Torture: A Dark History

Guatemalan Syphilis Experiment: Consent Is Not A Thing

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 05:00:39 +0000

What happens when a group of doctors decides that the best way to study a sexually transmitted disease is to make absolutely sure their patients have it?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan uncover one of the darkest chapters in the history of American medicine: the Guatemalan Syphilis Experiments. Beginning with historian Susan Reverby’s discovery of John Cutler’s research papers in 2003, we trace how a secret medical experiment conducted in Guatemala between 1946 and 1948 deliberately exposed prisoners, soldiers, psychiatric patients, sex workers, and others to syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid.

We follow the story from the rise of syphilis as a major public health concern after World War I, through the discovery of penicillin, and into the increasingly disturbing experiments carried out by American researchers who wanted controlled subjects for their research. What began with attempts to study sexual transmission eventually involved deliberate infections, repeated exposures, painful procedures, and subjects who were often never told what was actually being done to them.

We’ll also look at some of the individual victims whose stories survived in the records, including Berta, a psychiatric patient who was deliberately infected with multiple diseases before her death, and the children who were subjected to medical procedures despite never being deliberately infected with syphilis.

And naturally, Kevin and Dan bring their dark sense of humor to a story where the phrase “medical experiment” somehow manages to become more horrifying with every page of documentation.

This is dark history, medical experimentation, true crime, the history of syphilis, and one of the most disturbing chapters in the history of American medicine.

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Elephants: It's Always The People

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 05:00:53 +0000

What happens when one of the largest and most intelligent animals on Earth is trained to become an executioner?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel through more than two thousand years of history to explore the horrifying use of elephants in torture, punishment, and execution.

We’ll begin in India, where elephants became symbols of royal power and terrifying instruments of punishment. From the Mughal Empire to the kingdoms of South Asia, we’ll look at how condemned prisoners could be grabbed, thrown, dragged, crushed, or dismembered by animals that had been specifically trained to follow the commands of their handlers.

We’ll travel back to the ancient world and follow elephants from the battlefields of India and Persia to the armies of Alexander the Great and the great empires of the Mediterranean. Along the way, we’ll explore how these enormous animals were captured from the wild, trained for warfare, and eventually taught to perform remarkably precise acts of violence.

We’ll meet some of the people who found themselves on the wrong end of an elephant, including rebels facing Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq, prisoners described by the traveler Ibn Battuta, a man punished under the Mughal emperor Akbar, and prisoners executed under the kings of Kandy. We’ll also travel to 19th century Baroda, where the practice was still being used well into the era of British rule.

But the most disturbing part may not be the elephant itself. These animals weren’t simply turned loose on their victims. They could be trained to grab someone, throw them, hold them beneath a foot, drag them, or wait for another command before delivering the final blow.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring plenty of gallows humor to a story about rulers discovering that sometimes the most terrifying weapon in the room has four legs and weighs several tons.

If you’re interested in elephant execution, elephant torture, Mughal history, Muhammad bin Tughluq, Ibn Battuta, Akbar the Great, Alexander the Great, ancient warfare, the Kingdom of Kandy, Baroda, Indian history, historical executions, and the darker side of animal warfare, this episode proves that elephants weren’t always the gentle giants we like to imagine.

Sometimes they were the executioners.

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Castor Oil: White Pants Brown

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:00:19 +0000

What happens when something sitting in your grandmother’s medicine cabinet becomes a weapon of humiliation, punishment, and political terror?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the surprisingly long and disturbing history of castor oil, a medicine that has been used for thousands of years and eventually found a very different purpose in the hands of people who wanted to punish, intimidate, and humiliate others.

We’ll travel from ancient Egypt and India to colonial Africa, Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Francoist Spain, Greece under the 4th of August Regime, Australia, and Canada, following the strange journey of a seemingly harmless household remedy as it becomes a tool of political repression and institutional abuse.

Along the way, we’ll meet Gabriele D’Annunzio and the Blackshirts, explore the infamous “castor oil purges” of Italian Fascism, and hear about people who were forced to endure the treatment simply because they were political opponents, activists, workers, or inconvenient to those in power. We’ll also look at the disturbing stories of children subjected to forced castor oil ingestion in institutions in Australia and Canada.

And of course, we’ll find out exactly why castor oil produces such spectacularly unpleasant results, because apparently knowing what happens when you drink it is something we absolutely needed to research.

Kevin and Dan bring their usual irreverent humor to an episode about how something as ordinary as a bottle of medicine can become a remarkably effective instrument of humiliation when placed in the wrong hands.

If you’re interested in castor oil, Fascist Italy, the Blackshirts, Gabriele D’Annunzio, Mussolini, Francoist Spain, Nazi Germany, political torture, institutional abuse, colonial history, residential schools, and the stranger side of medical history, this episode proves that sometimes the most effective torture device is the one already sitting in the medicine cabinet.

And yes, Dan, we really are going to talk about poop.

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Flaying: Human Skin Straw Men

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:00:44 +0000

What happens when the punishment isn’t simply death, but having your own skin turned into a warning for everyone else?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of flaying, the deliberate removal of a person’s skin, and the very different reasons people throughout history chose to use it.

We’ll begin with Baha-ud-din Gurshasp, a powerful military commander who found himself on the wrong side of his cousin, Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq. From there, we’ll travel back more than three thousand years to the Neo-Assyrian Empire, where rulers like Ashurnasirpal II used flaying as a terrifying message to anyone thinking about rebellion.

We’ll meet Sisamnes, the corrupt Persian judge whose fate supposedly turned his own skin into part of his replacement’s courtroom chair, and follow the practice through the Ming Dynasty, the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus, and the brutal fate of Venetian commander Marcantonio Bragadin.

But flaying wasn’t always about punishment. We’ll travel to the Aztec Empire and explore the rituals surrounding Xipe Totec, the Flayed One, where human skin played a completely different role in religious ceremony and ideas of death, sacrifice, and renewal.

We’ll also look at the myths, legends, and questionable stories surrounding flaying throughout history, as well as some of the rare modern cases where the practice has appeared in warfare and organized crime. And yes, because there was absolutely no way we were getting through an episode about human skin without mentioning Ed Gein.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring plenty of morbid humor to an episode about one of humanity’s oldest and most disturbing ways of making a statement.

If you’re interested in flaying, Ashurnasirpal II, the Assyrian Empire, Baha-ud-din Gurshasp, Marcantonio Bragadin, Sisamnes, the Ming Dynasty, Xipe Totec, Aztec sacrifice, Ed Gein, historical torture, executions, and the darker side of human history, this episode is going to get under your skin.

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Trail of Tears Episode 3: Damn Mudbloods

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:00:57 +0000

What happens when the courts say you have the right to your land, but the government decides it doesn’t matter?

In the final episode of our three part journey through the Trail of Tears, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan follow the Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, and Chickasaw as the fight over Native sovereignty reaches its breaking point.

We’ll look at the Supreme Court battles that put the Cherokee Nation directly against Georgia, the rise of Osceola and the bloody beginning of the Second Seminole War, the forced removal of the Creek and Chickasaw, and the growing divisions within the Cherokee Nation itself.

Then comes the Cherokee removal. Thousands are rounded up, imprisoned in stockades, and forced west along routes that would become known as the Trail of Tears. We’ll follow the journey, the disease, starvation, exposure, death, and the families left behind, before looking at what happened when the survivors finally reached their new homes.

But the story doesn’t end there. Political divisions lead to assassinations, civil war tears through the relocated nations, and the United States later finds new ways to take even more Native land.

And yet, despite everything, these nations survive. The Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee, and Seminole rebuild their governments, communities, and cultures, continuing the story that began long before the Trail of Tears.

Kevin and Dan bring their usual irreverent humor to the final chapter of one of the darkest stories in American history.

If you’re interested in the Trail of Tears, Cherokee history, the Second Seminole War, Andrew Jackson, Indian Removal, Native American history, the Cherokee Nation, Osceola, John Ross, Major Ridge, and the long history of Indigenous resistance and survival, this is the conclusion to a story that never really ended.

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Trail of Tears Episode 2: Rinse and Repeat

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:00:33 +0000

What happens when years of broken treaties, stolen land, and political pressure finally turn into forced removal?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue their journey through the history of the Trail of Tears, following the rise of Andrew Jackson, the Creek War, the growing pressure on the Five Civilized Tribes, and the discovery of gold on Cherokee land.

We’ll meet Major Ridge, John Ross, John Ridge, Elias Boudinot, and Sequoyah, and explore the Cherokee Nation’s remarkable efforts to build a government, establish a written language, publish a newspaper, and prove that they were a sovereign nation capable of governing themselves.

Then everything starts to unravel. Georgia begins dismantling Cherokee sovereignty, white settlers flood Cherokee territory in search of gold, and Andrew Jackson takes office with Native removal becoming a central part of his administration. The passage of the Indian Removal Act marks a major turning point, followed by the first large scale removals, including the devastating journey of the Choctaw.

And while the story is filled with treaties, politics, and courtroom battles, there was plenty of violence happening on the ground as well. Native nations were divided over how to respond, settlers continued pushing onto Indigenous land, and tensions were rapidly reaching a breaking point.

Kevin and Dan bring their usual irreverent humor to a story that is becoming increasingly difficult to laugh about.

If you’re interested in the Trail of Tears, Andrew Jackson, Cherokee history, Choctaw history, Indian Removal, Sequoyah, Major Ridge, John Ross, Native American history, and the darker side of American history, this is where the story really begins to turn.

And Part 3 is where everything falls apart.

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Trail of Tears Episode 1: Treaty After Treaty After Treaty

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:00:57 +0000

What happens when the land you’ve lived on for generations is taken from you and given to someone else?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin a three part journey into one of the darkest chapters in American history, the Trail of Tears and the forced removal of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral homelands.

We’ll start by getting to know the Five Civilized Tribes, the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, and Cherokee, and the very different societies, governments, and cultures they had built across the southeastern United States. We’ll look at how these nations adapted to the rapidly changing world around them, adopted some European American customs, built schools and governments, entered into treaties with the United States, and repeatedly tried diplomacy as their lands were increasingly threatened.

Then we’ll follow the growing pressure for Native removal, from the aftermath of the American Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase to the rise of Tecumseh and his attempt to unite Native nations against further American expansion.

Along the way, we’ll confront some of the biggest misconceptions about Native Americans, the complicated relationships between different Indigenous nations, the treaties that promised protection and were repeatedly undermined, and the political forces that eventually transformed “voluntary” removal into something very different.

And this is only the beginning. The Trail of Tears was not one event, and it was not experienced the same way by every Native nation. Behind the familiar name is a much larger story involving war, politics, broken treaties, internal divisions, resistance, survival, and thousands of individual lives.

There may not be much blood and gore in this episode, but make no mistake, the history is brutal. Kevin and Dan bring their usual irreverent humor to a subject that deserves to be understood beyond the simplified version many of us were taught in school.

If you’re interested in the Trail of Tears, Cherokee history, Choctaw history, Muscogee Creek history, Chickasaw history, Seminole history, Native American history, Indian Removal, Tecumseh, the Indian Removal Act, broken treaties, and the darker side of American history, this is where the journey begins.

And trust us, it gets much worse from here.

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Spanish Donkey: Poor Poor Perineum

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:00:26 +0000

What happens when getting drunk, picking a fight, or stepping out of line in the military could land you on a wooden horse with weights hanging from your feet?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the strange and surprisingly widespread history of the Spanish Donkey, also known as the Wooden Horse, Chevalet, or Mule.

We’ll travel back to the armies of 17th and 18th century Europe, where soldiers could be sentenced to ride this uncomfortable contraption for everything from drunkenness and fighting to theft, insubordination, and other military offenses. We’ll follow the punishment from the Dutch colonies of North America and New France to European armies and eventually across the Atlantic to the American Civil War.

Along the way, we’ll meet soldiers like Philip Geraerdy, examine the military records and firsthand accounts that help establish that the Wooden Horse was a real punishment, and separate the documented history from some of the more sensational claims that have grown around the device over the years.

But was the Spanish Donkey actually a torture device, or was it primarily a form of military punishment and public humiliation? And just how much damage could sitting on a sharp wooden beam with weights attached to your legs actually do?

Kevin and Dan dig into the history, the myths, and the very real misery of a punishment that proves you don't need elaborate machinery to make someone's day absolutely terrible. And, of course, there’s plenty of gallows humor along the way.

If you’re interested in the Spanish Donkey, Wooden Horse, Chevalet, military punishment, military history, Dutch colonial America, New France, the American Civil War, torture devices, historical torture, and the strange ways armies have punished their own soldiers, this episode is going to be a particularly uncomfortable ride.

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The Zorg Massacre: Slave to Weight Ratio

Mon, 25 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a series of catastrophic mistakes leaves hundreds of enslaved people trapped at sea with nowhere to go and almost no water left?

Season 5 of Torture: A Dark History begins with one of the most horrifying events in the history of the Atlantic slave trade, the Zorg Massacre of 1781.

Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the Caribbean Sea and aboard the Zorg, a British slave ship carrying hundreds of enslaved Africans toward Jamaica. What begins as a disastrous voyage involving poor decisions, incompetent leadership, disease, dwindling supplies, and terrible navigation eventually becomes something far more horrific when the crew decides that some of the people aboard must die so that others might survive.

We’ll follow the voyage from the Zorg’s acquisition and its time on the African coast to the disastrous journey across the Atlantic, meeting Captain Luke Collingwood, First Mate James Kelsall, passenger Robert Stubbs, and the hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children caught in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe.

Then we’ll look at what happened after the ship finally reached Jamaica, when the owners attempted to turn the deaths into an insurance claim and the horrifying events eventually became the subject of a legal battle in London. The case would expose the disturbing reality of how the law viewed enslaved people and help give abolitionists another powerful example of the brutality and inhumanity of the slave trade.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual uncomfortable humor and irreverence to a story that has very few funny moments, because apparently Season 5 needed to start by immediately ruining everyone’s day.

One quick apology before you listen: we discovered after recording that this episode has some sound quality issues that we weren’t aware of during the recording. We’ve done what we can to clean it up, and we appreciate your patience as we kick off Season 5.

If you’re interested in the Zorg Massacre, the Zong, the Atlantic slave trade, slave ships, maritime history, British history, abolitionism, Olaudah Equiano, the history of slavery, and one of the most disturbing legal cases of the 18th century, welcome back to Torture: A Dark History.

Season 5 starts here.

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Christmas Time True Crime.... 33 1/3 with Phil Better

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 06:00:46 +0000

On this episode Dan, Kevin, and special guest Phil cover: who's Dixon?, an introduction, holiday vacation, death for Christmas, bad present overreaction, Dan's calendar, Rob Reiner, horrible roommates, breaking out in song, a very real story, a Candy Cane Gingerbread Baked Alaska Pie with Cranberry Coulis, a yuletide Top 10, John Cena, Kevin's calves, Happy New Year, and much more!!

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Cat's Paw: Oooooooh, The Claw

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:00:02 +0000

What happens when the thing being used to interrogate you looks less like a torture device and more like a garden tool?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of the Cat’s Paw, also known as the Iron Claw, a deceptively simple device designed to tear into the human body.

We’ll travel from the Roman Empire and the persecution of Christians to medieval and early modern Europe, following the claw through centuries of interrogation, punishment, and religious persecution. Along the way, we’ll meet St. Vincent of Saragossa, François Villon, and others who found themselves on the wrong end of one of history’s nastier pieces of ironwork.

We’ll also look at the different names and variations associated with the device, how it was used alongside other familiar torture methods, and the increasingly formalized rules surrounding judicial torture in places like France and the Holy Roman Empire.

However, the Cat’s Paw has accumulated quite a reputation over the centuries, and not everything said about it can actually be proven. We’ll separate the documented history from the stories that have grown around the device, including one particularly famous name that turns out to have a surprisingly modern origin.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own particularly uncomfortable sense of humor to an episode about a device that proves sometimes the simplest tools can be the most horrifying.

If you’re interested in the Cat’s Paw, Iron Claw, Ungula, French torture, Roman persecution, François Villon, St. Vincent of Saragossa, judicial torture, medieval history, torture devices, and the strange myths that develop around them, this episode is going to get under your skin.

