Listener,

On a quiet May evening, a white stretch limousine glides across the San Mateo Bridge — nine women inside, celebrating a new chapter in life. But before the night can unfold, flames consume the vehicle, trapping five passengers inside as desperate 911 calls flood dispatch. What begins as confusion on the highway becomes a horrifying tragedy burned into California’s memory.

In this episode, Obscura host Justin Drown takes you inside the 911 recordings, witness statements, and the official investigation into one of the most haunting limousine fires in U.S. history. You’ll hear how a mechanical failure turned celebration into catastrophe — and how survival and guilt intertwine in the aftermath.

What really caused the fire? Could it have been prevented? And what happens to the people who walk away when others can’t?

In the conclusion of this two-part series, Obscura turns from the formative years of Kelsey A. to her final, devastating night.

On April 1st, 2025, calls began flooding into dispatch: a wrong-way driver on Interstate 275. Officers pursued a gray Ford Escape, ultimately forcing it to a stop. What unfolded in the following minutes was chaos, fear, and tragedy—ending with gunfire that would claim Kelsey’s life.

Part 2 captures the raw audio from the dash cams, radios, and body mics that recorded her final moments. Beyond the incident itself, we examine the aftershock: the grief of her family, the official investigation, and the long shadow of untreated mental illness that had haunted her for years.

This episode is not only about what happened on that highway—it’s about how a life shaped by hardship, resilience, and trauma reached its breaking point.

• Emergency calls describing a wrong-way driver on I-275.
• Police radio and dash cam audio from the pursuit and confrontation.
• Kelsey’s final words, captured in tense exchanges with officers.
• First-hand accounts of officers securing the scene and her dog.
• News reports and witness perspectives on the officer-involved shooting.
• The moment her family was notified and their reflections on her struggles.
• Insights into the paranoia, fear, and mental health battles that consumed Kelsey in her final year.

This episode contains graphic audio of a police shooting, discussions of mental illness, and descriptions of death. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Part 2 closes the story of Kelsey’s life—a life marked by resilience and collapse, triumph and tragedy. Thank you for sitting with her story.

In this first part of a two-part series, Obscura takes you inside the complicated and often tragic life of Kelsey A., a young woman whose story weaves together resilience, trauma, and the weight of circumstance.

From her early struggles with brain surgery and a near-fatal car accident to her years in a bootcamp and boarding school, Kelsey’s life was shaped by events that altered her path in profound ways. Despite it all, she rose as a standout athlete—first on the basketball court, then in the MMA cage. But as the years went on, new battles emerged: psychiatric crises, brushes with the law, and the dark pull of choices made in desperation.

Part 1 is not the story of her final day—it is the story of how she got there. By tracing her journey, we see the psychological weight she carried and the brief moments of triumph that stood out against a backdrop of adversity.

This episode lays the foundation. Part 2 will plunge into the darker, more unsettling details of her final chapter.

• Kelsey’s early life in Cincinnati and the medical ordeal that reshaped her childhood.
• A devastating car accident that left lasting physical and psychological scars.
• Her removal from home and placement into a North Carolina bootcamp, followed by Montana Academy.
• Near-death experiences, including her survival after collapsing in the snow during an escape attempt.
• The drive and talent that turned her into a star basketball player and later an MMA fighter.
• Glimpses of her later years: psychiatric struggles, brushes with law enforcement, and choices that complicated her legacy.
• A reflection on how chance, trauma, and resilience shaped the person Kelsey became.

This episode contains discussions of brain trauma, psychiatric crises, sex work, and law enforcement encounters. Listener discretion is advised.

Part 1 sets the stage. Part 2 will take you deeper into the grittier, unsettling details that define Kelsey’s final years. Free listeners will get Part 2 next week; patrons can listen early.

Today we cover a strange case. An unusual case. The case of Joe Winko. But who is Joe Winko? Well, pinning him down is a challenge in itself. I’ll try my best. I warn you this episode is going to be unlike any Obscura episode you’ve heard before. But I promise you it will be worth it.

Hello Listener.

Today we cover a strange case. An unusual case. The case of Joe Winko. But who is Joe Winko? Well, pinning him down is a challenge in itself. I’ll try my best. I warn you this episode is going to be unlike any Obscura episode you’ve heard before. But I promise you it will be worth it.

In December 1984, a man walked into a karate dojo in Dumfries, Virginia. Minutes later, he was dragged out the back door, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Decades later, the grainy footage of his brutal beating would reemerge on YouTube, igniting a firestorm of outrage, speculation—and questions that remain unanswered to this day.

In this Black Label episode of Obscura, Justin Drown unpacks the haunting story behind what came to be known as the "Kung Fu Guy Incident." At the center is Bobby Joe Blythe—a self-styled sensei with a history of violent stunts and a doctrine that turned martial arts into a license for cruelty. What happened inside that dojo wasn't a demonstration. It was an orchestrated attack on a mentally ill man, all filmed, narrated, and later uploaded by the very man who allowed it to happen.

This is not a tale of ancient discipline or honor. It's the story of power abused, a life discarded, and a justice system left paralyzed by the absence of a name. No arrest. No trial. No confirmed identity for the victim—only the echo of his last words and the sound of boots on concrete.

Listener discretion is strongly advised. The audio in this episode is graphic. The subject matter is disturbing. But the story must be told.

Join me on Black Label at https://www.patreon.com/c/obscuracrimepodcast

Anchorage wakes to the knock that ends the hunt: October 27, 1983, troopers arrive at Hansen’s bakery, and an interrogation room papered with maps and faces waits for him. Search warrants turn his life inside out—an aerial map etched with 24 Xs, hidden firearms, and jewelry that speaks for the dead. Ballistics tell the rest: shell casings match the Ruger Mini-14, and those Xs resolve into graves in the wild.

From a 12-hour confession to a grim helicopter tour that yields new remains—including the victim dubbed “Horseshoe Harriet”—Obscura threads meticulous police work with the voices too long ignored. The gavel falls—461 years plus life—and the cold Alaskan air still carries the names of the missing.

Join Black Label on Patreon to unlock our entire back catalog ad-free, plus every Black Label premium episode: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast

Anchorage’s pipeline boom promised prosperity, but under the neon and snow, someone was hunting. In this episode, we revisit the disappearances of young women—Megan Emerick, Mary Phil, Roxanne Eastland, and more—whose lives were too easily dismissed as the city looked the other way. Through survivor testimony, including Cindy Paulson’s harrowing escape, we chart the failures that let a predator thrive and the dogged investigators who refused to let the case go cold. Forensic breakthroughs and psychological profiling peel back the mask of Robert Hansen, the “Butcher Baker,” revealing calculation where others saw banality. Obscura’s trademark approach—unflinching, empathetic, and meticulously sourced—honors the victims while mapping the long, frozen road to justice.

Join Black Label on Patreon to unlock our entire back catalog ad-free, plus every Black Label premium episode: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast