Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories
Episode: 30 TRUE Disturbing Scary Stories | Episode 634
Host: Southern Cannibal
Date: Feb 18, 2026
Episode Overview
This extra-long, chilling episode of Southern Cannibal's Scary Stories is a marathon of 30 listener- and Reddit-submitted tales. The common thread: raw, deeply unsettling true stories of danger, predation, violence, and brushes with the worst humanity has to offer. Emphasizing how life's most terrifying moments often strike where we least expect, these stories range from nightmarish relationships and violent crime to disturbing encounters with strangers, serial predators, inexplicable wilderness run-ins, childhood close calls, and the traumas experienced by first responders. If there’s a lesson here, it's to trust your instincts, be wary of unassuming danger, and never take safety for granted.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Toxic Relationships That Escalate Into Criminal Horror
[00:05 – 09:45]
- Story of a young woman who unknowingly becomes involved with a man living a double life—illegal activities, multiple partners, escalating deception.
- Red flags dismissed (multiple houses/cars, secretive behavior).
- Emotional manipulation keeps her tethered despite clear warning signs.
- Night of horror: Ex asks her to help him flee to Tijuana; she later finds out he murdered his other girlfriend.
- Police investigation implicates her as possible accomplice, resulting in raids, DNA tests, and seizure of personal items.
- The psychological toll and lasting guilt of near brushes with violent crime.
- Notable Quote:
- “My friends and family all tell me that I got really lucky that he didn't kill me as well.” – [08:55]
2. Stalker Nightmares and Neighborhood Predators
[09:46 – 21:10]
- A young woman in a new apartment complex is targeted by known stalker George; authorities are helpless.
- Harassment escalates from staring to strategic lurking, culminating in a violent knife attack on her father, who survives only because of his size and intervention from others.
- Community learns George had stashed weapons and stalked many women, yet the justice system fails to provide lasting consequences.
- Notable Quote:
- “I probably owe my life to my dad. If he hadn't fought George for me, maybe I would have been the first victim…” – [20:50]
3. Intuition, Animals, and Intruders
[21:11 – 25:19]
- Teen narrowly escapes a potentially home invasion or worse when her father's unease about a stranger leads to quietly arming themselves while the "salesman" is in the bathroom.
- Dog's instincts prove trustworthy.
- Takeaway: Never let a stranger in the house, no matter how plausible their excuse.
4. Online Predators and App-Facilitated Dangers
[25:20 – 33:00]
- Multiple cautionary tales about social apps gone awry.
- Suicidal teenager is targeted on Whisper by an older predator posing as a helper, who abducts, violently assaults, and nearly kills her.
- Police involvement and survivor’s realization: naïveté can be nearly fatal.
- Quote:
- “I never got my answers, but I'm a lot more cautious now and don't meet any strangers. It definitely didn't cure my depression, but I'm not suicidal anymore.” – [32:40]
5. Sexual Violence, Party Dangers, and Trusted Friends' Betrayal
[33:01 – 38:43]
- At a party, trusted trio of friends are split apart; one member sexually assaults and attempts to kill a 14-year-old, then tries to hide the crime.
- Law enforcement complications when perpetrator's father is a police sergeant.
- Graphic and unflinching look at grooming and predation within social circles.
- Quote:
- “You absolutely destroyed this girl's life. I hope you fucking rot in hell for the rest of your life.” – [38:35]
6. The Woods Are Full of Secrets: The Dark Side of Wilderness
[38:44 – 47:10]
- Forest service workers repeatedly discover evidence of criminal activity in secluded areas: abandoned buildings filled with pornography, children's clothing, and makeshift bunkers.
- Direct encounter with a man hiding onsite, leading to police and firefighters busting up the compound and finding evidence of a child exploitation ring.
- Logging crew discovers a secluded "rape kit" and is later attacked in their camper—one crew member is later murdered.
- Quote:
- “There were porn magazines scattered all over the floor, pillows and blankets as well as children's clothing. I backed up and started walking back to the road…” – [41:55]
7. Australian Wilderness Terror—Meeting the Button Man
[47:11 – 50:35]
- Campers in remote Victoria experience escalating evidence of someone lurking—food missing, belongings rearranged, footprints, then direct confrontation with the infamous bushman known as the “Button Man.”
- Revelation that he is possibly connected to numerous disappearances in the area.
- After encounter, campers quickly flee and later confirm stories from local lore.
- Quote:
- “Oh, you met the Button Man.” – [50:10]
8. Disturbing Encounters on the Road
[50:36 – 53:28]
- Repeatedly encountering the same eerily out-of-time man with a broken down car—his demeanor and behavior fray the narrator’s nerves.
- For once, trusting intuition and not stopping likely averted tragedy.
9. Stranger Danger—Then and Now
[53:29 – 58:05]
- Tales from the 1970s through early internet era, showing how predation and grooming techniques evolve but the threat remains: from charming men with Saran Wrap and ropes to online stalkers who track and call teens across state lines.
- Early chatroom anonymity shattered by a relentless, skilled predator.
- Quote:
- “Friday the following week, I was sleeping over at my best friend's house. … Hey, you live in Houston. Your parents are James and Sarah Miller, and you live at 1655 South Grand.” – [57:00]
10. Ordinary Monsters: Neighbors, Coworkers, and Serial Killers
[58:06 – 01:10:35]
- Multiple stories about people blending into daily life—neighbors, coworkers, even military colleagues—revealed later to be serial killers or violent offenders.
- Sometimes close calls; sometimes tragic references to real murderers (e.g. George Hennard, the Luby's massacre shooter; and Christina Edkins’ killer on a city bus).
11. Close Calls and Near-Abductions
- Multiple stories: Childhood interactions with would-be abductors; a “charming” stranger who lures women into his car; girls barely dodging predators’ plans due to a sudden realization or the intervention of a bystander.
12. The Trauma of First Responders
[01:10:36 – 01:30:35]
- Veteran EMTs and firefighters recount the pain of fatal accident scenes, failed rescues, and the emotional cost of holding a grieving, newly bereaved mother.
- The burden of witnessing innocents' death: from young children in car wrecks to the desperate work at major fires in Australia.
- Quote:
- “I love my job, but this call has to be the saddest one that I've ever responded to. Two little boys lost their mother and a mother lost her daughter.” – [01:23:15]
Notable Quotes & Moments
Emotional Gut-Punches
- “My friends and family all tell me that I got really lucky that he didn't kill me as well.” [08:55]
- “I probably owe my life to my dad. If he hadn't fought George for me, maybe I would have been the first victim…” [20:50]
- “I've learned two things about this experience. One, always trust your dogs … And two, do not ever let some stranger into the house if they ask for something like using the bathroom.” [25:09]
- "I never got my answers, but I'm a lot more cautious now and don't meet any strangers. It definitely didn't cure my depression, but I'm not suicidal anymore.” [32:40]
- “I hope you fucking rot in hell for the rest of your life.” [38:35]
- “Oh, you met the Button Man.” [50:10]
- “Friday the following week, I was sleeping over at my best friend's house. … Hey, you live in Houston. Your parents are James and Sarah Miller, and you live at 1655 South Grand.” [57:00]
- “I love my job, but this call has to be the saddest one that I've ever responded to. Two little boys lost their mother and a mother lost her daughter.” [01:23:15]
Other Memorable Details
- The horrifyingly casual approach of both real and would-be killers as recounted by those who barely escaped.
- The physical and psychological cost to those who work with death—both first responders and those who are forever changed by what they survived.
- The repeated motif: it's not always the shadowy stranger you have to fear, but sometimes those closest, or the ones who seem perfectly ordinary.
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [00:05] – Start of first disturbing relationship story
- [09:46] – The George stalker assault and aftermath
- [21:11] – Doorstep home invasion, trusting dogs
- [25:20] – Online predator stories via apps
- [33:01] – Sexual violence, grooming at party
- [38:44] – Deep woods: child predator evidence & bunkers
- [47:11] – Australian wilderness and the Button Man
- [50:36] – The broken down “travolta” motorist encounter
- [53:29] – 1970s story: charming predator in a truck
- [57:00] – Early internet chatroom predator “Corey” turns up at home
- [01:10:36] – First responders' trauma, fire and accident scenes
- [01:23:15] – “Saddest call” EMT story
- [01:30:00] – Final crash/trauma stories, close of main content
Tone & Language
The episode retains its signature Southern Cannibal tone—thick with empathy for survivors, raw honesty, and a matter-of-fact, often conversational recitation style. The language is candid, sometimes graphic, full of emotion but never sensationalistic. The focus throughout is on learning, listening, and honoring the raw courage and pain of lived experience.
Conclusion
This episode is a sobering journey through real-life horror. Each story, from chilling brushes with would-be killers to the weary exhaustion and heartbreak of first responders, hammers home that evil can wear a familiar face—and sometimes the only thing separating you from tragedy is instinct, luck, or a well-timed intervention. For the faithful audience, this is storytelling not for voyeuristic thrills, but as a warning, a comfort for survivors, and a reminder: trust your gut, take care of those around you, and don’t take safety for granted.
Content warnings: Graphic violence, sexual assault, murder, suicide, child predation, detailed traumatic incidents.
Listener discretion very strongly advised throughout.