MFM Minisode 432

This week's hometowns include Titanic museum guest stories and a snail breeder dad. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3UFCn1g. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:06Georgia Hardstark?

  In New Orleans, truckers kept getting sideswiped the exact same way.

• 0:09Karen Kilgariff?

  When a man is found murdered under questionable circumstances related to these accidents, that's when the rubber hits the road.

• 0:16Georgia Hardstark?

  And what the feds uncover is a complex scheme of staged wrecks, financial fraud, and a pair of conspiring lovers behind it.

• 0:23Karen Kilgariff?

  This is a story about fake accidents that led to real consequences.

• 0:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe wherever you get your podcasts.

• 0:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now.

• 0:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Goodbye. You know a favorite M-word? Magnesium.

• 0:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Like the kind that's in Dr. Teal's magnesium spray.

• 0:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Made from a proprietary blend of topical minerals, it's designed to relax and prepare you for a night of rest.

• 0:51Karen Kilgariff?

  If you need a reset after your day, make Dr. Teal's magnesium spray part of your nighttime routine.

• 0:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Generously spritz each foot before bed, and you'll be all set. I've actually started doing this, and I'm obsessed with magnesium. It does everything.

• 1:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Something like this is just like, it's simple, it's easy, and it actually works.

• 1:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally. For wellness you can feel, find Dr. Teal's magnesium spray online or in your local bath aisle.

• 1:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 1:30Georgia Hardstark?

  Hello and welcome. This is my favorite murder.

• 1:33Karen Kilgariff?

  This is the minisode.

• 1:34Georgia Hardstark?

  That's right, here it is.

• 1:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Are you ready?

• 1:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Let's do it. You're first, right?

• 1:37Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes. Okay. We're starting off with a classic hometown. It says "college hometown" in the subject line. "Hi ladies, I was listening to the rewind episode of episode 37, where Karen covered Dorothea Puente, and she called it her college hometown, which reminded me that I have a college hometown."

• 1:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Love it.

• 1:54Karen Kilgariff?

  "I attended the University of South Dakota in the small town of Vermillion, South Dakota for six years."

• 2:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 2:01Karen Kilgariff?

  And then in parentheses, it says, "Yay for needing a master's degree to do your dream job." So not much true crime happened during my time there, but in 1970s Vermillion, two teenage girls went missing and the case went cold for over 40 years. There's a book called Vanished in Vermillion by Lou Ragusse that details this case much better than I can, but I'll do my best. On May 29th, 1971, two 17-year-olds Cheryl Miller and Pamela Jackson were on their way to an end-of-the-school-year party in the nearby town of Alchester, about 40 minutes away, when they disappeared without a trace. Despite searches of the surrounding land and creek, the girls in their car were never seen again.

• 2:45Karen Kilgariff?

  The sheriff at the time insisted that the girls were runaways and the case quickly went cold.

• 2:50Georgia Hardstark?

  They just ran away on the way to a party, as you do.

• 2:53Karen Kilgariff?

  In nine years, I think you and I have said that phrase a thousand times.

• 2:57Georgia Hardstark?

  It's so frustrating.

• 2:58Karen Kilgariff?

  It's the past, we can let it go. It was reopened in 2004 and a classmate of the girls was charged with their murder in 2007 despite no bodies or car ever being found. Those charges were dropped in 2008 and the investigation went quiet again. That was until September 2013, when a drought caused the Brule Creek to dry up and a citizen of Vermillion who was investigating the case on his own spotted the tires of a car sticking out of the water.

• 3:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Bro, I'm telling you, half of every missing persons case that a car is involved and someone disappears randomly is them in a fucking body of water.

• 3:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Right. Also, can you imagine being the person who's like, "I'm taking this up, I'm gonna try to figure this out." A drought happens and you're like, "Holy..."

• 3:46Georgia Hardstark?

  It's over here, everyone.

• 3:48Karen Kilgariff?

  I did it? Did I do it? I did it. It's so huge.

• 3:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 3:53Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay. The car in the creek was confirmed to be the 1960 Studebaker that the girls were driving. It had been submerged upside down in the creek for 42 years. Sadly, the skeletal remains of the two girls were found inside. One source described the inside of the car as frozen in time because the girls' clothes, purses, and even a driver's license were found with the remains. No foul play was suspected since the remains did not show injuries. The theory is that the girls were unfamiliar with the roads and the new bridge and somehow careened off the road and into the water. A sad and unfortunate ending to a four decade long mystery. Thanks for reading, stay sexy and solve cold cases.

