My Favorite Murder Minisode 459 – Summary

Podcast: My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Episode: Minisode 459
Date: October 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This special Halloween-themed minisode features Karen and Georgia reading listener-submitted "hometown" stories that fit the season's spooky vibe. The stories range from historical vampire panics and explosive pumpkin parties to haunted Ouija board sessions, near-tragic costume mishaps, creepy mall discoveries, and legendary prankster teachers. Delivered in the show’s trademark blend of empathy, humor, and irreverence, the hosts bring these anecdotes to life with their own commentary and laughter, celebrating both the terror and the hilarity of real-life weirdness.

Key Discussion Points & Stories

1. Introduction and Halloween Vibes

• Hosts greet listeners, joke about minisode intros, and comment on aging during video podcasting.
• Georgia dons a vintage, candy-corn inspired Halloween shirt, while Karen confides about “the ghost of your teenage years”—a sudden zit breaking out from touring.
• Notable Quote:
  • Georgia: “The bags under my eyes… hilarious… no one’s ever gonna mention that I have huge, like, exhaustion bags.” (02:40)

2. [03:08] The Woodstock Vampire Panic

• Story: Listener Kat recounts a local legend from Woodstock, Vermont, about the Ransom family in 1834. After a son’s death, the family suspects vampirism when another son falls ill. They exhume and burn the body, then feed ashes from the heart to the sick three-year-old.
• Urban Legend: Later students try to dig up the ashes' resting place, only to be scared off by rumbling and screams.
• Modern Twist: Listener’s friend’s mom goes on a date with a man claiming Ransom ancestry—and that he’s a vampire.
• Hosts’ Commentary:
  • Georgia laughs at the absurdity of 19th-century medicine and folklore, noting it was likely tuberculosis.
  • Karen: “Elected official with like a fucking M.D.” (06:19)

3. [06:22] The Exploding Pumpkin Party

• Story: Laura from Ontario shares a family Halloween tradition: blowing up giant pumpkins with her uncle (who has access to explosives). One year, the explosion is so intense, rocks become projectiles, windows shatter, and neighbors fear a plane crash.
• Aftermath: No injuries, but a legendary ending—no more pumpkin parties.
• Notable Quote:
  • Georgia: "'Stunned, scared and mortified, I stood in the driveway as I started to hear chunks of pumpkin and rocks rain down on and around me, including in my hair, on all the cars, in the trees and on the roof.'” (08:22)
• Hosts' Reaction:
  • Karen: "People with explosives. Yeah, terrible idea." (08:26)
  • Georgia: "Needless to say, that was the last year they grew pumpkins, exploded them, or even had a Halloween party." (10:02)

4. [13:05] The Ouija Board and the Reservoir

• Story: An anonymous listener remembers a 14th birthday party with classic spooky activities: tarot readings, haunted hayrides, and an uncle as Michael Myers. The group uses a Ouija board that spells out “help,” “water,” and “res,” the night before a missing woman is discovered in her car in a reservoir.
• Reflection: The experience remains both chilling and unresolved for the storyteller.
• Notable Quote:
  • Karen: “It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to be fucking creepy as shit.” (15:06)
  • Georgia: "That hooks you into another person’s mortality.” (15:09)

5. [15:16] Halloween Costume Closet Fall

• Story: Ava recalls an 8-year-old’s Halloween spent at her grandpa’s new (and unfamiliar) house in Albany, NY. Her creative ghoul makeup needed a dark test—Grandpa absentmindedly leads her to a "closet"—actually a basement stairwell. Ava tumbles down, frightened but unharmed.
• Hosts' Commentary:
  • Georgia: “He survived getting hit by a trolley on two separate occasions.” (17:56)
  • Karen: “Accident prone? That's what they called it back then.” (18:08)
• Memorable Moment: Ava later thanks Karen for the "You're Too High" song, noting it gets her through edible mishaps.

6. [21:46] Secret Mall Holes & Spirit Halloween

• Story: Ari, a Spirit Halloween worker, recounts discovering evidence of a squatter—bed, food, gun holster—in an old Forever 21 space. She’s later shown hidden tunnels and doors crafted into the store.
• Hosts' Take:
  • Georgia: “People being able to be squatters in malls is like the easiest thing. Seriously—nobody’s there.” (24:47)
  • Karen: "Just do not close alone." (25:06)

7. [26:07] Legendary Prankster Teacher – Mr. Bream

• Story: Listener Shauna reminisces about her 7th grade history teacher, who each Halloween told a fabricated, spine-chilling tale of revenge and mysterious deaths. Each year, the ruse continued with the complicity of former students.
• Emotional Note: The tradition built school camaraderie and became a rite of passage.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Georgia: "That's like, true unity...keep your innocence with you a little bit." (28:46)
  • Karen: "Here's the reach that a really good teacher who cares can have. It's like, yes, amazing." (28:53)
• Listener’s Epilogue: Shauna credits MFM for inspiring her to pursue therapy as a profession.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Halloween Magic and Folklore:

• “The townspeople gathered together at the green with a blacksmith forged to burn the body. Because as we all know, this is how you release a curse.” – Karen (04:33)
• “Daniel is only three years old, which means they're fucking force feeding this baby.” – Karen (04:45)
• “Cool. I have been to the cemetery that Frederick was originally buried at, even on school field trips. But his grave is gone.” – Karen (05:00)

On Family Mishaps:

• “No one could say anything from shock for several moments. And then my uncle frantically started yelling, is everyone okay? Miraculously and thankfully, everyone was drunk.” – Laura (08:26)

On Teachers Who Make a Difference:

• "I went back and listened to him tell that story as one of the former students until I graduated high school. I even got to be the one to turn off the lights a few times." – Shauna (28:28)
• “I've never been happier. Stay sexy and be awesome enough that your students will forgive you for scaring the shit out of them.” – Shauna (29:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:08] The Woodstock Vampire Panic
• [06:22] Exploding Pumpkin Party
• [13:05] Ouija Board Prediction and Real-Life Tragedy
• [15:16] Glow-in-the-Dark Ghoul and the Basement Tumble
• [21:46] Secret Squatter Tunnels at Spirit Halloween
• [26:07] Prankster Teacher Mr. Bream’s Annual Halloween Scare

Tone & Style

• Language: Conversational and comedic, with frequent profanity, friendly banter, and genuine empathy for listeners’ stories.
• Tone: Warm, irreverent, spooky-but-fun, with hosts often pausing to laugh, share relatable anecdotes, or riff on the absurdity of situations.

Takeaways

• The episode is a showcase of how the MFM community celebrates Halloween: by sharing creepy, funny, and sometimes heartfelt hometown tales.
• Karen and Georgia’s commentary is as much a highlight as the stories themselves, often blending practical safety advice with comic relief.
• The episode invites listeners to reflect on their own memorable teachers and spooky hometown tales—and to cherish community in all its weird, messy glory.

Closing:
Karen and Georgia urge listeners to support teachers, wish everyone a spooky Halloween, and, as always, remind them to "Stay sexy and don't get murdered."