I have chips. I don't know. Like what do you eat next to your dead family?

[Eva]

Imagine you should be able to eat anything. Imagine being like what am I hungry for? And it's like really?

[Christine]

And also is he by the way.

[Eva]

He had a receipt meaning he went out and bought them.

[Christine]

Thank you. I was about to say did he like.

[Eva]

Om. I so many fucking.

[Christine]

This is where whatever information you have, you're not.

[Eva]

Thank you.

[Christine]

Whatever you have. Because I don't need to ask what's next. Someone's wondering.

[Eva]

That's right. Because when people say, like, oh, he went out of the house, I'm like, where? Guess what? I'll spoil one for you now. He went to Starbucks. What the fudge are you doing at Starbucks?

[Christine]

And that's one of those thoughts where I'm always like, oh, I wonder how many murderers I've walked past in my life. It's like, imagine being working at Starbucks and you're like, how many murderers have I served who like, just have a body in their house right now.

[Eva]

Fat free cappuccino for this guy. And he just murdered his whole. He's going home. Why does he smell so bad? Because he's been like, living in a bedroom with his family. I mean, it's like I literally think this way.

[Christine]

There are so many times where I dry. It's only because I've watched so much Law and Order. But I'll be driving on the road. I'm like, how many houses am I driving past right now that have someone like, in the basement, like, oh, yeah, Held hostage.

[Eva]

Horrifying like that come out and it's like so unsettling.

[Christine]

Like, the chances are at least one.

[Eva]

If it's happening in celebration Florida, like the most, like, happy place on earth or whatever the. You know, like, it's just really dark.

[Christine]

I. Yeah. I wonder how many people I've walked past that are like, who need help and I didn't know. Like, it's, it's. I don't know why I do that to myself.

[Eva]

Haunting.

[Christine]

But, but imagine being that Starbucks person later who's like, I knew it. That guy smelled like a dead body. Like, he's like, and of course something.

[Eva]

Was wrong with this guy. Or even more unsettling perhaps, I didn't know notice anything was wrong. He was super friendly and fine.

[Christine]

You are. In case you're like, trying to withhold information to like speed up the story. People want the details, so.

[Eva]

Okay, good, because it's gonna. This is gonna be at the very least a two parter. I'm sorry in advance, but it has to be.

[Christine]

But I'm, I'm, I'm also glad that you even said like, oh, he went out to cvs because my first thought was like, were people coming to the house and didn't know or did or smelled it and didn't report it or so that. That's good to know that he was leaving but also, how can you. If I left my house and there were dead bodies in there, and I. Whether or not I was responsible for the deaths of them, I would be out of my mind, paranoid that someone was about to knock on the door and walk right in while I'm gone.

[Eva]

This is that same thing that we always hit on, which is that people like this, they're so. They think that they're just gonna get away with it.

[Christine]

Did he really think he was gonna get away with it? Because it sounds like he was full blown panicking, knowing eventually he wouldn't getting away with it. And how do you. How dare. How do you think you're gonna get away with it when, like, people are. Do you really think people aren't gonna ask where they went? Like, what was literally.

[Eva]

I don't understand.

[Christine]

I don't get. If you, if you lived in the middle of bum. Nowhere, nowhere and nobody and they had no friends, you'd successfully isolated all of them. You told everyone that they died years ago or something. Maybe you'll get away with maybe for a few years, maybe forever. There's no way. When you live in a bustling community where you are active with children who go to school and a wife who is involved in your family and you're.

[Eva]

Ordering caramel macchiatos on a Tuesday.

[Christine]

I don't understand. Like, it's not just narcissism at that point.

[Eva]

It's like delusion, full blown.

[Christine]

You. Something is.

[Eva]

It's got to be delusion, right? Like, it's got to be because you're right. Like, even nurses don't want to get, like, cons. They're not stupid, right? Like, you can see, like. Oh, yeah, exactly. No, that's a really good point.