• 4:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 4:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Geffen, she/her.

• 4:34Georgia Hardstark?

  Man, the person who they accused of killing them.

• 4:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 4:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Was having a fucking good day that day.

• 4:40Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean, but also just like, and that life ruined because that

• 4:45Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally.

• 4:45Karen Kilgariff?

  tarnish of like, the name, the association.

• 4:48Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally.

• 4:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Horrible.

• 4:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Absolutely. Okay, my first one is called Two Hometowns Intertwined Because My Son Knows What's Up. Howdy, murderinos. I listen to you every day as I drive to school through the woods. I have about a half an hour drive where most days I might see one logging truck and that's it. There have been a couple of days I have to change over to, are you garbage? Because I get too scared, but I can usually turn you back on after school for the drive home. Just we scared them in the morning commute through the woods.

• 5:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, that's too intense.

• 5:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Anywho, one day this week I was listening and all of a sudden I remembered the killers we lived right next to and I was like, oh my God, a hometown of my own. We had moved from Illinois to New Mexico in search of more son. Our son was going to sixth grade and we found a small house in the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

• 5:35Karen Kilgariff?

  I've always heard of that town.

• 5:36Georgia Hardstark?

  So interesting. The place was pretty crappy.

• 5:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, no.

• 5:39Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, no, oh, wait, they mean the house.

• 5:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, oh, oh.

• 5:41Georgia Hardstark?

  And we had to do major cleaning to even feel comfortable sleeping. Our son was not having it right off the bat. He said there was a killer coming and he was too scared to sleep in his room. We did all kinds of things to make him feel comfortable, then just said heck with it. And he slept in our room. And it says, New Mexico does have flying roaches, so there are some pretty gross things besides thoughts of a killer on their way.

• 6:03Karen Kilgariff?

  But also a child saying a killer is coming.

• 6:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. Can you chill out, dude?

• 6:07Karen Kilgariff?

  Kind of. It's not that thing of like, oh, there's a little girl in the room with me. It's like killers on the way.

• 6:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Cool. His talk of a killer continued for several weeks and we were preparing for school to begin. I was starting a new job, things like that. It was July 4th, 1999, and we were checking out the new area and found out that we'd just moved in to the home of the Toy Box Killer.

• 6:30Karen Kilgariff?

  No.

• 6:31Georgia Hardstark?

  And the lake outside of town, Elephant Butte, where we thought we would go for a swim, was where this guy had been dumping his victims. One of the absolute worst fucking stories of all time.

• 6:41Karen Kilgariff?

  We, long ago, George, when I talked about, like, we're never covering it because it is just simply carnage and disgusting and horrifying.

• 6:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Why didn't they just fucking tear that house down? So they sold it to a family?

• 6:51Karen Kilgariff?

  A family.

• 6:52Georgia Hardstark?

  And didn't tell them?

• 6:53Karen Kilgariff?

  And the child's like, hey, the vibes are so bad that I'm having psychic experiences.

• 6:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally. If that wasn't disturbing enough, our son continued to talk about the killer. One day, we were watching the news, getting dinner ready, and the news was discussing the Railway Killer, who at the time was in southern Illinois. Our son said, "That was him, and he was coming."

• 7:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, shit.

• 7:14Georgia Hardstark?

  We assured him that wasn't going to happen and that he was safe. I can't remember the timeline, but the Railway Killer moved down to somewhere in Texas, then overthrew the Panhandle or Oklahoma, and then was caught, I believe, on I-25 in New Mexico. I-25 runs right down to Truth or Consequences.

• 7:31Karen Kilgariff?

  That child knew.

• 7:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. I'm gonna look that up, now that I already wrote what I recall. Okay. Worse than I remember, I'm good at forgetting disturbing things. I just looked up that the Railway Killer was arrested in El Paso about two hours from Truth or Consequences on July 12th, 1999. We moved south of TRC to Caballo and made it about six months in New Mexico, then headed to Montana for normalcy. Ha ha. Our son loved Montana, and he is still there, safe and sound, and no serial killers.

• 8:05Karen Kilgariff?

  Well, I mean, how do you know?

• 8:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Stay sexy and don't get murdered, Jackie in the U.P. of Michigan.

• 8:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Yay!

• 8:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Upper Peninsula.

• 8:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow, Jackie.

• 8:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 8:16Karen Kilgariff?

  That was a good one.

