Ohio Mysteries

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Hello and Welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads.

What lurks in the shadows of Ohio’s backroads, forgotten cemeteries, and hidden corners of history? Join us as we uncover the Buckeye State’s most chilling legends, mysterious sightings, and enduring folklore.

Decades may pass, but the truth never loses its voice. Ohio Mysteries Backroads takes a deep, immersive dive into some of the Ohio’s most lingering cold cases—stories where justice was stalled, lives were shattered, and questions still haunt the communities left behind.

In this season, we unravel three tragic cases bound by unanswered questions across Ohio:

Joanne Elaine Coughlin (1974): A 21-year-old vanishes into thin air after leaving a health spa in Boardman. Her car was found, but Joanne was never seen again. Was it a chance encounter, or did someone close to her hold the key to her disappearance?

Kimberly and Daniel Fulton (1995): A nightmarish mobile home fire in Washington County reveals a far darker reality: the deliberate murder of a 28-year-old mother and her 17-month-old son. Explore the decades-long fight to untangle the arson, the suspect list, and the break in the case.

Elizabeth Andes (1978): Found dead in her Oxford apartment just days after graduating college, Elizabeth's case seemed open-and-shut to local police. But when a suspect was acquitted, the investigation ground to a halt, leaving a brutal crime officially unsolved. Subscribe now to help bring these long-buried truths into the light.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Blending local history, eyewitness accounts, folklore, and a healthy dose of skepticism, this podcast explores the legends that refuse to die. Whether you're a paranormal enthusiast, a history buff, or simply fascinated by the unexplained, you'll discover that Ohio's darkest stories are often its most unforgettable.

Ohio Legends Uncovered—because every town has a story, and some stories still walk among us.

Special Note: Join me, Daniel Zaleski, on September 26, 2026 at 9:30am at the Avon Lake Public Library for a special event: Capturing History: Mystery, Myth, Legend, and Oral Storytelling. I will be joined by friends of the show Kelly Boyer Sagert and Don Hilton and more. We will be sharing Ohio stories, discussing our books and answering questions. This is a rare opportunity to meet and great so please come by and say "hello"! The link is:
⁠https://alpl.librarymarket.com/event/history-writing-day-61843⁠

Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA⁠

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Hello and Welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads.

What lurks in the shadows of Ohio’s backroads, forgotten cemeteries, and hidden corners of history? Join us as we uncover the Buckeye State’s most chilling legends, mysterious sightings, and enduring folklore.

On a freezing Sunday night—January 2, 1791—along the icy banks of the Muskingum River in present-day Morgan County, a quiet settlement sat unfinished and unwarned.

Deep in the woods north of Marietta, a small group of pioneer squatters had built an incomplete wooden blockhouse on the fertile floodplains known as "Big Bottom". They believed they were carving out a new future on the Ohio frontier. But they were on contested ground—territory the Indigenous Lenape and Wyandot nations were fiercely defending against relentless westward encroachment.

As the settlers gathered around the fire for supper, the silence of the winter night was shattered. Within minutes, an attack carried out with sudden speed and ferocity left the blockhouse in flames. Twelve settlers were killed, several were taken captive into the wilderness, and a handful barely escaped into the frozen dark.

Left behind in the ashes was a single, ominous artifact: a war club laid upon the ground—a formal, tragic declaration of war.

The attack at Big Bottom didn't just shock the Ohio Company of Associates; it ignited four brutal years of bloodshed known as the Northwest Indian War, changing the course of American and Native history forever.

Join us on this episode of Ohio Mysteries as we delve into the tensions, the forgotten survivors, and the ghost of a winter night that set the entire Ohio frontier ablaze.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Blending local history, eyewitness accounts, folklore, and a healthy dose of skepticism, this podcast explores the legends that refuse to die. Whether you're a paranormal enthusiast, a history buff, or simply fascinated by the unexplained, you'll discover that Ohio's darkest stories are often its most unforgettable.