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Lethal Injection: Midazolam (Do do do-do do)

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:00:36 +0000

What happens when an execution method designed to be cleaner, more humane, and more scientific turns out to have a very ugly history?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of lethal injection, from its origins in the late 19th century to the botched executions that have continued into the modern era.

We’ll meet Paul Warner Powell, whose execution appeared to go exactly as planned, before looking at Joseph Cannon and the disastrous attempt to execute him in Texas. From there, we’ll follow the development of the three drug cocktail, the creation of the Oklahoma Model, and the first lethal injection execution in the United States.

We’ll also look at some of the most notorious cases of botched lethal injections, including Ronald Clark O’Bryan, Stephen Morin, Rommell Broom, Angel Nieves Diaz, Clayton Lockett, Dennis McGuire, John Grant, and Joseph Wood, whose executions raised serious questions about whether this supposedly peaceful method was actually as humane as it was intended to be.

Then we’ll follow the problems surrounding the drugs themselves, changing pharmaceutical supplies, the controversial move toward midazolam, and the growing difficulty of finding people willing and able to carry out executions.

Finally, we’ll travel outside the United States to look at lethal injection in China and the use of mobile execution vans, before returning to America and the latest attempts to find alternative methods of execution.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own morbid sense of humor to an episode about an execution method that was supposed to make killing look like a medical procedure.

If you’re interested in lethal injection, capital punishment, the Oklahoma Model, botched executions, death row, sodium thiopental, midazolam, the electric chair, execution history, and the disturbing intersection of medicine and punishment, this episode proves that sometimes making something look more humane doesn’t necessarily make it less horrifying.

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Stocks & Pillory: Think About What You Did

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 06:00:35 +0000

What happens when breaking the rules means being locked into a wooden frame while your entire town gets invited to make fun of you?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the history of two of Europe’s most infamous instruments of public punishment, the stocks and the pillory.

We’ll travel from ancient Judah and Rome into medieval Europe, following the evolution of public humiliation from a way to shame petty offenders into behaving themselves to a much harsher system where crowds could turn punishment into violence. Along the way, we’ll meet Perkin Warbeck, Daniel Defoe, Elizabeth Needham, and others who discovered that being put on display could be considerably more dangerous than simply humiliation.

We’ll also travel beyond Europe to look at similar forms of punishment, including China’s infamous cangue, before following the stocks and pillory across the Atlantic and into colonial America. From drunkards and scolds to thieves, fraudsters, slaves, and accused witches, almost anyone could find themselves spending a very unpleasant afternoon in public.

But what started as a form of community shame eventually became something much more dangerous. As criminal justice became more centralized, the punishment became harsher, the crowds became more vicious, and in some cases, simply being placed in the pillory could become a death sentence.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring plenty of questionable humor to an episode about two wooden contraptions that prove humanity has always found creative ways to publicly embarrass people.

If you’re interested in the stocks, pillory, cangue, public humiliation, medieval punishment, colonial America, Daniel Defoe, Perkin Warbeck, Elizabeth Needham, historical torture, and the evolution of criminal justice, this episode is going to give you a whole new appreciation for the phrase “laughing stock.”

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Werewolf Trials: Strange Salve

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 05:00:32 +0000

What happens when your neighbors stop seeing you as a strange old man and start believing you’re a monster?

For this special Halloween episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the forests of medieval and early modern Europe to explore the terrifying history of the Werewolf Trials.

We’ll follow the fear, superstition, and paranoia that turned missing children, dead livestock, strange footprints, and unexplained attacks into accusations of lycanthropy. From Switzerland and France to Germany, Sweden, and Spain, we’ll meet some of the people accused of making pacts with the Devil, transforming into wolves, and preying on their neighbors.

We’ll meet Michel Verdun, Pierre Burgot, Gilles Garnier, Peter Stumpp, Jacques Roulet, Jean Grenier, and Manuel Blanco Romasanta, whose cases helped shape the terrifying idea that the monster hiding in the woods might actually be your neighbor.

But these weren’t just stories about monsters. Torture, religious hysteria, political and social tensions, war, famine, and good old fashioned fear could turn accusations into confessions and confessions into executions.

We’ll also look at where the werewolf legend came from, from ancient mythology and Norse warriors to medieval Christianity, before following the creature through centuries of European history and eventually into the modern world.

And because this is our Halloween episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring plenty of creepy storytelling, questionable humor, and a few laughs to the history of one of humanity’s favorite monsters.

If you’re interested in werewolves, witch trials, lycanthropy, the Devil, Gilles Garnier, Peter Stumpp, the Beast of Gévaudan, Manuel Blanco Romasanta, European folklore, medieval history, torture, and the darker side of Halloween, turn off the lights and join us in the woods.

Just watch out for the guy walking on four legs.

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Buried Alive: Quite Efficient

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 05:00:24 +0000

What happens when the punishment for breaking the law is being lowered into a grave while you’re still alive?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of being buried alive, a punishment used across different cultures for crimes ranging from adultery and infanticide to heresy, sacrilege, and treason.

We’ll travel from ancient Rome and the Vestal Virgins to the Saxons and Franks, before following the practice through medieval Europe and into the story of Anna Utenhoven, one of the last people executed for heresy by live burial in the Low Countries. We’ll also meet Tiufrid, an 18 year old Swedish farmhand whose crime led to one of the strangest executions in the historical record.

But being buried alive wasn’t always intentional.

We’ll also explore the terrifying history of premature burial, from stories of people waking inside their coffins to the rise of taphophobia and the bizarre inventions designed to make sure the dead were actually dead. Safety coffins, corpse bells, waiting houses, and increasingly sophisticated medical techniques all emerged from the fear that someone might be buried before they had actually died.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own morbid sense of humor to an episode about one of humanity’s oldest fears, being trapped underground with no way out.

If you’re interested in being buried alive, live burial, ancient Roman punishment, Vestal Virgins, Anna Utenhoven, premature burial, taphophobia, safety coffins, historical torture, executions, and some of the darkest fears in human history, this episode is going six feet under.

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Lead Sprinkler: Receive Now Your Blessing

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 05:00:24 +0000

What happens when a religious blessing becomes one of the most horrifying torture myths in history?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the world of the Inquisition and explore the infamous Lead Sprinkler, a supposed torture device designed to turn a priest’s blessing into a weapon.

We’ll step into the dungeon, where the familiar instruments of torture are replaced by something far more unsettling, a device resembling an aspergillum, the tool used to sprinkle holy water over a congregation. Only this time, the “blessing” is anything but holy.

We’ll look at the stories surrounding the Lead Sprinkler, the supposed punishments for blasphemers, heretics, criminals, and accused witches, and the gruesome legends that grew around the device. But there’s a catch. Despite its reputation and its appearance in museums and modern collections of torture devices, there is a serious question about whether the Lead Sprinkler was ever actually used.

The question is, where did this terrifying device come from, and how did a supposed instrument of the Inquisition become one of the most recognizable torture myths in history?

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own irreverent sense of humor to a story where apparently even getting a blessing can go horribly wrong.

If you’re interested in the Lead Sprinkler, the Inquisition, religious torture, blasphemy, heresy, the aspergillum, torture devices, medieval punishment, torture myths, and the darker side of European history, this episode might make you think twice the next time someone offers you a blessing.

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Hanging Cage: Dick Seamen Cox Oort

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 05:00:04 +0000

What happens when your punishment doesn’t end with your execution, but with your body being locked inside an iron cage and left hanging for everyone to see?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of the hanging cage, a punishment designed not only to kill, but to turn the dead into a warning for everyone who passed by.

We’ll travel across Europe, England, America, and Asia, following the stories of criminals, pirates, rebels, and prisoners whose bodies were displayed in cages after their executions. We’ll meet Kohlhans the Robber, James Aitken, Captain William Kidd, and others whose deaths became public spectacles long after the execution itself was over.

But occasionally, the line between execution and torture became disturbingly blurred. We’ll look at stories of people supposedly placed inside the cages alive, left exposed to the elements with no food or water, and forced to endure days of suffering while crowds watched from below.

We’ll also explore the different forms these cages took, from simple iron frames to custom fitted “man cages,” and see how similar practices appeared in France, Germany, England, colonial America, China, Japan, Korea, and beyond.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own morbid sense of humor to a punishment where even death apparently wasn’t enough.

If you’re interested in hanging cages, gibbets, public executions, Captain William Kidd, highwaymen, pirates, witchcraft accusations, historical torture, medieval and early modern punishment, and the darker history of public spectacle, this episode is going to leave you looking at old city gates a little differently.

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Nero Episode 2: Over Dramaticus

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 05:00:04 +0000

What happens when an emperor becomes so obsessed with power, performance, and being adored that Rome finally decides it has had enough?

In the second and final episode of Torture: A Dark History on Nero, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan pick up where we left off as Nero’s reign descends into paranoia, violence, excess, and chaos.

We’ll follow the emperor through the Great Fire of Rome, the persecution of Christians, political conspiracies, brutal purges, and the increasingly bizarre world surrounding Nero as his grip on reality and his empire begins to slip.

From Rome to Greece and back again, Nero becomes more obsessed with his identity as an artist, while the people around him pay an increasingly deadly price for failing to play along.

Eventually, the military turns against him, the Senate declares him an enemy of the state, and Nero finds himself running for his life with nowhere left to go.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and twisted humor to the spectacular collapse of one of Rome’s most infamous emperors.

If you’re interested in Nero, the Great Fire of Rome, Christian persecution, Roman emperors, political conspiracies, ancient Rome, the Year of the Four Emperors, and the spectacular downfall of one of history’s most notorious rulers, this is where Nero’s story finally comes to an end.

And what an ending it is.

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Nero Episode 1: I'm A Star, Mommy

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 17:00:28 +0000

What happens when a young boy is groomed from birth to become emperor, only to grow into one of the most infamous rulers in Roman history?

In the Season 4 premiere of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to Imperial Rome to explore the rise of Nero, the family that shaped him, and the political machinations that put him on the throne at just sixteen years old.

We’ll follow Nero from his complicated childhood and powerful family connections to his early years as emperor, when Rome briefly saw him as a promising young ruler. But as Nero grows older and begins breaking away from the people who helped guide him, his personality, ambitions, and appetite for power begin to change.

What follows is a story of family conflict, political intrigue, murder, obsession, and a young emperor slowly becoming something far more dangerous.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and twisted humor to one of the most dysfunctional families in Roman history.

If you’re interested in Nero, Ancient Rome, Roman emperors, imperial politics, murder, power, and the darker side of Roman history, the Season 4 premiere is where Nero’s story begins.

And trust us, it only gets worse.

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Scavenger's Daughter: Do The Skevington's Gyves

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 05:00:57 +0000

What happens when a torture device is designed to crush your entire body into a position you were never meant to survive?

In the Season 3 finale of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to Tudor England to explore the horrifying history of the Scavenger’s Daughter, one of the most infamous torture devices ever used inside the Tower of London.

We’ll begin with Luke Kirby, a Catholic priest arrested in 1580 who found himself strapped into the device and tortured for refusing to abandon his faith. We’ll also meet Thomas Cottam, another Catholic priest who faced the same fate, along with the strange story of Humphrey Ely, the man who helped Cottam escape before Cottam made the decision to turn himself back in.

Then we’ll travel back to the device’s origins and the man whose name became attached to it, Leonard Skevington. We’ll look at the evolution of the name and the different versions of the device that appeared inside the Tower.

We’ll also meet Thomas Miagh, an Irish prisoner who endured the Scavenger’s Daughter and left behind a haunting inscription carved into the walls of the Beauchamp Tower, a message that can still be seen today.

And because this is the Season 3 finale of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and twisted humor to an episode about Tudor prisons, Catholic persecution, the Tower of London, and a torture device that proves sometimes history can put you in a "tough position".

If you’re interested in the Scavenger’s Daughter, Skevington’s Gyves, the Tower of London, Tudor England, Elizabeth I, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam, Thomas Miagh, Catholic persecution, torture devices, and the darkest corners of British history, join us for the final episode of Season 3.

And after everything we’ve covered this season, what better way to end it than by getting ourselves thoroughly crushed?

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Nazino Island: The Very Hungry Games

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when thousands of people are dumped onto a remote Siberian island with almost no food, shelter, supplies, or hope of survival?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to Stalin’s Soviet Union and the horrifying story of Nazino Island, a failed resettlement experiment that quickly became a nightmare of starvation, disease, violence, cannibalism, and death.

We’ll follow the people swept up in Stalin’s campaign of mass deportation, their brutal journey through Siberia, and their arrival on an isolated island that was never prepared to support human life. With almost nothing to survive on, conditions deteriorated rapidly as hunger, disease, violence, and desperation took hold.

We’ll look at the guards, criminals, and deportees trapped together on the island, the attempts to escape, the horrifying reports of cannibalism, and the enormous death toll that followed. We’ll also meet Vasily Velichko, the investigator sent to uncover what had really happened, and the report he eventually delivered to Moscow describing the disaster.

But Nazino didn’t simply disappear. The Soviet government buried the story, and the truth remained hidden for decades until the era of glasnost finally opened the door to the archives.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and twisted humor to one of the most horrifying examples of what can happen when human beings are treated as disposable pieces of a much bigger plan.

If you’re interested in Nazino Island, the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, Siberian deportations, special settlements, the Gulag, Vasily Velichko, cannibalism, Stalinist repression, Soviet history, and some of the darkest chapters of the 20th century, this episode is going to take you somewhere you definitely don’t want to visit.

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Electrocution: Poor Old Burger Head

Sun, 25 May 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when electricity, something we use every day, becomes a weapon designed to make someone talk?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of electrocution, from secret police and military dictatorships to execution chambers, interrogation rooms, and even psychiatric hospitals.

We’ll begin in Argentina during the Dirty War with journalist Jacobo Timerman, before traveling to Greece and the story of resistance fighter Alexandros Panagoulis. From there, we’ll follow electricity into the United States, where a battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse helped turn alternating current into one of the most infamous methods of execution in American history.

We’ll look at the disastrous first execution in the electric chair, the evolution of the technology, and how electricity eventually became a tool of torture used by regimes and secret police around the world. We’ll also explore its use during the Cold War, in Latin American dictatorships, Nazi Germany, and modern detention centers.

But electricity hasn’t always been used to hurt people. We’ll also look at the strange and controversial history of electroconvulsive therapy, from its earliest experiments to its use as a modern medical treatment, and the disturbing story of institutions that used electrical shocks as a form of behavioral control.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and mildly inappropriate humor to an episode where “getting a little shock” can mean something considerably worse than a balloon and a doorknob.

If you’re interested in electrocution, electric torture, the electric chair, Thomas Edison, the Dirty War, Cold War torture, Gestapo interrogation, electroconvulsive therapy, and the dark history of electricity, this episode is going to leave you with a whole new appreciation for outlets in your home.

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The Death of Fan Man-yee: Hello Kitty

Sun, 04 May 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a teenage girl walks into a police station claiming she is being haunted by the ghost of a woman she helped torture and murder?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the horrifying story of Fan Man Yee, a 23 year old woman whose disappearance in Hong Kong in 1999 would uncover one of the most disturbing cases in the city’s history.

We’ll follow Fan’s difficult life, her struggles with addiction and abusive relationships, and her connection to Chan Man Lok, a member of the Wo Shing Wo triad. After Fan allegedly stole money from Chan, she was kidnapped and taken to an apartment where she would be held captive for weeks while suffering horrific abuse at the hands of Chan and his associates.

Then comes the part that sounds almost too bizarre to be real. A 14 year old girl named Lau Ming Fong eventually goes to the police claiming that the spirit of Fan is haunting her. Her confession leads investigators to an apartment filled with disturbing clues, including a Hello Kitty doll containing something far more horrifying than anyone expected.

We’ll follow the investigation, the discovery of Fan’s remains, the trial that followed, and the question that haunted the entire case: was Fan murdered, or did she die as a result of the abuse inflicted upon her?

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and twisted humor to one of Hong Kong’s most infamous true crime cases, where Hello Kitty, organized crime, torture, and a ghost story somehow end up in the same nightmare.

If you’re interested in Fan Man Yee, the Hello Kitty murder, Hong Kong true crime, triads, captivity, torture, organized crime, and some of the darkest true crime cases in modern history, this episode is one you definitely won’t forget.

