The Dark Oak

Episode 18: The Mysterious Death of Phoebe Handsjuk

When a beautiful woman is found dead at the bottom of a trash chute, authorities quickly rule it a suicide; The evidence, however, seems to bring up more questions than answers. 
Did Phoebe kill herself or was she murdered? Listen to this week's episode and let us know what you think. 
 
Sources:Baker, R. (n.d.). Phoebe’s fall. Smh. https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2016/phoebesfall/index.html
Molloy, S. (2021, September 28). Bombshell in garbage chute death. News. https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/fresh-questions-over-bizarre-death-of-melbourne-woman-phoebe-handsjuk-who-fell-12storeys-to-her-death-in-a-garbage-chute/news-story/c365ec259a0190a253f3f1a58ee9aaf2
Natalie. (2013, March 9). Phoebe handsjuk. https://www.phoebehandsjuk.com/
YungWannabeOptimist. (n.d.). Reddit - Dive into anything. https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7ylhu2/mysterious_death_of_phoebe_handsjuk/
An Australian death and a suspicious ruling of suicide. (2018, August 9). CrimeReads. https://crimereads.com/an-australian-death-and-a-suspicious-ruling-of-suicide/
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 17: The Haunting of BallyGally Castle - Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October!
Come with us on a journey through historic Ireland as we shiver through tales of BallyGally Castle, the only 17th century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland. It is also reputed to be one of the most haunted places in all of Northern Ireland, providing a home to strange forces and “The Ghost Room.”
 
Sources:
Belanger, J. (2011b). The World’s Most Haunted Places: From the Secret Files of Ghostvillage.com. Red Wheel/Weiser.
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 16: Lizzie Borden - Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October!
Lizzie Borden took an ax… Or did she? In this special Oaktober Fest Episode we discuss what you may not have heard about the Lizzie Borden case. Was a Victorian era woman capable of murder? At the time, scientist didn’t think so. We have learned so much in the last 130 years about the evil lengths women can go to…. was Lizzie saved by her moment in time or an innocent victim wrongly accused?
 
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Sources:
Magazine, S. (2019, July 23). Why 19th-Century axe murderer Lizzie Borden was found not guilty. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-19th-century-axe-murderer-lizzie-borden-was-found-not-guilty-180972707/
Lizzie Borden case: Images from one of the most notorious crime scenes in history. (2021, August 1). CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/lizzie-borden-case-images-crime-scene/
Lizzie Andrew Borden Virtual Museum and Library. (n.d.). https://lizzieandrewborden.com/
What made Lizzie Borden kill? (n.d.). AMERICAN HERITAGE. https://www.americanheritage.com/what-made-lizzie-borden-kill
Robertson, C. (2020). The trial of Lizzie Borden. Simon & Schuster.
 
This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 15: Creepy Bugs That Will Haunt Your Dreams - Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October!
Is there anything creepier than being surrounded by bugs? We will delve in the wild, wonderful and terrifying world of bugs... bugs that torture us, bugs that disgust us and bugs that flat out scare us.
Giant spiders, disgusting bot flies, exotic ants, and deadly caterpillars make this episode everything you love about Halloween. Some insects might sound familiar, and some are so rare that only the unfortunate may have heard of them. Whatever the case, take a deep breath, press play and follow us to the world of haunting bugs.
 
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Sources:
Myseo, Pestco, & Myseo. (2019). 12 Of The World’s Scariest Skin-Crawl-Worthy Insect Pests. Pestco Professional Services. https://www.pestco.com/12-of-the-worlds-scariest-insect-pests/
Veliz, L. (2023). What You Might Not Know About The Giant Japanese Hornet. Grunge. https://www.grunge.com/599051/what-you-might-not-know-about-the-giant-japanese-hornet/
Insectic. (2022, January 11). 10 facts about Emerald cockroach wasp - Insectic. Insectic. https://insectic.com/emerald-cockroach-wasp-facts/
Shields, J. (2023, March 8). Parasitic wasp larvae eat host from inside out. HowStuffWorks. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/parasitic-wasp-larvae-eat-host-from-inside-out.htm
 
This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 14: The Senseless Killing of Yoshihiro Hattori - Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October!
This episode highlights the tragic death of Yoshihiro Hattori, a 16-year-old Japanese student on an exchange program to the United States. 
 
When "Yoshi" and his friend and fellow student Webb Haymaker knocked on the door of a house where they believed a Halloween Party to be held, they were met with gunfire, killing Yoshi and leaving Webb with a lifetime of emotional scars. 
 
After the Yoshi's untimely death, two families, forever linked through tragedy, would work together to lead a massive campaign to change America's gun laws.  
 
Ultimately, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was passed, mandating background checks on gun buyers and a five-day waiting period on all purchases. 
 
