Heart Starts Pounding Season 3, Episode 21: Hit Man: The True Story of a Fake Contract Killer

1

Haunted New Orleans: Cursed Cemeteries, Voodoo Queens, and more

Come with me on my trip to one of the most haunted cities in the world, New Orleans. Which ghosts haunt the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1? Could Marie Laveau truly influence the legal system with her voodoo? And for as hard as I tried, did I actually see a ghost?

44 min

2

India: A Horror, A Haunting, and A Mystery

Women dropping dead inside of temples, a haunted limestone mine, and a mysterious orb of light attacking locals. We're doing a taste of Indian history and folklore by sampling one story from each category.

48 min

3

Terrifying True Urban Legends: Australia

A ghost ship. The Button Man. A shark that threw up a major clue to a murder. Today we're talking about Australian urban legends and the terrifying truth behind them.

43 min

4

Griselda Blanco: The Dark History of Cocaine's Queenpin

Before there was Pablo Escobar, there was Griselda Blanco, a woman who left the slums of Colombia to become a billionaire boss of the cocaine trade. If there's one thing Griselda knew, however, it's that the high couldn't last forever.

39 min

5

Pet or Predator: The Deadly Consequences of Keeping Exotic Animals

What happens when a man tries to keep one of the deadliest creatures on the planet as a pet? Or when an Ohio man who has kept over 50 lions in cages in his backyard decides he wants to unleash them on the town? Today, we're talking about the deadly consequences of people trying to keep wild animals as pets.

42 min

6

Love and Lies Pt.1: The Disappearance of Sandra Clifton

In 2011, Sandra Clifton found her perfect match on a dating site. Handsome, charming, successful--David Hendy was everything she wanted. The only problem was... David Hendy didn't exist

38 min

7

Love and Lies Pt.2: The Captor

In 2015, Robert Hendy Freegard disappeared with Sandra Clifton. Robert's shocking past is uncovered in the search to find her, including the story of a woman he held captive for a decade.

47 min

8

She Fell From The Sky: The Sole Survivor of Flight 508

When Juliane Koepcke boarded flight 508 with her mother on Christmas Eve, 1971, she knew the airline they were flying had a horrible reputation. She never imagined that she'd be the only person of the 92 on board to survive the flight.

47 min

9

Morbid Medicine: Human Experiments

A brain disease caused by a routine treatment, a deadly medical mixup during a medical trial, and a doctor hell bent on proving he can give patients cancer. Today's episode has 3 stories about what happens when you run tests on unsuspecting patients

38 min

10

Murder House: The Korean Cannibal Gang and the Woman Who Escaped Them

Rule #1: We Hate The Rich. Rule #2: Death is the only thing that awaits he who betrays this group. Rule #3: Never trust a woman, not even your own mother. This is the story of the Chijon Family, South Korea's most infamous gang, and the woman they kidnapped who lead to their undoing.

46 min

11

Haunted Mexico City: Three Tales of Horror

The legend of the Burned Woman, the Black House, and the ghosts of Lecumberri prison. Today, we're talking about the folklore, myths, and legends stemming from Mexico City.

35 min

12

8 Brutal Execution Methods from Ancient Times

The waist chop, slow slicing, being thrown to the beasts, and more. Today, we're traveling back in time to check out 8 of the most brutal execution methods from ancient times.

33 min

13

Folklore: Southern Gothic Horror

The haunting of the Gray Man, The vengeful Witch of Yazoo, and the man who made a deal with the devil. Today we're exploring the horrors of the gothic south.

35 min

14

Old Hollywood Ghosts: Haunted Hotels, Star-Studded Seances, and more

The ghost sightings of the Knickerbocker Hotel, a woman makes a final attempt to contact her husband on the other side, and an actress whose premonition proved fatal. Join me as we discuss the ghost stories of Old Hollywood.

35 min

15

Old Hollywood Scandal: Clara Bow, The First 'It' Girl

From her tragic childhood, to her meteoric rise to fame, all the way through the scandal that ended her career. Who was Clara Bow? And why is her story so relevant today?

40 min

16

Old Hollywood Curses: The Superman Curse, Rosemary's Baby, and more

Can films be cursed? What about specific roles? Today we're going to look into the story of a curse that was placed on Hollywood in the 1800's, and the ripple effects that may have had.

37 min

17

Old Hollywood Murder: The Mysterious Death of William Desmond Taylor

Hollywood's first whodunnit. Two young starlets, an angry mother, a scorned valet, a corrupt DA, and the dead body of one of Hollywood's most prolific directors. What happened to William Desmond Taylor, and who knows more than they're telling?

42 min

18

Terrifying True Urban Legends: The Canadian Wilderness

Two terrifying legends from deep within the Canadian wilderness. The first is about creatures in the woods that possess your mind and make you crave human flesh, and the second is the mystery of an entire village that vanished one night

36 min

19

Listener Stories: True Horror Tales

A demonic presence from a dream that appears in real life. A ghost that knows people better than they know themselves. And a little girl who thought her friend in her basement was just imaginary.

31 min

20

Stalking: Baby Reindeer Fact Vs. Fiction, Inside Venezuela's Nightmare Stalker, and more

What's true and what's exaggerated in the Netflix show Baby Reindeer? And what does the real woman behind Martha think about it? We're also going to dive into the story of a woman who has been relentlessly stalking other women in Venezuela for 7 years, and share some stories that listeners reached out with.

39 min

21

Hit Man: The True Story of a Fake Contract Killer

What if I told you the most sought-after hit man in Houston in the 90's wasn't really a hit man? He worked for the police. Gary Johnson spent his career working with members of his community who thought they were hiring someone to kill their loved ones. They were other police officers, churchgoers, and parents. But they all had a dark side, and they all wanted instant gratification. And now, Gary is the subject of a new movie streaming on Netflix, HIT MAN.

41 min

22

Amusement Park Horrors: Dark Summer Series

As we begin our Dark Summer Series, We're investigating three stories of deadly amusement park rides.

41 min

23

Murder at Sea: A Cruise Mystery // Dark Summer Series

The story of what happened to Klaus Schleke and Bettina Taxis one fateful night in 1987, and a twist you won't believe.

41 min

24

Backwoods Horror: Creepy Encounters, Cryptids, and more // Dark Summer Series

We're exploring three tales of horror from the backwoods for this episode of Dark Summer. An army of the undead in Hawaii, a Cryptid in the woods of Wisconsin, and a strange man on the edge of someones property.

37 min

25

Vanished At Summer Camp // Dark Summer Series

Bonnie Bickwit vanished with her boyfriend from a summer camp in Upstate New York in 1973, during a summer where a serial killer was terrorizing the area. And in 1991, Jared Negrete was left behind by a troop leader on a hike, and then never seen again. The last photo left of him may hold a chilling secret.

33 min

26

Human Experiments, Trafficked Athletes, and Poisoned Runners: America's First Olympics // Dark Summer Series

The 1904 Olympic Games were considered to be the darkest games in history. A mad scientist was able to run experiments on athletes while the games went on, runners were given poison to enhance their performance, and people were stolen from all over the world and forced to compete

37 min

27

Haunted Resorts: The White Witch of Rose Hall and The Ghosts of Hotel Del Coronado // Dark Summer Series

We're continuing our descent into Dark Summer with a look at some of the most haunted, summery resorts in the world. Would you dare stay a night in the most haunted room at the Hotel Del Coronado?

37 min

28

Help Wanted: Lured By A Killer // Dark Summer Series

We're looking at two cases of people who believed they were answering help wanted ads for summer jobs and were never seen again. The cases of Margaret Ellen Fox and The Jack Family

35 min

29

Terrifying True Urban Legends: Summertime Edition // Dark Summer Series

Lights of a ghost plane that illuminate a New Jersey forrest, the legend of a hermit who lives in the woods in Maine, and a woman found at the bottom of a lake in New York. These are three urban legends with some terrifying truths behind them.

34 min

30

The Isdal Woman Mystery: Norway's Most Puzzling Cold Case

In 1970, a woman's body was found in the Isdalen Valley of Norway. She was badly burned though no trace of a fire was found near her, all of the labels on everything she owned had been removed, and traveled with fake identities and disguises. Who was this woman, what was she doing in Norway, and what happened to her?

40 min

31

Italy, a Murder and a Mystery: The Most Haunted Island & The Maso Murders

Today, we're going to Poveglia, Italy's most haunted island, to hear stories of plague victims burned alive. Then, we're going to hear about a double murder in 1991 that shocked the entire country.

37 min

32

Eclipse Murders: An Astrology Influencer's Dark Spiral

On April 8th, astrologer Danielle Johnson took her own life, and killed her fiance and youngest child. It wasn't until someone found her twitter feed that it became apparent she was fearing the coming eclipse.

