In April 1973, Henry McDaniel reported hearing scratching at the front door of his home in Enfield, Illinois. When he went to investigate, he said he saw something outside that he couldn’t identify: a grayish creature with large pink eyes, an awkward body, and three legs.

That encounter became the beginning of one of the most bizarre unexplained creature sightings of the 1970s. Within days, the story spread through the small town. Police were called to McDaniel’s home. Unusual tracks were reportedly found near the house. Neighbors gathered. A ten-year-old boy’s frightening story became part of the local legend. Radio reporters traveled to Enfield. Armed outsiders arrived hoping to photograph or confront the creature, and the case quickly grew from one man’s reported sighting into a town-wide disturbance.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert looks at the reported Enfield Horror encounter, the famous three-legged creature description, the alleged tracks, the WWKI radio crew’s abandoned barn sighting, the disputed child encounter, the monster hunters who came to town with guns, and the skeptical explanations that followed, including the missing kangaroo theory, the wild ape theory, and other possible animal explanations.

More than fifty years later, the Enfield Horror remains one of the most unusual American cryptid stories of the 1970s. Was something strange moving through Enfield, Illinois? Was Henry McDaniel describing an unknown animal, a misidentified creature, a rumor that grew through fear and media attention, or something that still hasn’t been fully explained?

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State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join host Robert Barber as State of the Unknown examines the documented history of Bachelors Grove Cemetery in Illinois, one of the most well-known haunted cemeteries in the United States. From eyewitness accounts of ghost sightings to paranormal investigations and the famous “Madonna of Bachelors Grove” photograph, this episode breaks down what witnesses say they experienced—and what still hasn’t been explained.

Located in Midlothian, Illinois, Bachelors Grove Cemetery has been the subject of decades of reports involving apparitions, shadow figures, phantom vehicles, and unexplained phenomena. Investigators, photographers, and visitors have all described similar encounters, raising questions about whether these experiences can be explained by environmental factors, psychological influence, or something else entirely.

If you’re interested in real paranormal cases, haunted locations, ghost sightings, and documented supernatural encounters, this episode explores one of America’s most talked-about haunted cemeteries through a grounded, evidence-based lens.

🎧 Topics covered:

• Bachelors Grove Cemetery Illinois history
• Madonna of Bachelors Grove ghost photo
• Haunted cemeteries in the United States
• Documented paranormal investigations
• Eyewitness ghost sightings and encounters
• Unexplained phenomena and supernatural reports

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this bonus episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber steps back from a single case to look at the broader question of possession and exorcism. Drawing on documented accounts and recurring patterns across different cases, this episode explores the gap between what people expect to see…and what is actually reported.

From behavioral changes and physical reactions to the influence of belief, media, and cultural expectations, possession cases don’t follow a single clear pattern. And once a case like St. Louis becomes widely known, it doesn’t just stay a case—it becomes a reference point.

So when similar experiences are reported again… are they independent accounts? Or are they shaped by something people already recognize?

🎧 In this episode:

• What “possession” means across different contexts
• The difference between expectation and reported experience
• Why cases like the St. Louis exorcism influence future accounts
• How patterns show up across unrelated reports
• Where explanation ends—and uncertainty begins

Episodes Mentioned

The St. Louis Exorcism: The Case That Inspired The Exorcist—and Shaped What People Think Possession Looks Like (Episode 50)

The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction: America’s First Alien Encounter — Ep. 21

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

What followed involved multiple priests, medical observation, and handwritten records describing events that have never been fully explained.

Decades later, the case would inspire The Exorcist.

But the version most people know doesn’t come from the full record.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, we go back to what was documented at the time—what witnesses reported, what clergy recorded, and how the events were described as they unfolded.

This is not the dramatized version.

This is what was written down.

This episode examines the 1949 St. Louis exorcism case, one of the most documented possession cases in the United States. Accounts from priests, reported medical observations, and written records describe a series of events involving alleged possession, religious intervention, and unexplained physical phenomena.

The case has been referenced in discussions of real-life exorcisms, possession cases, and religious investigations, and remains one of the most widely cited examples connected to The Exorcist. Reports from the time include claims of abnormal behavior, reactions to religious objects, and events witnessed by multiple individuals involved in the case.

This episode focuses on what was documented and reported during the events in St. Louis in 1949, rather than later interpretations or dramatized retellings.

Related Episode:

If you want the full background behind the house and how this case became The Exorcist, listen to:

👉 The St. Louis Exorcist House: The 1949 Possession Case That Inspired The Exorcist — Ep. 37

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

It wasn’t just an older home.

It had once operated as a funeral home.

Rooms that didn’t quite make sense. Doorways wider than expected. A basement built around a fixed porcelain table and a floor designed to drain.

At first, those details didn’t mean much.

But over time, the family began to describe experiences inside the house that they couldn’t explain—starting in the basement, and eventually extending beyond it.

Join host Robert Barber as he examines the reported events of the Snedeker haunting, a case that drew in Ed and Lorraine Warren and later became the basis for The Haunting in Connecticut. Through firsthand accounts, reported experiences, and the way the story was later shaped and retold, this episode looks at what was said to have happened inside that house—and what remains uncertain.

According to the family, what began as a sense that something wasn’t right became something more direct. Objects appeared to move. Sounds were heard in empty rooms. And in the basement, Philip described encounters that went beyond anything easily explained.

As the situation escalated, the Warrens were called in to investigate. After spending time in the house, they concluded that what was happening wasn’t isolated—and wasn’t likely to stop on its own. Their involvement gave the case a framework, but it didn’t bring it to a clear end.

Over time, the story of the Snedeker haunting spread beyond the house itself. It was documented, adapted, and eventually turned into a major motion picture. But as the story grew, so did the questions.

How much of what’s known today comes directly from what the family experienced?

And how much was shaped afterward?

This episode of State of the Unknown breaks down the layers of the case—what was reported, how it was presented, and why the details don’t always line up the same way.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In 1974, police were called to a small home on Lindley Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Inside, they reported objects moving on their own. Furniture shifting. Activity that continued while people were in the room watching—and without a clear source.

What started inside that house didn’t stay there.

Neighbors came to see it. More people followed. Even those who arrived expecting to find an explanation began reporting things they couldn’t account for.

But as more people became involved, the story became harder to pin down.

Some described movement happening directly in front of them.

Others described moments where something had already changed before they realized it.

And over time, the question shifted.

Not just what was happening inside that house…

but whether everyone was seeing the same thing when it did.

Join host Robert Barber as he examines the Lindley Street Poltergeist—what was reported, who was there, and what holds up under closer examination.

Episode mentioned:  The Haunting of Madison Seminary: The Investigation That Spoke Back - Ep. 27

on Apple Podcasts

on Spotify

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Betty Cash, Vickie Landrum, and Vickie’s seven-year-old grandson Colby Landrum were returning home after a night of bingo when they noticed a bright light ahead on Farm-to-Market Road 1485. As they drove closer, the light revealed a massive diamond-shaped craft hovering low above the road.

Witnesses later said flames burst from the underside of the object and intense heat filled the car. When Betty Cash briefly stepped outside to look at the craft, she later said the air itself felt hot enough to burn.

Moments later, the sky filled with multiple military-style helicopters surrounding the glowing craft. Witnesses estimated that as many as twenty helicopters were present, and several observers later noted that the aircraft described resembled CH-47 Chinook helicopters, a heavy-lift aircraft used by the United States Army.

Within hours of the encounter, the witnesses began suffering severe physical symptoms including burning skin, blisters, nausea, headaches, and hair loss. Betty Cash was eventually hospitalized with documented burns and blistering, injuries that some physicians said resembled patterns sometimes associated with radiation exposure, although no confirmed radiation source was ever identified.

In 1982, Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum filed a lawsuit against the United States government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, arguing that the presence of military helicopters suggested the object might have been connected to a government operation.

After several years of investigation, the case was dismissed in federal court in 1986 because the witnesses could not prove the helicopters belonged to the U.S. military.

More than four decades later, the Cash–Landrum Incident remains one of the most controversial UFO encounters ever reported.

Topics Covered

Cash–Landrum Incident
Texas UFO encounter
Dayton Texas UFO sighting
Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum
CH-47 Chinook helicopters
UFO lawsuit against the U.S. government

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this bonus episode of State of the Unknown, join host Robert Barber as he examines the reported events surrounding the Black Forest haunting, a lesser-known American poltergeist case that has circulated in paranormal literature for decades.

Accounts of the case place the disturbances in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the Black Forest region was far more isolated than it is today. According to the family who lived in the home, the activity began with small incidents before escalating into objects sliding across tables, items falling from shelves, and objects reportedly being thrown across rooms without anyone touching them.

Reports of the disturbances eventually reached paranormal researchers familiar with alleged poltergeist activity. Investigators looked for ordinary explanations including structural issues, environmental factors, and psychological stress within the household. But like many reported poltergeist cases, the events eventually faded and no clear explanation was ever established.

Today the Black Forest haunting remains one of many unsettling cases that sit somewhere between witness testimony and documented evidence.

Were the disturbances the result of misunderstood natural causes… or something that investigators simply couldn’t explain?

This episode was inspired by a listener suggestion. If there’s a case you think I should cover, you can email me at contact@stateoftheunknown.com — I read every message

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In August of 1942, a U.S. Navy patrol blimp lifted off from Naval Air Station Treasure Island for what should have been a routine anti-submarine patrol along the California coast.

Hours later, the aircraft drifted inland over Daly City.

The engines were still running.

The controls were still set for flight.

But the control cabin was empty.

The blimp, known as L-8, had returned from its mission without the two officers flying it.

Earlier that morning, Lieutenant Ernest Cody and Ensign Charles Adams radioed that they were investigating a suspicious oil slick near the Farallon Islands, a possible sign of a Japanese submarine operating off the West Coast during World War II.