• 8:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Six graders talking about killers coming?

• 8:19Karen Kilgariff?

  The killer's coming.

• 8:20Georgia Hardstark?

  No.

• 8:22Georgia Hardstark?

  The holidays are coming, which means we'll all be spending more time away from home.

• 8:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Whether you're visiting family or doing something actually fun, you want to know your home is protected while you're away.

• 8:31Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why now is a good time to think about home security with SimpliSafe.

• 8:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Unlike traditional security systems that alert you after a break-in starts, SimpliSafe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone and SimpliSafe is going to show you not only the video of like, it's a raccoon at your front door, but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know. And if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it.

• 9:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind that just like relying on your neighbors, paying attention is not going to give you. We've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer our listeners their biggest savings of the year, 70% off your new system with professional monitoring when you visit simplisafe.com/mfm.

• 9:18Karen Kilgariff?

  That's simplisafe.com/mfm. And when you order, write in MFM at checkout and it tells them we sent you and it really helps the show.

• 9:25Georgia Hardstark?

  SimpliSafe, ahead of crime in real time.

• 9:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. Turning something you love into a career is exciting. Then come the invoices. Lucky for you, Squarespace can handle the business stuff so you can focus on your business. From consultations to events and experiences, you can showcase your skills with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. With Squarespace's collection of cutting-edge design tools, anyone can build a beautiful, professional, online presence that perfectly fits their brand or business. Get paid on time with professional invoices and online payments. Plus, streamline your workflow with built-in appointment scheduling and email marketing tools. Head to Squarespace.com/murder for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch,

• 10:12Karen Kilgariff?

  use offer code MURDER to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Goodbye.

• 10:19Karen Kilgariff?

  This email is kind of totally insane. A little bit long, but I think worth it. Okay. Okay. The subject line is, "My husband's recently resurfaced repressed Boy Scout memory." Oh, God. Uh huh. "Greetings. My husband and I were watching Bob's Burgers," and then in parentheses it says, "my favorite anxiety-soothing show," after finishing the episode where they scare Louise by creating her own haunted house. Legend. Such a good episode. So good. "My husband turns the TV off, turns to me and says, 'I just remembered something scary that happened to me when I was a kid.'" So romantic. Memories, they just like flit around and hang out until some random fucking thing happens, or you smell something, and you're like, "Oh, yeah." Yeah. Shit.

• 11:04Karen Kilgariff?

  I haven't really wanted to be in a relationship that much over the years, until I read that line. And then I'm just like, "That's what I want for myself." Someone to go, "Hey." "Hey, I just have a recovered memory I have to tell you about. It's horrifying." Okay. Okay. "I'm here for it. This is my love language." Yep. "Active listening. As he pieced his memory together, I listened on the edge of my seat. When he finished, I immediately asked his permission to send this in."

• 11:32Karen Kilgariff?

  "Here's what he could recollect. He was about 12 years old in the Boy Scouts and on a camping trip a little outside Graham Rapids, Michigan. He and his troop were getting their camp set up in the woods, on top of a ravine," ravine theme, "near a river, when an older man drove up. The man whose home was nearby, seemingly seeing the troop arrive, approached the scoutmaster to alert him to some alarming news. Apparently, the older man had seen a man lurking around the woods the night before. He had called the police and was told to be extremely cautious, as there was currently a murderer they were looking for, and they believed he may be hiding out in the woods. Despite this concerning news, the scoutmaster did not get the kids and get the fuck out of there."

• 12:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Of course not. "They finished setting up the camp, knowing that there may or may not be a murderer nearby." Jesus. "As night fell, and my husband and his peers were settling down in their tents to go to sleep, they heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from a couple hundred yards away by the ravine. A few moments passed, and a second gunshot sounded." The scoutmaster finally rallied the troops, telling them to be quiet and began leading them towards where they had parked the van. Great. So after multiple gunshots-

• 12:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, now's the time in the dark to go.

• 12:50Karen Kilgariff?

  En route to the van, creeping along the ravine as quietly as possible, the troops were met with a horrifying scene. At the bottom of the ravine was a man in a camo jumpsuit, standing next to a blood-soaked sheet, covering a lump of something corpse-like, which was next to a big hole in the ground that he was actively digging.

• 13:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, no.

• 13:10Karen Kilgariff?

  A shotgun leaned on a tree next to him. The man moved the body into the grave, and the scoutmaster thought it would be a good idea to confront the gun-toting possible murderer. He shouted "Hey!" and started going down the ravine.

