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Cold, dark, and full of hope—that's 2026. Welcome to Episode 138 of the Black Cat Report, where Joey and Gil kick off the new year with their favorite tradition: People Who Fake Their Own Deaths (Part 4)! 🎭

Think we'd run out of folks who ditch their lives and play dead? Think again. This time, we're diving into three wild tales: a poison-happy Alabama housewife who faked her own death TWICE (and somehow convinced her husband she was her own twin), an Indian activist who staged a fiery car crash to escape domestic bliss (with his brother-in-law's very questionable help), and a 14th-century nun who crafted a dummy corpse to escape convent life—described by the Archbishop as having "no shame in procuring its burial in a sacred space."

Perfect for your New Year, New You resolutions—unless your resolution involves faking your death, in which case... maybe don't take notes? 💀

After a little break (we weren't just twiddling our thumbs—Gil's been cooking up something crazy for our Patreon fam), we're back with more bizarre true crime that proves reality is stranger than fiction. Got a story idea? Hit us at contact@blackcat.report.

Love you, mean it. Now press play and let's get weird. 🖤

Sources:

Story 1:

https://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Hilley,%20Marie%20_2012_.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Marie_Hilley

https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/audrey-marie-hilley-poisons-husband-daughter-escape-prison

Story 2

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-28949959

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandra_Mohan_Sharma

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_Raj

Story 3

https://thenorthernway151149306.wordpress.com/joan-of-leeds-her-own-story/

https://www.history.com/articles/runaway-medieval-nun

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Leeds

In this episode, Buck and Stephanie navigate their new life on Palmyra's Atoll after being rescued from a harrowing sea journey. They meet the self-appointed mayor, Jack Wheeler, who introduces them to the island's wildlife and survival skills.

As they adapt to island life, they face challenges, including ethical dilemmas surrounding avicide to clear the runway for planes. The couple's relationship is tested by a dog bite incident, complicating their integration into the local community. In this episode, the conversation delves into the complexities of life on an isolated island, exploring themes of animal behavior, social dynamics, and the challenges of survival.

The hosts discuss the nature of pit bulls, the tensions that arise with new arrivals, and the contrasting perspectives of island life. As resources dwindle, bartering becomes essential, and relationships are tested. A night spent on a luxurious yacht offers a brief escape from the harsh realities of island living, but the looming uncertainties of future conflicts remain palpable.

ALL OUR LINKS: ⁠⁠⁠https://bcr.link/s⁠⁠⁠

PATREON:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlackCatReport⁠⁠⁠

Beer, Boos and Boogeymen (B3): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ghost.beer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT:

Email: contact@blackcat.report

Submit Episode Ideas: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bcr.link/ideas⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/black_cat_report/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Episodes

02:30 Arrival at Palmyra and Meeting the Neighbors

04:59 Jack Wheeler: The Unofficial Mayor of Palmyra

07:44 Island Life: Challenges and Realities

10:07 The Bird Orgy: A Unique Ecosystem

12:55 Jack's Survival Tips and Culinary Secrets

15:37 The Awkwardness of Jack's Tour

18:35 The Unnecessary Romance in the Narrative

21:35 Jack's Machete and the Coconut Experience

23:37 The Outdoor Bath and Island Hygiene

26:45 The Hermit Crabs and the Island's Ecosystem

30:53 Coconut Chronicles: A Culinary Exploration

37:01 The Ethics of Avicide: A Moral Dilemma

44:31 New Arrivals: The Dynamics of Island Life

51:32 Contrasting Perspectives: Paradise or Prison?

55:03 The Struggle for Survival: Bartering and Tension

57:55 Navigating Tensions on the Island

59:32 Building Connections Through Hospitality

01:00:52 A Night Aboard the Sea Wind

01:05:33 Muff's Letter Home

01:10:45 Foreshadowing Conflict and Tension

MUSIC CREDITS:

Outro Music: Lounge Jungle by Curt S D Macdonald

⁠⁠⁠https://download.audiohero.com/track/41504269⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Music Licensing Agreements: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blackcat.report/music-licensing-agreement⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Give the Love to Me

Give-the-Love-to-Me-DHT013701

https://download.audiohero.com/track/13441162

⁠Music Licensing Agreements: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blackcat.report/music-licensing-agreement⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

The absurdity of life and death continues as Joey leads us further into our exploration of unusual deaths throughout history, including a series of shark attacks in New Jersey, the bizarre dancing plague of 1518, and the unfortunate demise of a man crushed by cheese.

ALL OUR LINKS: ⁠⁠https://bcr.link/s⁠⁠

PATREON:⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlackCatReport⁠⁠

Beer, Boos and Boogeymen (B3): ⁠⁠⁠https://ghost.beer/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT:

Email: contact@blackcat.report

Submit Episode Ideas: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bcr.link/ideas⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/black_cat_report/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Unusual Deaths

00:01 The Shark Attacks of 1916

02:56 The First Victim: Charles Van Zandt

08:45 The Second Victim: Charles Brooder

11:50 The Creek Incident: Two Lives Lost

15:46 The Aftermath: Public Reaction and Shark Hunts

22:12 The Shark Conspiracy

24:26 The Unusual Death of Aeschylus

31:12 The Plane Crash and the Crocodile

37:32 The Dancing Plague of 1518

42:36 The Dance Plague of Strasbourg

49:09 Mass Hysteria and Historical Context

54:27 Unusual Deaths: A Series of Bizarre Tales

MUSIC CREDITS:

Outro Music: Lounge Jungle by Curt S D Macdonald

⁠⁠https://download.audiohero.com/track/41504269⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Music Licensing Agreements: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://blackcat.report/music-licensing-agreement⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

TAGS:

#OddHistory #Comedy #UnusualDeaths #BizarreHistory #StrangeStories