[Christine]

Like, when you think, like, it did not cross your mind for a second that someone was gonna wonder ever, Ever.

[Eva]

Don't worry. Don't worry. Here's what I. Where I tell you that he's got it all figured out.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. Okay, I know, I know you're wrong. Let's hear it.

[Eva]

So here it sounds like, oh, how could you ever explain this away? But don't worry, he's got an explanation. Explanation.

[Christine]

Okay, let's hear it. Let's hear.

[Eva]

So he's like, maybe the kids are at a sleepover, huh? Sure.

[Christine]

And he, when he said that, he went, I planned that one. That's a good one.

[Eva]

Yeah, I've thought about that one for.

[Christine]

I nailed that. Now they're never gonna come back.

[Eva]

Yeah, nailed it. So. Just so sick. Just so sick. So the bodies are all in one room. Sorry, the reason that that got into. Turned into a tangent was because you said oh, maybe it was to put them all in one room to contain the smell. And I said no, because unfortunately he was also like living in there room with them, which is.

[Christine]

Was he sleeping in there?

[Eva]

I don't know.

[Christine]

I think probably like next to his decomposing wife.

[Eva]

I don't think in the bed. I think it was insinuated that he spent time in there like regularly. But maybe not that he slept in there.

[Christine]

I. I'm back to the bacteria thing. I couldn't open my mouth in there. Like I feel like I breathe, I'm breathing it in. I know. So messed up.

[Eva]

Even like imagine it. Like I don't even know if I would.

[Christine]

Like, I can't imagine it, but I know I would. Like the smell alone. Not even the bacteria, but just the smell would take your breath away. You couldn't be in that room for long unless you really had. Totally.

[Eva]

But I wonder. Well, that's what I wonder. I wonder if it's gradual. If you do just kind of get accustomed to. I don't know. I don't know the answer to that.

[Christine]

But I mean also then you could argue like if he had any remorse at all. Like if.

[Eva]

Right.

[Christine]

I don't even want to think about it, it being my family. But it wouldn't matter to me what they smelled like. I'd want to be near my fucking family. And maybe some sort of like. I know you're going to talk about this and people just want the story to get moving. But.

[Eva]

No, no, no, tell me is.

[Christine]

Was there. Did he have a plan to eventually move them and was he just keeping them there while he grieved?

[Eva]

Because like we don't even. It's like he didn't.

[Christine]

Because part of it's like I couldn't, I couldn't move. Someone would have to physically move my parents body out of the room.

[Eva]

He couldn't do it. Let's just say he was not planning on moving them as far as I can tell.

[Christine]

Okay, sorry.

[Eva]

He may, he may have planned to eventually try and flee, but also he spent weeks there. So it's like you had plenty of time to flee. I don't know.

[Christine]

Was he hoping they would like. I know this is so up. I'm so sorry to everybody listening but like, like what I like, was he hoping they would just decomp so badly? Eventually they'd go away and then he wouldn't have to, I mean, worry about it.

[Eva]

Skeletons, though.

[Christine]

I haven't. I don't know anymore. I feel like I'm. I'm trying to make sense out of something that does not make sense.

[Eva]

And he makes it very clear in every sort of writing that he ever does, which is far too much, in my opinion, that he's a doctor. He wants it to remind everyone.

[Christine]

Huh.

[Eva]

So remember how he's a doctor?

[Christine]

I forgot after everything else you told me.

[Eva]

I know, but, like, this guy's a doctor and he makes sure to remind you. And his wife is too, by the way. But okay, I guess we're just gonna talk about him.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. Yeah, she definitely didn't. I'm. I'm gonna agree with the consensus that she did not know anything was going on.

[Eva]

She wasn't in on it. Nope, nope, nope. So at first, this is again, really heavy and hard to hear. At first, they couldn't find Zoe, the four year old, so they searched the house. They looked everywhere. They looked in the fridge, in the freezer, like they didn't know where to look. They looked everywhere. They were hoping, of course, like maybe she's out somewhere. Maybe she is. Is okay. But they checked again, and they found this time in the primary bedroom that there was another little blanket at the foot of the bed near Megan's feet.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. I know.

