True Crime Time For October 31, 2025 | Halloween Crime Trends, Prank Gone Wrong, and The Truth About Poisoned Candy

Summary

---

Real Life Real Crime: True Crime Time for October 31, 2025

Halloween Crime Trends, Prank Gone Wrong, and The Truth About Poisoned Candy

Hosts: Woody Overton & Cindy Overton
Release Date: October 31, 2025

---

Episode Overview

This Halloween-themed episode takes a gritty, humorous, and candid look at true crime stories and myths linked to Halloween. Hosts Woody and Cindy Overton dig into crime trends on Halloween night, analyze a viral prank with frightening real-life consequences, expose the truth behind razor blade-in-candy urban legends, and share personal memories about the holiday. Using Woody's law enforcement expertise and signature no-nonsense style, the show uncovers the real dangers lurking behind spooky traditions.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Halloween Crime Trends: Mischief, Mayhem, and Mayhem

• Statistics on Holiday Crime:

  • Property crimes spike 17% and violent crimes as much as 50% on Halloween night (Woody Overton, 02:00).
  • Drunk driving accidents and insurance claims also increase, with insurance claims up 17% (Woody Overton, 04:15).

• Forms of Crime:

  • Common mischief includes theft (candy, decorations), vandalism (egg wars, spray painting, toilet papering).
  • Woody reminisces: “Let me tell you something. You get hit in the head with a fucking egg at 35 miles an hour and you're going to the hospital.” (Woody, 04:03)

---

2. Viral Prank Gone Wrong: The TikTok Break-In

• Incident Breakdown:
  Woody describes a viral TikTok video where people in horror costumes (clown, Jason Voorhees, evil nun) repeatedly approach a house, press the doorbell, and try to break in, all caught on a doorbell camera (05:42–09:17).

• Real Story Behind the Prank:
  The Alexandria, VA police traced the incident to relatives of the family in the home. The “prank” involved cousins and other accomplices, with the intent to record a scary video (Woody, 10:10).

  • “Are you fucking kidding me? That's not funny.” – Woody & Cindy (10:11)

• Potential Consequences:
  The family declined to press charges, but Woody and Cindy note this could have ended violently: “The lead would be flying through the door. Shotgun led.” (Woody, 16:16)

---

3. “Effed Up Professionals”: The Staged Police Shooting

• Case Summary:
  In October 2024, NY State Trooper Thomas J. Masia staged his own shooting to win back his ex-girlfriend, a nurse. He shot himself, faked a traffic stop, planted evidence, and triggered a massive law enforcement response (Cindy, 16:49–20:33).

• Investigation Unravels the Lie:

  • No suspect vehicle or matching ballistics; Masia had researched “how it feels to be shot” and chose a stretch with no cameras.
  • He resigned, pled guilty, got six months in jail, five years probation, $290k restitution. His parents also faced firearm charges (Cindy, 20:53–21:07).

• Woody’s Take:
  “It’d been much easier if you just go ask that girl for her digits.” (Woody, 21:13)

---

4. The Truth About Halloween Candy Tampering

• Debunking the Razor Blades & Poison Myth:

  • Woody and Cindy recall their own childhood anxieties about razors and poison in candy – and how this myth led to alternate Halloween events (mall trick-or-treating, “Boo at the Zoo”) (Woody, 24:08–25:28).
  • “You know what they've proven... It's absolutely false.” (Woody, 25:19)

• What Experts Say:

  • No verified cases of random stranger-fueled tampering; nearly all stories are hoaxes, pranks by family, or accidents (Woody, 26:09).
  • The rare real cases often involve a parent harming their own child to frame strangers (Woody, 27:53):
    • “A few cases exist where parents have poisoned their own children’s candy to try and make it look like a stranger was responsible.” (27:53)

• Why the Myth Persists:

  • Fuelled by media, folklore, and fear, the myth overshadows much more likely dangers.

• The Real Danger:

  • “Children are statistically far more likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than from candy tampering.” (Woody, 29:44)
  • Community events and blocked-off streets help, but kids running are a major concern.

