Welcome to The Dark Oak

Attention all shiver-seekers! The Dark Oak is a weekly thrill and chill inducing mystery podcast. Every Wednesday, Stefanie and Cynthia will present to you a true tale of the supernatural, the macabre, historical crimes, cryptids, the unexplained and the downright spooky. 

To help ease your fears, we also include The Branch of Hope Foundation, which connects you to the human side of our cases by giving back to non-profit organizations related to the first episode of the month.

If you enjoy guilt free listening and your interest falls somewhere between Bigfoot and Jack the Ripper, The Dark Oak has you covered. Throw in some real time reactions including gasps and laughs and you’ve got the perfect podcast. So grab your coffee, sweet tea or tall glass of wine and settle in for your shadowy adventure. The Dark Oak is waiting!

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Latest Episodes

Episode 73: The Unsolved Murder of Missy Bevers

April 17, 2016, was a very rainy day in Midlothian, Texas and 45-year-old Missy Bevers was scheduled to teach a fitness class outside of Creekside Church at five the...

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Episode 72: The Disappearance of Cherryl Lamont Pearson

It seemed like a typical day for 37-year-old Dr. Cherryl Lamont Pearson on January 4, 2002. She attended a Memphis Grizzlies game then she headed home to hang with...

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Episode 71: Inside the Mica Miller Case

On April 27, 2024, 30-year-old South Carolina woman, Mica Miller, placed a disturbing 911 call. She was found later that evening having been killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. ...

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Episode 70: The Life and Death of Edgar Allen Poe – An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak’s celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get...

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Episode 69: Bella in the Wych Elm – An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak’s celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get...

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Episode 68: Ron Sisman and Elizabeth Platzman: The Son of Sam Story – An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak’s celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get...

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Episode 67: What Happened to Sandra Hughes? – An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak’s celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get...

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Episode 66: Death Watch on the Hanging Hill & The Blue Sentinel of Peddlers Rock – An Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, The Dark Oak’s celebration of the spooky month of October! Every week this month, we will bring you a case that is sure to get...

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Episode 65: Who Killed Robert Wone?

32-year-old Robert Eric Wone could never have imagined that spending the night at an old college friend’s house would result in his bizarre murder, yet that is exactly what...

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Episode 64: The Unsolved Murder of David Bacon

An up-and-coming Hollywood actor best known for his role in “The Masked Marvel,” crashed his sports car in a bean field in Los Angeles, California. The actor, christened David...

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Episode 63: Where is Cathy Moulton?

16-year-old Cathy Moulton was reported missing on September 24, 1971. She was last seen in downtown Portland, Maine wearing a navy-blue coat and carrying a brown leather bag. Police...

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Episode 62: The Disappearance of Ebonee Spears

30-year-old, Ebonee Spears was last seen on Jan. 14, 2016. The week and days before her disappearance were plagued with strange occurrences and troubling moments that have left her...

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Episode 61: The Unsolved Murder of Garrett Phillips

When a 12-year-old dies suddenly, law enforcement focuses their attention on one man almost exclusively. Surveillance footage seems to contradict the person of interest’s alibi. In this episode we...

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Episode 60: The Disturbing Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley

According to the website Maritime Injury Report approximately 400 people have gone missing from cruise ships in the past 20 years. And according to Cruise Lines International Association of the...

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Episode 59: The Unexplained Death of Olivia Jane Ward

When 16-year-old Olivia “Janie” Ward died after a fall at a teen party in the woods, her family began a decades long search to find out what really happened...

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Episode 58: The Disappearance of Marjorie West

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the disappearance of four-year-old Marjorie West remains “the great unsolved mystery of the missing” and the second oldest unsolved...

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Episode 57: Robyn Gardner – NEW Information from Exclusive Interview

Holy smokes, do we have a treat for you! Last week, Stefanie was granted an exclusive interview with a source very close to Robyn Gardner. Join us as we...

