We are thrilled to have Edgar Award Winning author and weird history expert J.W. Oker on the show to discuss his newest book Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations―and Take Over Our Lives an insightful yet quirky and often times amusing look at thirty different cults, from heavy hitters like the Manson Family, Jim Jones and Aum Shinrikyo, to lesser known groups you may have never heard of like the Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven and the John Frum Cargo Cult.

Links to J.W. Ocker’s

Website: OTIS (Odd Things I've Seen)

Instagram: J.W. Ocker (@jwocker)

Buy his books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00912M0K6

MURDER COASTER PODCAST

Hosted by Christa Carmen and Matthew Brockmeyer

Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com

Facebook: Murder Coaster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/

Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

#jwocker #cultfollowing #cult #cults #charliemanson #anthillkids #cultbook #truecrime #podcast #truecrimepodcast

Wayne Nance, the Missoula Mauler, was a serial killer, wannabe sorcerer and bumbling occultist who found Wild West justice in the Rocky Mountains of Montana.

Hear the horrible tale of the Missoula Mauler today on Murder Coaster.

MURDER COASTER PODCAST

Hosted by Christa Carmen and Matthew Brockmeyer

Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com

Facebook: Murder Coaster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/

Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

FEATURING THE SONGS:

“Small Doses” by Chris Jeffries, The Homeless Romantic, used with permission and many thanks. Listen to Chris on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pK2x732HntZv7JmyR1H2o

“True to the Flag” by United States Marine Corps Band courtesy of the YouTube Audio Library

“Go to War” by No Sons of Mine courtesy of Epidemic Sound. Listen to No Sons of Mine on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6QfLlpyGYVqMEPsOtMDEJV

REFERENCES:

To Kill and Kill Again: The Terrifying True Story of Montana's Baby-Faced Serial Sex Murderer by John Coston. Open Road Media, October 18, 2016. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1504041294

This American Life Episode 618: Mr. Lie Detector - This American Life

FORENSIC May 12, 2021: Remains of Suspected Third Victim of Wayne Nance ID'ed after 36 Years

Daily Mail May 11, 2012: Remains of mom-of-one, 23, found in Montana in 1985 identified through DNA | Daily Mail Online

THE MISSOULIAN May 30, 2025: Nance victim named/21 years after remains found, woman identified

#waynenance #missoulamauler #themissoulamauler #montana #missoula #missoulamontana #truecrime #podcast #truecrimepodcast

Today we cover a crime so horrific, horrible and brutal, and committed by such a young offender, a boy only fourteen years old, that many believed it had to have been of supernatural means, and to this day it is cited as definitive proof of demonic possession.

Ladies and gentleman, we present the story of Thomas Sullivan Junior and the Satanic Panic.

MURDER COASTER PODCAST

Hosted by Christa Carmen and Matthew Brockmeyer

Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com

Facebook: Murder Coaster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/

Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

FEATURING THE SONGS:

“You’re Going to Die, Too” by Chris Jeffries The Homeless Romantic, used with permission and many thanks. Listen to Chris on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pK2x732HntZv7JmyR1H2o

“Sad walk with sad melodica” by Komiku CCO Public Domain, courtesy of the Free Music Archive

“Halloween” by HoliznaCC0 CCO Public Domain, courtesy of the Free Music Archive

“I Despise” by No Songs of Mind courtesy Epidemic Sound, listen to them on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6QfLlpyGYVqMEPsOtMDEJV

REFERENCES:

Los Angeles Times January 11, 1988 Satanist Teen Uses Scout Knife to Kill Mother, Self - Los Angeles Times

Geraldo Rivera 1988 Television Special DEVIL WORSHIP: EXPOSING SATAN’S UNDERGROUND. Watch on Geraldo’s website: Exposing Satan's Underground - Geraldo and on YouTube: DEVIL WORSHIP: Exposing Satan's Underground

BBC NEWS April 11, 2014: The great 1980s Dungeons & Dragons panic - BBC News

NJ.COM Feb. 15, 2017: A history of the Ku Klux Klan in N.J. - nj.com

Alma Bridwell White - Wikipedia

National Library of Medicine Epub Sep 3, 2020: Wrestling-related concussions and closed head injuries predominantly occur in high school age athletes - PubMed

National Library of Medicine: Traumatic brain injury: a potential cause of violent crime? - PMC

THE DEVIL WITHIN PODCAST Written and narrated by Brandon Morgan, Calvary Productions May 2021 The Devil Within Podcast | Wondery

Reddit Reviews: The Devil Within. Meh : r/TrueCrimePodcasts

#truecrime #tommysullivan #thomassullivan #satanism #satan #satanicpanic #geraldorivera #podcast #truecrimepodcast #murdercoasterpodcast #morbid #thedevil #demon #possession

Internet bullying, cat fishing, cyber-sex, myspace, Facebook, CIA assassins and cold-blooded murder.

Ladies and gentlemen, this week we have one of the strangest and most unbelievable cases you probably never heard of: the story of Jenelle Potter and the Facebook murders, a tale of loneliness and group psychosis taken to extraordinary levels of madness.

Step right up, step right up, and hear all about it.

MURDER COASTER PODCAST

Hosted by Christa Carmen and Matthew Brockmeyer

Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com

Facebook: Murder Coaster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/

Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

FEATURING THE SONGS:

“Lonely” by Tinyfolk courtesy of the Free Music Archive. Canonical URL

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Lonesome Liar Dancing Up in the Trees” by We Is Shore Dedicated courtesy of the Free Music Archive. Canonical URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Recluse” byHoliznaCC0 courtesy of the Free Music Archive

As well as songs by Kylie Daly (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0lC97iGj9XViueKd9WERw4)

and Roy Williams (https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yvhrxxALTG86T5IEocn4Z) courtesy of Epidemic Sound.

