Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
**2025 Ambie Award Nominee: Best Indie Podcast Hosts** Kate and Kevin met way back when they worked together at a (likely haunted) theatre and the two became fast friends. Skip ahead a few years to present day, where they mostly sit around and talk about true crime. From horrific homicides to unsolved mysteries, spooky haunts to behind-the-scenes secrets, these two are here to bring you all the drama - and trauma - of Tinseltown. Settle in, Misfits.
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Episodes
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Last week we talked all about the film The Exorcist; the horrors, tribulations, and lore that made it one of the scariest movies ever made. But there was one main piece of trivia missing: a background actor in the movie turned out to be a real life murderer and potential serial killer. It was the early morning hours of September 14, 1977 in New York City, and 36-year-old reporter for Variety, Addison Verrill, was leaving Mine Shaft, an after-hours gay back room bar. This would be the last time that Verrill was seen alive. Journalist for the New York Times and gay activist, Arthur Bell, would later be at the center of the case, receiving a phone call confession from the murderer.
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Episode Sources:
“Paul F. Bateson” death record
“Paul Bateson: The Real-Life Killer Who Appeared in The Exorcist” by Orrin Grey, April 19, 2018, The Lineup
“Paul Bateson Was in One of the Most Horrifying Scenes of ‘The Exorcist’ Before Becoming a Murderer” by Hanna McKennett, Edited by John Kuroski, January 14, 2022, updated February 21, 2022, All That’s Interesting
“There’s Nothing Gay About Murder” by Arthur Bell, September 26, 1977, page 23, The Village Voice:
“A Talk on the Wild Side” by Arthur Bell, October 31, 1977, page 16, The Village Voice
“Phone Call from a Fugitive” by Arthur Bell, October 3, 1977, page 1 & 11, The Village Voice
“Searching for the Truth About the Actual Murderer in The Exorcist” by Matt Miller, October 25, 2018, Esquire
“Rites Held for Addison Verrill, Variety Reporter Killed in Robbery,” September 20, 1977, The New York Times
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Monday Jul 24, 2023
Monday Jul 24, 2023
"What an excellent day for an exorcism." William Friedkin's The Exorcist is one of the greatest horror movies in the history of cinema. The movie follows a mother trying to save her daughter from demonic possession and is based on William Peter Blatty’s immensely popular 1971 novel. The Exorcist was released in theaters on December 26, 1973 and stars Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, and Max von Sydow. The production has a reputation as a cursed movie due to strange events that occurred while the movie was filming. Today we are taking a look behind the scenes and exploring the lore, superstition, and stories surrounding this classic.
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Episode Sources:
YouTube - The Exorcist | Audience Reactions “What it Was Really Like to See The Exorcist in 1973” by Benjamin Faldo, March 22, 2022, Looper“Review of The Exorcist” by Roger Ebert, December 26, 1973, rogerebert.com“Was ‘The Exorcist’ a Cursed Production?” By Rihanna Malays, October 11, 2022, Collider“Audiences had some intense reactions to The Exorcist in 1973” by Mike Vanderbilt, May 21, 2015, AV Club“Mercedes McCambridge, 87, Actress Known for Strong Roles” by The Associated Press, March 18, 2004, The New York Times“30 Wild Details Behind The Making of The Exorcist” by Christopher Fiduccia, October 21, 2018, Screen Rant“The Real and Terrifying Injury Caused on the Set of The Exorcist” by Maria Felix, June 28, 2021, LooperThe Exorcist” Blog Post by nitrategeek on October 24, 2011, Stories Behind the Screen“Boy whose case inspired The Exorcist is named by US magazine” by Maya Yang, December 20, 2021, The Guardian“Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil’s Grip” by Bill Brinkley, August 20, 1949, Washington Post“Will the Real Devil Speak Up? Yes!” By Charles Higham, January 27, 1974, The New York Times“Why Was The Exorcist So Controversial?” By Aya Tsintziras, March 6, 2023, Game Rant“Pazuzu: Mesopotamian religion” by Rebecca M. Kulik, Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Britannica.com“Banned, cursed, evil and adored - what makes The Exorcist so terrifying?” By Matt Glasby, September 25, 2020, Flicks“True Horror Inside The Exorcist curse - from mysterious cast deaths to a frame fire and broken jaw as film is set for a reboot” by Josh Saunders, July 28, 2021, The U.S. Sun"The Exorcist: Believer’ is the Official Title of David Gordon Green’s Sequel” by John Squires, April 26, 2023, Bloody-Disgusting.com
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Monday Jul 10, 2023
Monday Jul 10, 2023
Jonshel Alexander wasn't even a teenager yet when she auditioned for the critically acclaimed film "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Though she was too old to play the lead, she impressed filmmakers so much that they cast her in a supporting role. Described as "ferociously creative," Jonshel exhibited undeniable talent and charisma. Tragically, when she was just 22 years old someone came along and cut her life short for literally no reason whatsoever. Although this episode is a bit on the shorter side in terms of length, we assure you we've included all the information we've been able to find on this case, which, as far as we can tell, is still ongoing.
Donate to the GoFundMe to help Jonshel's daughter, De'Vynne
Anyone with information can call homicide detective Brittany Kimbrough at (504) 658-5300 or call Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans - you can do so anonymously at (504) 822-1111 or (877) 903-7867.
