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True Crime

Highway to Hell

Monte Mader

Welcome to Highway to Hell, the unique crossroads where wanderlust meets mystery. Every episode, I take you on a journey to breathtaking destinations around the globe, unveiling not just the beauty of travel but the shadows that lurk behind the postcard-perfect views. From unsolved mysteries to infamous crimes, I explore the darker tales hidden within the world's most enchanting locales. So pack your curiosity, keep your wits about you, and join us as we dive deep into the thrilling intersection of travel and true crime. Your adventure into the unknown starts now.

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 39 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • April 14 · 1 hr 11 min

    43. La Llorona - Haunted Costa Rica

    Few legends cut as deep as La Llorona, the Weeping Woman. This week we're trading the highway for the rainforest as we trace one of Latin America's most enduring and chilling folk stories into the heart of Costa Rica. We break down the origins of La Llorona, the grieving mother condemned to wander waterways for eternity searching for the children she lost, and how her story evolved differently across Costa Rica than in Mexico or the American Southwest. Local variations are darker, more specific, and tied to real rivers and real grief — and we talk to locals who swear they've heard her cry on the banks of the Río Tárcoles at dusk. From there, we take you on a tour of Costa Rica's most haunted locations — places where the legend bleeds into something that feels less like folklore and more like a warning. We visit the ruins of Ujarrás, a 17th-century church where restless spirits are said to keep residents awake, and the old colonial cemeteries of Cartago, where La Llorona sightings cluster around All Souls' Day. We also dig into the Orosi Valley, where locals describe a particular kind of dread that settles over the water after dark — and where more than one traveler has reported a woman in white standing just beyond the treeline. We close the episode the way we always do — with a reason to go. If this episode has you ready to book a flight to San José, we've put together a seven-day travel itinerary that balances the eerie with the extraordinary. You'll move through Cartago's haunted churches, down into the Orosi Valley, along the Pacific coast near Tárcoles, and end in the Osa Peninsula — one of the most biodiverse and genuinely remote places on earth, where the jungle has legends of its own. Every stop is real, bookable, and worth it — even in the daylight. Sources La Nación. (n.d.). News archives and crime reporting. Costa Rica. Tico Times. (n.d.). News reporting and cultural coverage in Costa Rica. Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ). (n.d.). Official crime reports and investigative data. Costa Rica. InSight Crime. (n.d.). Organized crime analysis in Latin America. Lyra, C. (n.d.). Costa Rican Folk Tales. Leyendas Costarricenses. (n.d.). Traditional folklore compilation. Atlas Obscura. (n.d.). Unusual and haunted locations in Costa Rica. Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT). (n.d.). Official tourism information. Lonely Planet. (n.d.). Lonely Planet Costa Rica. Baker, C. P. (n.d.). Moon Costa Rica. Fodor’s Travel. (n.d.). Costa Rica Travel Guide. Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación (SINAC). (n.d.). Protected areas and national parks of Costa Rica. National Geographic. (n.d.). Costa Rica travel and ecology features. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (n.d.). World Heritage Sites in Costa Rica. Rainforest Alliance. (n.d.). Sustainability and biodiversity in Costa Rica. Instituto del Café de Costa Rica (ICAFE). (n.d.). Coffee production and research. World Coffee Research. (n.d.). Costa Rica coffee reports. Eater. (n.d.). Dining and restaurant guides in Costa Rica. Food & Wine. (n.d.). Culinary travel coverage of Costa Rica. U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Costa Rica Travel Advisory. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d.). Costa Rica health guidance. World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Regional health data: Costa Rica. U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica. (n.d.). Traveler information and safety resources. Biesanz, R. (n.d.). The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica. Ras, B. (Ed.). (n.d.). Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion. Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). The World Factbook: Costa Rica. BBC News. (n.d.). Costa Rica country profile.

