In the blistering August heat of 1990, the quiet college town of Gainesville, Florida, was paralyzed by a series of brutal slayings. Over just four days, five students were murdered—each crime more horrifying than the last. Doors were bolted. Campuses emptied. Fear became a living thing.
But beneath the surface terror lay something even stranger: the killer seemed to be performing for an unseen audience, staging scenes like a director crafting a horror film. His spree would go on to inspire one of the most iconic slasher villains of all time—Ghostface.
Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown.
• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe on Youtube
• Support us on Patreon
Visit us at www.macabriumpod.com to learn more!
Show Notes & Further Reading
FL v. ROLLING (1994) – Officer Barber’s Testimony by CourtTV
Prosecution chips away at Rolling’s case for mercy by David K. Barstow
Rolling’s Mother Testifies by The South Florida Sun Sentinel
The Gainesville Serial Killer by ABC’s 20/20
Danny Rolling, The Gainesville Ripper by the Department of Psychology at Radford University
Rolling v. State (1997) by The Florida Supreme Court
How a woman in Louisiana helped break the case of 5 student murders in Florida by Glenn Ruppel, Sean Dooley, and Anthony Rivas
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:02:07
--------
1:02:07
107. Lore & Legends | Aradale Lunatic Asylum
In the heart of rural Victoria stands the shell of a grand institution—Aradale Asylum. Once home to thousands of patients, many never left. This episode traces the fog-drenched corridors of a place built on the promise of care, but haunted by the reality of confinement. What lingers in the shadows of Australia’s largest abandoned asylum… and who’s still listening?
Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown.
• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe on Youtube
• Support us on Patreon
Visit us at www.macabriumpod.com to learn more!
Sources & Further Reading
Aradale Asylum – Dark TourismInside Australia’s Haunted Aradale Asylum – RankerGhosts of Aradale: What Lurks in Australia’s Largest Abandoned Asylum – Australian GeographicAradale Mental Hospital: The History – OnlyMelbourneHaunted Places: Aradale Lunatic Asylum – HauntedPlaces.org
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
24:07
--------
24:07
106. Angel Maker: The Baby Farm Murders
In Victorian England, beneath the smog-choked skies and soot-stained bricks, a quiet horror was unfolding. Amelia Dyer a former nurse turned baby farmer, promised desperate mothers care and comfort for their infants… but what she delivered was death. With white tape as her calling card and the Thames as her accomplice, Dyer became one of history’s most prolific serial killers, hiding in plain sight as London’s population boomed and its poorest slipped through the cracks.
Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown.
• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe on Youtube
• Support us on Patreon
Visit us at www.macabriumpod.com to learn more!
Show Sources & Further Reading
Bastardy and Baby Farming in Victorian England
Baby Farming, A Victorian Horror Story
Victorian Baby Farming
Baby farming - Wikipedia
Nineteenth-Century Baby-Farming and the Demonisation of Working-Class Mothers
Social Life in Victorian England
The Victorian women forced to give up their babies
Single, Unwed, and Pregnant in Victorian London
Amelia Dyer - Wikipedia
Amelia Dyer Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life
Amelia Dyer | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
The Grisly Story Of How 'Baby Farmer' Amelia Dyer May Have Slaughtered As Many As 400 Children
Amelia Dyer: The Victorian nurse who strangled babies - BBC News
Amelia Dyer: The Victorian Baby Farmer - Owlcation
Amelia Dyer: Baby Killers | Gresham College
Amelia Dyer "The Reading Baby Farmer" - Crime Museum
The Baby Farmer | Thames Valley Police
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
40:08
--------
40:08
105. Lore & Legends | The Original Vampires of New Orleans: The Casket Girls
In 1728, the fledgling city of New Orleans welcomes the Casket Girls, young women sent from France to marry colonists, their pale faces and coffin-shaped chests sparking whispers of mystery. Among them is Marie-Claire de Laval, whose beauty hides a dangerous secret. As strange deaths plague the colony and shadows move in the night, Sister Agnes, a compassionate nun, and Lucien Dubois, a rugged trapper, are drawn into a web of intrigue at the Ursuline Convent. In a city where faith clashes with the supernatural, their choices will shape New Orleans’ future.
Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown.
• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe on Youtube
• Support us on Patreon
Visit us at www.macabriumpod.com to learn more!
Sources & Further Reading
NewOrleans.com - The Casket Girls of New Orleans
Pelican State of Mind - Myth, Legend, and History
Ghost City Tours - Truth About the Casket Girls
New York Historical Society - The Casket Girls
Locations of Lore - The Casket Girls
New Orleans Legendary Walking Tours - The Casket Girls
Very Local - My Granny was a Vampire-Smuggling Casket Girl
NOLA.com - A Lot to Unpack
New Orleans Ghosts - The Casket Girls
Fodors - Unveiling New Orleans’ Vampire Legends
Horror Obsessive - 18th Century Mail Order Brides or Vampire Smugglers
Terrebonne Parish Library System - Vampires in the Deep South
New Orleans Legendary Walking Tours - Phantoms of the Ursuline Convent
Old Ursuline Convent Museum
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
--------
1:00:23
--------
1:00:23
104. Lore & Legends | Death on Skid Row: The Infamous Cecil Hotel
In downtown Los Angeles stands the Cecil Hotel, a place where luxury once thrived but now echoes with tales of murder, suicide, and ghostly apparitions. Opened in 1924, this 14-story building has become synonymous with tragedy, linked to at least 16 deaths and countless eerie experiences. From the rumored presence of the Black Dahlia to the mysterious death of Elisa Lam, the Cecil’s dark history captivates true crime fans and paranormal enthusiasts alike.
Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown.
• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe on Youtube
• Support us on Patreon
Visit us at www.macabriumpod.com to learn more!
Show Notes & Further Reading
How the Hotel Cecil Became One of LA’s Most Haunted Buildings
Inside The Cecil Hotel And Its Eerie History
Cecil Hotel: LA’s Most Haunted for Horrifying Reasons
Haunted Cecil Hotel - FrightFind
Living Opposite the Haunted Cecil Hotel
Inside Los Angeles’ Infamous Cecil Hotel
The Cecil Hotel: Where Dreams Go To Die
Cecil Hotel - Wikipedia
Cecil Hotel Reopens as Affordable Housing
Cecil Hotel Homeless Housing Problems
Cecil Hotel Put Up for Sale
Cecil Hotel Housing Issues
No Ghosts at the Cecil Hotel
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Macabrium.
Step inside our candlelit study, where towering bookshelves hold the secrets of the past—true crime, dark history, lore, and legends waiting to be uncovered. Hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, Macabrium is an immersive journey into the eerie and enigmatic.
From chilling crimes to forgotten folklore, we unravel the stories that linger in the dark. Some are tragic, some are terrifying, and all are unforgettable.
Join Megan on Tuesdays for true crime & dark history, and Derek on Sundays for lore & legends.
To learn more visit www.macabriumpod.com
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/macabriumpod