Morbid

Weirdos! For August's BONUS EPISODE we are focusing on an entity that has MANY faces and wears MANY hats: The bogeyman! For as long as people have been telling stories, these supernatural beings have been lurking in the woods, or in the dark alleys, or under the bed. They might look different depending on the culture they come from, or be called by another name, but their function in society is consistent: to invoke fear!

References

Briggs, Katharine. 1978. Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures. New York, NY: Pantheon.

Carbonell, Ana Maria. 1999. "From Llorona to Gritona: Coatlicue in Feminist Tales by Viramontes and Cisneros." MELUS 53-74.

Delsol, Christine. 2012. "Mexico’s legend of La Llorona continues to terrify." SF Gate, October 9.

Jones, Abigail. 2014. "The girls who tried to kill for Slender Man." Newsweek, August 22.

Leddy, Betty. 1988. "La Llorona in Southern Arizona." Perspectives in Mexican American Studies 9-16.

Newsroom. 2019. "Who was ‘Spring-heeled Jack’ who scared the women of Scotland?" The Scotsman, April 29.

Peck, Andrew. 2015. "Tall, Dark, and Loathsome: The Emergence of a Legend Cycle in the Digital Age." Journal of American Folklore 333-348.

Polidoro, Massimo. 2002. "Return of Spring-Heeled Jack." Skeptical Inquirer 22-24.

Simpson, Jacqueline, and Steve Roud. 2000. A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP.

Strebel, Erika. 2015. "Judge says keeping Slender Man case in adult court will prevent repeat of crime." Wisconsin Law Journal, August 10.

The Times. 1838. "Spring Heeled Jack - Outrage on a young lady." The Times, February 25: 7.

Times, The. 1838. "The late outrage at Old Ford." The Times, March 2: 7.

Vickery, Roy. 1983. "Lemna Minor and Jenny Greenteeth." Folklore 247-250.

Warner, Marina. 1999. No Go, the Bogeyman: Scaring, Lulling, and Making Mock. London, UK: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Young, Simon. 2019. Folklore Pamphlet: The Sources for Jenny Greenteeth and Other English Freshwater Faries. Pamphlet, Simon Young.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Weirdos! Grab your PJ's, some Aqua Net, and your favorite blue eye shadow and get ready to burn the midnight oil with us! This time, Deb has found 90's tales that will ensure that you're not the first to fall asleep at the slumber party... OH! And these tales are BY you FOR you and ALL ABOUT YOU juuuuust in case you were wondering! Don't forget to check out the YOUTUBE version is packed with extra Nicholas footage!

If you’ve got a listener tale please send it to Deb by emailing us at Morbidpodcast@gmail.com with “Listener Tales” somewhere in the subject line, and if you share pictures, please let us know if we can share them with fellow weirdos! :)

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Ellie Green left her house on the night of June 19, 2019, she thought she and her mother would continue their conversation the following day. However, Ellie says that she was shocked to discover that, just four days later, her father had her mother committed to a psychiatric hospital and she wouldn’t be allowed to see her. She was even more shocked when, a month later, she says that she was told that her mother had died from a stroke while in the hospital. Devastated by her mother's death, Ellie wanted an explanation of how someone so young could suddenly die, but each question was met with vague and confusion answers.

This was just the beginning of the mystery surrounding her mother's disappearance.

If anyone has any information about Angela Green’s disappearance, investigators urge them to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Information can also be sent to Steve Ridge directly at (319) 573-0657 or steveridge40@gmail.com.

References

Adler, Eric. 2023. "$25k reward offered for information on missing woman." Kansas City Star, March 4: 1.

—. 2020. "'Dateline NBC' to explore case of missing Johnson County mom." Kansas City Star, October 29: 4.

—. 2020. "Teen seeks truth of mom's mysterious disappearance." Kansas City Star, July 26: 1.

—. 2022. "Three-year search from missing Prairie Village woman heats up." Kansas City Star, May 4: 10.

2026. People Magazine Investigates. Directed by Bruno Bahunek.

Honeycutt, Sherae. 2020. Daughter of missing Prairie Village woman aching for answers as disappearance surpasses a year. February 26. Accessed August 18, 2026. https://fox4kc.com/news/exclusive-daughter-of-missing-prairie-village-woman-aching-for-answers-as-disappearance-surpasses-a-year/.