• 13:24Georgia Hardstark?

  What the fuck?

• 13:25Karen Kilgariff?

  The camel man looked up and moved toward the tree where his shotgun was leaning. Also on the tree was a gas lantern hanging from a branch. As the man reached for his shotgun, he also turned off the lantern.

• 13:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Cool. Okay.

• 13:38Karen Kilgariff?

  This is literally an email from Blumhouse Films. Like, this is insanity. The scoutmaster had a lantern as well, which dimly illuminated his movements that the boys could see from the top of the ravine. As the scoutmaster made his way towards the camel man, a burst of light erupted from the man's shotgun. The scoutmaster fell, and his lantern was extinguished.

• 13:59Georgia Hardstark?

  What?

• 14:00Karen Kilgariff?

  The boys, all terrified, began running towards where they thought the van was. The van was gone. They started running down the road, leading away from the campground. As they were running, they were halted by two freshly butchered cattle heads that were lit on fire, swinging from tree branches.

• 14:20Georgia Hardstark?

  This is- you can't-

• 14:21Karen Kilgariff?

  As the kids were all peeing their pants and preparing for their too-soon deaths, the van appeared. Driving it was their scoutmaster, and riding shotgun was the camel man.

• 14:32Georgia Hardstark?

  You motherfuckers.

• 14:34Karen Kilgariff?

  You fucking psychopaths.

• 14:38Georgia Hardstark?

  What? You took it too far. You took it too far.

• 14:41Karen Kilgariff?

  You- first of all, what are you doing? In the Boy Scouts. There's something wrong with you.

• 14:48Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my god.

• 14:50Karen Kilgariff?

  Apparently, this was a super cool, well-thought-out, trauma-informed prank played by two adults who should never be allowed near any children again.

• 14:57Georgia Hardstark?

  No.

• 14:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Thank you for your podcast. I'm a social worker. Thank god you're a social worker.

• 15:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 15:02Karen Kilgariff?

  Because your man needs you now more than ever.

• 15:06Georgia Hardstark?

  What the fuck?

• 15:08Karen Kilgariff?

  I hate those two men so much.

• 15:10Georgia Hardstark?

  It's almost like his recovered memory, like, the trauma isn't that that happened. It was that it was they were played a prank on. Like, it was that traumatic that they were played that specific prank that he had to forget it.

• 15:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Then they had to get in-

• 15:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Not even in the prank.

• 15:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Right. But then they had to get into a van with two men that would play that prank.

• 15:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Seriously. And spend the rest of the night or weekend or whatever there. Jesus.

• 15:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh. Okay, so, "Thank you for your podcast. I'm a social worker and my job can be a lot sometimes. I can't tell you how much I appreciate laughing alongside you ladies as I clean my house and do my best to keep going, even when things are terrible." Thanks again, Gina. And then in parentheses, it says, "And Dan, my husband who graciously agreed to share his story." Dan.

• 15:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Thanks, Dan.

• 15:53Karen Kilgariff?

  Dan.

• 15:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Dan, you deserve an ice cream.

• 15:55Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 15:56Georgia Hardstark?

  That's awful. That is just, you can't, you shouldn't, and you won't.

• 16:00Karen Kilgariff?

  And please don't.

• 16:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Please don't.

• 16:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Good lord, the lawsuits. I mean.

• 16:04Georgia Hardstark?

  This one's called Trash Kid Girl Scout Edition.

• 16:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, okay. We're doing some scouting themes. Nice.

• 16:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, yeah. That's weird. "Hi, friends. Longtime listener, first-time writer. Growing up, instead of sports or dance for extracurriculars, my sisters and I did Girl Scouts, probably because my mom worked for our local Girl Scout Council. Looking back on it, it was probably the best decision because I was a very clumsy child. One summer, when I was eight or nine, I was at a friend's birthday party and was playing on the zip line in their backyard when I let go way too soon and broke five bones in my left arm."

• 16:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Jeez.

• 16:39Georgia Hardstark?

  "It was the end of May, so this obviously limited the amount of summer activities I could participate in. My mom's creative solution was to put me in an ASL class."

• 16:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 16:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, sign language.

• 16:50Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes, learn sign language. That's smart.

• 16:51Georgia Hardstark?

  And then it says, "You know, where you have to use both your hands to sign."

• 16:58Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm still not sure if she thought that through all the way, but it was air conditioning, which is a big plus for Houston summers. I got to sign my own name, learned how to sign "Stop in the Name of Love" by The Supremes.

