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The stories were terrifying. The books became bestsellers. Hollywood turned them into horror classics. But what happens when the people who were actually there remember things differently? In Part Two of our deep dive into Ed and Lorraine Warren, we're taking a closer look at some of their most famous – and controversial – cases, including the Enfield poltergeist, the Snedeker haunting that inspired The Haunting in Connecticut, and the disturbing claims surrounding the Smurl family which was the subject of the most recent Conjuring film in 2025.  We'll examine what investigators discovered, why one author publicly questioned the story he was hired to tell, and how Hollywood transformed disputed paranormal investigations into unforgettable tales of supernatural terror. Were the Warrens fearless investigators confronting genuine evil? Skilled storytellers who understood the power of fear? Or was the truth somewhere in between?

Before The Conjuring, before Annabelle became a horror icon, and before Hollywood turned their investigations into a multimillion-dollar franchise, there were Ed and Lorraine Warren. He was a self-proclaimed demonologist. She claimed to be a clairvoyant and medium. Together, they became two of the most famous – and controversial – paranormal investigators in American history. But who were the Warrens before the fame? How did they become authorities on hauntings, possessions, and things that supposedly go bump in the night? And where does the truth end and the legend begin? In Part 1 of this two-part episode series, we're going back to the beginning to explore the lives, beliefs, and extraordinary claims of Ed and Lorraine Warren – and the foundations of a paranormal empire that continues to fascinate and divide audiences today. Because sometimes, the most interesting part of a ghost story isn't the ghost. It's the people telling the story. Be sure to tune in for Part 2 this Thursday, 10/29!

In 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were murdered inside a house in Amityville, New York. Just over a year later, a new family moved in – and fled after only 28 days, claiming something terrifying was living there with them. What followed became one of the most famous haunting stories in American history, complete with demonic encounters, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, bestselling books, and a Hollywood horror franchise. But how much of The Amityville Horror actually happened? We take a deep dive in this episode and find out!    Show Notes:   Amityville "Ghost Boy" Photo: https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/amityville-ghost-boy.php   EXCELLENT Book about the Investigation into the Events at the Amityville House,  The Amityville Horror Conspiracy by Stephen Kaplan https://link.amazon/B00QMeSV9   The Night the DeFeos Died: Reinvestigating the Amityville Murders by Ric Osuna  https://link.amazon/B00QMeSV9   Documentary by Daniel "Danny" Lutz, one of George and Kathy's children (which I wrongfully said was a book in the episode...sorry about that!) My Amityville Horror https://link.amazon/B0isfiCSd

For more than a century, the Ouija board has fascinated, frightened, and mystified millions. But what if one of the world's most infamous supernatural objects started out as something far less sinister...a clever business opportunity? From the rise of Spiritualism in nineteenth-century America to a mysterious naming session, bitter business rivalries, and a tragic factory accident, the true history of the Ouija board is stranger than you might expect. In this episode of Actually... Forgotten Stories for Curious Minds, we uncover the surprising origins of the talking board, explore the science behind its seemingly mysterious movements, and discover how an ordinary parlor game became a symbol of supernatural terror. And as for the name Ouija? Well, according to legend, the board actually...chose it itself. Say what?? You'll have to tune in for the rest! :)

So how much of what we think we know about the Salem witch trials is actually true? In Part 2, the conclusion of our two-part series, on the Salem Witch Trials, we're heading into the courtrooms of 1692, where invisible evidence could send someone to the gallows, proclaiming your innocence could make things worse, and even a respected grandmother wasn't safe from accusation. We'll uncover the real stories behind some of Salem's most infamous executions, meet the man who refused to enter a plea, and discover why one woman remained imprisoned even after being found not guilty. But the story doesn't end when the executions stop. From judges who refused to apologize to a group of eighth-graders who helped correct a 329-year-old injustice, we'll explore how Massachusetts spent centuries trying to undo what Salem accomplished in a matter of months. And we'll ask one final question: When an entire community participates in an injustice, who is responsible for making it right? Don't forget to listen to Part 1 to get the backstory on how this all started! Show Notes for Part 2: Learn more about the wacky world of "poppets" here: https://www.learnreligions.com/all-about-magical-poppets-2562563   Dry Tinder, a Tale of Rivalry and Injustice in Salem Village by Janice C. Thompson: https://amzn.to/4hR3S38   Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials by Marilynne K. Roach: https://amzn.to/4hR3S38   Actually Facebook Page for some of your host's photos from a visit in August 2026 https://www.facebook.com/actuallypodcast   Actually Instagram Page for some of your host's photos from a visit in August 2026 https://www.instagram.com/actuallynerdy

