Ghoulish Tendencies

This spooky season, we dive into two of New Orleans’ most enduring vampire legends: Count St. Germain, the mysterious European aristocrat who fascinated Enlightenment courts and allegedly discovered the secret to eternal youth, and Jacques St. Germain, his 20th-century doppelgänger who hosted lavish parties and may have left more than wine stains behind. We’ll unravel the historical breadcrumbs, sift through the lore, and ask the age-old question: are these men merely the products of high-society gossip and gothic imagination… or is immortality hiding in plain sight on Royal Street? Stay tuned for part 2, where we continue our descent into New Orleans’ shadowy past, more legends, more mystery, and maybe even a few more vampires if you're lucky. Edited by Max Holechek

High in the Colorado Rockies stands a hotel that has welcomed presidents, movie stars, and curious travelers, but it is the ghosts that made it famous. In this episode, we uncover the story of the Stanley Hotel, an opulent mountain retreat built in the early 1900s that became as legendary for its hauntings as its grandeur. From its origins as F.O. Stanley’s vision of luxury and health to chilling reports of spectral children, phantom piano music, and rooms so active they inspired Stephen King’s The Shining, we explore the history and the paranormal legacy of one of America’s most iconic haunted hotels. Edited by Max Holechek

Richard Trenton Chase, also known as the “Vampire of Sacramento,” terrorized California in the late 1970s with a spree of murders involving cannibalism and delusional blood rituals. Join us as we unpack his chilling journey from a nightmarish childhood and untreated psychosis to the city-wide panic that erupted after his gruesome crimes, as we also explore how systemic psychiatric failures and missed warning signs led to the tragic descent into violence that would haunt criminal psychology forever. TW: child abuse, murder, cannibalism. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

After serving time for his first murders, Arthur Shawcross was released back into society. What followed was a series of killings that left women across Rochester terrified and police desperate for answers. In Part Two, we follow Arthur Shawcross as he reinvents himself after prison, only to unleash a wave of violence even more chilling than before. Targeting women along the Genesee River, his murders exposed failures in the system, devastated families, and escalated into one of the most notorious serial cases in New York’s history.

Before he became known as the Genesee River Killer, Arthur Shawcross’s violent urges first surfaced in two brutal murders that shocked upstate New York. Long before his killing spree along the Genesee River, Arthur Shawcross’s darkness emerged in 1972, when two young victims vanished under chillingly similar circumstances. In Part One, we trace Shawcross’s early life, the disturbing patterns that began to take shape, and the investigation into his first known murders, crimes that should have been a warning of the horrors yet to come. Edited by Max Holechek

Tucked above Pike Place Market, the Butterworth Building was once Seattle’s swankiest monument to death, complete with mahogany caskets, mourning suites, and the West Coast’s first corpse elevator. In this episode, we dig into the dark legacy of E.R. Butterworth, his creepy connection to “fasting specialist” Linda Hazzard, and the spirits that linger (not just the alcoholic kind). Special guest Jake Rice, aka Ghost Daddy, drops by to share eerie tales of paranormal activity still reported today. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

In the early hours of August 31, 1961, 8-year-old Ann Marie Burr vanished from her home in Tacoma, Washington, with no forced entry. No witnesses. No trace. More than six decades later, her disappearance remains one of the most haunting unsolved cases in the Pacific Northwest, made even more chilling by its possible connection to one of America’s most infamous serial killers. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

In 1991, high in the Ötztal Alps, a frozen body emerged from the ice, and what seemed like a mountaineering accident turned out to be Europe’s oldest natural mummy. Meet Ötzi, a 5,000-year-old Copper Age man whose remarkably preserved remains offer a chilling glimpse into prehistoric life, and possibly, death by more than just natural causes. From forensic finds to the strange and sudden deaths of researchers tied to him, rumors of a deadly curse refuse to melt away. Was Ötzi simply an archaeological marvel... or a mummy with unfinished business? Let’s dig into the ice, the evidence, and the eerie echoes of a curse that may still linger today. Audio editing by Maxwell Holechek

Is it just a local legend, or something real beneath the surface? For centuries, Lake Champlain has been home to stories of a mysterious creature known as Champ. Fact, fiction, or something in between? For generations, stories have surfaced of a mysterious creature gliding through the waters of Lake Champlain, described as serpentine, elusive, and impossible to forget. Nicknamed Champ, this lake monster has drawn the attention of locals, skeptics, cryptozoologists, and even sonar scans. But is there truth behind the legend? From Indigenous folklore to 20th-century tourism, we delve into the murky depths of this creature’s history and the question that refuses to be answered: what’s really out there? Edited by Maxwell Holechek