• 17:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Nice.

• 17:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Fucking pretty great, and some basic vocabulary. Flash forward to the following spring when it's cookie season and my Girl Scout troop is selling cookies at our local grocery store. Being the youngest of three sisters, I'm just a little competitive and my goal was to try to lure in the most customers.

• 17:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep.

• 17:25Georgia Hardstark?

  So I decided to use my summer activity to my advantage and began signing, "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?" to anyone who walked by. And wouldn't you know it, a lot more people stopped at the booth instead of walking on by.

• 17:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, no.

• 17:38Georgia Hardstark?

  This is called trash kit.

• 17:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Yep, yep.

• 17:41Georgia Hardstark?

  When people started asking me questions about the cookies, I realized I didn't know enough sign language to keep going, but I also didn't want to blow my cover and start talking. So what did I do? Signed The Supremes on a loop.

• 17:57Georgia Hardstark?

  They don't fucking know.

• 17:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Right.

• 17:58Georgia Hardstark?

  They didn't take ASL last summer.

• 18:00Karen Kilgariff?

  Right.

• 18:01Georgia Hardstark?

  My mom was also my troop leader, but she was helping with the other booth on the second entrance, so she was not wise to my antics.

• 18:07Karen Kilgariff?

  Wait, sorry, did she truly and on purpose? Or was it like, oh, here's an interesting thing I can do and then realized?

• 18:13Georgia Hardstark?

  It worked.

• 18:14Karen Kilgariff?

  It worked and people.

• 18:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Going.

• 18:15Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 18:16Georgia Hardstark?

  So either way, it's bad.

• 18:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes, either way, trash kid, which I love. This is a theme that we absolutely have to explore.

• 18:23Georgia Hardstark?

  But when I told her how we were able to sell all of our stock that day, she just laughed and said she was glad I learned something that summer. I am now a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts and try to support the local troops when I see them out and about selling cookies, because it really did help me face my fear of talking to people in public. Or, you know, signing to them. Thank you for all you do, bringing humor amidst the frustrating climate we find ourselves in this country. My dog Atlas and I take a walk every day at lunch and I always listen to MFM to have a laugh before I have to go back to work. Stay sexy and support your local Girl Scouts, Stacy.

• 18:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Stacy. And take a signing class.

• 19:01Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, you should know how to do that.

• 19:03Karen Kilgariff?

  I mean.

• 19:03Georgia Hardstark?

  I've always wanted to learn.

• 19:04Karen Kilgariff?

  I have too. There was actually a TikTok where a woman was just talking about that, and I think there might be an app where you can learn ASL.

• 19:12Georgia Hardstark?

  That's a good idea.

• 19:12Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm gonna look that up.

• 19:15Georgia Hardstark?

  The holidays are coming, which means we'll all be spending more time away from home.

• 19:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Whether you're visiting family or doing something actually fun, you want to know your home is protected while you're away.

• 19:24Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why now is a good time to think about home security with SimpliSafe.

• 19:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Unlike traditional security systems that alert you after a break-in starts, SimpliSafe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone and SimpliSafe is going to show you not only the video of like, it's a raccoon at your front door, but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know, and if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it.

• 19:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind that just like relying on your neighbors, paying attention is not going to give you. We've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer our listeners their biggest savings of the year, 70% off your new system with professional monitoring when you visit simplisafe.com/mfm.

• 20:11Karen Kilgariff?

  That's simplisafe.com/mfm, and when you order, write in MFM at checkout and it tells them we sent you, and it really helps the show.

• 20:19Georgia Hardstark?

  SimpliSafe, ahead of crime in real time.

• 20:21Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. We've all had moments where dealing with healthcare or insurance feels completely overwhelming.

• 20:27Georgia Hardstark?

  You're sick, worried about someone you love, trying to understand what comes next, and suddenly you're spending hours on hold, filling out paperwork, and trying to figure out who to call.

• 20:36Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows patients spend the equivalent of an eight-hour workday every month coordinating their own care.

• 20:42Georgia Hardstark?

  Nobody hands you a roadmap when you're dealing with a diagnosis or ongoing health issues.

• 20:46Karen Kilgariff?

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• 20:47Georgia Hardstark?

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• 20:54Karen Kilgariff?

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• 21:00Georgia Hardstark?

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• 21:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows 92% of patients report a positive impact on their care from working with an advocate.

• 21:12Georgia Hardstark?

