Episodes

  • 48: Die Fratzen

    48: Die Fratzen
    Sep 30 2025
    In tonight’s dead letter… a listener shares their chilling encounters with "Die Fratzen," demonic faces that surfaced after a period of indulgence and self-disgust. These weren't just fleeting nightmares; they manifested as waking visions and doppelgangers, leading to a quest for spiritual help. The writer grapples with the possibility of mental health issues versus a genuine spiritual battle and how these experiences mirror those of Anneliese Michel, whom we covered a few years ago on Astonishing Legends.

    Links:

    Astonishing Legends: The Devil and Annaliese Michel P1
    https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZiRkT1ZfIyMBsUBAs1RDK?si=d044978fbf484d63

    P2
    https://open.spotify.com/episode/5k6UzW5Yku23D55QbcKGhl?si=cb39009d744f4dbd

    P3
    https://open.spotify.com/episode/3NHYwTl94InnHYREWpE044?si=bc43d397273d4176

    Astonishing Legends: Sarah and the Spider Woman
    https://open.spotify.com/episode/38UXYglzND21RcSLQiTk1M?si=4e6f381273b34557

    Unsolved Mysteries: Don Decker
    https://unsolved.com/gallery/don-decker/

    Paranormal Witness: Don Decker
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2090999/

    Send your stories into deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • The Screaming Skulls

    The Screaming Skulls
    Sep 27 2025
    Across England, legends tell of “screaming skulls,” which are human remains said to bring disaster if moved from their resting place. In Dorset, a skull defies removal with deadly consequences; in Derbyshire, “Dickie” halted a railway project; in Yorkshire, Anne’s head demanded to stay within her beloved home; and in Manchester, one cast into a moat unleashed a storm. Whether relics of Celtic head-worship, tools of folk medicine, or grim mementos of an age steeped in mortality, the stories agree on one rule: disturb the skulls at your peril.

    Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 37 mins
  • 47: The Lock Looker

    47: The Lock Looker
    Sep 23 2025
    In tonight’s Dead Letter, you’ll hear a bizarre tale from rural Ohio, one of our favorite strange states, involving a creature known only as the "Lock Looker." This cryptid, with its orangutan-like build, glowing orange eyes, and famous movie scream, lurks near a dam and has been sighted by both the storyteller and their father. It may have been around a while. Join Scott and Forrest as they briefly debate the pronunciation of Orangutan and also delve into this multi-generational mystery.


    LINKS:

    • Shelby County Parks (Home of Lockington Reserve)
      • https://shelbycopark.org/lockington-reserve

    • University of Zurich - Orangutan Calls
      • https://www.iea.uzh.ch/en/research/orangutannetwork/orangutancallrepertoires.html
    • The actual one we played:
      • https://www.iea.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:00000000-7c6e-90e4-ffff-ffff84c61003/Ref_Crying_and_Screaming_Jeri.mp3

    • R2-D2 Sound Design
      • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So0nmciiFJg

    • Lyle Blackburn
      • http://www.lyleblackburn.com/
    Send your stories into deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Important Update

    Important Update
    Sep 20 2025
    News from Scott and Forrest
    Show More Show Less
    1 min
  • 46: The Cowboy in the Canteen

    46: The Cowboy in the Canteen
    Sep 16 2025
    In tonight’s dead letter… a VFW canteen worker in Michigan has a close encounter with a mysterious cowboy, complete with vintage attire and dollar coins. The stranger asks her to champion his cause of getting “shell shock” recognized for a Purple Heart. After the encounter, the letter he provides vanishes and the general he mentions turns out to be from the Civil War.

