Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Mayhem in the Morgue | Foraging Misadventures

Date: February 8, 2026
Host: Dr. Kendall Crowns (guest host)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

Episode Overview

This episode, guest-hosted by Dr. Kendall Crowns, explores the dangers and unexpected fatalities arising from "foraging misadventures"—the perilous outcomes that can occur when people experiment with substances found in nature, like toads, mushrooms, and even zebra mussels. Through vivid storytelling, Crowns recounts actual cases from the morgue that resulted from misguided attempts to get high, demonstrate bravado, or simply impress others, often with tragic consequences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Myth and Reality of “Toad Licking”

[00:36 – 06:30]

• Toad Licking Legend: Unseasonal rains in Arizona led to an uptick in “toad licking” incidents, with people seeking hallucinogenic effects from certain toads.
• Personal Anecdote: Crowns shares a high school memory where friends tried licking "Great Plains toads" (not the desired kind), which only led to severe illness ("throwing up for about 24 hours").
• Toxicity Clarified:
  • Great Plains toads secrete bufotoxin, which is not hallucinogenic and is potentially fatal in large doses.
  • The actual hallucinogenic toad is the Sonoran Desert toad (Colorado River toad), found not in Kansas, but in southwestern U.S. states. Its secretion contains 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), a powerful hallucinogen but also a neurotoxin.
  • Notable Quote [05:10]:
    “Can you go on a magic carpet ride by catching one of these toads and having a good lick? ... Possibly, but not by directly licking them.” — Dr. Kendall Crowns
  • Hallucinogenic effects reportedly come from extracting and smoking the secretions, not licking the toad.
  • Direct licking is extremely risky: overdosing on these toxins can cause seizures, arrhythmias, coma, or death.
  • Takeaway: Foraging for natural highs without precise knowledge can be deadly.

2. Misidentifying Magic Mushrooms: A Fatal Error

[06:30 – 13:22]

• Case Study:
  • 20-year-old male attempted to harvest what he believed were “magic mushrooms” (Liberty Caps) in Illinois, after researching them at the library.
  • He dried, brewed, and consumed them, but instead of hallucinations, suffered severe gastrointestinal distress—vomiting and diarrhea.
  • Despite feeling better temporarily, he became jaundiced and unresponsive; he died shortly after from multi-organ failure (liver and renal).
• Medical Explanation:
  • He had actually picked Galerina marginata (funeral bell) mushrooms—not Liberty Caps. Funeral Bells contain amatoxin, causing irreversible liver destruction.
  • Notable Quote [12:10]:
    “All mushrooms are edible, some only once.” — Dr. Kendall Crowns
• Game Show Interlude (“Alcohol, Meth, or Women?”):
  • Turns out, he ate the “magic” mushrooms trying to impress female coworkers (“it was women”—not substance abuse—that led him down this path).

3. Zebra Mussels & Cyanotoxin Poisoning

[13:50 – End (~28:45)]

• Case Study:
  • 28-year-old male drowned during a lake swim with friends; during autopsy, zebra mussel shells were found lining his mouth, throat, and stomach.
  • Investigation revealed he had consumed them raw (possibly as a dare or to impress others).
  • Zebra mussels filter enormous quantities of water and can concentrate toxins from algae, particularly cyanotoxins (from blue-green algae).
  • The specific lake had frequent toxic algal blooms; these toxins had previously killed several dogs.
• Toxins Involved:
  • Microcystins, anatoxins, and saxitoxins, all posing neurological and hepatic risks.
  • The suspect’s blood contained levels that could compromise physical function, potentially making him more susceptible to drowning.
• Motivation:
  • No drugs or alcohol were found—again, the “answer” in the game show was “women,” implying he ate the mussels to impress women present.
• Notable Quote [27:45]:
  “As far as I know, this tactic [vomiting to impress girls] never worked for him.” — Dr. Kendall Crowns, reflecting on a high school acquaintance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the unpredictability of wild substances:
  “If you get too much of the toxin, it can actually cause you to have a seizure, go into a coma, and even die suddenly.” — Dr. Kendall Crowns [06:00]
• On impressing others with risky behavior:
  “He was trying to impress some of the women at work with his forestry knowledge and his fancy psychedelic concoctions. But he had picked the wrong mushrooms.” [13:10]
• On the futility of showing off with disgusting stunts:
  “One of the guys I knew in high school ... liked to vomit to impress girls. ... I can still see him wearing his AC/DC Fly on the Wall T-shirt, ... puking up bright pink fluid all over the white and brown tile of the mall floor. ... As far as I know, this tactic never worked for him.” [27:45]

Important Timestamps

• [00:36] — Introduction to “Mayhem in the Morgue” and foraging stories
• [02:00] — The myth and science of hallucinogenic toads
• [05:10] — Clarification: extraction vs. licking; risks and fatalities
• [06:30] — Mushroom misidentification case
• [10:30] — Explanation of mushroom toxins and their medical effects
• [13:10] — “Alcohol, Meth, or Women” game answer: it was women
• [13:50] — Zebra mussel lake drowning case begins
• [18:30] — The role of zebra mussels, toxic algae, and ecosystem shifts
• [25:00] — Toxicology results and case closure
• [27:45] — Memorable anecdote: vomiting for “impressing” others

Tone & Language

Dr. Crowns delivers the content with a blend of morbid humor, scientific rigor, and storytelling flair. He leverages personal anecdotes and grim wit to highlight the irrational lengths some people go for thrills, social validation, or intoxication—often with fatal outcomes. The tone vacillates between educational, darkly comedic, and cautionary.

Summary

This “Mayhem in the Morgue” episode underscores how foraging for “fun”—whether licking toads, misidentifying fungi, or eating dubious shellfish—can devolve from a quest for excitement into a real-life mortality tale. Dr. Crowns weaves forensic detail with droll observations, reminding listeners both of nature’s dangers and the enduring human propensity for recklessness, especially in pursuit of social approval.

Key lesson: Know what you’re ingesting—or better yet, don’t forage for highs (or attention) in the wild.