Skelecast
By Kolibri Forensics
A new three part series on the Whitechapel Murders (“Jack the Ripper”) is currently being worked on with a projected release in late 2021 followed by an episode on the Keneeka Jenkins case.
This podcast is brought to you by Kolibri Forensics, a nonprofit organization. Suggestions for other cases or topics are welcomed. Contact the host on Twitter @4N6Steve
SkelecastDec 20, 2019
Questions from Kids: What is Rigor Mortis?
A quick review of the basics of what rigor mortis is, what it is not, and what it can tell us about a case. The second half of the episode is more scientifically intensive and is intended to answer questions we received from adults about rigor mortis.
If you have any questions or need further information, please message us on Twitter (@kolibriforensic) or via the organization website (www.kolibriforensics.org)
To support the Skelecast and Kolibri Forensics, the nonprofit organization that sponsors it, please check out: https://www.kolibriforensics.org/how-to-help/donate.html
If you are interested in volunteering with Kolibri Forensics, please go to: https://www.kolibriforensics.org/how-to-help/volunteer.html
The Problems with Perceiving "Surgical Skill" in Death Investigations
Often you hear it mentioned in cases-- like the "Jack the Ripper" killings-- that a perpetrator exhibited "surgical skill". There are a few problems with this and it can easily lead investigators (professional and avocational alike) away from the guilty party if they are not careful.
Reasons Why Some Aircraft are Never Found
A quick and straightforward general explanation for why aircraft go missing and why we have to put up with nonsense like the "Bermuda Triangle", etc.
If you enjoy this or any of the other episodes, it would be appreciated if you made a donation to the nonprofit organization that sponsors the show, Kolibri Forensics. We are a team of volunteers who look for missing aircraft (both civilian and military), their crews, and their passengers in order to help close the cases and assure a proper burial for the victims. https://www.kolibriforensics.org/how-to-help/donate.html
Caution: There are a couple instances of mild swearing in this so if you don't want your kids to hear the use of the word "bull****", you might want to listen when they are not around.
The Dyatlov Pass Incident: Fact versus Fiction
The facts are more interesting than the conspiracy theories or even the most inventive tale involving Russian Bigfoot.
Questions from Kids: "Do people's pets actually eat them after they die?"
There are a lot of questions I get from the kids of listeners. This is one of them.
Audience Questions: Does Anything Still Gross Steve Out?
The short answer is 'yes'. Tune in for details to find out exactly what does.
Audience Questions: Do You Really Put Stuff Up Your Nose to Deal with the Smell of Decomposition?
A quick "mini-episode" answering a question from a listener.
Stop Saying "It's Just a Circumstantial Case"
Steve goes off on one of his pet peeves regarding the true crime community.
The Death of Lucille Elaine Devries
How does a sober adult burn to death in a parked car? It has to be foul play. Right?
The Difference between Cause, Manner, and Mechanism of Death
A quick explanation (that borders on a rant at times) about why you cannot use these terms interchangeably.
Questions from Kids: Cattle Mutilation
What actually causes what people commonly refer to as "cattle mutilation"? Steve tries to answer the question from the child of a listener without causing nightmares.
Debunking the Death of Elisa Lam
What happens when you have a young woman die in a low-rent hotel in the seedy part of Los Angeles? Conspiracy nonsense, of course. The actual story of the disappearance and death of Elisa Lam is far more nuanced and interesting than many people think. The evidence will provide the right answers and allow the case to be viewed in a way that is not disrespectful to the memory of Miss Lam.
Waxing Grave about Grave Wax: Adipocere
Come learn a bit about a quirk of human decomposition and how it relates to candle making.
NOTE: This is one of the early Skelecast episode so the editing is less than perfect.
Debunking the "Disappearance" of the Sodder Children
The Sodder family home burned on Christmas Eve in 1945. The majority of the children were never found and, according to the legend that has built up around the case, they were kidnapped. The actual facts in the case bear little resemblance to the way the story is often told.
NOTE: This was the first Skelecast episode so it is completely unedited. I am planning to rerecord this episode in the near future.
Debunking the Death of Natalie Wood
We all know the tabloid rumors: Natalie Wood was murdered by her husband. But does the evidence actually support that conclusion?
The Isdal Woman Case
I love a good spy novel as much as the next person but it does not mean I can stand a real case being turned into something that it is not. The Isdal Woman, the unidentified body found outside Bergen, Norway is one case where that has happened. The actual identity of the woman is unknown and, like nature, the Internet abhors a vacuum so a myth has been built up around this poor victim. Often it bears little resemblance to the actual facts in the case.
NOTE: This was one of the early Skelecast episode so it is largely unedited.
Debunking the "Smile Face Murders" Hypothesis
The urban legend involving the misrepresentations of the unrelated deaths of college age men in bodies of waters has become a popular diversion for many. However, the actual evidence bears little resemblance to the way it has most often been presented online and in television.
Debunking the Disappearance of Frederick Valentich
One of the most often discussed cases in the "UFO community", the loss of Frederick Valentich on a flight off the south coast of Australia is often viewed as mysterious or other worldly. What does the evidence actually indicate though?