Best Hidden Staircase Podcasts (2025)

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473 - Selena! When Fame Turns Fatal 2:28:45

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3d ago2:28:45

2:28:45

Selena rose from an impoverished Texas childhood to become the Queen of Tejano music, breaking barriers and inspiring millions before her life was cut short at just 23 years old. This week, we’ll dive into her meteoric rise, her shocking murder, and also look at the dark dangers of obsessive fandom. From Selena to John Lennon to Dimebag Darrell and…

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Episode 205- Hit and Run Holiday 56:00

8d ago56:00

56:00

Join us as we head to Fort Lauderdale and try to figure out who hit our friend Kim Baylor, and see what kind of shady business she was involved with as we discuss Files book #5- Hit and Run Holiday! *CW- mentions of kidnapping, attempted murder, murder, and guns Follow us: Email- [email protected] Instagram- @riverheightsbuzz Twitter- @riv…

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472 - The Girl in the Box 2:41:33

10d ago2:41:33

2:41:33

On May 19th, 1977, 20-year-old Colleen Stan was hitchhiking from her home in Eugene, Oregon, to a friend's birthday party in the little Northern California town of Westwood. She was picked up in Red Bluff, California by a young couple, Cameron and Janice Hooker, who were out for a drive with their infant daughter. What followed was one of the most …

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Short Suck #41: Stalin's Cannibal Gulag: Nazino Island 1:07:45

13d ago1:07:45

1:07:45

In 1933, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had his secret police goons round up hundreds of thousands of former farmers and he sent them into Siberia to create labor camps where they would be forced to work. Many would die along the way, including the over 6,000 unfortunate enough to end up on Nazino Island, where innocent people were dumped with no fo…

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Episode 204- False Impressions 58:01

15d ago58:01

58:01

Join us as we try to figure out who is extorting thousands of dollars from people in Mapleton as Nancy, and who wants to ruin her detective name and skills for good as we discuss Files #43- False Impressions (one of the book inspirations for PC Game #25- Alibi in Ashes)! *CW- this book and episode has talks of weapons and a murder Follow us: Email-…

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471 - South Africa's Ted Bundy: Moses Sithole 2:12:59

20d ago2:12:59

2:12:59

In the mid-1990's, convicted rapist Moses Sithole went on a murderous rampage in South Africa. He would blame his sadistic crimes on being falsely imprisoned for a rape conviction in 1989 for which he would serve four years. But he wasn't, of course, falsely convicted. He had been raping woman after woman after luring them out into a secluded area …

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Kelly Baskin Interview 33:52

21d ago33:52

33:52

Tune in as voice over actress Kelly Baskin comes by the podcast to talk about all of her different voice over experiences, and her time working on Game #34- Mystery of the Seven Keys where she voiced Elka Strojnik! Follow Kelly: Website- kellybaskinvo.com Instagram- @kellybaskinvo Follow us: Email- [email protected] Instagram- @riverheight…

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Episode 203- Playing with Fire 1:06:12

24d ago1:06:12

1:06:12

Join us as we head to L.A. to figure out who is burning up Napoleon artifacts as we discuss Files #26- Playing with Fire! *CW- this episodes mentions guns Follow us: Email- [email protected] Instagram- @riverheightsbuzz Twitter- @riverheightsbuz Facebook Group: The River Heights Buzz Podcast- Central Buzz…

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470 - Trial of the Century: The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping 2:29:03

24d ago2:29:03

2:29:03

In many ways, America's modern obsession with true crime began on March 1st, 1932, when the 20th-month-old-son of the most famous man in America, aviator Charles Lindbergh, was kidnapped from his fortress of a home. The press would cover the subsequent investigation and trial of the man responsible like the press had never covered a crime before. T…

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Episode 202- Secret Can Kill with Bree and Lexi 1:05:24

1M ago1:05:24

1:05:24

Join us and special guests Bree and Lexi as we come full circle as we discuss Files Book #1- Secrets Can Kill (the inspiration for the first Nancy Drew PC Game), and which they joined us for both versions of the game- Original and Remastered! We head to Bedford High School to figure out who is breaking into the lockers and Counselor's office, and t…

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469 - Action Park: America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park 2:40:20

1M ago2:40:20

2:40:20

If you were lucky enough to have gone to New Jersey's Action Park before it closed in the '90s, you probably have the scars to prove it. This place was WILD. And while I understand why there are no longer parks around like it today, I also really, really wish I could've been there. This is a fun one! Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Time…

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Short Suck #40: 764 The Real Global Satanic Pedophile Cabal 1:02:46

1M ago1:02:46

1:02:46

I have long dismissed whisperings of secret Satanic pedophile networks. But, it turns out there truly is an international group associated with a kind of Satanism reminiscent of 1980's Satanic Panic. It's called 764. It exists online. It's growing larger, seemingly, by the day. It's very real. And it's extremely terrifying. For Merch and everything…

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Episode 201- Death by Design with Ricki (ND Crafts) 1:51:04

1M ago1:51:04

1:51:04

Join us and special guest Ricki as we travel to Chicago as we figure out who is threatening fashion designer Kim Daley, and help save Nancy after she is poisoned as we discuss Files #30- Death by Design (the inspiration for PC Game #14- Danger by Design) *CW- this episode and book contains attempted murder and suicide, as well as a death of an anim…

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468 - Richard Cottingham: The Times Square Killer 2:25:11

1M ago2:25:11

2:25:11

The Times Square Killer didn't just kill in Times Square. Richard Francis Cottingham committed at least six murders in New York State between 1972 and 1980, plus an additional thirteen murders in New Jersey between 1967 and 1978. While he primarily targeted sex workers, he also kidnapped women and girls as young as thirteen off of the street. Today…

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Episode 200- Alibi in Ashes with Ricki (ND Crafts) 1:36:48

1M ago1:36:48

1:36:48

Join us and special guest Ricki (ND Crafts) as we bust Nancy out of jail and figure out who burned down the Old Town Hall in River Heights as we discuss PC Game #25- Alibi in Ashes! *Each gameplay is different, and we discuss ours If you wanted to check out where you can look at which books are the inspirations for the games, Megan (@nancy.drew.col…

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467 - Russian Wizards, Witches, and Folk Magic, Oh My! 2:32:08

2M ago2:32:08

2:32:08

Did you know that roughly a million people in Russia today make their living as some kind of wizard, witch, or folk healer? And that some of the most popular TV programs in Russia in the '90s were presentations of psychic healers and self-proclaimed sorcerers? Russians have a long history of believing in magic, with old Slavic spiritual beliefs sur…

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Short Suck #39: The Abolitionist John MF'n Brown 56:29

2M ago56:29

56:29

You'll be hard pressed to find a man who stood for his convictions more firmly than John Brown. John was an white abolitionist willing to do more to end slavery than any other man - of any color - in America in the 1850s. It wasn't enough for John to speak out against slavery, or to help freed slaves find freedom through the Underground Railroad. J…

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Episode 199- Shadow at the Waters Edge with Tori (ND Piano) 1:48:07

2M ago1:48:07

1:48:07

Join us and special guest Tori as we dive into an emotional family event involving "ghosts" and hauntings while visiting a Ryokan in Japan as we discuss PC Game #23- Shadow at the Waters Edge! We even hear thunder (courtesy of Candace) and manifest that Kasumi is joining us spiritually during our chat :) *Each game play is different, and we discuss…

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466 - Acres of Skin: Inside the Terrordome 2:37:03

2M ago2:37:03

2:37:03

Philadelphia's Holmesburg prison, before it was officially shut down in 1995, had been a house of horrors for much of its history. In addition to being grossly overcrowded and its prisoners being subjected to sometimes lethal abuse by prison officials... for over two decades - from 1951 to 1974, Dr. Albert Kligman performed wildly unethical medical…

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Episode 198- The Hidden Staircase with Milea 2:25:19

2M ago2:25:19

2:25:19

Tune in as Milea joins in on this weeks episode as we figure out who is behind the ghostly events happening at Twin Elms Manor as we discuss both the Original and Revised texts of Mystery Story #2- The Hidden Staircase! This book is 1/4 books that is the inspiration for PC Game #12- Secret of the Old Clock! CW- This episode and the books discuss ki…

