Podcast Summary: And That's Why We Drink

Episode 473: Phantom Punchlines and a Top Hat Tater

Release Date: March 8, 2026
Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz

Episode Overview

In this episode, Christine and Em dive into both the odd and the ominous: first, they banter about their week, discuss everything from astrology-fueled unease to snack flavors, and then segue into this week’s paranormal story—the Dag Poltergeist (or Dag’s Demon) of 1899 Canada, a chaotic and bizarre haunting that straddles the line between the ridiculous and the terrifying. Afterward, Em brings a recent true crime: the ongoing case of the disappearance (and presumed murder) of Matthew Johnson in Utah, an investigation full of family drama, shocking confessions, and unresolved tragedy.

1. Banter & Weekly Catch-Up

What is the Show About? (01:11–03:06)

• Em jokes that the podcast is about "bad stuff," a vague but accurate description.
• Christine's default is “spooky, creepy things,” avoiding too much detail.
• “True crime’s pretty popular and pretty bad. If I heard bad stuff, I would assume true crime.”—Christine (02:03)

Personal Updates & Dog Talk (03:06–06:37)

• Christine shares that Allison is back, changing the home dynamics with their dog Hank.
• Em talks about how animals change their loyalties and growing pains in blended households.

Astrology, Vibes, & the Winds of Change (06:37–09:38)

• Em describes a weird, windy, uneasy week, referencing major astrological shifts.
• “It’s supposed to be the biggest week of our lifetimes, astrologically. So I’m like, on edge.”—Em (06:51)
• Christine enjoys the LA rain and the coziness of staying in.

Drinks of the Week Segment (10:27–16:49)

• Christine reviews "Moon Punch" Capri Sun, with glow-in-the-dark packaging and moon phase collectibles.
• Em (attempting psychic powers) tries to predict Christine’s moon card.
• Em’s missing her honeydew milk tea, sparking a fruit preferences debate.
• “Honeydew gets a lot of slander.”—Christine (14:02)

2. Paranormal Segment: The Dag Poltergeist (Canada, 1899)

[Story Begins at 17:00]

Case Introduction & Background (20:25–22:07)

• Year: 1899, Ottawa Valley, Canada
• The Dag family: George (father), Susan (mother), three kids (Mary, Johnny, Dinah). Dinah is an adopted orphan with the unfortunate middle name “Burden.”
• They also fostered/worked with other orphans as farmhands.

First Incidents: Money & Smeared Butter (22:07–25:25)

• Strange event with money going missing, reappearing in odd places—first blamed on a farmhand.
• More oddities: butter and milk buckets “empty themselves”; soon, literal feces smears appear around the house.
• Attempt to resolve by bringing a suspected child to court, but new strange events occur while he's gone, proving innocence.

Memorable Moment:
“But after this incident, many more odd things start happening... jars of butter and milk buckets start emptying themselves.”—Christine (24:13)

Escalation: Exploding Windows & Fires (26:16–29:24)

• Windows begin exploding one by one with no visible cause.
• "He’s watching these windows just pop, pop, pop, explode. And there’s no one around."—Christine (27:08)
• Fires break out across the property, often simultaneously and in impossible locations.

Physical Attacks and Supernatural Sightings (29:25–35:28)

• Family members are splashed, struck by objects, or have their hair unnaturally cut.
• Dinah, main target, is given a bullwhip by her no-nonsense grandmother and is ordered to “beat” the invisible entity. “Dinah started wailing on this thing... The rest of the family came up. Neighbors from outside came in—what the is going on in this house?”—Christine (32:08)
• Entity is seen in various forms: a tall, thin man with a cow’s head, a large black dog, and eventually “a beautiful man... with long white hair... a crown with stars in it.”

The Haunting Becomes Public (35:29–41:29)

• The spirit speaks in a gravelly male voice, asks children if they want to "come to hell," and swears so much local newspapers can only call it “barnyard language.”
• Tales of floating objects, harmonica music, and chaos abound. A local boy is famously hit in the head by “a hat with a potato in it,” earning the entity the nickname “Top Hat Tater.”

Notable Quote:
“You gave me 15 cuts,” reads an anonymous note left for Dinah after the bullwhip incident. (33:28)

Everyone’s a Witness / The Witch of Plum Hollow (41:30–44:48)

• Locals and journalists (notably Percy Woodcock) flock to investigate; the entity interacts with all.
• George consults “The Witch of Plum Hollow,” who blames a town widow—Mrs. Wallace—with no evidence.

Showdown with Percy Woodcock (45:07–52:50)

• Journalist Percy interviews the entity in a shed; is threatened with death if its name is revealed.
• Percy tries to debunk by a water-in-mouth ventriloquism test (doesn't work).
• Entity agrees to leave—but demands a crowd for a dramatic goodbye.
• Odd switch from demonic voice to “angelic,” claims to now be an angel who’s ousted the demon.
• Mocks a reverend—“Go back to photography!”—eliciting laughter from the hosts.

