Dark City: Uncovering History Hiding in the Shadows
Episodes
46. GHOST TOWN: Minisode | The Quixotic Rise and Fall of Santa Claus, AZ
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
Case Note: Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter (Echoes)
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, Arizona | Case note on unexplained moments that surfaced during the Zombie Hunter investigation.I highly recommend Troy Hillman’s book Chas...
45. MURDER: Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter with Troy Hillman Pt 2
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, AZ | The DNA match finally gave the canal murderer a name: Bryan Patrick Miller. But what followed raised more questions than answers. In Par...
44. MURDER: Chasing Down the Zombie Hunter with Troy Hillman Pt 1
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, AZ | Two brutal attacks along the city’s canal bike paths left residents terrified, investigators overwhelmed, and a serial predator hiding...
43. HIDDEN HISTORY: Pumpkinville - The Valley’s Ancient Canals and the Gourd That Almost Named Phoenix
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
42. ORGANIZED CRIME: The Assassination of Investigative Reporter Don Bolles Part 2
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
41. ORGANIZED CRIME: The Assassination of Investigative Reporter Don Bolles Part 1
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, AZ | On June 2, 1976, investigative reporter Don Bolles arrived at the Clarendon Hotel in downtown Phoenix expecting to meet a source about l...
Behind the Story: Dark City on L.A. Not So Confidential Podcast
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While you’re waiting for the next episode, check out Leah's conversation with forensic psychologists Dr. Shiloh and Dr. Scott on their podcast ...
Rebroadcast | HISTORY, LORE & HAUNTINGS: Griffith Park
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a rebroadcast of our Griffith Park episode, highlighted during the live show with L.A. Not So Confidential, dropping on their feed on Septembe...
40. HAUNTED: The Borden Murders Part 2
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fall River, MA | Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their own home. The weapon was never found, no one saw it happen, and suspicion quickly cente...
39. HAUNTED: Phoenix’s Movie Palace of Stories and Secrets
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, AZ | The Orpheum Theatre has endured every challenge history put in its path, and so have the spirits of those who once filled its halls. Fro...
38. HAUNTED LEGACY: The Borden Murders Pt 1
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fall River, MA | We stayed overnight in the Lizzie Borden House to see for ourselves if the many accounts of paranormal activity were real. We’ll ...
37. INFAMOUS: The Trunk Murders Pt 2
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, AZ | We dive into conflicting confessions, courtroom chaos, and the question that won’t die: Did Winnie Ruth Judd act alone? Or was “Happ...
36. INFAMOUS: The Trunk Murders Pt 1
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Phoenix, AZ | Three bold, trailblazing women share a quiet Phoenix duplex, until one boards a train to Los Angeles with the other two dead and hidden ...
35. VANISHED: The Desert Town That Watches Back
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carver, AZ | It wasn’t on the map. Then it was. This desert mystery begins in 1983 with a park ranger’s call that was quietly buried. The story on...
Dark Detour Ahead: Start Here Before Phoenix
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before we hit the heat of Phoenix….Follow us for episode photos and more at:📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcity.podcast 🪡 Threads: threads.ne...
34. HIDDEN HISTORY: Wrensmoor Castle’s Secrets and Spector Pt 2
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alhambra, CA | Famed music producer Phil Spector‘s enraged reaction stunned police when they showed up to his castle to find actress Lana Clarkson d...
33. HIDDEN HISTORY: Wrensmoor Castle’s Secrets and Spector Pt 1
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alhambra, CA | What’s the story behind Alhambra’s castle on the hill? Wrensmoor Castle stands like a stately gift from the past, modeled after the...
32. HAUNTED: The Island that Terrifies J.D. Barker - and Inspired His Novel
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wood Island, Maine | Wood Island is so haunted, even bestselling horror writer J.D. Barker won’t stay the night - and he’s here to share how its c...
31. UNSOLVED: A Tragic Murder and A Missing Diary - The Christa Helm Story with Jamey DuVall
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | What did Christa Helm know that got her killed? Or was she the victim of a jealous rage? On February 12, 1977, Christa was brutally ...
30. CORRUPTION: You Can Fight City Hall – Clifford Clinton’s Complex Legacy with Robert Petersen
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | How does a cafeteria owner in 1930s Los Angeles, dedicated to providing affordable meals for all, become the driving force behind ex...
29. HOLLYWOOD SCANDALS: The Fallen Star & The Superman
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Was Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle a scapegoat or a villain? Did George Reeves take his own life, or was there something more sinister ...
28. FIRE: Everyone in LA Knows Someone Who Lost Everything
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles is burning, and the impact is personal. We delve into the current status of the devastating fires, discuss the factors...
27. MURDER: The Black Dahlia Beyond the Headlines - Featuring Steve Hodel Pt 3
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Former LAPD homicide detective Steve Hodel once asked himself the unthinkable: Could his own father have killed Elizabeth Short? In ...
26. TRUE CRIME & HAUNTINGS: Touring LA's Iconic Locations with James T. Bartlett
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Join us for an audio tour of Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles’ most haunted locations and infamous crime scenes with James T. Ba...
25. MURDER: The Black Dahlia Beyond the Headlines Pt 2
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Elizabeth Short’s 1947 murder (also known as the Black Dahlia) still haunts Los Angeles. We press closer to the truth, tearing int...