---

5. Personal Memories & Halloween Nostalgia

• Costume Stories:
  Woody reminisces about cheap Batman and Dracula costumes, and Cindy shares her traumatic forced clown-costume memory (Woody & Cindy, 22:40–24:08).

• Candy Traditions:
  Childhood candy trading and parental candy checks recall family rituals and the ever-present fear of “razor blades.”

• Trick-or-Treating Fiascos:
  Woody tells an anecdote about getting in trouble for sassing at a house:

  • “I rang the door, said. And they came to the door, and I said, trick or treat, Smell my feet, Give me something good to eat now. Bam.” (Woody, 33:17)

---

6. Advocacy and Shout-Outs

• Woody updates listeners on ongoing cases like #JusticeForBradley, marking six years without resolution but vowing progress (01:31–02:01).
• Celebrates a “conviction bursary” for an old unresolved murder—Courtney Coco—case closed (Woody & Cindy, 36:10–37:06).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote & Context | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:03 | “You get hit in the head with a fucking egg at 35 miles an hour and you're going to the hospital.” – Woody, on Halloween egg wars | | 10:11 | “Are you fucking kidding me? That's not funny.” – Woody, about the viral prank involving family | | 16:16 | “The lead would be flying through the door. Shotgun led.” – Woody, on how bad the prank could have ended | | 21:13 | “It’d been much easier if you just go ask that girl for her digits.” – Woody, after hearing about the staged shooting | | 25:19 | “You know what they've proven... It's absolutely false.” – Woody, on poison-in-candy myths | | 27:53 | “A few cases exist where parents have poisoned their own children's candy to try and make it look like a stranger was responsible.” – Woody | | 29:44 | “Children are statistically far more likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than from candy tampering.” – Woody | | 33:17 | “Trick or treat, Smell my feet, Give me something good to eat now. Bam.” – Woody, childhood story | | 36:10 | “It's coming. It's a Lot of shit, but it's coming.” – Woody, on #JusticeForBradley and advocacy work |

---

Timestamped Episode Roadmap

• [01:31] — Opening: Woody and Cindy introduce Halloween crime theme, #JusticeForBradley advocacy
• [02:00–04:55] — Crime statistics, mischief stories, insurance claims
• [05:42–11:48] — Viral home invasion prank, breakdown, and aftermath
• [16:49–22:07] — Staged New York police shooting, investigation, fallout
• [22:40–24:08] — Halloween costumes and family memories
• [24:08–29:44] — Candy tampering myth: history and reality, personal memories
• [29:44–32:39] — Real dangers of Halloween: car accidents, alternative events
• [33:17–34:12] — Woody’s “smell my feet” story
• [36:10–37:06] — Case updates and advocacy wins
• [37:16-end] — Wrap-up and shout-outs

---

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Woody and Cindy blend honest, sometimes raw storytelling with dark humor and a dose of nostalgia, all grounded in their real-life experience with law enforcement and family. They debunk persistent Halloween myths, analyze real crime risks, and advocate passionately for victims and families. More than just a holiday special, the episode offers both an entertaining and educational take on the “real crimes” behind the masks.

Final Message:
Enjoy your Halloween, stay safe—especially from speeding cars, not poisoned candy! And remember, real life crime is often stranger, sadder, and more preventable than the urban legends.

---

Transcript

[Ali Jackson]

If you're a podcast host, listen up. This one's for you. My name is Ali Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had, my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle. And I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform. With Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales. I. It's not just typical ad sales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity, and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently, too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships. Bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial. That's red. Redcircle.com for a free trial.

[Woody Overton]

Hello, everybody, and welcome to this episode of True Crime. Time for Friday, October 3rd, 31st, 2025, otherwise known as Halloween. And I'm Woody Overton.

[Cindy Overton]

I'm Cindy Overton.

[Woody Overton]

Right. So here we are on that Hollows eve, and we're gonna bring you some stories. We are, right? That's what we do. Right? So that being said, hashtag just for Bradley, all, you know, Bradley's murderers free. Six years. Well, now it's been six years.

[Cindy Overton]

Yes.