That transmission would be the last confirmed contact with the aircraft.

In this episode, join host Robert Barber as he examines one of the strangest aviation mysteries of the war: the case of the L-8 Ghost Blimp, a patrol airship that continued flying after its crew disappeared.

Investigators searched the ocean west of San Francisco for days.

They never found the men.

So what actually happened aboard the L-8 that morning?

Did the crew fall while investigating the oil slick?

Did something go wrong during the patrol?

Or is there another explanation for how two trained Navy officers vanished from an operational aircraft?

This is the story of the L-8 Ghost Blimp.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

The incident became known as the San Pedro Poltergeist, one of several Southern California poltergeist cases reported during that era. Unlike folklore-based hauntings, this case centered on direct claims of physical object movement and escalating disturbances inside a single residence.

In this episode, host Robert Barber examines the San Pedro poltergeist case through reported timelines, witness statements, and contemporary coverage. What was described? Who claimed to see it? And how does this apartment case compare to other documented American poltergeist reports from the 20th century?

Rather than dramatizing the story, this episode focuses on what was claimed, what can be supported, and why the San Pedro case continues to be referenced in discussions of modern poltergeist activity.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
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Sightings continued for more than a year.

On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge collapsed during rush hour traffic, killing forty-six people. The official investigation concluded that the disaster was caused by a fractured eyebar, an internal structural crack that could not be detected through routine inspection.

There is no official finding linking the Mothman sightings to the bridge collapse. Yet the timing created a lasting association in the community. Reports stopped soon after the disaster.

In this episode, host Robert Barber examines the original police reports, the Indrid Cold encounter, the engineering findings behind the Silver Bridge collapse, and the tension between documented mechanical failure and repeated witness accounts.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
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According to official DCS documentation later obtained by the Indianapolis Star, a hospital caseworker reported witnessing a child walk backward up a wall during a medical evaluation. The case generated a 77-page investigative file and drew the attention of local clergy, including Reverend Michael Maginot, who later performed exorcisms.

Years later, paranormal investigator Zak Bagans purchased the property and documented his own investigation in the film Demon House before demolishing the structure in 2016.

Join host Robert Barber as he examines the documented reports, the custody battle, the hospital incident, and the demolition that turned a Gary rental house into one of the most debated haunting cases in modern American history.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join host Robert Barber on State of the Unknown as he examines the documented history of Coral Castle, the life of its builder, and the engineering questions that continue to surround this strange landmark. This episode explores verified accounts, historical records, and firsthand observations while separating real evidence from speculation.

Often described as an unexplained engineering feat, Coral Castle has been linked to theories involving magnetism, lost knowledge, and paranormal encounters. But what can actually be proven? And what remains unresolved?

This is not a story about miracles or mythology. It is a grounded, documentary-style look at one of America’s most puzzling historical mysteries and the real unanswered questions it leaves behind.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

The case became known as the Culver City Poltergeist and would later inspire the 1982 film The Entity. Investigators, including parapsychologist Barry Taff, documented interviews, environmental observations, and attempts to record activity inside the home.

In this episode, host Robert Barber examines the Doris Bither case through documented reports, firsthand testimony, and the formal investigation that followed — separating what was observed, what was alleged, and how the narrative shifted once it entered popular culture.

The events inside that Culver City house were never conclusively explained. But the case left a lasting mark on those involved and became one of the most debated American poltergeist cases of the 1970s.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
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This episode examines the Pascagoula Incident through police reports, firsthand testimony, and a secret audio recording that captured the men’s reactions in real time. It’s not a story about proof or belief. It’s a story about what happens when an extraordinary claim refuses to fall apart under scrutiny.

What happened on the riverbank that night remains unresolved. But the record it left behind is real.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

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🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

According to their accounts, the activity followed a progression. Unexplained sounds. Physical sensations. Sudden illness. Objects reportedly moving. The family stated that the disturbances intensified over time and were witnessed by visitors and investigators.

In this episode, host Robert Barber examines the claims associated with the Hinsdale House during that documented period, including what was reported, what investigators later recorded, and how the events were interpreted by those involved.

Rather than relying on folklore, the focus remains on the timeline of reported activity in Hinsdale, New York, what evidence was said to exist, and where the limits of verification begin.

Is the Hinsdale House an example of environmental stress misinterpreted as paranormal activity, or does this case represent a documented haunting that continues to defy simple explanation?

This episode explores what was claimed, what can be supported, and why this rural New York case remains part of modern American haunting history.

🔍 Further Reading & Case Research

(For listeners who want to explore how this case has been documented)

• Echoes of a Haunting - Revised - Author Clara M. Miller
• Hinsdale House An American Haunting — various authors
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🌙 Listening Environment & Atmosphere

(Optional items some listeners use to create a calm or focused listening space)

• Dreamegg Portable White Noise Machine
• JBL Vibe Beam 2 - Noise Canceling Earbuds 

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Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode, host Robert Barber examines the documented history of Camp Hero alongside the allegations that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. Drawing from firsthand accounts, disputed records, and the writings of individuals such as Preston Nichols, the episode explores claims of psychological experimentation, alleged work with children, and stories that blurred the line between conspiracy theory and modern folklore.