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Crucifixion: Unfortunate Wood

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when death isn’t the punishment, but the spectacle?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the brutal history of crucifixion, from the ancient world and the Roman Empire to Japan, modern executions, and one infamous case that ended in a very different kind of crucifixion.

We’ll look at how crucifixion evolved, why Rome used it as a weapon of terror, and some of history’s most notorious mass crucifixions, including Spartacus, the siege of Tyre, Jerusalem, and the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki. We’ll also meet one of the few known crucifixion victims whose remains still bear physical evidence of the punishment.

Then we’ll travel into the modern world, where crucifixion has continued in horrifying and unexpected ways, including the tragic death of Maricica Cornici during an attempted exorcism in Romania.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own mildly inappropriate brand of humor to an execution method that has shaped religion, history, art, and popular culture for more than two thousand years.

If you’re interested in crucifixion, Ancient Rome, Spartacus, Alexander the Great, the siege of Jerusalem, Roman torture, Japanese history, the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki, and the darkest forms of execution in human history, this episode is going to hurt.

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Iron Maiden: Sounds Cool

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when one of history’s most terrifying torture devices turns out to be almost entirely a lie?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take on the Iron Maiden, the infamous spiked sarcophagus supposedly used to slowly torture and kill prisoners during the Middle Ages.

Except there’s a problem. Almost none of that is true.

We’ll travel from ancient legends and the terrifying Bride of Nabis to the 18th century story that helped create the Iron Maiden myth, then follow the bizarre journey of these supposedly medieval torture machines into museums, exhibitions, and even the 1893 World’s Fair.

But just when it seems the Iron Maiden never tasted blood, we’ll arrive in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, where an actual Iron Maiden was reportedly discovered at the headquarters of Uday Hussein’s Olympic Committee.

So was the Iron Maiden nothing more than a terrifying historical hoax, or did someone eventually put one to use?

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark humor to a story where the biggest torture device might actually be the B.S. surrounding it.

If you’re interested in the Iron Maiden, medieval torture, torture myths, the Bride of Nabis, Uday Hussein, historical hoaxes, and the strange history behind the world’s most infamous torture devices, this episode is going to poke some serious holes in what you thought you knew.

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Necklacing: People's Court

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a tire, gasoline, and a mob become instruments of vigilante justice?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the horrifying history of necklacing, a form of mob execution that became infamous during the final years of apartheid South Africa.

We’ll follow the fear, anger, and political violence that helped create an environment where accusations of being an informant could become a death sentence. We’ll meet Benjamin Kinikini, Maki Skosana, and others caught in a cycle of revenge where sometimes the accusation mattered more than the truth.

Then we’ll follow necklacing beyond South Africa, from Sri Lanka and India to Haiti and Brazil, and look at how this brutal form of vigilante justice continued even after apartheid came to an end.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own macabre humor to a story about what happens when a fight for freedom becomes consumed by violence.

If you’re interested in necklacing, apartheid South Africa, vigilante justice, political violence, mob executions, Maki Skosana, Benjamin Kinikini, and the darkest chapters of modern history, this episode is not one you’ll forget.

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Unit 731 Episode 3: The Diarrhea Is Increasing

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when one of the most horrifying secret programs of World War II is finally exposed, and many of the people responsible manage to walk away?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan bring the story of Unit 731 to its conclusion. We’ll follow the organization’s final days as the Soviet invasion of Manchuria forces its members to destroy evidence and flee, before examining what happened to Shiro Ishii and others after the war.

We’ll look at the Allied investigations, the Soviet trials, the controversial decisions that allowed many of those involved to avoid prosecution, and the disturbing postwar lives of people connected to Unit 731.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and twisted humor to the final chapter of one of World War II’s most horrifying stories.

If you’re interested in Unit 731, Japanese war crimes, World War II, biological warfare, war crimes trials, and the dark history left behind after the war, this is where the nightmare finally comes to an end.

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Unit 731 Episode 2: Surgery Game

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when the walls of Unit 731 close behind you, and there is no way back out?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan go inside Unit 731 and tell the horrifying story of the prisoners who disappeared behind its walls.

We’ll meet the people who were sent to Pingfan, the prisoners labeled “maruta,” and the doctors and soldiers who became part of a system where human beings were treated as disposable material. We’ll follow the experiments conducted on men, women, and children, the horrific conditions they endured, and the witnesses who later described what they saw inside the facility.

We’ll also hear about the people who tried to leave, the researchers who realized too late what they had become involved in, and the chilling reality that not a single prisoner sent into Unit 731 survived.

And this was only one part of a much larger operation.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their dark and deeply uncomfortable humor to one of the most horrifying stories of World War II.

If you’re interested in Unit 731, Japanese war crimes, human experimentation, World War II, torture, and the darkest chapters of Japanese history, this is where the story gets truly horrifying.

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Unit 731 Episode 1: Bacteria Factory

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when a Japanese army doctor becomes obsessed with biological warfare and builds one of the most secretive military operations of World War II?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to Imperial Japan and follow the rise of Shiro Ishii, the man who would become the driving force behind Unit 731.

We’ll follow Ishii from his early career in medicine to his work in occupied Manchuria, where he builds a massive secret facility at Pingfan under the innocent sounding name of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Unit. Behind the walls, Unit 731 develops biological weapons and carries out attacks against Chinese communities during the Second Sino Japanese War.

We’ll look at the attacks on Ningbo, Changde, and during the Chekiang Campaign, as well as the horrifying consequences for the civilians caught in them.

But Unit 731 had an even darker secret.

Hidden inside Blocks 7 and 8 were the human experiments that would become some of the most infamous atrocities of World War II.

And that’s where we’ll leave things.

Because in Episode 2, we’re going inside.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and deeply uncomfortable humor to the story of Unit 731, Shiro Ishii, Imperial Japan, biological warfare, Japanese war crimes, Manchuria, and some of the darkest history of World War II.

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The Breaking Wheel: Call Me Floppy

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

What if the justice system decided the best way to get a confession was to introduce you to a very determined wheel?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a look at one of history’s most brutal methods of torture and execution: the Breaking Wheel. From 18th century Paris to ancient Greece, the Breaking Wheel was used in a variety of horrifying ways, from crushing limbs with iron clubs to literally rolling victims to their deaths.

We begin with the brutal executions of the Chevalier de Milhe and Count Antoine de Horn in 1720, before moving on to the infamous highwayman Cartouche and his very public encounter with the wheel. From there, we trace the practice across Europe and beyond, including Germany, France, Scotland, the Americas, and India.

We’ll also look at the alleged use of the wheel in ancient Rome, the story of Saint Catherine, the execution of Jean Calas, and one very unusual case in 1788 when an angry crowd decided they had seen quite enough and literally tore apart the scaffold to save a condemned man.

And of course, Kevin and Dan will bring their dark sense of humor to the subject, because apparently there is no shortage of things to joke about when the subject is a giant wheel designed to ruin your day. Along the way, we’ll look at some of the strangest variations of the punishment, the stories surrounding its use, and the surprising connection between the Breaking Wheel and the invention of the guillotine.

It’s torture history, brutal executions, dark history, and one very unfortunate wheel.

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Heretic's Fork: Totes Converted

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What if they tried to get you to confess with a glorified kitchen utensil?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a look at the Heretic’s Fork, a medieval torture device supposedly used against heretics and witches during the Spanish Inquisition and later witch trials across Europe and colonial America. With sharp prongs pressing beneath the chin and into the chest, the device was designed to make sitting, sleeping, or even lowering your head incredibly painful.

But there’s a problem. Despite centuries of stories about the Heretic’s Fork, there is surprisingly little documented evidence that it was ever actually used. We dig into where the stories came from, how the device supposedly worked, and whether this infamous torture instrument was a genuine tool of torture or another example of history making a terrifying device even more terrifying.

And naturally, Kevin and Dan spend entirely too much time imagining what kind of night’s sleep you get when your bed is basically an instrument of religious compliance.

It’s the Spanish Inquisition, witch trials, torture, questionable historical evidence, and two guys asking the most important question of all: "Who the hell designed this thing?”

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Scaphism: Milk & Honey

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when the punishment for treason is being sealed inside a pair of boats, covered in milk and honey, and left for nature to slowly finish the job?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to ancient Persia to explore scaphism, one of the most horrifying forms of execution ever attributed to the ancient world.

We’ll break down the gruesome process, from the boats and forced feeding to the insects, exposure, and eventual death, while also examining why milk and honey supposedly played such an important role. We’ll look at the horrifying role that flies, bees, wasps, and maggots were said to play as the victim was left trapped in their own waste.

Then we’ll meet Mithridates, the only person actually recorded as suffering this punishment, at least according to the ancient sources. His story involves Cyrus the Younger, King Artaxerxes II, a battlefield killing, a boast after a few drinks, and a punishment that supposedly lasted seventeen days.

But there’s a problem. The story comes to us through Plutarch, who was writing centuries after the alleged execution, based on earlier accounts from Ctesias, a historian whose reputation for exaggeration makes the entire story difficult to verify. We’ll also look at the related Greek punishment of cyphonism and ask whether scaphism was a real Persian execution method or one of antiquity’s particularly nasty pieces of propaganda.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark and twisted humor to an episode where the phrase “being eaten alive” is taken literally.

If you’re interested in scaphism, ancient Persian torture, Mithridates, Artaxerxes II, Cyrus the Younger, Plutarch, Ctesias, cyphonism, ancient executions, maggot therapy, insects, and the darker side of ancient history, this episode is going to leave you seriously reconsidering boats, honey, and picnics.

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Attica Episode 2: Glorious Catastrophe

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a prison uprising turns into a standoff, negotiations break down, and the state decides to take the prison back by force?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the story of the Attica Prison uprising, picking up with the prisoners in control of D Yard and negotiations beginning with Commissioner Russell Oswald and a group of outside observers.

We’ll follow the prisoners’ demands for better food, medical care, religious freedom, political rights, and protection from retaliation, with one demand remaining above everything else: amnesty. We’ll also look at the role of the observers, the treatment of the hostages, the growing rumors and misinformation outside the prison, and the increasingly desperate attempts to convince Governor Nelson Rockefeller to come to Attica.

Then everything falls apart.

After Officer William Quinn dies from his injuries, tensions inside and outside the prison reach a breaking point. As negotiations collapse, hundreds of armed law enforcement officers gather outside Attica. On September 13, 1971, tear gas fills D Yard and the assault begins.

What follows is chaos, gunfire, humiliation, and brutality.

Then comes the cover story, the aftermath, the McKay Commission, the criminal prosecutions, the decades long civil rights lawsuit, and the eventual settlements that finally acknowledged the enormous human cost of what happened at Attica.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark and uncomfortable humor to one of the most horrific chapters in American prison history, while digging into the violence, misinformation, political fallout, and decades long fight over what really happened inside Attica.

If you’re interested in Attica, prison uprisings, American prison history, Nelson Rockefeller, Russell Oswald, Frank “Big Black” Smith, Richard X Clark, prison reform, police brutality, prisoner abuse, civil rights, political history, and one of the darkest days in American history, this is where the Attica story reaches its devastating conclusion.

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Attica Episode 1: Foreshadowing

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when years of overcrowding, abuse, neglect, and growing tension finally push thousands of prisoners to the breaking point?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the story of the Attica Prison uprising, one of the most infamous prison revolts in American history.

We’ll travel back to the late 1960s and early 1970s to look at the conditions inside Attica Correctional Facility, where more than 2,200 prisoners were packed into a prison designed for 1,200. Poor food, inadequate medical care, overcrowding, harsh discipline, racial inequality, censorship, and brutal working conditions created an environment where tensions were constantly building.

We’ll meet the prisoners organizing for change, including the Attica Liberation Faction, and follow their attempts to negotiate reforms with prison officials and New York State Commissioner Russell Oswald. Then, after the death of George Jackson and a series of increasingly tense confrontations between prisoners and guards, one incident in A Block finally pushes Attica past the point of no return.

On September 9, 1971, the prisoners take control of the prison.

But this isn’t simply a story about prisoners versus guards. Inside the uprising, prisoners protect hostages, organize medical care, establish leadership, and try to create some kind of order while the state prepares to take the prison back.

And that’s where we leave things.

Because the negotiations, the hostages, the deaths, the retaking of Attica, and the massive coverup that followed are still to come.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark humor to an incredibly serious chapter of American prison history, while telling the story of the people who found themselves trapped inside one of the most important prison uprisings in American history.

If you’re interested in Attica, prison riots, American prison history, the War on Crime, prison reform, civil rights, political prisoners, Richard X Clark, Frank “Big Black” Smith, Sam Melville, the Attica Liberation Faction, and the darker side of American history, this is only the beginning.

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The Boot: Money Shot

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when someone decides that the best way to get a confession is to slowly smash your feet?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the brutal history of the Boot, a family of torture devices designed to crush, break, burn, and otherwise make the victim very interested in confessing.

We’ll begin in 17th century Scotland with James Mitchell, whose attempted assassination of Archbishop James Sharp led to repeated sessions with the infamous Scottish Boot. From there, we’ll travel across Europe and beyond, looking at the different variations of the device, including the foot press, the Spanish Boot, the French brodequin, and the terrifying practice of roasting someone’s feet inside a heated boot.

We’ll also meet Archbishop Dermot O’Hurley, whose refusal to abandon Catholicism led to a particularly horrific interrogation, and Urbain Grandier, the controversial French priest whose alleged involvement in witchcraft accusations would eventually bring him face to face with the brodequin.

Then we’ll look even further back, including Chinese variations of foot crushing torture, British reports of torture in colonial India, and the strange possibility that similar devices appeared in other parts of the world under remarkably similar names.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark and twisted humor to an episode that proves the phrase “Give 'em the boot” can be considerably more horrifying than you might think.

If you’re interested in the Boot, Spanish Boot, Scottish Boot, brodequin, foot torture, James Mitchell, Dermot O’Hurley, Urbain Grandier, the Spanish Inquisition, witch trials, medieval torture, and the wonderfully terrible ways humans have found to destroy someone’s feet, this episode is going to hurt.

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Strappado: The Ropes w/ Sam Brears

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when the simplest way to torture someone is to tie their hands behind their back and let gravity do the rest?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan are joined by Patreon supporter and super fan Sam Brears to explore the brutal history of the strappado, a torture method designed to put incredible stress on the shoulders, arms, nerves, and entire upper body.

We’ll travel from the Medieval Inquisition and Renaissance Italy to Auschwitz, Turkey, Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and the American War on Terror, looking at the different forms of the strappado and the real people who endured them. Along the way, we’ll meet Niccolò Machiavelli, Richard Belmar, Mykola Slyvotskyy, and Manadel al Jamadi, whose death at Abu Ghraib showed just how deadly suspension torture could become.

We’ll also look at the infamous squassation, the use of weights, the devastating injuries caused by prolonged suspension, and the surprising ways this centuries old torture method continued to appear in the modern world.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin, Dan, and special guest Sam bring their own dark and twisted humor to a subject that proves sometimes you don’t need complicated machinery to make someone’s life absolutely miserable.

If you’re interested in the strappado, squassation, Machiavelli, the Inquisition, Auschwitz, Abu Ghraib, torture history, psychological torture, prisoner abuse, and some of the darkest methods humans have used to hurt one another, this episode won't leave you hanging.

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The Wrath of Saint Olga: Cold Blooded

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a woman who becomes a widow decides that revenge is best served with a little creativity?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the story of Olga of Kyiv, one of the most fascinating and ruthless rulers of medieval Europe. But before we get to Olga, we have to go back to the Varangians, the rise of the Kievan Rus’, and the man whose death would set Olga on a path of revenge.

After her husband Igor is brutally killed by the Derevlians, Olga is left ruling the Kievan Rus’ on behalf of her young son. The Derevlians think they have found the perfect opportunity to take control. Unfortunately for them, they severely underestimated Igor’s widow.

What follows is a series of increasingly horrifying acts of revenge involving buried diplomats, a burning bathhouse, a funeral feast that goes very, very wrong, and one particularly creative use of pigeons and sparrows.

We’ll also look at Olga’s conversion to Christianity, her relationship with Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, and how this ruthless pagan ruler eventually became a Christian saint.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark and twisted humor to the story of a woman who proves that sometimes the person you really should not piss off is the widow.