[Eva]

And that's where Zoe was. She had been laid beneath her mother's legs at the foot of the bed. And due to decomp, it was. It had just been hard to find her at first because she was so, so small.

[Christine]

My God, how she was. I just want to make sure I'm getting that right. She was so badly decomposed, they couldn't find her. Originally.

[Eva]

Yeah, she's four. Something similar happened to the family dog, Breezy, who was also found in that room. The fluffy white dog lying on her side in her dog bed in a corner of the primary bedroom. Mostly decomposed. Just a horror show, right, to walk in on. Seasoned law enforcement officers were overcome by the horror of this. Just completely in shock. The medical examiner later noted the bodies were partially mummified, consistent with having being dead since late December. Investigators noted other eerie details in the bedroom. Bedroom, for example, all the victims had been carefully wrapped in blankets like they were asleep. The children's bodies were, like, holding, like I said, a rosary or crucifix, which means he.

[Christine]

Did he just go out and buy a bunch of crucifixes or did they happen to already own them?

[Eva]

I think they had them.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Eva]

I think it was just they were Catholic.

[Christine]

Okay.

[Eva]

Nearby lay a small shrine of family photos and, like, a printed out poem about, like, why God made little boys and like a trophy, like, they're like, all their favorite things and toys and dolls. Now the only living being found in the house was Tony himself, who was, of course now in handcuffs outside being tended to by deputies. And when they brought him out, he started dry heaving and sweating. He insisted he was not well, so they called an ambulance and paramedics soon learned why he was groggy. He admitted he had ingested a large amount of Benadryl, an entire bottle's worth, in an attempt to kill him himself. So investigators found empty packaging of children's liquid Benadryl in the home, like, family size bottles, as well as crushed Benadryl tablets and empty Tylenol PM bottle in the kitchen trash. There was also a typed suicide note that they found that was apparently written by the whole family like, it was we. And like, we've decided that this will be in a better place.

[Christine]

You really?

[Eva]

Yeah.

[Christine]

So he obviously wrote it on their behalf and then planned on doing it to himself and then couldn't go through with it.

[Eva]

Correct.

[Christine]

Beautiful.

[Eva]

It said everyone was in a better place, no longer suffering. That they asked the children and the children agreed.

[Christine]

Shut the up. What do you mean?

[Eva]

Does that make you want to fucking scream like the fam? Yeah, you ask a four year old, hey, if mommy, if daddy dies, would you want to be. Would you want to be here alone? Of course they're gonna be like, no.

[Christine]

Also, like, you know, he. They didn't ask any of them.

[Eva]

Well, fair enough. Yeah, that. That. That story is besides the point. Right? Exactly.

[Christine]

But no, like, he. He clearly, like. But that does prove, like, he clearly thought that he had a good plan. It's like, oh, yeah, you couldn't have written that and thought this, this. This makes me look a lot more innocent. Like, this is. Well, they gave me permission to kill them. Well, they. They volunteered for this. They asked ask for it.

[Eva]

She gets. She gets to decide. She's four. Like, what the are you on about?

[Christine]

What are you talking about? Oh, my God.

[Eva]

So they find this letter and it's like so long and wordy and, like, kind of unhinged, and it talks about the end of the world. And it's like, we're all in a better place because it's the end of the world, yada, yada. We wanted to be together and die together so that we'd be together forever in the afterlife. It's just nonsense. So Tony was Taken to the hospital for treatment. About this overdose, he apparently had taken over 40 times the normal therapeutic level of diphen hydramine, which is Benadryl's active ingredient. He had. Apparently it had appeared to them that he had been consuming Benadryl over multiple days to keep himself sedated or slowly poison himself. Didn't work. Barely 48 hours later, with Tony medically stabilized, Osceola county detectives sat him down for a formal interview. To be like, hey, bud, what the is going on? They read him his rights and began asking the question that had to be asked, which is, Tony, what happened to your family?