No official documentation confirms the existence of a classified “Montauk Project.” Yet the persistence of the narrative has shaped American paranormal culture and directly influenced the creation of Stranger Things.

Was Montauk a misunderstood Cold War installation, an elaborate conspiracy theory, or a story that evolved through repetition and cultural anxiety? This episode explores what is verifiable, what remains disputed, and how a former military site became one of the most enduring modern legends in the United States.

🔍 Further Reading & Case Research

(For listeners who want to explore how this case has been documented)

• The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time: Silver Anniversary Edition - Author Preston B Nichols
• The Montauk Files: Unearthing the Phoenix Conspiracy — Author K.B. Wells, Jr

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

The events eventually led to St. Louis, Missouri, where priests from Saint Louis University were asked to intervene. Observations were recorded. Medical explanations were pursued first. Outside witnesses were brought in only after other options failed.

In this episode, host Robert Barber examines the St. Louis Exorcist House and the documented 1949 possession and exorcism case often associated with the pseudonym “Roland Doe.” Rather than retelling the story as it’s been mythologized, this episode focuses on what was recorded at the time, what remains disputed, and how the situation progressed step by step until an exorcism was attempted.

Years later, elements of this case would inspire The Exorcist, one of the most influential horror films ever made.

This is the story of what happened before the legend.

🔍 Further Reading & Case Research

(For listeners who want to explore this case in more detail)

• Possessed - by Thomas Allen

 🌙 Listening Environment & Atmosphere

Optional items some listeners use to create a calm or focused listening space.

• JBL Go 4 Bluetooth Speaker - Absolutely love JBL speakers.
• Fenmzee 3-Way Dimmable Touch Bedside Table Lamp - Such a great lamp that has usb ports so I can charge my phone at night.

These are optional links. 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Drawing from documented court records, medical findings, and historical accounts, this episode separates verified facts from reported experiences surrounding the case known as the Greenbrier Ghost. After a young woman’s death was initially ruled natural, her mother claimed that her daughter appeared to her and described how she had been killed, prompting authorities to take a second look at a case they believed was already closed.

This paranormal story explores how belief, persistence, and overlooked evidence intersected inside the legal system, raising lasting questions about where truth comes from, what qualifies as testimony, and why this case continues to unsettle people more than a century later.

🔍 Further Reading & Case Research
For listeners who want to explore how this case has been documented.

• The Haunting of Zona Heaster Shue: The Greenbrier Ghost Chronicles by Nancy Richmond (Author), Misty Murray-Walkup (Author)

• The Greenbrier Ghost: And Other Strange Stories by Dennis Deitz (Author)

🌙 Listening Environment & Atmosphere
Optional items some listeners use to create a calm or focused listening space.

• JBL Go 4 Bluetooth Speaker 

• Fenmzee 3-Way Dimmable Touch Bedside Table Lamp

These are optional links. No endorsement implied.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this mini episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber tells the story of the Bothell Hell House exactly as it was reported by those who lived through it, before stepping back to examine what can be verified, what remains unclear, and why this case continues to be discussed decades later.

This episode explores how prolonged, relentless activity can wear down a household without a single dramatic breaking point, and what happens when a home stops feeling neutral and begins to push back against the people living inside it.

Further Reading & Research

The Bothell Hell House: Poltergeist of Washington State
A firsthand account from later occupants of the home, documenting repeated disturbances, physical activity, and multiple witnesses over an extended period of time.

Haunted America
A U.S.-focused overview of reported hauntings and long-running cases, offering historical and regional context for how stories like this one are recorded, shared, and debated.

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

But soon after the beds were assembled, the house began to feel different.

Footsteps were heard moving through empty rooms. Objects shifted on their own. The children reported seeing a figure standing in their bedroom. A babysitter experienced something so unsettling that she refused to return. And eventually, the father came face-to-face with something in the hallway that convinced the family to leave their home in the middle of the night and never come back.

In this episode, Robert Barber tells the story of the Tallman Bunk Beds, a case later featured on Unsolved Mysteries, exactly as it has been passed down over the years. Once the story is complete, the episode steps back to examine what can be verified, what remains unconfirmed, and why this case continues to resist a single explanation.

Was this a genuine haunting, a buildup of fear, or something in between?

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

But behind the viral stories, the museum footage, and the online legends, there was something real: a chain of people who claimed that nightmares, shadows, sickness, and fear followed the small wooden cabinet wherever it went.

In this episode, join Robert Barber as he breaks down the original estate sale in Portland, Oregon, the early owners who tried to live with it, the curator who believed it carried a presence, and the moment the story exploded into the public imagination.

Some of it is verified.
Some of it is personal testimony.
Some of it is exaggerated.
But all of it adds up to one of the strangest modern hauntings ever recorded.