If you’re interested in Olga of Kyiv, Kievan Rus’, Viking history, medieval Russia, Byzantine history, revenge, torture, executions, Christianity, and some of the most brutal stories from medieval history, this episode is one hell of a history lesson.

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Horses: Makeshift Centaur

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when one of humanity’s most beloved animals becomes a weapon of punishment, torture, and execution,?

Season 3 of Torture: A Dark History kicks off with Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan exploring the surprisingly brutal history of horses and the many ways humans have used them to hurt, kill, and punish other humans.

We’ll travel from 18th century Chile and the alleged dragging of a Franciscan friar to the infamous punishment of being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Along the way, we’ll meet William de Marisco, David ap Gruffydd, William Wallace, François Ravaillac, and Robert François Damiens, whose executions showed just how horrific the practice could become.

Then we’ll leave Europe behind and look at the Mongol Empire, including the execution of Caliph Al Musta'sim by Hulegu, before getting into the less obvious ways horses have been involved in torture and execution, including one particularly disturbing practice involving a dead horse.

We’ll also look at why horses are measured in hands, just how strong they actually are, and how an animal that has carried armies, pulled carriages, and helped build civilizations became such an effective tool for punishment.

And because this is the Season 3 premiere of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark and twisted humor to an episode that may permanently change the way you look at these beautiful animals.

If you’re interested in horses, historical torture, executions, medieval punishment, and the darker side of history, Season 3 starts with one hell of a ride.

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Robert Ben Rhoades Episode 2: The White Thread

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a woman survives nearly two weeks of torture and sexual violence, only to be so terrified that she can’t identify her attacker when police finally catch him?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the story of Robert Ben Rhoades with the horrifying ordeal of Shana Holt, an 18 year old woman who accepted a ride from Rhoades and soon found herself chained, beaten, sexually assaulted, and held captive inside his truck.

To Regina Kay Walters, a 14 year old girl whose disappearance would eventually connect Rhoades to one of the most disturbing crime scenes in Illinois.

We’ll also meet Lisa Pennal, whose encounter with Rhoades finally led to his arrest when an Arizona highway patrolman discovered her chained and injured inside his truck. That arrest would open the door to a much larger investigation.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark humor to an incredibly difficult story, while remembering that sometimes the most important part of true crime is simply listening to the people who survived it.

If you’re interested in serial killers, kidnapping, torture, sexual violence, and some of the darkest true crime in American history, this is the darkest chapter yet in the story of the Truck Stop Killer on our Season 2 finale.

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Robert Ben Rhoades Episode 1: The Club

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a seemingly ordinary truck driver hides a horrifying secret inside the sleeper of his tractor trailer?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the story of Robert Ben Rhoades, the truck driver suspected of kidnapping, torturing, and murdering women across America while using the highways as his hunting ground.

We’ll follow Rhoades from his troubled childhood and his father’s disturbing criminal history through his time in the Marine Corps, failed marriages, obsession with BDSM and swinging, and his relationship with Debra Davis. What begins as a seemingly loving relationship gradually becomes a nightmare of manipulation, sexual abuse, violence, and control.

We’ll also look at the disturbing world Rhoades created inside his truck, the women he encountered on the road, and the growing evidence that he may have been killing long before police finally caught up with him.

Then we meet Patricia Walsh and Douglas Zyskowski, a young couple hitchhiking across the country whose encounter with Rhoades would become one of the most horrifying chapters of his story. Patricia would remain unidentified for more than a decade.

And this is just the first episode.

Kevin and Dan bring their own particularly dark sense of humor to the story of a man who apparently turned the sleeper of a tractor trailer into a traveling torture chamber.

If you’re interested in serial killers, truck stop murders, true crime, kidnapping, sexual predators, BDSM, torture, American crime history, and some of the darkest crimes committed along America’s highways, then you'll love this first chapter in the story of the Truck Stop Killer.

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Judas Cradle: Shimmy You Down

Sun, 26 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What do you get when a Renaissance lawyer decides that the best way to keep someone awake is to slowly shove a pyramid up their ass?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of the Judas Cradle, one of the most infamous torture devices ever associated with interrogation, confession, and punishment.

We’ll travel back to Renaissance Italy and the work of Ippolito Marsili, before following the device into the Spanish Inquisition and the broader history of European torture. We’ll look at the different variations of the Cradle, the ways it was supposedly used, and how the device earned its reputation as one of the most horrifying forms of physical and psychological torture.

But there’s a problem. The Judas Cradle is one of those historical torture devices whose reputation has become almost impossible to separate from the evidence. So we’re also going to dig into the history behind the history and ask how much of what we think we know about the Judas Cradle can actually be proven.

We’ll examine its alleged use in Spain, Germany, Italy, and France, the stories surrounding the Spanish Inquisition, and the claims that modified versions of the device may have continued into the modern era.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own deeply inappropriate sense of humor to a torture device that makes the phrase “take a seat” sound like a genuine threat.

If you’re interested in the Judas Cradle, Spanish Inquisition, Ippolito Marsili, torture devices, interrogation, sleep deprivation, medieval and Renaissance torture, historical myths, dark history, and the bizarre ways torture has been portrayed throughout history, this episode is going to be an extremely uncomfortable to sit and listen.

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Blanche Monnier: Coprophilia

Sun, 12 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a woman supposedly disappears for 25 years, only to be discovered locked away in her family’s home, naked, starving, and living in her own filth?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the infamous story of Blanche Monnier, the French woman whose discovery in 1901 shocked the world and created one of the most disturbing captivity stories in history.

We’ll tell the story everyone thinks they know, a beautiful young woman allegedly locked in a dark attic by her mother after falling in love with a man her wealthy family considered beneath her. But then we’ll dig deeper into the surviving testimony, court records, family history, and French sources to see what actually happened inside the Monnier household.

Because the popular version of the story leaves out some pretty important details.

We’ll also look at Madame Monnier’s strange relationship with her children, Marcel’s role in the family, the testimony of former servants, the mysterious circumstances surrounding Blanche’s care, and the bizarre details that emerged during Marcel’s trial.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own darkly uncomfortable humor to a story that proves sometimes the truth is considerably stranger, and more complicated, than the version that makes the best headline.

If you’re interested in Blanche Monnier, French true crime, psychological torture, mental illness, family abuse, historical mysteries, captivity stories, Victorian France, and the disturbing history behind one of the most famous cases of alleged imprisonment, this is one mystery you’ll want to look at twice.

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Scold's Bridle: False Measures

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a woman talks back, spreads gossip, or simply refuses to stay quiet in the medieval UK?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of the scold’s bridle, also known as the branks, a punishment designed to silence people, particularly women, by physically restraining the tongue and publicly humiliating the wearer.

We’ll look at why women were labeled “scolds,” how accusations of gossip, arguing, defying authority, and even witchcraft could lead to punishment, and how town councils, kirk sessions, and local courts in Scotland used the bridle despite it never being formally established as a legal punishment.

We’ll follow documented cases including Bessie Telfer, who was branked and chained to Edinburgh’s market cross for allegedly slandering a local official, Dorothy Waugh, the young Quaker preacher subjected to hours in the bridle and then imprisoned and whipped, and a much later case in 1789 where a woman was forced to wear the device while local children mocked her.

We’ll also examine the different versions of the bridle, including those fitted with spikes designed to punish any attempt to move the tongue, the supposed use of the device against men, and why this symbol of public humiliation eventually began disappearing in the 19th century.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own particularly sharp sense of humor to a device whose entire purpose was essentially to tell someone, “You know what? We’ve heard enough from you.”

If you’re interested in the scold’s bridle, branks, Scottish history, women’s history, witchcraft accusations, medieval and early modern punishment, public humiliation, historical torture, and the bizarre ways authorities have tried to shut people up throughout history, this episode is going to leave you speechless.

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Schwedentrunk: Add It To The Bucket

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when an invading army wants your money, but you refuse to tell them where you hid it?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to the chaos of the Thirty Years’ War and explore one of the most infamous tortures associated with the conflict, the Schwedentrunk, or “Swedish Drink.”

We’ll take a quick trip through the Thirty Years’ War, from the Defenestration of Prague and the religious conflicts that set Europe on fire to the Swedish intervention and the brutal occupation of German territories. With armies desperate for supplies and poorly paid soldiers looking for ways to supplement their income, civilian villages became easy targets.

And when people refused to hand over their valuables, soldiers allegedly had a particularly disgusting solution. Victims were restrained and forced to swallow enormous quantities of foul liquid, sometimes described as containing manure, urine, mud, and other filthy substances. In some accounts, the torture went even further, with pressure or blows to the stomach intended to make the experience even more agonizing.

But there’s a problem. How much of the Schwedentrunk actually happened, and how much was wartime propaganda designed to make the Swedish armies look even more barbaric? We’ll dig into the surviving accounts, including descriptions from writers who lived through the Thirty Years’ War, and examine why this bizarre torture became such a lasting part of German historical memory.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own particular brand of disgusting humor to an episode where “Swedish Drink” is definitely not something you want served at happy hour.

If you’re interested in the Thirty Years’ War, Swedish history, German history, medieval and early modern torture, the Holy Roman Empire, the Defenestration of Prague, wartime atrocities, historical torture, and the strange ways propaganda can turn horrific stories into legend, this episode is one hell of a stomachache.

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Gary M. Heidnik Episode 2: The People Collector

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when one kidnapped woman becomes several, and a basement prison turns into a nightmare of torture, murder, and cannibalism?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the horrifying story of Gary Michael Heidnik and the women he held captive beneath his Philadelphia home.

We’ll follow the arrival of Sandra Lindsay, Lisa Thomas, Deborah Dudley, and Jacqueline Askins as Heidnik continues adding women to his basement prison. We’ll look at the increasingly brutal conditions they endured, the constant threat of violence, the infamous screwdriver attacks, the attempts to keep them isolated from the outside world, and the complicated relationships that developed between the captives as they tried to survive.

Then things take an even darker turn. Sandra Lindsay dies under horrific circumstances, and what follows is one of the most disturbing chapters of the entire story. With her body hidden in the house, Heidnik begins using human flesh as food, while the women downstairs have no idea exactly what they are being fed.

We’ll follow the death of Deborah Dudley, the shocking attempt to dispose of her body, and finally the escape plan that gives Josefina Rivera her chance to get out and bring the police back to 3520 North Marshall Street.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their uniquely inappropriate sense of humor to a story involving dog food sandwiches, Chinese takeout, homemade electrocution, and a man who apparently thought kidnapping women was a perfectly reasonable way to build a family.

We’ll also look at Heidnik’s trial, his claims of insanity, his financial empire, his death sentence, his execution in 1999, and the strange legacy he left behind, including the possible inspiration he provided for Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.

If you’re interested in Philadelphia true crime, serial killers, kidnapping, torture, cannibalism, criminal psychology, The Silence of the Lambs, and some of the darkest crimes in American history, this is the horrifying conclusion to the story of the People Collector.

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Gary M. Heidnik Episode 1: All The Gonorrhea

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a man who claims he wants a family decides that the best way to build one is to kidnap women and keep them locked in his basement?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the horrifying story of Gary Michael Heidnik, a deeply disturbed man whose childhood, military career, mental illness, obsession with control, and bizarre attempt to create his own church all eventually lead toward something much darker.

We’ll follow Heidnik from his troubled childhood and time in the military to his years in psychiatric hospitals, his relationships with vulnerable women, and the creation of his United Church of the Ministers of God. We’ll also look at the increasingly disturbing behavior that surrounded him, including abuse, violence, sexual assault, and his obsession with having the large family he believed society had denied him.

Then we arrive at the house on North Marshall Street, where Heidnik’s twisted plans finally begin to take shape. On Thanksgiving Eve 1986, Josefina Rivera enters his home expecting a quick transaction. Instead, she becomes the first known victim in a horrifying series of kidnappings.

And that is where things get much, much worse.

Because in the basement, Heidnik has a pit, chains, shackles, and a plan to build the family he has always wanted. And Josefina is going to have to figure out how to survive long enough to escape.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly uncomfortable dark humor to the first chapter of one of the most disturbing true crime stories Philadelphia has ever seen.

If you’re interested in Philadelphia true crime, serial killers, kidnapping, psychological torture, sexual violence, criminal psychology, cults, and some of the darkest crimes in American history, this is only the beginning of the nightmare.

Thank you to True Crime BnB for starting off the show!

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Chinese Water Torture: Too Much Blood

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when a doctor decides the cure for your insomnia is to strap you down and drip cold water onto your forehead for hours?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the strange and surprisingly murky history of Chinese water torture, a method that is far less Chinese than its name suggests.

We’ll travel back to Renaissance Italy and the stories surrounding Hippolytus de Marsiliis, then follow the mysterious history of water torture through Spain, European prisons, 19th century asylums, and American prisons. We’ll look at how something as simple as a single drop of water could become a method of psychological torture, as well as the bizarre medical theories that led doctors to use dripping water to treat headaches, insomnia, and supposed congestion of the brain.

Then we’ll find out how this method acquired the name “Chinese water torture,” why that name had more to do with Western ideas about the mysterious and threatening “Orient” than anything actually Chinese, and how Harry Houdini helped make the phrase even more famous with his Chinese Water Torture Cell.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own darkly inappropriate humor to an episode where one tiny drop of water somehow becomes the most annoying alarm clock in human history.

If you’re interested in Chinese water torture, drip torture, Hippolytus de Marsiliis, Renaissance torture, psychiatric history, Victorian asylums, prison torture, Houdini, psychological torture, dark history, and the strange origins behind some of history’s most infamous torture methods, this episode is going to get under your skin one drop at a time.

Michael and Jeremy Steal Your Podcast

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The Treadmill: Grinding Air

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when the punishment for going to prison is being forced to walk up an endless staircase for hours every single day?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the bizarre and brutal history of the treadmill, a machine that turned prisoners into human engines and became one of the most notorious forms of hard labor in 19th century Britain.

We’ll follow the story from engineer Sir William Cubitt’s original design at Brixton Prison to the machines that eventually spread throughout Britain, the colonies, and the United States. Prisoners were forced to spend hours climbing the endless steps, often under brutal conditions, with the work eventually becoming less about productivity and more about punishment.

We’ll look at the prisoners who endured it, the injuries and deaths associated with the machines, Oscar Wilde’s experience with prison labor, the strange variations of the treadmill, and why some prisons eventually decided that making inmates grind away for hours wasn’t quite the brilliant idea everyone had hoped.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own dark sense of humor to an invention that somehow managed to turn “going nowhere” into an actual prison sentence.

If you’re interested in prison history, Victorian punishment, the history of treadmills, hard labor, British prisons, Oscar Wilde, corporal punishment, torture, dark history, and the wonderfully terrible ways humans have invented to make exercise miserable, this episode is going to be a long walk.

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Pol Pot & The Cambodian Genocide Episode 2: Fuch A Duch

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when a government promises to create a perfect new society, then decides millions of people have to suffer, disappear, or die to make it happen?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the story of Saloth Sar, better known as Pol Pot, as the Khmer Rouge takes control of Cambodia and begins transforming the country into its horrifying vision of a communist utopia.

We’ll follow the forced evacuation of Phnom Penh, the creation of Democratic Kampuchea, the destruction of money, religion, education, and family life, and the brutal system of forced labor that left millions starving and exhausted. We’ll also examine the Khmer Rouge’s persecution of ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and other minorities.

Then we enter S-21, the infamous prison where suspected enemies of Angkar were interrogated, tortured, forced to confess to crimes they often never committed, and eventually sent to the Killing Fields. Through the stories of survivors like Chum Mey, Bou Meng, and Vann Nath, we get a firsthand look at what happened inside one of the most notorious prisons of the 20th century.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own grimly inappropriate humor to a story where forced labor, paranoia, torture, genocide, and the occasional art assignment somehow all became part of everyday life.

If you’re interested in Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian genocide, S-21, the Killing Fields, Cambodian history, genocide, political history, torture, true crime, and the darkest chapters of the 20th century, you'll love(?) this is the horrifying conclusion to the story.

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Pol Pot & The Cambodian Genocide Episode 1: A Lot Of Acronyms

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when a country exhausted by war welcomes a new government, only to discover that the people who claim to be saving them have something much more horrifying planned?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the story of Saloth Sar, the man who would become known to the world as Pol Pot, and trace his rise from a quiet Cambodian student to the leader of the Khmer Rouge.

