When sixteen-year-old Anneliese Michel began having seizures and hallucinations in 1968, her parents took her to a doctor, who diagnosed Anneliese with temporal lobe epilepsy and depression and recommended psychiatric treatment. Two years later, however, her delusions and hallucinations returned, manifesting in the form of “devil faces” and voices that telling her she was evil and would be going to hell. Believing the treatment wasn’t working and fearing Anneliese was possessed by demons, Anneliese’s family arranged for her to be visited by a local Jesuit priest, who confirmed their fear: Anneliese was possessed and the only way to save her soul was an exorcism.

Associated Press. 1978. "Bizarre exorcism draws suspended prison terms." Press-Courier (Oxnard, CA), April 22: 3.

—. 1978. "Exorcists 'tried to save girl'." The Guardian, March 31: 6.

Buschschluter, Siegfried. 1977. "Charges after exorcism death." The Guardian, July 14: 6.

Day, Elizabeth. 2005. "'God told us to exorcise my daughter's demons. I don't regret her death.'." Sunday Telegraph (London, UK), November 27: 15.

Goodman, Felicitas D. 1981. The Exorcism of Annaliese Michel. New York, NY: Doubleday and Company.

Hansen, Eric T. 2005. "What in God's name?" Washington Post, September 4.

Sword, Autumn. 2021. "Seized By the Spirit: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and the Exorcism of Anneliese Michel." Skeptical Inquirer, July 30.

Time. 1976. "Religion: A Phenomenon of Fear." Time, September 6.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

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In the early morning hours of April 27, 1913, a night watchman at the National Pencil Company in Atlanta, GA, found the body of thirteen-year-old former factory worker Mary Phagan in a basement room of the factory. Mary had been sexually assaulted and strangled, a strip of fabric from her coat still around her neck when she was discovered, and there were two cryptic notes found near the body. Given where Mary was discovered, it was assumed the killer was familiar with the layout of the factory and was either a current or former employee.

Just one day later, suspicion fell on two factory employees, a night watchman, Newt Lee, and the factory’s superintendent, twenty-nine-year-old Leo Frank. In time, investigators ruled Lee out, leaving Leo frank as the sole suspect in the girl’s murder. To many, the arrest, prosecution, and failed appeals of Leo Frank had more to do with him being Jewish than they did his being the most likely suspect, but the real outrage was yet to come. Indeed, two years after Phagan’s death and Leo Frank’s conviction, the people of Atlanta would commit an act of extrajudicial violence that would forever stain the conscience of Georgia.

RESOURCES

Atlanta Constituion . 1913. "Frank and Lee ordered held by coroner's jury for Mary Phagan murder." Atlanta Constitution , May 9: 1.

Atlanta Constitution. 1915. "Mob's own story in detail." Atlanta Constitution, August 18: 1.

Atlanta Journal. 1915. "Leo Frank forcibly taken from prison." Atlanta Journal , August 17: 1.

—. 1913. "Arnold's motion for a mistrial is denied by Judge Roan." Atlanta Journal, August 25: 5.

—. 1913. "Detectives building case on theory that Frank and negro can clear mystery." Atlanta Journal, April 29: 1.

—. 1913. "Dorsey will finish his speech in few hours." Atlanta Journal, August 24: 1.

—. 1913. "Factory girls eager to testify for Frank." Atlanta Journal, July 29: 1.

—. 1913. "Frank Receives sentence like stoic, asserting his innocence of the crime." Atlanta Journal, August 26: 1.

—. 1913. "Negro sweeper tells officer Frank asked him to write some notes day before tragedy." Atlanta Journal, May 24: 1.

—. 1913. "Phagan case will go to grand jury in present form." Atlanta Journal, May 17: 1.

—. 1913. "Phagan inquest in session." Atlanta Journal, May 8: 1.

Berman, Sandra, and Jane Leavey. n.d. Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited. Atlanta, GA: The Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum.

Jewish Advocate. 1913. "Is Leo M. Frank of Atlanta GA., guilty of murder." Jewish Advocate, December 12: 1.

New York Times. 1914. "Appeal for Frank in murder case." New York Times, February 25: 6.

—. 1914. "Frank convicted by public clamor." New York Times, March 2: 1.

—. 1914. "Split court denies new trial to Frank." New York Times, February 18: 3.

—. 1915. "Took Frank's life in resentment." New York Times, August 18: 3.

Oney, Steve. 2003. And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Slaton, John. 1915. "Gov. Slaton's statement." New York Times, June 22: 6.

United Press International. 1982. "Alonzo mann, 83, Sunday made public a secret." United Press International, March 7.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

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Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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Anyone with any knowledge of his disappearance is encouraged to reach out to the family through their 24/7 tip line at 844-602-0660, or to the Buckeye Police Department at 623-349-6411.

When twenty-four-year-old geologist Daniel Robinson left work on the morning of June 23, 2021, no one knew where he was going or why he was leaving work so early; they only noticed that he was driving west, further into the desert. The unexpected departure was out of character for Robinson, so when he failed to return that afternoon and no one had heard from him outside of work, his disappearance was reported to the police.

Days soon turned to weeks and there was still no sign of Daniel. Then, in late July, a month after he went missing, Daniel’s Jeep was found rolled over and crashed in a ravine some distance from the job site. The airbags in the car had both deployed and there was significant damage to the vehicle, but there was no sign of Daniel Robinson, turning a relatively routine missing person case into a bizarre mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

References

Beresford, Jack. 2021. Gabby Petito Case Sparks Appeal Over Unsolved Disappearance of Arizona Man. September 20. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://www.newsweek.com/gabby-petito-case-appeal-unsolved-disappearance-arizona-man-daniel-robinson-1630758.

Cardoba Perez, Angela, and Perry Vandell. 2022. "Geologist remains missing one year later." Arizona Republic, June 24: 4.

Ellis, Nicquel Terry. 2024. "Turning tragedy into purpose: Gabby Petito's father advocates for missing Black and brown people." CNN, December 24.

Encinas, Amaris. 2021. "Family still searching for missing 24-year-old." Arizona Republic, September 21: 3.

Galka, Matt, and Brent Corrado. 2021. Investigators release new details about crash leading up to geologist's disappearance. November 4. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/daniel-robinson-investigators-release-new-details-about-crash-leading-up-to-geologists-disappearance.

Gonzalez, Jose. 2023. "Police reveal new casework on missing Tempe geologist." Arizona Republic, June 2: 12.

Hardle, Alexandra. 2024. "How a missing son led Robinson to a run for Congress." Arizona Republic, March 20: B3.

Jaafari, Joseph Darius. 2021. "Who crashed car belonging to missing geologist?" Arizona Republic, October 6: 1.

Jensen, Audrey. 2021. "Search continues for man last seen in Buckeye." Arizona Republic, July 11: A4.

2023. Disappeared. Directed by Ricky Lewis.

Sarup, Eshaan. 2023. "New information on Daniel Robinson, who has been missing since 2021." Arizona Republic, October 13: 10.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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