Episodes

  • S2.E11 - Serotonin Saturday: Episode 2: TEACHERS: The People Behind the Desk

    S2.E11 - Serotonin Saturday: Episode 2: TEACHERS: The People Behind the Desk
    Mar 28 2026

    In this second installment of Serotonin Saturday, Cat and Rachel are talking about the people who show up every single day and quietly hold the world together - teachers. We start with special education teacher Kati Jo Christensen in Weber County, who went viral for dancing on TikTok to erase student lunch debt - turning a small $4,000 goal into support for multiple schools and recognition from the West Haven City Council. Then we expand to stories like a teacher in Cleveland securing donated washers and dryers from Lowe’s, alongside nationwide efforts through DonorsChoose, programs from Whirlpool, and care closet initiatives like Kids Kloset in Harbor Beach. This episode is highlighting how teachers quietly step in to meet students’ basic needs so they can show up, learn, and feel seen. The world feels heavy. But these stories - the quiet, everyday acts of care - remind us that compassion is still everywhere. Sometimes it looks like a viral dance. Sometimes it looks like a washer and dryer in a school hallway. And sometimes it looks like a teacher making sure a kid can walk into class with dignity.

    Links We Used:

    https://www.standard.net/news/education/2025/may/23/west-haven-teacher-eliminating-school-lunch-debt-with-tiktok-dances/

    https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/tiktok-teacher-dancing-lunch-debt

    https://www.news5cleveland.com/a-better-land/lowes-donates-washer-dryer-to-cleveland-teacher-who-started-crowd-funding-campaign

    https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/teacher-raises-money-for-school-laundry-room-to-help-students

    https://www.donorschoose.org/project/fresh-uniforms/8107320/

    https://www.yourtango.com/news/teen-makes-difference-after-classmates-bullied-wearing-dirty-clothes

    https://www.whirlpool.com/care-counts.html

    https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-04-15-students-get-food-clothing-and-more-from-care-closet-built-by-their-teacher

    https://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/harbor-beach-kids-kloset-support-20063523.php

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/paying-pocket-amazon-wish-lists-090327875.html

    https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/how-school-support-staff-are-feeding-hungry-students-and-families
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    33 mins
  • S2.E10 - Control, Calculation, and the Anatomy of Manipulation: The Horrendous Tales of Ted Bundy: AKA Sparkle T*ts McGee

    S2.E10 - Control, Calculation, and the Anatomy of Manipulation: The Horrendous Tales of Ted Bundy: AKA Sparkle T*ts McGee
    Mar 27 2026

    The Pandemonium team is back, and this week Cat and Rachel take on one of the most infamous names in true crime - Ted Bundy, who we’ve lovingly renamed Sparkle T*ts because - absolutely not. From his carefully crafted charm to the trail of violence he left across multiple states, this episode breaks down how Bundy manipulated victims, media, and the justice system while hiding in plain sight.

    We focus on the facts, the failures that allowed him to keep killing, and the women whose lives were taken - because they deserve to be remembered far more than he does. Grab your hydration station and your skepticism.

    Sparkle T*ts McGee does NOT get the last word.


    Links We Used - Please visit our website located in our profile as all the links Cat used for today was more than the character allotment allowed.
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    2 hrs and 46 mins
  • S2.E9 - Mother, Soap Maker, and Cannibalistic Cake Maker: The Ways Leonarda Cianciulli