Notable Quote:
“This thing started then singing religious songs and talking to everyone in a very kind way, and apparently, his singing was so beautiful it made the townspeople cry.”—Christine (53:06)

Closure—Or Not (54:18–59:05)

• The haunting ends with an “angelic” entity floating away as fire strikes the sky.
• Dinah is ultimately packed off to another orphanage. The spirit never returns.
• Final twist: Dinah vanishes without a trace after being picked up by a stranger claiming to come from the Dag family.
• The house stands to this day, with modern haunting tales from 1980s-’90s residents.

3. True Crime Segment: The Disappearance of Matthew Johnson

[Crime Story Begins at 62:37]

The Victims & Setting (63:03–65:16)

• Suburban Utah, 2024. Matthew Johnson (51, Green Beret) and wife Jennifer (42) with three young children.
• “He was described as a really fun guy. ... Jennifer was described by Matthew’s friends as ‘nice.’”—Em (65:03)

Domestic Turmoil & Protection Order (65:37–68:03)

• Marriage on the rocks; Jennifer tries (and fails) to secure a protection order, the judge finding both parties liable for escalation.

Prelude to Murder (68:04–70:15)

• Jennifer becomes more aggressive post-protection-order denial.
• September 19, 2024: Jennifer shows her Glock to her lover.
• The next day, neighbors hear a violent argument. In the early hours of September 21, Jennifer shoots Matthew as he sleeps, hides his body, and attempts a hasty cover-up (bleach, mattress replacement).

The Confession & Evidence (71:44–78:02)

• Jennifer confesses to her boyfriend, who is horrified, records evidence, and promptly goes to the police.
• Tells him: “If you think I could even hurt a fly... he wasn’t a person anymore.” (73:14)
• She makes flippant remarks about killing and displays no remorse.

Investigation & Arrests (77:03–80:27)

• Search reveals blood stains under carpet, in slats, bleach smell, new mattress brought in by her parents.
• GPS traces Jennifer dumping car and body. Body has not been found; Jennifer pleads not guilty.
• Both Jennifer and her parents are arrested; parents charged with obstruction after actively helping with cleanup.

Trial & Aftermath (80:27–84:01)

• Jennifer’s phone wiped, parents lie about being at the house; damning statements are presented at trial.
• No body found; Jennifer held without bail (“I’d shoot myself before going to jail”). Three children left parentless.
• Latest update: trial began two months ago, ongoing developments expected.

Notable Quote:
“…it’s just crazy… the husband, Matthew, had a $500,000 life insurance policy and she was the beneficiary, but because they can’t find her body, what do they do?”—Em (82:30)

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On animal loyalty and hurt feelings:
  “Your animals will hurt your feelings, and they will not have any regard.” — Em (05:21)

• On the supernatural’s sense of drama:
  “He will stop bothering the family, but he’ll stop bothering them tomorrow. And when they asked why not today, right now, the spirit said, first he needs a crowd to say goodbye.” — Christine (50:49)

• On the chaotic haunting:
  “If all of a sudden there’s six fires in different parts of your house, like, where do you even go first? I would cry.”—Christine (29:03)

• On crime confessions:
  "If you think I could even hurt a fly... He wasn’t a person anymore. He wasn’t. Matt.” — Jennifer (recording, cited by Em, 73:14)

5. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Banter, Astrology, Drinks: 01:11–17:00
• Dag Poltergeist Story Begins: 17:00
• Case Escalation (Fires, Windows): 26:16–29:24
• Bullwhip Incident: 30:48–32:41
• The Potato in a Hat Incident: 37:40–38:06
• Witch of Plum Hollow & Mrs. Wallace: 41:30–44:48
• Percy Woodcock Investigates: 45:07–52:50
• Spirit “Goodbye”/Haunting Ends: 50:49–54:54
• True Crime Segment Begins: 62:37
• Murder, Cover-up, and Confession: 68:04–77:03
• Family Involvement & Arrests: 78:02–80:27
• Trial & Updates: 80:27–84:01

6. Final Thoughts

This episode deftly balances moments of absurd paranormal folklore (the Dag Poltergeist’s barnyard chaos, the infamous top hat tater) with contemporary tragedy (the Johnson case), reflecting the pod’s unique blend of dark humor, empathy, and storytelling. Christine’s storytelling tends toward theatrical absurdity, while Em’s true crime case is unsettlingly recent and unresolved—making for a gripping listen.

Signature sign-off:
"Have fun, everybody... And that's why we drink." (85:35)

This summary skips over ads and non-content, focusing solely on the stories and the personality-rich conversations between Christine and Em.