The New York Mystery Machine

Richard Rogers Jr.  was a dangerous man in the late 80s and 90s, having murdered and dismembered queer men in NYC. What started his desire to attack men in the LGBTQ community and was he ever stopped?

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You may think you know everything about spies. But, did you know that America's first covert espionage group worked out of New York City in 1778? The Culper Spy Ring was George Washington's personal network of spies and his secret advantage in winning the Revolutionary War.

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The Sullivan Institute for Research in Psychoanalysis was a radical psychoanalytic group that operated in New York City from the late 1950s until the early 1990s. The group was founded by Saul B. Newton and Dr. Jane Pearce, and began with unconventional ideas about therapy and society, promising liberation and emotional freedom. But over time, it evolved into a tightly controlled and manipulative organization—what many former members and experts now call a cult.

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This week we're in Syracuse, the Salt City, covering two confounding cold case homicides. Jill-Lyn Euto was brutally killed in her own home on Super Bowl Sunday 2001; Terry Cornell was killed at an unknown location before having her body left on the side of the road. What happened to these young women? And why has there been such a paucity of leads in these cases? 

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We are in Chicago, 1893. The city is buzzing with the excitement of the World’s Columbian Exposition. But, not too far from the Expo grounds was a hotel...but not an ordanry hotel. It was a Murder Castle owned by the monster known as H.H. Holmes.

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Well, the Titanic has been in the news lately. With that, Adam remembered the last time it was in the news, back in 2023. They fell into a wormhole of Titanic Conspiracy Theories in an episode only for Patrons. But, we figured it was time to share that episodes and these weird conspiracy theories that range from "meh" to "WTF???" 

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X marks the spot! If you've ever dreamed of following a set of cryptic clues to dig up buried treasure, we've got not one but two treasure hunts for you! This week we're exploring the history of Otto Hillig's rumored fortune stolen from Nazi saboteurs. Then Adam and Christina tackle the weirdest treasure hunt of all - clues encoded in poetry and illustrations in the 1982 book "The Secret" that lead to a key buried somewhere in New York City -- a key that can be exchanged for an actual gemstone. 

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We've all seen the ads on TV, subway stations, billboards... 5000 Years of Chinese History...a time before Communism. But, what exactly is Shen Yun? A dance company...or, something more insidious? We take a deep dive into Shen Yun, it's origins in China, and answer the very important question...is it a cult? (It is.)

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When Myra Kniffin is found dead in her bed, her cousin tells a story of burglars entering the house and chloroforming the two women. But as her story unravels, rumors begin to fly about the cousin and Myra's own husband. We ask the hard hitting questions on this episode like: who really killed Myra Kniffin? And to what end? If you're going to stage a robbery, why wouldn't you strew clippings of "America Oggi" around the crime scene?

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Judith Ann Brown disappeared and wasn't investigated as a missing person for decades, despite disappearing with a known murderer who was an inmate at Creedmoor Hospital. Who was Judith? How did she go missing? And why did the cops not look for her?

Episode References:

Episodes 7 & 8: "Son of Sam Parts 1 & 2"

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It's time for a seance! ou know how it goes. You buy an only pre-Revolutionary War home, renovate it to it's former glory, move in, and then be forced to build an additional home on your estate because the ghosts won't leave you alone. No? Well, that's what happens in our story today!

Episode References: Hans Holzer Episodes

Episode 10: "The House of Death

Episode 25: "The Morris-Jumel Mansion"

Episode 32: "Green Ghosts & Seances in NoMad"

Episode 51: "The Amityville Horror"

Episode 64: "The Ghost of Hungry Lucy"

Episode 76: "The Haunting of 12 Gay Street"

Episode 97: "The Haunting of St. Mark's Church in the Bowery"

Episode 121: "A Ghost Lives in Brooklyn - Henny from the Block"

Episode 136: "The Poltergeists of Barberry Lane"

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We at the New York Mystery Machine love sandwiches, and today's episode is a ghost sandwich. We start with a ghost story, dive into the crime behind why the ghost is haunting Big Moose Lake, and end with more ghostly tales. Who was Grace Brown? And why would she want to spend eternity at Big Moose Lake? Find out more on this week's episode...

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This is an addendum to the February 24, 2025 episode. Has science proven who Jack the Ripper was by way of a shawl left at the scene of the first murder? Adam and Christina dive into a recent report of the "revelation" of Jack's identity!

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When you look up famous New York Crime Bosses, there is none more important that Arnold Rothstein. Rothstein set the tone for the modern crime boss of the time and, among many other things, is known for one very important piece of sports history. We know much about him but his murder, however, is still very much a mystery.

