The Peacemaker – Episode 6: The Journal Building

Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Ben Westhoff and Ryan Krull
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode delves deep into the “Journal Building,” the notorious off-campus apartment complex in Kirksville, Missouri, that became a backdrop for two deaths closely linked to Brandon Grossheim—the central figure in the Truman State suicide cluster. Hosts Ben Westhoff and Ryan Krull explore the physical space where these tragedies unfolded, examine Grossheim’s complex relationships with the victims, and detail the strange, lingering atmosphere of the building. The episode features first-hand accounts from former residents and friends, shedding light on questions of influence, guilt, and the burdens of collective trauma.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Journal Building and Its Deaths (02:37–09:08)

• The Journal Building was notorious for hard partying, raucous behavior, and a series of tragedies. It was described as “pre-game and post-game party central” for Truman State students (03:03).

• Two key deaths occurred here:

  • Alex Vogt’s suicide (January 2017)—Brandon Grossheim was one of the last to see him alive and opened the building for police.
  • Glenna Hott’s death (July 2017)—Cause: alcohol-induced liver failure; Brandon was the last person to see her alive.

• Cody Robbins, Glenna’s ex-boyfriend and tenant in the apartment, left soon after her death, leading friends to sign a large farewell card.

• Police focused on Grossheim after seeing his card signature: “Die Master.”

  • Key exchange:
    • Police: “You signed your name Brandon G. And it says Die Master.”
    • Brandon Grossheim: “Yeah, Die Master is Beer Die Master. It’s a beer drinking game.” (05:25–05:40)

• Despite Grossheim’s explanation, suspicions persisted due to his proximity to multiple tragedies and his odd behavior.

Visiting the Journal Building (09:08–15:03)

• Ben and Ryan tour the Journal Building with Dalton McVeigh—a former roommate of Grossheim and ex-resident.

• Dalton is portrayed as quirky yet insightful, with “serious six degrees of Kevin Bacon connections” to the story (07:15).

• Their walk is peppered with quirky anecdotes (a “deer in a headlock” story, lavender plant-smoking, and banter about loud trucks).

  “[Dalton] just kind of standing there staring at me. Well, I walked up to him and I started patting him, and I just gave him a hug.”
  —Dalton McVeigh (09:11)

• The building was in disrepair—“trash and junk on the floors, holes in the doors… a washer and dryer just sitting out in the middle of the hallway” (13:59).

Meeting Quinn: Life Inside the ‘Death Apartment’ (15:03–18:36)

• The hosts and Dalton meet Quinn, the current tenant of the infamous apartment.

• Quinn learned of its tragic history only after moving in; he notes the somber oddity but ultimately treats the place as “just an apartment” (16:06).

• Supernatural elements surface—Quinn describes “saging” the apartment and his girlfriend’s belief they encounter ghosts:

  “She hears knocking and stuff and she says that door moves all the time, that closet. But… I haven’t experienced anything too crazy.”
  —Quinn (16:35)

• The lofted bed area: a focal point where one death occurred. Quinn explains how easy it is to fall from, especially when drunk, supporting Grossheim’s account that Glenna could have fallen (18:20):

  “It’s difficult enough to stay in one of these lofted bed areas when you’re sober. If you’ve been drinking, falling out is a definite possibility.”
  —Narrator (19:38)

  “I think that is so believable.”
  —Quinn, re: falling out of bed (19:13)

The Specter of Brandon Grossheim (18:36–21:54)

• Quinn is familiar with the “cluster suicide” story but confuses some details, referencing “Phi Lam” instead of Alpha Kappa Lambda (20:01–20:16).
• A spooky moment: a door blows open to reveal a mess inside Grossheim’s old apartment—“Domino’s delivery boxes flattened out on the floor, an overflowing, dirty laundry basket, a cat meowing at us… lacked the most basic things you'd expect… like a functioning door” (20:42).