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• 21:16Karen Kilgariff?

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• 21:18Georgia Hardstark?

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• 21:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to solacehealth.com/murder to see if you qualify.

• 21:26Georgia Hardstark?

  It takes about two minutes and it's covered by insurance.

• 21:29Karen Kilgariff?

  That's S-O-L-A-C-E. health.com/murder.

• 21:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 21:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay, here's my last one. The subject line is museum guests, the good, the bad, and the unforgettable. Hi, I'm FM crew. I heard we're sharing stories about guests behaving badly in museums. And oh, baby, I could go on for days. I worked at a Titanic museum in East Tennessee for eight years. Why would East Tennessee have a Titanic museum?

• 21:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Guys.

• 21:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Maybe they'll tell us.

• 21:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 21:58Karen Kilgariff?

  It was always busy, and I can still say Titanic facts at the drop of a hat. Did I tell you that my sister said that the kids in her class are obsessed with the Titanic? Because there's a book, the boys are obsessed because there's a book in the library about it. And they all fight over the, I mean, there's a book in her classroom about it. And they fight over it and they talk about it all the time.

• 22:16Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, we were, that was like the scariest thing as a kid, the Titanic.

• 22:19Karen Kilgariff?

  The Titanic. Okay. We had more than our fair share of stupid people who come through the museum. But my favorite example was this. I was telling a group of guests one day about the differences between the film and the actual sinking. And I would always start with, I am sorry to tell you, the Jack and Rose were not real. Usually this got a laugh. But one day, a woman loudly shouted at me, yes, they are. I saw them on Oprah. She was not wrong, but she was not right either.

• 22:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 22:46Karen Kilgariff?

  I walked into a gallery just in time to watch two teenage girls hip check a case. And $150,000 life jacket fell off its stand. My Italian grandmother would be proud of the yelling I did that day. I've watched people literally lick glass cases, called the cops on people stealing from the gift shop, and have had some people literally spit in my face.

• 23:08Georgia Hardstark?

  What? At a museum?

• 23:10Karen Kilgariff?

  At a museum for maritime disasters.

• 23:13Georgia Hardstark?

  That's insane.

• 23:15Karen Kilgariff?

  However, we were lucky to have some really amazing guest interactions as well. I met a World War Two vet who had coffee in Paris with Ernest Hemingway once.

• 23:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 23:24Karen Kilgariff?

  One day I was giving a tour to a group from New York. And as a New York native, I always felt a kinship with them. We were talking about nine 11 and I had a parallel I like to use for nine 11 and the Titanic. In parentheses, world impact, emotional impact. It's a whole speech I worked very hard on. As I have very strong memories of that day. When I was done, a woman came up and hugged me. She told me quietly that she had been in the towers that day and was one of the few people from her floor to survive.

• 23:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 23:54Karen Kilgariff?

  She was happy to think that someday her friends and coworkers' stories would be shared with the love and care that we share the Titanic passenger's stories.

• 24:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Aww.

• 24:03Karen Kilgariff?

  I think about her frequently and I hope she's doing well. Sending you ladies and your team lots of love. Y'all keep me sane most days on my drive to and from work. Stay sexy and watch your kids. And it says that in all caps with a period. And watch your kids. XO Stephanie.

• 24:19Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god, wow. That had layers.

• 24:23Karen Kilgariff?

  It really did and I didn't realize, I like scanned it of course. I like it when it's fresh for me too, but I thought it was like museum guests in general, like I've been a docent here and there, whatever. But it's like, listen to this shit that goes on at the Titanic Museum in East Tennessee.

• 24:39Georgia Hardstark?

  East Tennessee, we barely knew you.

• 24:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Come on.

• 24:42Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, my last one I love because it just shows you the breadth of hometown stories that we're accepting at this point. And that if you don't have one yet, keep listening because you're gonna have one one day. Yep, this is called, "My Dad Accidentally Became a Snail Breeder." Which fits, which is now.

• 25:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Which is welcome.

• 25:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Fitting wholly. With the podcast theme. Hey, MFM crew. Like, you know what I mean?

• 25:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 25:09Georgia Hardstark?

  This person may have listened for years and years and then suddenly it's their time to shine.

• 25:13Karen Kilgariff?

  You know what I know they'd like?

• 25:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, like you know what they just talked about? Breeding snails.

• 25:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Korean skincare.

• 25:19Georgia Hardstark?

