investigation:

by Grimm Hatter

Season 1

54- On the Case: The Crimes of the Giggling Granny

Join us on our last Sunday upload (we are moving Sunday's episodes to Monday). Hatter takes us head first into the crimes of Nannie Doss, who was a serial poisoner. Although she has 5 confirmed victims, her actual crimes seem to stretch well beyond that, reaching into the double digits. Through it all she never stopped smiling, thus earning her the nickname, the giggling granny. Harvey, Gordon. “Nancy ‘Nannie Doss’ Hazle.” Encyclopedia of Alabama, Alabama Humanities Alliance and Auburn University, 29 July 2014, updated 15 Oct. 2025. Encyclopedia of Alabama — Nannie Doss “Killer of Mates Gets Life Term.” Medford Mail Tribune, 2 June 1955, p. 14. Historic Oregon Newspapers, University of Oregon Libraries. “Grandma Doss Given Life for Husband Deaths.” Athens Banner-Herald, 5 June 1955, p. 11. Georgia Historic Newspapers, Digital Library of Georgia. Associated Press. Contemporary news reports concerning the arrest, confession, psychiatric examination, and prosecution of Nannie Doss, 1954–1955. Reprinted in newspapers throughout the United States. United Press. Contemporary news reports concerning the investigation, exhumations, arsenic testing, and sentencing of Nannie Doss, 1954–1955. Reprinted in newspapers throughout the United States. Johnson, Will. “Nannie Doss.” County Historian, 18 June 2010. Genealogical and historical examination of Doss family records, marriages, deaths, and contemporary newspaper reports. The Big Spring Daily Herald. Contemporary coverage of Nannie Doss’s confession, investigation, guilty plea, and prosecution. Big Spring, Texas, 1954–1955. Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University. The Evening Star. Contemporary coverage of the Nannie Doss sanity proceedings and psychiatric testimony, May 1955. Chronicling America/Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress. Medford Mail Tribune. Contemporary coverage of the investigation into Nannie Doss and the exhumation and toxicological examination of suspected victims, Dec. 1954. Historic Oregon Newspapers, University of Oregon Libraries. Athens Banner-Herald. Contemporary coverage of the prosecution and sentencing of Nannie Doss, 1955. Georgia Historic Newspapers, Digital Library of Georgia. Oklahoma Historical Society. Gateway to Oklahoma History. Digitized Oklahoma newspaper coverage concerning Nannie Doss’s arrest, sanity hearing, guilty plea, and sentencing. Library of Congress. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Contemporary newspaper reports concerning Nannie Doss and the investigation of deaths associated with her. University of Oregon Libraries. Historic Oregon Newspapers. Contemporary United Press and Associated Press reports concerning the Doss investigation, exhumations, psychiatric proceedings, and sentencing. Digital Library of Georgia. Georgia Historic Newspapers. Contemporary Associated Press coverage of Nannie Doss’s prosecution and life sentence. Texas Tech University Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library. Digitized issues of The Big Spring Daily Herald containing contemporary coverage of the Nannie Doss investigation and prosecution.

53- Mass Hysteria: From Dancing Plagues to Ghost Sightings

put a pin in why dancing? On todays episode join the team as scoot takes us down the journey of several dancing plagues that enraptured towns struck by poverty. Was it mass hysteria? or rot from damp rye? but that's not all, because we also dive into a ghost hysteria where a man ended up being murdered and it all started from a prank. https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-dancing-plague-of-1518/ https://www.britannica.com/event/dancing-plague-of-1518 https://allaboutpsychology.substack.com/p/the-dancing-plague-of-1518 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160932708000379 https://www.history.com/articles/what-was-the-dancing-plague-of-1518 https://faspsych.com/blog/dancing-plague-1518-mass-hysteria-mental-health/ https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/drs.2017.0199 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-case-dancing-mania-struck-germany-six-centuries-ago-today-180959549/ https://www.britannica.com/today-in-history/June-24-1374-Dancing-Plague-of-Aachen https://hekint.org/2022/07/05/dancing-with-spiders-tarantellas-and-tarantism/ https://regencyfictionwriters.org/the-hammersmith-ghost/ https://www.icysedgwick.com/hammersmith-ghost/