[Christine]

And they asked for it. That's. But it's in the letter.

[Eva]

It's in the. Just read. Did you read the letter?

[Christine]

Yeah.

[Eva]

It kind of sounds like a few.

[Christine]

They don't know how to read.

[Eva]

This could have been an email. Check the letter. No. What followed was a shocking confession.

[Christine]

Oh.

[Eva]

Tony freely admitted to murdering his wife, his three children, and their dog, Breezy. In a calm, detailed voice captured on a taped recording, Tony explained that he had done it out of love and a desire to save them. He claimed that he and Megan had made a mutual pact. They were convinced, he said, that an apocalypse was imminent and that by ending their lives, they could all pass over together to the other side before the cast. Cataclysm. He basically then continued to describe, step by step, how this family annihilation was carried out. I'm not going to read every detail because it's pretty heinous, but I'll read most of it. Tony said that in mid December 2019, he and Megan agreed everybody needed to die so they could maintain their unity in the afterlife. On a chosen night just before Christmas, they set the plan in motion. And according to Tony, he was the one who physically killed the one by one. In the recording, he gives graphic details about. Oh, ooh, it's really rough. Suffocating his own children and then stabbing them in the abdomen with a kitchen knife to ensure they were dead. He did the same thing to all three of his children until they were motionless. And weirdly enough, just side note, later autopsy showed that the stab wounds were posted mortem, which is strange to me.

[Christine]

I don't know how it got worse, but. Okay.

[Eva]

Yeah, I don't. I don't know what that's about, though. Like, why?

[Christine]

Why, like, just double check.

[Eva]

Or is it, like, to, like, stage something?

[Christine]

I don't know, maybe to stage something or like, maybe like when he. Like, I'm imagining he's snapped, as they say, and maybe when he realized what he actually did, he reacted again. I don't.

[Eva]

Yeah, it says. Yeah. I mean people can only hypothesize that like he was just trying to, trying to be sure that he had done it. Yeah, yeah, done it all the way through. Throughout this recitation, Tony remained eerily composed. Just talking through it like nonchalantly, pretty much. In his confession, Tony painted Megan as a willing participant in the plan. He claimed that after he killed the children, Megan turned the knife on herself and stabbed herself in the abdomen. I know. When those wounds didn't immediately kill her, Tony said he felt he had to finish the job out of mercy or spiritual necessity. Quote, I put my hands over her mouth and a pillow over top of her until she stopped moving. After that, according to Tony, he noticed Megan was somehow still alive. So in a rather cold side note, he added, added, he needed to save her soul so he, she would see her children on the other side as they had planned. So he needed to make sure that they were all goners, including the dog. Because of course the dog was a member of the family and they wanted the dog to be with them in the afterlife.

[Christine]

Couldn't just like, I mean, I get, I, I guess I get that ass logic. But like we can just like send him somewhere.

[Eva]

No, no, no, no. Yeah. Why kill the dog? Tony's answer. I wanted the dog to be with us. I wanted her to be with us too, because dogs have soul as well, souls as well.

[Christine]

So.

[Eva]

What?

[Christine]

How much of that do you believe in the, in terms of like the religious.

[Eva]

Zero.

[Christine]

Okay. I also think zero.

[Eva]

I. It's a good question. Because some people wonder because it's unclear, like, I'll be honest, like, we still don't totally know if any of that was true. I call complete nutter.

[Christine]

Me too.

[Eva]

That's my own opinion.

[Christine]

I, I feel like that was just the COVID he came up with, of like nonsense. And he texted the, the family member like, oh, the world's ending. So that way it looked like it was. So it looked like it. She was in on it as well.