Everyone knows the story of the Salem witch trials. A group of girls behaved strangely, frightened villagers cried witchcraft, and innocent people paid the price. Right? Except…that's not quite how it happened. In Part One of this two-part series, we're going back to 1692 to uncover what really set the Salem witch trials in motion - such as a community divided and under pressure, a controversial minister, an enslaved woman named Tituba, a VERY questionable cake recipe, and a justice system willing to accept invisible evidence as fact.  How did a handful of accusations become a deadly conspiracy? And why did questioning the accusers eventually make you a suspect yourself? The truth is far more complicated - and far more disturbing - than the version most of us learned in school. Part Two arrives Thursday...make sure you tune in to both to hear the full story!    Show Notes for Part 1: Book recommendations to learn more:  I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde https://amzn.to/3TReDuy   Tituba, Reluctant Witch of Salem by Elaine Breslaw https://amzn.to/4B3vbjR

In 1897, a young West Virginia woman died suddenly, was buried quickly, and might have been forgotten. The doctor called it natural causes. Her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, wasn’t convinced. Then she made an extraordinary claim: her daughter had returned from the dead – and named her killer. On this episode of Actually, we explore the tale of the Greenbrier Ghost – a haunting story of a suspicious death, a determined mother, a murder case that took an unexpected turn in court, and a story that refused to stay buried. It’s remembered as the case a ghost helped solve. But what happened when that supernatural story met the very earthly business of proving a crime? Tune in to find out this and more...

Was your living room once a “death room”? And did old American houses in the Northeast really have special doors for carrying out coffins? They’re the kind of stories that make a haunted walking tour memorable. But behind those wonderfully creepy explanations lies a stranger – and surprisingly human – history. Actually kicks off spooky season with “The Room Where Death Used to Live,” exploring home funerals, Victorian mourning customs, and how America’s relationship with death changed the spaces we call home. Along the way: a mysterious side door, a magazine editor with strong opinions, and a very persistent story about how the living room got its name. Before you give your couch a suspicious look, give it a listen. And stay tuned for the second episode of the week which is dropping THIS THURSDAY!

Why does the number thirteen make so many people uneasy...and when did Friday the 13th become a miniature horror holiday? In this week's episode, we untangle centuries of superstition, folklore and extremely effective marketing to uncover how thirteen acquired its sinister reputation. From the Last Supper and a suspiciously tidy Norse legend to an anti-superstition club serving coffin-shaped lobster salad (no, seriously...), the real history is far stranger - and far less ancient - than most of us have been told.

You probably think you know this movie. You've seen it. You can quote it. You maybe watched it more times than you can count as a kid. But the funny part about Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is that, when it was originally released...it was supposed to be marketing for a candy bar that never took off. The movie itself, too, was a flop - and the author that created the story it's based on hated it. All of this led to it almost getting lost to the dustbin of history - until an unlikely savior came along and turned it into one of the most beloved and important films in American cultural history (So much so that even the Library of Congress agrees). And now...it's about to get a new spin - or at least Gene Wilder's version of Mr. Wonka is - with a new Netflix series that is using Wilder's voice to narrate it. Yes, even though Mr. Wilder died about 10 years ago. Say what? What's THAT about?? And...exactly how does something go from a movie that was a failure every step of the way initially get this kind of glow up - and the lead actor's performance becomes so iconic that the performer himself becomes secondary to it? In this episode, we trace the full story. Tune in and check it out - and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any episode!

