Tales of the Unexpected: A Grab Bag of Odd Stories

Tales of the Unexpected: A Grab Bag of Odd Stories

Author: True Crime Campfire May 15, 2026 Duration: 53:08
People can be pretty strange. And not just people—as we’ll see in one story of this week’s episode, you can add all our extended family of primates to that. If you have a big brain and opposable thumbs, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting up to shenanigans. But as we’ll see in our other story, human beings still wear the crown for weird, ridiculously confident nonsense. Join us live at Wet Hot Bad Magic Summer Camp in Equinunk, PA, September 10-13th! Visit ⁠badmagicproductions.com⁠ for more info and to buy tickets. Tickets are on sale now for CrimeWave 2.0! Visit crimewaveatsea.com/CAMPFIRE to get your discount code for $100 off your cabin and a private meet-and-greet with us! The cruise is Feb. 8-12, 2027. Sources, Monkey Invasion case: Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-170-wild-monkeys-escaped-from-a-jungle-camp-and-terrorized-new-york-180985537/ NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1935/08/23/archives/monkey-runaways-still-number-111-32-simian-flagpole-sitters-are.html https://www.nytimes.com/1935/08/22/archives/150-monkeys-flee-camp-stop-train-simians-escape-from-frank-bucks.html Farmingdale Local History Blog: https://farmingdalelocalhistory.blogspot.com/2018/07/frank-bucks-jungle-campmassapequa-zoo.html https://omeka.hofstra.edu/exhibits/show/long-island-business-and-indus/frank-buck-collection--1935-19 https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1935/08/30/issue.html https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-174-monkeys-skip-jail/159743530/ https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026749/1935-08-24/ed-1/?sp=1&q=MASSAPEQUA&r=0.241,0.976,0.311,0.229,0 Sources, Alison Gu case: U.S. Court of Appeals filings: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-2nd-circuit/2140129.html https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/6943f1bbcfa51735e29ca3b7 Bennington Banner: https://www.benningtonbanner.com/local-news/former-winhall-woman-back-in-court-more-fraud-charges/article_f37d8ad2-dd24-11ec-94e0-4f8b05aedbae.html "Lowering the Bar," Kevin Underhill: https://www.loweringthebar.net/2025/07/defendant-recruited-seven-actors-to-testify-in-fraud-trial.html Manchester Journal: https://www.manchesterjournal.com/local-news/former-winhall-woman-headed-back-to-prison/article_63203790-1e66-11ed-ba8a-77d4d5eff5ee.html Follow us, campers!Patreon (join to get all episodes ad-free, at least a day early, an extra episode a month, and a free sticker!): https://patreon.com/TrueCrimeCampfirehttps://www.truecrimecampfirepod.com/Facebook: True Crime CampfireInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/truecrimecampfire/?hl=enTwitter: @TCCampfire https://twitter.com/TCCampfireEmail: truecrimecampfirepod@gmail.comMERCH! https://true-crime-campfire.myspreadshop.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gather round the True Crime Campfire with Katie and Whitney, where the stories are dark but the atmosphere is surprisingly warm. This isn't your standard procedural recap; it's a narrative journey into the human condition, exploring societal undercurrents and the strange, often forgotten corners of history through the lens of true crime. You can settle in for a long, chilling tale with their first season, a deep dive into the bizarre case dubbed The Puppet Master and the Prince of Darkness. Or, if you prefer your mysteries in weekly installments, their second season serves up a new stranger-than-fiction story with every episode. What makes this podcast so compelling is the balance struck by the hosts: their meticulous research provides a solid foundation, while their natural chemistry and well-timed comic relief make even the most complex cases accessible and strangely welcoming. The storytelling is seamless, pulling you into each twist without sensationalism. It’s the kind of show that makes a long drive disappear or turns a household chore into an immersive experience, proving that the most haunting stories are often those told with a human voice and a thoughtful perspective.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

True Crime Campfire
Podcast Episodes
Listen Now: Blood and Water [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
Today we’re sharing something a little different from our friends at ABC News and 20/20. It’s the first episode of a brand new original true crime series called "Blood and Water." In 2001, Leslie Preer was found brutally…
The Sausage Kingdom: The Crimes of Stuart Alexander [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:15
I’m sure most of you have heard some variant of the phrase, “nobody wants to see how the sausage gets made,” which refers to the often messy procedures behind getting things done in, say, business or politics. But it’s a…
True Lies: The Murder of Lori Hacking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:00
Secrets can ruin everything. Not little ones, we’re talking big, looming secrets that might change your life forever if they were ever brought out into the light of day. Some people just can’t help themselves, stacking l…
When Nerds Attack - Raging Fool: The Crimes of Charles Severance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:00
Anger can be useful. If you need to defend yourself or those you love, or if you need to stand up against some outrage in your community, anger can give you the necessary fire to get things done. It can also be poisonous…
You Belong to Me: The Murder of Robin Benedict [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:04
Love can be a pretty hard thing to define. It’s easier to say what it is not. Love is not secretly following someone and trying your best to keep her within sight every second of the day. Love is not trying to keep someo…
Red Weddings: The Crimes of Jill Coit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:34
Many of the stories we cover revolve around the disintegration of a marriage. It’s often a deeply traumatic event, upending entire lives and making an imagined future just vanish into nothing. It can drive some people ki…
Falling Star: The Murder of Greg de Villers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:56
Life, obviously, is easier with money. Without having to scrabble and hustle just to survive, you can be free to pursue whatever interests and fascinations you like. But wealth doesn’t make you immune to the realities of…
Cross-Country: The Murders of Josh Niles & Amber Washburn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:19
If you’re unlucky, you might have at least one person in your life who just drives you crazy, someone with whom every interaction has an edge of mutual antipathy, that makes you feel like you’re always on the brink of a…
After Dark: The Route 40 Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:38
Every night in the city, there are people out looking for something. Usually it’s just fun and excitement, but there are also those who go out looking to fulfill darker desires, who view the night city as a hunting groun…
Your Sin Will Find You: The Murder of Sue McFarland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:04
It’s hard to convict someone of murder without a body. Even if it’s plain to everyone with a lick of common sense that the victim is dead and this is the guy who killed her, a prosecutor is wary of going to trial without…