Evil Everywhere: A True Crime and Horror Podcast

Episode 112: American Hauntings - The Smurl Family

When you buy a home, a multi-family home, you're chasing something timeless: security, independence, a place for your children to grow... and maybe, a way to keep your aging parents close, but still give them space of their own. For the Smurl family, it felt like achieving the American dream. But dreams can curdle into nightmares. Over the course of 11 years, the Smurls’ cozy Pennsylvania duplex became something else entirely, a stage for relentless torment. Not from neighbors. Not from intruders. But from something... they couldn’t see. They were stalked. Scratched. Pinned down in their sleep. The walls groaned. Shadows moved. Even the family dog wasn’t immune to attacks. And no one believed them. Not until demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren stepped in.What they found in the Smurl house shocked even them. This week, we’re opening the door to one of the most disturbing true hauntings in American history. Because sometimes, evil doesn’t lurk in abandoned asylums or remote forests…Sometimes, evil is already home.
 
Sources:
Wikipedia – Smurl Haunting - Smurl haunting - Wikipedia
Scrantonian Tribune – Book on Smurls on Sale – February 27, 1988
The Tribune – Mentalist volunteers to assist the Smurls – August 28, 1986
The Tribune – Smurls credit prayers of many with cleansing house of demons – Robert Curran – October 27, 1986
The Morning Call – Haunting Questions: The case of a possessed house has bought a book contract – but still no answers – Tim Blangger - April 2, 1987
People – Where is the Smurl family now? Here’s What Happened To The Conjuring: Last Rites Subjections After Their Horrifying Paranormal Experiences – Jessica Sager – September 7, 2025 - Where Is the Smurl Family Now? What Happened to 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' Subjects
Scrantonian Tribune – Brain surgery revelation casts demon dwelling doubts – Robert Curran – August 24, 1986
FrightFind – Smurl Haunting House - Smurl Haunting House - FrightFind
YouTube – EXCLUSIVE: Lorraine Warren interviews Jack and Janet Smurl. Relates horrifying demonic attack.  EXCLUSIVE: Lorraine Warren interviews Jack and Janet Smurl. Relates horrifying demonic attack.
Chronicle Online – Author shares experiences with paranormal in latest book on Smurl haunting – Margo Wilson – October 7, 2025 - Author shares experiences with paranormal in latest book on Smurl haunting | Local News | chronicleonline.com
The Historical Marker Database – Workers in Greater Pittston’s Garment Industry - Workers in Greater Pittston's Garment Industry Historical Marker
Wikipedia – West Pittston, Pennsylvania - West Pittston, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia
Wikipedia – Ed and Lorraine Warren - Ed and Lorraine Warren - Wikipedia

Episode 111: Home Turned to Hell - Kimberly Hill

In southern Texas, Corpus Christi is a city where history, culture, and natural beauty all come together. Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico, locals often enjoy the activities that come with being on the shoreline: fishing, swimming, windsurfing and sailing. This large city is where Kimberly Hill decided to settle after serving in the Marines, becoming a hospice caregiver. She was a dedicated employee while being an amazing mother to her two children, Desirae and Kevin. On the morning of March 27, 2014, a couple in Robstown, TX received a knock on their door, from Kevin, claiming he had murdered his own mother. Police took him to the station as they made the gruesome discovery in Kimberly’s apartment. Kevin gave a full confession, giving every gruesome detail to detectives. The family friends and community were all in utter shock. How is it this 18 year old, who no one thought was capable of violence, could commit such a heinous act against his own mother?
 