Is the Dybbuk Box a genuine haunting, the power of suggestion, or something in between?

Let’s look at what really happened.

🎧 State of the Unknown — new episodes every Tuesday.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

This is the true paranormal story of the Sallie House haunting, one of the most disturbing and well-documented cases in America’s haunted history.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, we walk through the chilling events exactly as the family reported them: the footsteps, the cold spots, the toys that moved on their own, and the violent attacks that finally drove them out.

Then we step back and examine what investigators actually documented, what witnesses claimed, and what remains part of Midwestern urban folklore.

If you enjoy paranormal encounters, real hauntings, demonic cases, or unsolved supernatural mysteries, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Listen now and decide for yourself what really happened inside the Sallie House.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this mini-episode, we explore the legend as it’s been told for generations — the strange behavior, the escalating disturbances, and the night of the scream, before stepping back to see what can actually be confirmed. Is Room 428 truly haunted, or did a series of unsettling events evolve into one of the most enduring pieces of campus folklore in the Midwest?

This is the story of the room Ohio University quietly locked and never reopened.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join host Robert B. as he dives deep into the true story of the Bell Witch, exploring the noises, the whispers, the violent attacks on young Betsy Bell, and the community that gathered to hear a disembodied voice speak from the shadows. We walk through the events leading up to John Bell’s mysterious decline, the infamous poison vial, the witch’s final prediction, and the strange return that followed years later.

We also look at how the legend grew, what’s documented, what came from later retellings, and how the story transformed into one of America’s most famous ghost tales. And yes, we explore the later connection to the Bell Witch Cave, a site that has become synonymous with the haunting even though it never appeared in the earliest accounts.

Whether you believe this was a genuine supernatural encounter, a community-wide panic, or the birth of a uniquely American legend, the Bell Witch remains one of the most debated and enduring hauntings ever recorded.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Lights flickered, water ran on its own, and fear spread through the neighborhood—until they learned the truth.

Their subdivision had been built over a forgotten cemetery known as Black Hope.

The story of what followed—graves unearthed, strange activity, and a family tragedy—sounds eerily similar to the plot of Poltergeist, which hit theaters around the same time.

But this wasn’t a movie set. It was real life.

This is the story of the Black Hope Cemetery: a Texas haunting rooted in history, a fight for recognition, and a reminder that some places never truly rest.

🎙️ State of the Unknown tells true stories of hauntings, legends, and the unexplained from across America—where history and mystery blur.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Months later, flight crews across the country began reporting something impossible: the faces of Captain Robert Loft and Flight Engineer Donald Repo appearing aboard other jets built from the wreckage.

What followed became one of the best-documented modern hauntings and a mystery that changed aviation forever.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, host Robert Barber revisits the verified history of the crash, the first-hand reports that followed, and the lasting question they left behind: Were these sightings trauma… or proof that some flights never really end?

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Once a school, a Civil War widows’ home, and later a state-run institution, Madison Seminary has become one of the most haunted locations in Ohio.

In this episode, host Robert Barber explores the history and hauntings of the Seminary, including the Civil War wing watched over by Elizabeth Stiles, the shrine-like bedroom of Sarah who asked for money, and the top-floor Asylum where a presence known as the Surgeon is said to linger.

You will also hear about Robert’s own late-night investigation in the Seminary’s basement, where a K2 meter seemed to respond to questions and where the silence carried a weight all its own.

🕯️ EVP Recordings Featured in This Episode:
• “Make It Stop” – Captured in the Surgeon’s Room

• Unintelligible Voices – Captured in Sarah’s Room

Whether you believe in ghosts or simply in the echoes of history, Madison Seminary stands as a place where both still seem to be alive.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In 1977, the Hodgson family of Enfield, London reported furniture moving on its own, voices echoing from the walls, and violent disturbances witnessed by police, reporters, and paranormal investigators.

But what really happened inside that house?

In this episode, State of the Unknown host Robert Barber uncovers the true story behind The Conjuring 2, the real Enfield Poltergeist case. You will hear what the investigators documented, what skeptics uncovered, and what the surviving witnesses still believe nearly fifty years later.

Listen now and decide for yourself what haunted 284 Green Street.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

When nineteen-year-old Arne Johnson stabbed his landlord, he claimed something no U.S. court had ever heard before, that he was possessed by a demon.

This episode of State of the Unknown uncovers the true story that inspired The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Host Robert Barber takes you inside the real case, from the alleged possession of eleven-year-old David Glatzel, to the Warrens’ controversial involvement, to the trial that tried to put the Devil on the witness stand.

You’ll hear what was verified, what was exaggerated, and what Hollywood left behind. No jump scares. No clichés. Just the documented events, chilling details, and quiet questions that still haunt Connecticut to this day.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Before The Conjuring turned her into a horror icon, Annabelle was real — a simple Raggedy Ann doll at the center of one of the most documented real hauntings in American history.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, host Robert Barber explores the true paranormal story of Annabelle - from the strange movements witnessed by two nursing students in 1970s Connecticut to the terrifying investigation led by Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Discover how an innocent gift became one of the most infamous haunted objects in haunted America, and how its legend continues to shape creepy history and eerie stories to this day.