    S2.E9 - Mother, Soap Maker, and Cannibalistic Cake Maker: The Ways Leonarda Cianciulli
    Mar 20 2026
    The Pandemonium team is back, and this week Rachel and Cat head to 1930s Italy to examine the case of Leonarda Cianciulli, a woman whose fear, superstition, and desperation spiraled into calculated murder. Known as the “Soap-Maker of Correggio,” Leonarda claimed she was trying to protect her son from a prophetic curse when she lured women into her home and killed them. What followed was a chilling blend of ritual, manipulation, and a community that trusted her completely. This episode walks through Leonarda’s troubled past, the cultural climate of Fascist-era Italy, the disappearances that raised suspicion, and the trial that stunned the country.Beyond the grotesque headlines, we examine how belief, control, and fear became deadly - and remember the women whose lives were taken.Links We Used:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonarda_Cianciullihttps://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonarda_Cianciullihttps://medium.com/@rocknrollgeek1975/mother-dearest-the-crimes-of-leonarda-cianciulli-the-soap-maker-of-correggio-bc58c0567410https://allthatsinteresting.com/leonarda-cianciullihttps://ttkmeup.com/blog/2020/5/8/everything-you-know-about-leonarda-cianciulli-is-wronghttp://www.scenacriminis.com/scienze-forensi/memoriale-di-leonarda-cianciulli/http://www.ilmamilio.it/m/it/rubriche/criminologia/11416-leonarda-cianciulli-la-serial-killer-di-correggio.htmlhttps://www.museocriminologico.it/index.php/2-non-categorizzato/120-omicidi-caso-cianciulli2https://www.letturefantastiche.com/la_saponificatrice_di_correggio.htmlhttps://www.focus.it/cultura/storia/545745165-il-caso-cianciuli-32653https://web.archive.org/web/20061114074138/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C852845%2C00.htmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20060912155116/http://www.museocriminologico.it/correggio_uk.htmhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leonarda-cianciulli-the-soap-maker-of-correggio/id1573961841?i=1000701592990https://open.spotify.com/episode/48ElOohzBOOvxjkbp9ggTlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jENKT7mLuc4https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1326961/https://www.aafs.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/AAFS-2018-I18.pdfhttps://www.facebook.com/baileysarian1/posts/the-story-of-italys-leonarda-cianciulli/1425460645616570/https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Soap-Maker-Correggio-Cianciulli-Superstitious/dp/B09ZCJLCP8https://app.smore.com/n/rfb2y-leonarda-cianciullihttps://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/8vmpoe/the_soapmaker_of_correggio_leonarda_cianciulli/https://www.facebook.com/buzzfeedunsolved/posts/leonarda-cianciulli-didnt-just-clean-up-her-crimes-she-turned-them-into-soap-the/1154785160099510/https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-serial-killer-who-made-soaps-and-cakes-out-of-the-people-she-killed-e80a5e713b4f
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    1 hr and 19 mins
  • S2.E8 - When Trust Turns Deadly: The Lisa Knoefel Case

    S2.E8 - When Trust Turns Deadly: The Lisa Knoefel Case
    Mar 13 2026
    S2.E8 - When Trust Turns Deadly: The Lisa Knoefel CaseThe Pandemonium team is back, and this week Cat and Rachel examine the case of Lisa Knoefel, a mother whose life was taken in a calculated act that unfolded inside her own home. What initially appeared to be a brutal attack soon revealed a disturbing conspiracy involving manipulation, control, and betrayal. As investigators dug deeper, the relationships at the center of the case exposed a dynamic far more complex than it first seemed. This episode walks through Lisa’s background, the night of the attack, the shocking courtroom testimony that followed, and the lasting impact on her family - especially the children caught in the aftermath. Above all, we focus on Lisa as a person, not just a case, and the justice process that followed her death.Links We Used:https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9efc6946-2b36-48c5-89f9-d33916762734/episodes/caa09fc9-239d-4331-9b2c-78fc230de203/cast-aghast-a-true-crime-podcast-the-murder-of-lisa-knoefelhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sabrina-zunich/id1448925202?i=1000628197920https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/murder/woman-fatally-stabbed-by-teenage-foster-daughter-who-was-having-affair-with-her-husbandhttps://www.cleveland.com/topic/kevin-knoefel-murder-trial/https://www.cleveland19.com/story/23093723/husband-of-murdered-social-worker-is-arrestedhttps://www.cleveland19.com/story/26209719/love-triangle-trial-husband-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-having-mistress-murder-wife/https://www.ksl.com/article/31755272/teenager-gets-life-in-foster-moms-stabbing-deathhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/daughter-gets-life-in-foster-moms-stabbing-death/https://medium.com/%40coffeecrimeandcosmetics/betrayed-from-within-how-did-lisa-knoefels-fostering-of-a-teen-girl-end-in-murder-4057d5b7959ehttps://www.oxygen.com/snapped-behind-bars/crime-news/snapped-behind-bars-what-to-know-about-sabrina-zunich-casehttps://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-knoefel-case-887479305https://cases.justia.com/ohio/eleventh-district-court-of-appeals/2015-2014-l-088.pdf?ts=1450131643https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/pdf_viewer/pdf_viewer.aspx?pdf=866365.pdf&source=DL_Clerk&subdirectory=2019-0549%5CDocketItemshttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ohnd-1_20-cv-01529/pdf/USCOURTS-ohnd-1_20-cv-01529-0.pdfhttps://www.scribd.com/doc/183629351/Lisa-Knoefel-wrongful-death-lawsuithttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10768597/Daughter-murdered-Lisa-Knoefel-describes-desperate-attempt-save-mother.html
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • S2.E7 - She Had a Name, and It Was Elizabeth Short: The Unsolved Case of The Black Dahlia

