Podcast
Champagne and Murder, Please
Hosted by Brittany · EN
Welcome to Champagne and Murder Please, the podcast where the eerie, the unexplained, and the downright terrifying come to life. Each episode, we dive into true crime cases, from infamous murders to unsolved mysteries, explore the dark history of witches and occult practices, and venture into the world of the paranormal—where ghosts, hauntings, and curses lurk in the shadows. Plus, we investigate cryptids like Bigfoot, the Mothman, and other legendary creatures that blur the line between myth and reality. If you love all things spooky, sinister, and strange, you’ve found your new obsession.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Welcome to Hell's Half Acre: The Bloody Benders
1w ago00:32:02Tap to summarizeThe American frontier was supposed to be a land of opportunity, but for dozens of unlucky travelers passing through southeastern Kansas in the 1870s, it became their final destination.This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we're diving into one of the most disturbing cases in American history: the story of the Bloody Benders. To weary travelers, the Bender family appeared to be ordinary homesteaders running a small inn and general store on the edge of the prairie. But behind a simple canvas curtain lurked a nightmare.As settlers, drifters, and businessmen disappeared along the Osage Trail, rumors spread across the growing frontier. What investigators eventually uncovered beneath the Benders' property shocked an entire nation and cemented the family’s place in true crime history as what many consider America's first family of serial killers.We'll unravel the enduring mystery that remains unsolved more than 150 years later: what happened to the Bloody Benders after they vanished without a trace?Pour yourself a glass of something bubbly and join us as we step into one of the darkest corners of the Old West.https://www.kshs.orghttps://labettecountyhistory.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.loc.govhttps://www.nps.gov
Transcribe →Buried Truths: Christine Jessop and Pearl Bryan
2w ago01:06:02Tap to summarizeThis week, Brittany and Vanessa take a heartbreaking journey through two cases that continue to haunt the people who know their stories.First, we travel to rural Ontario to discuss the murder of nine-year-old Christine Jessop, a bright little girl whose disappearance in 1984 devastated her family and shocked an entire nation. What followed was a decades-long fight for justice filled with wrongful accusations, investigative failures, and a truth that would remain hidden for nearly forty years.Then we step back into the late 1800s to examine one of America's most infamous unsolved murders: the case of Pearl Bryan. Young, educated, and full of promise, Pearl's life ended in a crime so shocking that it sparked headlines across the country and inspired legends that still linger more than a century later. From a secret romance to a gruesome discovery and a mystery that refuses to die, Pearl's story remains one of the most disturbing cases in true crime history.Two victims. Two different centuries. Two families forever changed.Pour a glass, settle in, and join us as we uncover the lives behind the headlines.Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of child murder, violence against women, dismemberment, wrongful conviction, and other disturbing content that may not be suitable for all listeners.Until we speak to you again, stay safe... and don't take candy from strangers.https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/15/the-christine-jessop-case-a-timeline-of-one-of-canadas-most-notorious-unsolved-murders.htmlhttps://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/how-the-christine-jessop-murder-case-sparked-justice-system-reform-in-canadahttps://globalnews.ca/news/7398765/christine-jessop-case-calvin-hoover/https://innocencecanada.com/exonerations/guy-paul-morin/https://www.trace-evidence.com/christine-jessophttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-christine-jessops-brother-says-he-finally-has-answers-after-36/https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/how-a-family-tree-helped-police-identify-the-man-they-believe-killed-9-year-old-christine-jessop-1.5146876Jackson v. Commonwealth case summaryKentucky Court of Appeals case text for Jackson v. CommonwealthHistorical overview of the Pearl Bryan murder caseNKY Tribune article on Pearl Bryan and Gilded Age scandal cultureDiscussion and historical theories surrounding Pearl Bryan’s missing headhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Pearl_Bryan
Transcribe →When Control Turns Deadly