Give: Yoshi Hattori Memorial Scholarship (afsusa.org)
Sources:
Mascia, J. (2022). How the Death of a Japanese Exchange Student Changed the U.S. Gun Debate. The Trace. https://www.thetrace.org/2022/11/yoshihiro-hattori-webb-haymaker-brady/
Taylor, A. (2023, April 20). Mistaken address shootings echo killing of Japanese teen 30 years ago. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/20/yoshihiro-hattori-mistaken-address-shooting-japan/
Luckhurst, B. T. (2019, October 19). Yoshihiro Hattori: The door knock that killed a Japanese teenager in US. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50063364
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 13: The Werewolf Trials - Oaktober Fest Special Edition

Welcome to Oaktober Fest, our annual celebration of spooky season lasting the entire month of October!
In this episode we cover stories of lycanthropy, the belief that one can transform into a wolf. Before the Salem Witch trials, the Werewolf Trials were paving the way across Europe. 
Lycanthropy is not a new concept but was originally in the works as early as 2,100 BC. The true werewolf hunt, though, began in earnest in the 15th and 16th centuries. We will cover the historical lives, trials and punishments of Peter Stump, Gilles Garnier, and a more recent case of Manuel Blanco Romasanta who became Spain’s first documented serial killer known as the Werewolf of Allariz.
 
Sources:
Werewolf Legends. (2017, August 23). HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-werewolf-legend
Florence, M. M. (2022, October 13). Under torture, Peter Stumpp confessed to savage crimes—leading to perhaps the harshest trial during Germany’s werewolf panics. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/10/a-german-werewolfs-confessions-horrified-1500s-europe
Koosmen, T. (n.d.). The ancient origins of werewolves. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-ancient-origins-of-werewolves-104775#:~:text=The%20earliest%20surviving%20example%20of,ethnographic%2C%20poetic%20and%20philosophical%20texts.
Moonlight. (2010). The Many Ways To Become A Werewolf | Werewolves. Werewolves. https://www.werewolves.com/the-many-ways-to-become-a-werewolf/
Tietz, V. a. P. B. T. (2021, October 28). Peter Stumpp – The Werewolf of Bedburg | SCIHI Blog. http://scihi.org/peter-stumpp-werewolf/
 
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This episode of The Dark Oak was created, researched, written, recorded, hosted, edited, published, and marketed by Cynthia and Stefanie of Just Us Gals Productions with artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 12: The Dyatlov Pass Incident - What You Don’t Know - Part 2

In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. In part 1 of this 2-part series, Stefanie will provide details about the rescue and recovery mission to find the lost hikers as well as theories into their causes of death. Was it nature, man or beast? Could their deaths be attributed to an acute event of were the hikers doomed from the start of their adventure. We follow the breadcrumbs left by the hikers in the true story of the Dyatlov hikers.
Eichar, D. (2013). Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Chronicle Books.https://a.co/d/5ITe6cr
An Unknown Compelling Force. Directed, produced and written by Liam Le Guillou.https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B095SJJNQT/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
Produced by Just Us Gals, with Artwork by Justyse Holmes, and Music by Ryan Creep
 

Episode 11: The Dyatlov Pass Incident - What You Don’t Know - Part 1

In February 1959, a group of nine experienced hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains died mysteriously on an elevation known as Dead Mountain. In part 1 of this 2-part series, Stefanie will introduce you to the nine hikers and guide you through the hiker's last days. Where did they go? Who did they meet? Where were they headed? What were their motives? Was someone following them? Should they have even been on the hike from the start? Are there any clues we can gather to help us solve their deaths? We follow the breadcrumbs left by the hikers in the true story of the Dyatlov hikers.
Eichar, D. (2013). Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Chronicle Books.https://a.co/d/5ITe6cr
An Unknown Compelling Force. Directed, produced and written by Liam Le Guillou.https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B095SJJNQT/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
Produced by Just Us Gals, with Artwork by Justyse Holmes, and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 10: Bigfoot - Closer Than Ever

Things that go bump in the night may be closer than you think. In this episode we will take a hard look at expert opinions, current data and provocative research that combat the hard questions. Is Bigfoot real? And if so, how close are we to finding one?
 
Report your Bigfoot Sighting - http://www.bfro.net/
Patterson-Gimlin Film 1967 - Patterson Gimlin Film in Full HD 1967 BIGFOOT SASQUATCH - YouTube
 
Sources:
Jones, R. (2021b). The Appalachian Bigfoot. Beyond the Fray Publishing.
Bigfoot/Sasquatch-related Sound Recordings. (n.d.). http://www.bfro.net/avevid/SierraSounds/911.asp#howls
Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. (n.d.). http://www.bfro.net/
Watson, T. (2021b, May 3). 86 Percent of Earth’s Species Still Unknown? Science. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/110824-earths-species-8-7-million-biology-planet-animals-science
Survivorman - Les Stroud. (2020, December 14). Survivorman Bigfoot | Willow Creek | Episode 5 | Les Stroud [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_akddzGiPsU
 
Produced by Just Us Gals, Artwork by Justyse Holmes and Music by Ryan Creep

Episode 09: Murder or Suicide: The Mysterious Death of Rebecca Zahau

One of the most baffling cases in recent true crime history, the death of Rebecca Zahau fills our minds with more questions than answers. Did Rebecca kill herself due to extreme guilt or was she the victim of a bizarre murder? 
 
Sources:
CBS8.com
Timesofsandiego.com
Kusi.com
NBCsandiego.com
Heavy.com
Azcentral.com
Oxygen.com
We Would Be Dead Podcast
 
Produced by Just Us Gals, Artwork by Justyse Holmes, Music by Ryan Creep