Highway to Hell

Occasionally there's a story with so much to it and so much nuance, that we break it up into two pieces instead of making a three hour episode. So here is part one! On May 5, 1993, three eight-year-old boys—Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—were reported missing in West Memphis, Arkansas. Their bodies were discovered the next day in a drainage ditch in an area known as Robin Hood Hills. The boys had been beaten, bound, and mutilated. The brutality of the crime sparked community panic.Police quickly focused on three local teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr., largely because Echols was interested in heavy metal culture and wore black clothing during the height of the “Satanic Panic.” Misskelley, who had an IQ below average and was interrogated for hours without a parent or lawyer, gave a highly inconsistent confession that he later recanted. No physical evidence linked the teenagers to the murders.In 1994, the three were convicted—Misskelley and Baldwin received life sentences; Echols was sentenced to death. Over the next two decades, investigative journalists, forensic experts, and attorneys raised major concerns about coerced confessions, mishandled evidence, untested DNA, and alternate suspects.New DNA testing (2007–2011) found no genetic material connecting any of the West Memphis Three to the crime scene. With growing legal pressure, the defendants entered Alford pleas in 2011, allowing them to maintain innocence while accepting time served. They were released after 18 years in prison.The case remains controversial, with ongoing debate about wrongful conviction, police bias, and the influence of Satanic Panic on the investigationLegal Documents & Court RecordsArkansas Supreme Court: Echols v. State (1996).Arkansas Supreme Court: Misskelley v. State (1996).Arkansas Supreme Court: Baldwin v. State (1996).West Memphis Police Department investigation files.DNA testing records submitted during 2007–2011 appeals.2011 Alford Plea filings, Craighead County Circuit Court.Books & Scholarly WorksLeveritt, Mara. Devil’s Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three.Baldwin, Jason; Echols, Damien; Misskelley Jr., Jessie. Life After Death (Echols memoir).Hobbs, Pamela. “The West Memphis Three: Media, Moral Panic, and the Politics of Fear.” Journal of Southern Studies.Burnett, Joe. The Case of the West Memphis Three: Wrongful Conviction and the American Justice System.Documentaries & Investigative JournalismParadise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996).Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000).Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011).West of Memphis (2012).Arkansas Times and Memphis Commercial Appeal investigative archives.Forensic & Expert AnalysesDr. Werner Spitz, forensic pathology evaluations (2007–2011).Dr. Michael Baden, forensic analysis on post-mortem animal predation vs. mutilation.FBI files and behavioral assessments (released through FOIA).

⚠️ Content Warning:This episode contains discussion of extreme violence, sexual abuse, and the murder of minors. Listener discretion is strongly advised.This episode examines the crimes of Dean Corll who operated in early 1970s in Houston, Corll, later dubbed “The Candyman”, used manipulation, coercion, and the assistance of two teenage accomplices to abduct, torture, and murder dozens of boys and young men.We trace how Corll gained access to victims, the role his accomplices played, and how systemic failures—including ignored disappearances and marginalized victims—allowed the crimes to continue for years. The episode walks through the investigation that finally exposed the murders, the discovery of multiple burial sites, and the shocking moment when Corll’s killing spree ended not with arrest, but with his own death at the hands of an accomplice.

Welcome to our new release schedule! Midnight every Tuesday (we'll explain more next episode about the schedule change) Want ad free episodes? Bonus content? Early access to merch? Become a Hellion for $5 a month on patreon at patreon.com/highwaytohellpodcastOpened in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most radical and influential prison in the world. Built on the belief that isolation and silence would inspire penitence, it pioneered the “Pennsylvania System” of solitary confinement—an approach that quickly drew international attention and criticism. In practice, prolonged isolation caused severe psychological harm, mental breakdowns, and suicide attempts. Overcrowding, brutality, and abandonment eventually replaced reform, even as the prison housed infamous inmates like Al Capone before closing its doors in 1971.Today, Eastern State stands as a decaying monument to failed penal philosophy—and one of the most notorious haunted locations in the United States. Guards, historians, and visitors have reported disembodied voices, echoing footsteps, shadow figures, cell doors slamming shut, and sudden waves of panic or despair. Paranormal activity is most frequently associated with Cellblock 12, Death Row, and the long-sealed isolation cells. This episode explores how extreme punishment, silence, and human suffering shaped Eastern State’s legacy—and why many believe the trauma embedded in its walls never truly faded.SourcesAlexis de Tocqueville & Gustave de Beaumont, On the Penitentiary System in the United StatesAmerican Philosophical Society — archival exhibits on early incarceration and youth prisonersCharles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation (1842)David J. Rothman, The Discovery of the AsylumEastern State Penitentiary Historic Site — official archives & institutional historyEastern State Penitentiary Historic Site — Staff & Visitor Incident ReportsEastern State Penitentiary Preservation Coalition — 1990s restoration recordsEastern State Penitentiary staff and guard incident reports — archived testimoniesEastern State preservation staff interviews (1990s–2000s)Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia — “Eastern State Penitentiary”Harry Elmer Barnes, The Evolution of Penology in PennsylvaniaJSTOR — scholarly articles on prison discipline, solitary confinement, and the Pennsylvania SystemLibrary Company of Philadelphia — archival materials on prison discipline and the iron gagNational Trust for Historic Preservation — Eastern State Penitentiary documentationPennsylvania Department of Corrections — Annual Reports (19th–20th centuries)Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission recordsRebecca McLennan, The Crisis of ImprisonmentScholarly discussions of “place memory” in carceral ruinsScholarly literature on solitary confinement and mental health referencing Eastern State as a case studyThe Philadelphia Inquirer — historical reporting and interviews related to Eastern StateUniversity of Delaware — Finding Aid: Eastern State Penitentiary Medical Log Books, 1840–1868U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence on prison conditions and the Eighth AmendmentWHYY — Philadelphia public media reporting on Eastern State history and paranormal accounts

Christmas Eve release for a Christmas Eve crime! Thank you so much for the love and support from new Hellions who have become followers and subscribers! Follow us on IG at @highwaytohellpodTopic you want to hear? [email protected] December 24, 2002, Laci Peterson, eight months pregnant, disappeared from her home in Modesto. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies in Scott Peterson’s statements and evidence of an extramarital affair. He told police he had gone fishing in San Francisco Bay the morning Laci vanished—where the remains of Laci and her unborn son, Conner, were discovered.In 2004, Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder for Laci and second-degree murder for Conner. Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was later reduced to life without the possibility of parole. Sources:48 Hours investigative reporting on the case timeline, marina evidence, and trial strategy (CBS News, 2003–2004).ABC’s acquisition of taped phone calls between Amber Frey and Scott Peterson (entered as trial exhibits).ABC News / Good Morning America exclusive interviews with Amber Frey and investigators (2003–2004).Associated Press coverage of California Supreme Court ruling overturning death sentence (2020).Associated Press coverage of the trial, verdict, and sentencing (2004–2005).Autopsy reports (Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office), completed by Dr. Brian Peterson (sealed but publicly referenced in court).Berkeley Marina parking records (Dec. 24, 2002).California Attorney General, Respondent’s Briefs in People v. Peterson (Direct Appeal).Cell phone records subpoenaed from December 2002–January 2003 (used in timeline reconstruction).CNN coverage of investigation developments, body discovery, and trial timeline (2002–2004).Court TV daily trial coverage including direct summaries from courtroom transcripts (2004).Documented police inventories of evidence seized during arrest (vehicle contents).FBI Trace Evidence Laboratory notes on mitochondrial DNA testing of hair recovered from the pliers.Financial and property records documenting Peterson’s termination of lease, car sale, mail changes, and satellite cancellation.Frey, Amber. Witness: For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson (2005).GPS tracking logs and surveillance warrants issued January 2003 (Stanislaus County).Habeas corpus petitions filed by Scott Peterson (2005–present).KTVU, KRON, and Northern California regional broadcast reporting on discovery of remains at Point Isabel and Richmond shoreline (April 2003).Law review articles discussing People v. Peterson, circumstantial evidence standards, and California’s application of Witherspoon/Witt in jury selection.Los Angeles Innocence Project filings (2024–2025), including new-evidence submissions and requests for discovery.Los Angeles Times investigative coverage of the disappearance, search efforts, autopsy details, and trial testimony (2002–2004).Los Angeles Times reporting on Peterson appeals and developments (2005–2025).Modesto Bee continuous local reporting from Dec. 24, 2002 onward (search efforts, discovery of remains, hearings, trial, verdict, sentencing, appeals).Modesto Police Department missing person reports (Dec. 24–25, 2002).Modesto Police Department press releases (2002–2003), including “Relationship Verified in Peterson Case” (Jan. 24, 2003).NBC News reporting on the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision and subsequent resentencing.NOAA & USGS tidal and hydrology data used by state experts during trial testimony.People v. Peterson, 2020, California Supreme Court, S132449.San Francisco Chronicle reporting on searches in SF Bay, tidal modeling testimony, and body discovery (April 2003).San Francisco Chronicle courthouse reporting during jury deliberations and sentencing (2004).San Mateo County Superior Court, People v. Scott Peterson, trial transcripts (2004).Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office filings and responses in Scott Peterson post-conviction proceedings (2003–2025).

