Podcast
The House Red
Hosted by Justin Holt & Kimberly Ramey · EN
History is stranger than fiction---and we're here to prove it. Welcome to The House Red, the podcast where we uncork the wildest, weirdest, and most unbelievable true stories from history. From bizarre plagues to daring heists, twisted scandals to forgotten legends, we dive into the past's juiciest tales with a twist of dark humor and a splash of intrigue. So pour yourself a glass and get ready---because history has never been this intoxicating.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Greenbriar Ghost: The Witness Beyond the Grave
3w ago00:44:23Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The House Red, we dive into the chilling true story of the Greenbrier Ghost — the only known case in U.S. history where a ghost’s testimony helped solve a murder. Young bride Zona Shue was found dead under mysterious circumstances and what followed shocked an entire town, baffled a courtroom, and turned a local legend into one of America’s strangest murder cases.
Transcribe →Genghis Khan: From Outcast to Emperor
May 400:59:18Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore the life of Genghis Khan—from an outcast on the Mongolian steppe to the leader of one of the largest empires in history. Was he a ruthless conqueror who left devastation in his wake, or a brilliant strategist who reshaped the world? We break down his rise, his tactics, and the lasting impact of the Mongol Empire—and ask whether history has judged him fairly.
Transcribe →The Mad Gasser: Gaslight in Mattoon
Apr 2000:44:15Tap to summarizeIn 1944, the quiet town of Mattoon, Illinois was gripped by a bizarre and terrifying mystery. A phantom attacker. A town in panic. And a mystery that still doesn’t quite make sense. This week, The House Red dives into the strange case of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon.
Transcribe →Mucutuy Siblings: 4 Children, 40Days
Apr 1300:38:50Tap to summarizeAfter a plane crash deep in the Amazon, four children vanished into one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. For 40 days, they survived alone—guided by the eldest, whose courage and instincts kept them alive against impossible odds. This is a story of survival, resilience, and a jungle that didn’t take them.
Transcribe →José Alvarenga: 438 Days Adrift
Apr 600:52:49Tap to summarizeOut on the open ocean, there’s nowhere to run… and nowhere to hide.In 2012, José Salvador Alvarenga set out on a routine fishing trip—and vanished into one of the most unbelievable survival stories ever recorded. For 438 days, he drifted across the Pacific Ocean, battling starvation, isolation, and the endless horizon.This week on The House Red, we explore how he survived, what it cost him, and what happens to the human mind when it’s left alone with nothing but the sea.
Transcribe →Laurie Bembenek: From Cop to Centerfold to Convict
Mar 3000:33:38Tap to summarizeA former cop. A Playboy Bunny. A brutal murder.Laurie "Bambi" Bembenek's life reads like fiction—but her conviction was all too real. In this episode, we unravel how a woman with everything to lose became the center of a shocking case, and why many believe she never should’ve been found guilty.
Transcribe →Julianne Koepcke: Surviving the Amazon
Mar 2300:32:41Tap to summarizeAt 17, Julianne Koepcke fell from a plane into the Amazon—and survived. Alone and injured, she spent 11 days fighting her way through the jungle in one of the most unbelievable survival stories ever told.
Transcribe →The Great A-Flock-Alypse: 7 Days of Death
Mar 1600:38:33Tap to summarizeFor one strange week in 2010, something bizarre seemed to be happening around the world. Birds fell from the sky, thousands of fish washed ashore, and animals began dying in sudden, unexplained events. Was it coincidence, natural causes, or something far stranger? This week on The House Red, we dive into the eerie seven days when the animal kingdom seemed to collapse all at once.
Transcribe →Shock and Awe: The Story of Topsy
Mar 900:44:08Tap to summarizeIn 1903, thousands gathered at Coney Island for a spectacle unlike any other. At the center of it all was Topsy, a circus elephant with a troubled past—and a grim fate. In an era obsessed with electricity, showmen turned her execution into a public demonstration that would later become one of the earliest shocking films ever recorded.
Transcribe →Phineas Gage: A Mind-Blowing Experience
Mar 200:34:27Tap to summarizeHe lost part of his brain but stayed awake. In this episode, we tell the unbelievable true story of Phineas Gage—the man who survived the ultimate workplace accident—and how the iron that should’ve killed him instead reshaped science, psychology, and the idea of what makes you… you.
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