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Hot Pursuit – A Focus on Crime in the Summer Sun – Episode 2

Hello, Shiver-seekers! We have a special summer treat just for you! The Dark Oak Podcast was honored to participate in “Hot Pursuit – a Focus on Crime in the...

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Hot Pursuit – A Focus on Crime in the Summer Sun – Episode 1

Hello, Shiver-seekers! We have a special summer treat just for you! The Dark Oak Podcast was honored to participate in “Hot Pursuit – a Focus on Crime in the...

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Episode 56: “A Dingo’s Got My Baby!” – The Story of Lindy Chamberlain

A camping trip in one of the most beautiful spots in Australia ends in tragedy when a young family’s infant daughter goes missing. Lindy Chamberlain’s screams pierced the night...

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Episode 55: The Disappearance of Robyn Gardner – Part 2

In today’s episode we will tell you about the tragic story of Robyn Gardner who disappeared from the beautiful Caribbean Island of Aruba while visiting with her travel companion...

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Episode 54: The Disappearance of Robyn Gardner – Part 1

In today’s episode we will tell you about the tragic story of Robyn Gardner who disappeared from the beautiful Caribbean Island of Aruba while visiting with her travel companion...

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Episode 53: The Strange Death of Kendrick “KJ” Johnson

On January 11, 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick “KJ” Johnson was found deceased in a rolled-up wrestling mat at his high school. Many believe it was an accident, but an equal...

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Episode 52: Carl Tanzler and His Corpse Bride

Thanks to a vision provided by a dead relative, Carl Tanzler claimed to have been in love with Elena de Hoyos before they even met. Actually, decades before they...

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Episode 51: SeaWorld and the Death of Dawn Brancheau

For decades Sea World has been committed to supporting environmental conservation by providing financial and scientific support to organizations focused on animal rescue and rehabilitation, conservation education, habitat protection...

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Episode 50: The Unexplained Death of Ryan Singleton

On the 9th of July 2013, a 24-year-old Ryan was driving his car through the Mohave desert through what we know as Death Valley. He was on his way...

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Episode 49: The Disappearance of Amy Wroe Bechtel

The 1997 disappearance of Amy Wroe Bechtel has been called one of the most baffling cases in U.S. history. A massive search was launched when she vanished, the search...

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Episode 48: The Mysterious Death of Jessica Renee Johnson

When Jessica Renee Johnson’s friends and family were told that she died by suicide, their worlds were shattered.  Over the  next few weeks and months, details came to light...

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Episode 47: The Disappearance of Maura Murray (Part 3 of 3)

Maura Murray is an American woman who disappeared on the evening of February 9, 2004, after a car crash on Route 112 near Woodville, New Hampshire, a village in...

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Episode 46: The Disappearance of Maura Murray (Part 2 of 3)

Maura Murray is an American woman who disappeared on the evening of February 9, 2004, after a car crash on Route 112 near Woodville, New Hampshire, a village in...

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Episode 45: The Disappearance of Maura Murray (Part 1 of 3)

Maura Murray is an American woman who disappeared on the evening of February 9, 2004, after a car crash on Route 112 near Woodville, New Hampshire, a village in...

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Episode 44: The Bizarre Death of Paulette Gebara Farah

Commonly referred to as the “Mexican Jon Benet Ramsey”, the death of four year old Paulette Gebara Farah is nothing short of a tragedy.  What began as a missing...

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Episode 43: The Abduction of Frederick Valentich

At the time of his final flight, Frederick was an ambitious, healthy, hardworking, and optimistic young person. On the evening of Saturday October 21st, 1978, at 6:15 Fred Valentich...

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Episode 42: The Disappearance of Geneva Adams

When single mother, Geneva Adams, doesn’t come home after a rare night out, her family immediately jumps into action, but finds few clues. After almost 40 years of searching...

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Episode 41: The Unbelievable Story of Once-Convicted Serial Killer, Kathleen Folbigg

In 2003, Kathleen Folbigg became the most hated woman in Australia when she was convicted of murdering her four children ranging from only 19 days old to two years...