If you love true paranormal stories, haunted history, and the darker corners of American folklore, this one’s for you.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber revisits one of America’s most disturbing real-life hauntings - the true events that inspired The Conjuring: Last Rites. From unexplainable noises and levitations to an alleged demonic presence that terrorized an ordinary family, this case remains one of the most chilling chapters in modern paranormal history.

🎧 Haunted history. True encounters. Real fear.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join host Robert Barber as we dive into the real cases Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated — the ones that became the inspiration for The Conjuring: Last Rites, Annabelle, The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Conjuring 2. From the Smurl Haunting in Pennsylvania to the infamous Enfield Poltergeist, we’ll separate fact from Hollywood and uncover the chilling truth behind the Conjuring universe.

Follow State of the Unknown wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss a single haunted story this October.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

The Lemp family built their empire on beer, but inside their 33-room mansion, sorrow took root. Five suicides. A legacy of grief. And a house that refuses to let go of its past.

Today, the Lemp Mansion is famous for more than history. Guests report footsteps in empty hallways. Staff hear boots crossing the ballroom after midnight. Paranormal investigators capture whispers - even the laughter of a child long gone.

Join host Robert Barber as we step inside the haunted Lemp Mansion - to explore its history, its ghosts, and the lingering question: is it the family that haunts these halls, or the grief itself?

This is State of the Unknown.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Torn clothing. Watches that would never tick again. A trembling dog that wouldn’t leave Betty’s side. And under hypnosis, Barney’s voice breaking as he screamed about “the eyes” — eyes he swore were burned into his mind.

Join host Robert B. as State of the Unknown revisits that night on Route 3, unraveling the Hill abduction in vivid detail. From Betty’s recurring dreams of being taken aboard a craft, to Barney’s chilling hypnosis sessions, to the infamous “star map” pointing to Zeta Reticuli, this case laid the foundation for everything we now recognize in modern alien abduction lore.

Was it stress and fractured memory, shaped by dreams and fear? Or the night two ordinary people truly came face-to-face with something not of this Earth?

🎧 Listen now to The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction: America’s First Alien Encounter — and decide for yourself.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown: Out of State, Robert Barber uncovers the true paranormal history of Poveglia — from plague pits and asylums to ghostly sightings and modern-day bans. It’s a haunting unlike any other… and one that still lingers over the waters of the Venetian Lagoon.

🎧 Haunted history. Real places. True fear.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown: Out of State, Robert Barber dives into the origins of the Atlantis myth — from Plato’s first writings to modern theories that place it everywhere from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean. Explore the blend of fact, folklore, and mystery that continues to make Atlantis one of humanity’s most enduring legends.

🎧 Ancient myths. Lost worlds. Enduring mysteries.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown: Out of State, Robert Barber explores the haunted history and true paranormal stories of Leap Castle — a place where history and horror intertwine, and where the past refuses to stay buried.

🎧 Ancient walls. Real hauntings. True fear.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown: Out of State, Robert Barber explores the haunted history and true cryptid lore of the Nuckelavee — from its roots in Scottish mythology to the chilling stories that keep its memory alive.

🎧 Myth becomes monster. Legend becomes fear.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

For centuries, she has haunted riversides and canals, searching for the children she drowned and lost. Some call her a grieving mother. Others, a curse born from betrayal. But all agree: her cry is an omen. If you hear it, death may follow.

In this episode of Out of State, we travel beyond American folklore into the haunted history of Mexico. From Aztec goddesses to colonial sightings in Mexico City, to modern encounters along the Rio Grande, La Llorona endures as one of the most terrifying paranormal stories in the world.

Join us as we uncover why her legend refuses to rest… and why her voice still drifts across the water.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

At the base of Mount Fuji lies Aokigahara, Japan’s infamous “Suicide Forest.” But beyond its tragic reputation, locals tell of something else: the ghost of a woman in white, seen drifting silently among the trees.

This episode explores the paranormal history of Aokigahara, chilling first-hand accounts, and the ghostly legend of the White Lady — a yūrei spirit born of sorrow. Known for following the living, she’s one of Japan’s most enduring ghost stories.

If you love paranormal stories, true ghost legends, and haunted history, this eerie journey into Japan’s most mysterious forest is for you.

🎙️ Content Warning

This episode contains discussion of suicide and grief.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.
In the United States, you can dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
For listeners elsewhere, please check your local crisis hotlines and resources.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber traces the real story and haunted history behind the man who inspired the legend. From his mysterious rise to fame to his untimely death, we explore the truth, the folklore, and the lasting shadow of the Devil’s bargain that shaped the blues.

