Olympia Oddities

I'm back! In this episode I recap all the ways I've been pulled in a million directions lately, from the fun (paintball! burlesque!) to the not so fun and everything in between. Once I'm done recapping my life recently, I dive into some very animal centric True Crime and Local News. Catch my exciting announcement at the end of this one. Feels good to be back!

On this episode of Side Show I talk some recent bizarre news stories out of the PNW, share some strange Washington laws, and leave you with a brief life update.

Bernice Selby was 27 years old in 1962, living in a house on the shores of Lake Cassidy near Marysville, WA and finalizing the details of the divorce of her soon to be ex husband, Donald Selby. She was last seen in October of that year, but wouldn't be reported missing until 2 months later. Investigators had a pretty solid idea of who their main suspect was. Unfortunately, (natural) disaster caught them off course and they ended up with a solid theory, but no one to bring to justice.

Sources:

The Charley Project - Bernice Selby

Facebook - Missing - Please Find Us

Seattle Times - Thirty-three years ago, Bernice Selby vanished. She was never seen again., 1995

On April 1st, 1986 Archer Ray Johnson's truck was discovered with the door propped open on the side of the road near Oakville, Washington. When his brother & his brother's wife discovered the scene, they called out to him, but got no reply. In the years that have passed since his disappearance, Archer's case has gone nearly cold. In this episode I cover the circumstances around Archer's disappearance, how local police have dropped the ball repeatedly, and cover Archer's families hard work & clues they've unearthed while doing their own investigation into his case.

For this episode of Side Show, I start the show by giving an update on Matthew Anfeldt's case, cover some updates to the podcast, then wrap the whole thing up with a PNW cryptid ranking list, some bizarre local crimes & news stories and fill you in on what's been going on in my life.

On December 21st, 2014 teenager Jarom Thomas decided to resolve a fight over a minor car accident with a single punch. That punch thrown by one of his friends ended up in Jarom Thomas' death. The next year, his parents revealed to the media that they had heard a different version of the story. The details they heard were upsetting, and conflicted with the original version of the story Jarom's friends and the police had told them. Head to Spotify or your favorite podcast platform to listen.

It's a solo Trista Side Show straight from Olympia Oddities new studio and I'm here to recap the end of summer, including my second ever burlesque show stage kitten experience, the Roy Pioneer Rodeo, and a camping trip.

Ft. The coroner leaving the campsite as I show up, Oakville's bigfoot statue, and Trista's True Crime Roundup making it's return

In today's episode, Trista tells you the story of Richard Russell, an unassuming baggage handler at SeaTac who shocked the world and those who knew him by stealing a plane. I cover the flight path his comandeered plane took, the radio communications that transpired between those trying to get him to safety and keep others out of harms way, and the tragic end to his flight.

Sources:

Rolling Stone - The Sky Thief, June 24th 2021

Seattle Times - Richard Russell was a jokester who complained about work, but SeaTac plane heist still baffles friends, August 19 2018

It's a solo Side Show episode and my return from my summer break! I talk the future of Side Show & some exciting plans coming up, recap my summer so far, including my trip to the Paranormal Circus, a podcast live show, and one of my favorite Washington establishments, Sharkys. Also in this episode: opinons on juggling, buildings shaped like coffee pots, and Godzilla pinball

Here's our recording of our first ever live show, recorded at the first ever PNW True Crime Fest. Matthew Anfeldt was just 20 years old when he disappeared from his family's home in Grand Mound, Washington under incredibly bizarre circumstances. After telling his sister he was going to grab his phone, he ended up in a nearby roadway in a panic, yelling at cars that his family had been killed and that someone was after him. He was last seen at the Speedway Grocery before fleeing out the side door, and police discovered that his family was perfectly fine. Matthew has never been seen since. We explore the details of the case and explore some possible theories behind his disappearance. Thank you to everyone who came out to make this live show possible!

Sources:

Records Request with Thurston County Sheriff's Office

Charley Project - Matthew Anfeldt

Q13 Fox - Detectives investigating whether young man's disappearance is linked to previous attack in Lacey, February 23rd, 2020

KOMO News - 'They're after me!' Thurston County man disappears after bizarre rampage, March 7th, 2019

On February 28th 2001, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the lower Puget Sound area, near Olympia. Trista shares her own story of experiencing the earthquake as a first grader in the lunchroom, we cover the type of earthquake it was, the damage caused by it, and how things have changed since then.  Ft. an Ember Goods shout-out, the worst Stevie Nicks impersonation you have ever heard, and being misquoted in the newspaper as a kid 

Sources: 

Wikipedia - 2001 Nisqually Earthquake

Wikipedia - Intraplate Earthquake

Wikipedia - 1700 Cascadia Earthquake

KIRO7 - Nisqually Earthquake: 20 Years Later

Today we tell you about a child star's reluctant return to his hometown, and his mysterious disappearance that followed. Joe Pichler moved to Hollywood as a kid to pursue an acting career in TV and movies. He moved back to Bremerton, WA to be closer to his family and graduate high school, and while the move was tough on him at first, he seemed to settle back in to life in his hometown. Shockingly, he disappeared without a trace after a night out with friends, leaving his car abandoned near an intersection with an unsettling note inside. Where did Joe Pichler go? 

TW: suicide, depression 

Sources: 

Wikipedia - Joe Pichler

Charley Project

USAToday - Former child actor Joe Pichler missing

Today we tell you about the incredibly bizarre disappearance of Bryce Laspisa, a 19 year old college student living in California. After suddenly breaking up with his girlfriend, Bryce began to drive south. He sat in his car for hours, but appeared normal to everyone who interacted with him. Hours later, his car crashed over a 25 foot embankment but Bryce was nowhere to be seen after the car's discovery. Where did Bryce go? Where was he headed? What was the cause of his erratic behavior?

TW: mentions of drug abuse, suicide, and alcoholism

Sources: 

VIZACA - Mysterious Disappearance Story of 19-Year-Old College Boy Bryce Laspisa

TRUECRIMETIMESBLOG - The Strange Vanishing of Bryce Laspisa

Today, Steven and I kick off our bigfoot coverage with the most well known bigfoot footage of all time! Join us as we discuss the lives of Patterson and Gimlin before their bigfoot expedition, the legendary footage they captured and what it contains, the aftermath of the footage, dive into what skeptics and believers have to say about it, and finish up with our own thoughts on the film's authenticity. Ft. Roy Rodgers, the Palm Springs of Washington, rockabilly, and tig ol sasquatch bitties