Posted November 19, 2025 The “Passing On” of the Haviland children: Part Two This week, we’re diving back into the story of Sarah Haviland, getting into her trial, punishment, and other finer… Play
Posted November 12, 2025 The “Passing On” of the Haviland children: Part One When this case took place, the American Civil War had only ended some seven months earlier, and many were… Play
Posted October 1, 2025 The Bombing (and Survival) of Charlene Dell A little more than two months before Timothy McVeigh and former Decker resident Terry Nichols committed the Oklahoma City… Play
Posted July 17, 2025 Bad Axe Hitman At 9:30 p.m. on January 22, 1984, Jerry Western was found with a single gunshot wound to the back… Play
Posted June 5, 2025 Revisiting the Case of Douglas Gene Bowers The death of Douglas Hendricks in 1973 remains unthinkable. He was 19 at the time and a resident of… Play
Posted May 22, 2025 Connected or Not? On February 4, 1976, the body of Carol Wudarcki was found in Worth Township. She had been struck by… Play
Posted March 28, 2025 The McPhee Incident – Part 2 of 2 With Esther McPhee deceased, the trial for her husband began on the afternoon of October 17, with Prosecutor RJ… Play
Posted March 21, 2025 The McPhee Incident – Part 1 of 2 A small village in Sanilac County’s Speaker Township, Melvin boasts a hearty population of 148 residents, with it not… Play
Posted March 8, 2025 Prohibition in the Thumb Prohibition officially hit the United States in 1919 when the 18th Amendment was ratified. While it may have intended… Play
Posted February 27, 2025 Dogman The dog, the myth, the legend–it’s about time Dogman got his own episode! That’s right, we’re diving head first… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 Daniel “Danny” Hazard Daniel Lewis Hazard made his way to Croswell on July 21, 1998, unaware that it would be his last… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 An Epilogue to the Sparlings On this special edition of Thumbing Through the Archives, we’re returning to our roots by taking some time to… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 St. Clair County’s Drug Trade – Part 3 of 3 This might be our final gambit regarding the drug trade in St. Clair County, but we’re going out with… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 St. Clair County’s Drug Trade – Part 2 of 3 The St. Clair County Drug Task Force officially began its operations on January 2, 1985, with its tip-line being… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 St. Clair County’s Drug Trade – Part 1 of 3 Located within the region of the Thumb, St. Clair County has a complicated history as part of the drug… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 Nixon Visits the Thumb On April 10, 1974, President Nixon campaigned his way across the Thumb, visiting Saginaw, Bad Axe, Cass City, and… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 Michigan’s Inside Scoop From Blue Moon to Superman to Moose Tracks, we’re scooping up another origin story on this week’s episode! Join… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 Wilbur Hamm There is murder within today’s case, but it’s not the main focus of the story. This is a tale… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 The Paasches The story of January 9, 1993, might never have a conclusion. This day involves the death of a man… Play
Posted December 28, 2024 Murder at SC4 On a chilly November day in 1985, the boom from a single shotgun blast cut through the air of… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 8 of 8 Having peeked at all of the available information concerning Collins’s trial, including the tricky jury selection and testimony from… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 7 of 8 Today’s episode features all of the details surrounding the jury selection, testimony, and the defense’s case in relation to… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 6 of 8 What started in July of 1967 would go on to last nearly three years, culminating in the conviction of… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 5 of 8 On our last episode, we headed across the country to California, touching upon the murder of 17-year-old Roxie Phillips… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 4 of 8 A brief reminder that listener discretion is advised due to the graphic nature of this case. We spoke extensively… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 3 of 8 As this is the third part in our longest series to date, we recommend starting from the beginning if… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 2 of 8 We’re back with our second part on our deep dive on the Michigan Murders. Last time we focused our… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 John Norman Collins – Part 1 of 8 From 1967 to 1969, one person terrorized southeastern Michigan, leaving five (or potentially six) victims in their wake. Join… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 Haunted Mansions of the Thumb A very early (or late) Happy Halloween! On this special episode, we’ll be exploring the haunted tales of two… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 Charles Lord – Part 3 of 3 As we near the end of our first three-parter, there are still several questions left remaining in this confusing… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 Charles Lord – Part 2 of 3 Last time we left off, the Lord brothers had fled from the scene of the crime, leading to a… Play
Posted December 27, 2024 Charles Lord – Part 1 of 3 The Lord family arrived in Elk Township around 1899, almost three decades after the Thumb’s first towns had already… Play
Posted December 26, 2024 History of Snover Come discover the origins of Snover, a place often overlooked in Michigan’s history. With a population of 300 in… Play
Posted December 26, 2024 The Morris Murders – Part 2 of 2 Pinkertons, the Matteson brothers, and hidden crimes–oh my! We might be wrapping up our investigation into the Morris Murders, but… Play
Posted December 26, 2024 The Morris Murders – Part 1 of 2 One family above all others remains tangled up in Decatur’s past. The Morrises were considered the village darlings, but… Play
Posted December 26, 2024 King of Beaver Island James Jesse Strang, otherwise known as the “King of Beaver Island,” was a Mormon polygamist. Even though he passed… Play
Posted December 26, 2024 Douglas Gene Bowers The death of Douglas Hendricks and (later) disappearance of Douglas Bowers seemingly happened out of the blue, sending shockwaves… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 The Evangelista Family We’re moving away from natural disasters and peering into the life of a self-proclaimed cult leader, Benny Evangelista, and… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 Flint Beecher Tornado On Thursday, June 8th, almost seventy years ago, a black funnel cloud so large it tinged the sky green… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 Sanilac County Courthouse Move Everyone loves an origin story, and this week, we’re looking back on Sanilac County’s local history. It all started… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 Taffy the Cow On today’s episode of Thumbing Through the Archives, we take a look at the achievements of Michigan’s so-called “fastest… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Dive into the pages of Michigan’s history with Thumbing Through the Archives. This week’s episode is all about the… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 Rattle Run Just where is a church caretaker meant to turn when he discovers the fright of his life? Filled with… Play
Posted December 21, 2024 The Sparlings – Part 2 of 2 Continuing our deep dive into the case of the “Dying Sparlings,” we’re wrapping up the official investigation concerning (and… Play
Posted November 13, 2024 The Sparlings – Part 1 of 2 Discover the origins of one of the Thumb’s greatest but relatively unknown mysteries: the Sparling Murders. This case spanned… Play
Posted October 31, 2024 Minnie Quay You might think you know everything there is to know about the Thumb’s most famous ghost story, but do… Play