—. 2020. Recorded phone calls involving missing Prairie Village woman’s case raise more questions. October 29. Accessed August 19, 2026. https://fox4kc.com/news/recorded-phone-calls-involving-missing-prairie-village-womans-case-raise-more-questions/.

Pelisek, Christine. 2026. A Mom Went Missing in 2019 After Arguing with Daughter. Her Husband Stopped Talking to Investigators a Long Time Ago. February 21. Accessed August 21, 2026. https://people.com/mom-vanished-2019-angela-green-daughter-wants-answers-11911133.

Shriner, Zoe, and Betsy Weber. 2024. Five years since Prairie Village mom Angela Green disappeared without a trace. September 11. Accessed August 18, 2026. https://www.kctv5.com/2024/09/12/kc-unsolved-five-years-since-prairie-village-mom-angela-green-disappeared-without-trace/.

Webster, Betsy. 2026. Private investigator claims new lead on Prairie Village mom’s disappearance, police not yet informed. March 2. Accessed August 18, 2026. https://www.kctv5.com/2026/03/03/private-investigator-claims-new-lead-prairie-village-moms-disappearance-police-not-yet-informed/.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After killing his family in the winter of 1971, John List went on the run, initiating a worldwide manhunt that would last nearly twenty years before he was finally apprehended. In that time, the List case would become one of the largest and most notorious investigations since the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby.

References

Associated Press. 1972. "John List is still missing and local police are baffled." Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 22: 9.

—. 1972. "Highjack-slaying ties denied." Press of Atlantic City, January 15: 4.

Bailey, Bruce. 1972. "Worldwide hunt fails to find Wrstfield exec." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 11: 1.

Balog, Kathy. 1990. "The confession to his pastor was the most damning of all." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

Benford, Timothy, and James Johnson. 1991. Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield. New York, NY: Scribner.

Bullock, Marilyn, and Bruce Bailey. 1971. "The Lists were a neighborhood mystery." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 11.

Chung, Connie. 2002. 1971 family killer breaks silence. February 20. Accessed August 1, 2026. https://abcnews.com/2020/story?id=132646&page=1.

Cohen, Robert. 1971. "'Daddy, you're all I have left...'." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 12: 1.

—. 1971. "Husband hunted in mass slaying." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 1.

Douthat, Strat. 1989. "The fugitive." Los Angeles Times, June 18: 2.

Fiedler, Lore. 1973. "John List disappearance still unsolved." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 3: 11.

—. 1971. "Westfielder sought in slaying of 5." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Hampton, Pat. 1980. "After 9 years, John List still a suspect-and still a mystery." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 6: 5.

Hann, Christopher. 1989. "For stunned neighbors, news of arrest hits home." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 7.

LA Times Wire Service. 1989. "Suspect in family-slaying may be famed D.B. Cooper." Los Angeles Times, June 30.

McNeel, John M. 1976. "What ever happened to John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Romano, Mary. 1989. "For the family, a chapter closes, a wound reopens." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

Stout, David. 2008. "John E. List, 82, killer of 5 family members." New York Times, March 25.

Sullivan, Joseph. 1990. "Slaying suspect saw 2 choices, doctor testifies." New York Times, April 7: 30.

—. 1990. "Suspect wrote about killing family in '71." New York Times, March 29.

Talmont, Tek, and Jill Vejnoska. 1990. "Attorney admits client is John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 15: 1.

The Courier-News. 1990. "Two specialists describe List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 10: 1.

The Courier-Times. 1976. "Psychic gleaned varied impressions of List." The Courier-Times (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Thompson, Robert. 1972. "List case unsoved after seven months." The Courier-News (Bidgewater, NJ), June 28: 1.

Vejnoska, Jill. 1990. "Defense: List killed with love in his heart." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 3: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor recounts List's getaway." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 11: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor: Stressed List just snapped." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 7: 1.

—. 1989. "FBI nabs John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

—. 1990. "Letter: List shot family, prayed." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), March 29: 1.

—. 1990. "List 'didn't trust God' to help him." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 6: 1.

—. 1990. "List guilty." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

—. 1989. "Prime-time spotlight focuses on long-time fugitve John Lisr." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), May 22: 1.

—. 1989. "Westfield cops hope TV can help catch John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 14: 1.

Wirt, George. 1977. "5-Year hunt: Cops 'haven't forgotten' slaughter of famil." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), May 30: 10.

Yates, Terry, and Robert Thompson. 1971. "'Nobody knew them too well'." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In early December 1971, after a month of watching the lightbulbs in the List house slowly burn out one after another, neighbors finally became concerned about the List family and called the Westfield, NJ police to report their suspicions. Acting on the calls, officers arrived at house on the morning of December 7 to perform a wellbeing check, and when no one answered the door, they managed to gain access to the house through a basement window. 

When they reached the first floor, the officers found the bodies of the List family—including the couple’s three children—dead from gunshot wounds to the head they’d suffered a month earlier. Noticeably absent from the remains in the house were those of the family patriarch, John List. In his office, investigators discovered a letter List had written to the pastor of his local church, in which he claimed to have murdered his family in order to spare them the pain of living in a world he believed had become corrupt and morally bankrupt.

References

Associated Press. 1972. "John List is still missing and local police are baffled." Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 22: 9.

—. 1972. "Highjack-slaying ties denied." Press of Atlantic City, January 15: 4.

Bailey, Bruce. 1972. "Worldwide hunt fails to find Wrstfield exec." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 11: 1.

Balog, Kathy. 1990. "The confession to his pastor was the most damning of all." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

Benford, Timothy, and James Johnson. 1991. Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield. New York, NY: Scribner.

Bullock, Marilyn, and Bruce Bailey. 1971. "The Lists were a neighborhood mystery." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 11.

Chung, Connie. 2002. 1971 family killer breaks silence. February 20. Accessed August 1, 2026. https://abcnews.com/2020/story?id=132646&page=1.

Cohen, Robert. 1971. "'Daddy, you're all I have left...'." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 12: 1.

—. 1971. "Husband hunted in mass slaying." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 1.

Douthat, Strat. 1989. "The fugitive." Los Angeles Times, June 18: 2.

Fiedler, Lore. 1973. "John List disappearance still unsolved." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 3: 11.

—. 1971. "Westfielder sought in slaying of 5." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Hampton, Pat. 1980. "After 9 years, John List still a suspect-and still a mystery." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 6: 5.

Hann, Christopher. 1989. "For stunned neighbors, news of arrest hits home." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 7.

LA Times Wire Service. 1989. "Suspect in family-slaying may be famed D.B. Cooper." Los Angeles Times, June 30.

McNeel, John M. 1976. "What ever happened to John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Romano, Mary. 1989. "For the family, a chapter closes, a wound reopens." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

Stout, David. 2008. "John E. List, 82, killer of 5 family members." New York Times, March 25.

Sullivan, Joseph. 1990. "Slaying suspect saw 2 choices, doctor testifies." New York Times, April 7: 30.

—. 1990. "Suspect wrote about killing family in '71." New York Times, March 29.

Talmont, Tek, and Jill Vejnoska. 1990. "Attorney admits client is John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 15: 1.

The Courier-News. 1990. "Two specialists describe List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 10: 1.

The Courier-Times. 1976. "Psychic gleaned varied impressions of List." The Courier-Times (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.

Thompson, Robert. 1972. "List case unsoved after seven months." The Courier-News (Bidgewater, NJ), June 28: 1.

Vejnoska, Jill. 1990. "Defense: List killed with love in his heart." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 3: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor recounts List's getaway." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 11: 1.

—. 1990. "Doctor: Stressed List just snapped." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 7: 1.

—. 1989. "FBI nabs John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.

—. 1990. "Letter: List shot family, prayed." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), March 29: 1.

—. 1990. "List 'didn't trust God' to help him." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 6: 1.

—. 1990. "List guilty." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.

—. 1989. "Prime-time spotlight focuses on long-time fugitve John Lisr." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), May 22: 1.

—. 1989. "Westfield cops hope TV can help catch John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 14: 1.

Wirt, George. 1977. "5-Year hunt: Cops 'haven't forgotten' slaughter of famil." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), May 30: 10.

Yates, Terry, and Robert Thompson. 1971. "'Nobody knew them too well'." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.