Too Close to Home Podcast

121: The Loveland Frog - Michigan J. Frog Could Neva

We have more fun cryptid surprises in store for you this week with a short yet sweet episode! Today we talk about the bipedal, wand-waving, small-town local legend by the name of the Loveland Frog! First spotted in Loveland, Ohio, the Loveland Frog is a famous and beloved mascot for its eponymous town. Remaining elusive with just a few claimed appearances since the 1950's, this amphibious wizard (likely a Hufflepuff) is sure to bring a smile to your face as we discuss its origins, sightings, and the parades and festivals the curious cryptid inspired.

120: The Flatwoods Monster - Hysteria Bouts

Imagine you are playing outside an elementary school, when suddenly a bright light flashes across the sky and crashes into a nearby hillside. When you go to investigate, you discover something terrifying... something otherworldly. We are talking about the Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia: A cryptid of an... "alien" nature. The stories surrounding this mysterious entity have captured the imagination of residents and businesses around Flatwoods for decades. But what exactly is the Flatwoods Monster? A barn owl? An extraterrestrial? Is it the butt-probing kind or the more friendly kind? Come and get wild and wonderful with us!

119: Bigfoot and the Emerald Triangle, Part 3 - Worst Camp Ever

First we puff, puff, pass while providing a basic education on legal and illegal hemp qualities and strains, talk about the crackdown on drug operations with CAMP, "Campaign Against Marijuana Planting", and then we get right into the star of the show: the supposed murder of 3 trimmigrants by our boy Sassie. We follow journalist David Holthouse's investigation into that fateful night in 1993, with places and interactions which are sometimes humorous, and sometimes very dangerous. From old hippies, to weed kingpins, to Hell's Angels members, each story brings us closer to the truth and the answer to the ultimate question: Should Bigfoot be convicted or vindicated?

118: Bigfoot and the Emerald Triangle, Part 2 - Reefer Madness

In part 2 of our series, we start by getting a lesson on biomechanics and species divergence: two things which help us understand how ol' Sassie could potentially be a real, living being. We then take a massive detour and talk about the history and criminality of marijuana, the back to the land movement of Northern California, and how the conditions of the area make it perfect for high quality cannabis cultivation. I know what you're asking: how is this related to Bigfoot? It may be standing in the shadows of the cannabis farms of the not-so-peaceful Emerald Triangle, and maybe... just maybe... it has a violent appetite. 

117: Bigfoot and the Emerald Triangle, Part 1 - Sassy Origin Stories

Time to pass the dutchie 'pon the left hand side, and straight into the hands of probably the most famous cryptid in the world... Bigfoot, or the Sasquatch! We go way back to the beginning with the origins of the Bigfoot legend as described in Indigenous American oral history, and go forward in time to the stories and evidence presented during the modern era within the Emerald Triangle and beyond. Does Bigfoot really exist? Is it a protector figure, or is he a ferocious beast capable of violence... even murder? In order to understand Bigfoot's link to the world's superhighway of the finest quality ganja, we first have to understand the misunderstood beast itself. 

116: The Milton Florida Murders, Part 2 - Organic Brain Damage

We jump right into the investigation into the murders, and Lawrence is quickly identified as a number one suspect, and the search of his home yields many discoveries... some hilarious and some disturbing. Following some robbery and car chase shenanigans, Rodgers is also quickly apprehended. In the trial that comes, is it determined they are just mentally ill and didn't have their faculties about them? Or did they know exactly what heinous acts they were committing?

115: The Milton Florida Murders, Part 1 - The Devil Is In The Details

In this listener request series, we shed light on a little known yet brutal series of murders which occurred in the small town of Milton, Florida in 1998... one that our own Becky actually grew up in! We jump straight into the crime spree of perpetrators Jeremiah Rodgers and Jonathan Lawrence, beginning with the murder of Lawrence's cousin Justin Livingston. Following some 3D Doritos and small-town petty drama, we arrive at the day of Jennifer Robinson's date with Jeremiah Rodgers... the last day she is seen alive.

114: The Yukon Beaver Eater - The More You Know

Just imagine for a second that you are an innocent beaver... hiding away in your dark, wet habitat... when all of a sudden, you are exposed to a beast with a voracious appetite... one that loves to eat beaver. Now get your mind out of the gutter! We are referring to the giant sloth-like cryptid: The Yukon Beaver Eater! If we stop laughing long enough, we may even talk about its history, sightings, and some science. Come join us for some much needed mind bleach!