3w ago00:42:38Tap to summarizePour yourself a glass and settle in, because this week we're heading to Ohio for two cases that left entire communities searching for answers.First, we're diving into the Pike County Massacre, one of the most shocking family murder cases in modern American history. In April 2016, eight members of the Rhoden family were found murdered across multiple crime scenes in rural Pike County, Ohio. As investigators unraveled the mystery, they uncovered a tangled web of custody disputes, family feuds, control, and secrets that would ultimately point to an entire family willing to do the unthinkable.Then we're shifting gears to the controversial case of Mackenzie Shirilla. What began as a teenage love story ended in a devastating crash that killed two young men and sparked a national debate: was it a tragic accident, reckless driving, or something far more intentional? We'll walk through the evidence, the trial, and the questions that continue to divide public opinion.Two Ohio cases. Ten lives lost. Countless questions left behind.Grab your champagne, and let's talk murder.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_County_shootingshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/30/rhoden-family-killing-verdict/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/19/rhoden-family-ohio-murders-sentencing-wagner/https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/04/21/pike-county-massacre-10-years-later-one-trial-remains-family-murder-case/https://apnews.com/article/726d2a73502d1a3e2c6ea6bec4ec726chttps://apnews.com/article/0ed638df1a9731fb8a35c2561b6d5dffhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izeSkD64N_0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOopCxrwpEhttps://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/8/2025/2025-Ohio-334.pdfhttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/08/mackenzie-shirilla-found-guilty-of-murder-in-crash-that-killed-boyfriend-friend.htmlhttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/08/mackenzie-shirilla-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murdering-boyfriend-friend-in-crash.htmlhttps://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cuyahoga-county/mackenzie-shirilla-trial-strongsville-crash-boyfriend-friend-killed/95-7d9d4f52-07e5-4f94-9bca-c35a00dd3f9chttps://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/i-team/appeals-court-upholds-mackenzie-shirillas-conviction-for-strongsville-crash-that-killed-twohttps://www.netflix.com/title/81763177https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mackenzie-shirilla-ohio-teen-sentenced-life-prison-deadly-crash-boyfriend-friend/
Transcribe →The Witch in the Walls: A Night with the Bell Witch
4w ago00:44:28Tap to summarizeFor more than 200 years, people have been telling the story of the Bell Witch.It is a tale filled with strange voices in the dark, unexplained knocks on cabin walls, whispered threats, family tragedy, and a mysterious entity that seemed determined to make itself known. Over time, the story grew from a local Tennessee legend into one of the most famous hauntings in American folklore.This week, we're pouring a glass and stepping back into the early 1800s to walk through the story of the Bell family and the spirit said to have haunted them. From the first unsettling encounters to the moments that turned the haunting into legend, we'll explore the people, places, and events that have kept this story alive for generations.Rather than telling you what to believe, we're inviting you into the story itself—the history, the folklore, the eyewitness accounts, and the mysteries that continue to spark debate more than two centuries later.Was it a spirit? A curse? Something we still don't understand? Or simply a story that grew larger with each retelling?We'll leave that for you to decide.So dim the lights, settle in, and join us as we journey into one of the most famous supernatural legends in American history: The Bell Witch.https://archive.org/details/authenticatedhis00ingrhttps://tnency.utk.tennessee.edu/entries/bell-witch/https://www.bellwitchcave.comhttps://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bell-witchhttps://skeptoid.com/episodes/4081https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net
Transcribe →Seal the Deal & Hide Your Children
May 2800:47:35Tap to summarizeThis week, we’re diving headfirst into icy northern waters and then immediately making the mistake of wandering into a cave in the English countryside because apparently we learn nothing.First, we’re talking about Selkies — the haunting seal-folk of Scottish and Irish folklore who slip out of their skins to become human on land. Beautiful, tragic, mysterious… and usually one missing sealskin away from a deeply questionable marriage arrangement. We’re unpacking the folklore, the heartbreak, the possessiveness, and why so many of these stories feel less like fairytales and more like warnings wrapped in sea salt.Then we leave the shoreline behind and head into the dark woods of Leicestershire to meet Black Annis, the blue-faced hag said to live in a cave carved into the hillside with her own iron claws. She allegedly wore human skin, hunted children, terrified entire villages, and honestly sounds like the physical manifestation of “don’t stay out after dark.” But as always, the deeper we dig, the weirder it gets. Pagan remnants? Anti-woman propaganda? A distorted memory of older goddesses? We’re pulling apart the legend piece by bloody piece.So pour yourself something bubbly, lock the windows, and maybe don’t trust anyone offering you a sealskin coat.This episode contains folklore involving child death, violence, abduction themes, and general nightmare fuel.Folklore Scotland – Selkie Folklore OverviewOrkneyjar – The Selkie Folk of OrkneyThe University of Edinburgh – Northern Isles Folklore ArchivesThe Folklore Podcast – Selkie Traditions and MythologySmithsonian Magazine – The Enduring Mystery of Selkie LegendsHistoric Environment Scotland – Folklore and Coastal TraditionsBritish Library – Scottish Oral Traditions and Folklore CollectionsThe Secret of Roan Inish Official InformationSong of the Sea Official Film WebsiteJSTOR Daily – Folklore, Identity, and Selkie MythologyThe School of Scottish Studies Archiveshttps://www.le.ac.uk/lahs/downloads/1969/1969%20(45)%201-20%20Hartley.pdf https://www.leicestershirevillages.com/dane-hills-black-annis.html https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Black-Annis/ https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/leicestershire/folklore/black-annis.html https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/black-annis https://www.folklore.ee/folklore/vol31/ennis.pdf
Transcribe →Goats, Ghosts & Girls Who Bite Back
May 2100:44:07Tap to summarizeThis week, we’re stepping into the kind of folklore that feels like it was whispered through a candle flame at 2 a.m. First, we unravel the story of Tatterhood, the strange and feral heroine from Scandinavian folklore who rides through the night on a goat with a wooden spoon in hand, fighting off curses, trolls, and the general inconvenience of being the only competent person in the kingdom. She’s messy, loud, unapologetic, and honestly? A bit of an icon.Then we travel into darker territory with the story of Ashtabai, where legend and fear begin bleeding together. A tale wrapped in whispers, unease, and the kind of haunting energy that lingers long after the story ends. Some stories feel polished over time. This one still has teeth.So pour yourself something bubbly, lock the doors that creak for no reason, and settle in for an episode filled with folklore, feminine rage, unsettling legends, and the ancient realization that maybe the “weird girl” was right the whole time.Champagne & Murder, Please is open for business. 🍾✨Sources & Further Reading:• Tatterhood Folktale Archive Version• Tatterhood Background & Analysis• Ashtabai Discussion & Folklore References https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/type0711.html https://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Norwegian_folktale_12.html https://folklorethursday.com/folktales/tatterhood-the-wild-princess-of-norway/ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-Christen-Asbjornsen https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jorgen-Engebretsen-Moe https://www.norwegianamerican.com/norwegian-folktales-live-on/ https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/oct/15/fairy-tales-tatterhood https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1168&context=honorstheses https://www.pookpress.co.uk/project/tatterhood-norwegian-fairy-tale/https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/mysterious-ghosts-and-spirits-of-india https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/most-haunted-places-in-india/as67346079.cms https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/social-relevance/real-life-horror-stories-from-india-353841.html https://www.reddit.com/r/Paranormal/ https://www.jstor.org/ (search: chudail, South Asian female spirits folklore) https://www.britannica.com/topic/folklore
Transcribe →One Bad Harvest Away from a Witch Trial
May 1400:20:06Tap to summarizeThis week on Champagne and Murder, Please... we’re heading back to the muddy marshes and whispered grudges of colonial Grace Sherwood. A woman who knew herbs. A neighbor feud that spiraled like smoke through chimney cracks. A trial that involved ducking, gossip, livestock accusations, and an entire town practically foaming at the mouth over butter, curses, and bad luck. Because apparently in the early 1700s, if your crops died and your ale tasted weird, it was definitely your hot independent neighbor’s fault.But beneath the legend of “The Witch of Pungo” is something far darker and far more human: fear, isolation, survival, and the terrifying power of being labeled different.We’re unpacking the folklore, the facts, the petty colonial drama, and the story of the only woman in Virginia ever convicted of witchcraft. So pour yourself something bubbly, light a candle that smells vaguely haunted, and settle in... because this episode feels like wet moss, candle soot, and accusations whispered through crooked teeth.Encyclopedia Virginia: Grace SherwoodVirginia Museum of History & Culture: Grace SherwoodCity of Virginia Beach: Grace Sherwood HistorySmithsonian Magazine: America’s Last Convicted Witch