[Eva]

Right? And I watched some creators cover the story and say like, well, why would she say that the earth, the world is ending? Like, was that really part of it? And I was just screaming at my computer, that wasn't her. I can promise you that wasn't her. And also planting seeds for his weird ass story he was inventing in this on the spot.

[Christine]

And also if it was her, like, and she really believed that like he did quote then she wouldn't have said anything because they'd hidden it up until this point. Why say anything right before you're about to end it all?

[Eva]

That's the other thing. It's like, either you would be telling people, like, don't worry, we're going to a better place. I really believe this. And you should listen to me too.

[Christine]

You.

[Eva]

Or if you had hidden it for a reason, you'd fudgeing, probably keep it that way. So. Yeah, right. It doesn't really make sense.

[Christine]

Or if you really believe that you would be trying to recruit people you also love. So everybody. Yeah, so bullshit. And I think it sounds like classic family annihilator where he just absolutely snapped at the financial issues, killed them all.

[Eva]

Because he thought that it was just easier.

[Christine]

He was going to help. He was helping them by taking them out of the suffering that he's enduring or something.

[Eva]

And then he was like, that's what he told himself. Now. Yeah, now I get to start over without all these burdens on me. You know, a sick wife, three kids.

[Christine]

And also for weeks, like, he had to have been sitting and pondering, like, how do I get rid of the evidence? Like, it's wild that he wasn't proactive at all in any of this. Like, I don't know if that's even the right word. But like, if you did this truly, because I'm a. I'm gonna just assume. Assume he really loved his family and kids and then he had a full blown mental breakdown with the financial stuff and then this happened. You would think within the next 24 hours after he's killed them, he would be like in complete mourning and, and. But also in total panic that this happened. How do I hide the evidence? I can't imagine sitting next to the evidence for weeks and not thinking. Or maybe he thought, eventually they're gonna get me and I just need to own up to it with a. With a story. I don't know. I don't understand how he had all that time to come up with a plan and he didn't come up with a plan.

[Eva]

I think he had planned this for a while. I think his plan was to make it look like a murder suicide pact between him and his wife.

[Christine]

Sure.

[Eva]

And that's what he tried to do. And then he claimed he just couldn't go through with the suicide part. Okay, well, idiot.

[Christine]

And also, like, if you really believe that, and now it's past December 28th, don't you feel kind of stupid that.

[Eva]

Yeah, good point.

[Christine]

Everyone's dead now. Don't you wish you could not kill them since. You think December 20th was the end of the world.

[Eva]

Well, when they asked him how he felt now that he was alive and his family's gone, he said, I'm sad. I'm still here. Okay, okay, well, sure. It seemed open and shut.

[Christine]

Right?

[Eva]

Right. So January 1520-2020-2020-2020, 2020, 2020. Wow.

[Christine]

That is how long 2020 felt, I'll tell you.

[Eva]

Feel like it's still happening. It's like we're just in an infinite loop. On January 15th of 2020, Anthony Tote was formally arrested and charged with four counts of first degree homicide and one count of felony animal cruelty. The state of Florida now had a man who had ostensibly confessed to a full familicide. Like a full. What's the word use a family annihilator situation. This is like a death penalty level case. So he was extradited from the hospital to the county jail where he was placed on suicide watch. He was kept inside a steel cage which was like some people thought was because he, he was a suicide risk. But then also it's like you killed your 4 year old daughter like in cold blood. Like you're probably going to get the beat out of you, you know, so it could be because of that. As he sat in jail in the months awaiting trial, his story about what happened started to change a little bit. M would you know it?

[Christine]

I just might have had a hunch.

[Eva]

He forgot that he didn't actually kill anybody.

[Christine]

Oh, okay.

[Eva]

Actually he wasn't even home with it happened.

[Christine]

Isn't it funny how that works out?

[Eva]

Isn't it funny how you forget, was.

[Christine]

He at that Starbucks? He was at the cvs. He was getting a caramel macchiato and peanut M&M's.

[Eva]

What the else do you want from this guy? You know?