REFERENCES:

Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee by Dennis Brooks, Diversion Books, February 9, 2016. ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1682301999

TIMES NEWS August 26, 2021 Reversal in Facebook Murder Case: New Trial for Mother | | timesnews.net

LAW AND CRIME November, 11, 2021 Barbara Potter Pleads Guilty in ‘Facebook Murders’ Case

THE SUN Apr 5, 2024 Where are Marvin, Jenelle, and Barbara Potter now? | The US Sun

#jenellepotter #facebookmurders #thefacebookmurders #truecrime #podcast #truecrimepodcast #murdercoasterpodcast #morbid #creepy #facebook #socialmedia #tennessee

What comes to mind when you hear the term "tree-hugger"? Most likely a hippie free-spirit and lover of nature, not a deranged psychopathic killer, but that is what we have today.

Matthew Hoffman was obsessed with trees and leaves, spending his days perched on a branch in a tree, and his nights sleeping in piles of leaves he brought into his house, to the point where it is said to have become a bizarre sexual fetish that festered in his mind, a condition known as dendrophilia.

What blood was to Richard Ramirez, the Sacramento Vampire, trees and leaves were to the sick mind of Matthew Hoffman, the leaf killer.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is his story.

MURDER COASTER PODCAST

Hosted by Christa Carmen and Matthew Brockmeyer

Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com

Facebook: Murder Coaster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/

Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

REFERENCES:

THE HORROR INSIDE THE HOLLOWED TREE YouTube Documentary: The Horror Inside the Hollowed Tree

The Girl in the Leaves by Larry Maynard, Sarah Maynard and Robert Scott. Berkley (December 31, 2012) ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0425258828

10tv.com May 21, 2013: Surviving Victim Of Deadly Knox County Kidnappings Receives Protection Order Against Father, Step-Mother | 10tv.com

The Columbus Dispatch: Father, stepmother charged with assaulting Knox County kidnap victim

WBNS-10TV Staff April 3, 2017: Former Knox Co. Sheriff died from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound | 10tv.com

FEATURING THE SONGS:

“Crossroads of Galahad” by Austin Moffa courtesy of the Free Music Archive Deed - Attribution 4.0 International - Creative Commons

“Garden Eyes” “Godless/Mindless” and “Unbeatable Arcade Machine” by HoliznaCC0 courtesy of the Free Music Archive

“Awkward Meeting - Supernatural Haunting” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100574 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

“Apprehension - Supernatural Haunting” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100327 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

#matthewhoffman #christacarmen #houseofleaves #leafkiller #truecrime #truecrimepodcast #ohio #podcast #morbid #dendrophilia #theleafkiller

Welcome back to Part Two of the Killer: Jerry Lee Lewis.

Jerry Lee Lewis was a scorching ball of fire, an unstoppable force of nature, dripping with musical talent, whose music is beloved around the world, but he was also an out-of-control sociopath, a liar and thief, an incestuous drug addled madman, a bigamist and absentee father, a tax cheat, a violent and cruel drunk and quite possibly a murderer. This, is his story.

MURDER COASTER PODCAST

Hosted by Christa Carmen and Matthew Brockmeyer

Website: www.murdercoasterpodcast.com

Facebook: Murder Coaster

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murdercoasterpodcast/

Email: murdercoasterpodcast@gmail.com

Creepy Amusement Park theme by Brandon Fiechter and Derek Fiechter, used by permission and with many thanks.

FEATURING THE SONGS:

“Fierce Claws” by Resting on Pretty used with permission and with many thanks. Listen to Resting on Pretty on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VY5AZil8a5TpolX7fEHG6

Or YouTube: (33) Resting on Pretty - YouTube

“Piano Boogie Woogie copyright free” “Piano bar blues in F” and “Gentle piano swing” courtesy of Lee’sFreeAudio Website: Lee'sFreeAudio | Lee Shetliffe YouTube: (29)Lee'sFreeAudio - YouTube

“Tennessee Hayride” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

“Jumpin Boogie Woogie” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

“Pinetop's Boogie Woogie” by Pine Top Smith. Written by Clarence Smith (1904-1929) Recording date: 1928. License: Public Domain Courtesy of Open Music Archive Dot Org: https://www.openmusicarchive.org/

REFERENCES:

Rolling Stone Magazine, March 1, 1984: The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis

Was the rock legend's fourth wife murdered, and did the man known as "the Killer" do it?

The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis By Richard Ben Cramer

DISGRACELAND: Musicians Getting Away with Murder and Behaving Very Badly by Jake Brennan. Grand Central Publishing; Illustrated edition (October 1, 2019) ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1538732144

JERRY LEE LEWIS: His Own Story by Rick Brag. Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (September 15, 2015) ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062078247

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE: The True Story of Jerry Lee Lewis by Myra Lewis. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Virgin; 1982nd edition (January 1, 1983) ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0907080756

DISGRACELAND PODCAST EPISODE ONE: Jerry Lee Lewis — Disgraceland

#truecrime #truecrimepodcast #podcast #jerryleelewis #thekiller #rockandroll #elvis #elvispresley #johnnycash #boogiewoogie #memphis #nashville