[Woody Overton]

Right. And before it was five. Four was four and three and two and one. And they've been getting away with it. I am a bad man. And I would. I would take the odds that they will not be a seventh murder bursary without somebody being behind bars. That would be without Bradley being home, being buried. Right. So that being said, can continue to call you tips and everything. We love and appreciate each and every one of y'. All. So on Halloween, you wouldn't think, well, I mean, I guess, you know, trick or treat and like that. But Halloween is associated with an increase in crime, all right? Particularly property crimes. You can imagine that. Like theft and vandalism. And you wouldn't think about this. A rise in violent crime. And of course, I know this one. Car accidents due to drunk driving. Now, some statistics show property crimes increased by 17% on Halloween. And violent crimes can jump by as much as 50% just on Halloween night.

[Cindy Overton]

Damn.

[Woody Overton]

All right. Brings out the freaks. So the theft. Like I told you, a significant portion of the property crimes on Halloween involve theft. I guess give me a candy, kid. Or stealing decorations or whatever. The vandalism. Common acts of vandal including toilet paper and houses and spray painting. You know, we used to have the egg wars. Oh, my God. It was. I would go buy a case of eggs like a month before Halloween and hide them in the bushes in my yard. And y', all, we would ride around our small town and had different teams in the back of the trucks and egg and each other. Let me tell you something. You get hit in the head with a fucking egg at 35 miles an hour and you're going to the hospital.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

So. But then check this one out. Insurance claims. Crime related insurance claims are on average 17 higher on Halloween. This according to travels insurance.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

I guess the. I get. People are doing like tearing up and you have to make an insurance plan. Right. So the violent crime. I told you that. The 50% on Halloween night. Right. And of course the drunk driving and all that. Well, that's pretty crazy.

[Cindy Overton]

Did. Did you ever have like a memorable, like, someone stole my yard decorations call, like all the time.

[Woody Overton]

Not memorable. It was just ridiculous that it happens. Well, swimming used back in the day when pumpkins got put out, like, but that weren't carved.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

Swim.

[Cindy Overton]

You know, this swim guy really well.

[Woody Overton]

And his friends would go take the pumpkins that weren't carved and back to their place and drink beer or whatever we were drinking and carve the compound and go back and put them out at the people's house.

[Cindy Overton]

You would remember who would. Which pumpkin went to which house. What if you put a small pumpkin.

[Woody Overton]

It like you found 400 pumpkins. All right, let me tell you about a crazy story that's going viral right now on Tik Tok. So authorities have. Oh, you know what? Let me play this. Let's play this. Showing a video of a guy coming up with a clown mask to ring doorbell of Jason Voorhees mask and then walking away. And they're all standing in their masks and costumes at the base of steps now. So you got these idiots dressed in these horror costumes on door, ring door, camera. They press the doorbell. Like, who is it? Now they're going back up to the door. It's a clown opening the door that gets shot going back down the steps. And they're just standing there. Now another One's going back up. Jason, the full body costume. I shoot him. That literally. If you saw these three.

[Cindy Overton]

Oh, right.

[Woody Overton]

Look, they're going back up again. I would be. Boom. Right there. You're dead. He's looking in the camera with his head sideways. He knows there's a camera. He knows I could see him. He's touching the camera. Now the next one's going up. The last one hadn't been up yet. This old. I don't know what that witch costume. Open the door again.

[Cindy Overton]

Now they're jiggling the handle.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah. Who is it you were sighting there? I keep ringing the doorbell, but now the next one's going up again. The just standing there. So let me look out at the camera. And now he's opening the door, shaking it.

[Ali Jackson]

Who is it?

[Woody Overton]

He's grabbing the door again. Y' all trying to break in, basically. And they're just standing at the bottom of the staircase, pointing at the camera. Going back up the stairs again, y'. All. I mean, you can see the camera. It's just obvious. That would freak me out.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

They're taking turns one at a time, going up the steps. This dude's doing the. The. He knows he's on camera and he just did his hand across his throat like a switcher throat. That's freaky. And trying to get in the door again. He didn't do that down here. Would that save it one time? Six. We'll be back.

[Cindy Overton]

He couldn't get the eight, nine, and ten, I guess.