    S2.E7 - She Had a Name, and It Was Elizabeth Short: The Unsolved Case of The Black Dahlia
    Mar 6 2026
    The Pandemonium team is back, and this week Rachel and Cat examine one of the most infamous unsolved murders in American history: the killing of Elizabeth Short, known to the press as the Black Dahlia. In 1947, Elizabeth’s body was discovered in Los Angeles in a crime so brutal it captured national headlines and fueled decades of speculation. But behind the sensational nickname was a 22-year-old woman with plans, friends, and a life that deserved more than myth-making. This episode walks through the timeline of her disappearance, the discovery that shocked the country, the investigation that followed, and the theories that continue to circulate. Most importantly, we focus on Elizabeth - not the legend built around her, but the person at the center of it all. Links We Used:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dahliahttps://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/black-dahliahttps://vault.fbi.gov/Black%20Dahlia%20%28E%20Short%29%20/Black%20Dahlia%20%28E%20Short%29%20Part%2001/viewhttps://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-black-dahlia/https://www.americanghostwalks.com/articles/elizabeth-short-black-dahliahttps://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2024/1/16/24040316/77-years-later-black-dahlia/https://www.biography.com/crime/black-dahliahttps://www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/01/woman-who-became-black-dahlia/685739/https://www.theblackdahliainhollywood.com/https://www.novelsuspects.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-black-dahlia/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2026-01-26/black-dahlia-elizabeth-short-william-mann-bookhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/black-dahlia-murder-elizabeth-short-1236473933/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ti17d_dZEhttps://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/communication-and-mass-media/black-dahlia-murder https://lithub.com/the-unusual-suspects-who-were-the-main-players-in-the-black-dahlia-murder/https://graveline.rip/blogs/latest-blog/was-the-black-dahlias-body-moved-and-posed-by-the-lapd?srsltid=AfmBOopRPjz_QudiYIAaecAbQdx3HCbkMSQD6CSP-XKFA6CQeyVjhdUC
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    2 hrs and 20 mins
  • S2.E6 - Serotonin Saturday : Episode1