52- On The Case: The Voodoo Reverend of Alabama

Scoot takes us on a journey through the crimes of Reverend Willie Maxwell, a self-ordained preacher suspected of murdering five family members to collect life insurance payouts. But rumors of voodoo overshadowed the crimes. His crimes never being proven, eventually lead to his death at his stepdaughters funeral. https://whatsnonfiction.wordpress.com/2019/05/06/harper-lees-abandoned-work-a-crime-spree-and-a-mysterious-reverend-in-the-deep-south/ https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/09/examining-the-book-harper-lee-never-wrote/ https://whatsnonfiction.wordpress.com/2019/05/06/harper-lees-abandoned-work-a-crime-spree-and-a-mysterious-reverend-in-the-deep-south/ https://medium.com/thehighhorse/the-reverend-and-the-writer-df5dba8e5e22 https://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/chapter-and-verse/2015/0320/More-Harper-Lee-puzzles-another-lost-book-and-an-investigation-closed https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/04/and-the-missing-briefcase-the-real-story-behind-harper-lees-lost-true-book https://nypost.com/2015/09/09/the-story-behind-harper-lees-lost-true-crime-novel/ https://heathervoight.com/tag/tom-radney/ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/books/furious-hours-casey-cep-harper-lee.html https://medium.com/the-book-cafe/book-review-furious-hours-murder-fraud-and-the-last-trial-of-harper-lee-by-casey-cep-e2f542c13cf7

51- Dark Days in Time: The Tragic History of Old Cahawba pt 2

Join the investigation for the final dark history dive of Old Cahawba. including the disaster of the steamboat 'Sultana', we cover the murder of a union captain, the disappearance of 'Jones', the literal dismantling of the towns remains, the paranormal stories that live on and more. we hope you enjoy. much love patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/InvestigationPodcast Primary Sources Fry, Anna Gayle. Memories of Old Cahaba. New York: Neale Publishing Company, 1909. Hawes, Jesse. Cahaba: A Story of Captive Boys in Blue. Chicago: Rogers & Smith Company, 1888. Rush, Jacob. Recollections of Prison Life at Cahaba (memoir and surviving accounts). United States War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Historical and Archaeological Sources Alabama Historical Commission. Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. Friends of Old Cahawba. Historical publications and interpretive materials. National Park Service. Civil War and Old Cahawba historical resources. Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. Site interpretation and archaeological reports. Sultana Disaster Sources Baxter, Gary. The Sultana Disaster: The Greatest Maritime Disaster in American History. Sultana Historical Preservation Society. Historical records and survivor research. United States Congressional investigations concerning the Sultana disaster. Folklore and Paranormal Sources Fry, Anna Gayle. Memories of Old Cahaba. Windham, Kathryn Tucker. 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey. Alabama Historical Commission. Educational materials concerning Old Cahawba folklore. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The Specter in the Maze. Additional Historical References Historical maps of Old Cahawba. Archaeological excavation reports. Nineteenth-century Alabama newspapers. Contemporary Civil War military correspondence. Published biographies of William Wyatt Bibb and early Alabama political history. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=22669 https://historynet.com/surviving-a-confederate-pow-camp/ https://theforgottensouth.com/cahawba-alabama-ghost-town/ https://dustsafetyscience.com/sultana-explosion-mississippi-river/ https://historynet.com/surviving-a-confederate-pow-camp/

