Our favorite weird state, West Virginia, is home to one of the most fascinating (and disturbing) paranormal tales in American history: the testimony of a ghost that was discussed during a murder trial. At the turn of the 20th century, a young bride, Elva Zona Heaster Shue, died in what at first seemed to be an accident. Soon, though, someone very close to her was on trial for murder . . . after Zona herself appeared as a ghost, and pointed a spectral finger at the suspect.

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Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Researched by Laurah Norton and Annna Luria

Engineered by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

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Anyone plugged into the world of unexplained events and oddities is probably well aware of the Max Headroom broadcast hijacking. But a story that weird is worth diving into — especially since, roughly 40 years later, there’s been no real progress in efforts to c-c-catch those involved. Strange history at its finest!

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Hosted by Laurah Norton

Researched by Bryan Worters and Maura Currie

Produced, Written and Engineered by Maura Currie

This episode originally ran as Premium Episode 25.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

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All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026

Works Cited:

Bishop, Bryan, “Max Headroom: The Definitive…” The Verge, 2015.

Wogan, Terry. “Max Headroom,” BBC1, 1985.

Shull, Richard, “‘20 minutes into future’ is past,” The Times, 1987.

“Highlights in the history of Coca-Cola…” Library of Congress, ND.

Knittel, Chris, “The Mystery of the Creepiest…” Motherboard, 2013.

“Video pirate briefly interrupts…” Chicago Tribune, 1987.

Greene, Bob, “Fame is fleeting to the m-m-max,” Chicago Tribune, 1987.

“Masked Max interrupts programming,” UPI, 1987.

Shefsky, Jay, “30 Years Later, Notorious…” WTTW News, 2017.

Camper, John & Daley, Steve, “A powerful video prankster…” Chicago Tribune, 1987.

Buckman, Adam, “FCC sure is mad, Max” Advertising Age, 1987.

“The Max Headroom Incident: Revisiting…” WBUR, 2019.

Pagano, Penny, “‘Captain Midnight’ Enters Plea…” Los Angeles Times, 1986.

Staff, “Porn-Film Message Suspect…” Los Angeles Times, 1990.

The Max Headroom Chronicles

WTTW Chicago - The Max Headroom Pirating Incident

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A cursed chair in a North Yorkshire pub is said to have killed everyone who has sat in it? It’s something we must explore. Thomas Busby was hanged for murder in 1702. His cursed chair became one of England's most infamous pieces of haunted furniture, linked to dozens of deaths over three centuries. But the truth of the Busby Stoop Chair may be stranger than any ghost story.

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Engineered and Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.

All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026

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A young man from England claims to have incredible paranormal gifts—but can it truly be proven? We all want to be special. . . and some of us even believe we might just have extraordinary powers. But that usually fades as we grow older. But for Matthew Manning, an alleged psychic, ghost whisperer, faith healer, and all-around phenom who came to prominence in the 1970s, international renown may have been the goal. . . though supporters argued he was simply sharing his gifts with the world.

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Hosted by Laurah Norton

Produced, Written, and Engineered by Maura Currie

Researched by Anna Luria

This episode originally aired at Premium Episode 31.

SOURCES:

NA, “Matthew Manning, age 19…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

John Alexander, “Moments of mysterious…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

NA, “Matthew Manning: is he a genius…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

NA, “When things went bump…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

NA, “Writing on the wall…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

NA, “He can MAKE a wish…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

NA, “The ‘strong psychic gifts…’" Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

NA, “Mystery over a little bit…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

Andrew Barron, “Matthew Manning…” Cambridge Evening News, 1974.

Allen Spraggett, “Englishman Matthew Manning…” Daily Independent Journal, 1975.

NA, “The Link” The Wichita Falls, 1975.

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.

All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026

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Harry Houdini spent the last years of his life doing something unexpected for the world's greatest escape artist: relentlessly exposing fraudulent psychic mediums and publicly humiliating his famous friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the process. But for all his skepticism, Houdini carried a secret that would define the final chapter of his life. . . and haunt his widow for a decade after his death.

One Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.

Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive

Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!

Hosted and Written by Laurah Norton

Researched by Anna Luria and Laurah Norton

Engineered and Produced by Southern Gothic Media/Rachel Boyd

Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus

episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607

Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething

We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.

All Rights Reserved The Fall Line® Podcast LLC/One Strange Thing 2026

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This week we're sharing a special episode from Blood Will Tell, a gripping new podcast you won't want to miss.

When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins Trung and Anh are arrested for suspected murder. But when an eyewitness misidentifies the brothers in a lineup, one twin spends nearly two years in jail — and the wrong one. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime he didn't commit?

Listen to more episodes of Blood Will Tell at https://wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell/

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