Not Today

Jim and Jennifer Stolpa and their infant son, Clayton, were traveling to Idaho to attend a family funeral, when they realized main interstate highway had been shut down due to a bad blizzard. Jim and Jennifer decided to find an alternate route, however instead of going around the storm like they intended, the couple drove directly into it, and got stuck in the snow. By the time they got stuck, it was dark, the were in the middle of nowhere, and no one knew they had changed course. 

Let's talk about some truly unbelievable freak accidents! 

Jennifer Holliday picked up her 18-year-old cousin, Anna Franklin, up from a babysitting job, late one night in May of 2005. The two decided to make a quick stop at a gas station to grab some snacks before heading home, however their worlds were about to collide with an evil man who was fueling his rage with exorbitant amounts of drugs and alcohol. They didn't know it at the time, however after leaving the gas station, Eric Parnell followed close behind. 

Psychiatric hospitals in the 20th century were a really terrifying place to be. In this episode we're going to discuss the conditions and treatments in mental institutions during that time, as well as a few people who experienced them and lived to tell the tale! 

In the fall of 1961, Julian Harvey had been pulled out of the ocean from a dinghy. He claimed the Bluebell, a ship he had been the captain for, had hit an unexpected squall which caused the ship to sink, taking everyone on board down with it. That story was believable until 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault was found near death on the open ocean after 4 days on a small cork raft. Terry Jo had a much different version of events from the night the Bluebell sank. 

When a Hollywood camera crew set out to film an active volcano they end up in a helicopter crash into the volcano. 

On Friday the 13th of October 1995, best friends Misty Cockerill and Tanya Smith were walking to a friends birthday party around midnight when a man emerged from the bushes and attacked them with a baseball bat. Hours later, Misty woke up in the grass dazed and confused but managed to stumble her way to the nearby emergency room. However the Abbotsford killer was only getting started. Terry Driver spent the next seven months taunting the police with phone calls and letters and terrorizing the city of Abbotsford, Canada. 

Blake Stanfeild and his father Neil planned to go on a six day rafting trip in the remote Alaskan wilderness, sixty miles from civilization, to celebrate Neil's 65th birthday. But when their raft hit an unexpected patch of ice, the strong current sent the men underneath. The two managed to find a pocket of air under the ice covering the raging river, however this was only the start of their fight to stay alive.

In 2015 Victoria Cilliers nearly plummeted to her death after jumping out of an airplane and discovering that both her initial and reserve parachute had malfunctioned. Victoria miraculously survived the fall, however an investigation was promptly opened after  experts had been lead to believe that her kit had been tampered with. After uncovering more of what was going on behind the scenes in Victorias life, investigators discover the person responsible for the faulty parachute may have attempted to take Victoria’s life on another occasion.

In Part 2 we're going to discuss the 51 day stand off between the Branch Davidians and the United States government; and all the major mistakes that were made. 

In early 1993 in Waco Texas, a 51-day stand off between a religious apocalyptic cult, called the Branch Davidians, and the US government took place. In part one we're going to discuss David Koresh, the leader of this cult, and take a look into what this religious group believed and practiced. 

Join us this week as we read one of our listeners first hand accounts of their journey through Hurricane Katrina. 

In 2012, two members of the Staudte family passed away in a six month span. Both of them experienced flu like symptoms before death and were found with a ring of blood around their mouths, however their deaths were determined to be from natural causes. But when a third member of the family fell ill not long after, the local police received an anonymous tip suggesting the mother of this family may be behind these untimely deaths. Go to https://hellofresh.com/nottoday60 and use code nottoday60 to get 60% off plus free shipping!

On the afternoon of May 20, 2013, a large and extremely violent EF5 tornado ravaged through Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people   and injuring 212 others. The survivors of this tragedy came together to pull whoever they could from the rubble and over time rebuild their community. 

In November of 2000, three masked gunmen broke into the home of bank manager Michelle Renee. They took Michelle, her seven year old daughter Breea, and her roommate Kimbra hostage for fourteen hours, strapped dynamite to their backs, and demanded that Michelle rob her own bank for them. And if Michelle didn't deliver all of the money in the vault to them, they would be killed. Go to https://hellofresh.com/nottoday65 and use code nottoday65 for 65% off plus free shipping! 

Melissa Armstrong and David Tomlinson set out to have an easy 30 minute dive around an active volcano. But when unexpected bad weather caused stronger currents, they were pulled way off course. When Melissa and David resurfaced, they were much farther from the boat than planned, which made them impossible to spot. The two were then left out in the middle of the ocean to fend for themselves. The divers had to endure dehydration, a twenty mile swim, and all the sea life between them and the land. 