50- Dark Days in Time: The Tragic History of Old Cahawba pt 1

Join us for todays episode when we travel to the town of Old Cahawba (also spelled Cahaba). From its beginning as a Native American village, it was then transformed into Alabama's original capital, the town changed from the capital, to a small town built by cotton and the hundreds of slaves that cultivated it, once again changing during the civil war to hold the union prison called Castle Morgan. Not many of the prisoners died during Castle Morgan's run, but that does take away the problems the prisoner's faced. And for many the tragedies don't end there. Primary Sources Fry, Anna Gayle. Memories of Old Cahaba. New York: Neale Publishing Company, 1909. Hawes, Jesse. Cahaba: A Story of Captive Boys in Blue. Chicago: Rogers & Smith Company, 1888. Rush, Jacob. Recollections of Prison Life at Cahaba (memoir and surviving accounts). United States War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Historical and Archaeological Sources Alabama Historical Commission. Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. Friends of Old Cahawba. Historical publications and interpretive materials. National Park Service. Civil War and Old Cahawba historical resources. Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. Site interpretation and archaeological reports. Additional Historical References Historical maps of Old Cahawba. Archaeological excavation reports. Nineteenth-century Alabama newspapers. Contemporary Civil War military correspondence. Published biographies of William Wyatt Bibb and early Alabama political history. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=22669 https://historynet.com/surviving-a-confederate-pow-camp/ https://theforgottensouth.com/cahawba-alabama-ghost-town/

49- Creatures Unraveled: The Black Eyed Children

Hatter dives deep into one of Alabama's most chilling modern legends: the Black Eyed Children. These seemingly ordinary kids, with their unsettling pitch-black eyes, appear unexpectedly, asking for help or permission to enter homes, leaving witnesses with an overwhelming sense of dread. We explore the origins of this eerie phenomenon, examine eyewitness accounts, and discuss the psychological implications behind these encounters. (00:00) Intro (02:52) The black eyed children phenomenon was born during the infancy of the Internet (06:52) Black eyed children's terrifying description (14:21) Inside of Brian Bethel's encounter (15:26) Psychology, subtle social cues, and unconscious danger detection (20:02) Bethel's story hits the internet (26:18) Several other encounter reports (35:04) What happens if you let them in? Join our Patreon for exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/cw/InvestigationPodcast Works Cited Bethel, Brian. Black-Eyed Kids FAQ. Archived writings and follow-up commentary on the Black-Eyed Children phenomenon, 2013. Burke, Brigid. "Black-Eyed Kids and the Child Archetype." The Cultural Construction of Monstrous Children: Essays on Anomalous Children from 1595 to the Present Day, edited by Simon Bacon and Leo Ruickbie, Anthem Press, 2020, pp. 205–216. de Becker, Gavin. The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence. Dell Publishing, 1997. LeDoux, Joseph. The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. Simon & Schuster, 1996. Loftus, Elizabeth F. Eyewitness Testimony. Harvard University Press, 1996. Mori, Masahiro. "The Uncanny Valley." Energy, vol. 7, no. 4, 1970, pp. 33–35. Monstrum. "Don't Let Them In! The Urban Legends of Black-Eyed Children." PBS Digital Studios, hosted by Emily Zarka, 2021. Nickell, Joe. The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Prometheus Books, 2012. Weatherly, David. Black Eyed Children: Revised Second Edition. Leprechaun Press, 2017. Alabama Folklore Sources Cline, Erin. The Big Book of Alabama Ghost Stories. Stackpole Books, 2010. McWhorter, Jake, and Victoria H. Jackson. Alabama Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Globe Pequot Press, 2018. Urban Legends and Folklore Brunvand, Jan Harold. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings. W. W. Norton, 1981. Brunvand, Jan Harold. Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. ABC-CLIO, 2001. Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton University Press, 1949. Psychology and Human Perception Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Little, Brown and Company, 2005. Historical Research Methods "Historical Research." History Detectives, PBS. Folklore Resources University of Southern California. "Black-Eyed Children." USC Digital Folklore Archives. USC Digital Folklore Archives

