Radio Rental – Episode 93 (October 24, 2025)

Host: Payne Lindsey
Character Host: Ricky Lee Bagley (Jeff Foxworthy)
Theme: Real-life horror stories – ghostly events in a mining town and a chilling creature encounter in the Oregon woods.

Overview

In this Halloween-season episode, Radio Rental invites listeners into a dimension where the line between reality and the supernatural blurs. The first story brings us a classic haunted hotel encounter in a Nevada mining town; the second plunges us deep into the Oregon wilderness for an inexplicable and terrifying brush with something monstrous. As always, comic relief is doled out by Ricky Lee, who frames the stories with his signature wit.

Key Discussion Points & Story Summaries

1. Haunted Hotel in Virginia City (Starts at 04:55)

Setting:

• Virginia City, NV – an authentic old silver mining town, now a tourist hub.

Story Highlights:

• The storyteller and his wife stayed at an old hotel, described as distinctly antique and steeped in history.
  • “This room is truly authentic... There's nothing modern about this town at all.” (05:58)
• After a stilted evening (unwelcoming locals, empty streets), they returned to their room for a quiet night—until midnight.
• Loud voices and an argument broke out in the hallway outside their room. The unseen men argued about silver and mining claims:
  • “You would hear words like silver, stealing, words like claim. And I believe we heard one person refer to him as a dirty dog.” (09:01)
• The confrontation escalated, culminating in the unmistakable sounds of a violent fight and a body being thrown down the historic stairwell.
  • “You could hear every thud with this gentleman going down the stairs, bouncing off the walls, bouncing off the steps. You heard that loud thud at the bottom.” (09:35)
• Paralyzed with fear, the couple did not investigate.
• At sunrise, they were shocked to find no evidence of any disturbance. The staff member told them, chillingly:
  • “‘Well, that's odd because you were the only guest in the hotel last night.’” (12:10)
• The staff nonchalantly explained:
  • “‘Oh, the miners must be back... We've heard reports of the miners. They must have had a night last night.’” (12:36)
• Realization dawned: they’d experienced residual hauntings of long-dead miners. The experience turned the skeptic storyteller into a firm believer.

Notable Quote:

• “I think the freakiest part of it is it seems so common for him. Like this is the regular thing with these miners ... it was clear as day to us that we experienced the spirits of former miners of Virginia City.” (13:01)

2. Unknown Roar in the Oregon Woods (Starts at 16:21)

Setting:

• Remote guard shack in the Rogue River National Forest, Oregon, during the height of the 2020 pandemic.

Story Highlights:

• The storyteller, an experienced nature enthusiast, sought solitude in an old forest service cabin.
  • “…just four walls and a roof, but on the inside it had a couple of bunk beds and a wood stove.” (16:51)
• Night falls; while relaxing outside, the witness hears an unnatural, bone-chilling roar in the distance.
  • “I just heard this roar come from the distance. And the sound was coming from behind me. I froze. Everything froze. Just got dead quiet, which is really unnerving in the woods.” (18:08)
• The roars get closer; the woods fall eerily silent. The witness retreats inside the dark cabin, hearing what sounds like a massive bipedal creature circling, investigating.
  • “I can hear the heaviness of the footsteps. I can hear it growling outside of my cabin.” (21:18)
• The distinct sounds:
  • “Slip, slump, slip, thump... Its foot was raking across the grass and then plopping down really heavy onto the ground.” (21:35/21:41)
• Petrified, he remains hidden until morning. He then discovers crushed grass around the cabin, but no identifiable prints.
• The following evening, the presence returns; deer in the meadow scatter at the sound.
  • “And the deer bolted for the tree. They did not stop to reconsider. They didn’t look around. They just bolted for the tree line. And that gave me an indication that this is a predator...” (24:03)
• The storyteller flees, later learns the cabin is now unrentable due to vague “safety concerns.” He finds the region is notorious for Bigfoot sightings, though what he heard didn’t resemble any known wildlife.
• He remains shaken:
  • “Even thinking about the story and telling the story gets me chill bumps. Pretty scary situation for me.” (26:49)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ricky Lee on Capricorns:

  • “Capricorn. Quit being so dang shady. You’re like a big cubulambulus cloud or something. You’re raining on everybody’s parade with your constant pessimism. How about the cup is half full for once?” (03:49)

• On the Paranormal Hotel Incident:

  • “As soon as he mentioned the miners ... it was clear as day to us that we experienced the spirits of former miners of Virginia City. I've heard of ghost stories ... but once we experienced it, we believed it.” (13:05)

• On the Cabin Predator:

  • “What I heard walking around outside was big. It didn’t sound like a quadruped. It sounded like two footsteps at a time.” (22:23)
  • “I did notice that area is thick with bigfoot sightings, if you believe in that type of thing.” (26:12)

• Ricky Lee’s Comic Relief / Commentary:

  • “Okay, just to be honest with you, that's beyond a pair of normals. That's like four or five normals. All right, let’s do some maths.” (14:13)
  • “Oh my word. Bigfoot is an Aquarius. You know what I'm saying? All right, let's do some maths.” (26:57)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:30 – Ricky Lee opens Radio Rental with comic banter, sets a spooky, offbeat tone.
• 04:55 – Story 1: Haunted hotel in Virginia City begins.
• 12:10 – Manager’s chilling claim: “You were the only guest last night.”
• 13:05 – Couple realizes they witnessed a haunting.
• 14:13 – Ricky Lee jokes about “paranormals.”
• 16:21 – Story 2: The Oregon woods cabin encounter.
• 18:08 – First roar is heard in the woods.
• 21:18 – Creature circles the cabin; terror peaks.
• 26:12 – Connections to local Bigfoot folklore.
• 26:57 – Ricky Lee’s “Bigfoot is an Aquarius” joke.

Tone & Experience

The episode maintains Radio Rental’s signature blend of chilling documentary realism, retro-tinged humor, and immersive storytelling. Ricky Lee interjects with Southern wisdom and horoscope-based humor, providing necessary levity. The personal accounts are detailed and suspenseful, employing cinematic sound design to underscore every ghostly thud and unearthly roar.

Takeaway

Episode 93 stands out for the authenticity and detail of its eyewitness stories—from a ghostly feud echoing down century-old hotel halls, to an unexplained and primal encounter in the darkest forests of Oregon. Radio Rental again proves its knack for captivating, original storytelling—perfect for Halloween season.