🎧 Where music meets myth… and the unknown plays on.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode, Robert Barber and returning guest Dr. Brian Parsons dig deeper into America’s strangest cryptid cases—like the Murfreesboro Mud Monster, black goo evidence, and unexplained footprints.

From haunted forests to local law enforcement transparency, we explore why paranormal stories like Bigfoot endure—and how they fill the same mythic space ancient legends once did.

Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, this is true folklore in motion.

🎧 Listen now for rare insight into the psychology, symbolism, and stakes of American cryptid folklore.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In Part 1 of this special interview, Robert Barber talks with cryptozoologist Dr. Brian D. Parsons about the eastern U.S.'s most persistent legends—Bigfoot, Mothman, the Beast of Bladenboro, and the Loveland Frog.

Explore how folklore, geography, and belief collide in these paranormal stories, and why the forest isn't the only place these creatures live—they haunt memory, maps, and even AI.

🎧 This episode blends true stories, mythology, and the blurred line between hoax and horror.

##Check out Dr. Parson's newest book, Eastern Cryptids, HERE

🎧 Listen now to State of the Unknown—your go-to for haunted history, cryptid lore, and eerie encounters. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you listen.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Whether you're a fan of creepy podcasts, haunted places, or eerie folklore, this episode brings the haunted history of the eastern U.S. to life.

🟡 Listen now — and decide for yourself what’s myth… and what might be lurking just beyond the trees.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber examines the true stories behind the Warrens’ most famous cases — from cursed objects and possessed dolls to haunted houses and demonic encounters. Were they uncovering proof of the afterlife… or creating modern folklore in real time?

🎧 True paranormal stories. Haunted history. The legacy that still haunts us.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join host Robert Barber as he separates fact from fiction, examines the Warrens' controversial legacy, and discusses their role in shaping modern paranormal mythology. Whether you're drawn to haunted history or curious about the people behind the legends, this episode dives deep into the eerie and the unexplained

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber unearths the true paranormal story behind one of America’s most infamous haunted places. From the chilling encounters of the Perron family to the real history of Bathsheba Sherman, this colonial-era farmhouse in Rhode Island holds more than ghosts — it holds memory, tragedy, and myth.

Was the haunting real… or something even stranger?

🎧 For listeners drawn to haunted history, true paranormal stories, and the legends we can’t let go of — step inside The Conjuring House.

##References in the Show##

Episode 3 - Mercy Brown | Rhode Island’s Last American Vampire https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465685/episodes/17010280-mercy-brown-rhode-island-s-last-american-vampire-fact-or-folklore

##Sound FX Credits##

Horror Ambiance by TheSoundFXGuy_YT -- https://freesound.org/s/534221/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Drone Wave 6 by Erokia -- https://freesound.org/s/797855/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

Tranquil Harmony (Calm Piano and Ambient Sounds for Relaxation) by Universfield -- https://freesound.org/s/761767/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

From unexplained phenomena to the Warrens’ controversial investigation, discover what really happened behind the haunting—and why this case still terrifies believers and skeptics alike.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join host Robert Barber as he explores this haunted stretch of Pennsylvania, uncovering stories of disappearances, strange lights, and the eerie stillness that seems almost alive.

Part of State of the Unknown’s haunted history series, this episode is for anyone who believes the land itself can remember.

🎧 Real places. Real legends. True hauntings.

Sound Attributions:

AMBForst_Late Spring.Forest Edge.Morning.Byrds.A Light Wind In The Trees 1_EM by newlocknew -- https://freesound.org/s/811685/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Dark-City_futuristic_ambient(near-machinery-vents)_by_OnlyTheGhosts.ogg by OnlyTheGhosts -- https://freesound.org/s/251624/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

FIREBurn_Big Fire In The Forest.Artificial_EM_(34lrs).wav by newlocknew -- https://freesound.org/s/636917/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

calm forest April NL Kampina 04 DeNoise 200401_0141.wav by klankbeeld -- https://freesound.org/s/577488/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Bone Crack by Afilion -- https://freesound.org/s/185147/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

RAMELET_Charline_2016_2017_whistledMelody.wav by iut_Paris8 -- https://freesound.org/s/390137/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

night at the forest lake nature atmo by Garuda1982 -- https://freesound.org/s/645971/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 

Shine by NMTVESounds -- https://freesound.org/s/582344/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 

Whispers Loop Mix 3.wav by ashleyxxpiano -- https://freesound.org/s/205628/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0  

sad piano improvisation for film royalty free by kingvitaman -- https://freesound.org/s/414032/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Host Robert Barber sets the stage for an episode that explores murders, disappearances, and ghost stories that refuse to fade.
Is the land cursed? Or simply a place where fear grows like the trees?

This is a haunted places podcast for those drawn to real legends, shadowed history, and stories that never sleep.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Join Robert Barber as he unearths the true paranormal story of Mel’s Hole — a chilling piece of urban folklore that blurs the line between myth, science, and government secrecy. From radio waves to vanishing truths, this is one of America’s strangest mysteries.