Referenced Episodes:

Episode 6: "X Marks the Spot: Hunting for Dutch Schultz's Treasure"

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This week we're in jolly ol' London at one of its most horrific points. Women in the area of Whitechapel are being brutally murdered, and the theories of who is to blame range from the mundane to the positively wild. Who was Jack the Ripper? And will we ever solve the case?

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Referenced Episodes:

Episode 19: "The Catskills Ripper - Lizzie Brown Halliday"

Episode 29: "Murder Most Foul: The Slaying of Old Shakespeare"

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Today we are taking a trip to the village where two building sit across the street from one another...both...haunted. And, then we take a stroll to a site where the bodies are buried and the spirits run free at Washington Square Park!

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Audrey Munson is the face you've seen everywhere but whose name you never heard. Audrey was an artists' model, and her body can be seen the world over - until the murder of her landlord's wife drastically changed her fortunes.

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In the late 1990s, Kristine Kupka was finishing college, saving money, thinking about grad school, and excited about her pregnancy. When she suddenly disappears after meeting up with her ex, the family becomes convinced they know what happened - but police are unable to solve the case. What happened to Kristine Kupka?

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Today we celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day. Almost fifty-seven years ago, on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was shot outside of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Just the night before he delivered the famous "Mountaintop Speech." History remembers James Earl Ray as the gunman but did he act alone? Was he involved at all? Join us as we journey down one of history's largest conspiracy theories and ask...who actually murdered Dr. King?

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This week we are exploring two murders, several years and a couple of blocks apart. Adam has a very hot take about one of the culprits - be sure to let us know your hot takes too!

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A highly requested episode, we begin the New Year in the most famous cemetery in NYC. Green-Wood is the resting place to many celebrities but does it's ground also house the spirits of dead as well?

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Join us on a trip down memory lane as we chat about some of our favorite moments from 2024! We are highlighting some of our favorite episodes, characters, songs and more!

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For years there have been rumors of huge lizards roaming the NYC sewers! Is it true? Well, according to a few articles from The New York Times, dating all the way back to 1907, this urban legend appears to be holding more water than many believe!

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There is a stretch of land, mostly forested, from New York to Vermont to Massachusetts. In the center is Bennington, Vermont where, over the course of five years, five people went missing during the same exact time period. Where did they go? Is there a connection between these missing individuals? Could it be murder? Bad luck? Coincidence? IS IT ALIENS?! (Maybe!)

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This Thanksgiving, we're covering DB Cooper - the most infamous airplane pirate in American history and the only United States airplane hijacking case to go unsolved! On the day before Thanksgiving 1971, a man with a ticket under the name "Dan Cooper" quietly (and politely) hijacked a plane on a short, routine, less-than-an-hour flight. After his demands were met (including getting him $200,000 cash), Dan Cooper disappeared into the stormy, cold, dark November night. Did he survive? What happened to the money? And above all - who was he?

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Aaron Burr may be the most unlucky of the founding fathers. After a failed Presidential run and failed Gubernatorial run, he tries something new...and something quite illegal. He attempts to starts his own country within the USA.

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This week we're going back to the late 1800s, when much of Queens was still rural farmland, dotted with dairies and criss-crossed with the LIRR. Despite how idyllic that may sound, there was also a dark side, and this week we're investigating two murders -- including one brought to our attention by Mamanelli's boss! What happened to Lizzie Buehler? Who killed Bernard Singer? Why is the common denominator in these stories involvement in the milk trade?! Find out more about those first two questions on this week's episode.

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It’s the evening of Saturday, January 17, 1987 in Ellenville, New York. Joseph Helt doesn't show up for work that evening. The night before he went out with friends and never returned home. Were those friends the reason he didn't return? What happened to the 17-year-old boy?

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In July 1980, 12-year-old David Glatzel is said to be possessed by the devil. After months of torture and chaos for him and his family, the actions of the demon lead to a murder. But was devil murderer? Was the possession a hoax? We have audio that may convince you it was the real deal!

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It's our annual witch episode! What happens when a husband and wife on Long Island are accused of witchcraft? And did you know churning butter (or the inability to churn it) was key evidence in what was New York's last (unofficial) witch trial? Find out on this week's episode.

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What is going on in Kinderhook, NY? Legend tells of a weird mysterious Blob Monster that haunts the town. And, if that's not enough, there also seems to be a Bigfoot-like creature with glowing red eyes making the rounds!

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Priscilla Budge is found dead, but the real question is by whose hand? Was she murdered? The debate raged in an upstate town for years, resulting in inquests, exhumations, and (eventually) a trial. Discover the story of Priscilla Budge and her widower husband Rev. Henry Budge on this week's episode, and let us know if you think (as Christina always does) that the husband did it.