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465 - OneTaste: The Orgasmic Meditation Cult 2:48:44

2M ago2:48:44

2:48:44

Did you know that women's clitoral orgasms have the power to completely transform the world and turn it into a blissful nirvana free from pain and suffering? They don't, but, that's essentially what OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone preached at one point before she went to jail. For years, she put on clinics based around male attendees stroking femal…

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Short Suck #38: Hollywood’s Biggest Forgotten Scandal: Patricia Douglas 54:05

2M ago54:05

54:05

Patricia Douglas was a young dancer and an extra working in Hollywood during its so-called Golden Era when she was tricked into attending a party Tinseltown's most powerful studio, MGM, was throwing for the salesmen who were making it rich on May 5th, 1937. At this party, she was dragged into the parking lot and brutally raped by one on of those sa…

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Episode 197- The Crime Lab Case with Celsa 1:31:25

2M ago1:31:25

1:31:25

Tune in as special guest Celsa is back as we discuss the "fake crime scene" during Science Camp, very deadly events with the characters, and the lack of security present throughout the book as we discuss Mystery Story Digest #165- The Crime Lab Case (the supposed inspiration for Game #27- The Deadly Device)! *CW- this book and episode contains ment…

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464 - The Night Caller: Eric Edgar Cooke 2:45:40

2M ago2:45:40

2:45:40

Eric Edgar Cooke, nicknamed the Night Caller and the Nedlands Monster, was a serial killer who terrorized Perth, Australia from 1958 to 1963. He was incredibly hard to catch, because his MO was to not have an MO. Sometimes he ran over women in a stolen car. Sometimes he shot women. Sometimes he shot men. Sometimes his crimes were sexually motivated…

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Episode 196- The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes with Celsa 1:29:28

2M ago1:29:28

1:29:28

Tune in as Celsa joins for another episode as we travel to Scotland as we figure out what happened to Nancy's heirloom, and who is responsible for who is stealing sheep as we discuss Mystery Story # 41- The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes! This book is supposedly the inspiration for PC Game #29 - The Silent Spy! *This book discusses animals not bein…

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463 - The Tuskegee Study (Secret, Deadly Medical Testing on American Citizens) 2:44:22

2M ago2:44:22

2:44:22

From 1932 to 1972, six hundred poor, black sharecroppers in Alabama were told they were being treated for "bad blood," when in reality, the US government was conducting an experiment on how untreated syphilis affected their bodies, a study that was supposed to keep going until every participant was dead. A study that would've kept going, had a whis…

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Short Suck #37 - The Very Avoidable Oceangate Disaster 48:57

3M ago48:57

48:57

On June 18th, 2023, a deep-sea submersible called The Titan operated by the private company OceanGate mysteriously vanished while its CEO piloted four passengers who had paid $250,000 each to visit the wreckage of the RMS Titanic. When it was revealed that all aboard had died when the submersible imploded, the accident was reported as an unfortunat…

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Episode 195- The Thirteenth Pearl with Celsa 1:41:39

3M ago1:41:39

1:41:39

Grab your snacks folks and get ready to go on a wild ride! Join us as we go to Japan with special guest Celsa as we search for a pearl thief as we discuss Mystery Story #56- The Thirteenth Pearl! This is one of the books that is the inspiration for Game #23- Shadow at the Waters Edge! Click here to listen to the other book that is the inspiration f…

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462 - Murder, Inc. 2:44:48

3M ago2:44:48

2:44:48

In the 1930s, an association of primarily Italian mafiosos and Jewish organized crime gangsters, based in Brooklyn, was formed for the purpose of putting distance between the underworld figures ordering hits, and the people carrying out those executions. This organization would come to be known as, Murder Incorporated. And this is their insanely vi…

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Episode 194- Mystery by Moonlight with Celsa 1:16:15

3M ago1:16:15

1:16:15

Join us and special guest Celsa as we head to Moonlight Lake as we try to figure out what is causing all the noises/bumps in the night at the cottage on the Malone property as we discuss Mystery Story Digest #167- Mystery by Moonlight! This is one of the books that is the inspiration for PC Game #7- Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake! *There is mention of Nat…

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461 - The University of Cosmic Intelligence 2:27:10