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Episode 40: The Hidden Side of Boeing – The Suspicious Death of Whistleblower, John Barnett

On March 9, 2024, less than four weeks ago, Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead of a suspected self- inflicted gunshot wound to the head. But many are...

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Episode 39: Alfred Rouse and The Burning Car Murder

In 1930, Alfred Rouse, finding himself in financial trouble, faked his own death by purposefully setting his car, a Morris Minor, ablaze. To make the grizzly scene more believable,...

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Episode 38: The Mysterious and Tragic Death of Kenneka Jenkins

It’s hard to believe that a beautiful, smart and talented 19-year-old woman would accidentally lock herself inside of a walk-in freezer, but that’s exactly what hotel staff and police...

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Episode 37: Escape from Alcatraz Island

Join us as we reveal the secrets of the United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known as Alcatraz or simply, The Rock, which was a maximum-security federal prison on...

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Episode 36: The Unsolved Murder of Lindsay Buziak

When up and coming real estate agent Lindsay Buziak received a cold call from a new client that seemed too good to be true, she was both excited and...

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Episode 35: The Mysterious Death of Hugues de la Plaza

Hugues de la Plaza’s death is quite the compelling mystery… a dead body, stabbed multiple times, behind a locked door with no evidence of an assailant and no potential...

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Episode 34: The DB Cooper Skyjacking

We cover details of DB Cooper’s 1971 plane hijacking and go into some of the more compelling theories and suspects including Richar Floyd McCoy, Dick Briggs, Robert Rackstraw, Sheridan...

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Episode 33: The Disappearance of Jennifer Kesse

Almost exactly 18 years ago, a young professional woman seemingly disappeared without a trace. Few clues were ever found and the ones that were are more frustrating than helpful. From grainy security...

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Episode 32: The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

In honor of Black History Month, today we delve into the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The 16th Street Baptist Church was a large and prominent church located downtown,...

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Episode 31: The Disappearance of Cynthia Anderson – PATREON SNEAK PEEK

Cindy was last seen on August 4, 1981, at the law office where she worked on East Manhattan Boulevard in Toledo, Ohio. The law partners arrived back at the...

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Episode 30: The Unsolved Murder of Dian Fossey

Thanks to lack of education and movies like King Kong, gorillas used to be considered ferocious man killers. It took a tenacious Dian Fossey moving to the jungles of Africa and living...

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Episode 29: The Lost Colony of Roanoke

The origins of one of America’s oldest unsolved mysteries can be traced to August 1587, when a group of about 115 English settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, off the...

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Episode 28: The Brown Family Disappearance

When a Florida family went missing in 1985, local authorities were at a complete loss with absolutely no leads.  Nearly 6 weeks after James and Carolyn Brown and their...

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Episode 27: The Mysterious Survival Story of Casey Hathaway

After three days in the unforgiving wilderness, three-year-old Casey Hathaway was miraculously found unharmed. He said a bear saved him from harm. Is it possible? We will explore his...

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Episode 26: Elizabeth Short AKA The Black Dahlia

We delve in to the most brutal, baffling, sensationalized, and shocking murders in American history. We will cover the life of Elizabeth short as well as details of the...

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Episode 25: The Sodder Family’s Christmas Tragedy

When a tragic house fire destroys the Sodder Family home in the early hours of Christmas Day, 1945, it is believed 5 missing children perished in the flames.  As...

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Episode 24: The Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

On the morning of July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, took off from Lae, New Guinea, on one of the last legs in their historic...

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Episode 23: The Disappearance and Murder of Laci and Conner Peterson – Re-examined

The disappearance and murder of Laci and Conner Peterson has been in and out of news and media headlines for over twenty years.  In this episode we compare Scott’s version...

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Episode 22: The Unsolved Murder of Alonzo Brooks

When 23-year-old Alonzo Brooks went missing after attending a party in rural Kansas, his family set out to find their loving, laid back son. After weeks’ long searches, authorities...

