In this episode of The Arkins Hearth Podcast, we travel down the infamous Devil's Highway, formerly U.S. Route 666, a lonely stretch of road cutting through the American Southwest. Blending documented history, real-world tragedies, unsolved mysteries, and decades of local legends, we explore how a dangerous highway became a breeding ground for stories of phantom vehicles, unexplained encounters, UFO sightings, and supernatural folklore. Is the fear surrounding the road rooted in something paranormal, or does isolation itself create the perfect conditions for legend? Join us as we separate fact from folklore and examine why the Devil's Highway still haunts the imagination long after its name disappeared from the map.

Podcast art by The Pixie

References

Associated Press. (2025, May 5). Indigenous people raise awareness about their missing and murdered. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/3d4aa3a887b3dafa77e75b6ddde78b21

Nowell, C. (2025, April 8). New Mexico creates turquoise alert for missing Indigenous Americans. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/08/new-mexico-indigenous-missing-alert

Weingroff, R. F. (2003, June 18). U.S. 666: "Beast of a Highway"? Federal Highway Administration. https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/us-666-beast-highway

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). U.S. Route 491. Wikipedia. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_491

Reddit contributors. (2022, October 8). Highway 666: The cursed Devil's Highway [Online forum post]. Reddit, r/Unexplained. https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexplained/comments/xydku9/

In this episode of The Arkin’s Hearth, we explore the disturbing story of Strong City and the Lord Our Righteousness Church, a secluded religious group led by Wayne Bent, also known as Michael Travesser. What began as an apocalyptic breakaway movement from the Seventh-day Adventist Church evolved into a high-control cult centered around Bent’s claims of divine authority and messianic identity.

Art By the Pixie

If you need help in the US Text 988 Support Right Now

Free, Private and Confidential Support 24/7 by Phone, Text or Chat

For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) now.

References

Bowman, M. (2011). Apocalypse in the desert: The Lord Our Righteousness Church and Strong City. Nova Religio, 15(2), 5-26. https://doi.org/10.1525/nr.2011.15.2.5

BBC. (2007). The End of the World Cult [Television documentary]. BBC Two. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008q4ff (Now avaliable in Vimeo)

State of New Mexico v. Wayne Bent, No. D-818-CR-200800013 (N.M. 2008).

In this finale episode of Shadows Over Albuquerque, host Michael Jason Chandler and the Arkins Hearth crew examine the ongoing federal case against Labar Tsethlikai, a Zuni Pueblo man accused of multiple violent crimes across New Mexico between 2022 and 2024. The episode explores the investigation, forensic evidence, witness testimony, and arrest that led to national attention on the case, while also discussing the broader impact of violence against Indigenous communities, Albuquerque’s crime trends, and the difficult question of whether the allegations fit the definition of a serial killer.

Please support us on Patreon. Click this link here

The Arkins Hearth Podcast | A podcast with stories from the Four Corners of murder and myth | Patreon

Art By the Pixie

References

Albuquerque Police Department. (2024). Homicide statistics and annual reports. City of Albuquerque. https://www.cabq.gov/police

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023). Crime in the United States (Uniform Crime Reporting Program). U.S. Department of Justice. https://crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Serial murder: Multi-disciplinary perspectives for investigators. https://www.fbi.gov

United States Department of Justice. (n.d.). Press releases. https://www.justice.gov/news

Bureau of Indian Affairs. (n.d.). Indian country crime data. https://www.bia.gov

National Institute of Justice. (2016). Violence against American Indian and Alaska Native populations. U.S. Department of Justice. https://nij.ojp.gov

New Mexico Department of Public Safety. (2023). Uniform crime reports for New Mexico. https://www.nmsp.dps.state.nm.us

Albuquerque Journal. (2022–2025). Coverage of Albuquerque homicide trends. https://www.abqjournal.com

KRQE. (2022–2025). Local crime and homicide reporting. https://www.krqe.com