We’ll follow his childhood under French colonial rule, his time in Paris, his growing embrace of communism, his relationships with Vietnamese and Chinese revolutionaries, and his eventual rise through the Cambodian Communist movement. Then Cambodia descends into civil war, the United States begins bombing the country, Sihanouk is overthrown, and the Khmer Rouge marches into Phnom Penh.

But for the people of Cambodia, the war isn't over. It’s just about to become something much worse.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their darkly twisted humor to the first chapter of one of the most horrifying regimes of the 20th century.

If you love to learn of Cambodian history, Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian genocide, communism, civil wars, Vietnam War history, political history, true crime, dark history, and some of the darkest chapters of the 20th century, this is where the nightmare begins.

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Clip Show: Straight From The Extended Cuts

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

A bonus, clip show, episode. Spots picked straight from our extended cuts, found exclusively on our Patreon.

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Christmas Time True Crime....Part Deux w/Phil Better

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

On this episode Dan, Kevin, AND PHIL cover: Dayton Ohio murder spree, bad shooting, Assy McGee, teenagers aren't smart, Japanese game shows, being humiliated in front of the world, going crazy, Ashland murders, story changes, riverboat chases, lynching mobs, noisy cats, Torturizing a yule time classic, and much much more!

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Poena Cullei: Turducken From Hell

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when you cram a guy into a bag full of animals?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore poena cullei, the infamous Roman punishment for parricide. From a condemned prisoner being sealed inside a sack to the eventual addition of snakes, dogs, roosters, and monkeys, we trace how this strange execution evolved across centuries of Roman and European history.

We’ll travel from the legendary days of Tarquin the Proud and the earliest stories surrounding the punishment, through Publicius Malleolus, Augustus, Claudius, Constantine, and Justinian, before following poena cullei into medieval Europe and its eventual disappearance.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own twisted sense of humor to a punishment that raises one very important question: who looked at a snake, a dog, a rooster, and a monkey and thought, “Yeah, put them all in the bag”?

If you love Roman history, ancient Rome, Roman torture, executions, parricide, Constantine the Great, Justinian, medieval torture, bizarre punishments, dark history, and some of history's strangest methods of execution, this episode is one hell of a bag to climb into.

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Flagellation: Non-Lethal, Mostly

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when the punishment for breaking the law is being tied down and beaten until your back is covered in blood?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the long and brutal history of flagellation, from ancient civilizations to the modern world.

We’ll look at the weapons used to inflict punishment, including the Roman flagellum, the Russian knout, the sjambok, the cat o nine tails, the British military lash, and some truly unpleasant variations designed to do considerably more than just leave a bruise. We’ll travel through Ancient Rome, medieval Europe, the British Empire, the American slave system, military prisons, naval vessels, and some of the most notorious penal systems in history.

We’ll also look at how flogging was used as punishment, public spectacle, military discipline, religious penance, and psychological control, along with what actually happens to the human body when someone is repeatedly whipped or caned.

And just when you think humanity finally got tired of beating people with sticks, we’ll look at the places where corporal punishment continued well into the modern era and, in some cases, still exists today.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly painful brand of humor to an episode that proves humanity has spent thousands of years coming up with increasingly creative ways to hit someone with a stick.

If you love flagellation, flogging, whipping, caning, the cat o nine tails, the knout, sjamboks, Roman torture, military punishment, slavery, prison history, historical torture, dark history, and the bizarre ways humans have punished each other, you'll need to watch out cause this episode is going to sting.

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Pyatak Prison: Shawshankski Boredemption

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when your death sentence is commuted, only to discover that your new life may an even worse punishment?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to Ognenny Ostrov, Russia, better known as Fire Island, home to one of the country's most notorious correctional facilities: Prison No. OE 256/5, or Pyatak.

We’ll follow the story of Vyacheslav Sharoyevsky, a convicted murderer whose execution was cancelled at the last moment, and explore the strange history of the island itself, from an Orthodox monastery to a Soviet political prison and eventually a maximum security facility for some of Russia's most dangerous prisoners.

Then we get inside Pyatak. Extreme isolation, brutal restrictions, cramped cells, limited contact with the outside world, and an existence so monotonous that prisoners have reportedly harmed themselves simply to experience a change in routine.

We'll also look at Nur Pashi Kulayev, the only surviving member of the Beslan school attackers, and examine what years of extreme isolation can actually do to the human mind.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own bleakly twisted humor to a prison where the guards supposedly have one simple philosophy: there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

If you love Russian history, Soviet prisons, Russian prisons, Pyatak, Fire Island, Ognenny Ostrov, solitary confinement, death row, prison torture, psychological torture, true crime, dark history, and some of the most extreme prisons in the world, this episode is going to be a very long walk through a very dark place.

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Gertrude Baniszewski & The Murder of Sylvia Liken: Dumb Bitch

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a teenage girl is sent to live with another family, only to become the target of an escalating campaign of torture that eventually turns an entire neighborhood against her?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan tell the horrifying true story of Sylvia Likens, the 16 year old Indiana girl whose 1965 murder became one of the most infamous cases of child abuse and torture in American history.

After Sylvia and her sister Jenny are left in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, what begins as an ordinary arrangement quickly turns into something unimaginable. As Gertrude's abuse escalates, her children and neighborhood kids become involved, transforming Sylvia's suffering into a horrifying group act of violence.

We'll follow the events that led to Sylvia's death, the people who participated, the warning signs that were ignored, and the investigation and trial that shocked Indianapolis.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their uniquely dark and uncomfortable humor to one of the most disturbing true crime stories we've ever covered.

If you love learning about American true crime, child abuse cases, criminal psychology, torture history, dark history, and some of the most horrifying crimes in American history, this is a story you won't forget.

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Force Feeding: Crazy Straw

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when refusing to eat becomes an act of political protest, and the government decides it would rather force food into you than let you starve?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing history of forced feeding, from Irish political prisoners and British suffragettes to psychiatric institutions, prisons, and modern detention centers.

We begin in Ireland with Austin Stack and Thomas Ashe, then travel to Britain where hunger strikes became a powerful weapon for suffragettes like Marion Wallace Dunlop and Mary Leigh. As the protests spread, prison doctors developed increasingly invasive methods of keeping hunger strikers alive, turning medical treatment into something many prisoners described as torture.

We’ll look at stomach tubes, nasal tubes, the medical dangers of forced feeding, the controversial case of Leigh v. Gladstone, and the tragic death of Thomas Ashe. Then we’ll follow the practice into the modern era, including Guantanamo Bay, American prisons, Israel, and other places where governments have continued to confront the question of what happens when a prisoner refuses to eat.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own uncomfortable brand of humor to a subject where the phrase “just eat something” takes on a very different meaning.

With forced feeding, hunger strikes, Irish history, suffragettes, political prisoners, medical history, prison torture, Guantanamo Bay, human rights, dark history, and some of the most disturbing intersections between medicine and punishment, this episode will leave you with a very different view of what it means to refuse a meal.

Mos Def force feeding video

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Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka Episode 3: Cream Colored Camaro

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when two people who have already gotten away with murder realize the police still have no idea who they are looking for?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan bring the story of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka to its horrifying conclusion.

After the discovery of Leslie Mahaffy’s body, you might think the couple would finally keep their heads down. Instead, they become even more reckless. We follow their continued abuse, the kidnapping and murder of Kristen French, and the investigation that somehow manages to get almost everything about the killers wrong.

We’ll look at the bizarre police profiles, the mysterious gold Nissan, the infamous televised reenactment, and the tip that finally puts Bernardo back on the police radar. Then everything begins to unravel as Karla’s family discovers the truth about her marriage, Bernardo becomes the prime suspect in the Scarborough rapes, and investigators finally uncover the evidence that connects him to the murders.

From there, we get into Karla’s controversial plea deal, her testimony, the trial of Paul Bernardo, and the very different punishments handed down to the two people responsible for some of the most horrifying crimes in Canadian history.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their darkly uncomfortable humor to the final chapter of a story where almost every decision made by almost everyone involved somehow manages to make things worse.

If you love Canadian true crime, serial killers, criminal investigations, murder trials, police failures, criminal psychology, dark history, and some of the most disturbing crimes in Canadian history, this is the final chapter.

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Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka Episode 2: National Lampoon's Murder Investigation

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when the line between sexual obsession, torture, and murder disappears completely?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the disturbing story of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka as their relationship becomes increasingly violent and their crimes take a horrifying turn.

We pick up with Bernardo walking into a police station and somehow walking back out less than an hour later, still a free man. From there, the abuse of Karla’s younger sister Tammy escalates into one of the most infamous crimes connected to the couple. We’ll follow the events surrounding Tammy’s death, the suspicious circumstances that initially allowed it to be treated as an accident, and the increasingly disturbing relationship between Paul and Karla.

Then we meet Jane, a 12 year old girl who Karla deliberately brings into their lives, and Leslie Mahaffy, the 14 year old girl whose disappearance finally turns the couple’s horrifying fantasy into murder.

We’ll follow the investigation, the discovery of Leslie’s remains, the bizarre attempt to hide the evidence, and the wedding and honeymoon that somehow took place while the couple was already at the center of a murder investigation.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly uncomfortable brand of dark humor to one of the most disturbing chapters of the Bernardo and Homolka story.

If you love Canadian true crime, serial killers, criminal psychology, sexual predators, murder investigations, dark history, and some of the most horrifying crimes in Canadian history, this is where the story gets much, much darker.

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Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka Episode 1: Snuffles

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when two people with very different childhoods come together and create something unimaginably horrific?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the disturbing story of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, one of the most infamous criminal couples in Canadian history.

We follow Karla's childhood in St. Catharines and Paul Bernardo's troubled upbringing in Scarborough before their paths finally cross in 1987. What begins as an intense relationship quickly develops into something far darker as Bernardo's obsession with violence, control, and sexual assault begins escalating.

We'll follow the emergence of the Scarborough Rapist, the attacks that terrorized women across Toronto, Bernardo's relationship with Karla, and the increasingly disturbing warning signs that were missed along the way. We'll also look at the police investigation and the mistakes that allowed the attacks to continue while Bernardo maintained the image of a charming, successful young professional.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly dark and uncomfortable sense of humor to a story where the real horror comes from knowing just how much worse things are about to get.

If you love Canadian true crime, serial killers, criminal psychology, sexual predators, police investigations, dark history, and some of the most disturbing crimes in Canadian history, this is only the beginning.

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Drunkard's Cloak: Old Steve Cooper

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when getting a little too drunk earns you a very public walk of shame?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to 17th century England to explore the strange and humiliating punishment known as the Drunkard’s Cloak.

Instead of chains, whips, or the usual medieval collection of unpleasantness, repeat offenders could find themselves trapped inside a wooden barrel and marched through town for everyone to see. We’ll look at the origins of the punishment, its connection to drinking laws in England, the infamous Newcastle Cloak, and similar forms of public humiliation used across Europe.

Then we’ll cross the Atlantic and into the American Civil War, where soldiers accused of drinking or stealing could find themselves wearing their own rather embarrassing barrel shirt.

We’ll also explore the German Schandmantel, the so called Coat of Shame, and the strange history behind these barrel shaped punishments.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own brand of humiliatingly inappropriate humor to an episode where the punishment is basically getting turned into a walking beer keg.

If you love historical punishments, medieval history, drinking history, the Drunkard’s Cloak, public humiliation, Newcastle history, the American Civil War, and the bizarre ways humans have tried to stop each other from drinking too much, this episode is for you.

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Danny Goldberg and The Crocodile Sheers w/ Deb Norman: Face Of The Demogorgon

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a true crime podcaster sit down with two torture history podcasters and somehow end up talking about kidnapping, the mob, Dungeons & Dragons, and a device designed specifically for the male anatomy?

In this special collaboration with Dying to Be Found, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan sit down with Deb for a conversation about the origins of Torture, how Kevin and Dan became cohosts, the strange world of podcasting, and why anyone would willingly spend their free time researching humanity's worst behavior.

Then Deb takes us into the chilling 1966 disappearance of 17 year old Danny Goldman, who was kidnapped from his Florida home in the middle of the night. What follows is a decades long search for answers involving a bank, money laundering, organized crime, a tiny piece of evidence, and Danny's childhood friends who refused to let his disappearance be forgotten.

And because this is Torture, Kevin and Dan couldn't leave without giving Deb a proper introduction to the show. That means medieval torture, the Crocodile Sheers, and the kind of conversation where a discussion about horrific human cruelty can somehow turn into jokes about chicken cacciatore and mobsters with ridiculous names.

It's true crime, dark history, human cruelty, and a whole lot of questionable conversation in one very unusual crossover episode.

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Boiling: Season Your Water

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How do you punish someone when hanging, beheading, or burning just isn't brutal enough?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan dive into the horrifying history of boiling alive, a punishment that has been used across centuries and continents against criminals, political enemies, religious dissenters, and anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

We travel from medieval Scotland and Tudor England to Japan, India, France, and beyond, exploring infamous cases including Richard Rouse, Margaret Davy, Ishikawa Goemon, and Bhai Dayala. We'll look at the different ways boiling was carried out, why governments considered it an appropriate punishment, and what happens to the human body when exposed to extreme heat.

But just when you think this particular nightmare belongs safely in the past, we'll look at documented cases of boiling being used in the modern world, including political violence, prisons, terrorist organizations, and organized crime.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own morbid sense of humor to an episode where the phrase "throw them in the pot" becomes considerably less funny.

If you love dad jokes, historical executions, boiling alive, medieval torture, Tudor history, Japanese history, religious persecution, true crime, dark history, and some of humanity's most horrifying punishments, this episode is going to leave you thinking twice about what's for dinner.

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The Cult of Yerba Buena: Estúpidos Agricultores

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a small Mexican farming community falls under the control of a self proclaimed goddess who demands sex, drugs, blood, and human sacrifice?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to rural Mexico in 1963 to uncover the disturbing story of Magdalena Solís, the woman who became known as the “High Priestess of Blood.”

What began as a con involving two brothers claiming to be priests of the Inca gods soon spiraled into something far darker. When Magdalena arrived in the community, she took control of the cult and transformed its rituals into increasingly violent ceremonies involving drugs, sexual abuse, murder, and alleged human sacrifice.

We'll explore the bizarre origins of the cult, Magdalena's rise to power, the deaths of her followers, and the 14 year old boy whose discovery inside one of the caves finally brought the authorities to Yerba Buena.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their own brand of deeply inappropriate humor to one of the strangest and most disturbing true crime stories to come out of 1960s Mexico.

If you love Magdalena Solís, cults, true crime, Mexican history, human sacrifice, bizarre crimes, dark history, torture, and stories about people who should absolutely never be given power over other human beings, this one is going to be a wild ride.

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Blood Eagle: Unzip The Ribs

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when revenge becomes one of the most infamous executions in Viking history?

Season 2 of Torture: A Dark History kicks off in 9th century England, where King Aella of Northumbria finds himself facing the Great Heathen Army and the sons of the man he supposedly killed: Ragnar Lothbrok.

We’ll explore the legendary story of Ragnar’s death, the Viking invasion of Northumbria, and the horrifying execution that Aella was said to suffer after his defeat: the infamous blood eagle. But was the blood eagle actually a real Viking execution, or did later writers turn a brutal legend into something far more horrifying?

We’ll dig into the medieval sources, the different versions of the blood eagle, the alleged victims, and the rather unpleasant question of whether a human body could actually survive long enough for the ritual to be completed.

And because this is the Season 2 premiere of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan are back with their particular brand of Viking flavored dark humor.

If you love Viking history, Ragnar Lothbrok, the Great Heathen Army, medieval torture, Norse mythology, historical executions, dark history, and the mysteries surrounding the blood eagle, Season 2 is starting with one hell of a way to die.

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/717332

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The Rack: Never Go Full Catholic

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How much pain could a human body actually withstand before it finally broke?

On the Season 1 finale of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan finally tackle one of the most infamous torture devices in history: the Rack. We travel through medieval and early modern Europe to explore how this infamous device was used to extract confessions, information, and sometimes the names of other people.

We look at some of the most notorious victims of the Rack, including Anne Askew, Guy Fawkes, Nicholas Owen, and Barbara Rufin, while exploring the role torture played in religious persecution, witch trials, treason investigations, and the Spanish Inquisition.