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Episode 21: The History of the Famous Bell Witch

The 1800s haunting of the Bell Farm made history books. A family of 9 suffered from mysterious noises, sleepless nights, whispers, voices and disembodied laughter. One victim of the...

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Episode 20: The Unsolved Murder of Athalia Ponsell Lindsley

Who killed Athalia Ponsell Lindsley? The logical suspect was a man who had previously threatened her life. A man, that, conveniently, borrowed a machete from the county and never...

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Episode 19: The Obscure Lives of Feral Children

We will explore the lives of feral children raised in isolation, away from human contact. How does this strange phenomenon occur? And what becomes of children who befall this...

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Episode 18: The Mysterious Death of Phoebe Handsjuk

When a beautiful woman is found dead at the bottom of a trash chute, authorities quickly rule it a suicide; The evidence, however, seems to bring up more questions...

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Episode 17: The Haunting of BallyGally Castle – Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October! Come with us on a journey through historic Ireland as we shiver through...

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Episode 16: Lizzie Borden – Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October! Lizzie Borden took an ax… Or did she? In this special Oaktober Fest...

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Episode 15: Creepy Bugs That Will Haunt Your Dreams – Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October! Is there anything creepier than being surrounded by bugs? We will delve in...

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Episode 14: The Senseless Killing of Yoshihiro Hattori – Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October! This episode highlights the tragic death of Yoshihiro Hattori, a 16-year-old Japanese student...

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Episode 13: The Werewolf Trials – Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October! In this episode we cover stories of lycanthropy, the belief that one can...

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Episode 12: The Dyatlov Pass Incident – What You Don’t Know – Part 2

In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. In part 1 of this 2-part...

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Episode 11: The Dyatlov Pass Incident – What You Don’t Know – Part 1

In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. In part 1 of this 2-part...

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Episode 10: Bigfoot – Closer Than Ever

Things that go bump in the night may be closer than you think. In this episode we will take a hard look at expert opinions, current data and provocative...

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Episode 09: Murder or Suicide: The Mysterious Death of Rebecca Zahau

One of the most baffling cases in recent true crime history, the death of Rebecca Zahau fills our minds with more questions than answers. Did Rebecca kill herself due...

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Episode 08: Serial Murderer Dana Sue Gray

Impeccably dressed and put together, Dana Sue Gray spared no expense on herself. Dropping thousands of dollars on a shopping binge or a luxurious day spa was nothing out...

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Episode 07: Clueless Criminals – Episode 1

We cover a lot of dark material here at The Dark Oak. Join us as we indulge in stories of the most outrageous, the most awkward, the most bizarre,...

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Episode 06: The Lost Panama Hikers

When two well-traveled young women seemingly disappear into thin air while on a hike in the jungles of Panama, at first it is assumed they succumbed to the dangerous...

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Episode 05: The Somerton Man

On the morning of December 1, 1948, the body of a man was discovered lying on his back in the sand, his head and shoulders propped up against the...

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Episode 04: The Curse of the Hope Diamond

The most iconic gem in history has been enchanting the world for centuries. But the largest blue diamond in the world may also hold a dark side. A curse....

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Episode 01: The Devil’s Teeth Murder of Jeanette DePalma

When a 16-year-old girl is found dead in a sleepy mountain town, surrounded by strange objects, conjecture and rumors run rampant. Is it witchcraft? A killer covering their tracks?...

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Episode 02: The Mysterious Death of Tina Watson

Imagine looking at your scuba diving vacation photos and seeing the figure of a woman laying lifeless on the bottom of the ocean floor…. When Gabe and Tina Watson...

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Episode 03: The Disappearance of Sneha Anne Philip

When a woman is last seen in New York on September 10, 2001, her friends and family are left wondering if she perished at the World Trade Center or...

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The Dark Oak Is Waiting!

Find out everything you need to know about The Dark Oak right here! Spooky times begin on August 2nd!

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