3M ago2:27:10

2:27:10

Did you know that US government is engaged in efforts to close stargates to other dimensions? Did you know that they engage in weather modification? Or that Arizona is part of Africa? Or that NBA players are synthetic robots and that we've all been inserted with nanobots at birth that keep us from being perfect? You would if you went to the right U…

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Short Suck #36 - The Shocking Case of Mary Bell 58:42

3M ago58:42

58:42

In the summer of 1968, two young children, both under the age of five, turned up dead in Scotswood, a run down neighborhood of primarily government housing in the industrial English city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Initially, the first boy's death had been ruled an accident. But when the second died... they knew he had been strangled. And the coroner f…

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Calina Herman (Little Jackalope) Interview 57:50

3M ago57:50

57:50

Join us as we chat and catch up with our very first guest we had on the podcast- Calina Herman (Little Jackalope) from Her Interactive! Follow Calina: Instagram- @story_retold YouTube Channels: Story Retold Story Retold After Dark LinkTree Follow us: Email- [email protected] Instagram- @riverheightsbuzz Twitter- @riverheightsbuz Facebook G…

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Episode 193- Mystery at Moorsea Manor 1:07:31

3M ago1:07:31

1:07:31

Join us as we travel to England with Nancy and George to figure out who is behind the "pranks" as we discuss Mystery Story Digest #150- Mystery at Moorsea Manor! Follow along with us: Email- [email protected] Instagram- @riverheightsbuzz Twitter- @riverheightsbuz Facebook Group: The River Heights Buzz Podcast- Central Buzz…

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460 - Real Life Supervillain Mike DeBardeleben 2:49:06

3M ago2:49:06

2:49:06

Ever heard the name Mike DeBardeleben? I hadn't either until very recently. This guy was something else. A prolific counterfeiter the Secret Service spent many years chasing. Also someone who kidnapped bank exec's wives and successfully held them for ransom. He also kidnapped and sexually assaulted numerous young women. And pulled off armed robberi…

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Episode 192- Mystery on Maui 55:16

3M ago55:16

55:16

Join us as we head to Hawaii as we figure out who is trying to sabotage the surfing competition as we discuss Mystery Story Digest #143- Mystery on Maui! This book was supposed to be the inspiration for PC Game #15- The Creature of Kapu Cave, but it fell short :) *CW- kidnapping, attempted murder Follow along with us: Email- riverheightsbuzz@gmail.…

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459 - The Acid King, the Grateful Dead, and the Birth of the Counterculture Revolution 2:54:59

3M ago2:54:59

2:54:59

Do you recognize the name, Owsley Stanley? If you're not a devoted Dead Head, probably not. But he's the guy who met the Dead when they had just formed, supplied them with LSD, and helped them form their psychedelic, jam band sound. He also supplied LSD to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of others hippies. It was his LSD that would truly fue…

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Short Suck #35 - Issei Sagawa: The Unrepentant Cannibal 50:32

3M ago50:32

50:32

Issei Sagawa aka the Kobe Cannibal, made a living for most of his life off of the infamy he attained... for murdering and then eating a young Dutch woman in 1981, when Issei was thirty-two years-old. Why didn't he spend the rest of his life in prison? And why did he want to eat her in the first place? For Merch and everything else Bad Magic related…

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Episode 191- The Message in the Haunted Mansion 1:21:52

4M ago1:21:52

1:21:52

Join us as we head to San Francisco to help Rose and Abby who is causing the accidents at the Golden Gardenia Bed and Breakfast as we discuss Mystery Story Digest #122- The Message in the Haunted Mansion! This book was the inspiration for PC Game #3- Message in a Haunted Mansion (which we discuss quite a bit throughout the course of the episode) *C…

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458 - WTFF? The Madness of the Zizian Cult 2:45:59

4M ago2:45:59

2:45:59

Do you believe that all non-vegans should die? In part for their needless murder of senseless people like.... cows? And in part because their predatory, cruel, EVIL behavior is providing a model for a future AI program to treat humans like a mindless food source once it inevitably takes over the world? If so... you'd make a good Zizian! This is a w…

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Episode 190- The Mystery in Tornado Alley with Carter (thenancydrewtimes) 1:09:42

4M ago1:09:42

1:09:42

Join us and special guest Carter (thenancydrewtimes) as we travel to Tornado Alley in Oklahoma to figure out a kidnapping as we discuss Mystery Story Digest #155- The Mystery in Tornado Alley! This book is loosely the inspiration for Game #22- Trail of the Twister! TW- mentions of death Follow Carter: Instagram- @thenancydrewtimes YouTube- carterpl…

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457 - Samuel Little: The Choke-and-Stroke Killer 2:25:14

4M ago2:25:14

2:25:14

This week we cover the life and crimes of the most prolific serial killer in US history, Samuel Little. A monster the LAPD once dubbed "The Choke and Stroke Killer." Before he died in 2020 at the age of 80, he confessed to 93 murders. And the FBI have confirmed 62 of those murders and counting. Who was this guy? And how did he keep getting away wit…

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Episode 189- Danger on Deception Island with EMullins 1:10:57

4M ago1:10:57

1:10:57

Join us and special guest EMullins as we head to Snake Horse Harbour as we solve the mystery of the whales as we discuss Game #9- Danger on Deception Island! *All playthroughs are different, and these were ours Follow EMullins: Instagram- @emullinsstreams Twitch- @emullinsstreams YouTube- EMullins Streams Website- emullinsstreams.com Follow us: Ema…

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456 - The Staircase Murders 2:33:09

4M ago2:33:09

2:33:09

Did you ever watch the Staircase docu-series on Netflix? Or the 2022 HBO MAX adaptation? I watched both, and still wanted to learn more about the divisive trial over the murder of Kathleen Peterson. Did her husband Michael kill her? Or was he railroaded by a justice system that held a grudge against him? Or, did Michael kill not only Kathleen, but …

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Short Suck #34 - The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood 1:01:03

4M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

In the 1960s, Natalie Wood was one of the world's leading actress, her star shining as bright as Elizabeth Taylor's. She'd been acting since she was a small child, appearing in movies like Miracle on 34th Street. She'd starred opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, and she'd been linked romantically to Warren Beatty, Michael Caine, Elvis Pre…

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Episode 188- Curse of Blackmoor Manor with DJ Twin Gamers 1:37:07

4M ago1:37:07

1:37:07

Join us as we travel to England and figure out who is responsible for all the mysterious happenings going on at the manor as we discuss Game #11- Curse of Blackmoor Manor with special guests Daniella and Jordan from DJ Twin Gamers! Follow Daniella and Jordan: Instagram- @djtwingamers Jordan's Instagram- @retrospectblog Daniella's Instagram- @little…

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455 - The Bone Wars 2:16:58

4M ago2:16:58

2:16:58

The Bone Wars, also known as the Great Dinosaur Rush, is what a period of intense fossil hunting in the late 19th century came to be called, thanks primarily to the intense and bitter rivalry between two of America's most prominent early paleontologists, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. These two men, who started out as friends, would…

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Episode 187- The Haunted Carousel with Morgan (Southern Sleuth) 1:00:02

5M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

Join us and special guest Morgan as we travel to New Jersey and figure out who is responsible for making the lead horse disappear, and making the carousel start all on its own as we discuss Game #8- The Haunted Carousel! *All gameplays were different, and we discussed ours Follow Morgan: Instagram- @southernsleuth YouTube- Southern Sleuth Follow us…

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454 - The Light of the World Sex Cult 2:49:39

5M ago2:49:39

2:49:39

Have you ever heard of La Luz Del Mundo? a.k.a., LLDM? a.k.a., The Church of the Living God, Pillar and Support of Truth The Light of the World? Naasón Joaquín García, the leader of this church based in Guadalajara, Mexico (that some estimates claim has up to seven million members worldwide) is currently in prison after being found guilty of three …

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Short Suck #33 - The Great Race of Mercy 50:47

5M ago50:47

50:47

Remember when a bunch of dogs saved hundreds of human’s lives in Alaska a century ago? In January of 1925, diphtheria, a deadly disease, swept through the village Nome, Alaska… killing multiple children. The town was frozen in for the winter. No roads in or out. No ships able to break through the ice in the sea around it. No planes able to fly thro…