Episodios

  • The "Passing On" of the Haviland children: Part Two

    The "Passing On" of the Haviland children: Part Two
    Nov 19 2025
    This week, we're diving back into the story of Sarah Haviland, getting into her trial, punishment, and other finer details of the case. While we left off our last episode with a coroner’s jury heading to Sarah’s door on Saturday, December 16, 1865, let us rewind a bit, to the start of that week, and review the actions a mother took in 1865 that turned this story into a tragedy.
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    1 h y 25 m
  • The "Passing On" of the Haviland children: Part One

    The "Passing On" of the Haviland children: Part One
    Nov 12 2025
    When this case took place, the American Civil War had only ended some seven months earlier, and many were trying to make sense of their lives and losses. However, this tragedy happened in a Michigan home seemingly untouched by the war between the states, with the main perpetrator bringing about an event that seemingly made some sense at the time, but makes little sense now. This is the story of spiritualist Sarah Haviland, and the tragic "passing on" of her children in 1865.
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    1 h y 21 m
  • The Bombing (and Survival) of Charlene Dell

    The Bombing (and Survival) of Charlene Dell
    Oct 1 2025
    A little more than two months before Timothy McVeigh and former Decker resident Terry Nichols committed the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, there was another bombing that rocked the thumb area. It wasn’t of any government building— in fact, it didn’t target a building, or a group of people, but just one person. That person was Charlene Dell, and as she stepped out of her office that February afternoon, engulfed in flames, no one expected her to come out the other side. But she did, and this is her story.
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    1 h y 21 m
  • Bad Axe Hitman

    Bad Axe Hitman
    Jul 17 2025
    At 9:30 p.m. on January 22, 1984, Jerry Western was found with a single gunshot wound to the back in Colfax Township. As the first murder to have occurred in over six years in Huron County, it sent ripples through the community--especially since the contents of his pockets had been left in tact. In fact, the only thing that was stolen was his wedding ring. Who could have killed such a beloved member of the community, and why?
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    1 h y 10 m
  • Revisiting the Case of Douglas Gene Bowers

    Revisiting the Case of Douglas Gene Bowers
    Jun 5 2025
    The death of Douglas Hendricks in 1973 remains unthinkable. He was 19 at the time and a resident of Lexington, having been found dead just outside of the Cadillac House. It was a little over 24 years later that his stepfather, Douglas Bowers, would disappear from Worth Township. The last time we visited this case, it was still under active investigation, and while it does still remain unsolved, we're going to be taking some time to reflect on things.
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    48 m
  • Connected or Not?

    Connected or Not?
    May 22 2025
    On February 4, 1976, the body of Carol Wudarcki was found in Worth Township. She had been struck by a snow plow mere minutes before being discovered by Mark Ernst, making it near impossible for investigators to determine her cause of death. What was curious, however, were the marks found on her ankles and wrists. Just what does Ernst have to do in all of this, and is it possible that he may (or may not) have murdered others, including Iris Johnston and Gladys Barron? Find out on this week's episode of Thumbing Through the Archives.
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    1 h y 29 m
  • The McPhee Incident - Part 2 of 2

    The McPhee Incident - Part 2 of 2
    Mar 28 2025
    With Esther McPhee deceased, the trial for her husband began on the afternoon of October 17, with Prosecutor RJ West calling her older brother, George, to the stand. He was joined by at least 25 other residents of Melvin, with much of his account detailing the gritty details surrounding the McPhees’ relationship, the fire, and “character indications of the defendant which he claims he will establish to indicate guilt on the part of the prisoner.” Again, his story was just one of many that would be spilled in the meantime. Who would ultimately be blamed for Esther's death, and what would that mean for Melvin itself?
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    55 m
  • The McPhee Incident - Part 1 of 2

    The McPhee Incident - Part 1 of 2
    Mar 21 2025
    A small village in Sanilac County's Speaker Township, Melvin boasts a hearty population of 148 residents, with it not being much bigger over 100 years ago. What began as a lone saloon built in 1862 quickly sparked the construction of a drug store, the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad, and a church as the years drew on, but we're not here to talk that type of history. Today's episode centers around a married couple, Esther McPhee and William Jack McPhee, and the circumstances that led to one of their deaths on March 6, 1923. Was it a desire for vengeance that prompted 207 residents to accuse a man of murder, or was it something more?
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    1 h y 9 m