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Episode Sources:
“Former Child Actor From ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Jonshel Alexander Fatally Shot in New Orleans at Age 22” by Joe Price
Jonshel’s Obituary
“‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Star Jonshel Alexander Fatally Shot In New Orleans, Murder Suspect Identified and Wanted” by Steph Sutorius
“Former child actor who was in 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' killed in 7th Ward shooting” by Mike Perlstein
“Jonshel Alexander, child actor in 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' killed in 7th Ward” by Missy Wilkinson
“Suspect sought after ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ actor, 22, killed in New Orleans shooting” by Jesse Brooks, Kaitlin Rust and Gray News staff
“'Beasts Of The Southern Wild' Child Star Jonshel Alexander Fatally Shot In New Orleans” by Dorian Geiger
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Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
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Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
**Kate has a special announcement at the top of this episode - don't miss it!**
Angie Kukawski managed the finances of some very high-profile celebrities, including Nicki Minaj, Offset and the Kardashians, to name a few. Could her line of work have led to her murder? We might never know. There is little information about this case available to the public, and the suspect hasn't even gone to trial yet. Why haven't more people familiar with Angie spoken out about her? And why is it that the only photo associated with her is actually a photo of someone else?
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Episode Sources:
“Business manager to Kardashians found dead; boyfriend charged with murder, torture” by Lila Seidman
“Suspect Arrested in Death of Angela Kukawski, Business Manager for the Kardashians, Nicki Minaj” by Shirley Halperin
“Boyfriend arrested in torture-killing of Angela Kukawski, manager whose clients included Kardashians” by Josh Haskell
“Boyfriend Charged In Murder Of Former Celebrity Business Manager” by Beth Braden
“Kardashian Family Says Former Business Manager Angela Kukawski 'Will Be Greatly Missed’” by Olivia Jakiel
“New details come to light in apparent homicide case” by Michele Willer-Allred
“Rising Up from the Ashes” by Alicia Doyle
“Homicide victim will be ‘greatly missed’” by Michele Willer-Allred
Inmate Information Center
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Creeptastic theme music by:
Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
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Monday Jun 26, 2023
Monday Jun 26, 2023
Y'ALL. Where to even begin with this one... Kate and Matt are staying overnight in what Expedia named one of the top 5 most haunted hotels in the country! Many celebrities have experienced quite the spooky ooky while staying here, and Kate and Matt want to see if they have their own ghostly encounter. Spoiler alert: THEY DO.
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Episode Sources:
“The legend of the Pfister Hotel ghost” by Becky Mortensen
“Scary stories from baseball's haunted hotel” by Michael Clair
“The Haunted Pfister Hotel”
The Pfister Hotel
“The Pfister Hotel: Baseball’s Most Haunted Hotel Has Spooked Some of MLB’s Biggest Stars” by Joe Grobeck
Megan Thee Stallion Twitter Video
Joey Lawrence Tells His Tale
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Creeptastic theme music by:
Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
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Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Gavin Smith was a charismatic, successful film executive at Fox Studios. At 6' 6" the blonde, tan, athletic father of three stood out wherever he went. So when he went missing on May 1, 2012, his family and friends were baffled. Where did he go? A man of his stature should be pretty easy to find, right? That is, of course, unless someone took extreme measures to make sure he couldn't be...
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Episode Sources:
Dateline NBC - "Dark Valley" - Season 25, Episode 47
“Who Is Missing Hollywood Executive Gavin Smith?” By Luchina Fisher and Cecilia Vega
People v. Creech
“Fox Exec Gavin Smith: Investigators Say They Know ‘How and Why’ He Was Slain” by Soo Youn
“The Personal Trials of Missing Fox Movie Executive Gavin Smith” by Maria Elena Fernandez and Christine Pelisek
“Woman whose home was searched reportedly knew missing Fox executive” by Melissa Leu and Ricard Winton
“Wife of Missing Fox Exec Gavin Smith Acknowledges Extramarital Affairs, Suspects Foul Play” by Sophie Schillaci
“Authorities know ‘how and why’ Fox movie exec Gavin Smith was killed” by Kate Mather and Richard Winton
“Man who killed Fox executive having an affair with his wife gets 11 years in prison” by Marisa Gerber
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Creeptastic theme music by:
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Thursday Jun 15, 2023
Thursday Jun 15, 2023
Hello Misfits! Kate here. Some of you have been asking where Kail has been so I wanted to give you a quick update. We're making some changes and taking a poll. After listening, be sure to comment with your answer to the question!
If you're listening on Spotify, you can leave your answer by clicking on the poll in the show notes. Or you can leave your comment on Instagram or Facebook.
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horrorwoodpodcast@gmail.com
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Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
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Monday Jun 12, 2023
Monday Jun 12, 2023
Since spooky season is right around the corner (we know it's June, but we can dream, can't we?), Kate's got a haunted theatre for ya today. The building that houses the Huntington Theatre broke ground 100 years ago, so you KNOW the place has seen its share of spook. We've got a piano-playing ghost named Leo, a spirit that is super protective of the theatre's hats for some reason, and a multitude of shenanigans by the original founder himself.
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Episode Sources:
Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Theatre
“No One Is Alone: Theatre Ghost Stories, Vol. 6” by Russell M. Dembin
“Hauntington theater: Staging two ghost stories - one’s fiction, the other …?” by Francis Ma
“Theater imbued with spirit of founder” by Eric McHenry
“Ghosts Steal the Spotlight at the Huntington”
Ghosts of Boston Town by Holy Nadler
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Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast
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