  • April 7 · 1 hr 15 min

    42. The Chicken Coop Murders

    Gordon Northcott and a trip to Canada. In the late 1920s, one of California’s most disturbing child murder cases unfolded on a remote ranch in Wineville—a place so stained by violence that it would later change its name in an attempt to escape the legacy. At the center of the case was Gordon Stewart Northcott, a sadistic rancher whose crimes against children shocked the country and exposed serious failures in early policing. Northcott operated a chicken ranch where he lured young boys with promises of work or safety. Instead, they were subjected to abuse, imprisonment, and, in multiple cases, murder. The truth began to surface through the testimony of his nephew, Sanford Clark, who had been brought from Canada and forced to participate in and witness the atrocities. Clark’s eventual escape and confession to authorities broke open the case. Investigators uncovered evidence that multiple boys had been killed on the property, their remains disposed of in shallow graves or burned. Among the most infamous victims was Walter Collins, whose disappearance became a national scandal—not only because of his likely murder, but because the Los Angeles Police Department falsely claimed to have found him and returned an unrelated child to his mother. The mishandling of the case exposed systemic issues in law enforcement, including coercion and public image protection over truth. Northcott fled to Canada as suspicion mounted but was captured and extradited back to California. During his trial, he gave inconsistent confessions—at times admitting guilt, at other times denying it—and attempted to shield his mother, Sarah Louise Northcott, from blame. She was ultimately convicted but spared execution. In 1930, Northcott was executed at San Quentin State Prison. The scale and brutality of the crimes, along with the failures surrounding the investigation, left a permanent mark on American criminal justice history. The town of Wineville later renamed itself Mira Loma to distance from the case. The Chicken Coop Murders remain one of the earliest high-profile serial child murder cases in the United States—one that reshaped public awareness around missing children and forced accountability in law enforcement practices. Sources: Los Angeles Times archives (1926–1930 coverage of Wineville Chicken Coop murders) San Bernardino County historical archives on Wineville/Mira Loma Riverside County historical society records State of California v. Gordon Stewart Northcott (trial transcripts, 1928–1930) Sanford Clark testimony (court records and archived statements) National Archives (U.S.) records on early serial murder cases Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) historical summaries on serial killers Fox, James Alan & Levin, Jack. Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder Schechter, Harold. The Serial Killer Files Newton, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers Gado, Mark. CrimeLibrary archives on Gordon Northcott Murderpedia.org entry on Gordon Stewart Northcott Ramsland, Katherine. forensic psychology writings on early serial killers Find a Grave memorial records for victims and Northcott California Department of Corrections historical execution records (San Quentin) The film Changeling (2008) directed by Clint Eastwood (historical dramatization and research notes)

  • March 31 · 1 hr 22 min

    41. "We need to come inside"- Black Eyed Kids

    Don't let them in! Black-Eyed Kids (BEK) is one of the most unsettling modern urban legends to emerge from late 20th-century folklore. Described as pale children with completely black eyes, no sclera, no iris. They are most often reported appearing at night, knocking on doors or approaching cars, and asking for permission to enter. And its not just their appearance thats disturbing, its the sense of dread that comes with it. The earliest account comes from 1996, when Texas journalist Brian Bethel shared his experience online. Bethel described being approached by two children while sitting in his car outside a movie theater in Abilene, Texas. The boys asked for a ride home, speaking in an oddly formal and insistent manner. It wasn’t until Bethel noticed their entirely black eyes that panic set in, and he refused them entry. The boys became more aggressive, repeating that they “could not enter unless invited.” Similar stories began surfacing across the United States and internationally. Common elements include: children appearing between ages 6–16, outdated or nondescript clothing, monotone or rehearsed speech patterns, requests for entry into homes, cars, or buildings, strong psychological pressure or compulsion to comply, witnesses reporting nausea, fear, or disorientation The “invitation” motif has immediately reminded people of vampire folklore, where supernatural entities require permission to enter a private space. Others have linked BEK to demonic entities, extraterrestrials, or interdimensional beings. From a folkloric perspective, Black-Eyed Kids fit into a long tradition of “stranger at the door” narratives. Stories designed to reinforce caution, especially regarding children or vulnerable individuals. These narratives often evolve with cultural anxieties; in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, fears around home invasion, child safety, and the unknown. Psychologically, some researchers suggest that BEK encounters may be explained through sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, or heightened suggestibility influenced by prior exposure to the stories. The uniformity of descriptions—particularly the black eyes may be the result of narrative reinforcement through internet forums, creepypasta communities, and paranormal media. This episode explores the origins of the legend, the psychology behind reported encounters, and the cultural forces that transformed a single story into a global phenomenon. Sources Brian Bethel, “The Black Eyed Kids,” original account archived online (1996, reposted multiple platforms) Nick Redfern, The Real Men in Black, New Page Books, 2011 David Weatherly, Black Eyed Children, Eerie Lights Publishing, 2014 Sharon A. Hill, Scientifical Americans: The Culture of Amateur Paranormal Researchers, McFarland, 2017 Bill Ellis, Aliens, Ghosts, and Cults: Legends We Live, University Press of Mississippi, 2001 Jan Harold Brunvand, The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings, W.W. Norton & Company, 1981 Jeffrey Sconce, “Haunted Media: Electronic Presence from Telegraphy to Television,” Duke University Press, 2000 Folklore Society archives on contemporary legend transmission and digital folklore Joe Nickell, “Black-Eyed Children: A Case of Urban Legend,” Skeptical Inquirer, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Benjamin Radford, “Black-Eyed Kids: Real or Myth?” Live Science, 2013 David J. Hufford, The Terror That Comes in the Night: An Experience-Centered Study of Supernatural Assault Traditions, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982 American Folklore Society publications on contemporary legend development Linda Dégh, Legend and Belief: Dialectics of a Folklore Genre, Indiana University Press, 2001 Trevor J. Blank (ed.), Folk Culture in the Digital Age: The Emergent Dynamics of Human Interaction, Utah State University Press, 2009

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