    S2.E6 - Serotonin Saturday : Episode1
    Mar 1 2026
    The Pandemonium team is switching gears this week for our first installment of Serotonin Saturday, as Cat and Rachel round up some of the most hopeful, fascinating, and downright delightful stories you may have missed in 2025. From California’s historic ban on cat declawing and new rules on ultra-processed school lunches, to goats preventing wildfires in Spain and breakthroughs in treating Huntington’s disease. This episode is packed with wins for animals, people, and the planet all around. We also celebrate a posthumous degree for Māori scholar, the booming secondhand clothing market, the world’s tiniest injectable pacemaker, along research showing that the smell of pizza can actually lower stress. Add in shrinking ozone holes, falling statistics in violent crime, rebounding bumblebee populations, declining child mortality, artificial blood trials, microfiber recycling, falling peanut allergy rates, and slowing deforestation - and you’ve got yourself a full-on good-news buffet. Pour yourself a coffee, get comfy, and let these bright spots carry you into the weekend.Links We Used:https://time.com/7342096/good-news-environment-hiv/https://happiful.com/32-good-news-stories-from-2025-you-might-have-missedhttps://www.positive.news/society/what-went-right-in-2025-the-good-news-that-mattered/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/52-good-news-stories-you-may-have-missed-in-2025-sgr7hxv5w?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfSMh3X3VanZpQvbFQOX6FRBMERyOycvasTpKlyPHRtPJctJ5xTs4xPXTf24xE%3D&gaa_ts=69594ecd&gaa_sig=EZcgcppmKrBbZZANKeczeAOLncd5aRtUxFxiaY8uTJ5f01YFRe8B0ryXi8GYdy8YbY9eL-rRqZxm8KPKt6tfJg%3D%3Dhttps://ktla.com/news/california/california-bans-declawing-cats-under-new-state-law-signed-by-gov-gavin-newsom/https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/spain-wildfires-goats/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevz13xkxprohttps://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/oxford-university-honours-makereti-papakura-with-posthumous-degree/OU5EYGS4YVFJJEYRYFNDYYYCRY/https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/how-secondhand-fashion-is-reshaping-the-global-apparel-market/2025032080709https://www.globaltextiletimes.com/trends/secondhand-apparel-market-to-hit-367b-by-2029-thredup/#:~:text=The%20analysis%20estimates%20that%20the,garment%20spending%20and%20grew%2015%25.https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/03/worlds-smallest-pacemaker-is-activated-by-lighthttps://secretnyc.co/smell-of-pizza-ease-anxiety-boost-mood/https://www.miragenews.com/2025-ozone-hole-short-lived-confirms-recovery-1589066/https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-year-end-2025-update/https://www.foxnews.com/us/murder-rate-drops-lowest-level-since-1900-across-major-us-cities-nationwidehttps://www.rewildingmag.com/rewilding-denmarkfield-return-of-bumblebees/https://regenerationinternational.org/2024/12/01/bumblebees-increase-by-more-than-100x-in-remarkable-scotland-rewilding-project-from-35-bees-to-over-4000/https://data.unicef.org/resources/levels-and-trends-in-child-mortality-2024/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12017561/https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5336091-universal-artificial-blood-japan-studies/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9618780/https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/07/24/nx-s1-5477632/artificial-blood-hemorrhage-emergency-medicinehttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c991z577e7gohttps://www.letsrecycle.com/news/worlds-first-microfibre-recycling-centre-opens-in-cornwall/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/well/peanut-allergy-drop.htmlhttps://www.allergicliving.com/2025/10/22/early-peanut-introduction-linked-to-drop-in-child-food-allergies/https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166148https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/global-deforestation-slows--but-forests-remain-under-pressure--fao-report-shows/en
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    20 mins
  • S2.E5 - Amy Jo Nelson: A Victim and Her Family’s Fight For Justice

