Explore the overlooked oddities that deserve a deep dive and the downright bizarre gems buried in the notebooks of journalists and friends Poppy Damon and Luke Jones. From each side of the Atlantic, Poppy in New York and Luke in London, they uncover the world’s strangest stories, from true crime to conspiracy theories and all the wonderfully weird in between. Every Tuesday, they take strange seriously.For more true crime podcasts, from weekly releases to series to binge, go to AlwaysTrueCrime.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes
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26 min
The Candyman Killer
Poppy tells the story of Halloween night in 1974, when eight-year-old Timothy O’Bryan dies after eating a poisoned Pixy Stix while trick-or-treating in Texas. Plus Luke shares the…
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35 min
The Albanian Ponzi Scheme
Luke tells the story of Albania’s Ponzi scheme crisis of the 1990s, when two thirds of the population invested in schemes that promised eye-watering returns, eventually triggering…
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32 min
The American Idol Killer
Poppy shares the story of pastor, and one time American Idol contestant, Caleb Flynn. In 2013 he went on national US television to boast of his pretty wife and devotion to the Lord…
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31 min
The Putney Pusher
Luke tells the still unsolved story of the Putney Pusher, a shocking attack on Putney Bridge that was caught on CCTV and captivated the public…Plus, Poppy investigates the curious…
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23 min
Operation Varsity Blues
Poppy tells the story of the college admissions scandal that exposed a hidden world of bribery, fake sporting careers and rigged exam results…Plus, Luke shares a court case he’s cu…
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27 min
We Will Shock You
Luke tells the story of a wealthy Scottish businessman whose life takes him from a West End theatre to a remote Scottish island and, eventually, Australia. It all starts at a perfo…
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29 min
The Cecil Hotel
Content warning: this episode discusses suicide, murder and sexual violence.Poppy tells the dark and mysterious story of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, a place with a dec…
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31 min
The Man Who Investigated UFOs
Luke tells the story of the British government’s UFO investigator, Nick Pope, who spent years looking into reports of unexplained objects in the sky. From a mysterious incident wit…
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22 min
The Family That Adopted a Lie
Poppy and Luke investigate the strange case of a young girl who arrives at a Brazilian church claiming she has escaped an abusive home, and is taken in by a family who spend more t…
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26 min
The Satanic Panic
Luke tells the story of nine children removed from their homes on Orkney amid allegations of satanic ritual abuse. Plus, Polly tells the case of a Shake Shack employee, who alleged…
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34 min
The Clancy Trial
Warning: This episode discusses the murder of young children, suicide, postpartum psychosis, mental illness and graphic details of violence. Listener discretion is advised.Poppy te…
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32 min
The eBay Hate Mail
Luke tells the story of Ina and David Steiner, who ran an e-commerce newsletter and became the targets of a campaign of harassment and intimidation carried out by employees of eBay…
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30 min
The Woman Who Faked Her Own Death
Poppy tells the story of Jack "Ziz" LaSota, the woman who disappeared at sea, resurfaced months later, and became the alleged leader of a cult linked to multiple murders across Ame…
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31 min
The Glamour Scam
Luke tells the story of serial scammer Ariana Rose, who spent years conning brides, posing as a luxury makeup artistPlus, Poppy brings the tale of Ed the Zebra, whose eight-day esc…
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20 min
The Three-Legged King: The story of Francesco “Frank” Lentini
Poppy tells the story of Francesco “Frank” Lentini, a man born in 1889 Sicily with a rare condition that left him with three legs and four feet. Rejected by his family and labelled…
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30 min
The Missing Pilot
Luke tells the story of an RAF pilot shot down over northern France during the Second World War. His family believed they knew where he lay to rest, but decades later, an extraordi…
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24 min
The Unsinkable Violet Jessop
After surviving the sinking of the Titanic, the collision of its sister ship Olympic, and the sinking of Britannic during the First World War, Violet Jessup became known as "Miss U…
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27 min
The Stolen World Cup
With the World Cup dominating headlines, Luke tells the true story of the theft of the Jules Rimet Trophy ahead of the 1966 World Cup, involving bungled security, ransom demands an…
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30 min
The University of Cosmic Intelligence
Poppy tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of six followers of the University of Cosmic Intelligence, an online cult led by a self-proclaimed prophet whose teachings ble…
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38 min
The Escape from Tristan da Cunha
Luke tells the story of Tristan da Cunha and the 1961 volcanic eruption that forced its entire population to evacuate to the UK, and what happened when they tried to adjust to a co…