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We have made it to Episode 150! In this episode we are covering one of the largest avoidable disasters in New York history that actually gave birth to worker's rights, the fire code, and stricter labor laws. On Saturday, March 25, 1911, the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city, and one of the deadliest in U.S. history caused the deaths of 146 garment workers. Over a hundred years later are their ghosts still trying to run to safety?

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This week we're exploring a cult that was based in Manhattan for decades. You probably haven't heard of this cult, known as Congregation for the Light or just "the Light," but we guarantee you won't forget it. Allegations include various physical and financial abuses, control over home decor (must include official cult symbols), and a belief in being reincarnated beings from Atlantis.

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A horrific discovery was made one morning in May 2004: A garbage truck driver found the body of a woman mixed among the trash he had collected. As details came to light, investigators realized the woman was Stacy Ann Sappleton, a Canadian bride-to-be who had landed in New York just days before to finish up some wedding planning. What had happened? Why hadn't she made it to her destination? And is there any hope of resolution?

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Is there a ghostly woman in white hanging around Astoria? Well, resident Mitch Waxman asked his neighbors about any paranormal activity when he first got there and the overwhelming answers seemed to be, "yes." Today, we are hearing from Mitch's neighbors on their experiences with The Woman in White...but maybe even figuring out who she is!

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When a group of late night guests pulled up to the Pierre Hotel in a limo one cold January 2, no one imagined at first glance that they were robbers. Swiftly, they took hotel staff and guests hostage while they went about robbing the vaults. Learn how these "gentleman thieves" pulled off one of the largest heists in US history on this week's episode.

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We are back in Dryden, NY speaking about the dark cloud that reigned over it from 1989 to 1999. In this second of a two-part episode we will examine the events of 1991 through 1999 in Dryden which include gruesome murders, suicides, car accidents and more. What happened in this small town and was there, in fact, a curse?

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Dryden, NY is a town in Tompkins County with a population of about 14,029, located east of Ithaca in the Finger Lakes region. But, from 1989 to 1999 a cloud rested over the town leading many to call it “The Village of the Damned.” In this first of a two-part episode we will examine the events of 1989, 1990, and 1993 in Dryden -- a mass murder, a mystery of lost child, and the brutal murder of a friend out of jealousy. Was there a curse on this town?

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Lourdes Gruart never picked up her paycheck one day in October 2000 and, when a coworker reported her missing, her brother said she was fine -- she had booked a modeling gig in Europe and would be back soon. The problem? Lourdes didn't have a passport. Lourdes had had trouble getting modeling gigs for quite some time. And Lourdes was never seen again. What happened to Lourdes Gruart? Learn about this fascinating missing persons case on this week's episode.

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Edwin Burdick was a respectable member of Buffalo high society, living now far from the city's Millionaire Row, but beneath the veneer of respectability was a failing marriage and rumors of affairs. When Burdick was found murdered in his den one morning, suspicion soon turned towards members of his inner circle. Who killed Edwin Burdick?

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A woman goes missing on Long Island near Gilgo Beach in May 2010. Her disappearance uncovers more than investigators could have imagined...the remains of many young women and eventually the identity of a serial killer.

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Check out The New York Mystery Machine, the podcast that explores all of New York's mysteries, hauntings, true crimes, abductions, cryptids and more!

Season 4's brand new episodes begin streaming on Monday, July 22!

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Last week Adam took a trip up to Hudson and made a pit stop at The Haunted Shanley Hotel (covered in Episode 41). They had a VERY strange and frightening experience that they wanted to share with you all!

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We have made it to another Season Finale! Today we are updating you on Venus Xtravaganza, NXIVM, The Brighton Axe Murder and even Isadore Fink! Plus we have your hot takes!

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It's the late 1800's in NYC's Tenderloin District. Dolly Reynolds is found murdered in a hotel room and the only suspect is a dentist? But did he do it?

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Venus Xtravaganza was a trans performer, popular in the 80's Ballroom Scene. She was young, vibrant, and bursting with energy. However, her life was cut short in this murder mystery. During this Pride month, we take a look at the life of Venus and wonder who cut her life short?

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In 1944, wartime censors intercepted some very unusual letters encoded with information to the Japanese government. What were they saying? And who was behind them? Find out this week!

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Hans Holzer is back on the show; and this time he is in Rye, New York and he is bringing his go-to mediums along to try and rid a Victorian style mansion of some angry spirits. Adam and Christina reenact two bizarre seances that happened in this house back in the 1960s!

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In 1860, a vessel, adrift in New York Harbor, was towed, boarded, and searched - only to reveal that the crew had been brutally murdered. What happened aboard the oyster sloop? What IS an oyster sloop? And how did investigators link the crime to one of New York's most notorious pirates? Find out on this week's episode of the New York Mystery Machine.

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