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  • Eleven Women Framed: The Choir That Watched Them All

    Eleven Women Framed: The Choir That Watched Them All
    2026/11/02
    Eleven Women Framed: The Choir That Watched Them All

    Imagine discovering a hidden cache of photographs, each one secretly capturing a woman going about her daily life, completely unaware she was being watched. What sinister purpose lay behind these eleven framed lives, and what was going to happen to the women in them?

    In this episode, we delve into the unsettling discovery made in a church basement in Harwick, Ohio, where a volunteer found eleven manila folders, each containing a photograph of an unsuspecting woman. We explore the community choir, "The Assembled Voice," that rehearsed there and the man who built it, whose true identity and intentions were far from what they seemed.

    Date: October 23, 2014
    Location: Reston Avenue Lutheran Church, Harwick, Ohio
    Group: The Assembled Voice
    Person: Lloyd Bennett (Lawrence Benton)
    Duration: 2.5 years

    - Jeffrey Baker found eleven manila folders, each with a photograph of a woman, in the church basement.
    - The Assembled Voice functioned as a community choir for two and a half years, rehearsing Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
    - Lloyd Bennett, the choir director, was actually Lawrence Benton, with only two semesters of introductory music theory.
    - Wendy Johnson, a 51-year-old billing coordinator, joined the choir in early 2012.
    - By summer 2012, the choir had grown from nine to eighteen members.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    20 分
  • The Wellness Cult's Unmarked Table in the Woods

    The Wellness Cult's Unmarked Table in the Woods
    2026/11/01
    The Wellness Cult's Unmarked Table in the Woods

    Imagine a perfectly ironed white tablecloth on a folding table in a pine barren, four and a half miles from the nearest road, with no tracks or footprints. This mysterious scene, found by Rebecca Cole, led to the discovery of a residential wellness program in central Tennessee, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars through a shell company. What secrets did the Harrow Institute hold, and how did it come apart?

    In this episode, we explore the Harrow Institute, a residential wellness program in central Tennessee, run by a man with a doctorate from a non-existent university. We delve into how it was built, how it maintained its hold on participants, and how it ultimately unraveled, all through the experiences of those who were inside.

    Person: Rebecca Cole
    Date: September
    Location: Sutter Basin, Tennessee
    Organization: The Harrow Institute
    Cost: one thousand eight hundred dollars

    - Rebecca Cole found a mysterious table four and a half miles from the nearest road.
    - Valerie O'Connor had spent eleven months trying to reach someone connected to the organization.
    - Eleven people were still inside the Addison Mill Road facility when investigators arrived.
    - Pamela Jenkins enrolled in the Harrow Institute's program for an initial cost of one thousand eight hundred dollars.
    - Pamela Jenkins moved into the facility by March of two thousand and sixteen and stayed for two years and eight months.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The Dry Card: How a Cult Leader Built a World of Paper

    The Dry Card: How a Cult Leader Built a World of Paper
    2026/10/31
    The Dry Card: How a Cult Leader Built a World of Paper

    Imagine finding a laminated ID badge, submerged in a river for days, yet with an attached index card that is bone dry. This impossible detail, marked "BROTHER 7 - HOUR OF RELEASE - WITNESSED," launched a unique investigation into a cult leader who crafted an entire world from paper. How could such a fragile piece of evidence remain untouched by the water?

    In this episode, we delve into the strange case of a dry index card found with a waterlogged ID, an anomaly that became the key to unraveling a cult. We explore the origins of the Brotherhood of the Press, a group built on invented history and led by a man who exploited his followers.

    Person: Tammy Hill
    Location: Denton Falls
    Organization: Harton Fabrication
    Cult: Brotherhood of the Press
    Leader: Alan Simmons

    - A laminated Harton Fabrication ID was found in the Sallow River, submerged since at least August eleventh.
    - An index card stapled to the ID was bone dry, despite the badge being waterlogged.
    - Tammy Hill, 26, started working at Harton Fabrication on Line four, night shift, in February.
    - Alan Simmons, 39, a floor supervisor, started the Brotherhood of the Press, holding meetings in his rented house.
    - Members contributed to a shared fund called the Common Weight, starting at fifty dollars a month.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • The Typewriter in the Crawlspace: Where Becca Vanished

    The Typewriter in the Crawlspace: Where Becca Vanished
    2026/10/30
    The Typewriter in the Crawlspace: Where Becca Vanished

    Imagine discovering a shed filled with 4,000 pages, each bearing the same cryptic sentence, "Roy sees what the word requires," and a single size-seven sneaker with an ink smear. This chilling scene in Tarbell County hints at a dark secret and the disappearance of Becca Thorn. What cult-like activities led to such a discovery?

    In this episode, we delve into the story of Lauren Hensley, a high school English teacher drawn into the orbit of Roy Gray and his "Printed Word Collective." We explore how Gray's intellectual allure masked a sinister operation that cost members their savings and ultimately led to a shocking revelation in a courtroom.

    Person: Diane Hughes
    Date: July 2011
    Location: Tarbell County
    Object: 4,000 pages
    Sentence: Roy sees what the word requires

    - A county surveyor found 4,000 pages, each with a single typed sentence, in a shed.
    - Lauren Hensley, a 52-year-old English teacher, lost $11,000 to the Collective.
    - Dennis Kraft, a retired postal worker, lost $43,000 to Roy Gray's scheme.
    - A 1993 pamphlet by Gerald Poss used vocabulary nearly identical to Roy Gray's.
    - A size-seven canvas sneaker with an ink smear was found in the shed.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • The Empty Chambers: 13 Pairs of Shoes, One Missing

    The Empty Chambers: 13 Pairs of Shoes, One Missing
    2026/10/29
    The Empty Chambers: 13 Pairs of Shoes, One Missing

    Thirteen pairs of clean, laced shoes sat by a padlocked hatch on a dirt floor, each with a folded note, but one pair was missing. What happened to the fourteen people who willingly went underground in Parnell County, paying to enter chambers that were later found empty?

