Otherworld Podcast Summary: Interview with Tyler McBrien Episode Date: March 23, 2026 | Host: Jack Wagner | Guest: Tyler McBrien

Overview: Mystery, Monuments, and Mayhem in Georgia

This episode of Otherworld centers on the infamous Georgia Guidestones—an enigmatic granite monument built in rural Georgia by a mysterious figure and destroyed under equally mysterious circumstances. Host Jack Wagner interviews journalist and podcaster Tyler McBrien, whose series "Who Blew Up the Guidestones?" dives deep into the structure's origins, the bizarre conspiracy theories surrounding it, and the investigation into its destruction. The conversation explores folk art, local lore, political extremism, community reaction, and the sometimes surreal misadventures of investigating the unknown.

What Were the Georgia Guidestones? [03:39 – 05:19]

• Background: Built in 1980 in Elberton, GA by a pseudonymous figure, R.C. Christian.
• Description: Massive granite monument—six slabs, 20 feet high, weighing about 250,000 pounds.
• Purpose: Inscribed in eight languages with “guidance” for humanity’s recovery after an apocalypse, including controversial instructions for population and society.
• Mystery Factor: R.C. Christian’s identity was a closely guarded secret; the monument drew endless speculation and conspiracy until it was destroyed by an act of bombing in 2022.
• Quote [03:39, Tyler McBrien]:
  “He has very meticulous designs to build a massive granite monument... with strange inscriptions that he wanted sandblasted onto the side... He kept his identity completely secret.”

Esoteric Art and the Allure of Mystery [05:19 – 08:13]

• Folk Art Parallels: Tyler views the Guidestones as a striking example of American folk art, akin to other visionary works like Howard Finster's Paradise Garden.
• Motivation: Fascination with why someone would go to such lengths—and expense—for an inscrutable public project.
• Vanishing Rarity: Lament over the lost era when people financed mysterious monuments.
  [06:30, Jack Wagner]: “You really don't hear about mysterious, esoteric structures getting built anymore. And that's very sad.”

The Georgia Factor & Local Context [09:19 – 11:44]

• Surprise Location: Discussion on why Georgia—rural, conservative, deeply religious—was chosen.
• Conspiracy Magnet: For decades, Guidestones served as a lightning rod for theories, from UFO landing pads to claims of satanic influence and population control.
• Practicality Wins: Their construction was tied to the convenience of being near Elberton, the granite capital of America.

Commandments and Controversies [11:44 – 14:07]

• The Ten Precepts: The stones’ guiding principles range from innocuous (“Prize truth, beauty, love...”) to disturbing (“Maintain humanity under 500 million... Guide reproduction wisely”).
• Reaction: The population control and eugenicist undertones sparked immediate backlash.
  [12:28, Tyler McBrien]: “You already get kind of a eugenics-y vibe, I think.”

Community Response and Cultural Aftershocks [14:53 – 17:39]

• Initial Curiosity → Outrage: Early reactions were relatively mild; over time, religious leaders and conspiracy theorists denounced the monument as satanic.
• Internet Amplification: The Internet and QAnon era turned local suspicions into viral crusades.
• Action Items: Conspiracies evolved beyond stories; they now motivated real-world attempts to eradicate the monument.

Strange Happenings at the Guidestones [17:39 – 24:17]

• Caretaker’s Tales: Groundskeeper Hudson Cohn describes cleaning up after rituals—animal sacrifices, witch gatherings, and all kinds of nocturnal activity.

• Eerie Events: Even locals not prone to “fancies” reported strange music and voices near the monument.

• The Southern Gothic Setting: Elberton’s granite industry, Freemason presence, and ambient spookiness (including a mayor named Graves) all fuel the surreality.
  [21:08, Jack Wagner]: “The mayor's name is Graves. Daniel Graves. I literally can't make this up.”

• Memorable Anecdote [22:21, Jack Wagner/22:28, Tyler McBrien]:
  Hudson recounts being asked by two “very beautiful” young witches (one French, one Mexican) to dance and chant with them at the Guidestones after hours—an example of the monument’s enduring magnetism for eccentric visitors.

Secret Societies and the Real Builder [24:17 – 32:22]

• Suspects Galore: Theories about Freemasons, Rosicrucians (with “RC Christian” echoing the name), aliens, lizard people, and even billionaire Ted Turner abounded.
• The Real Story: Through accidental sleuthing, evangelical filmmakers uncovered RC Christian as Herbert Kirsten, an Iowa inventor and open eugenicist—a fact surprisingly under-reported.
• Quote [31:52, Jack Wagner]: “That’s…Do people know this? Does the general public not know this, or are you about to popularize this?”

The Cursed Piece: When Investigating Gets Personal [32:39 – 47:18]

• “Guidestones Curse”: Tyler recounts a cascade of misfortunes after secretly keeping a chunk of the destroyed monument—missing film rolls, bed bugs, and a misadventure trying to reclaim his bag from a Brooklyn drug house.
• Comedy/Tragedy/Warning [44:47, Tyler McBrien]: “This racist rock is ruining my life. Who could have seen that coming, that the racist rock has dark energy.”
• Host’s Advice [46:09, Jack Wagner]:
  “I literally think you need to take that rock back. I’m not kidding at all.”
• Smeagol Reference [46:19, Tyler McBrien]:
  “Yeah, I’m turning into Smeagol.”

Side Quests and Local Cults [47:51 – 53:27]

• Onaxis Cult: Tyler stumbles on a secretive local cult led by self-proclaimed reincarnations of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Their compound features bizarre polka-dotted lion statues and echoes the Guidestones’ granite obsession, but with even creepier energy.
• Loose Ends: Hints at abuse and legal trouble, with lingering mysteries—Tyler plans to dig deeper.

The Bombing: What Happened, Who Did It, and Why? [53:27 – 60:27]

• Event Timeline: On July 6, 2022, someone blew up the monument with explosives.
• Investigation Stalemate: Surveillance footage shows one suspect; little concrete evidence was released by Georgia authorities.
• Suspects and Motives:
  • Political Candidate Candice Taylor: Released campaign video vowing to "remove" the Guidestones as satanic; denies link to bombing, but timing is suspicious.
  • Pastor Clint Harper: Tried to force a vote at the county commission to take them down; dismissed as “lawyerly.”
  • Others: A “strange-looking man” asking county officials about “land with no jurisdiction.”
• A Likely Culprit?: Tyler hints at a man posting cryptic confessions to Facebook, possibly in a mental health crisis, seemingly taking credit for the destruction.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [03:39, Tyler McBrien]: "A mysterious man shows up. He goes by a pseudonym, R.C. Christian…He kept his identity completely secret."
• [06:30, Jack Wagner]: "You really don't hear about mysterious, esoteric structures getting built anymore. And that's very sad."
• [12:28, Tyler McBrien]: "You already get kind of a eugenics-Y vibe, I think."
• [14:07, Tyler McBrien]: “There is also a tablet on the ground that said… ‘Let these be guidestones to an age of reason’… but there’s no evidence of any time capsule."
• [21:08, Jack Wagner]: "The mayor's name is Graves. Daniel Graves. I literally can't make this up."
• [22:21, Jack Wagner]: “[Hudson] said there was this amazing line… ‘If they weren't pretty, I would have told them we were closed.’”
• [31:52, Jack Wagner]: “That’s…Do people know this? Does the general public not know this, or are you about to popularize this?”
• [44:47, Tyler McBrien]: “This racist rock is ruining my life. Who could have seen that coming, that the racist rock has dark energy.”
• [46:09, Jack Wagner]: “I literally think you need to take that rock back. I’m not kidding at all.”
• [53:43, Tyler McBrien]: "They were blown up July 6, 2022, in the middle of the night…”

Final Thoughts: Ongoing Mysteries, Local Oddities, and The Power of Lore

• Journalism in Weird Places: Tyler’s approach embodies open-minded skepticism—taking seriously the beliefs, rumors, and superstitions that swirl around mysterious sites.
• Community and Myth: The story of the Georgia Guidestones has transitioned from local oddity to national symbol of conspiratorial thinking and cultural division.
• Action Items: As conspiracy thinking becomes more actionable, the boundary between weird internet tales and real-world violence narrows.

How to Listen & Learn More

• “Who Blew Up the Guidestones?” is available on all major podcast platforms, produced in collaboration with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Weekly episodes plus side quests will be released starting March 17, 2026.

Host’s Farewell:

[64:26, Jack Wagner]: “All right, Tyler, thank you again for coming on. Go check out the new show Who Blew Up the Guidestones? I will be listening myself…Tyler, hopefully you will be curse free by the time this comes out. So get rid of the stone.”

For more investigations into the paranormal, mysterious, or inexplicable, listen to Otherworld and send your own stories to stories@otherworldpod.com.