Ice Pickin' and Grinnin?

1. Dr Walter Jackson Freeman II In this opener we trace the career of Dr Walter Jackson Freeman II, the American physician who pioneered the transorbital lobotomy with an "ice pick" approach. Born in Philadelphia in 1895, Freeman invented a radical procedure that bypassed operating rooms and popularized it through nationwide hospital tours. He personally performed as many as 4,000 lobotomies on patients as young as four, often without anesthesia beyond electroconvulsive therapy, and was ultimately banned from performing surgery in 1967 after numerous deaths and complications. We examine both his medical ambitions and the tragic human cost of his quest. 2. Cryptid Quickie: The Bee Rock Troll This Cryptid Quickie dives into the legend of the Bee Rock Troll from the late 1800s, a dwarfish cave-dweller rumored to haunt the woods and tunnels between Appalachia and Big Stone Gap. Laborers laying track and local families reported hearing shrill cries for help emanating from the woods and occasionally glimpsing a deformed, stocky figure near Bee Rock Tunnel. Even into the mid-20th century, residents near the Powell River Trail recounted grotesque faces peering through windows and shadowy silhouettes darting across railroad tracks. Join us for the origin story of this persistent Appalachian apparition. 3. Bizarre Burials: Institutional Graves In Bizarre Burials, we uncover the cemeteries attached to mental health and state institutions in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We explore how these burial grounds often featured unmarked or numbered graves, reflecting both the stigma of mental illness and institutional record-keeping practices that prioritized anonymity. Overcrowding and budget constraints led to mass burials and minimal markers, leaving many patients' final resting places lost or forgotten. Discover the ongoing efforts by genealogists and volunteers to locate burial records, restore cemeteries, and honor those unmarked souls. 4. Missing Moment: The Case of Gretchen Fleming For our Missing Moment, we revisit the unsettling case of Gretchen Fleming, who vanished after leaving a Parkersburg bar in December 2022. Investigators have executed multiple search warrants-including a recent FBI- assisted search of a former residence belonging to a man of interest-but no charges have been filed. Family and community members continue to press for answers, distributing posters and sharing leads in hopes of locating Gretchen or uncovering new evidence. We dissect the known timeline, examine law enforcement's updates, and consider what this case reveals about cold- case investigations today.