48- Creatures Unraveled: UFO or Hoax? Unraveling the Falkville Metal Man

Do you believe in aliens or the supernatural? In today's episode, Hatter talks about the Metal Man of Falkville. When police chief Greenhaw went out to investigate a strange phone call, he encountered something unusual and managed to snap four photographs. While the photographs went on to become famous, the backlash against Greenhaw brought in suspicions of a hoax. Unravel this mystery with us! 0:00 Peculiar phone call results in a rather radiant encounter 15:20 Picture credibility speculations: Prankster or something much more otherworldly? 26:35 Theory of the firefighter hoax and alleged confession 31:13 Evidence stolen: Possible government involvement?  34:23 Coincidental encounters after famous probing incident 41:42 Recapping: Witnessing the unknown or all just a hoax? Email us your thoughts at investigatingwithus@gmail.com  45:30 Outro Join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/InvestigationPodcast Don't forget to like and follow! YouTube interview with Greenhaw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LtysoBU1G0&t=149s Works Cited Appalachian Historian. “The Falkville Metal Man: Jeff Greenhaw and Alabama’s Silver-Suited Mystery.” Appalachian Historian, 24 June 2026. Accessed 30 July 2026. Clark, Jerome. High Strangeness: UFOs from 1969 through 1979. Omnigraphics, 1996. Hall, Richard H., et al. “The 1973 UFO Chronology: A World-Wide Wave.” National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). Updated 10 Apr. 2022. Accessed 30 July 2026. National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. UFO Investigator. Nov. 1973. NICAP archival collection. National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. UFO Investigator. Oct. 1974. NICAP archival collection. Olmos, Vicente-Juan Ballester. “Pictures of Aliens in USA, October 1973.” FOTOCAT, 13 Mar. 2020. Ridge, Francis. “Falkville, Alabama, Humanoid Case: October 17, 1973.” NICAP UFO Case Directory. National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. Stevenson, Tommy. “Howdy Says Policeman to UFO Creature.” The Decatur Daily, 18 Oct. 1973. Summerford, Robert O. “Bobby.” Obituary. The Decatur Daily, 26–27 Apr. 2007. Republished by Legacy Remembers. Town of Falkville. “History.” Town of Falkville, Alabama. Accessed 30 July 2026. Blum, Ralph, and Judy Blum. Beyond Earth: Man’s Contact with UFOs. Bantam Books, 1975. Maloney, Christopher. “Falkville.” Encyclopedia of Alabama, 14 May 2013. Rogerson, Peter. INTCAT: International Catalogue of Close Encounters and Entity Reports, 1752–1986. Smith, Warren. “Falkville Metal Man Coverage.” Saga, Oct. 1974, p. 48. “The Pascagoula Encounter, October 11, 1973.” NICAP UFO Case Directory. National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. “Robert O. ‘Bobby’ Summerford.” Legacy Remembers, Apr. 2007. Send us your stories at investigatingwithus@gmail.com. We want to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

47- On the Case: Reign of Terror, Baton Rouge Killers pt 3

Join us this week on a short but chilling episode where Scoot takes us back to the murderous Baton Rouge. Three mysterious deaths all possibly linked together as a serial killer starts to go on a rampage; listen in to find out how far he goes before getting caught. 0:00 Intro: Strangely specific phone call begins puzzling murders investigation 09:10 Well known detained serial killer gives his input on the case 12:22 The one that got away: Footage of the surviving victim leads police to the killer’s identity 19:44 Email us at investigatingwithus@gmail.com with your thoughts 20:53 Donation opportunity for a good cause and outro https://www.wafb.com/story/11693111/officials-give-suspected-serial-killer-timeline-of-events/ https://www.wafb.com/story/12145893/guillory-sentenced-to-50-years-in-prison/ https://legalnews.com/Home/Articles?DataId=1079269 https://www.wafb.com/2026/07/01/serial-killer-cases-that-changed-baton-rouge-policing-forever/ https://law.justia.com/cases/louisiana/first-circuit-court-of-appeal/2012/2012ka0702-1.html https://www.wafb.com/story/11688408/detectives-arrest-another-suspected-serial-killer-in-la/ https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/five-serial-killers-have-claimed-almost-70-victims-from-baton-rouge-area-louisiana/news-story/92a3fe9819755cc25f9f17a4072be803 https://thecinemaholic.com/jeffery-lee-guillory-who-were-his-victims-where-is-he-now/ https://www.oxygen.com/serial-killer-capital-baton-rouge/crime-news/where-are-baton-rouge-serial-killers-now Send us your stories at investigatingwithus@gmail.com. We want to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