  Hey MFM crew, I was listening to episode 470, "Accept No Dare", when you mentioned breeding snails for escargot. Well, do I have a related story for you?

• 25:28Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh yeah, we went into a whole escargot thing.

• 25:30Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, because we thought about the great idea would be to breed snails and sell them to restaurants. Like, that's a great money-making scheme.

• 25:37Karen Kilgariff?

  If eggs are $17 a carton, let's get those snails up there.

• 25:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Seriously. My dad accidentally became a snail breeder, not for escargot, but for aquariums. For as long as I can remember, my dad has had a large 55-gallon fish tank. I'm like, that's the most high-maintenance fucking hobby, right?

• 25:54Karen Kilgariff?

  My dad had like the one that's about a foot and a half wide and he could, he was like, "That thing's gonna kill me." He just couldn't deal with it.

• 26:01Georgia Hardstark?

  The occupants rotated over the years as fish died or replaced. About two years ago, my dad bought a small freshwater pufferfish, which ate, you guessed it, snails. Ooh, I didn't know that.

• 26:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, I didn't either.

• 26:12Georgia Hardstark?

  My dad bought some snails to feed the pufferfish. It refused to eat and died.

• 26:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay. The snails were left to clean up-

• 26:19Karen Kilgariff?

  That's the whole story.

• 26:20Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 26:20Karen Kilgariff?

  And thanks so much, you guys.

• 26:21Georgia Hardstark?

  No, don't do it. The snails were left to clean up the tank by eating the algae. As they got bigger, they started laying eggs. My sister, who still lives at home, was horrified and threatened to crush the eggs in the night. Threw her sister under the bus. Despite the threats, the eggs hatched and he had dozens of baby snails. When they were about an inch wide, he sold them for 50 cents each to the local pet store.

• 26:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh.

• 26:44Georgia Hardstark?

  Since then, he sells at least 50 snails to the pet store every couple months. He marks adult females and males he catches in the act and known egg layers so he won't sell them accidentally. This has just become like a fucking-

• 26:56Karen Kilgariff?

  It's like he's got a cattle ranch-

• 26:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 26:58Karen Kilgariff?

  But it's snails.

• 27:00Georgia Hardstark?

  He now has multiple tanks for the snails. He fucking, he's just like, this is okay, and has had over 100 at once before selling them off.

• 27:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow.

• 27:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Fun fact, the snails love green beans.

• 27:13Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm a PhD student in cancer biology and have spent several afternoons doing Punnet Squares, thank you for writing that phonetically, with my dad to figure out how to get snails with purple shells, like how to breed snails with purple shells.

• 27:27Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow.

• 27:28Georgia Hardstark?

  I will often get a text with a photo of a pet store snail with, will this help with my genetics?

• 27:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Ask SCDGM and let your dad hatch his snails. A.

• 27:38Karen Kilgariff?

  A. Wait, will you go back? There's a sentence that you read before we got into the purple shell.

• 27:43Georgia Hardstark?

  Fun fact, the snails love green beans.

• 27:45Karen Kilgariff?

  That is the funnest fact I've ever heard in my life. I think that's the number one fun fact of my life.

• 27:51Georgia Hardstark?

  When you say, "I have a fun fact," it should be the equivalent of that, because so many fun facts are not fun or a fact.

• 27:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, exactly.

• 27:57Georgia Hardstark?

  But snails love green beans.

• 27:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Snails love green beans. That is fun. You can see it in your head of a snail just like chowing down and loving, just being like, finally.

• 28:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Wait, does he eat it like a corn on a cob? Or does he eat it like a sandwich?

• 28:13Karen Kilgariff?

  I think he has to put it on a table.

• 28:15Georgia Hardstark?

  Uh huh.

• 28:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Because he doesn't have any other way to hold it.

• 28:18Georgia Hardstark?

  Can, can, can, can, yeah, okay.

• 28:19Karen Kilgariff?

  Or he gets a chipmunk and a little squirrel to hold it up for him.

• 28:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god, and they, oh.

• 28:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh no.

• 28:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Tucked a little bib into his shell.

• 28:27Karen Kilgariff?

  We just made a cartoon for the Cartoon Network.

• 28:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my God, that's it. You guys, do you guys have any stories that are weirder?

• 28:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Do you guys have any snails? Did it rain in your town? Let us know how many snails came out on the sidewalk.

• 28:39Georgia Hardstark?

  I want a competition of the weirdest story subject, but it is related because I think this snail story wins right now.