In this episode, we dive into the realm of the cursed and the haunted, exploring the eerie history of Baleroy Mansion and its infamous "Chair of Death." From strange deaths linked to the cursed chair to the lingering spirits of past residents, we unravel the chilling mysteries that make this mansion one of the most haunted places in America. Is the curse real? Can a piece of furniture really hold malevolent power? Tune in as we uncover the supernatural history of Baleroy, and ponder whether the spirits still haunt its halls today. Allegedlies abound! Edited by Maxwell Holechek

In the early ’90s, the bodies of women began turning up around Dallas—murdered, and missing one chilling detail—and soon, the name “The Eyeball Killer” would haunt the headlines. When the bodies of several women began turning up in the early ’90s, there was one eerie detail connecting them all—something missing that pointed to a far more sinister obsession. As the police followed the clues, suspicion fell on a seemingly upstanding man with a passion for art, anatomy, and taxidermy. But was Charles Albright the monster behind the murders, or was something even stranger going on beneath the surface? We peel back the layers of a case that’s as unsettling as it is unforgettable. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

In August 1994, Oakville, Washington, was the target of a strange, unexplained event: a shower of translucent blobs, not rain, fell from the sky. The gooey substance coated everything in sight, from windshields to grass, leaving residents and animals sick with inexplicable symptoms. Was it a freak weather anomaly or something more disturbing? Theories have swirled for years, from bombed jellyfish to secret military experiments. But despite numerous investigations, the true origin of the blobs remains a mystery. Now, with reports of similar occurrences just a few miles away in 2025, the question lingers: What really fell from the sky that summer? In this episode, we dig into the chilling details of the Oakville blob incident and the questions that still haunt the small town, and could possibly reveal a much darker truth. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

Centuries ago, on what would become Staten Island, Christopher Billopp built a house that would become notorious in history and the paranormal. What is the true history of Billop (later Conference) house? Was a servant really murdered there? And what ghosts still hang around, waiting for their story to be told? Edited by Maxwell Holechek

Part two dives into the chilling story of Edward Rulloff, a 19th-century scholar-turned-serial criminal whose brilliance masked a deeply antisocial and violent nature. Despite multiple arrests and a murder conviction, Rulloff repeatedly evaded justice, charming intellectuals and manipulating legal systems with ease, much like Ted Bundy. His eventual execution and the postmortem study of his unusually large brain sparked debates that reshaped early neuroscience, especially around psychopathy and moral responsibility. Join us as we discuss how Rulloff’s legacy endures as both a cautionary tale and a pivotal case in the history of criminal psychology. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

Before H.H. Holmes or Jack the Ripper, there was Edward Rulloff—a Victorian-era serial killer whose intellect was as notorious as his crimes. In Part One of this two-part deep dive, we explore the early life, toxic relationships, and shocking beginnings of Rulloff’s criminal career. From his obsessive pursuit of linguistic fame to the brutal and mysterious disappearance of his wife and child, we unravel the chilling contradictions of a man some called “The Victorian Hannibal Lecter.” Stay tuned for Part Two, where we’ll examine his escape, final crimes, the potential for psychopathy, and the bizarre legacy his brain left behind. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

In the second part of our two-part episode, Dorothea Puente's dark crimes begin to unravel. Still, the question remains: Can anyone truly believe this seemingly harmless “little old lady” is capable of murder? As we dig deeper into her chilling history, some believe the spirit of Dorothea herself lingers, haunting the very boarding house where her horrific acts took place. Audio edited by Maxwell Holechek

In November of 1988, detectives are called to the boardinghouse of Dorothea Puente to investigate the disappearance of one of her residents and are quickly shocked as bodies start to be unearthed. In the first part of our two-part episode, we look at Dorothea Puente's childhood, her life, and what may have led a woman to commit such horrific crimes. Edited by Maxwell Holechek

New Orleans' eerie past comes to life as we revisit the legend of the Casket Girls—18th-century brides-to-be whose arrival sparked sinister vampire lore. From the Ursuline Convent’s sealed shutters to a chilling 1978 paranormal mystery, we unravel this infamous tale's history, myth, and haunting legacy. Join us on our second rendition and updated, re-researched version! Find our original episode at our Patreon at patreon.com/GhoulishTendencies. Edited by Max Holechek

In December of 1900, three lighthouse keepers working the Flannan Isle lighthouse disappeared in a mystery that remains “unsolved” even today. What happened to the keepers? Was it something supernatural? Or does the mystery have a more logical answer? Edited by Max Holechek

In this part two episode, we continue our exploration of Heaven's Gate, focusing on the group's evolution during the 90s, their adoption of technology, and Marshall Applewhite’s increasingly apocalyptic teachings that culminated in the tragic mass suicide of 1997. We delve into the psychological, social, and cultural factors that contributed to the group's beliefs, their reliance on sci-fi themes described in Star Trek, and the profound impact on survivors, families, and society. Join us as we analyze the legacy of Heaven’s Gate, exploring how collective belief and charismatic leadership led to one of the most haunting chapters in modern history. TW: This episode discusses suicide. Audio edited by Max Holechek