    Links:

    Jim Harold’s Roadhouse Saloon Campfire STory
    https://jimharold.com/the-roadhouse-saloon-from-the-files-of-jim-harolds-campfire/

    The VFW
    https://www.vfw.org/

    Shell Shock
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_shock

    PTSD
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-traumatic_stress_disorder

    PTSD as a Criteria for a Purple Heart
    https://www.dvidshub.net/news/520197/purple-heart-criteria-exclude-ptsd-defense-officials-say

    https://www.mghclaycenter.org/hot-topics/denying-purple-hearts-veterans-ptsd-2/

    https://www.disabledveterans.org/purple-hearts-for-ptsd/

    The ‘Seated Liberty’ Dollar
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seated_Liberty_dollar

    Some for sale on Ebay
    https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=seated+liberty+dollars+1840-1873&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1311

    ‘The Edge of Tomorrow’ movie which references Verdun as an Alien Battle Site
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Tomorrow

    Unsolved Mysteries: Paranormal Rangers
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22336540/
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • 45: Uninvited Intruders

    45: Uninvited Intruders
    Sep 9 2025
    In tonight’s dead letter, a listener recounts a childhood filled with unexplained phenomena in their 1940s Michigan home. From persistent footsteps and unsettling noises like dragging chains and hammering to a menacing presence in their bedroom, the haunting escalated over the years, driving them to seek refuge upstairs. But even then, the activity followed, with something heavy repeatedly stomping on the cast iron cover of the well room just outside their window. Pers

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning

    Search this page for more on the Jacob Marley quote, “I wear the chain I forged in life…”
    https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/christmascarol/quotes/character/jacob-marley/

    Witch Ride/Sleep Paralysis
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis

    Stephen Prozak Shippy
    https://www.strangemusicinc.com/artists/prozak
    https://www.youtube.com/@HauntedSaginaw/featured

    Iron in Folklore
    https://diabolicalconfusions.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/iron-in-folklore-superstitions-explained/


    Email your stories to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • Mystery Solved! AMA 2025

    Mystery Solved! AMA 2025
    Sep 7 2025
    Alright Astonishing Legends listeners, buckle up! In this special AMA episode, Scott and Forrest are answering your burning questions! We're diving headfirst into everything from the implications of sentient Tesla bots inheriting fortunes (and causing chaos) to the latest updates on the search for Amelia Earhart's lost plane.

    We’re also exploring listener questions and thoughts on future stories and the state of Astonishing Legends. We discuss the intricacies of researching paranormal topics, sharing insights into why some stories captivate while others fizzle. There are also several business questions answered from curious fans. And delving into some of our own paranormal experiences, we share thoughts on the cases that have profoundly shaped our perspectives. So join us as we explore the strange, the unexplained, and everything in between, all thanks to the incredible support of YOU, our listeners!

    And Scott will be appearing with Rich Hatem in Washington D.C. in just a few weeks! IN the D.C. area? Get TICKETS HERE

    And check the Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf feed in the coming week for a sit-down he did with him about his 'Light in the Dark' Tour.
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 40 mins
  • 44: The Beginning that Never Ended

    44: The Beginning that Never Ended
    Sep 2 2025
    In tonight’s dead letter… Listener, Isla recalls a childhood park trip in Australia where she and a friend went exploring after her mom’s car broke down in the bush. They wandered too far from the car and observed a void-like, spear-bearing figure on the bank. The bush fell silent and the wind carried songs in an ancient language as they fled back to the car without looking back. Years later Isla still feels watched whenever she strays off the path.

    The Movie ‘Get out’ (referring to ‘The Sunken Place’ from the letter)
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052448/

    Artlandish Aboriginal Art Website
    https://www.artlandish.com/

    Goddard & Wierzbicka (2015) Article on ResearchGate
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283206413

    Wikipedia – "The Dreaming"
    https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dreaming&oldid=1297566697

    Petrichor
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor

    SAS Survival Handbook
    https://a.co/d/6oSBMlQ

    ‘Songlines’ by Bruce Chatwin
    https://a.co/d/6kqf1Oc

    ‘Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions’ by Edwin A. Abbott
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland


    Email your stories to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins