Lucid Lab Podcast

This week Kendra is taking a dark turn into the twisted story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders. Many of us have watched the movie The Changeling focused on the sad tale of the disappearance of Walter Collins and how horribly the police handled the case. However, there is much more to the story and unfortunately many other young children fell victim to a dangerous predator cruising the streets of LA in the late 1920s. 
Stewart Northcott was an entitled, spoiled child that grew up with no consequences leading him to become a complete monster by his teenage years. His mother, Louise, knew this and would cover up crimes for her darling boy. No one could have imagined the depths of depravity Stewart would visit at such a young age to fulfill his sadistic urges. 
Listen now for all of the details of this oft forgotten serial killer and how he was caught and brought to justice.
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Follow Lucid Lab on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube) @lucidlabpodcast 
Send questions, episode suggestions, comments or Lab Reports (Your personal stories) to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com
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Sources:
Flacco, Anthony. The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders. 2013. Diversion Books. 
 
 

We needed a breather this week because holy hell, the election was a lot to take in. It was hard to continue life as normal when it feels like normalcy has shifted.
Instead of our regularly scheduled episode, join us for 20 minutes in a safe space for everyone to feel communal grief about what happened. But know, that it is also a call to action. We refuse to let this bring us down, we will continue to rise up and demand a world led by love and not hate. 
Stay Lucid, now more than ever before!
- Jessica & Kendra

This week, Jessica brings us the disturbing case of Daniel LaPlante, a troubled teenager whose crimes shocked New England in the late 1980s. We'll delve into LaPlante's bizarre stalking and terrorizing of the Bowen family in 1986, where he hid inside their home for months on and off, leaving eerie messages and playing mind games that pushed them to the brink of sanity.
Then we'll examine how LaPlante's criminal behavior escalated horrifically in 1987, culminating in the brutal triple homicide of Priscilla Gustafson and her two young children in Townsend, Massachusetts. How did a seemingly routine burglary turn into a nightmare of rape and murder that devastated a family and community? Daniel was not a normal teenager. He is the epitome of evil.
This case is riddled with misinformation - we hope to clear up some details in this episode that made this story an urban legend. 
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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:
Allan, L. (2023, June 22). Daniel LaPlante Terrorized A Family While Living In The Walls Of Their House. https://www.ranker.com/list/danny-laplante-facts/laura-allan
Andrew Gustafson Obituary. (2014, May 31). https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/fitchburg/name/andrew-gustafson-obituary?id=18545173
Kennedy, D. (2020, May 20). Man Who Found Slain Family Learns to Rebuild His Life From Tragedy. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-20-mn-297-story.html
Patmore, N. & Silverman, L. (2022, October 4). The Chilling Case Of Daniel LaPlante, The 17-Year-Old Who Raped And Murdered A Pregnant Mom — Then Drowned Her Two Kids. https://allthatsinteresting.com/daniel-laplante#:~:text=The%20evening%20after%20the%20Gustafson%20murders%2C%20LaPlante%20was,arrested%20on%20the%20evening%20of%20Dec.%203%2C%201987.
Wood, A. (2024, February 23). Episode 59 | Stranger Than Fiction: The Truth About The Crimes of Daniel LaPlante, Townsend, Massachusetts, with author Joe Turner (crimeofthetruestkind.com)
Young, M. (2018, April 21). Devonte Hart's mother: tracing her life from the Midwest to her drive off the California cliff. Devonte Hart's mother: tracing her life from the Midwest to her drive off the California cliff - oregonlive.com

Happy Halloween Lab Rats! We are spending some time in honor of the holiday to discuss Halloween Sadism, the worry and sometimes actuality that a stranger will tamper with the treats they hand out on Halloween causing harm to innocent trick or treaters. On this episode, Kendra discusses a few of the tales that fueled this fear including the main culprit, Ronald Clark O’Bryan who was convicted in the death of his own child using tainted candy and dubbed The Candyman or The Man Who Killed Halloween. 
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Follow Lucid Lab on social media: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @LucidLabPodcast
Send your questions, personal stories and episode ideas to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com
Please subscribe to and rate our Podcast on your favorite platform!
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Sources:
Halloween sadism: the history behind the myth of poisoned treats – Voices of Monterey Bay
Poisoned candy myths - Wikipedia
How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned | HISTORY
Ronald Clark O'Bryan - Wikipedia