[Woody Overton]

Yes. All right, so I'm gonna stop at y'. All. I'm tell you the the story. So. Authorities have revealed they have tracked down the trio of suspects wanted in connection with a harrowing Halloween prank that terrorized a Virginia family earlier this month. Following more than 100 hours of investigation, the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department Chief, Terry McGuire said the three people called on camera wearing Halloween masks and attempting to break into a family's home were actually cousins of the residents. This corner. Fox 5. McGuire revealed that investigators received numerous tips which led to a woman who confessed that she and her two sons and a nephew staged the incident.

[Cindy Overton]

Oh, my God.

[Woody Overton]

Are you fucking kidding me?

[Cindy Overton]

That's not funny.

[Woody Overton]

Two additional adults and a child were also reportedly recruited to film the so called prank. Now, this incident unfolded in Alexandria, which is located just south of Washington, D.C. and it happened on October 14th with security video showing three people dressed in terrifying Halloween costumes threatening to enter the family's home. And it all went viral, y'. All. It's pretty freaky. The suspects, one who was clad in a clown mask, the second was wearing a Michael Myers costume from Halloween the movie series, and the third is dressed as an evil nun and they can be heard yelling it's your worst nightmare. While banging on the front door of the home. They reportedly then entered through the backyard fence and caused property damage. This is not on video caused property damage, which led the cops to treat it as a suspected burglary. However, since family is choosing not to bring charges that I bring charges. The suspects will not face prosecution and authorities will not reveal their identities and and McGuire also said that the incident could have had deadly consequences as the homeowner's brother was initially called to the home with a gun and real life, real crime.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance Fiscally Responsible Financial Geniuses Monetary Magicians these are the things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. I'll be honest, I've always had a hard time shutting my brain down at night to get to sleep. I then I tried Mood Sleepy Time Gummies and that changed everything. Did you know there's an online cannabis company that ships federally legal THC right to your door? They've even figured out how to combine THC with carefully selected functional ingredients to target nearly every mood you can think of. I'm talking about Mood.com's incredible line of functional gummies. And right now you can get 20% off your first order at mood.com with promo code RLRC forget one size fit all supplements that only get you high. Mood's Functional Gummies are optimized to kick in in as little as 15 minutes and take you exactly where you want to go. Whether that's mind magic Gummies for deep focus and creativity. PMS support gummies to balance mood swings or their sexual euphora Gummies to help you feel ready for action. Mood has something that fits the moment. Sure, you can find gummies to just get you high pretty much anywhere these days, but Mood's Functional Gummies combine premium federally legal THC with targeted botanicals to help you hit that perfect mood, usually in as little as 15 minutes. And everything ships discreetly right to your door. No dispensary lines, no awkward conversations, and just better days and nights delivered straight to you. Best of all, every Mood product comes with a hundred days satisfaction guarantee. And as I mentioned, listeners get 20% off their first order with code RLRC. So head to mood.com, find the gummy that matches exactly what you're looking for, and let Mood help you discover your perfect vibe. And don't forget to use promo code RLRC at checkout to save 20% on your first order.

[Woody Overton]

Hey, y'. All. You know I don't do the laundry.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

In our house, but even I noticed something changed with our detergent. One day I pulled out a shirt and it just smelled fresh and not like chemicals. It just smelt clean. Turns out Cindy switched us over to Earth Breeze. Instead of those big, heavy jugs or messy pods, it's these little pre measured sheets that come in a slim sleeve, doesn't take up any space, and you just toss one right in the washer. What surprised me is how good the clothes came out. Clean, soft, and fresh without that harsh chemical smell I was used to. And I feel better knowing we're not bringing all of those unnecessary toxins into the house. Earth Breeze is free from dyes, parabens, phosphates, and those weird optical brighteners that stick to your clothes. It's just an easy sheet that dissolves and gets the job done. Right now, you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off, plus get four free [e-mail] RLRC that's earthbreeze.com RLRC.

[Astro (Announcer)]

Astro and Pendleton salutes the men and women of our military and veterans for the sacrifices they've made. Keep them in your thoughts, prayers, and letters from home until these trying times are over. Our troops are fighting hard around the clock to defend our great country and keep freedom alive worldwide. For this, we salute them and may God bless America. This from Astro on Southgate in Pendleton, reminding you we live in the land of the free, thanks to the brave.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. The. The. The.

