Two high-achieving twenty-somethings quit their dream jobs, strapped everything they owned to two bikes, and pedaled into the kind of freedom most of us only fantasize about during a bad Monday meeting. Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austen weren’t reckless thrill seekers. They were planners, idealists, the type who believed the world was mostly kind. So when their round-the-world cycling trip carried them into the mountains of Tajikistan and straight into the path of an ISIS attack, their story became more than a headline. It became a brutal collision between world views.

I highly recommend William Elliott Hazelgrove’s book Evil on the Roof of the World: A Cycling Trip that Ended in Terror if you want to go even deeper into this story. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Roof-World-Cycling-Terror/dp/B0F78H5VST

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

📚 Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45026752
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/31/634373403/d-c-couple-killed-in-tajikistan-attack-were-biking-around-the-world-together
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/the-weekly/isis-bike-attack-tajikistan.html
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/tajikistan-bike-murders-jay-austin-lauren-geoghegan/
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/american-cyclists-killed-isis-tajikistan/?scope=anon
https://www.simplycycling.org/

🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Mountain Wind by Siarhei Korbut
Peace of Mind – Calm Ambient Music by Clavier-Music
Bossa Nova Instrumental 01 by alanajordan
Ambient Background by playstarz_music
Seaside in Sorrow – Sad and Touching Soft Piano by HarumachiMusic
Desert Winds Meditation by NaturesEye
Midnight Whispers Creepy Dark Horror Background by TrenoX8
Piano Cinematic by The_Mountain
Inspirational Documentary Cinematic Piano by NotAIGenerated

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Montauk, NY | The premise for Stranger Things didn’t come from nowhere. We’re headed to Montauk, New York, where a real Cold War base, abandoned bunkers, and stubborn paper trails collide with a conspiracy theory that helped inspire Netflix’s biggest monster story. You’ll hear from Montauk native and author Brian Minnick, who explored Camp Hero as a kid, got chased by “security” years after the base supposedly closed, and found enough oddities to make one question what was actually sealed up and what kept running.

I highly recommend Brian Minnick’s book Montauk is Strange. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Montauk-Strange-Archives-Exploring-Project-ebook/dp/B0CYMCYPZ1

You can follow Brian and see exclusive videos of his underground explorations at https://www.instagram.com/montauk_is_strange/.

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🐇 Sources:
https://facesoflongisland.newsday.com/montauk-lighthouse-keeper-tells-tall-tales-of-history-a-ghost-and-the-next-200-years/
https://montauklibrary.org/throwback-thursday-montauks-air-force-station/
https://nypost.com/article/camp-hero-montauk-project-conspiracy/
https://parks.ny.gov/visit/state-parks/camp-hero-state-park
https://play.history.com/specials/the-dark-files-3/full-special.
https://strangerthings.fandom.com/wiki/Hawkins_National_Laboratory
https://www.britannica.com/topic/MK-ULTRA
https://www.businessinsider.com/camp-hero-montauk-air-force-base-inspired-stranger-things-photos-2023-8
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00789R002800180001-2.pdf
https://www.history.com/articles/cia-esp-espionage-soviet-union-cold-war
https://www.history.com/articles/what-was-operation-paperclip
https://www.history.com/mkultra-operation-midnight-climax-cia-lsd-experiments
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/duffer-brothers-talk-stranger-things-916180/
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/the-duffer-brothers-teach-developing-an-original-tv-series
https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/the-dark-files-film-explores-montauk-s-mysterious-camp-hero-state-park-on-history-channel-v57264
https://www.npr.org/2014/02/15/275877755/the-secret-operation-to-bring-nazi-scientists-to-america
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/09/758989641/the-cias-secret-quest-for-mind-control-torture-lsd-and-a-poisoner-in-chief
https://www.phillyvoice.com/holmesburg-prison-inmate-experiments-apology-northeast-philadelphia-albert-kligma/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-montauk-monster/
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/stranger-things-duffers-lawsuit-montauk-project
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/16/fact-check-nazi-scientists-brought-u-s-operation-paperclip/5690870002/
Newsday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBu4YlJENOc
MONTAUK: You're Not Going to Like This. The InBetween. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ODjWTL8q0&t=2s
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury-1960-radar-tower/187508067
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-montauk-camp-hero-opens/187510174/

🎵 Music from Pixabay:
Ambient - Dark - V1 by SenorMusica81
Stranger Things by Music_Unlimited
Cloudscape by Aonescape
Secret Enfoui
Cinematic Tension Soundscape by Lilliben
Mystical Emotions - Atmospheric Cinematic by Dvir Silverstone
Dark Story Inve

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Santa Claus, AZ | In the 1930s, a holiday fantasy rose from the Arizona desert, promising Christmas every day of the year. This is the story of what happens when we try to make permanent what is seasonal by design.

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🔎 Sources:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santa-claus-arizona
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-history/2024/12/18/santa-claus-az-history/76763717007/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-history/2022/12/07/where-christmas-was-celebrated-year-round-santa-claus-arizona/69706879007/
https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/once-festive-town-santa-claus-arizona/
https://www.arizonahighways.com/article/santa-claus-arizona
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-santa-claus-inn-own/187254288/
The Plain Dealer. (October 11, 1970). Santa claus arizona. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-santa-claus-arizona/187254432/
Arizona Daily Star. (December 25, 1976). Santa Claus for Sale. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-santa-claus-for-sale/187254477/
Nevada State Journal. (December 25, 1976). Need a Gift - Santa Claus. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/nevada-state-journal-need-a-gift-santa/187254503/
Pasadena Star-News. (April 13, 1931). Ninon Santa Claus. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news-ninon-santa-claus/187300212/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nepE18QbGj8. Santa Claus | The Christmas-Themed Desert Ghost Town
Obscurist Tourist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p67KJT_9l_E . Santa Claus, Arizona | Cronkite News
https://www.nps.gov/articles/route-66-overview.htm

🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Jingle Bells Back to Sleep by Laurent Buczek
Quirky Children Music by Tunetank
Christmas Holiday (Christmas Jazz) by Tunetank
Dark Christmas (Short) by Siarhei Korbut
God Rest, Ye Merry Meta by Alexander Nakarada

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Phoenix, Arizona | Case note on unexplained moments that surfaced during the Zombie Hunter investigation.

I highly recommend Troy Hillman’s book Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter if you want to go even deeper into this case. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Down-Zombie-Hunter-Small-Town/dp/1639369678/

To learn more about Troy Hillman’s work, check out his website at https://troyhillmancoldcase.com/ and follow him on social media at https://www.instagram.com/troyhillmancoldcase/ and https://www.facebook.com/troy.hillman.2025/

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🎵 Piano Odyssey, Surprising_Media, by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Phoenix, AZ | The DNA match finally gave the canal murderer a name: Bryan Patrick Miller. But what followed raised more questions than answers. In Part 2, with retired Cold Case Sergeant Troy Hillman guiding the investigation, we trace how a man with a long history of violence managed to live an ordinary life while cultivating a public persona that mocked the very system hunting him.

I highly recommend Troy Hillman’s book Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter if you want to go even deeper into this case. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Down-Zombie-Hunter-Small-Town/dp/1639369678/

To learn more about Troy Hillman’s work, check out his website at https://troyhillmancoldcase.com/ and follow him on social media at https://www.instagram.com/troyhillmancoldcase/ and https://www.facebook.com/troy.hillman.2025/

Rate & Review:
Thank you so much for listening to Dark City! I would love to hear from you. To rate and submit a review on the Apple Podcasts app, scroll down to the “Ratings and Review” section of the show page where you’ll see a “Tap to Rate” section under which you can select the number of stars for your rating. Underneath written reviews from other listeners, you will find a link to "Write a Review”. Tap that link and submit your comments on the screen that appears.

Spotify currently allows you to rate podcasts, but not write text reviews. To rate in the Spotify app, navigate to the top of the show page. Under the podcast cover and title, tap the three dots on the far right next to the gear icon. Tap the “Rate Show” option on the menu that appears and tap the number of stars for your ratings.

Listening on another platform and can’t find the option to rate and review the show? Send me an email at info@darkcitypodcast.com and I am happy to send you instructions.