We'll also dig into the origins of the Rack, the different versions used across Europe, and some of the surprising stories surrounding one of the most recognizable symbols of medieval torture.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual ** inappropriate humor** to one of the most brutal subjects we've covered.

If you love torture history, dark history, medieval history, the Rack, medieval torture devices, witch trials, the Spanish Inquisition, true crime, and historical executions, it's finally time we put someone on the Rack.

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Pau de Arara: The Perch

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 09:20:00 +0000

What happens when an interrogation turns into one of the most infamous torture methods in Brazilian history?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to Brazil during the military dictatorship to explore the brutal history of the Pau de Arara, also known as the Parrot’s Perch.

We’ll look at how prisoners were suspended in this painfully contorted position and then subjected to beatings, electric shocks, drowning, sexual violence, and other forms of torture. We’ll also hear the stories of people who experienced it firsthand, including Dulce Pandolfi and Dilma Rousseff, and examine the notorious role of Carlos Brilhante Ustra in Brazil’s torture apparatus. The Brazilian National Truth Commission documented the use of the Pau de Arara alongside other systematic torture methods during the dictatorship.

But the story of the Pau de Arara goes back much further than the 20th century. We’ll trace its history through Brazil’s long history of slavery and examine how a method associated with punishment and torture became embedded in the country’s history of violence.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly dark sense of humor to one of the most brutal chapters in Brazilian history.

If you love Brazilian history, military dictatorships, political torture, the Pau de Arara, Dilma Rousseff, Carlos Brilhante Ustra, human rights history, dark history, and some of the most disturbing torture methods ever used, this episode is going to be a rough ride.

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Jesse H Pomeroy Episode 2: An Almost Serial Killer

Sun, 28 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when the boy known as the “Boy Torturer” gets out of reform school and immediately finds himself back in the headlines?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the disturbing story of Jesse Pomeroy as his brief return to freedom leads to a new series of attacks, a shocking murder, and an investigation that uncovers far more than police expected.

We'll follow the disappearance of a young girl, the murder of another child, Jesse's arrest and confession, and the discovery of a horrifying secret that had been hidden for months. From there, the case explodes into one of the most sensational criminal trials of 19th century Boston, where prosecutors, doctors, witnesses, and Jesse's own family battle over one question: was Jesse Pomeroy insane, or did he know exactly what he was doing?

But the story doesn't end with the verdict. Jesse's sentence, decades of isolation, repeated escape attempts, strange inventions, and eventual death make his later life almost as bizarre as his crimes.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly grim sense of humor to the second and final chapter of one of the strangest criminal stories we've ever covered.

If you love Jesse Pomeroy, American true crime, Boston history, Victorian crime, child murderers, historical torture, criminal trials, insanity defenses, solitary confinement, dark history, and bizarre true crime stories, this is the disturbing conclusion to the story of the Boy Torturer.

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Fiend by Harold Schechter

Autobiography of Jesse H Pomeroy by Jesse Pomeroy

The Life of Jesse Harding Pomeroy: The Most Remarkable Case in the History of Crime or Criminal Law. by E. Luscomb Haskell

Jesse Pomeroy on Murderpedia

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Jesse H. Pomeroy Episode 1: Boston Butt Bitter

Sun, 14 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a 12 year old boy becomes one of the most feared criminals in Boston?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing early life of Jesse Pomeroy, the boy who became known as the “Boy Torturer.”

Born in Massachusetts in 1859, Jesse's troubled childhood, abusive home life, cruelty toward animals, and growing fascination with violence eventually escalated into a series of brutal attacks on young boys across Boston. We'll follow the cases of William Paine, Tracy Hayden, Robert Maier, Johnny Balch, George Pratt, Harry Austin, Joseph Kennedy, and Robert Gould, as police desperately searched for the mysterious attacker.

Then one victim gave police a crucial clue: an unusual eye.

That clue would lead investigators to Jesse Pomeroy, but his story was only beginning. We'll follow his arrest, interrogation, confession, time at the Massachusetts State Reform School at Westborough, and the decision that would ultimately put him back on Boston's streets after less than two years.

Because apparently, releasing a teenage boy who had spent years terrorizing children seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their macabre sense of humor to the disturbing early story of one of America's most notorious young criminals.

If you love Jesse Pomeroy, American true crime, Victorian crime, Boston history, serial killers, child criminals, historical torture, dark history, and disturbing true stories, this is only the beginning of the story of the Boy with the Marble Eye.

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Fiend by Harold Schechter

Autobiography of Jesse H Pomeroy by Jesse Pomeroy

The Life of Jesse Harding Pomeroy: The Most Remarkable Case in the History of Crime or Criminal Law. by E. Luscomb Haskell

Jesse Pomeroy on Murderpedia

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Vietnamese Booby Traps: Bridgey Snappy Spikey Stabby

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when the jungle itself seems determined to kill you?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan are doing something a little different. Instead of focusing on one person, one torture device, or one historical event, we're counting down 15 of the most terrifying, painful, ingenious, and deadly booby traps used during the Vietnam War.

We'll take a very quick trip through the history of the war before getting straight into the traps. From the dense jungles and muddy trails to bridges, tunnels, villages, camps, and even seemingly harmless objects, the Viet Cong turned the environment around them into a massive weapons system.

We'll encounter hornet traps, collapsing bridges, booby trapped flags and supplies, snake traps, bamboo whips, grenade traps, swinging maces, and, of course, the infamous punji sticks.

Some of these traps were designed to kill. Others were designed to maim, slow down patrols, force soldiers to stop and evacuate the wounded, or simply make every step through the jungle feel like it could be your last.

We'll look at how these relatively simple devices allowed a much less technologically equipped enemy to exploit the jungle, surprise American troops, and turn ordinary objects into weapons. And yes, there's plenty of blood, spikes, explosives, venomous snakes, poisoned stakes, and generally terrible ways to ruin someone's day.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly inappropriate sense of humor to a subject where even the jungle seems to have it out for you.

If you love Vietnam War history, booby traps, military history, torture history, dark history, true crime, historical weapons, jungle warfare, and some of the most ingenious methods ever devised to hurt another human being, this countdown is going to make you think twice about where you put your feet.

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https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/8-of-terrifying-booby-traps/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrBYCNfeUog

https://coffeeordie.com/booby-traps-vietnam-war/

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/vietnam-war/viet-cong-booby-traps.html

https://www.5rar.asn.au/weapons/boobytraps.htm

https://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics#:~:text=April%2029%2C%202008.-,The%20Vietnam%20Conflict%20Extract%20Data%20File%20of%20the%20Defense%20Casualty,casualties%20of%20the%20Vietnam%20War.

https://www.britannica.com/question/How-many-people-died-in-the-Vietnam-War

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Idi Amin: Habitual Liar

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How does a man with almost no formal education rise from a colonial soldier to become one of the most feared dictators in modern African history?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan dive into the bizarre, brutal, and often unbelievable life of Idi Amin Dada, the Ugandan dictator whose eight year reign became synonymous with murder, torture, political repression, and absolute chaos.

We follow Amin from his mysterious childhood and rise through the King's African Rifles, through his friendship with Milton Obote and the military coup that brought him to power in 1971. From there, things get considerably darker as Amin begins purging the military, targeting ethnic groups, expelling Uganda's Asian population, eliminating political opponents, and turning the country's prisons into horrific centers of torture and death.

We'll explore some of the most notorious stories from Amin's regime, including the murders of Benedicto Kiwanuka and Archbishop Janani Luwum, the mysterious disappearance of Dora Bloch following the Entebbe hijacking, the infamous Makindye prison, the bodies that reportedly ended up in the Nile, and the bizarre rumors surrounding Amin's supposed cannibalism.

We'll also look at Amin's strange relationship with Britain, Israel, Libya, Scotland, and even the international community, as well as the increasingly erratic behavior that helped turn a charismatic military leader into one of Africa's most infamous dictators.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly twisted brand of humor to the story of a man whose life was so bizarre that sometimes the truth sounds like something someone made up.

If you love Idi Amin, Ugandan history, African history, dictators, political torture, military coups, true crime, dark history, historical atrocities, Entebbe, torture history, and some of the most disturbing dictatorships of the 20th century, this is the story of the man who ruled Uganda through fear, violence, and sheer unpredictability.

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https://www.britannica.com/biography/Idi-Amin

https://www.history.com/topics/africa/idi-amin

https://www.pbs.org/tpt/dictators-playbook/episodes/idi-amin/

https://www.biography.com/political-figures/idi-amin

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/18/guardianobituaries

https://allthatsinteresting.com/idi-amin

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/idi-amin-dada-never-a-dull-moment-mohamed-amin-foundation/CwVhlWoDA5nrKA?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJxv9dhkBUM

https://allthatsinteresting.com/idi-amin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eiokoWRT64

https://www.ranker.com/list/worst-acts-idi-amin/lyra-radford

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Starvation: Birger King

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

How long could you survive if someone simply decided you weren't allowed to eat anymore?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore one of the oldest and most horrifying forms of punishment imaginable: starvation. We begin in medieval Sweden with King Birger Magnusson, whose Christmas banquet at Nyköping Castle ended with his brothers locked in a dungeon and left to die without food.

From there, we travel through history to uncover how starvation was used by kings, emperors, governments, armies, dictators, and ordinary people as a method of torture, execution, punishment, and control. We'll visit Ancient Rome, China, medieval Europe, the Tower of London, the American Civil War, Nazi Germany, Stalin's Soviet Union, Mao's China, and modern conflicts, examining some of the most devastating examples of starvation being deliberately used against human beings.

But what actually happens to the human body when you stop eating? We'll break down ketosis, autophagy, severe malnutrition, marasmus, kwashiorkor, organ failure, psychological changes, and refeeding syndrome, and discover just how long the human body can keep itself alive when it has nothing left to consume.

We'll also get into some disturbing true crime cases involving people who used starvation against those who were supposed to be under their care, including the infamous Linda Hazzard, the so called “Starvation Doctor,” and several horrifying cases involving children who were deliberately deprived of food.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their morbid sense of humor to a subject where the phrase “I'm starving” suddenly becomes a lot less funny.

If you love starvation torture, medieval history, Ancient Rome, historical torture, war crimes, the Holocaust, true crime, dark history, mass starvation, famine, human survival, and some of history's most horrifying methods of punishment, this episode is going to leave you with a very different appreciation for your next meal.

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https://academic.oup.com/jicj/article/17/4/699/5721410

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Birger-Magnusson

http://www.1066.co.nz/Mosaic%20DVD/whoswho/sweden/Birger%20King%20of%20Sweden.htm

https://www.cityprepping.com/2020/06/30/the-stages-of-starvation-and-the-extreme-things-people-will-do-to-survive/

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/01/20/463710330/what-happens-to-the-body-and-mind-when-starvation-sets-in

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_XIV

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbisara

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Wuling_of_Zhao

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pausanias_the_Regent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyi_and_Shuqi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/08/29/steps-to-starvation/

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA420650.pdf

https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/103213-starvation-war-crime-never-punished-ukraine-elsewhere.html#:~:text=Starvation%20is%20one%20of%20the,cutting%20off%20besieged%20enemy%20populations.

https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/serious-side-effects-of-starving/

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/hunger-and-war/

https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Mass+Starvation:+The+History+and+Future+of+Famine-p-9781509524662

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Trehenban#cite_note-2

https://www.iiea.com/blog/the-rome-statute-and-hunger-as-a-weapon-of-war-the-journey-towards-ending-impunity-for-starvation-tactics

https://www.fox19.com/2022/05/26/mother-her-boyfriend-charged-starvation-torture-8-year-old-twins-resulting-ones-death/

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2022/10/euclid-couple-who-tortured-abused-starved-boy-get-decades-in-prison.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Hazzard

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Rats: Little Murder Machines

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

What could possibly make rats one of the most terrifying weapons in the history of torture?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a trip through history to uncover the disturbing ways rats have been used to torture, terrorize, interrogate, and kill people. From the infamous rat torture supposedly used in medieval and early modern Europe to the horrors of political repression in the 20th century, these little bastards have had a surprisingly long career in human cruelty.

We'll explore the infamous rat and pot method, the stories surrounding rat cages, the so called Rat Chair, the notorious Rats Dungeon in the Tower of London, and the use of rats as a weapon of psychological terror. We'll also travel to Ancient Rome, the Dutch Revolt, the British Empire, and the dictatorships of 20th century South America, before getting into more recent cases involving organized crime and coercion.

We'll also examine the science behind these surprisingly destructive rodents, from their teeth and breeding habits to the reasons rats became such effective tools of fear. And yes, we'll even get into the infamous claims made by Richard Kuklinski, better known as the Iceman, and the documented New Jersey case involving rat torture and an attempted forced Jewish divorce.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual brand of morbid humor to a subject that manages to be horrifying, disgusting, and somehow occasionally ridiculous all at once.

There were also a few technical difficulties along the way, because apparently even an episode about torture needs to suffer before it can be released.

If you love rat torture, torture history, dark history, medieval torture, the Tower of London, Ancient Rome, political torture, true crime, organized crime, historical atrocities, and some of history's most disturbing methods of torture, this episode is going to make you look at rats very differently.

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https://short-history.com/rat-torture-bc17cf72400b

https://www.twm.news/the-worst-of-history-part-2-rat-torture/

http://torturemuseum.net/en/torture-by-rats/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/rat-torture-method

https://www.britannica.com/list/8-interesting-facts-about-rats

https://murderpedia.org/male.K/k/kuklinski-richard.htm

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Pitchcapping: Grab And Pull

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when simply wearing your hair too short can get you arrested, tortured, and permanently scarred?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to Ireland during the Rebellion of 1798 to uncover the horrifying history of pitchcapping, one of the most brutal punishments used against suspected rebels during the conflict.

We start with the United Irishmen, the Protestant Ascendancy, the Irish rebellion against British rule, and the infamous Croppies, before getting into the punishments used to break suspected rebels. Flogging, half hanging, picketing, and other forms of torture were common, but pitchcapping took things to an entirely different level.

We'll explore how the punishment worked, why short hair could make someone a target, and how a simple paper or linen cap filled with boiling pitch could be transformed into a weapon of torture. We'll also examine the infamous account of Anthony Perry, a leader of the Wexford rebels who was captured and subjected to brutal torture before eventually giving his captors information about other United Irishmen.

Then there's Tom the Devil, the terrifying yeoman sergeant who became one of the most notorious names associated with pitchcapping, along with the story behind the infamous image of Captain Richard Swayne and the violence surrounding the village of Prosperous.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their characteristically irreverent sense of humor to one of the most painful and disturbing chapters in Irish history.

If you love pitchcapping, the Irish Rebellion of 1798, Irish history, the United Irishmen, Croppies, British history, historical torture, torture devices, true crime, dark history, rebellion, and macabre history, this episode is going to leave you looking at a bad haircut in a very different way.

Thank you to the Crime Bae podcast for starting off the show.

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https://archive.org/details/memoirsofmilesby01byrniala

https://www.theirishstory.com/2017/10/28/the-1798-rebellion-a-brief-overview/#.Y_1Hf3bMLrc

https://www.historyireland.com/captain-swayne-and-the-battle-of-prosperous-24-may-1798/

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irishman-s-diary-1.82180

https://www.sligoheritage.com/archpitchcaptomthedevil.htm

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Rape Of Nanking Episode 3: Subject To Change

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

How many people actually died in Nanking, and what happened after the Japanese Army took control of the city?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan return to Nanking in 1937 for the third and final chapter of one of the darkest stories we've ever covered. We examine the chaotic Chinese retreat, the collapse of the city's defenses, and the devastating aftermath of the Nanking Massacre.

We'll meet some of the foreigners who refused to abandon the people of Nanking, including John Rabe, Robert Wilson, and Wilhelmina Vautrin, three very different people who risked their own lives to protect thousands of civilians trapped inside the city. We'll explore the International Safety Zone, the eyewitness accounts that survived the massacre, and the attempts to document what was happening while Japanese authorities worked to control what the outside world would see.

We'll also look at the aftermath of the six weeks of horror, the Japanese occupation that followed, Unit Ei 1644, the war crimes trials, the men who were executed for their roles in the atrocities, and the senior Japanese officials who escaped prosecution.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their darkly irreverent sense of humor to a story that leaves very little to laugh about.

The Nanking Massacre remains one of the most horrific and controversial chapters of the Second Sino Japanese War, but behind the numbers are hundreds of thousands of individual lives, countless stories of survival, and the people who risked everything to make sure the world knew what happened.

If you love learning about the Rape of Nanking, Nanking Massacre, Japanese war crimes, John Rabe, Wilhelmina Vautrin, Robert Wilson, World War II history, Chinese history, military history, war crimes trials, true crime, dark history, torture history, and historical atrocities, this is the final chapter of our three part journey into Nanking.

Thank you to the Cryptic Soup podcast for starting off the show.

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The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

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Rape Of Nanking Episode 2: Dead Bodies Don't Talk

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

How do you survive when an entire city becomes a hunting ground and nowhere is safe?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan return to Nanking in 1937 to examine the horrifying campaign of sexual violence that became one of the defining atrocities of the Nanking Massacre.

Women and girls of virtually every age and background were targeted. We explore the widespread rape, abduction, sexual slavery, murder, and torture inflicted on the civilian population, along with the stories of women who fought back, escaped, hid, disguised themselves, or simply refused to become another victim.

We'll also tell the story of Li Xouying, an 18 year old pregnant woman who survived repeated bayonet wounds and became one of the most extraordinary examples of resistance during the massacre. Along the way, we'll examine the horrific treatment of children, the use of sexual violence as a weapon, and the devastating consequences that continued long after the attacks themselves.

But how does an army become capable of committing atrocities on this scale? To understand that, we have to step back from Nanking and look at the history of Imperial Japan, from American pressure and the opening of Japan to the outside world, through Japanese nationalism, militarism, the rise of the emperor cult, military indoctrination, and the brutal treatment of Japanese soldiers themselves.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their particularly dark sense of humor to an episode where finding anything to laugh about is almost impossible.

The story of Nanking still isn't over.

If you love learning about the Rape of Nanking, Nanking Massacre, Japanese war crimes, wartime sexual violence, World War II history, Chinese history, military history, true crime, dark history, torture history, and historical atrocities, this is one of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.

If you would like to skip over the horrid details of the atrocities the women of Nanking endured, the time to skip to is 36:30.

Thank you to the Dark Tales From The Road podcast for starting off the show.

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The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

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Rape Of Nanking Episode 1: It's Only Going To Get Worse

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when an invading army enters a city already surrounded by war, and the rules of warfare seem to disappear?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel to China in 1937 as the Second Sino Japanese War brings the Japanese Imperial Army to the gates of Nanking, the capital of the Republic of China.

We follow the Japanese advance from the brutal fighting in Shanghai through the destruction of cities and villages along the way, before turning our attention to the military campaign that surrounded Nanking. We look at the commanders leading the Japanese forces, the orders given before the city's capture, and the chilling allegations surrounding the treatment of Chinese prisoners of war.

Then the gates of Nanking fall.

What followed became known as the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking, with widespread murder, torture, executions, looting, and atrocities committed against Chinese soldiers and civilians. We'll examine the mass killings around the city, the treatment of prisoners, the infamous killing contests involving Japanese soldiers, and some of the horrifying methods used during what became known as the Six Weeks of Horror.

But this is only the beginning. The worst suffering experienced by the people of Nanking has yet to be discussed.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their characteristically inappropriate sense of humor to one of the darkest chapters we've ever covered, respectfully.

If you love Nanking, the Rape of Nanking, the Nanking Massacre, World War II history, Japanese war crimes, Chinese history, military history, true crime, dark history, torture history, and the atrocities of war, this is the beginning of one of the most disturbing stories in the history of the 20th century.

Thank you to the That's Not Good: A True Crime Podcast for starting off the show.

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The Sassholes Insta!!

The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang

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Ducking/Swimming: Town Karen

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when being a little too outspoken could get you strapped to a chair and dropped into a river?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to early 19th century England to explore the strange and humiliating history of the ducking stool. We begin with Jenny Pipes, who was publicly paraded through Leominster in 1809 before being strapped to a chair and carried toward the water as a crowd reportedly chanted, “Duck the scold!”

We look at the history of ducking, the women accused of being common scolds, the public humiliation that made the punishment so effective, and the communities that kept ducking stools ready for use. We also explore the tragic case of Mary Stemp, the woman whose ducking in the River Thames drew thousands of spectators, and a case in Nottingham where a ducking ended in death.

But ducking wasn't the only strange punishment involving water. We'll also get into the older cucking stool, the origins of its rather unfortunate name, and the very different practice known as swimming, which was later used in attempts to determine whether someone was a witch.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark humor to a punishment that was supposed to shut women up but occasionally seems to have had the exact opposite effect.

If you love torture history, dark history, medieval history, witch trials, ducking stools, cucking stools, common scolds, historical punishments, true crime, and bizarre laws and customs, this is one trip to the water you probably don't want to take.

Thank you to the Cola City Crimes podcast for starting off the show.

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https://www.epoch-magazine.com/post/sink-or-swim-the-swimming-test-in-english-witchcraft

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/02/swimming-a-witch-evidence-in-17th-century-english-witchcraft-trials/#:~:text=Witch%20swimming%20was%20the%20practice,floating%20indicated%20a%20guilty%20verdict.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-authorities-dunked-outspoken-women-in-water-180980428/

https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Swimming+a+Witch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucking_stool

https://www.britannica.com/topic/cucking-stool

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29117

https://www.epoch-magazine.com/post/sink-or-swim-the-swimming-test-in-english-witchcraft

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/02/swimming-a-witch-evidence-in-17th-century-english-witchcraft-trials/#:~:text=Witch%20swimming%20was%20the%20practice,floating%20indicated%20a%20guilty%20verdict.

https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Swimming+a+Witch

https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/law/crime-and-law-enforcement/ducking-stool

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Ducking_and_Cucking_Stools

The Big Book of Pain: Torture & Punishment Through History by Mark P. Donnelly & Daniel Diehl

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Gilles de Rais: No Kids Left

Sun, 08 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Was Gilles de Rais the world's first serial killer, or one of history's most infamous victims of a political and religious conspiracy?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the disturbing life of Gilles de Rais, the wealthy French nobleman, Marshal of France, and companion of Joan of Arc who went from celebrated war hero to one of the most notorious figures in medieval history.

We follow Gilles from his privileged childhood and military career during the Hundred Years' War to his friendship with Joan of Arc, his incredible wealth, his obsession with the occult, and the increasingly disturbing accusations that eventually brought him before both a secular and ecclesiastical court.

Gilles was accused of the murder and abuse of children, witchcraft, alchemy, and demon summoning, with dozens of alleged victims named during his trials. But how much of the story is actually true? Centuries later, historians still debate whether Gilles de Rais was a monstrous serial killer, the victim of a political plot, or some combination of both.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their twisted humor to one of the darkest stories we've covered.

If you love Gilles de Rais, Joan of Arc, serial killers, medieval history, true crime, dark history, witchcraft, the occult, medieval torture, and historical mysteries, this is the disturbing story of a man whose reputation has survived for nearly 600 years.

Thank you to the In The Nick Of Crime podcast for starting off the show.

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The Sassholes Insta!!

The MIU Podcast

Blue Beard: The Life and Crimes of Gilles de Rais by Leonard Wolf

Gilles de Rais: The Authentic Blue Beard by Jean Benedetti

Baron Gilles de Rais: The Medieval Serial Killer, Dan Davis History

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Christmas Time True Crime w/ Phil Better: Torture Noob

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

The subject of today’s episode is a cavalcade of holiday horror. Including a the torture murder of a 15 year old boy due to, what else but, witchcraft, the tale of four people’s personal relationships and one of their gruesome deaths, the demonic haunting of the streets o’ Dublin, a dispute between friends which led to an axe murder, and the origins of quiet possibly the most notorious forms of holiday torture that a particular group of people have to endure. All with a very special guest: the Award Winning Podcast Mogul Phil Better.Today we cover Christmas Time True Crime.

*There is no actual trip to meet Phil Better in person. This was a joke. Please don't sue us. Thank you.

Thank you to the Horror House podcast for starting off our show and thank you to Phil Better for joining us and sharing a story. .

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/mar/05/witchcraft-couple-jailed-for-life#:~:text=Kristy%20Bamu%2C%2015%2C%20was%20killed,after%20days%20of%20being%20abused.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/kristy-bamu-christmas-killing-torture-25775675

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082618/Kristy-Bamu-15-tortured-death-witch-claim-Christmas-Day-Newham.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-17255470

https://medium.com/crimebeat/a-christmas-witch-hunt-the-murder-of-kristy-bamu-31c11d01dcfd

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/scissor-sisters-murder-look-back-23420269

https://www.vice.com/en/article/8qb9z4/how-a-dismembered-montreal-sex-worker-became-a-sensation-then-a-ghost-and-now-a-fading-legend

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/the-dolocher-the-dark-tale-of-dublins-jack-the-ripper

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_I_Want_for_Christmas_Is_You

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Pear Of Anguish: Ribbed For His Pleasure

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 05:55:00 +0000

What if one of the most infamous torture devices in history was never actually used as a torture device?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan investigate the history of the Pear of Anguish, the infamous device supposedly used to torture heretics, blasphemers, witches, adulterers, and homosexuals. We look at where the story came from, the strange history surrounding the device, and the people who helped turn the Pear into one of the most recognizable symbols of medieval torture.

We'll explore the earliest known accounts connected to the Pear, its supposed connection to 17th century France, the mysterious objects found in museums around the world, and the historians who have questioned whether this infamous torture device was ever actually used for torture at all.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark, twisted, and occasionally inappropriate humor to a story where the truth may be even stranger than the legend.

If you love torture history, dark history, medieval history, historical mysteries, bizarre artifacts, the Spanish Inquisition, true crime, and the strange myths surrounding the past, this is one episode that might make you question everything you thought you knew about the Pear of Anguish.

Thank you to the Dying To Be Found podcast and the

Please Don't Follow Me Home podcast for their promos.

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The Sassholes Insta!!

The MIU Podcast

https://www.historydefined.net/pear-of-anguish/

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/11/07/the-pear-of-anguish-medieval-torture-device-used-against-women-accused-of-witchcraft/?chrome=1&A1c=1&D2c=1

https://allthatsinteresting.com/pear-of-anguish

https://www.academia.edu/5826375/The_Pear_of_Anguish_Truth_Torture_and_Dark_Medievalism

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Crushing: Doors And Boulders

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

What would you be willing to endure to keep your family from losing everything you own, even if the price was being slowly crushed to death?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan, along with their macabre brand of humor, travel back to medieval and early modern England to explore peine forte et dure, or “strong and hard punishment,” one of the most brutal methods ever used to force a prisoner to enter a plea. Refusing to plead could mean protecting your family's property from being seized by the Crown, but it could also mean being stripped naked, tied to the floor, and slowly crushed beneath increasingly heavy weights until you finally gave in—or died.

We look at how the practice developed, the horrific conditions prisoners were subjected to, and the people who chose to remain silent rather than submit to the courts. We follow the stories of St. Margaret Clitherow, who was pressed to death in 1586 after refusing to enter a plea, Giles Corey, who famously chose pressing over submitting to the Salem witch trials, and other prisoners who endured days of starvation, thirst, and crushing weight in the hope of protecting their lives, property, or families.

But pressing wasn't limited to famous martyrs and witch trials. We'll also look at Major Strangways, William Spiggot, Thomas Phillips, and John Weekes, whose cases show just how bizarre and brutal the process could become—including a prisoner who finally gave in after hundreds of pounds had been piled onto his body, and another who was publicly crushed to death in a marketplace.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, we're going well beyond England. We'll trace the much older history of crushing executions, from the legendary death of Tarpeia in ancient Rome to the use of trained elephants to crush condemned prisoners in South and Southeast Asia. Some methods were designed to kill quickly. Others were designed to make the victim wait for death.

From peine forte et dure and judicial torture to St. Margaret Clitherow, Giles Corey, and the Salem witch trials, this is the horrifying history of what happened when refusing to speak could get you crushed beneath the weight of the law.

If you love dark history, torture history, medieval history, true crime, the Salem witch trials, historical executions, judicial torture, and the disturbing laws people once lived and died under, this is one episode where keeping your mouth shut could literally get you killed.

Please like, subscribe, and follow where ever you listen.

The Sassholes Insta!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crushing_(execution)

https://allthatsinteresting.com/pressed-to-death

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Crushing_by_elephant

https://www.britannica.com/topic/peine-forte-et-dure

http://legalhistorysources.com/Law508/PeineForte.htm

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Synanon Part 2: Syno-do

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

What happens when a treatment program learns how to break people down and then decides that breaking them is the entire point?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan return to Synanon and Chuck Dederich to explore the next and far darker evolution of The Game: The Trip. What was presented as an “insight-producing” experience was an intense weekend of sleep deprivation, humiliation, psychological attacks, forced confessions, emotional breakdowns, and manipulation designed to strip away a person's defenses and replace them with complete loyalty to Synanon.

We look at how The Trip pushed members to their physical and emotional limits, how Chuck attempted to recreate the altered state of consciousness he experienced on LSD without using drugs, and how the same techniques of isolation, exhaustion, fear, and group pressure increasingly became tools of control. As Synanon grew richer and more powerful, its treatment of children became increasingly disturbing, its rules became more extreme, and violence that had once been forbidden inside the organization became increasingly accepted.

But this is where Synanon's story takes an even darker turn. Children were separated from their parents, subjected to harsh discipline and forced labor, and in some cases: brutalized. Chuck declared war on anyone he considered an enemy, Synanon created the Imperial Marines (and their hilarious brand of martial arts) weapons began appearing in the organization, and threats against journalists, former members, lawyers, and local residents escalated into actual violence. And eventually, one of those threats involved a rattlesnake in a mailbox.

From The Trip and psychological torture to child abuse, forced sterilization, cult control, beatings, the Imperial Marines, and the attempted murder of attorney Paul Morantz, this is the story of how Synanon went from a celebrated experiment in addiction treatment to an organization operating through fear and violence.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, we're going to dig into the disturbing ways psychological torture can work without a rack, a cage, or a medieval torture device, and, of course, we'll have our usual dark and twisted humor along the way.

If you love Synanon, Chuck Dederich, cult history, true crime, dark history, psychological torture, cult abuse, child abuse, and the disturbing history of coercive control, this is one trip you definitely don't want to take.

Please like, subscribe, and follow where ever you listen.

The Sassholes Insta!!

Thank you to the E ye For An Eye podcast for starting off the episode today.

https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/48/pendle.php

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/04/us/charles-dederich-83-synanon-founder-dies.html

http://www.paulmorantz.com/the_synanon_story/the-true-history-of-synanon-violence-and-how-it-started/

http://www.paulmorantz.com/cult/the-history-of-synanon-and-charles-dederich/

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/synanon-cult/

https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/the-sunshine-place

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Synanon Part 1: Addiction To Stupidity

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a man sets out to cure drug addictionband ends up building a community that increasingly looks less like a treatment center and more like a cult?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the story of Charles “Chuck” Dederich and Synanon, one of the strangest and most controversial organizations to emerge from 20th-century America. We follow Dederich from his troubled childhood and years of alcoholism to his recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, his life-changing experience with LSD, and the creation of Synanon and its revolutionary approach to treating heroin addiction.

At the center of Synanon was The Game, a brutal form of attack therapy designed to break people down through humiliation, verbal abuse, psychological pressure, and group confrontation. What began as a way to confront addiction would become something much darker as Dederich developed an increasingly controlling philosophy built around isolation, emotional manipulation, punishment, and the idea that people had to be broken before they could be rebuilt.

As Synanon grew into a nationally famous alternative community, so did Dederich's power. Members were separated from their families, children were raised communally, possessions could be confiscated, heads were shaved, and anyone who tried to leave could become a “Splittee” and an enemy. And because this is Torture: A Dark History, we'll be looking at how psychological torture, humiliation, coercion, and emotional breakdown became tools for controlling people, and we'll have our usual dark humor along the way.

This is only the beginning. Chuck Dederich's paranoia is about to get worse, Synanon is about to become even more controlling, and we're heading into The Trip, the children of Synanon, The Wire, and one of the strangest attempted murder cases you've ever heard.

If you love cult history, true crime, dark history, psychological torture, cults, Synanon, Chuck Dederich, and the disturbing ways real people can be manipulated and controlled, this is only the first step into Synanon.

Please like, subscribe, and follow where ever you listen.

The Sassholes Insta!!

Thank you to the Please Don't Follow Me Home podcast for starting off the episode today.

https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/48/pendle.php

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/04/us/charles-dederich-83-synanon-founder-dies.html

http://www.paulmorantz.com/the_synanon_story/the-true-history-of-synanon-violence-and-how-it-started/

http://www.paulmorantz.com/cult/the-history-of-synanon-and-charles-dederich/

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/synanon-cult/

https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/the-sunshine-place

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Outlawing: Bad To Be A Twin

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What if being declared an outlaw didn't mean you lived outside the law—but meant the law no longer protected you?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to medieval England to explore the brutal history of outlawry. We look at how someone could be accused of a crime, fail to appear in court, and eventually be declared an outlaw—a person who had effectively been stripped of the protection of the law and could be hunted, robbed, or even killed without the same legal consequences that would normally apply.

We follow the strange evolution of outlawry from its medieval roots and its connection to exile, through the courts of Henry III, where hundreds of accused criminals were declared outlaws and their property could be seized by the Crown. We also look at what happened to the families of outlaws, the problems with being a twin, the inspiration of Robin Hood, how someone could potentially regain the protection of the law, and why outlawry eventually disappeared from everyday British legal practice.

But the story doesn't end in medieval England. Centuries later, the concept was revived in Australia during the era of the bushrangers, most famously against Ned Kelly and the Kelly Gang, who were declared outlaws and could legally be apprehended (or killed) by ordinary citizens under the laws of the time.

From medieval England to Ned Kelly and the legendary outlaws of Europe, this is the story of how one of the most feared words in medieval law eventually became synonymous with the Wild West.

If you love dark history, medieval history, true crime, outlaw stories, torture history, and the strange laws people once lived, and died, under, this is one episode you don't want to be on the wrong side of.

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Thank you to True Crime BnB for starting off the episode today.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/outlaws-outlawry-medieval-early-modern-england/

https://everything-everywhere.com/outlawry/

https://anzlhs.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlaw

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/75734010

https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Big_Book_of_Pain.html?id=V3U7AwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description

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Brazen Bull: A Multi-Tasker

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What kind of person builds a torture device and then decides to demonstrate it to a tyrant?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan travel back to ancient Akragas in Sicily to uncover the story of the Brazen Bull, one of history’s most infamous torture devices. We follow the legend of Perillos, the craftsman who supposedly created the hollow bronze bull for the tyrant Phalaris, complete with a system of pipes designed to transform the screams of the person trapped inside into the sound of a bull.

We look at the story of Perillos becoming the first victim of his own creation, the legends surrounding Phalaris and his eventual downfall, and the strange journey of the Brazen Bull from Akragas to Carthage and eventually back to Sicily. Then we move through the centuries and examine the people who were supposedly executed in similar fashion, including Saint Eustace, Saint Antipas of Pergamum, Saint Pelagia of Tarsus, and the Roman usurper Burdunellus.

But how much of the Brazen Bull story is actually true? Was it a genuine torture device used by Phalaris, a legend that grew over the centuries, or some bizarre combination of both?

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, we're not going to let an ancient tyrant, a giant metal cow, and several thousand years of horrifying history stop us from making some incredibly inappropriate jokes along the way. Expect dark history, twisted humor, and more discussion about ancient ovens than anyone probably needs.

If you love ancient history, torture history, true crime, macabre history, and the disturbing things real people have done to one another, step inside the Brazen Bull and find out how one of history's most infamous torture devices became a legend.

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Thank you to Crime Scenes & Cupcakes for starting off the episode today.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/brazen-bull

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxh0yuRVwpc

https://historydaily.org/brazen-bull

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazen_bull

https://study.com/academy/lesson/brazen-bull-torture-device-purpose.html

https://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-torture-devices/brazen-bull-torture-device/

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Head Crusher: Medieval Teabagging

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What if the torture device they threatened you with was so horrifying that it might not have even been used?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a trip to 16th-century Germany to examine the Schneiden, a terrifying head-crushing device supposedly designed to squeeze the life out of a prisoner’s skull. With a metal dome, a screw, and enough nightmare fuel to make a medieval dentist quit on the spot, the device has become one of the most infamous torture machines in history.

But there’s a problem:despite surviving examples in museums and lurid illustrations of what the device supposedly did, historians have found little evidence that Schneiden was actually used in the way the stories claim. Was it a genuine torture device, something used only rarely, or an elaborate piece of propaganda designed to make prisoners confess without ever having to turn the screw?

We also get into the supposed head splitter, the difference between the Schneiden and actual head-penetrating devices, and the wonderfully horrifying concept of “in conspectus tormentorum”—basically, “look at this horrible thing and tell us what we want to hear.”

Torture: A Dark History brings you questionable medieval engineering, religious persecution, questionable historical claims, and the kind of morbid humor that makes you wonder whether Kevin and Dan should be allowed around antique torture museums.

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Thank you to Tea Time Crimes for starting off the episode today.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/medieval-torture-devices/2

https://www.ststworld.com/head-crusher-torture-device/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0k66C1SM7o

http://www.medievality.com/head-crusher.html

http://occasionalhell.com/infdevice/skull-splitter/

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Robert Hansen Part 2: Twenty-Four Crosses

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when a serial killer stops hunting animals and starts hunting people?

In Part 2 of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan continue the horrifying story of Robert Hansen, the “Butcher Baker.” This is where Hansen’s crimes become truly monstrous. Women are kidnapped, taken into the Alaskan wilderness, stripped naked, and (according to Hansen’s own account) given a head start before he hunted them down like prey.

We follow the murders of Sue Luna, Robin Pelkey, DeLynn Frey, Paula Goulding, Malai Larsen, Teresa Watson, Angela Feddern, Tamera Pederson, and others before arriving at the case that finally brought Hansen down: 17-year-old Cindy Paulson, the woman who got away.

Cindy’s escape gave investigators their first real look inside Hansen’s world. Her description of his house, basement, plane, car, and weapons helped crack open a case that police had repeatedly failed to take seriously. Then investigators found Hansen’s aviation map—with crosses marking locations across the Alaskan wilderness—and suddenly all those missing women started looking like pieces of the same horrifying puzzle.

And naturally, Kevin and Dan have questions. Like why the hell did Hansen think a fake mustache was going to fool anybody? Why did multiple people lie for this absolute sh*tbag? And how many red flags does it take before someone finally thinks, “Maybe we should investigate the creepy hunter with the kidnapping record”?

The jokes get darker because the story does. This is the story of Robert Hansen, the women he hunted, and the survivor who finally brought him down.

If you love serial killers, true crime, dark history, torture history, and the horrifying things real people have actually done, this is the place for you.

Our main reference for this episode was "Butcher, Baker: The True Account of an Alaskan Serial Killer" by Walter Gilmour and Leland E. Hale

Also episodes on Hansen by Last Podcast on the Left and several Oxygen network, ID channel, and YouTube documentaries.

http://www.murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hansen-robert.htm

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Robert Hansen Part 1: Solider Of The Week

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What kind of person turns hunting into a deadly game—and makes human beings his prey?

In Episode 1 of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan begin the story of Robert Hansen, the “Butcher Baker,” one of the most notorious serial killers in Alaskan history. We follow Hansen from his troubled childhood in Iowa and obsession with hunting to his move to Anchorage, where his crimes against women began to escalate.

We look at the early warning signs that were repeatedly ignored, his attacks on women, the disappearance and murders of women including Eklutna Annie, Joanna Messina, Sherry Morrow, and others, and the bizarre combination of arrogance, incompetence, and sheer luck that allowed Hansen to keep getting away with it.

And because this is Torture: A Dark History, we're also going to discuss Hansen's acne, his infamous nickname, his questionable fashion choices, and the fact that this terrifying serial killer apparently thought a fake mustache was a solid disguise.

This is only the beginning. Hansen's most infamous hunting trips are still to come.

If you love serial killers, true crime, dark history, torture history, and the horrifying things real people have actually done, this is one Alaskan hunting trip you definitely don't want to take.

Thank you to Worlds True Crime for starting off our show. You can find them at http://www.worldstruecrime.com

Our main reference for this episode was "Butcher, Baker: The True Account of an Alaskan Serial Killer" by Walter Gilmour and Leland E. Hale

Also episodes on Hansen by Last Podcast on the Left and several Oxygen network, ID channel, and Youtube documentaries.

http://www.murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hansen-robert.htm

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Keelhauling: Barnacles Are Sharp

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What if your punishment for breaking the rules on a ship was being dragged underneath it?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan head out onto the high seas to explore keelhauling, a brutal naval punishment that involved dragging a person beneath the hull of a ship. Despite its reputation as a pirate punishment, the practice was more commonly associated with the British, French, and Dutch navies.

We look at how keelhauling was carried out, the role of barnacles, what happened when captains decided to make the punishment even worse, and some of the documented cases that show just how horrific it could be—including the 1882 keelhauling of two Egyptian men near Alexandria.

We also get into the incredible story of Pedro Ramón y Cajal, who reportedly survived keelhauling as a teenager before eventually returning to Spain and becoming a pioneering figure in modern neuroscience.

Ropes, ships, barnacles, drowning, and one hell of a bad day at sea. Kevin and Dan bring their usual gallows humor to the story, because apparently there is no historical torture device so horrifying that they can't find something wildly inappropriate to say about it.

If you love dark history, torture history, true crime, executions, weird history, and the horrifying things humans have actually done, climb aboard.

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References:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/keelhaul

https://archive.org/details/navaltractsofsir00monsuoft

https://medium.com/frame-of-reference/keelhauling-torture-by-being-dragged-on-ships-bottom-4313a4e21b2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF3ilicDax8

https://allthatsinteresting.com/keelhauling

https://www.ranker.com/list/keelhauling-facts/sabrina-ithal

http://www.thewayofthepirates.com/pirate-life/keelhauling/

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Ling Chi and The Nine Familial Exterminations: Don't Look At The Photos

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 12:45:00 +0000

What if being convicted of a crime meant not only your death, but the deaths of your entire family?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore Lingchi, better known as death by a thousand cuts, and the horrifying punishment known as the Nine Familial Exterminations.

We travel through the history of China, Japan, and Vietnam, looking at how Lingchi was carried out, the people who suffered it, and why the exact details of the execution could depend on the crime, the ruler, the executioner, and even how much money the victim's family had.

Then things get even worse. With familial extermination, punishment could extend far beyond the person who committed the crime, reaching parents, children, siblings, grandparents, cousins, and others connected to them. We also get into the infamous story of Fang Xiaoru and his legendary response when threatened with the execution of his family.

Death by a thousand cuts, collective punishment, and one very pissed-off scholar. This is the dark history of Lingchi and the Nine Familial Exterminations with the twisted humor you've come to expect.

If you love dark history, torture history, true crime, historical executions, and the weird and horrifying things humans have actually done, you're in the right place.

Thank you to Private Dicks Podcast for starting off the episode.

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References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingchi

https://allthatsinteresting.com/lingchi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_familial_exterminations

https://knowledgenuts.com/chinas-nine-familial-exterminations/

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White Room Torture: Welcome to La Tumba

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What if the most effective torture wasn’t beating you, burning you, or breaking your bones—but simply taking away everything that makes you feel human?

In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore White Room Torture, an extreme form of psychological torture and sensory deprivation designed to break a prisoner without necessarily laying a hand on them. Completely white rooms, constant artificial light, silence, isolation, sleep deprivation, and the removal of ordinary sensory stimulation can turn a seemingly harmless room into a psychological nightmare.

We travel to Evin Prison in Tehran, where political prisoners, journalists, activists, and others accused of opposing the Iranian government have reportedly endured these conditions. We look at the case of Iranian dissident Amir Fakhravar, who spent eight months in white-room conditions and later described it as the worst torture he experienced.

We also head to Venezuela and La Tumba, or “The Tomb,” an underground detention facility beneath SEBIN headquarters where prisoners have reportedly been subjected to extreme isolation, constant lighting, sensory deprivation, and conditions that can make it impossible to tell night from day.

And then we go back to the beginning—or at least one of the places where the science behind sensory deprivation was being explored. During the Cold War, researchers including psychologist Donald Hebb conducted experiments at McGill University that demonstrated just how quickly removing ordinary sensory stimulation could affect perception and cognitive function.

Torture: A Dark History explores the real history of torture, psychological abuse, executions, true crime, and humanity's darkest practices—with the twisted humor you've come to expect from Kevin and Dan.

If you love dark history, torture history, true crime, weird history, psychological horror, and stories of things humans actually did to one another, this episode is for you.

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References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_torture#:~:text=White%20torture%2C%20often%20referred%20to,of%20all%20senses%20and%20identity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syQhuq7BnT4

https://unbelievable-facts.com/2017/01/white-torture.html

https://www.ranker.com/list/extreme-white-torture-facts/jodi-smith

https://www.grunge.com/627363/the-history-of-white-torture-as-a-punishment-method/

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Abacination: There Is A Band

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when blinding becomes a weapon of torture, punishment, and political power? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan explore the brutal history of abacination — the deliberate blinding of a person as a form of torture or punishment.

From biblical stories and the blinding of thousands of Bulgarian prisoners after the Battle of Kleidion, to Persian emperors who blinded members of their own royal families, and even forced solar gazing in Iran, the history of blinding is filled with brutal examples of punishment and political control. We also look at methods of eye torture, including hot pokers, boiling liquids, chemical burns from lime, and other methods used to destroy a person's sight.

Abacination, blinding, torture, executions, punishment, and the history of humanity's darkest practices — all with the twisted humor you've come to expect from Torture: A Dark History.

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References:

Hirsch, Arnold E., ed., The Book of Torture and Executions (Toronto: Golden Books, 1944), part 1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacination#:~:text=Abacination%20is%20a%20form%20of,plate%20held%20before%20their%20eyes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinding_(punishment)

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/%C3%86lfric%27s_Lives_of_Saints/09luc_eng

https://books.google.com/books?id=HSWpSJINLRwC&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://www.smh.com.au/world/eye-for-an-eye-punishment-for-iranian-who-blinded-lovers-husband-20101214-18vpp.html

https://medium.com/@TaheriKaveh/eye-for-an-eye-iran-s-court-gouges-eye-of-a-young-man-convicted-of-blinding-fc845ae72d7e

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/730160/Man-blinded-acid-attack-four-year-old-girl-eye-for-eye-Iran

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/iran-applies-sharia-law-and-blinds-man-over-acid-attack-1.2128154

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/05/eye-for-an-eye-iran-blinds-man-who-carried-out-acid-attack

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Abacination/3540340651

https://archive.org/details/deathofkingsroya0000evan/page/37/mode/2up

https://historyofyesterday.com/the-byzantine-ruler-who-left-15-000-soldiers-blind-c70de1ad4ff9

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-019-0742-2

https://bjo.bmj.com/content/94/10/1406

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Breast Ripper: Last Time I Trust A Frenchman

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

What happens when torture is designed not just to cause pain, but to permanently destroy a woman’s body and identity? In this episode of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan take a look at one of history’s most horrifying torture devices: the Breast Ripper.

Also known as the Biter, Iron Spider, or Spider, this brutal device was designed to tear and mutilate the breasts of its victims. We explore the different versions of the device, how it was supposedly used as punishment and interrogation, and the horrific consequences for the women who survived.

The episode also looks at stories surrounding the use of breast-ripping devices during the Goa Inquisition, including accounts of women being tortured in an attempt to force religious conversion. And just when you think this kind of brutality belongs firmly in the past, we jump forward to 2014 Syria.

From torture devices and religious persecution to modern-day atrocities, this is the dark history of the Breast Ripper—with the twisted humor you've come to expect from Torture: A Dark History.

If you love dark history, torture history, true crime, weird history, executions, and the horrifying things humans have done to each other, this episode is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Please like, subscribe, and follow where ever you listen.

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References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_ripper

https://books.google.com/books?id=fWWvw-Kyl_AC&pg=PA9#v=onepage&q&f=false