Sources:
“Texas teen sentenced to life for killing his mom with hammer, defiling her corpse” by Associated Press on ABC 30 Action News on October 10, 2014 (https://abc30.com/post/teen-murdered-his-mom-reportedly-said-he-lost-his-virginity-to-her-corpse/345144/)
“CCPD: Teen said he’d Kill Again” by Krista M. Torraiva in Corpus Christi Caller-Times on March 28, 2014
“History and Growth of Corpus Christi, Texas” by Christopher Long on Texas State Historical Association published 1952 (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/corpus-christi-tx)
“Lawyer Apointed for Homicide Suspect” by Dayna Worchel in Corpus Christi Caller-Times on March 29, 2014
“Sister Horrified By Brother’s Unthinkable Act With Deceased Mom” on Explore with Us YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPIz8bnx7uk)
“Man who Killed Mother Gets Life” by Krista M. Torraiva in Corpus Christi Caller-Times on October 9, 2014
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/corpus-christi-tx/kimberly-hill-5911845
Episode 114 on Sword and Scale by Mike Boudet on Spotify
 
 

Episode 110: Young and Deadly: Christa Pike & The Murder of Colleen Slemmer

The 1990s were a time of transformation in Knoxville, Tennessee. The city was expanding, and so were opportunities for young people in need of a second chance. For many, the local Job Corps center offered just that: a path to a better life through education and job training. Nineteen-year-old Colleen Slemmer was one of those hopeful students. She’d moved from Pennsylvania with dreams of completing a six-month course in computing, eager to build a future she could be proud of. But not everyone at Job Corps was there for redemption. Christa Pike, another student in the program, came with a different agenda. Fueled by jealousy and paranoia, she became convinced that Colleen was after her boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. On January 12, 1995, what should have been a new beginning for Colleen turned into a horrifying end. Christa’s obsession would erupt into one of the most brutal murders Knoxville has ever seen, a crime that shocked the community and raised haunting questions about unchecked violence, youth, and the cracks in the systems meant to protect them.
 
Sources:
Tubi – World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners – Season 1, Episode 4 – Christa Pike
The Knoxville News-Sentinel – Rebekkah Daniels Corryton – May 19, 1996
The Knoxville News-Sentinel – Victim begged for life as killer panicked, tape says – John North – March 27, 1996
The Knoxville News-Sentinel – Pike gets death row in Job Corps slaying – John North – March 31, 1996
CBS News – Tennessee set to execute only woman on state’s death row. Here’s what to know. – Emiily Mae Czachor - Tennessee set to execute only woman on state's death row. Here's what to know.
USAToday – Tennessee is set to execute a woman for the first time in over 200 years. What did she do? – Amanda Lee Meyers – October 3, 2025 - Tennessee sets Christa Pike's execution 30 years after rival's murder
Find a Grave Memorial – Colleen Slemmer - Colleen Anne Slemmer (1975-1995) - Find a Grave Memorial
Wikipedia – Christa Pike - Christa Pike - Wikipedia
People – Tenn. Woman Set for Execution Decades After Luring Classmate to Her Death as Teen, Carving Pentagram on Victim – Samira Asma-Sadeque – October 8, 2025 - Tenn. Woman Set for Execution Decades After Luring Classmate to Her Death as Teen, Carving Pentagram on Victim
The Tennessean – There is only one woman on death row in Tennessee. Here’s what to know about Christa Pike – Evan Mealins – May 22, 2025 - What to know about Christa Pike, Tennessee's only woman on death row
WVLT8 – ‘It’s hard to deal with’ ‘Job Corps Murder’ victim’s mother continues to fight for justice in brutal Knoxville case – Jared Austin – October 8, 2025 - ‘Job Corps Murder’ victim’s mother continues to fight for justice in brutal 1995 murder
Knox News – Victim begged for life as killer panicked, tape says – John North – February 2, 2015 - Victim begged for life as killer panicked, tape says

Episode 109: Haunted and Creepy - The Jefferson Palace Hotel

Jefferson, Texas is a quiet, historic town tucked away near the Big Cypress bayou. Originally founded around the 1830s, the town experienced an industrial boom due to its ideal location for water trade routes. Jefferson today is known to be a site of paranormal activity. The Jefferson Hotel is known as one of the oldest, and most haunted, hotels in the state. Whispered tales of footsteps echoing through empty corridors, lights flickering in pitch darkness, and shadows slipping through doorways were told throughout the town since at least the mid 20th century. The hotel NOW even maintains a “Book of the Dead,” where visitors can document their own paranormal experiences. Stories of murder, jilted brides and tragic fates fill the many rooms of the hotel. There are also apparitions of children, the “Vanishing Man” and the typical lady in white. Mischievous pranks with small objects and disembodied voices are all part of the hauntings in this grand structure. The current owners tell the paranormal occurrences happen on a daily basis. Would you be able to brave a night in this haunted hotel?
 