Tracing Brandon Grossheim’s Footsteps (25:48–29:40)

• After the Journal Building, Dalton leads a tour of Grossheim's other residences:
  • Apartment above Polly Eyes Pizza: Rundown, no hot water—“not what most people would consider like acceptable living conditions for a developed nation.” —Dalton McVeigh (26:30)
  • Fraternity-adjacent house: Targeted by arson and overrun with cats—and kittens. Grossheim was a noted “cat person.”
• Audio clips from Grossheim’s Facebook videos reveal a fixation with his cats, hinting at a turn toward isolation following the deaths (27:24–29:27).

Brandon’s Decline—Substance Abuse & Isolation (29:40–31:30)

• Dalton details Grossheim's escalating alcoholism after the deaths:
  • “He had kind of, like, developed a pretty bad alcohol addiction… [eventually] full blown addiction. He would be drinking in the morning, like very visibly inebriated on the job.” —Dalton McVeigh (29:40–31:30)
• Grossheim became withdrawn, barely speaking to his parents, and coped with sadness through cats and poetry.

Reflection & The Larger Mystery (31:30–32:55)

• The episode closes with a reflection on the urge to scapegoat Grossheim and a reminder to consider broader possibilities:

  “If you think Brandon is guilty of encouraging his friends to commit suicide, you probably don't have a lot of sympathy for him… But… what if the real problem, the more likely explanation for all these deaths, what was more obvious, what if it had been right in front of us the whole time?”
  —Narrator (32:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Die Master is Beer Die Master. It’s a beer drinking game.”
  —Brandon Grossheim explaining his nickname to police (05:40)
• “There was one time I got a deer in a headlock out there. Wild stuff.”
  —Dalton McVeigh reminiscing about Kirksville oddities (09:08)
• “I just sort of got the place saged. That was just my move.”
  —Quinn on moving into the apartment with a dark past (16:21)
• “He would be drinking in the morning, like very visibly, like, inebriated on the job.”
  —Dalton McVeigh on Grossheim’s alcoholism (31:16)

Important Timestamps

• 02:37 – Introduction to the Journal Building’s tragic history
• 05:25 – Police investigation of Grossheim’s “Die Master” signature
• 09:08 – Entering the Journal Building with Dalton McVeigh
• 13:59 – Arrival at the infamous apartment, vivid description of the building
• 15:03–18:36 – Interview with Quinn, the current tenant
• 19:13 – Discussion about the plausibility of a fatal fall from the loft bed
• 20:42 – Direct peek into Grossheim’s old apartment, still in disarray
• 25:48–27:27 – Dalton’s tour of Grossheim’s various apartments and love for cats
• 29:40–31:30 – Dalton describes Grossheim’s increasing alcoholism post-tragedy
• 32:23 – Episode reflection: questioning the simple narrative of blame

Tone & Language

• The hosts balance journalistic detachment with empathy for those affected, often using dry humor or candid, informal language (“kind of a dump”; “pretty wild place to live”).
• Dalton’s offbeat storytelling and Quinn’s laid-back candor inject levity into a heavy subject.
• The episode’s exploration of the building’s eerie ambiance (ghost stories, repeated door slamming) gives it an uncanny, haunted-house feel.

Summary

This episode uses a boots-on-the-ground exploration of the Journal Building to humanize the broader tragedy at Truman State, highlighting physical realities, lingering lore, and the complex social web surrounding Brandon Grossheim. By interviewing current and former residents, the hosts demystify some elements while reinforcing the sense of unresolved trauma. Grossheim’s continued proximity to multiple deaths, his social isolation, and his descent into alcoholism underscore the dangers of scapegoating—and the challenge in untangling fact from speculation in a close-knit college town wracked by loss.

The episode closes with a teaser, hinting that next time, the hosts will further investigate whether the community’s collective grief may have obscured more prosaic but no less tragic explanations for the suicide cluster.