Transcribe →Where the Path Splits: April Millsap & Lynn Messer
May 701:05:02Tap to summarizeSome paths are meant to be safe. Some stories are meant to be simple. This week, neither one is.We begin with April Millsap — a life full of light, cut short in a place that should have protected her. But from that darkness, something powerful grew: awareness, advocacy, and a community that refused to forget her name.Then we follow the winding, shadowed road of Lynn Messer’s disappearance — a case tangled in silence, shifting narratives, and questions that still linger like fog.Two women. Two very different stories. And the unsettling space where truth and uncertainty meet.We always encourage you to read, research, and form your own opinions.Because these stories deserve more than just being listened to… they deserve to be understood.This episode draws from a combination of local reporting, national news coverage, and long-form case analysis. As with many cases, especially Lynn Messer’s, some details remain disputed or unclear, and we’ve done our best to separate confirmed facts from speculation.https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-search-home-connection-murder-teen-phone-text/story?id=24779407https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2014/08/18/april-millsaps-cellphone-may-help-solve-mystery-surrounding-murder/https://www.wxyz.com/news/jury-reaches-verdict-in-april-millsap-murder-casehttps://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/court-conviction-stands-in-april-millsap-murder/https://www.frontpagedetectives.com/crime-archives/fitness-tracking-app-on-michigan-teenagers-phone-helped-police-get-a-breakthrough-on-her-murderhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national/making-a-murder-case-how-a-prosecutor-won-a-conviction-with-an-absence-of-evidence/2016/02/09/9b48ff68-abb5-416b-9656-49b7a11e4567_story.htmlhttps://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-84-april-millsap/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Lynn_Messerhttps://www.ky3.com/content/news/Family-of-Lynn-Messer-speaks-out-after-investigation-closed-512889471.htmlhttps://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2014/11/13/lynn-messer-case-timeline/18961083/https://www.fox2now.com/news/missouri/mystery-surrounds-death-of-lynn-messer-in-missourihttps://www.kmov.com/news/lincoln-county-death-still-a-mystery-years-later/article_0d9d6f9e-8f7c-5c69-b2b4-7c1c2dbe6f3b.html
Transcribe →An April Fools Afterparty
Apr 3000:24:47Tap to summarizeThe April Fools/200th episode may be fashionably late, but chaos has impeccable timing.This week, we’re diving into two stories where nothing is quite what it seems. First, a moment of large-scale confusion that proves some jokes go way further than expected. Then, we head into darker territory with a chilling encounter that still lingers years later.One story is fueled by prankster energy. The other feels like footsteps behind you when no one’s there.Pour something bubbly, lock the doors, and join us for an episode full of confusion, curiosity, and our usual questionable commentary.
Transcribe →Missing at Dawn: What Happened to Johnny Gosch?
Apr 2300:32:07Tap to summarizeThis week, we’re sitting with a case that has never really let go of the people who know it… or the ones hearing it for the first time.In the early hours of a quiet Sunday morning in 1982, 12-year-old Johnny Gosch set out on his paper route in Des Moines, Iowa. It was routine. Familiar. The kind of ordinary that feels safe… until it isn’t. Somewhere between front porches and folded newspapers, Johnny vanished without a trace.What followed wasn’t just a search—it was the beginning of a national shift in how we talk about missing children. Johnny’s case would go on to spark fear, activism, and questions that still don’t have clear answers decades later.In this episode, I’m walking through who Johnny was, that morning in detail, and the investigation that unraveled in ways both frustrating and deeply unsettling. We’ll also talk about the impact his disappearance had—not just on his family, but on the way America began to understand cases like his.This is one of those stories that lingers. The kind that makes you look twice at quiet streets and early mornings… and wonder what we might have missed.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Johnny_Gosch https://www.thetruecrimedatabase.com/case_file/johnny-gosch/ https://info.porterchester.edu/inf/the-tragic-disappearance-of-johnny-gosch-a-child-abduction-case-that-shook-the-nation
Transcribe →