Antemortem

Welcome to Episode 50! When Mount Vesuvius unexpectedly erupted in 79 CE, it decimated and buried Pompeii and other nearby towns. Anyone who had not evacuated by the following morning faced a sudden death by thermal shock. Also, a recipe for fish sauce.

Leopold and Loeb thought they had it all figured out. They would commit the perfect murder for no reason but to get away with it. And, with a better plan and completely different circumstances, maybe they would have. Instead, they were part of a highly publicized trial. Clarence Darrow reappears!

Today’s episode features the story of Mary Mallon. She was an immigrant and cook who just wanted to make peach ice cream and not be asked for samples of her feces all the time. Unfortunately, this was not to be. She turned out to be a carrier of typhoid who spread the disease wherever she went.

Ever persevering, Florida Man returns in this episode of Antemortem. His crimes include robbery, burglary, grand theft, trespass, and first and second degree murder. There’s a bonus digression on the wacky world of bath salts.

No one in the early 1970s guessed that Dean Corll, the bachelor who owned a van and handed out free candy to strange children would own a homemade torture board. He did though. Corll murdered at least 27 adolescent males in Houston with the aid of two young accomplices.

In this episode, Antemortem introduces you to some of the world’s lesser-known horrifying diseases. You’ll come out with both a vague idea of what a prion is and concerns about your family history of sleeplessness. I googled ‘FOP flare up’ so you don’t have to.

Franz Ferdinand and Sophie arrive in uneasy Sarajevo. The six assassins are armed and arranged along their route. After a failed attempt, Princip gets very lucky. Europe changes forever.

This episode on the assassinations of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Chotek introduces the players. The empires of Europe squabbled over colonies while Serbian and Bosnian nationalists struggled for independence. Six young Bosnians spotted the perfect opportunity to strike a blow against Austria-Hungary. And if that that sounds too boring, come for the murder-suicide.

By the time Challenger had its 1986 liftoff, NASA could boast of 23 successful space shuttle missions. Challenger’s 10th voyage would have seen the first civilian, a teacher, go to space. When launch day came, it was cold and a critical failure in the right-hand solid rocket booster led to a shocking tragedy.

The Order of the Solar Temple is one of the lesser-known suicide cults of the 20th century. Its members believed in a composite of old and new religious tenets. They thought their souls would find a permanent home amongst the stars following a fiery death on earth.

Depending on who you ask, there are between 193 and 204 countries in the world. It’s about time for Antemortem to check in on a few. This episode contains murder cases from Australia, Argentina, Lesotho, France and Malaysia. Antarctica joins in too.

The last two women to marry Henry VIII were Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Both were English and both would have preferred to marry a Thomas. Howard was only a teenager and not equipped for the perils of queenship. Parr fared better, got published, and outlived her third husband.

Henry VIII blows through three wives in this episode. Now that he’s free from Catherine of Aragon, he can marry Anne Boleyn. If she somehow ends up getting beheaded, there’s always Jane Seymour. And Anne of Cleves thinks we should just be friends.

Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry VIII. Her marriage lasted 24 years during which the couple struggled and failed to produce a male heir. Catherine was well-educated and steadfast but, in the end, she couldn’t overpower a king who wanted an annulment.

Liverpool fans arrived at Hillsborough Stadium in 1989 to watch their team prevail. Instead, mismanagement of the crowd led to a disaster. Fans were packed into the standing pens with no way out. The cover-up that followed would delay justice for the victims.

Russian serial killer, Alexander Pichushkin, liked chess almost as much as he liked hitting people with his hammer. In this episode of Antemortem, we’ll discover more about his methods, capture, and trial.

From the dog bites of 4,000 years ago to the raccoon attacks of today, rabies has menaced the world's mammals. Humans have been working to eradicate the highly fatal disease for centuries. We're making progress but there is a long road ahead.

Caligula is remembered as one of the most notorious leaders the world has known. He loved his horse, his sister, and ordering executions. His erratic behavior inspired fear and disgust among the senatorial class. He also inspired the worst movie I have ever seen.

The maid was just trying to finish her shift when she opened the door to Room 237 and found a bloodbath inside. How? Why? Who’s going to clean that up? Antemortem presents a series of unexplained deaths.

Fireworks have been inexplicably captivating humanity for a millennium now. You would think we'd get over it. This episode explores their history, construction, and deadliness. Beware of suspicious bait farms.