[Cindy Overton]

That was at our house. It would have ended.

[Woody Overton]

Oh, it's been dead.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I swear.

[Woody Overton]

You say when? I mean, I'm gonna say, who is it? And you're jiggling and. And I can see you on. On the camera and you jiggling and. And open up the door. We're coming in. Okay, you're done.

[Cindy Overton]

Y.

[Woody Overton]

The lead would be flying through the door. Shotgun led.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And there you have it. That's Halloween. A little Halloween. Long, but pretty Scary, to be honest with you.

[Cindy Overton]

Well, they needed to press charges to just teach them a lesson if anything.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah. All right, what? What you got?

[Cindy Overton]

I've got what's also described as like a little hoax. This is not that though.

[Woody Overton]

It's time for effed up professionals.

[Cindy Overton]

So we're going to New York State and we're going all the way back to this day a year ago. So. Well, to yesterday October 30th of 2024. And what was supposed to look like a hero's tragedy, which was a police officer ambushed on a dark stretch of highway, didn't end up being that way. The truth of the cases is really very strange, but According to investigators, New York State Trooper Thomas J. Masiyar Masia, who's 35 years old, staged his own shooting in a desperate attempt to win back his ex girlfriend. And his ex girlfriend was a nurse who worked at the Long Island Hospital. So the hoax unfolded on October 30th of last year along the Southern State Parkway in North Babylon, New York. And it was just after 11pm When Macia radioed for help. And he claimed he'd been shot in the leg during a traffic stop by a masked man driving a black Dodge Charger. The report triggered an immediate multi agency manhunt. I mean, a police officer has been shot. Dozens of officers from the New York State Police, Nassau County Police and Suffolk County Police flooded the area. Helicopters circled overhead and roadways were shut down as law enforcement searched for the armed suspect. But there was no suspect.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Cindy Overton]

Investigators soon discovered inconsistencies in Masiya's story. Ballistics didn't match his description. Surveillance cameras in the area caught no suspect vehicle and forensic evidence did not add up. So when detectives pressed further, the truth began to unravel. Macia had shot himself with a.22 caliber rifle, planted shell casings, and returned to the scene to stage the incident.

[Woody Overton]

Oh Lord.

[Cindy Overton]

He even made sure the first responders would take him to the hospital where his ex girlfriend worked, hoping she would see him injured and feel sympathy.

[Woody Overton]

What the fuck? Manchild's by proxy.

[Cindy Overton]

The stunt caused an enormous, obviously an enormous waste of public resources and endangered other officers they didn't know they were. They were looking for a non existent shooter. But investigators found that Macier Masia had researched online how it felt to be shot and had chosen a section of the parkway that had little camera coverage. Police also found evidence that he had carefully planned out the event and rehearsed parts of the story in advance. He was arrested and charged with official misconduct, tampering with physical evidence and falsely reporting an incident. He resigned from the New York State Police in January of 2025 and pled guilty in May in Nassau County Court. In July, he was sentenced to six months in jail, five years of probation, in order to pay $290,000 in restitution.

[Woody Overton]

For all the people that responded. Exactly. Hourly wages and all that stuff.

[Cindy Overton]

Prosecutors described the hoax as meticulously calculated, and he. His lies wasted hundreds of hours of investigative work and betrayed the public's trust even more. These.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Cindy Overton]

Adding to the fallout, Macia's parents were also charged after police found an illegal firearm in their home during the investigation.

[Woody Overton]

The cop's home.

[Cindy Overton]

The. The cop parents.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah, but. So he lived with his parents.

[Cindy Overton]

His father received probation, and his mother was granted a conditional discharge.

[Woody Overton]

You know, I'm going to tell that dude it been much easier if you just go ask that girl for her digits.

[Cindy Overton]

Well, it's his ex. He had her digits. She just didn't want anything to do with him.

[Woody Overton]

Well, asking for digits again. Right.

[Cindy Overton]

I think maybe she saw some red flags.

[Woody Overton]

The. I mean, so he goes to the hospital, and what are the chances that you even gonna get her for your nurse?

[Cindy Overton]

I know.

