MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: The Truth Beneath

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: MrBallen (Ballin Studios)

Episode Overview

In this episode entitled "The Truth Beneath," MrBallen tells three chilling, real-life stories where nothing is as it seems. Each story escalates the tension, peeling back layers of truth to reveal dark and unexpected outcomes:

• "Deer Crossing": A late-night drive spirals into a horrifying revelation.
• "Ancient Beast": Survivors and investigators piece together the strange events behind a deadly plane crash.
• "Stay Forgetful": A man wakes up with amnesia, haunted by clues and the enigma of his true identity.

MrBallen’s storytelling pulls listeners into unsettling scenarios—reminding us that reality can be far stranger than fiction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deer Crossing (Begins ~08:30)

Summary

Nestor Flores, a 31-year-old man, is driving home outside Dallas, Texas, anxious about being pulled over by police due to his immigration status and minor legal history. After a night out and a few drinks, he tries to keep a low profile.

• Incident: While distracted by a spill from his Diet Coke, Nestor collides with what he believes is a deer.
• Aftermath: Despite significant car damage, he continues driving, relieved to have avoided police—unaware of the true horror of his actions.
• Breakdown: 38 miles later, his car starts billowing smoke, forcing him to stop at a fast food restaurant.
• Shocking Encounter: The employee reacts to Nestor with shock and horror, but Nestor, increasingly frustrated, returns to his car and falls asleep.
• Police Arrival: Woken by police, Nestor tries to explain the "deer" accident. The officer, stunned, radios for backup.

Twist & Resolution

• Revelation: Nestor hadn’t hit a deer. He had, in fact, struck and killed a 45-year-old pedestrian, Terry Ivory, whose body ended up in the passenger seat. Nestor, deeply intoxicated, drove over 40 miles with the corpse next to him, covered in blood—unaware until confronted by police.
• Aftermath: Nestor is charged with collision involving death. The case remains unresolved at the time of the episode.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Nestor’s fear:
  “Nestor just does not want to see any police officer. He just wants to get home and go to bed.” (09:30)
• Realization at the fast food joint:
  “The employee... just stood there with their mouths open and their eyes wide, staring at Nestor like they couldn’t believe what they were looking at.” (12:58)
• Chilling twist:
  “When he looked at the passenger seat … Nestor froze for a second and then just started to scream.” (17:13)

2. Ancient Beast (Begins ~21:52)

Summary

A routine domestic flight in the Democratic Republic of Congo takes a catastrophic turn.

• Flight Details: The twin-engine propeller plane, experienced crew, and 18 passengers board for a standard one-hour trip from Kinshasa to Bandundu.
• Crash: Suddenly, the airplane nosedives and crashes into a neighborhood. Everyone except one passenger perishes; the lone survivor falls into a coma.
• Investigation: Initially, investigators suspect fuel exhaustion, but find plenty of fuel and no clues from the damaged black box.
• Survivor's Account: After regaining consciousness, the only survivor shares an incredible story.

The Truth Emerges

• Crocodile on Board: A live, smuggled crocodile had escaped in the cabin, causing panic. Passengers and crew stampede to the front, unbalancing the plane and causing a fatal nosedive.
• Local Context: Smuggling of exotic animals, especially crocodiles, is common on flights in the region.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Describing the chaos:
  “There was a hissing crocodile making its way up the aisle. Someone must have smuggled it on. And as passengers realized what was happening, they all panicked and stampeded towards the front of the plane.” (25:20)
• On the tragic result:
  “The sudden shift in weight threw off the plane's center of gravity, causing a nose dive that the pilots could not recover from before they crashed.” (25:37)

3. Stay Forgetful (Begins ~28:15)

Summary

A man wakes up in a ditch near Cheyenne, Wyoming, with no memory of his identity, only three names in his mind: Pat, Joel, and Chris.

• Immediate Aftermath: Assisted by a stranger, Steve, he enters a homeless shelter and adopts the pseudonym "Pat Brown."
• Seeking Help: Despite efforts—visiting the police and recalling odd details like a ring callus, mathematical skills, and Catholic prayers—his identity remains a blank.
• Clues & Dreams: Over months, Pat has dreams and experiences suggesting he was a married, religious man with a job involving numbers.
• Search for Identity: After years pass, "Pat" contacts the TV show Unsolved Mysteries, hoping exposure will reconnect him with his past.

Revelation

• Real Identity: After the episode airs, he is identified by his wife as Carl Brodnick Jr.—a man who vanished from Indiana while under investigation for embezzlement.
• Aftermath: While some clues fit (family, religious devotion), his skills and career tie directly to his criminal case.
• What Happened?: The leading theory is that Carl was abducted/tortured by criminals he owed, suffering amnesia after being left for dead.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On his confusion:
  “He didn't know who Steve was. He didn't know who Pat, Joel, or Chris was. And so it's all totally confusing.” (29:30)
• Finding his name:
  “He made up a name combining one of those names running through his head, Pat, with the color of the desk... and so he just called himself Pat Brown.” (31:33)
• The extraordinary exposure:
  “Pat's episode aired on April 10, 1998, almost exactly four years after Pat woke up in that ditch.” (36:10)
• The final twist:
  “Pat Brown was actually a man named Carl Brodnick, Jr. ... and Carl Brodnick Jr. was a wanted felon who had misappropriated tens of thousands of dollars...” (38:02)

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "Nestor just does not want to see any police officer. He just wants to get home and go to bed." (09:30, MrBallen)
• “When he looked at the passenger seat … Nestor froze for a second and then just started to scream.” (17:13, MrBallen)
• “There was a hissing crocodile making its way up the aisle. … they all panicked and stampeded towards the front of the plane.” (25:20, MrBallen)
• “He made up a name combining one of those names running through his head, Pat, with the color of the desk... and so he just called himself Pat Brown.” (31:33, MrBallen)
• “Pat's episode aired on April 10, 1998, almost exactly four years after Pat woke up in that ditch.” (36:10, MrBallen)
• "Pat Brown was actually a man named Carl Brodnick, Jr. ... and Carl Brodnick Jr. was a wanted felon ..." (38:02, MrBallen)

Timestamps for Main Segments

• Deer Crossing: 08:30 – 21:51
• Ancient Beast: 21:52 – 28:14
• Stay Forgetful: 28:15 – 44:15

Episode Tone and Style

MrBallen’s tone remains suspenseful, direct, and slightly conversational, blending atmospheric narration with careful, dramatic reveals. The stories are factual but relayed with dramatic pacing; listeners are regularly reminded that not everything is as it appears.

Final Thoughts

• Theme: The episode masterfully intertwines themes of perception versus reality and the unpredictable consequences of human actions.
• Structure: Each story escalates in complexity and shock, ending with an exploration of truth—often darker or more elusive than expected.
• Takeaway: Real life writes the strangest, darkest stories, and the search for answers can be as mysterious as the questions themselves.