In the latest installment of our Spooky Season series, we’re headed to southwest Virginia, once again recording from the deck...at night...in rural Appalachia—to dig into the story behind America’s loudest founding father… and his darkest secret.

Everyone knows Patrick Henry as the man who shouted “Give me liberty, or give me death!” But few know the story of Sarah Shelton Henry, his wife who was locked away in the cellar of their home, Scotchtown, as her mind unraveled after childbirth.

What happened to Sarah? Was Patrick protecting her—or protecting his reputation? And why do visitors still hear chains dragging in the basement centuries later?

Join Courtney and Teresa as they explore the unsettling side of American history, where love, madness, and legacy collide.

Featuring true history, tragic love, and one seriously haunted house.

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References:

⁠Patrick and Sarah Henry: Mental illness in 18th century America | National Museum of American History⁠

⁠Founding Mother: Sarah Shelton Henry – History Made Seamless⁠

⁠Sarah Shelton Henry - Wikipedia⁠

⁠899) Sarah Shelton Henry – The Exasperated Historian⁠

⁠Scotchtown and the Haunting of Sarah Henry⁠

⁠Scotchtown – OCCULT WORLD⁠

⁠Patrick Henry - World History Encyclopedia⁠

⁠Sarah Henry: Patrick Henry’s Basement Kept Wife - Richmond Ghosts⁠

⁠Sarah Henry: An RVA Ghost⁠

Patrick Henry, Sarah Henry, Scotchtown, Virginia ghosts, American history, haunted history, spooky season, Storyteller podcast, founding fathers, ghost stories, true hauntings, historical mystery, mental illness history

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Welcome to Storyteller, where every episode is a new chapter of mystery, wonder, and the unexpected.

In this spine-tingling kickoff to our Appalachian spooky series, Courtney and Teresa trade mountain mist for moonlight as they record from deep in the Blue Ridge—where legends breathe through the fog and the past never really rests.

This week, we check into one of Virginia’s most haunted and storied places: The Martha Washington Inn in historic Abingdon. Once a family mansion, then a college, and later a Civil War hospital, The Martha has witnessed centuries of love, loss, and tragedy. And some say… not everyone who entered ever truly left.

From the ghostly violin of a devoted nurse to the phantom horse that still searches for its fallen rider, to whispers rising from tunnels where the dead were sealed into stone—this is a story steeped in beauty, sorrow, and the supernatural.

So draw your curtains, pour a drink, and settle in. Because tonight, we’re unraveling the haunting history of The Martha Washington Inn… where every creak, sigh, and flicker of candlelight might be something watching back.

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Love is in the air… or maybe that’s just the flapping of enormous wings. 👀

In this episode of Storyteller, Courtney and Teresa step onto the Cryptid Connection Dating Game stage to uncover the truth about West Virginia’s most infamous legend—the mysterious, red-eyed heartthrob known as Mothman.

Is he a harbinger of doom or just a misunderstood romantic with a killer wingspan and a bad reputation? From 1960s Point Pleasant sightings to bridge collapses, Chernobyl conspiracies, and beyond, this episode dives deep into the eerie history and enduring allure of America’s favorite nocturnal bachelor.

💘 Expect dating show chaos, Appalachian folklore, a few tragic bridge collapses, and way too many moth puns.

So grab your bug spray, dim the lights, and find out whether Teresa’s true soulmate is really the Mothman himself… because when it comes to love and legends, this cryptid might just be flying off the charts.

🦋 Is Mothman a harbinger of doom—or a harbinger of swoon? Tune in to find out.

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In this episode of Storyteller, Courtney and Teresa dive into the daring true story of Nellie Bly—the 23-year-old journalist who faked insanity to go undercover inside New York City’s notorious Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum in 1887.

What began as whispers of abuse, neglect, and overcrowding turned into one of the most groundbreaking investigations in American journalism. Listeners will follow Nellie’s bold decision to shed her identity, her harrowing experiences inside the asylum, and the shocking conditions she uncovered—from rotting food and freezing baths to women wrongfully imprisoned simply for being poor or unable to speak English.

Along the way, we explore Nellie Bly’s path from Elizabeth Jane Cochrane of Pennsylvania to one of the first women to break into serious investigative reporting. We’ll uncover how her exposé Inside the Madhouse not only forced reforms at Blackwell’s but also reshaped public understanding of mental health care, corruption, and the power of journalism itself.

From her fearless undercover work to her record-setting journey around the world, Nellie Bly’s story is one of bravery, persistence, and unapologetic defiance.

Step into 1887 with us and discover how one young woman risked everything to change the world—one story at a time.

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On Christmas Eve, 1985, a Nebraska farmer stumbled upon a heartbreaking mystery: the frozen body of a little boy in blue pajamas, forever known as Little Boy Blue. But who was he—and how did he end up abandoned in a roadside ditch?

This episode unravels the shocking story of Eli Stutzman, a former Amishman whose charm hid a dark and violent truth. From a troubled childhood in Ohio to a string of suspicious deaths and, ultimately, the betrayal of his own son, Stutzman’s story is one of manipulation, murder, and secrets buried deep within Amish country and beyond.

References:

https://www.ranker.com/list/eli-stutzman-facts/jodi-smith

https://people.com/archive/the-riddle-of-the-boy-in-blue-vol-29-no-7/

https://www.shortform.com/books/blog/eli-stutzman.html

https://sinisterdeeds.medium.com/they-call-him-the-ex-amish-serial-killer-part-2-a5b44ff40736

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/30-years-later-two-durango-murders-remain-unsolved/

https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/stutzman-eli.htm

Olsen, Gregg. Abandoned Prayers: An Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession, And Amish Secrets. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999, ISBN 9780312982010

Olsen, Gregg. The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free. 2024

In our very first episode of the Storyteller Podcast, we’re taking you to Twin Bridges, Montana—home of the Montana State Orphanage, also known as the Montana Children’s Center. For decades, thousands of children passed through its doors, many carrying stories of hardship, resilience, and heartbreak. But behind the institution’s well-meaning beginnings were darker practices and a haunting legacy that still lingers today.

We’ll explore the history of the orphanage, share firsthand accounts from those who lived there, and uncover some of the unsettling truths about life inside its walls. Finally, we’ll step into the present, where paranormal investigators claim the abandoned halls echo with the voices and shadows of the past.

History, mystery, and a touch of the paranormal—it’s all here in our debut episode. Listener discretion is advised.