    In this episode, we uncover the story of the Ironfield Readiness Association, a group that sought catastrophic preparedness but found themselves trapped by a charismatic leader. This is a story about how trust is meticulously built, then exploited, and how a twenty-three-year-old found a crack in the wall and decided to walk through it.

    Person: Leon Whitaker
    Date: June 14, 2022
    Location: Parnell County, Nebraska
    Event: Discovery of underground chambers
    Organization: Ironfield Readiness Association

    - Thirteen pairs of shoes were found beside a padlocked hatch, with one pair missing.
    - Fourteen people went underground in October 2021, paying to join the Transition Protocol.
    - Howard Edwards, the leader, claimed eleven years as a FEMA catastrophic preparedness specialist.
    - The underground facility included four chambers, a propane generator, a dedicated well, and an eighteen-month food store.
    - Eric Novak paid a two-hundred-dollar membership fee in June 2021 to join the group.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • access to "consolidated legacy documentation" bridging genealogy gaps

    access to "consolidated legacy documentation" bridging genealogy gaps
    2026/10/28
    access to "consolidated legacy documentation" bridging genealogy gaps

    Imagine finding a perfectly preserved, cloth-bound book in a saturated pine stand, its condition "inconsistent with its apparent exposure duration." This mysterious find led to the unraveling of a sophisticated system built around a fundamental human need. What secrets did this unusual discovery expose about a seemingly innocuous genealogy group?

    In this episode, we delve into the curious case of the Bloodline Registry and the Hearthline Society, an organization that promised to bridge genealogical gaps for its members. We explore how a man named Douglas Wallace cultivated an environment of trust and belonging, and the unexpected way his elaborate system began to unravel.

    Person: Bruce Dixon
    Location: Tarbell County
    Organization: Hearthline Society
    Members: Roughly forty
    Payment: Four thousand dollars

    - Bruce Dixon, 61, found a cloth-bound registry volume in a saturated pine stand.
    - The book, Volume IV of the Bloodline Registry, was 11x14 inches with gold lettering.
    - The Hearthline Society operated from 19 Caldecott Street.
    - Debra Brown paid four thousand dollars for access to the Society's archive.
    - A database search for "Trescott" in Tarbell County vital records (1890-1912) yielded no results.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    23 分
  • The Table Set For Eight: A Cult's Last Supper

    The Table Set For Eight: A Cult's Last Supper
    2026/10/27
    The Table Set For Eight: A Cult's Last Supper

    Imagine finding a dining table set for eight outside a locked building at 41 degrees Fahrenheit, with water in the cups unfrozen. This cult's last supper scene, discovered by a newspaper boy, hints at a deeper mystery. What happened to the Steadfast Corps, an emergency preparedness group that vanished, leaving behind only an eerie tableau?

    In this episode, we explore the origins of the Steadfast Corps, from its founding by the charismatic Clifford Owens to the personal tragedy that led Vicki Fleming to join. We uncover the organization's true nature, its financial dealings, and the unsettling past of its leader, revealing a pattern of deception that predates the Corps.

    Person: Jeffrey Gallagher
    Date: April 9, 2019
    Location: Calder Falls, Indiana
    Organization: Steadfast Corps
    Amount: $312,000

    - A 16-year-old boy discovered a dining table set for eight outside the Civic Preparedness Building.
    - The table had eight place settings, eight cups of water, and eight unpeeled hard-boiled eggs.
    - The building had been officially closed and padlocked for nine days prior to the discovery.
    - The Steadfast Corps collected $312,000 from its members over five years.
    - Clifford Owens had previously founded a similar organization, Community Forward Initiative, in 2002 in western Tennessee.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    24 分
  • The Badge That Unlocked a Cult's Lies

    The Badge That Unlocked a Cult's Lies
    2026/10/26
    The Badge That Unlocked a Cult's Lies

    A county road-grader unearths a hospital ID badge and a three-ring binder, revealing a man's identity that Harwick Memorial Hospital has no record of. This discovery unravels three years of careful construction, exposing a cult leader's lies and the lives of eleven people who trusted him completely. What secrets did this badge truly unlock about the Still Water Recovery cult?

    In this episode, we delve into the deceptive world of Still Water Recovery, a supposed quiet place for sobriety that was actually a carefully constructed facade. We explore the journey of John Wells, a young man seeking structure who found himself drawn into a cult built on false promises and manipulated narratives.

    Case: Still Water Recovery
    Person: Paul Underwood (aka Stephen Coble)
    Location: Caulfield Lake, Mather County
    Object: Hospital ID badge, three-ring binder
    Victim: John Wells

    - A white three-ring binder was found buried under February snow, pulled forty feet by a road-grader.
    - The hospital ID badge found was for a man named Stephen Coble, but Harwick Memorial Hospital had no record of him.
    - Paul Underwood, the cult leader, was a former medical device sales rep from suburban Ohio, with no record in Tennessee recovery organizations.
    - John Wells's letters home, initially personal, gradually shifted to include phrases from Underwood's "Foundation Letters."
    - The final three letters from John Wells made no mention of his rabbit, Cleo, a significant detail in his earlier correspondence.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分