Lucid Lab Podcast

Outside of Juarez, Mexico in the 1970s, Ervil LeBaron led a fundamentalist sect of the Mormon religion known as the Lambs of God. Ervil would gather many followers and lead them down a treacherous path that involved killing their own family members in the name of God. By the time it was all done, there would be over 30 people killed but Ervil would never pull a trigger or kill one person by his own hand. This is what earned him the name of The Mormon Manson.  
In this first part of our story, we will go back to understand some core teachings that were established by the early 1800s prophets of the Mormon church. One of those being the dangerous philosophy of Blood Atonement introduced by Brigham Young that would result in these murders 100+ years later. 
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Sources:
Spencer, Irene. Cult Insanity. 2009. Center Street. 
LeBaron, Anna. The Polygamist's Daughter. 2017. Blackstone Publishing.
Park, Benjamin. American Zion: A New History of Mormonism. 2024. HighBridge. 
Foster, Craig. American Polygamy. 2015. Arcadia Publishing. 
Denton, Sally. The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land. 2022. Liveright.
 

In this week's harrowing episode, Jessica gives us the chilling details of the attempted murder of Alison Botha; a story that captivated the world with its tale of terror and survival. Alison's ordeal began on a fateful night in 1994 when she was abducted, brutally assaulted, and left for dead by her attackers. Against all odds, Alison found her way to safety. Her journey illuminates the darkest corners of human cruelty and the incredible strength of the human spirit. Join us as we explore the events leading up to the fight of her life, the investigation that followed, and the ongoing impact of Alison's story on discussions around violence, resilience, and the fight for justice. This episode is a tribute to Alison Botha's courage and a reminder of the enduring power of hope in the face of unimaginable adversity.
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Follow Lucid Lab Podcast on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) @lucidlabpodcast
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Send your questions and episode suggestions to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com 
Have a special experience you want to share? Send us anything! True crime, paranormal, alien encounters, spiritual experiences, dreams, etc. We might read it in our Lab Reports episode!
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Sources:
Carlini, U (Producer & Director). (2016). Alison. [Video file] Retrieved from Watch Alison | Prime Video (amazon.com)
Chetana. (2022, April 18). Alison Botha Biography. Alison Botha - Abduction, Husband & Injuries - Biography (biographyhost.com)
Thamm, M. (2016, June 1). I Have Life: Alison's Journey as told to Marianne Thamm: Alison’s Journey. Penguin Books.

We are traveling to Transylvania on this week's episode, but not just to visit the origin of Dracula lore. Instead, we will be exploring the creepy happenings of the nearby Hoia Baciu Forest. There are tales of UFOs, disappearances of people and animals, ghosts, portals to other dimensions and some odd vegetation going on here. We will cover it all along with some possible theories of what could be causing the strange occurrences in the forest. Listen now to hear why this forest is also called the Bermuda Triangle of Romania!
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Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and anywhere else you listen to podcasts!
Follow Lucid Lab Podcast on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) @lucidlabpodcast
Send your stories, questions, episode suggestions or kind comments to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com
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Sources:
https://romaniatourstore.com/blog/hoia-baciu-forest-mysterious-legends/
https://www.discovery.com/exploration/the-mystery-of-the-crooked-forest
https://www.iflscience.com/gravity-response-what-deformed-400-trees-in-polands-crooked-forest-71072
https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/hoia-forest-0015101
https://tourinromania.com/reasons-to-visit-romania/stories-from-the-hoia-baciu-forest
https://hoiabaciuforest.com/en/phenomena-in-the-hoia-baciu-forest-a-mystery-beyond-reason-haunted-forest/

Join us on a chilling journey into the heart of the American frontier, where the infamous Bloody Benders reigned terror over unsuspecting travelers. In this episode, we delve into the dark history of the Bender family, a seemingly ordinary group of spiritualist settlers who harbored a sinister secret. From their humble beginnings in Kansas to the gruesome discoveries that shocked the nation, we explore the series of events that led to one of the most notorious crime sprees in early American history. Hear about the horrifying methods the Benders used to lure and murder their victims, and the ensuing manhunt that captivated the country. We discuss the theories behind their motives and the mystery that still surrounds their disappearance. This is a story of deception, greed, and the dark side of human nature, set against the backdrop of the untamed American Wild West.
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Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and anywhere else you listen to podcasts!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow Lucid Lab Podcast on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) @lucidlabpodcast
Support Lucid Lab on Patreon! Join the Lab Rat Clan - https://www.patreon.com/LucidLabPodcast
Send your questions and episode suggestions to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com 
Have a special experience you want to share? Send us anything! True crime, paranormal, alien encounters, spiritual experiences, dreams, etc. We might read it in our Lab Reports episode!
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Sources:
McCormick, D. (2012, March 30). ‘The Bloody Benders’: America’s First Serial-Killer Family. https://www.historynet.com/the-bloody-benders-grim-harvest/
KU Research Team Set to Return to Bloody Bender Site. (2024, May 6). https://www.chanute.com/news/article_06f6f46e-0bee-ab20-931f4c37b6af.html
Bloody Benders. (n.d.). Bloody Benders - Wikipedia
The Kelly Family. (n.d.). The Kelly Family (serial killers) - Wikipedia