At the age of sixteen, Erin Caffey masterminded a plot to kill her entire family. 

Sergeant Jill Evans is a small-town cop in Wales with an impressive record in her job, and a less than impressive record in her love life. After three engagements, two divorces and one affair, she’s beginning to worry that love is only true in fairy tales. That is until she meets: Dean. He’s a wealthy beauty entrepreneur with his own range of toiletries. Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl. They kiss and fall in love. Roll credits. But that would be boring, wouldn’t it? Instead, this is a love story like no other. It’s all going so well for Jill and Dean, until Halloween night, when Dean disappears. And Sgt. Jill is left to pick up the pieces. From Wondery and Novel, comes a new series. Hosted by Kerry Godliman. Follow Stolen Hearts on Amazon Music of wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App.  Listen to Stolen Hearts: Wondery.fm/SH_NT

In 2018, 31-year-old Spencer and 24-year-old Jessica Christiansen decided to take a trip into the Darby Canyon wind and Ice Cave in Wyoming. They believed this would be perfect for them since they were constantly searching out new adventures. But this cave would be different because, once you go in, you cant go back from where you came. The only way out is forward; meaning whatever obstacles you face, you need to overcome to make it out the other side. 

On July 24th 2013 Matt Dyer took a trip into Canada's Torngat Mountains National Park. He thought he would be extremely lucky to see a polar bear on this trip. And as it turned out, he did see one, but it was much more up close and personal than he ever expected. Go to Hellofresh.com/nottoday21 and use code nottoday21 for 21 free meals plus free shipping! 

On April 10, 2009, 29-year-old Trisha Leffler, an escort, was gagged, bound, and robbed at gunpoint at a Westin hotel in boston by a man who had responded to an ad she placed on Craigslist. In the days that followed, two other women would post ads on craigslist and come into contact with that same man. This man was soon to be known as The Craigslist Killer. 

Katrina Cooke Brownlee was 18-years-old when she got into a relationship with corrections officer, Alex Irvin. In that abusive relationship, Katrina was ignored by police for years before she was shot 10 times, and left for dead. She was told she'd never walk again, however to say Katrina overcame her obstacles is an understatement. 

On November 22, 1997, Caleb Record drove his friend, George Place, home from basketball practice. After hitting a patch of ice, the car went over a ledge, and flipped five times down a hill before landing upside down in the icy West River. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/nottoday and get on your way to being your best self.

This week we're diving into the stories that you sent us! 

On April 27th 2006, 17-year-old Ashely Reeves went missing. Following a job interview she had scheduled that day, she had planned on playing basketball with a friend, however when she didn't make it home for curfew, her parents were immediately concerned. Ashley was left to die in the woods for 30 hours, and the person to blame was someone she trusted. 

In 2003, Greg Rasmussen crashed his small plane in the African savannah while searching for a lost rhino. After sustaining multiple broken bones, internal injuries, and some really terrible luck, Greg had to endure the brutal African sun as well as multiple predators on the prowl for an easy meal. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/nottoday and get on your way to being your best self.

On the night of July 23rd 2013, Tiffany Mead called 911 claiming she had injured herself in an attempt to take her life, while her ex husband Kris sat in the car with her. However when the detectives arrive on the scene, things weren't adding up. Something much more sinister had occurred, and Tiffany wasn't to blame.

Long time friends and mountaineers Jim and Mike were on a trip to summit one of America's highest peaks, Mount Rainer. With a lot of effort, and some encouragement from Mike, the pair was able to make it to the top, and take in the immaculate views. However, on their way down, the snow was melting and hiding many of the treacherous crevasses. Jim was being very careful to make sure that every step he took was on solid ground, but made a life altering mistake.

Backpackers Lena and Beatrice were looking for a lift and a little adventure when they accepted a ride from a man they had never met, named Roman Heinze. However when Roman unexpectedly drove the girls to a remote beach, they were in for a lot more than the innocent impromptu camping trip. This excursion very quickly turned into a fight for their lives.   *I forgot to mention this at the top, however this story does contain some discussion of sexual assault* 

In the summer of 1975, Linda Skvarna set off on a solo road trip across the United States with her dog Coco Gin. Her last stop of the trip was the Grand Canyon, and after seeing an enticing waterfall on a post card, she decided that would be her destination. Linda set off knowing nothing of the intensity or length of the hike, and thanks to poorly maintained trail signs, she was soon hopelessly lost in the never ending maze with no food or water.  Support the show