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🔎 Additional Sources
True Crime Arizona. (2021–2023). Zombie Hunter series [Audio podcast episodes]. Arizona’s Family.
Unmasking the Zombie Hunter | Full Episode + Post Mortem
http://www.publishersweekly.com/9781639369676
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zombie-hunter-bryan-patrick-miller-phoenix-canal-killer-undercover-sting-chilis-capture/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bryan-patrick-miller-zombie-hunter-phoenix-canal-murders-timeline/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zombie-hunter-bryan-patrick-miller-convicted-killer-death-row-48-hours/

🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Gloomy Background for Documentaries by Universfield
Holding Breath (Tension Suspense) by AlexGrohl
Solitude – Dark Ambient by Clavier Clavier
Stalking My Next Victim – Cinematic True Crime & Detective Music by Joel Fazhari
Night Detective by Aleksey Voronin
Mysterious Cinematic Background by Marc Corominas
Mysterious by Dmitrii Kolesnikov
Dark Tension by Nikita Kondrashev

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Phoenix, AZ | Two brutal attacks along the city’s canal bike paths left residents terrified, investigators overwhelmed, and a serial predator hiding in plain sight. This episode unravels the cases of Angela Brosso and Melanie Bernas, two young women assaulted while out on routine bike rides, and the decades-long effort to uncover who was responsible. With retired Cold Case Sergeant Troy Hillman guiding us through the investigation and the pivotal DNA breakthrough, we follow how a tangle of scattered files slowly transformed into a case that could no longer be ignored.

I highly recommend Troy Hillman’s book Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter if you want to go even deeper into this case. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Down-Zombie-Hunter-Small-Town/dp/1639369678/

To learn more about Troy Hillman’s work, check out his website at https://troyhillmancoldcase.com/ and follow him on social media at https://www.instagram.com/troyhillmancoldcase/ and https://www.facebook.com/troy.hillman.2025/

Rate & Review:
Thank you so much for listening to Dark City! I would love to hear from you. To rate and submit a review on the Apple Podcasts app, scroll down to the “Ratings and Review” section of the show page where you’ll see a “Tap to Rate” section under which you can select the number of stars for your rating. Underneath written reviews from other listeners, you will find a link to "Write a Review”. Tap that link and submit your comments on the screen that appears.

Spotify currently allows you to rate podcasts, but not write text reviews. To rate in the Spotify app, navigate to the top of the show page. Under the podcast cover and title, tap the three dots on the far right next to the gear icon. Tap the “Rate Show” option on the menu that appears and tap the number of stars for your ratings.

Listening on another platform and can’t find the option to rate and review the show? Send me an email at info@darkcitypodcast.com and I am happy to send you instructions.

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🔎 Additional Sources
True Crime Arizona. (2021–2023). Zombie Hunter series [Audio podcast episodes]. Arizona’s Family.
Unmasking the Zombie Hunter | Full Episode + Post Mortem
http://www.publishersweekly.com/9781639369676
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zombie-hunter-bryan-patrick-miller-phoenix-canal-killer-undercover-sting-chilis-capture/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bryan-patrick-miller-zombie-hunter-phoenix-canal-murders-timeline/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zombie-hunter-bryan-patrick-miller-convicted-killer-death-row-48-hours/

🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Gloomy Background for Documentaries by Universfield
Holding Breath (Tension Suspense) by AlexGrohl
Solitude – Dark Ambient by Clavier Clavier
Stalking My Next Victim – Cinematic True Crime & Detective Music by Joel Fazhari
Night Detective by Aleksey Voroni

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Phoenix, Arizona | Phoenix is known for cactus and heat, not pumpkins. But in the 1860s, wild gourds grew in the valley, and an early settlement here actually went by Pumpkinville. This episode uncovers how an astonishing canal-building civilization, a chaotic frontiersman, and one dramatic Brit all collided to shape the unlikely pumpkin-soaked origins of America’s fifth-largest city.