    S2.E5 - Amy Jo Nelson: A Victim and Her Family’s Fight For Justice
    Feb 27 2026
    The Pandemonium team is back, and this week Cat and Rachel are joined by Pam Nelson and Abbie Nelson Vann to honor the life and legacy of Amy Jo Nelson. This episode steps away from speculation and into remembrance. Pam and Abbie share who Amy Jo truly was, the unanswered questions surrounding her death, and the investigation her family continues to pursue in the search for justice. Through their voices, Amy Jo is remembered not as a headline, but as a daughter, a sister, and someone deeply loved. This is a conversation rooted in truth, advocacy, and keeping Amy Jo’s name alive.Links We Used: https://culpablepodcast.com/episode/amy-jo-nelson/https://www.catchmykiller.com/episode-114-amy-jo-nelson/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/unsolved-ohio-killed-amy-jo-093000675.html https://www.nbc4i.com/news/unsolved-ohio/unsolved-ohio-who-killed-amy-jo-nelson-family-wants-answers-in-2017-homicide/https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/amy-jo-nelsons-family-on-unsolved-murder/530-b88728f7-a4db-4063-87dc-35c86f79daa5 https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/2021/02/13/perry-county-family-fighting-loved-one-victims-abuse/6735274002/https://www.nbc4i.com/news/unsolved-ohio/unsolved-ohio-who-killed-amy-jo-nelson-family-wants-answers-in-2017-homicide/ https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Local-Law-Enforcement/Poster.aspx?printpath=/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/Nelson-3&classname=Custom.ColdCaseDatabase https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/zanesvilletimesrecorder/name/amy-nelson-smith-obituary?id=12591712https://www.logandaily.com/obituaries/amy-jo-nelson-smith/article_aa3c10a2-817b-528d-9aa6-da1e84b1d2df.htmlhttps://youtu.be/AX3y_fUFMrQ?si=XilGn5rIjQNFuMjW https://youtu.be/_sYUhzS20dg?si=kntAvIcJygT3a2xOhttps://youtu.be/q3aNGEhsSeA?si=dLEKMUY5B8veyJImhttps://youtu.be/ffO1fLyaIgE?si=neE3dwP3Q1i7di1F⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4UjHGgY_zo ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/Y4UjHGgY_zo?si=vcY1LsgjF35npeDQ⁠https://m.imdb.com/title/tt34953043/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ov_rdat https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Local-Law-Enforcement/Poster.aspx?printpath=/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Cold-Case/Homicides/Nelson-3&classname=Custom.ColdCaseDatabasehttps://websleuths.com/threads/oh-amy-jo-nelson-39-new-straitsville-18-sept-2017-homicide.540939/
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • S2.E4 - Electric Chair: 1; Woman: 0 - The Poisoning Practices of Anna Hahn

    S2.E4 - Electric Chair: 1; Woman: 0 - The Poisoning Practices of Anna Hahn
    Feb 20 2026

    The Pandemonium team is back, and this week Rachel and Cat examine the case of Anna Marie Hahn, one of the first women in the United States to be executed in the electric chair - and yes, once again we’re asking: WHY is it always arsenic? In the 1930s, Hahn was accused of poisoning elderly men in Ohio, earning headlines that painted her as manipulative and calculating. Her case marked the eighth time we’ve covered arsenic on this show - bringing our running total to 8 cases and 63 victims linked to this particular poison. This episode walks through the accusations, the trial, and the controversy that still surrounds her conviction. Anna Marie Hahn was more than a headline. We break down what happened, how it happened, and why arsenic keeps showing up in the darkest corners of history.


    Links We Used:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Marie_Hahnhttps://www.wosu.org/news/2006-09-18/ohios-hahn-just-an-evil-person

    https://www.historicalcrimedetective.com/female-serial-killer-anna-marie-hahn-1906-1938/HistoricalCrimeDetective.com

    https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2009/12/08/anna-marie-hahn-blonde-poison/23952839007/

    https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/anna-marie-hahn-robert-priseman/FwE471GoZrUIvw?hl=en

    https://murderpedia.org/female.H/h/hahn-anna-marie.htm

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15812225/anna_marie

    https://web.archive.org/web/20090218041328/

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,758318,00.html

    https://web.archive.org/web/20090904192244/

    http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/women/anna_hahn/index.html

    https://web.archive.org/web/20101221045020/

    http://skcentral.com/articles.php?article_id=281
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    51 mins