[Woody Overton]

I mean, like, you go in there, you got your gunshot. When you're like, no, Susie Q comes over. Nurse Suzy Q. No, no, no, no. I'm bleeding to death, but I need Shawna over there, whatever her name is.

[Cindy Overton]

So he's barred from ever working in law enforcement, as he should be, as part of his plea agreement. In. A year later, the case still stands out as the most shocking abuses of public trust in New York's history.

[Woody Overton]

Somebody will hire him as a security guard somewhere, and he'll be making minimum wage, and he'll never pay off that 290,000. Yeah, right. And whatever. Six months in jail and probation. Whatever. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. All right, I'm going to talk about something. Halloween. Now, I distinctly remember this. Do you remember your favorite Halloween costumes?

[Cindy Overton]

Kind of.

[Woody Overton]

I can tell you mine straight up. We had the little cheap ones back then with the string and the face mask. Batman. That was definitely Batman. But the Dracula, because I had the fake teeth.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And that was so cool. My favorite candy was like the. The wax things with the juice in them.

[Cindy Overton]

Oh, I love those.

[Woody Overton]

You got those. You really doing something right. And then the. You know, I always dug Halloween. And I used to go to New Orleans suburban street and shit for Halloween, whatever day, the week they celebrated on the week before or the week after. I remember going in tuxedo with black pants and a white jacket and bow tie and a shirt. Yeah.

[Cindy Overton]

Well, you triggered a core memory for me that I had like kind of repressed just now. I think the clown video before kind of like, you know, I don't like clowns and I have never liked clowns. And my stepmother, my stepmother used to make every single one of my costumes. And when I was eight, she made me a clown costume. And guess what? She made it. So guess who I had to wear it. And that just like, just hit me like a bear. I mean that was just like crying, like, I don't want to be a clown. It was horrible.

[Woody Overton]

Let me ask you about some other shit. So I remember, you know, you come in and you had your candy and I had a ton of brothers and sisters, right. And the. You would pour out all your candy and you would trade your candy for what you liked and didn't like and you know, with them hoping to get a good deal and shit. But I remember talking about in the early 1970s, I remember them checking the camp candy for razors. Razors, sharp things. And then as the years went on, it became poison people were worried about. And so people started hosting these totally alternate events like reading, getting candy, like petting zoo events and like that.

[Ali Jackson]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

Boo at the zoo and like that.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

Because they're worried about razor blades and getting fucking poisoned.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah. I remember having to go. My grandmother would take me to the mall in Jackson, Mississippi.

[Woody Overton]

Absolutely. And. And you know what? Who made money? The people at the mall.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And you know who made money? The boozy. The Z. Yeah, like that. Because you know what they've proven it's absolutely false.

[Cindy Overton]

And all those X ray machines.

[Woody Overton]

I want to talk about this. This is, this is just shocking and, and a crime.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Right?

[Woody Overton]

The, the. So let me tell you. And, and I mean this is fucking urban legend. This is the real fucking deal. I don't know of anyone who is not afraid of a motherfucker putting razor blades or poison and candy.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And I'm 56 now and I think the first time I knew about it, I was like four or five or something.

[Cindy Overton]

I always checked our kids candy.

[Woody Overton]

And you know what? It was a waste of time.

[Cindy Overton]

I know.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

I'm about to tell you why.

[Woody Overton]

So they say wild stories of strangers poisoning or putting razors and Halloween candy, they're widespread. The overwhelming consensus from experts is that they are just urban legends. Okay. And that actual verified incidents of evidence, intentional tampering by strangers are extremely rare or non existent. How in the Fuck does that even. Wait, I'm not dying. I got a lot more to share. Most reported cases are hoaxes, okay? Pranks by family members or accidental contamination during manufacturing. The fear is not based on reality, but on a persistent myth. Stick with me. Hoax. I'm gonna take it by category. Hoaxes and pranks. Many reports of tampering have been proven to be hoaxes, often perpetrated by the children themselves to get attention from family members.

[Cindy Overton]

Jeez Louise.

[Woody Overton]

Right? Accidents. A few minor injuries have occurred, but these have usually resulted from sharp objects like knee needles or pins being placed in candy by a relative or friend as a sick joke, not a random stranger.

[Cindy Overton]

Disgusting.

[Woody Overton]

No, that's.

[Cindy Overton]

That's even more disgusting than a random stranger doing it.

[Woody Overton]

In my opinion, the. This one's even more disgusting than that.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

What is it?

[Cindy Overton]

I have no idea.

[Woody Overton]

Parental crime.

[Cindy Overton]

No.

[Woody Overton]

A few cases exist where parents have poisoned their own children's candy to try and make it look like a stranger was responsible.

[Cindy Overton]

That's disgusting.

[Woody Overton]

Right? So parents poison their own kids. That's disgusting. The. And then you hear about that, and it just goes worldwide, evidently, but urban legend. So the myth of the evil stranger tampering with Halloween candy has been around for decades, fueled by media and a general sense of fear. However, extensive research has found no evidence of intentional harms from strangers ever. Ever. And we lived under this every year since. I named this. Blew my mind when I was researching it. So it said. However, like I told you about the ticking violent crimes. 50%. All the other crimes for that night. So the real dangers. Let's talk about the real dangers of Halloween.

[Cindy Overton]

Choking. That kind of danger.

[Woody Overton]

No. Okay. Crime, dangerous. Okay, okay. If you choke because you're sucking on the butterscotch. I used to love butterscotches. You soaking on a butterscotch, that's gonna. On you. Remember when suckers had the loop on the bottom of them? So when you. Yeah, You're a fucking kid. You choke on it. And they could reach in and grab the loop and yank it out.

[Cindy Overton]

They still have that.

[Woody Overton]

But. No, we're talking about crime here, all right? We're talking about the boogeyman shit. Okay, okay. But the real dangers are. And the most significant dangers on Halloween are not related to poison candy, but to other risk. You may ask what they are.

[Cindy Overton]

What are they, Woody?

[Woody Overton]

Well, for example, children are statistically far more likely to be struck by a car on Halloween than from candy tampering.

[Cindy Overton]

That's true.

[Woody Overton]

It makes sense.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

I mean, you go in now, these neighborhoods, like Jason Are the sheriff of Livingston Hill have deputies and they block them all. But you still got 14 million kids running around.

[Cindy Overton]

They also have side by sides and itty bitty golf carts pulling trailer. I mean there's still vehicles on the road, so.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. And little kids running.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

Street excited or scared and running from everything else. And you know the. All right, so you. You were talking about when the family member or you know, sibling or whatever that puts the sharp object in as a joke and they actually talk about that. So the common story that appears in the media when a young child dies. Right. Suddenly after Halloween. But medical investigations into the actual cause of death have always shown that these children did not die from eating candy given to them by strangers. However, in rare cases, adult family members have spread this story to cover up felicide or accidental deaths. And in other incidents, a child who had been told about poison candy places a dangerous object or substance in a pile of candy and pretends it's the work of a stranger. Right. And this behavior is called the copycat effect. So folklorists, scholars and law enforcement experts say that the story that strangers put poison into candy and give that candy to trick or treating children has been thoroughly debunked. So worries that candy from strangers might be poisons have led to the rise of alternative events to trick or treating, such as events held at Christian churches, police and fire stations, community centers and retail stores. Well, the primary risk to children's health and safety on Halloween is, as I stated, being struck and killed by a car. The in. Happy Halloween. I hope you get all the candy that you want. Trick or treat in my purse.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Right.

[Woody Overton]

So they, they. We used to go to the club every Halloween like the Kingfish. It was a big deal and you know, dress up and. And they were pretty much just one of my favorite holidays. Yeah. For having fun.

[Cindy Overton]

For having fun.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah. Yeah. And partying and that in New Year's Eve. So. But that's it. I do remember one time I got. Got my ass beat the he. We were trickortreating when I was like 6 years old. I mean I was young as. Because I remember the big green van. Parents had all of them, all of us piled into it. But we're actually on bank street. Right. By Sillerman. That is a little. Apartments are back then. You know we call them apartments now, but they weren't called apartments back then. It was two stories like a fourplex.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Woody Overton]

And I remember going up the steps to the thing and I didn't know that my parental figure was behind me. And I got to the door and I rang the door, said. And they came to the door, and I said, trick or treat, Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat now. Bam.

[Cindy Overton]

You little.

[Woody Overton]

Your mother did not say, you little motherfucker got the payout. I can promise you that.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah, that you did.

[Woody Overton]

I got several of them. And that was it for the trick or treating for that night. Oh, my gosh. And I didn't say it was my mother. I said my parental favorite. Well, I'm not throwing shade on anybody in my family on. On this holiday. Holiday, if you will. But anyway, y' all have fun. Stay safe. Get you some good kid candies, and you'll be out tonight doing your stuff. And I won't.

[Cindy Overton]

You're invited.

[Woody Overton]

Yeah, I know.

[Cindy Overton]

You can come do the pop. You be the popcorn man.

[Woody Overton]

I'll be busy.

[Cindy Overton]

You're busy?

[Woody Overton]

Yeah.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

The. My agenda is full. I am busy.

[Cindy Overton]

There's no room on your dance card?

[Woody Overton]

No, I'm gonna be on stakeout. Did you forget?

[Cindy Overton]

I didn't forget. I'm just trying to pretend she forgot. Oh, what are you gonna be on stakeout for?

[Woody Overton]

On stakeout, and I'm not gonna say it on air.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

You don't remember?

[Cindy Overton]

I don't remember.

[Woody Overton]

It has to do with someone seeking my advice in a case.

[Cindy Overton]

Oh, shoot. Okay, okay, okay.

[Woody Overton]

It's possibly going to be an all weekend stakeout, so. But I won't tell you if it's in Vernon Parish or. What parish should it be?

[Cindy Overton]

Well, yeah, because we got about three.

[Woody Overton]

And you make a joke. She cracking jokes on that. I'm like a screws for Halloween. And I'm. I'm actually going to be working.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

Right.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah. Right.

[Woody Overton]

So anyway, love and appreciate, each and every one of y'. All. It's hard to do a steak out on Halloween and neighborhood because everybody's walking around.

[Cindy Overton]

Yeah, but you'll just wear a costume and just blend in with the rest of them.

[Woody Overton]

I'm not gonna be on foot. Gonna be inside of a vehicle counting your candy. You just said they block the neighborhoods off.

[Cindy Overton]

You can get in at a certain time, and then you can't drive your vehicle for a period of time.

[Woody Overton]

This is why you don't do steakhouse.

[Cindy Overton]

Okay.

[Woody Overton]

All right. Love and appreciate, each and every one of y'. All. Hope you enjoy your Halloween. Happy Halloween. Sad. Bradley's murder Versary again. Let's call in the tips. Get it done. And it's coming.

[Cindy Overton]

It is coming.

[Woody Overton]

It's coming. It's a Lot of shit, but it's coming.

[Cindy Overton]

Are there conviction bursaries? Because today's a conviction bursary.

[Woody Overton]

You write today is a conviction bursary for David Anthony Burns murdering Courtney Coco. That you life rested. That you're right. Thank you. We deserve to do a shout out for that because I ran out of the courtroom on right as the sun was setting. We were going in, back in for the verdict. I mean, it's like literally getting dark. It was pink in the sky, but it was more dark than it was pink. And guilty. Guilty. Second degree murder. Life in prison. Dying angle. You rotten, filthy bitch. David Anthony Barnes and you lifers did that. And we can do it again. And we're going to do it again. And we did it again in Mary Push's case and we did the most we could, but more than anybody in the history of the world's ever tried to do on Haley's case, but we're not done with that yet.

[Cindy Overton]

And Barbara Blunt.

[Woody Overton]

Hell, Ms. Barbara Blunt, absolutely. But I'm talking about the. Wow. All right, so you got anything else?

[Cindy Overton]

No.

[Woody Overton]

Happy Halloween.

[Cindy Overton]

Happy Halloween.

[Woody Overton]

We'll holler child later. Peace.

[Ali Jackson]

If you're a podcast host, listen up. This one's for you. My name is Allie Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle. And I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform. With Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales. It's not just typical ad sales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently, too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships. Bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial. That's redcircle.com for a free trial.