In this episode, we discuss the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation rich in natural resources but plagued by war and exploitation. From diamonds and gold to coltan and cobalt, Congo’s vast wealth has become a curse, fueling battles between armed groups, corrupt officials, and international corporations. But the human cost is staggering, as civilians, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the violence.
We explore how the pursuit of valuable minerals has led to widespread sexual violence, with rape and assault used as tools of war to displace communities and assert control over resource-rich territories. Join us as we unpack the complex relationship between natural resources, armed conflict, and the ongoing fight for justice and peace in Congo.
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Donate Today:
City of Joy - https://cityofjoycongo.org/
Focus Congo - https://www.focuscongo.com/
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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:
“In My Village” Spoken Word by Ntumba Yvette. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlo68g9-IK4
Anna, C. (2022, June 16). EXPLAINER: Why Rwanda and Congo are sliding toward war again.https://apnews.com/article/politics-east-africa-rwanda-united-nations-49c5e58469496e272286dc5b82baa1a2
Cascais, A. (2021, November 11). Renewed fighting flares in eastern Congo. https://www.dw.com/en/renewed-fighting-flares-in-eastern-congo/a-59789397
Cordell, D. & Payanzo, N. (2024, October 21). Resources and Power. https://www.britannica.com/place/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo/Resources-and-power
Dizolele, M. (2019, January 25). Why Joseph Kabila Lost the Election. https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-joseph-kabila-lost-election
Haider, H. (2017, March 2). Modern Slavery in the DRC. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b9a541be5274a138ea54232/052_Modern_slavery_in_the_DRC.pdf
Increased Fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo Exacerbating Security Woes Threatening Regional Conflagration, Special Envoy Warns Security Council. (2024, April 24). https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15677.doc.htm
Nantulya, P. (2024, May 20). Understanding the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Push for MONUSCO’s Departure. https://africacenter.org/spotlight/understanding-drc-monusco/
Pietromarchi, V. (2024, March 29). Eastern DRC ‘at breaking point’ as security, humanitarian crises worsen. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/29/eastern-drc-at-breaking-point-as-security-humanitarian-crises-worsen
Prashad, J. (2020, May 19). Realizing Children’s Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Children of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Humanium
The harms of Glencore’s corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. (2023, December 12). https://www.spotlightcorruption.org/glencores-corruption-drc-and-nigeria/
Q&A: Democratic Republic of Congo Conflict in North Kivu Province. Abuses by the Congolese Army, Rwandan Forces, M23, and Other Armed Groups. (2024, September 26). Q&A: Democratic Republic of Congo Conflict in North Kivu Province | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org)
Vesperini, H. (2018, January). Women Displaced by Brutal Violence in the DR Congo Tell Their Harrowing Stories. https://storyteller.iom.int/stories/women-displaced-brutal-violence-dr-congo-tell-their-harrowing-stories
Why sexual violence is on the rise in Goma's displacement camps. (2023, September 18). Why sexual violence is on the rise in Goma’s displacement camps - Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb
 

On Valentine’s Day of 2013, the world was shocked by the news coming out of South Africa. Reeva Steenkamp, an A-list model and reality show star had been killed in the middle of the night and her boyfriend, the famous double amputee Olympian, Oscar Pistorius had admitted to shooting her four times. The following year would be one of twists and turns as authorities tried to get to the bottom of what happened that fateful night. 
Oscar would claim it was a tragic accident of mistaken identity, he thought Reeva was an intruder to his home. The prosecution would bring a case against him for premeditated murder, attempting to prove that he killed her in a fit of rage after an argument. 
Listen now as Kendra brings you the details of this case, what was decided in the trial and where Oscar Pistorius is today. 
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Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and anywhere else you listen to podcasts!!
Follow Lucid Lab Podcasts on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) @ lucidlabpodcast
Have a story you want to share? An episode suggestion? We might read it on our special Lab Reports episode. Please send any messages to lucidlabpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from you!___________
Sources:
https://people.com/where-is-oscar-pistorius-now-former-olympic-runner-8638022
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Oscar_Pistorius
Netflix. 30 for 30: The Life and Trials of Oscar Pistorius. 2020. ESPN.

In this episode, Jessica brings us the heartbreaking and disturbing story of the Hart family. Sarah and Jennifer Hart adopted six Black children with the promise of providing them a loving and safe home. But beneath the surface, their seemingly perfect family facade hid a darker reality. On March 26, 2018, this tragic story took a horrific turn when Jennifer drove their SUV off a cliff in Mendocino County, California, killing themselves and the children - Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Abigail, Jeremiah, and Ciera. We explore the events leading up to this devastating act, the signs that were missed, and the questions that still linger. Join us as we examine the complexities of this case and its lasting impact on those who knew the Hart family and the birth families of the children gone too soon.
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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:
Asgarian, R. (2023, March 14). We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Lusk, V. (2018, March 30). Women killed in California cliff crash had Aberdeen ties Women killed in California cliff crash had Aberdeen ties (aberdeennews.com)
Oregon Department of Human Services 7/18/23 Assessment Summary: 2013.07.23.cps-report_redacted[5].pdf (cnn.com)
Smiley, L. (2018, Sept 6). Two White Moms. Six Black Kids. One Unthinkable Tragedy. A Look Inside the ‘Perfect’ Hart Family. Jen and Sarah Hart: Inside the World of Two Mothers Who Drove Their Six Kids Off a California Cliff | Glamour
Turnquist, K. (2021, May 18). ‘Broken Harts’ tells the shocking story of the Hart family, whose supposedly ideal NW life ended in death. ‘Broken Harts’ tells the shocking story of the Hart family, whose supposedly ideal NW life ended in death - oregonlive.com
Young, M. (2018, April 21). Devonte Hart's mother: tracing her life from the Midwest to her drive off the California cliff. Devonte Hart's mother: tracing her life from the Midwest to her drive off the California cliff - oregonlive.com
 

We are up to #10 for our Lab Reports this week! We will be sharing two listener tales on this episode, one about a creepy camping nightmare and the other about an experience with a seemingly friendly Incan ghost. 
For our first mini-episode, Kendra talks about Macchu Picchu, the mystical city of the Incans found in the Southern mountains of Peru. 
For the 2nd mini episode, Jessica brings to light a tragic tale about what happens when a family member's obsession with conspiracies takes them down a very dark path.__________
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!