Everyone knows the rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. But nearly every part of it is wrong. In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered inside their Fall River home, and Andrew’s daughter Lizzie quickly became the prime suspect. The case against her included contradictory testimony, an attempted poison purchase, a mysteriously burned dress, and a possible murder weapon found in the basement. But when Lizzie went on trial, the jury never heard some of the prosecution’s most damaging evidence. In this episode of Actually, we look beyond the infamous rhyme to examine what really happened inside the Borden house, why the strongest evidence was excluded, and how Victorian ideas about women may have helped Lizzie walk free.   Show Notes: The Actually Facebook Page for Photos of the Borden House: https://www.facebook.com/actuallypodcast   The Actually Instagram Page for Photos of the Borden House: https://www.instagram.com/actuallynerdy

For years, Tania Head was regarded as one of the most remarkable survivors of September 11. She claimed she had escaped from the 78th floor of the South Tower, been rescued by the heroic “Man in the Red Bandana,” and lost her fiancé in the North Tower. Her story made her a leader of the World Trade Center survivor community and a trusted guide at Ground Zero. But Tania Head had never been inside the towers. In fact, she wasn’t even in the United States on September 11, 2001. In this episode of Actually, we uncover how Tania Head aka Alicia Esteve Head constructed an extraordinary identity from the experiences of real victims and survivors - and how her deception went unquestioned for years. It’s a story about stolen trauma, borrowed heroism, and the unsettling power of a lie built from pieces of the truth.   Show Notes:   The Woman Who Wasn't There by Angelo Guglielmo and Robin Fisher https://amzn.to/4iWczeG   The Woman Who Wasn't There Documentary (Prime Video)  https://amzn.to/4qZHtVL   Book written by Susan Rescorla, Rick Rescorla's widow, as a tribute to her husband who was Morgan Stanley's head of security on 9/11 https://amzn.to/4ymDwN4

Remember when the hole in the ozone layer seemed like an impending global catastrophe...and then everyone simply stopped talking about it? In this episode, we look at how humans damaged the planet’s protective UV shield, the remarkable international agreement that helped repair it, and where the ozone layer stands today. Along the way, we’ll uncover McDonald’s surprising role in the story, revisit the gloriously excessive McDLT, and learn why solving one environmental problem accidentally created another. So, did we actually fix the ozone layer? You'll have to listen in to find out! :)    Show Notes:  View the McDLT and it's packaging at these handy links:  https://mcdonalds.fandom.com/wiki/McD.L.T.   https://www.seriouseats.com/blast-from-the-past-the-mcdlt-mcdonalds-1980s-jason-alexander

In February 1993, twelve-year-old Jennifer Odom disappeared during the 600-foot walk from her school bus stop to her home in rural Pasco County, Florida. Her body was discovered days later, but the search for her killer would continue for more than three decades. In this episode, we examine Jennifer’s case, the haunting clues investigators refused to abandon, and the advances in forensic science that eventually led them to Jeffrey Norman Crum Sr. It is a story of a family’s unimaginable loss, a community that never forgot, and justice that took thirty-three years to arrive.

Robert Todd Lincoln is remembered for one of history’s strangest coincidences: his eerie connection to the assassinations of three American presidents: his father, Abraham Lincoln; James A. Garfield; and William McKinley. But the familiar version of the story isn’t entirely true. In this episode of Actually..., we separate documented history from the legend, trace Robert’s encounters with three national tragedies, and uncover an astonishing twist: years before John Wilkes Booth murdered Abraham Lincoln, another member of the Booth family saved Robert’s life. Was Robert Todd Lincoln really cursed...or simply trapped inside a remarkable historical coincidence?   Show Notes: Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard https://amzn.to/4guN4hX "Death by Lightning" Netflix Series: https://www.netflix.com/title/81438325?source=35&fromWatch=true   Giant in the Shadows: The Life of Robert Todd Lincoln by Jason Emerson https://amzn.to/4ire5oW