Sources:
“The Jefferson Palace Hotel” on Dallas Errors, July 21, 2025 (https://dallasterrors.com/the-jefferson-palace-hotel/)
“Haunted JEFFERSON HOTEL, JEFFERSON, TX” on Haunted Rooms Co. (https://www.hauntedrooms.com/texas/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/jefferson-hotel-jefferson)
“Our Haunted History” on Jefferson Palace Hotel website (https://www.historicjefferson.com/pages/about-us)
“WATCH: Ominous Mirror Message Makes Two Historic Jefferson Hotel Guests Leave in the Middle of the Night” by Lauren Moyer on KNUE 101.5 on May 19, 2021 (https://knue.com/haunted-jefferson-hotel-in-texas/)
“The Haunting of the Jefferson Hotel” on The Drum Beat on October 8, 2014
“A Historical Journey” on Jefferson Palace Hotel website (https://www.historicjefferson.com/pages/hotel-history)
https://www.jeffersontexas.us/history/
https://visitjeffersontexas.com/history
LITTLE BOY APPARITION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMpU5Xm-BXA  
 
 

Episode 108: Vicious Violation: The Murder of Maria Nemeth

Sunrise, Florida, a quiet city in the Miami metro area where Maria Nemeth and her boyfriend, Fidel Lopez, had just moved in together. It was September of 2015, and the couple had rented a new apartment at the Colonnade Residences. Maria worked as an assistant manager in the leasing office and Fidel had picked up work at a nearby truck stop. They were starting fresh, a new place, a new chapter, and on one particular night, a private celebration of their future together. But within hours, everything would change and that night would end in unimaginable horror. What happened inside that apartment was so brutal, so depraved, that even the most experienced investigators struggled to make sense of it. Maria Nemeth would never walk out of that apartment alive. This wasn’t just a crime of passion. It was something far darker. And it reminds us that evil is everywhere and may even be living in our homes with us.
 
National Domestic Violence Hotline
(800) 799-7233
 
Sources:
The Murder of Maria Nemeth – Odd Murders and Mysteries - https://www.oddmurdersandmysteries.com/the-murder-of-maria-nemeth/#google_vignette
CBS News Miami – Life in Prison for Man Who Disemboweled Girlfriend After Sex – August 3, 2017 - https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/fidel-lopez-rough-sex-murder-florida/
Legal Clarity – The Fidel Lopez Case: Confession, Charges, and Sentence – July 20, 2025 - https://legalclarity.org/the-fidel-lopez-case-confession-charges-and-sentence/
Find a Grave – Maria Lizette Nemeth - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/194599767/maria_lizette-nemeth
South Florida Sun Sentinel – Police release 911 tape in grisly killing – Erika Pesantes and Mike Clary – September 23, 2015
South Florida Sun Sentinel – Family shocked at young woman’s brutal slaying; 911 call released – Erika Pesantes and Mike Clary – September 23, 2015
South Florida Sun Sentinel – Conflicting portrayals of murder defendant – Mike Clary – September 27, 2015
Wikipedia – Sunrise, Florida - Sunrise, Florida - Wikipedia
NBC Miami – Sunrise Man Pleads Guilty in Mutilation Murder of Girlfriend – July 13, 2017 - https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/sunrise-man-pleads-guilty-in-mutilation-murder-of-girlfriend/19286
REDDIT - Fidel Lopez disemboweled his girlfriend Maria Nemeth (31) with his hands after mutilating her when she called out her ex-husband’s name during sex. [more in comments] : r/MorbidReality
CBS News – Police: After Hours of Interrogation, Suspected Killer Admits Role in Mutilation Murder – September 8, 2016 - Police: After Hours Of Interrogation, Suspected Killer Admits Role In Mutilation Murder - CBS Miami
Wikipedia – The Cursed Film (2021) - The Cursed (2021 film) - Wikipedia

Episode 107: Prom Night Murders - The Pelley Family

Back in 1989, Lakeville, IN was a close tight-knit town of about 650 residents. Life in Lakeville centered on farming, small businesses, and and churches, including the Olive Branch Church. Bob Pelley, the pastor and his blended family lived in the home next to the church called a parsonage. Bob, his two children, his new wife Dawn and her three daughters made up this blended family. After Bob and Dawn, both widowers, married each other, some of the children didn’t take too kindly to the new family dynamic. On April 30, 1989, 4 of the 7 members of the Pelley family were found brutally murdered in the parsonage. The community and remaining family members were shattered and confused. Unknowingly to the family, the police focused in on one suspect from the start. With only circumstantial evidence, they could not charge this suspect. 13 years after the murders, the new county prosecutor believed there was enough evidence to arrest this suspect – Jeff Pelley. Though convicted, to this day Jeff maintains his innocence and is attempting to petition for post conviction relief. Do you believe the police and jury convicted the right man?
 
Sources:
“Survivor continues to heal decades after her family's prom night murder” by Jim Axelrod on CBS News: 48 Hours on June 22, 2025 (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jessi-toronjo-jeff-pelley-prom-night-murder-survivor/)
“Investigators in Slayings no Closer to Arrest” in The Herald on May 3, 1989
“No new trial for 'Prom Night Murders,' judge rules” by Marek Mazurek on 88.1 WVPE on May 1, 2024 (https://www.wvpe.org/wvpe-news/2024-05-01/no-new-trial-for-prom-night-murders-judge-rules)
“Minister, family are buried” by Thomas P. Wyman in The Muncie Evening Press on May 4, 1989
“Jeff Pelley, convicted nearly 20 years ago as ‘Prom Night Killer,’ denied retrial” by WNDU.com on 16 News Now WNDU on April 29, 2024 (https://www.wndu.com/2024/04/29/jeff-pelley-convicted-nearly-20-years-ago-prom-night-killer-denied-retrial/)
“Son of Slain Minister Questioned by Police” in The Grand Haven Tribune on May 4, 1989
“Teen accused of killing his family in argument over prom” by Guest Author on Yahoo! News on June 22, 2025 (https://www.yahoo.com/news/teen-accused-killing-family-argument-055402023.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKLYpRMwN4Mgt7Pdzc12Q7eszmC9IIZ2GdUI37NtBAItcH0NUB8nn6-gbZalTzpjzrUppqFVI15VvFYEvYbLqBAhZBBZLePHiQ5K_Xhrz0QyUZe5i2bm75aiZPCTEg7YRApt1nps-eFErwIPphO9C-lpuDp6DYzj0fOBmX1GUIYD)
https://townoflakevilleindiana.com/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8196288/robert_lee-pelley
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8196297/dawn_marie-pelley
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8196306/janel_marie-pelley
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8196298/jolene_meghan-pelley
“The Prom Night Killer” on Evil Lives Here, Season 8, Episode 5 on Discovery+

Episode 106: Healed or Haunted Old Sweet Springs Sanitarium

For centuries, natural springs have been revered for their healing and restorative powers; water in its purest form, said to mend the body and soothe the soul. In the 1700s and 1800s, people traveled from around the world to bathe in or drink from these waters, hoping to be cured of their ailments. But what if these springs offer more than just physical healing? Some believe that natural springs can act as conduits to the spiritual realm, amplifying energy, and with it, paranormal activity. And nowhere is that belief felt more strongly than at the Old Sweet Springs Sanitarium in Gap Mills, West Virginia. Once a thriving health resort, Old Sweet Springs later became a tuberculosis sanitarium, then a home for the aging until it was shut down in the 1990s due to lack of funding. Now privately owned, the buildings still stand and so do the stories. Visitors report chilling encounters: the brush of invisible hands, disembodied voices echoing through empty halls, and the gut-wrenching sobs of a woman no one can find. Paranormal activity has plagued the property for decades and only seems to grow stronger with time. In this episode, we explore the haunting legacy of Old Sweet Springs, where the waters may have once healed, but now seem to amplify the whispers from beyond.
 