24. MURDER: The Black Dahlia Beyond the Headlines Pt 1
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los, Angeles, CA | In the shadowy landscape of 1940s Los Angeles, one murder would captivate and horrify a nation. Elizabeth Short—forever immortali...
23. HAUNTED: The Lindley Street Poltergeist
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bridgeport, CT | With a remarkable range of witnesses—police, firefighters, religious leaders, and neighbors—reporting impossible events, this mig...
22. HAUNTED: Firsthand Accounts Aboard the Queen Mary with Author Nicole Strickland
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Long Beach, CA | This week, we’re back aboard the Queen Mary, diving into firsthand accounts of its paranormal activity with Nicole Strickland, auth...
21. HISTORY, LORE & HAUNTINGS: Whittier & Turnbull Canyon
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whittier, CA | Whittier, California is a charming city with an intriguing blend of Quaker roots and a haunting past. Join us as Jacob Caputo, founde...
20. CULT: Synanon's Degeneration from Addiction Treatment to Violent Cult Pt 2
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tomales Bay, CA | What if the very institutions meant to rehabilitate and guide are the ones causing the most harm? Amidst egregious human rights abus...
19. CULT: Synanon's Degeneration from Addiction Treatment to Violent Cult Pt 1
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Santa Monica, CA | How does a group once celebrated for its success treating heroin addicts become a violent cult? Founded in 1958 by Charles "...
18. HAUNTED: The Queen Mary's Luxurious & Ghostly Legacy
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Long Beach, CA | Unlimited champagne at brunch and unlimited ghostly encounters at night. We are diving (sorry for the super cheesy pun) into the Qu...
17. SCANDAL: They Moved the Headstones, but Not the Bodies
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Imagine walking through downtown Los Angeles, oblivious to the forgotten graves beneath your feet. We’re unearthing the eerie hist...
16. HAUNTED: Inside the Croke-Patterson Mansion
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Denver, CO | Ever dreamed of sleeping in a real-life haunted house? This Denver mansion-turned-inn might make you think twice about that bucket list i...
15. CONSPIRACY & SCANDAL: What's Beneath Denver's Airport & Cheesman Park
13 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Denver, CO | Are the things hidden underneath Denver, Colorado driving many of the dark tales and sightings above ground? There are a whole host of ...
14. SCANDALS & HAUNTINGS: The Owlwood and Greystone Estates
29 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Beverly Hills & Holmby Hills, CA | In this episode, we delve into the scandals surrounding the various owners of the Owlwood Estate in Holmby Hill...
13. FRAUD: The Kidnapping of Sister Aimee
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why would a popular and accomplished preacher fake her own kidnapping? This is the tale of Aimee Semple McPherson, a trailblazing evangelist who found...
12. SCANDAL: Water for Los Angeles - A History of Lies & Tragedy
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | How does a city surrounded mostly by desert secure enough water to sustain millions of people? With lies and deception. Through a co...
11. ICYMI SCANDAL: The Secret Lover in the Attic
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Is it possible to hide away a secret lover in an attic…for nearly a decade?? What starts as a daytime affair in the midwest betw...
10. POLTERGEIST: UCLA Parapsychologists Investigate
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Culver, City, CA | Doris Bither, a single mother of four, reports unsettling instances of paranormal activity and assault in her home. Join us as we d...
9. ROCKEFELLER IMPOSTER: The “Who’s Who” of “Who’s That?” Pt 2
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
San Marino, CA | Christian Gerhartstreiter’s lies become more and more outrageous, yet the list of people he fools grows longer and longer. However,...
8. ROCKEFELLER IMPOSTER: The “Who’s Who” of “Who’s That?” Pt 1
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
San Marino, CA | This story makes the Netflix series “Inventing Anna” look like amateur hour. The con artist that set up shop in the picturesque...
7. CULT OR COMMUNE? The Source Family (It’s Totally A Cult)
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | The Source Family of 1970s Los Angeles had all of the trappings of a thriving commune with a flair for glamor. Running one of LA&a...
6. HISTORY, LORE & HAUNTINGS: Griffith Park
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | A wild mountain lion, the disembodied roar of a tiger, and a serial killer bear, oh my! And that’s just the wildlife of Griffith P...
5. HAUNTED: The Cecil Hotel, A True American Horror Story Pt 2
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Was it a tragic accident, murder, or a paranormal force at work? Theories abound as to how Elisa Lam, a Canadian student visiting ...
4. HAUNTED: The Cecil Hotel, A True American Horror Story Pt 1
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | The Cecil Hotel is often described as the most haunted place in Los Angeles, possibly the world. In its past century of existence,...
3. SCANDAL: The Secret Lover in the Attic
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Los Angeles, CA | Is it possible to hide away a secret lover in an attic…for nearly a decade?? What starts as a daytime affair in the midwest betw...
2. OCCULT: The Double Life of Rocketeer Jack Parsons Pt 2
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pasadena, CA | In Part 1, we introduced you to Jack Parsons, pioneering rocket scientist by day, occultist by night. This week, we will detail the dow...
1. OCCULT: The Double Life of Rocketeer Jack Parsons Pt 1
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pasadena, CA | Can a black arts occultist by night also be a pioneering rocket scientist by day? Sure can. We are kicking off Season 1: Los Angeles (a...