For more than a decade, Jersey (one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy) was haunted by a figure locals came to call the Beast of Jersey. A masked man who moved through hedgerows and farm lanes at night slicing phone lines and entering homes while families slept. He abducted women and children from their beds assaulted them in their rooms or out in the fields and then returned them hours later, all while their families were fast asleep. Today we meet Edward Paisnel: his background, his double life as a respected builder and beloved “Uncle Ted,” his access to children’s homes, and the crimes that terrorized an island from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. We examine how fear and suspicion led to the wrongful vilification and exile of Alphonse Le Gastelois. Paisnel was finally caught by chance after a reckless night drive (how many of these men were caught by traffic violations) and how the evidence: his mask, nail‑studded coat, and taped torch confirmed survivors’ accounts with chilling precision.We also explore how the case lingered, no just through the firsthand testimonies that convicted him, but the unanswered questions surrounding institutional failure, and the folklore and ghost stories that grew in the wake of collective trauma. Small islands can create big legends. This episode is a examination of one of the most disturbing cases in British criminal history. SourcesJoan Paisnel, The Beast of Jersey (New English Library, 1972; later reprints).Ward Rutherford, The Beast of Jersey: The Final Chapter (Redberry Press).Ward Rutherford, The Untimely Silence (Hamish Hamilton, 1973).Hillsdon, Jersey Witches, Ghosts & Traditions (1987).Robert Sinsoilliez, Histoire des Minquiers et des Écréhou (1995).States of Jersey, Proposition P.111/1999: Alphonse Le Gastelois – Ex Gratia Payment.States of Jersey, Minutes of the States Assembly, 14 September 1999.Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, Final Report (2017).Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, Appendix 1: Chronology of Significant Events.Jersey Heritage Archive catalog entries relating to police and inquiry records (e.g., ZC/D/AW1/A1).States of Jersey, Public Records (Jersey) Law 2002 – Report R.62/2016.The Guardian (Jersey care homes and Paisnel coverage, Feb–Mar 2008).The Times — Simon de Bruxelles & David Brown (26 Feb 2008).Irish Examiner — Tom Palmer (27 Feb 2008).Jersey Evening Post (various articles, 2012–2015).BBC Jersey (coverage relating to Alphonse Le Gastelois and later reflections).Bailiwick Express (historical investigations and retrospective features).The True Crime Database – “Beast of Jersey.”The True Crime Enthusiast – “The Beast of Jersey.”All That’s Interesting – “Edward Paisnel, The Beast of Jersey.”Back on the Rock (Jersey blog, July 2020).“Edward Paisnel.”“Alphonse Le Gastelois.”