SOURCES:
Sweet Springs Sanitarium – Colonel William Lewis of Old Sweet Springs a/k/a “Civilizer of the Border” – July 5, 2021 - https://sweetspringssanitarium.wordpress.com/tag/wv-history/
Haunt-Pedia – Sweet Springs Sanitarium – Haunted Sanitarium in Sweet Springs, West Virginia - https://hauntpedia.com/haunted-places/state/west-virginia/sweet-springs-sanitarium/
The Real WV – History Sweet Springs Resort: From Healing Waters to Haunting Tales – Jonathan Eggleston – September 20, 2023 - https://therealwv.com/2023/09/20/historic-sweet-springs-resort-from-healing-waters-to-haunting-tales/
Wikipedia – Sweet Springs Resort - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Springs_Resort
Wikipedia - Fontville, West Virginia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontville,_West_Virginia
YouTube – Project Fear
Discovery+ - Destination Fear
Forbes – Deed of Trust: What it is and how it works – Brai Odion-Esene – March 2, 2023 - Deed Of Trust: What It Is And How It Works – Forbes Advisor
Lynnside – History of Sweet Springs, West Virginia - SweetSpringsHistory
Spiritual Desk – Spiritual Meaning of Spring Water: An In-Depth Exploration! – November 23, 2024 - Spiritual Meaning Of Spring Water: An In-Depth Exploration!
Homespun Haints – How Ghosts Use Water as a Conduit for Manifestation – Stephanie Long – December 29, 2022 - Link Between Water and Ghosts - Spirits use water as a conduit
Facebook – Jonathan Eggleston – April 10, 2025 – “Sweet Springs Adventures” - (3) Video | Facebook
 

Episode 105: Nearly Unsolved: Byron Wright

The city of Arlington sits in the northern part of Snohomish County, Washington with a population of about 22,000. The airline Boeing was the area's biggest employer. Byron Wright worked through a hard childhood to earn a great job at Boeing. With this job, he was able to purchase a number of classic cars to fulfill his hobby. A seemingly quiet homebody Byron met the vivacious, outgoing Michele. The two quickly began dating and Byron had Michele and her daughter, Stacy move in on his property. The pair married in 2000 but after only 4 years of marriage, Byron vanished without a trace. According to Michele, Byron had run off with a younger, wealthy red head and didn't need anything or anyone from his past life. His family didn't believe he would do something like this, particularly leave his car collection behind. For almost a decade, no one had any contact with Byron or knowledge of where he went. It wasn't until a jail informant came forward did police and Byron's family learn the evil truth of his disappearance...and murder.

Episode 104: Isolated Betrayal - The Story of Lacey Fletcher

A parent’s love is supposed to be infinite. Moms and dads would do anything for their child; walk through fire, stand against the world, and keep showing up, long after the world says their job is done. Because parenthood doesn’t end when a child turns 18. It’s a lifelong journey, through every celebration… and every devastation. But not all parents live by that. Sheila and Clay Fletcher were two of them. Their daughter, Lacey, began to change in high school. She withdrew from the world, slowly disappearing into herself. Concerned, her parents pulled her out of public school to homeschool her. But what started as a protective decision turned into something far darker; a two-decade-long nightmare of isolation and neglect. Lacey wasn’t just forgotten. She was left immobile on a leather sofa in the same living room where life carried on without her. Over the years, while her body weakened and her world shrank, the place she sat became a prison and then, a grave. By the time help arrived, it was too late. Lacey had become part of the furniture, a haunting backdrop in the home where her parents lived their lives. This isn’t just a story of failure. It’s a story of unthinkable betrayal, a chilling reminder that evil is everywhere, sometimes hidden within the people that are meant to love you the most.  
 
