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)

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.

Key Segments & Highlights

**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]

**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]

**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]

**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.

**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).

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]

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

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.