Too Close to Home Podcast

76: William George Bonin, Part 2 - Option C: None Of The Above

It begins with some good old satanic panic-era Dungeons & Dragons and city-wide morbid games of Clue, but the games are about to take a much darker turn. Freshly released from prison, a new and improved ("cured?") Bonin has entered a new city, embraced a new group of friends, and is about to begin his first string of brutal, sexual murders. You will learn fairly quickly that when you enter the death van, you don't leave it alive. This may not be the type of tale you want to discuss over an ice-cold Pepsi.

75: William George Bonin, Part 1 - They’re Not All Winners

One of the most vile and disgusting serial killers in American history is on full display as we begin the dark, dark drive down a highway system of terror and death. In part 1 of this horrifying series on the man who will come to be known as "The Freeway Killer", we look at Bonin's questionable early school life, increasingly violent urges, military service, and "extended" stay at Atascadero State Hospital. Not helped by a deadly combination of the gaming of the system and the failure of the system itself, this serial killer soup is slowly but surely turning a man into a monster. This is the beginning of the highway to hell.

74: The Yeti, Part 2 - Himalayan Holiday

In part 2 of our series on the legendary Yeti, we continue learning the mysteries and controversies surrounding the eponymous cryptid. The surprises keep coming as we discuss everything from Yeti hand heists involving Jimmy Stewart, to US government-mandated rules for Yeti hunting (during the Cold War nonetheless), to modern evidence brought to us by sources such as the BBC and Destination Truth’s Josh Gates. Is this just another case of a misidentified bear or ape, or are the stories really true?

73: The Yeti, Part 1 - Banana For Scale

While you were trekking up the snow-covered mountains of the Himalayas, you saw a large footprint you couldn't explain... you heard calls that echoed across the peaks... maybe it's a sign of oxygen deprivation, maybe it's a sign of the abominable snowman... the legendary Yeti! A staple of Himalayan and Buddhist folklore, the Yeti has evaded and entranced the eyes of everyone from locals to the conqueror of Mount Everest himself: Sir Edmund Hillary. Brought to you by our very own (self-appointed) Doctor of Cryptozoology, Becky Johnson, PhD, we explore the early mysteries and expeditions involving the Yeti in our very first multi-part cryptid episode!

72: Rasputin and the Romanovs, Part 4 - Stay Out Of Basements

The clock has ticked its last tock for the mad monk of Pokrovskoye and the Romanov dynasty. For the finale of this series, we first discuss the Looney Tunes-like assassination of Grigori Rasputin: a man who just refused to die, and more than you ever wanted to know about the fate of Rasputin's most prized "possession". We then proceed down more somber territory as we cover the imprisonment, tightening chokehold, and execution of the Romanov family. This brutal demise, along with the ridiculous mishaps by the Bolsheviks in an effort to "bury" the truth, marked the true beginning of Soviet Russia.

71: Rasputin and the Romanovs, Part 3 - I’m Just a Sinner

Grab your nearest bottle of Madeira wine, and ready your most touching drunken sermons! In Part 3 of our series, Rasputin goes off the deep end with his drinking habits and theatrical antics. While the powerful and stinky libertine parties, a wedge is being drawn between Rasputin, the populace, the government, and the royal family… one that spells the beginning of the end for the Romanov dynasty.

70: Rasputin and the Romanovs, Part 2 - It’s Always The Woman’s Fault

In part 2 of our series on the controversial history between Rasputin and the Romanovs, we start with Tsarina Alix’s desperate attempts to birth a male heir, and how the canonized Seraphim perhaps worked a miracle to usher the birth of son Alexei: an heir to the royal curse. How will they secure their dynasty in this dark hour? Enter Rasputin, who entranced the royals and populace with his mysticism, rock and roll lifestyle, and peasant ways… but will he be the savior they needed, or an instrument of their ultimate downfall?

69: Rasputin and the Romanovs, Part 1 - How Do You Know Which Orifice?

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago… whether you know him as the subject of a disco hit or the villain of an animated classic, the mysteries surrounding Grigori Rasputin have captured the imagination for over a century. We begin part 1 of this series with a twofold story. In one hand, we discuss the early life of the mad monk and the curious (and stinky) journey that led him to St. Petersburg. In the other, the rise of Czar Nicholas II and the events which led the Romanovs to eventually seek the man himself.