SOURCES:
Wikipedia – The Killing of Lacey Fletcher - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Lacey_Fletcher
Daily Mail – Parents of severely autistic Louisiana woman, 36, who died fused to a couch insisted it was HER decision to remain there for 12 years and use it and nearby towel for a toilet – Andrea Cavallier -  May 3, 2022 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10779163/Parents-autistic-Louisiana-woman-insisted-decision-remain-couch.html
Law & Crime – Authorities Push for Grand Jury in ‘Sickening’ Alleged Neglect Case Where Woman Sat on Couch for Years and Died Covered in Feces and Maggots – Colin Kalmbacher – April 30, 2022 - https://lawandcrime.com/crime/authorities-push-for-grand-jury-in-sickening-alleged-neglect-case-where-woman-sat-on-couch-for-years-and-died-covered-in-feces-and-maggots/
Daily Mail – EXCLUSIVE: Strewn lotion bottles, talcum powder and wipes: Harrowing photos shown in court revealed Lacey Fletcher’s parents’ otherwise tidy home, stocked with products to clean their autistic daughter before she died caked in her own feces – Greg Woodfield – May 6, 2022 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10786339/Horrifying-evidence-photos-revealed-extent-Lacey-Fletchers-ordeal.html
Mirror – Body of ‘paralysed’ woman left to rot on parents’ sofa for 12 years in horrifying discovery – Julia Banim – September 15, 2025 - https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/body-paralysed-woman-left-rot-35905387
Wikipedia – Slaughter, Louisiana - Slaughter, Louisiana - Wikipedia
Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable - https://www.brcwrt.com/index.html         
Wikipedia – Asperger’s Syndrome - Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia
Wikipedia – Locked-in Syndrome - Locked-in syndrome - Wikipedia
Legal Clarity – What is a No Contest Plea and When Should You Use It? – LegalClarity Team – July 17, 2025 - What Is a No Contest Plea and When Should You Use It? - LegalClarity

Episode 103: Ghosts of the Past - Leap Castle

Lying in the center of Ireland is Offaly County, with a population of about 83,000, the area is largely rural. But with this comes a community full of tradition and natural beauty. Surrounded by stunning scenery, Offaly offers a slower pace of life fit for the older and younger generations. The county is full of historic landmarks, including Leap Castle. Leap Castle is steeped in horrific bloodshed beginning as early as the 16th century. When a leader clan built the castle, the superior clan took it by force, and the castle was used a stronghold during many battles. War bloodshed, tortured captives and even interfamily murders shape the grim background of this stronghold. All of this negative energy is said to have lingered in the walls. Leap Castle is known to be the host of many ghostly entities, some human and one inhuman. From chilling EVPs, brushes with invisible forces and disembodied chanting, the castle is full of activity. The current owners are restoring the castle slowly, while living alongside these entities. Tune in to hear the evil that still resides within the walls of the ruins of Leap Castle in Ireland.
 
Sources:
“The Haunted Leap Castle” on Haunted Rooms (https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/haunted-places/ireland/leap-castle)
“Leap Castle” on Little House of Horrors (https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/leap-castle/)
“Getting spooked at Leap Castle” by Jane Cowen on July 28, 2025 (https://www.ireland.com/en-us/magazine/built-heritage/getting-spooked-at-leap-castle/)
“RTE’s Real-Life ‘Fright Night’” in The Evening Herald on August 21, 2002
“Historic Irish Buildings – XLII Leap Castle” in The Irish Independent on November 14, 1928
“We Visit Ireland’s Most Haunted Houses” by Des Ekin in The Sunday Herald on August 1, 2004
“There’s a Ghost in my House” by Shilpa Ganatra in The Irish Independent on October 31, 2007
https://www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/county/offaly/county-offaly/
https://leapcastle.net/?page_id=29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_Castle