• 28:47Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 28:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, this is a weird story. However, it is related to something you guys have talked about on an episode or on a mini-sode, wherever.

• 28:55Karen Kilgariff?

  Sure.

• 28:55Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah. Right?

• 28:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 28:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay.

• 28:57Karen Kilgariff?

  Or not.

• 28:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Or, tell us, we won't know.

• 29:00Karen Kilgariff?

  Dad snail breeder is a bit free-floating. Oh, no, that's not true. It's cargo-based.

• 29:05Georgia Hardstark?

  We asked about snail breeding. Like, we talked about snails and how they're bred and, like,

• 29:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 29:12Georgia Hardstark?

  It's totally a thing we talked about.

• 29:14Karen Kilgariff?

  And that's basically, it's kind of like, hey, we're not experts in terms of, like, no one's got a master's degree in snails, Yeah. in snail breeding, but we're in it. We're in this biz.

• 29:23Georgia Hardstark?

  And do you know more about it? Tell us.

• 29:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Do you know what they love to eat? Green beans? I do.

• 29:28Georgia Hardstark?

  We're curious people.

• 29:29Karen Kilgariff?

  Green beans. I'm gonna pull that one out then next time I'm feeling awkward.

• 29:33Georgia Hardstark?

  Do it. Yell it.

• 29:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Fun fact!

• 29:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Everyone, um, thanks for listening. Write to myfavoritemurder@gmail.

• 29:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Stay sexy.

• 29:41Georgia Hardstark?

  And don't get murdered.

• 29:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. Elvis, do you want a cookie?

• 29:53Karen Kilgariff?

  This has been an Exactly Right production.

• 29:55Georgia Hardstark?

  Our senior producers are Alejandra Keck and Molly Smith.

• 29:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

• 30:00Georgia Hardstark?

  This episode was mixed by Leona Scolacci.

• 30:02Karen Kilgariff?

  Email your hometowns to [email protected].

• 30:05Georgia Hardstark?

  And follow the show on Instagram at MyFavoriteMurder.

• 30:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Listen to My Favorite Murder on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 30:12Georgia Hardstark?

  And now you can watch us on Exactly Right's YouTube page, and while you're there, please like and subscribe.

• 30:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 30:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 30:30Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date all in one search.

• 30:35Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 30:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to budget beach bliss at your fingertips.

• 30:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to CheapCaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 30:49Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye. You know a favorite M-word? Magnesium.

• 30:53Karen Kilgariff?

  Like the kind that's in Dr. Teal's magnesium spray.

• 30:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Made from a proprietary blend of topical minerals, it's designed to relax and prepare you for a night of rest.

• 31:02Karen Kilgariff?

  If you need a reset after your day, make Dr. Teal's magnesium spray part of your nighttime routine.

• 31:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Generously spritz each foot before bed and you'll be all set. I've actually started doing this and I'm obsessed with magnesium. It does everything.

• 31:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Something like this is just like, it's simple, it's easy, and it actually works.

• 31:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Totally. For wellness you can feel, find Dr. Teal's magnesium spray online or in your local bath aisle.

• 31:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 31:24Georgia Hardstark?

  In the summer, healthy habits are easy to keep, until you leave the house.

• 31:28Karen Kilgariff?

  You walk out the door and the next thing you know, you're barefoot and feral in a gas station candy aisle.

• 31:32Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why Kachava makes it easy to maintain your routines.

• 31:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Kachava is an all-in-one nutrition shake and now it comes in new travel packs.

• 31:40Georgia Hardstark?

  Every packet gives you a simple shake with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, greens, probiotics, omegas, electrolytes, and more.

• 31:48Karen Kilgariff?

  They're easy to toss into a bag, easy to take on the road, and a simple way to stick with your normal wellness habits, even when your schedule changes.

• 31:55Georgia Hardstark?

  Man, that Kachava matcha in the individual packs is like my dream snack. It's exactly what I need and want in between the like, not great meals I'm eating for lunch and the snacks I would have had anyways that are terrible for me. Like, this is something I feel like I'm treating myself when I take.

• 32:14Karen Kilgariff?

  You're treating yourself to vitamins, fiber, all these things that your body really wants and needs and kind of craves that it does seem like it takes a big effort to get. So now you're getting it all in one packet and a little drink you like.

• 32:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Take your daily ritual with you.

• 32:27Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to kachava.com and use code MFM for 15% off your first order.

• 32:31Georgia Hardstark?

  That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com, code MFM.

• 32:36Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.