🎧 State of the Unknown — where folklore, fact, and fear collide.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

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Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode, we introduce the story of a bottomless pit that has defied explanation for decades. First made famous on late-night radio, Mel’s Hole is said to swallow objects without a sound, attract government surveillance, and shimmer with otherworldly power.

Is it a hoax? A cover-up? Or a legend that reveals something deeper about our fear of the unknown?

You’ll hear:

• The original call that launched the legend
• Eyewitness claims and bizarre anomalies
• Reflections on why some stories linger—true or not

Mentioned in this episode:

• Coast to Coast AM (Art Bell archives)
• Ellensburg, Washington folklore
• Bottomless pit myths in American paranormal culture

Subscribe to State of the Unknown wherever you listen—and follow the show for future deep dives into haunted places, forgotten history, and legends that never truly disappear.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Once a luxury spa, the Crescent became a fraudulent cancer hospital in the 1930s, leaving behind a legacy of suffering that still echoes through its halls. Today, guests and staff continue to report cold spots, disembodied voices, and apparitions that seem tied to its tragic past.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber unravels the haunted history and true paranormal stories that make the Crescent Hotel one of America’s most enduring real-life hauntings.

🎧 Haunted history. True encounters. Real fear.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Hosted by Robert Barber, this preview of State of the Unknown sets the stage for a chilling descent into the Crescent Hotel—where paranormal stories, ghost sightings, and urban legends have lingered for over a century.

As part of our haunted places podcast, this episode teases the eerie history, strange deaths, and spectral rumors that surround the Ozark landmark.

Follow for the full story—and don’t look too long at the mirrors.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In 1662, unexplained deaths and rising superstition ignited America’s first witch panic. Neighbors turned against each other. Accusations spread. And the Hartford Witch Trials became a dark chapter in America’s haunted history—one nearly erased from memory.

In this episode of State of the Unknown, Robert Barber unearths the creepy history of Hartford’s forgotten panic, exploring the myths, the terror, and the legacy that shaped American folklore long before Salem.

Background Music Attribution (Creative Commons):

• Dark Cave Background 2.wav by SolarPhasing – https://freesound.org/s/490585/ – License: Attribution 4.0
• Digging 1.wav by Alexbuk – https://freesound.org/s/541904/ – License: Attribution 4.0

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

This creepy preview of State of the Unknown explores one of the darkest, most overlooked chapters in colonial history.

If you love paranormal stories, forgotten tragedies, and unsettling truths, this haunted places podcast delivers something deeper.

Full episode drops this Wednesday—follow @stateoftheunknownpodcast to never miss a legend that refuses to stay buried.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In 1955, the Sutton family claimed to be under attack by metallic-skinned creatures with glowing eyes—what would become known as the Hopkinsville Goblins.

Host Robert Barber traces the incident’s timeline, military involvement, and the lasting legacy of one of America’s strangest paranormal stories.

👽 Alien visitors? Mass hysteria? Or something stranger still?

🎧 If you believe folklore can come from fear, this one’s for you.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

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Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

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Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

It terrorized the town for five nights… and then disappeared.

In this episode, Robert Barber unravels one of America’s most chilling and little-known paranormal stories—a case where folklore, fear, and eyewitness accounts collide.

🎧 Was it a cryptid, mass panic, or something we still can’t name?

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Host Robert Barber uncovers the real story behind New England’s vampire panic, tuberculosis, and the ritual that made Mercy a legend.

🧛‍♀️ Love dark history and forgotten folklore? Follow State of the Unknown and share this episode with someone who still checks behind the closet door.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

In this episode, host Robert Barber dives into the 1990s Bray Road sightings, local lore, and the possibility that something primal still hunts the countryside.

🐺 Listen now—and follow the show for more American legends that blur the line between myth and reality.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

From ghost sightings and cult legends to UFOs, Bigfoot reports, and unexplained disappearances, the Triangle’s stories blur the line between myth and reality.

In this premiere episode of State of the Unknown, host Robert Barber explores the haunted history and true paranormal stories that have made the Bridgewater Triangle a cornerstone of modern American folklore.

Where legends live, and the unknown is always closer than it seems.

Follow State of the Unknown for immersive explorations into American folklore—and don’t forget to leave a review.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.

Support the show

State of the Unknown is a documentary-style podcast tracing the haunted highways, forgotten folklore, and unexplained phenomena across America’s 50 states.

👁️‍🗨️ New episodes every Tuesday — with full-length stories every other week, and shorter mini tales in between.
📬 Reach out: contact@stateoftheunknown.com

📣 Follow the strange: @stateoftheunknownpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, & Threads
🔍 Want more? Visit stateoftheunknown.com to explore show notes and submit your own story.

Join the Conversation

Join the conversation! Head to our Facebook group at State of the Unknown Listeners to connect with other listeners, suggest topics, and get behind-the-scenes updates.

Share Your Take

Have a theory about this episode? Message me anytime on Instagram @stateoftheunknownpodcast - I read every DM.

Some stories don’t stay buried.
We go looking anyway.