It's hard to believe it but we are at Vol 8 of our Lab Reports! This week we share two listener stories, one about a Hillbilly Haunting in Georgia and an eerie encounter with a Skinwalker in New Mexico.
For our first mini-episodes, Kendra brings you the old-timey tale of The Colorado Cannibal aka Alferd Packer who either did what he needed to survive or took advantage of a party of men who trusted him to guide them through the mountains. 
Jessica brings you the story of Giulia Tofana for the 2nd mini episode and I don't want to spoil it here for those of you that haven't heard this tale. Some may call her a heroine (Kendra thinks so), others would call her a murderer. Either way, we can all agree that 17th-century Italy was a harsh place to live as a woman. __________
Please send in your own stories to be featured on this special episode to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com!
Also, if you enjoy our show, please rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Share with a friend that loves true crime, paranormal and crazy history stories!__________
https://www.highcountryshopper.com/spotlight/unpacking-the-mystery-of-alferd-packer-colorado-cannibal/article_ee26d216-9e91-11ee-9342-379f920a20ec.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Packer
Spana Prosecution - Wikipedia
Femicide in Italy: A modern phenomenon deeply rooted in country’s cultural past (theconversation.com)
The Role of Women During the Italian Renaissance (thecollector.com)
Gironima Spana - Wikipedia
Giulia Tofana - Wikipedia
 
 

This week it's a bit of a different kind of episode, it reads like a good mystery novel or movie. Murder in Room 1046 is the famous unsolved case involving an unidentified man found under strange circumstances in 1935 at The President hotel in downtown Kansas City. Join Kendra as she reviews the case details and we both ponder who could have committed the murder and reveal the true identity of the stranger killed in Room 1046, it took almost two years for them to identify this man!
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Please rate and subscribe anywhere you listen to podcasts!!
Follow us on social media! (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) @lucidlabpodcast
Support Lucid Lab on Patreon! Join the Lab Rat Clan - https://www.patreon.com/LucidLabPodcast
Email us with any questions or suggestions @ lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com
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Sources:
https://kchistory.org/blog/mystery-room-1046-pt-1-roland-t-owen
https://buzzfeed-unsolved.fandom.com/wiki/The_Creepy_Murder_In_Room_1046
https://kansascitymag.com/the-owen-case/’

This week we dive into the extraordinary life of Jack Parsons, a man who walked the fine line between science and the occult. A pioneering rocket engineer by day and a devoted practitioner of “magick” by night, Jack’s life is a captivating blend of innovation, mysticism, and the quest for the unknown. In this podcast episode, we explore the dual nature of Jack's existence, from his groundbreaking work that helped shape modern rocketry to his deep involvement in the Ordo Templi Orientis and Aleister Crowley’s Thelemic system. It’s a wild story that includes iconic figures like Scientologist founder L. Ron Hubbard. His legacy continues to influence both the realms of aerospace engineering and esoteric thought and leaves us pondering the enduring question of what it means to be a true seeker of knowledge and enlightenment. 
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Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and anywhere else you listen to podcasts!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Follow Lucid Lab Podcast on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) @lucidlabpodcast
Support Lucid Lab on Patreon! Join the Lab Rat Clan - https://www.patreon.com/LucidLabPodcast
Send your questions and episode suggestions to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com 
Have a special experience you want to share? Send us anything! True crime, paranormal, alien encounters, spiritual experiences, dreams, etc. We might read it in our Lab Reports episode!
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Sources:
Agape Lodge. (n.d.). Agape Lodge - Wikipedia
Aleister Crowley. (n.d.). Aleister Crowley - Wikipedia
Pendle, G. (2005, Feb 15). Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

This week gets a little personal for Kendra, we are headed to her hometown of Belton, TX to talk about Kenneth McDuff, the serial killer that operated in her backyard in the early 1990s. McDuff is the only serial killer that has ended up on death row twice, sent there by two different juries in two different decades. This is a killer that Texas would like to forget. You see, after he killed 3 victims in 1968 and received the death penalty, he somehow slipped through the cracks and ended up back on the streets 21 years later.
Was it because he was reformed and ready to be a normal part of society? Of course not, Kenneth was ready to kill again and unfortunately he would take the lives of many more women in Central Texas before being put away for good. Listen now to hear the shocking details surrounding the murderous Kenneth McDuff, sometimes referred to as The Broomstick Killer. 
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Please subscribe and rate Lucid Lab on your favorite podcast platform and if you would like to be part of our future special Lab Reports episodes, please send in your personal tales or ideas for a mini episode to lucidlabpodcast@gmail. com
Stay Lucid!!
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Sources:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/free-to-kill-2/
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Colleen_Reed
Lavergne, Gary. Bad Boy from Rosebud: The Murderous Life of Kenneth Allen McDuff. University of North Texas Press. 2013.