Dawn of Mantis: True Crime, Mysteries and More

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Paul and Cody from the "Haunted Ozark Theater" podcast stop by to talk about all things horror. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn February of 1985, in Yonkers, New York, Alex Mengel quickly escalated a routine traffic stop to the murder of a police officer. Followin that, he engaged in a short lived crime spree that took the life of an innocent woman, and didn't end until he himself was finally killed. (Subject Matter Begins @ 5:37)Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn the summer of 1991, 14 year old Trey Cooley attended a shooting competition with his father at a shooting range in Dallas, Texas. Before the day was over, a freakish series of one in a million incidents would lead to Trey's death. Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we review the recent Netflix documentary on the unsolved disappearance of Amy Bradley.  Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn July of 1984, after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop, Wayne Lee Crossley suddenly pulled a gun and shot the police officer multiple times. Following that, he fled to a nearby Hotel bar called "The Other Place", where began firing indiscriminately at the people inside and in the parking lot. After he believed everyone was dead, Crossley turned the gun on himself and ended his own life. To this day, no one is sure why Crossley snapped that day. (Subject Matter Begins @ 13:18)Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live...

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss the tragic double homicide that occurred at Devil's Den State Park, in Northwest Arkansas in July on 2025. Clinton and Cristen Brink, who'd just moved to the area, were attacked on the trail by a lunatic named Andrew McGann, who had also just moved to Northwest Arkansas. Thanks to eye witness tips and swift police work, McGann was captured within four days of the incident. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I...

Send us Fan MailOn the night of June 15th, 1839, three strangers showed up at the Wright family cabin in Cane Hill, Arkansas. When William Wright opened the door, he was killed where he stood. What followed was a senseless and horrific massacre that resulted in the deaths of five members of the Wright family. In the following months, four men were hanged for the crime, but in the months and years that followed, many began to fear they'd killed the wrong men.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIts hard to imagine, but there have been several cases in which a person went missing for years, only to discovered to have never left their home. These are two of those cases.Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we review the recent Netflix documentary "Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart".Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we continue following the investigation, including eliminating several people of interest, and finally, we cover the DNA evidence that "linked" her abductor to the crime decades later. Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we cover Morgan's life, the details of her disappearance,  and the beginning of the investigation. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we bring you a mixed bag of bizarre stories so outlandish that they are hard to believe.  Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn November of 1982, Don Kemp left his fast paced life in the New York advertisement business to take a solo trip across America and work on a book about history he'd deamt of writing for years. Instead, his 1979 Chevy Blazer was found abandoned off highway 80 in Wyoming. It was still running, had half a tank of gas, and there was one set of footprints leading into the frozen prairie. Don was never seen alive again. Support the show

Send us Fan MailTeresa Williams, Crystal Parton, Cynthia Mabry, and Julianne Helton were real people with families, futures, and lives abruptly cut short by an inhuman monster. In December 1976, 13-year-olds Teresa and Cynthia and 14-year-old Crystal vanished in rural Arkansas. Years later in Missouri, 25-year-old Julianne Helton’s promising life ended in similarly horrific fashion. It would soon be discovered that all four girls were killed by the same man- James B Grinder. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate lin...

Send us Fan MailIn early December of 1958, Kenneth and Barbara Martin gathered their three children into their Ford station wagon and drove from their Portland home to the Columbia River Gorge to collect greenery for Christmas decorations. At some point during the short trip, the family and their car vanished in the Oregon wilderness, and it would be close to 70 years before the Martin Family Mystery would solved.... at least, partially. Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If y...

Send us Fan MailOn the afternoon of October 5th, 2018, 27 year old television producer Terrence Woods Jr was filming a reality show with a dozen other crew members in the remote Idaho wilderness when he suddenly threw down his equipment and sprinted into the woods. That was the last time he was ever seen. In the years since, many people have put forth their own theories as to what may have happened, including Terrence's parents. Was it a case of someone snapping and running away, or did something nefarious happen?Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes...

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we cover the curious case of "The Bodies in the Bayou". In September of 2025, a cluster of bodies was found in Houston's waterways within a two week span. This has caused many to suggest a serial killer may be at large. Law enforcement insists that is not the case, but could there be? Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, music production & audio editing.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra c...

Send us Fan MailIn 1977, a young Mormon missionary named Kirk Anderson vanished in Surrey, England, only to later reappear with a story that shocked both sides of the Atlantic. He alleged that Joyce McKinney, his ex girlfriend, and an accomplice had abducted him at gunpoint, transported him to a secluded cottage, and held him captive as a sex slave for days. This episode examines the known facts, the investigation, and why the so-called “Manacled Mormon” case remains one of the most controversial crimes of the 1970s.Support the show

Send us Fan MailMerry Christmas! In this episode, we examine three tragic events that have occurred on Christmas Day throughout the years, along with one mystery that has endured for over a hundred years. And of course, we do our best to sprinkle in a little comedy and holiday cheer amongst the mystery and mayhem. So, pour yourself a glass of eggnog, throw another log on the fire, put in those earbuds to drown out the in-laws, and have yourself a very “Mantis” Christmas!Redbeard SoundRedBeard Sound specializes in live sound engineering, recording, musi...

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss the I-44 Tri-State Truck Explosion. In September of 1970, the Tri-State trucking company and the Teamsters Local 823 Union were locked in a heated battle. Union truckers had been on strike for weeks, but their demands were being ignored. Instead, Tri-State had simply hired more non-union workers to fill the void. In retaliation, a few union drivers decided to set up along Interstate 44 near Springfield, Missouri to shoot and disable passing Tri-State rigs. However, one of those trucks was carrying 21 tons of dynamite, and what resulted was a catastrophic explosion...