Ohio Legends Uncovered—because every town has a story, and some stories still walk among us.

Join me on September 26, 2026 at 9:30am at the Avon Lake Public Library for a special event: Capturing History: Mystery, Myth, Legend, and Oral Storytelling. I will be joined by friends of the show Kelly Boyer Sagert and Don Hilton and more. We will be sharing Ohio stories, discussing our books and answering questions. This is a rare opportunity to meet and great so please come by and say "hello"! The link is:
https://alpl.librarymarket.com/event/history-writing-day-61843

Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA

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Hello and Welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads.

What lurks in the shadows of Ohio’s backroads, forgotten cemeteries, and hidden corners of history? Join us as we uncover the Buckeye State’s most chilling legends, mysterious sightings, and enduring folklore.

Ohio Mysteries Backroads: The Garrettsville Train Robbery — Alvin Karpis Comes to Ohio

In the quiet countryside of Portage County, Ohio, the village of Garrettsville seems like an unlikely setting for one of America’s most notorious criminals.

But during the violent era of the Great Depression, the backroads of Ohio became part of the story of Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, one of the FBI’s most wanted gangsters and a key figure in the infamous Barker-Karpis gang.

In this episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads, we travel back to the days when armored trains, bank robbers, gangsters, and federal agents were locked in a nationwide battle.

Our story takes us to Garrettsville, Ohio, where a train robbery brought the national crime wave of the 1930s frighteningly close to home. We explore what happened, how Karpis and his associates operated, and why Ohio's rail lines and isolated rural communities could become attractive targets for Depression-era criminals.

We'll look at the world that produced Karpis—the desperate economic conditions, the rise of organized crime, the getaway routes, and the growing presence of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. We'll also separate the documented history from the legends that have grown around the robbery over the decades.

Who was Alvin Karpis?Why did his gang come to Ohio?What happened along the railroad near Garrettsville?And how did law enforcement eventually close the net around one of America's most elusive gangsters?

Join Ohio Mysteries Backroads as we leave the highways and take a trip down the old railroad tracks into the dangerous world of 1930s Ohio, where a seemingly peaceful town found itself caught in the crosshairs of America's gangster era.

This is the Garrettsville train robbery—and the Ohio connection to Alvin Karpis.

Blending local history, eyewitness accounts, folklore, and a healthy dose of skepticism, this podcast explores the legends that refuse to die. Whether you're a paranormal enthusiast, a history buff, or simply fascinated by the unexplained, you'll discover that Ohio's darkest stories are often its most unforgettable.

Ohio Legends Uncovered—because every town has a story, and some stories still walk among us.

Tune in and found out!

Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA

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Part 3

Hello and Welcome to another episode of Ohio Mysteries Backroads.

In tonight's episode, we welcome back our co=host, Mike. Together we speak with Thomas Wertman, the legendary director of Mufon of Ohio. This group is dedicated to chronicling, cataloging and trying to make sense of the many reported UFO sightings around Ohio. In this fascinating interview broken down into 3 parts we discuss a range of topics from early Ohio sightings, the WOW signal, Bob Lazarr, and much more.

Blending local history, eyewitness accounts, folklore, and a healthy dose of skepticism, this podcast explores the legends that refuse to die. Whether you're a paranormal enthusiast, a history buff, or simply fascinated by the unexplained, you'll discover that Ohio's darkest stories are often its most unforgettable.

MUFON can be fond at: https://mufon.com

Ohio Legends Uncovered—because every town has a story, and some stories still walk among us.



Tune in and found out!



Check out our Facebook page!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558042082494¬if_id=1717202186351620¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠



Please check other podcast episodes like this at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ohiomysteries.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠



Dan hosts a Youtube Channel called: Ohio History and Haunts where he explores historical and dark places around Ohio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5x1eJjHhfyV8fomkaVzsA⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices