Episodes

Justin Vyor is the creator and writer of Murder, Mischief & Mayhem!, the anthology podcast that explores sensational but long-forgotten American murder cases from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Justin's deep fascination with the odd corners of American history —especially when crime, character, and culture collide — has resulted in a unique podcast series that features compelling narration and dramatic recreations of some really bizarre cases. With a sharp eye for detail and a deep lov...

Upon the discovery of the body of Ocey Snead, the three Wardlaw sisters are apprehended and indicted on first degree murder charges. The circumstances surrounding the girl’s passing are incriminating. The “women in black” all steadfastly maintain their innocence in a courtroom unnerved by the untimely death of Virginia Wardlaw (who starves herself in her jail cell) and the egomaniacal ravings of Caroline Martin during the proceedings. However, the trial takes a dramatic turn when a surprise witn...

East Orange New Jersey was an affluent, tree-lined, mansion-filled community in 1909, populated by oil tycoons and Newark industrialists. In November of that year, its tranquility was suddenly shattered by a phone call to the police from Virginia Wardlaw, one of the three Wardlaw women (the Sisters in Black) who were well known in East Orange for their weird attire and strange behavior. That disturbing call resulted in a visit by the authorities to the Wardlaw home, where they discovered the bod...

Three sisters disturb the peace in East Orange New Jersey in 1909 when they take a 19-year-old girl hostage and imprison her in their hovel. Their plan for the girl (the daughter of one of the sisters) is diabolical: gaslight their victim into submission, gain control over her inheritance, and then starve her to death.

The trial of Dr. Rosenzweig attracted national attention, thanks to its relentless coverage in the New York press. Abortion was relatively common in Post-Civil War New York. In fact, an underground network of providers openly advertised their services in the classified sections of the local newspapers. However, in 1871, it was an unsafe and often fatal pursuit. The Rosenzweig trial went well beyond arguing the facts of the case; it quickly became a forum on the legality and morality of the pract...

Nothing could prepare the baggage handlers on the loading dock of the Hudson River Railroad Depot for what they found when they cracked open a suspicious steamer trunk headed for Chicago. They recoil in horror. The authorities are immediately called in. The New York City Constabulary conducts an investigation with a zeal that befits the enormity of the suspected crime.

In 1871, a mysterious woman deposits a Saratoga trunk on the loading dock of the Hudson River Train Depot for transport to Chicago. The steamer never makes it to its destination. Instead, it triggers arrests, an indictment and a sensational trial that attracts national attention. The issue at stake in that courtroom foreshadows a judicial and cultural firestorm that continues to rip the fabric of American society over 150 years later. Join G.W. Bailey as he narrates the first story i...