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We explore the notorious tale of body snatchers William Burke and William Hare, who murdered 17 people in 1820s Edinburgh to sell their bodies to medical schools. Their gruesome business emerged from a shortage of legal cadavers when only executed criminals' bodies could be used for dissection.

• Edinburgh was a center for medical science in the 1800s with "operating theaters" designed for students to observe procedures
• Families used creative methods to protect graves including 24-hour surveillance, metal coffins, and protective cages called mortsafes
• Burke and Hare began their crimes opportunistically when a lodger died naturally, then progressed to murder by suffocation
• Their victims were primarily vulnerable people including the elderly, prostitutes, beggars, and people with disabilities
• Dr. Robert Knox purchased all their victims' bodies but escaped prosecution despite suspicions
• After their arrest, Hare testified against Burke in exchange for immunity
• Burke was executed in 1829 and his body was dissected, with his skeleton displayed at Edinburgh University and his skin made into souvenirs
• The murders led to the Anatomy Act of 1832, which expanded the legal supply of cadavers for medical education

If you find yourself in Scotland, visit the Surgeons' Hall Museums or the anatomy collections at the University of Edinburgh to see artifacts from this dark chapter in medical history.

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If you'd like to show your support for Wicked Wanderings and join our community of dedicated listeners, you can start contributing for as little as $3 a month. Your support helps us continue to explore the darkest and most intriguing mysteries, bringing you captivating stories from the world of true crime and the unexplained. Click the link to become a valued member of our podcast family.

Don't forget to rate, review, and follow us on your favorite streaming platform.
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Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah & Courtney and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende.

Wicked Wanderings is a Production of Studio 113

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Join us as we explore the eerie world of abandoned amusement parks, where once-vibrant attractions now stand as decaying monuments to forgotten joy and lingering spirits.

• Mountain Park in Holyoke, Massachusetts operated from the late 1800s until the mid-1980s with visitors reporting phantom carnival music and shadowy figures
• Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Massachusetts closed after a roller coaster accident with the tracks still standing like skeletal remains
• Six Flags New Orleans was abandoned immediately after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leaving everything frozen in time
• Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia was built on Native American burial grounds and experienced numerous tragic deaths
• Spree Park in Berlin features rotting swan boats and dinosaur statues with reports of the Ferris wheel turning on its own
• Aqpo Land in South Korea contains a duck-themed ride frozen mid-loop where a child died
• Heritage USA was a Christian-themed park that fell into ruin after scandals and a hurricane
• Pripyat Amusement Park in Chernobyl never officially opened before the nuclear disaster

If you're interested in horror movies, check out "It Feeds" starring Ashley Greene from Twilight, rated 4/5 overall with a 4.5/5 for gore and body horror content.

Support the show

If you'd like to show your support for Wicked Wanderings and join our community of dedicated listeners, you can start contributing for as little as $3 a month. Your support helps us continue to explore the darkest and most intriguing mysteries, bringing you captivating stories from the world of true crime and the unexplained. Click the link to become a valued member of our podcast family.

Don't forget to rate, review, and follow us on your favorite streaming platform.
Wicked Wanderings Website
Linktree
Instagram

We'd love to hear from you!
Email us @ wickedwanderingspodcast@gmail.com
Text Us @ CLICK HERE

Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah & Courtney and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende.

Wicked Wanderings is a Production of Studio 113

Send us a text

The Manhattan Hoax of 1824 reveals how a retired carpenter convinced hundreds of workers they would saw off Lower Manhattan, rotate it, and reattach it to prevent the island from sinking. This bizarre historical incident sparked a fascinating conversation about forgotten burial grounds, cultural respect for the dead, and society's treatment of marginalized communities.

• Jonathan shares the story of Lozier, who falsely claimed to be appointed by the mayor to lead the Manhattan sawing project
• Workers were promised triple wages to participate in the impossible engineering feat
• Lozier disappeared on the day construction was supposed to begin, hiding in Brooklyn
• New York City's development history shows Lower Manhattan as the original core, with upper regions considered countryside
• Discussion of public bathroom accessibility as a overlooked necessity for travel and everyday life
• The terracotta army discovery in 1974 revealed thousands of life-size warriors buried with China's first emperor
• Examination of how burial sites of marginalized communities are often disrespected or built over
• Conversation about unmarked graves at former mental institutions and the dehumanization of patients
• Concerns about current trends toward defunding mental health services and community supports

Support the show

If you'd like to show your support for Wicked Wanderings and join our community of dedicated listeners, you can start contributing for as little as $3 a month. Your support helps us continue to explore the darkest and most intriguing mysteries, bringing you captivating stories from the world of true crime and the unexplained. Click the link to become a valued member of our podcast family.

Don't forget to rate, review, and follow us on your favorite streaming platform.
Wicked Wanderings Website
Linktree
Instagram

We'd love to hear from you!
Email us @ wickedwanderingspodcast@gmail.com
Text Us @ CLICK HERE

Wicked Wanderings is hosted by Hannah & Courtney and it's produced by Rob Fitzpatrick. Music by Sascha Ende.

Wicked Wanderings is a Production of Studio 113