46- On the Case: The Tragic Death of Elizabeth Sennett

we delve into the tragic story of Liz Sennett, a woman whose seemingly perfect life took a horrifying turn. Married young to Charles Sennett, Liz was the heart of her family, but beneath the surface lay dark secrets that would lead to her untimely death. Join hosts Scoot and Hatter as they explore the chilling details of Liz's murder, the shocking revelations about Charles's infidelity, and the aftermath that left a family shattered. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/InvestigationPodcast 0:00 Intro: The supposed picture perfect couple 08:12 Questionable robbery gone awry? 12:48 Convictions and prolonged appeals of the murderous schemers 28:19 Penalty carried out at last 33:10 Why we bring these stories back to life 38:38 Share your thoughts email us at investigatingwithus@gmail.com https://www.waff.com/2024/01/20/35-years-too-late-sennett-brothers-speak-execution-man-that-took-their-mothers-life/ https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-579/207049/20211230162719811_Smith%20BIO.pdf https://arkansasadvocate.com/2024/01/25/alabama-set-to-attempt-untried-method-of-execution/ https://www.waff.com/2024/01/26/kenneth-smith-executed-1988-slaying-elizabeth-sennett/ https://www.wbrc.com/2024/01/26/kenneth-smith-executed-1988-slaying-elizabeth-sennett/ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/99770952/elizabeth_dorlene-sennett https://1819news.com/news/item/alabamas-judicial-system-sucks-son-of-murder-victim-wants-justice-to-be-served https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2022/11/17/live-updates-kenneth-smith-execution-alabama-prisons/69654501007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z113012e000100v113012d--30--b--30--&gca-ft=163&gca-ds=sophi https://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/court-of-appeals-criminal/1990/565-so-2d-1233-0.html https://abc3340.com/news/local/timeline-of-events-leading-up-to-kenneth-smiths-scheduled-execution-kenneth-eugene-smith-nitrogen-hypoxia-alabama-state-capital-punishment-death-penalty-cruel-unusual-experimental- https://oklahomavoice.com/2024/01/25/kenneth-eugene-smith-executed-by-nitrogen-gas-for-1988-murder-for-hire-scheme/#:~:text=Sennett's%20husband%2C%20the%20Rev.,were%20convicted%20of%20her%20death. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/alabama-schedules-a-second-execution-for-kenneth-smith-using-nitrogen-gas-for-the-first-time-in-u-s-history https://www.alabamaag.gov/attorney-general-marshall-moves-for-execution-by-nitrogen-hypoxia-for-kenneth-smith/ https://www.wvtm13.com/article/elizabeth-sennett-kenneth-smith-execution/46545025 Send us your stories at investigatingwithus@gmail.com. We want to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

45- The After Show: The Doss House Investigation

Join us on this little after show, where we reflect on the strange occurrences that unfolded during the investigation, from unexpected delays to chilling sensations of being watched. We discuss the unsettling audio captures, mysterious Polaroids, and the peculiar energies encountered. as well as a peak into our own abilities, we contemplate our next steps and plans for future investigations. What did we truly uncover at Doss House, and what awaits us on their next adventure? 0:00 Intro, and a look into how we felt after listening to what we captured 8:20 The lost tapes: the Barber shop 9:27 The Music box 11:37 The polaroid's- missing, and unexplained 23:00 The doll's and Meredith's changing energy 38:30 Missed opportunities, where should we go next? Send us your stories at investigatingwithus@gmail.com. We want to hear from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 of 7