36 min

33

The Horrors of Pennhurst Asylum

Pennhurst is often referred to as one of the most haunted places in America. It's not surprising, considering it was a mental asylum that opened in 1908 and was known for torturing, experimenting on, and holding captive it's patients. Today, we're going to dive into that dark history ad the stories of the ghosts that still linger inside.

39 min

34

Listener Stories: Sleep Demons, Ghost Children, and more

Real life horror stories coming straight from listeners. We dive into stories of astral projecting, creepy toys buried in a backyard, evil imaginary friends, and more.

41 min

35

Cursed Cemeteries: Vengeful Ghosts & A Portal To Hell

Two stories of the most cursed cemeteries on earth: Recoleta Cemetery, where the ghost of a teen girl torments visitors, and Stull Cemetery, said to be a portal of hell.

32 min

36

3 Stories That Prove You Shouldn't Go In Your Basement

Basements are not just eerie, sometimes they hold secrets we may not want to know. Today, we're looking at 3 stories of people who experienced absolute terror in their basements.

28 min

37

The Hex Hollow 'Witch' Murder: A Spotify Podcast Serial Killers Crossover

Legend says that a witch was murdered at Hex Hollow, and on Halloween Night it turns into a portal to hell. But locals know there's a lot of truth behind that legend.

40 min

38

McKamey Manor Arrest: Did Extreme Haunted House Owner Go Too Far?

This past July, Russ McKamey (owner of the World's Most Intense Haunted Attraction, McKamey Manor) was arrested for attempted murder. McKamey Manor is known for being an attraction where guests are physically and verbally abused. They can have teeth extracted without novocain, be buried alive, have their worst fears preyed upon amongst other things. Though guests are given a safe word to quit the experience, it is rarely respected.

36 min

39

America's Most Cursed Family: The Dark History of The Lemp Mansion

The Lemp Mansion is considered one of the most haunted places in the country, all because of the Lemp Family that used to live there. The tragedy that befell them makes them one of the most "cursed" families in American history.

46 min

40

Halloween Horror Folkore: The Scary Origin of Jack O' Lanterns, The Real Story Behind The Headless-Horseman, and All Hallow's Eve Folklore

Let's Look into the legends, folklore, and history of the Halloween holiday. What does the devil have to do with jack o' lanterns? Who is the real headless horseman and where is he buried? And what stories were told around a fire at an All Hallow's Eve celebration thousands of years ago?

35 min

41

The Disturbing World Of Youtube Family Channels

The Stauffer family was accused of adopting a boy from China for social media clout, only to abandon him when it got too hard. What's the real story behind their decision, and what does that say about other families that put their children all over youtube?

34 min

42

Trapped: Man Kept Family in Secret Room For Years Waiting For The End Of The World

In 2019, a 25-year old man walked into a pub in Ruinerwold. He told the bartender that his father had kept him and his 5 siblings underground for the last 9 years, and told them they were the only people left in the world.

50 min

43

Folklore's Most Wicked Witches

Have you heard about Baba Yaga who lives in the forrest in Russia and eats children down to the bone? What about the witch in Mexico who is responsible for men's disappearances to this very day. Today, we're diving into three scary tales of Witches.

49 min

44

Long Haul Horror: Ghost Sightings and Creepy Encounters on The Open Road

From ghostly hitchhikers and terrifying truck stops to suspicious looking roadkill and strange noises in the dead of night, these stories will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether it's an eerie sense of being watched or bizarre encounters with the supernatural, truckers share the scariest moments they've had while driving through the darkness. Buckle up and join us for a ride into the unknown -- it's going to be a long, dark road.

42 min

45

Internet Mysteries That Were Solved This Year

From the Mandela Effect, to a bunch of concerning Instagram accounts of AI generated children, to a mysterious curtain from Norway, we're looking at the craziest internet mysteries that were solved this year. In this episode we cover The Fruit Of The Loom Mandela Effect, Celebrity #6, and SmartSchoolboy9.

44 min

46

Cold Cases That Were Solved This Year

When a case goes cold, it's easy to lose hope that it will ever be sold. But sometimes a leap in technology, or even a deathbed confession, can help families get the closure they've been looking for.

43 min

47

The Face In The Darkness // A Ghost Story

Enjoy this rendition of Charles Dickens' ghost story "To Be Read at Dusk", and happy holidays!

42 min

48

Heart Starts Pounding Wrapped!

What was HSP's most downloaded episode? What was my favorite episode to make? Which one scared me the most? This is the Heart Starts Pounding Wrapped Report!

44 min