Follow us for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
🦋 Bluesky: darkcitypodcast.bsky.social
🎥 TikTok: tiktok.com/@darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🐇 Go ahead, down the rabbit hole you go… Here’s the complete list of sources for this episode:
https://kwcdcountry.com/history-of-phoenix-name/
https://news.azpm.org/p/azpmnews/2024/4/18/219933-ancient-farmers-dug-canals-that-shaped-phoenixs-modern-water-system/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2019/09/15/trinidad-escalante-swilling-latina-mother-of-phoenix/2276908001/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/local/history/2015/01/19/phoenix-once-named-pumpkinville/21873559/
https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/126148506/?match=1&terms=pumpkinville%20phoenix%20arizona
https://www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/sedav-vaaki/plan-your-visit.html
https://www.phoenix.gov/history
https://www.srpnet.com/about/history/canal-history
https://www.visitphoenix.com/stories/post/11-unique-facts-you-didnt-know-about-phoenixs-history/

🎵 Music Credit
Quirky Orchestra Waltz - Playful and Mischievousvby zec53 from Pixabay

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Phoenix, AZ | Long before a car bomb ended his life, Don Bolles was already circling danger. For years, he’d been chasing a story about mob money and a greyhound dog racing empire whose ties ran far darker than anyone realized. As he dug deeper, files vanished, witnesses flipped, and suspicious deaths emerged. These questions remain: Was Don Bolles murdered for a story he wrote, or for a story he was about to write? And who ordered the hit?

Special thanks to Jarrod Riddle of Spirit of Arizona Tours https://spiritofarizonatours.com/ (highly recommend!) for sharing insight on Phoenix history and the legacy of Don Bolles.

📚 Sources (Continued from Part 1)
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/blogs/news/on-this-day-in-history-the-day-the-law-finally-caught-up-with-al-capone
bolles/2019/12/03/wiretapping-story-haunted-reporter-don-bolles-until-his-death/4265879002/
Bartlett, N. (Director). (2022). Who Killed Don Bolles? [Film]. Bartlett Films; United States.
https://dondevereux.com/2013/06/30/the-troubling-death-of-tom-sanford-was-don-bolles-editor-also-murdered/
https://dondevereux.com/2019/12/08/sanford-addendum-another-question-on-his-death/
https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/don-bolles/2019/12/17/don-bolles-and-evolution-tracks-mob-and-kemper-marley/2534434001/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-history/2024/03/13/1970s-metro-phoenix-history/72882175007/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/06/02/don-bolles-murder-look-back-arizona-project/84446198/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/06/02/max-dunlap-supporters-maintain-innocence-after-2-convictions-don-bolles-murder/84446006/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/06/02/would-don-bolles-have-survived-car-bombing-today/84446404/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/07/06/james-robison-accused-bombing-republic-reporter-don-bolles-1976-dead-90/86001272/
https://www.azfamily.com/2023/04/21/daughter-convicted-murderer-1976-don-bolles-car-bomb-claims-dad-was-framed/
https://www.kjzz.org/2016-09-14/content-364547-former-arizona-republic-editor-digs-arizonas-organized-crime-history
https://www.kjzz.org/2019-11-05/content-1287966-arizona-republic-podcast-based-lost-tapes-murdered-journalist-don-bolles
https://www.mobmuseum.org/notable_names/michael-malone/
(if this is the same as the one you gave; if not, keep your original link version)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/121259203/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-kemper-nomination-a/183313741/
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/one-more-death-in-the-bolles-case-6430177/
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/the-magnate-meets-his-maker-6412300/
https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060216_bolles_cast/the-murder-don-bolles-players-guide/
https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/060222_greyhound_park_closing/6-years-after-live-racing-ends-tucson-greyhound-park-closing-after-off-track-betting-doesnt-pay/

🎵 Music Credits (from Pixabay)
True Crime Podcast Music ‘Hard Case’ by Tomasz Glaza
Strange Things 120 bpm by Dorothe Wouters
Mafioso by PHANTASTICBEATS
Midnight by Jurij, SoundReality
True Crime Mystery Loopable
Emotional Soundscape Music by pianocafe_Kumi
Dramatic Piano and Violin by Universfield
Find a Weapon by Timothy Kulig
Inspiring Cinematic Ambient M

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)