[Christine]

So, so have we lost the whole plot on like December 28th and religion.

[Eva]

And like We've not lost the plot, we've just given it hand over heart to Megan and said she's crazy.

[Christine]

Oh, that's beautiful. Okay.

[Eva]

I love that, you know, classic. So in the first few weeks behind bars, he called his sister Chrissy who was like what the is going on? Truly? And yeah, right. And these calls of course are recorded and were later obtained by newspapers. Tony insisted that he was confused and, and had nothing to do with it. He said I couldn't stop this because I wasn't. Wasn't there. He asserted he had been working in Connecticut or maybe running errands. Like the story would change. Essentially he was Just claiming he was not home when his family died. And he started to now sew seeds of blame toward Megan. In the jail calls, Tony suggested Megan had been very unstable. This wasn't the first time she had tried something. He said there had been multiple attempts. Cryptically, he would say lines like that to just kind of insinuate, you know, that she was dark, was crazy and dark and unwell. This was a first hint of what Tony would turn into. His full defense in court, that Megan did everything he did, nothing at all.

[Christine]

Okay. I mean, I'm sure that's the direction we went. Yeah, right.

[Eva]

Of course. Why not? So she pressed Tony on this. She's like, what do you mean you weren't there? What about your confession? And he says, I don't remember a confession he claimed. Do you mean the entire period of that time of December was a blur and that anything he said under. Said to police was under duress or. Or misguided loyalty to Megan? He was like, if I said anything that implicated me, it's because I was on a lot of Benadryl and going through something, or I was trying to defend my wife. But nobody knows.

[Christine]

Okay. I don't even. I. I imagine as he's saying this to people, their eyes are just, like, rolling so far in their head, like, he has to be seeing people not believing it.

[Eva]

I. You know, and it's hard because poor Chrissy is his little sister, and they grew up in a very traumatic way that, like, they were very bonded. And so it's really horrible because she's, like, so confused and trying to understand, like, they're your kids. They're my nephews. A niece. Like, what are you talking about?

[Christine]

You know, and also to have gone through trauma yourself with him, and then to know that he was arguably just as bad, if not worse than he was, like, the one person you could trust through all that.

[Eva]

Om.

[Christine]

I can't.

[Eva]

Wow. You're leading me right into my little segue. Wow. Oh, it's poignant. Okay. So Chrissy later told reporters that Tony's claims in those calls were utterly unbelievable, believable to her because she had known Megan well. I mean, they started dating in high school, right? Like, she had known this girl since high school. They were teenagers, and they were really close, and she had never seen any sign that this girl was violent, suicidal, like, mentally unwell. Something in Tony's voice hinted that even he wasn't. Like. Like, he kept vacillating, like, he would change things around depending on what suited him in that moment. And it just. Nothing rang true about what he said. In June of 2020, Tony took a more concrete step. This is the last thing I'm going to read for part one. Here. In June 2020, Tony took a more concrete step to lay out his defense and his version of events. And in doing so, he penned a long, rambling letter of 27 handwritten pages to his father, Robert Bob. Tote. Now. Now, Chrissy and Tony had been estranged from Bob, their father, for most of their lives because Tony couldn't reconcile and Chrissy couldn't reconcile what their father had done.

[Christine]

Oh, shit. Okay.

[Eva]

You see, back in 1980, when Tony was just four years old, he had witnessed.

[Christine]

Please.

[Eva]

A hitman that his father had hired to break into the family home and shoot his mother. Great.

[Christine]

Like father, like son.

[Eva]

Thank you. The apple does not fall far from the tree. And that is part one. And next week, we'll get into the story of Bob Tot's attempted murder of his own wife. Like a replay. Like, imagine that if I spoiler what Bob thinks that this. This is the most insane part of all. Bob, the dad who went to prison for attempting to kill his wife when this all happened with his son Tony. He expressed concern that Tony's case was giving him bad press.

[Christine]

Just.

[Eva]

That's how these people are. Like, they're so just a sea. They're mental cases.

[Christine]

Assholes. Oh, my.

[Eva]

Like a sea of assholes, man.

[Christine]

That is terrible.

[Eva]

It's just, like, shocking. Anyway, so now you see why I had to go into a part two. Cuz, like, that's just a beginning, dude.

[Christine]

I totally. Are we going to go back to it at all or are we just going. Okay, I know if we were just getting a two for one situation here, but I guess we are.

[Eva]

You are. And you're going. Don't worry, you're going to get the finale also of, like, thank God, the prison sentence. So.

[Christine]

Oh, my God. I totally get why you needed more time. I totally, totally get it.

[Eva]

And there's so much. Dude, like, there's so much I'm listening to. There's a full podcast on this called Finding. I think it's called Finding the Tote Family, where it's like they interview neighbors and, like, talk to family members. And that's really good too, because. But that's. That's the trouble I get in because then I'm like, well, I'd like to put all 11 episodes worth of information into my notes. And it's like there are.

[Christine]

There are some stories where I have started them and I plan to finish them, but I'm like, oh, I can do this in, like, two days.

[Eva]

Nope, Just like another quote, another fun fact.

[Christine]

There have been some stories where I've started, like, over a week in advance because there's so much stuff. And then when I think I'm finally done, then there's like a Netflix, eight episodes, and I'm like, what?

[Eva]

The source?

[Christine]

I'm so.

[Eva]

Exactly.

[Christine]

Yeah, I can't exactly.

[Eva]

Oh, the podcast called Looking for the Tote Family. I apologize. But yeah, it's really good and really, of course, really dark. But if you want to, like, get a more in depth storyline of how this went down, please feel free to listen.

[Christine]

Yeah. Well, well told.

[Eva]

Thank you.

[Christine]

I hope you're feeling a little better. Do you have any. Do you have any plans for today besides just bed rest?

[Eva]

I gotta blow my nose a few more times. And I'll probably possibly make some. Make some Mac and cheese for everybody tonight, you know, that's nice of you.

[Christine]

To make Mac and cheese for everybody when you're sick. I'd be like, this is my Mac and cheese. You.

[Eva]

Normally I'd make something. Normally I'd make something a little more. I don't know, now that I have a child, I feel a little more. I don't make it for Blaze. I make it for Leona and me. He eats like, healthy stuff.

[Christine]

Is it just like a box Mac or you got a recipe?

[Eva]

You know, I don't know yet. I haven't quite decided. Depends on how I feel. In about one hour, two hours, I would imagine.

[Christine]

If you're sick, box it up.

[Eva]

Yeah, that's usually how we end up going.

[Christine]

Yeah. Well, feel better.

[Eva]

Thank you.

[Christine]

And everybody who's listening, I hope you're excited for the next episode where we get the finale of this, because I am hooked. So well done. And we'll see you when we will see it next week.

[Eva]

See you when we see it.

[Christine]

I was like, when. When do we record again?

[Eva]

Oh, you know what? The next episode, not this one, but the one we record next, comes out on 222. Your lucky number also, by the way.

[Christine]

If that comes out on 2 to 2, that means that this one came out what day?

[Eva]

2. 15. Oh, happy Valentine's Day.

[Christine]

Happy Valentine's Day. And also happy fucking nine years.

[Eva]

Well, you know, I forget every year, right?

[Christine]

So I just realized, I was like, did we miss it?

[Eva]

Oh, of course we missed it. When is it? February 11th?

[Christine]

Yeah, I think so. So it's this week. This is the nine. Nine year anniversary episode very cool. Well, happy anniversary everyone.

[Eva]

Good thing I blew my nose repeatedly on air.

[Christine]

We will have to to, I don't know, talk about this for the next month.

[Eva]

We'll remember at our birth in our birthday month. We'll give it a shout out.

[Christine]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well everyone celebrate for us. Take have a little drink for our nine year and that's why we drink.