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Down the Crooked Path

Amanda Joy: true crime, mysteries, supernatual and folklore podcaster

Let's take a journey Down the Crooked Path. I'm your host Amanda Joy and I'm here to tell you real stories that will keep you up late at night.

Every week, we step away from the safety of the map and step into a world filled with stories that haunt our history. Along the way, we will explore the human malice of unsolved crimes, the urban legends, small towns that know more than anyone is willing to say and the supernatural forces that lurk in the dark. From UFOs to creatures that go bump in the night and everything in between. You never know what you might find down the crooked path.

So bring a flashlight, pull your jacket tight and don't look behind you. The path may take us someplace weird tonight.

New episodes every Thursday.

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31 episodes
weekly
Avg 41 min
English

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Episodes 31

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S2 · E21
May 28 · 38 min
The Pazuzu Algarad Case
In this episode we walk through the case of Pazuzu Algarad, a story shaped by neglect, untreated mental illness, and a community that missed every warning sign. We look at the victims, the failures that allowed the violence to continue, and the impact on the people who lived around that house on Knob Hill Drive. This is not a story about the occult. It is a story about what happens when systems break down and no one steps in. We cover the timeline of the investigation, the pleas from Amber Burch and Krystal Matlock, the questions surrounding Pazuzu’s death in custody, and the demolition of the house that became a symbol of everything that went wrong. We also talk about how the media leaned into satanic panic instead of the real issues at the center of the case. If you want to dig deeper into the themes we touched on, this episode pairs well with discussions about mental health access, community responsibility, and the long term effects of violence on neighborhoods. Find us on TikTok and Instagram at @downthecrookedpath. Send your stories or suggestions to crookedpathsocial@gmail.com. And check out the Creators Collective on Instagram at @spookysquad.
S2 · E20
May 21 · 22 min
Canadian Creepies Edition: The Curse of Bird Rock Island
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! This week, we’re pulling from our Tuesday segment on the Canadian Creepies podcast and heading out to Bird Rock off the coast of Quebec — a place with more trouble than landmass. The lighthouse out there has a long history of bad luck, disappearances, and one story that locals still talk about in lowered voices. Keep in mind, this is a rock barely big enough to stand on, yet somehow it managed to collect more tragedy than most towns. We walk through the early shipwrecks, the lighthouse keepers who didn’t make it home, and the strange run of events that gave Bird Rock its reputation. It’s one of those places where the line between accident and something else gets thin fast. You can find me on Instagram at @downthecrookedpath, and you can follow Canadian Creepies on Instagram as well for updates, behind‑the‑scenes bits, and our weekly Tuesday deep dives.
S2 · E19
May 14 · 39 min
The Lost Franklin Expedition
In this episode, we look at the Franklin expedition, the search efforts that followed, and how both ships were finally found in the Arctic. We walk through the discoveries of Erebus and Terror, the role of Inuit knowledge, and the strange stories that kept circling long after the expedition vanished. Find us on Instagram and TikTok: @downthecrookedpath Send your stories or suggestions to: crookedpathsocials@gmail.com Shout‑out to the SpookySquad Creators Collective on Instagram — a group of indie creators doing great spooky work.
S2 · E18
May 7 · 42 min
The Axeman of New Orleans
In this episode, we look at the Axeman of New Orleans and the panic that followed him through the city. We go through the attacks on grocery families, the letter printed in the Times Picayune, the chalk message near the Maggio home, and the suspects who were pulled into the story over the years. We also look at how newspapers shaped the case, how the investigation stalled, and why the Axeman disappeared as suddenly as he arrived. You can find Down the Crooked Path on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram at @downthecrookedpath. If you have your own stories or case suggestions, you can email them to crookedpathsocials@gmail.com. A shout‑out to The Creators Collective, a group of independent podcasters who support each other’s work. You can find them on Instagram.
S2 · E17
April 30 · 51 min
The Nahanni Valley and the Mystery of the Headless Men
The Nahanni Valley built its reputation on the sheer number of people who went in and never came back. Prospectors, trappers, outlaws, and travelers moved through that stretch of the Northwest Territories for decades, and many of them were later found under circumstances that didn’t match the usual hazards of the region. Enough bodies turned up without their heads that the place picked up the name Valley of the Headless Men. This episode looks at the pattern that formed around those disappearances. It includes the early prospectors who vanished in the late 1800s, the McLeod brothers found near the Flat River in 1908, and the later deaths that followed the same outline. One of those was Yukon Fisher, an outlaw who hid in the valley after a violent bar fight in the Yukon. He lived alone for years and only surfaced at remote posts like Poole Field’s store for supplies. In 1927, his burned camp was found in the same region where earlier deaths had occurred, and his body was there without a head.
S2 · E16
April 23 · 42 min
The Hinterkaifeck Murders
A remote Bavarian farm. Six people who never saw spring. Footprints in the snow that led in but never led out. And an attic that seemed to breathe when no one was looking. In this episode, we walk the crooked path to Hinterkaifeck, a case that feels less like true crime and more like a folktale that refuses to settle. We trace the strange days leading up to the murders, the unsettling signs the family tried to ignore, and the theories that still cling to the rafters more than a century later. If you want to follow the strange cases and the stories that wander onto this show, you can find me on TikTok and Instagram at @downthecrookedpath. If you have your own story, a family legend, or a case you want me to look at, send it to crookedpathsocial@gmail.com.
S2 · E15
April 16 · 37 min
The Hexham Heads: Cursed, Haunted, or What
The Hexham Heads have been blamed for hauntings, poltergeist activity, wolf‑man sightings, and a decades‑long argument between scientists, folklorists, and anyone who ever walked through that house. This episode looks at the theories people built around two small stone faces and why so many different groups became convinced they were dealing with something more than a garden find. We get into the Stone Tape theory, the “recording device” angle, the hoax claims, and the psychological side of why multiple witnesses reported similar experiences. No single explanation settles the case, which is exactly why the Hexham Heads refuse to fade out of the paranormal world. If you want to keep up with the strange cases, the odd stories, and whatever else decides to wander onto this show, you can find me on TikTok and Instagram at @downthecrookedpath. And if you’ve got your own story, a family legend, or a case you want me to look at, send it to crookedpathsocial@gmail.com. I love seeing what you’ve got hiding in your drafts.
S2 · E14
April 9 · 44 min
The Isdal Woman: Norway’s Greatest Mystery
In this episode, we step into one of Europe’s most baffling unsolved mysteries. In November 1970, a woman was found dead in Norway’s Isdalen Valley: burned, staged, and surrounded by clues that only raised more questions. Multiple passports. Disguises. Wigs. Cryptic travel notes. Hotel aliases. International movements that touched Paris, Basel, Geneva, and Stavanger. And a trail that may have crossed paths with intelligence agencies, militant groups, and a Swiss banker with a very dark history. We follow her footsteps through Europe, decode her notepad, dig into the spy theories, and look at the strange forces that seemed determined to shut the investigation down. We also explore the witness who came forward decades later from Forbach, France, claiming he knew her If you enjoyed this episode, come hang out with me on social — I’m @downthecrookedpath on TikTok and Instagram. You can also reach out anytime at crookedpathsocial@gmail.com. I love hearing your theories, your thoughts, and the weird little rabbit holes you fall into after listening.
S2 · E13
April 2 · 37 min
The Baldoon Mystery: Canada’s Strangest Haunting
This week, we’re heading straight into one of Canada’s strangest, smokiest, most stubborn hauntings — the Baldoon Mystery. A family farm under siege. Fires that sparked out of nowhere. Bullets that bent in mid‑air. A suspected witch who absolutely did not appreciate being accused of anything. And a curse that refused to mind its business. We’re unpacking the folklore, the eyewitness chaos, the generational drama, and the one bizarre solution that supposedly ended it all. If you love a haunting with attitude, this one’s for you. In this episode: The McDonald family and the haunting that wouldn’t quit Fires, stones, apparitions, and the infamous “walking bullet” The neighbourly feud that escalated into full‑blown witchcraft accusations The folklore roots behind the curse The strange ritual that allegedly broke it And of course… the messy, human, very dramatic underbelly of it all Want to keep wandering down the crooked path with me? Come hang out on socials! I’m always sharing behind‑the‑scenes chaos, folklore deep dives, and episode extras: @downthecrookedpath on TikTok and Instagram Got a story, theory, or family haunting of your own? Email me at crookedpathsocial@gmail.com I love hearing from you.
S2 · E12
March 26 · 36 min
The Murder in the Red Barn
In this episode of Down the Crooked Path, Amanda Joy walks through the 1827 murder of Maria Marten and the strange trail that followed. From the dream that sent Maria’s stepmother back to the Red Barn to the discovery that shocked the village to the trial that turned William Corder into one of the most talked about men in England, this case has all the twists you would expect from early true crime. We also look at the stories that surfaced long after the murder, including the tale of Dr. John Kilner and the skull he should have left alone, and how this case echoes other moments in history like the Greenbrier Ghost from West Virginia. If you enjoy historical mysteries, eerie coincidences, and cases that refuse to stay quiet, this one is for you. Want to stay connected between episodes? Follow Down the Crooked Path on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, @downthecrookedpath Have a story of your own? Send it crookedpathsocial@gmail.com I’m always listening.
S2 · E11
March 19 · 43 min
Mothman: The Thing That Watched Point Pleasant
In this episode, we return to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a quiet river town that became the center of one of the most unsettling waves of sightings in American history. Between 1966 and 1967, dozens of witnesses reported a winged figure with glowing red eyes moving through the abandoned TNT area, appearing on lonely roadsides, and watching from the treetops. But the creature was only part of the story. As the sightings continued, strange lights appeared in the sky, unsettling letters arrived, and a sense of dread settled over the town. When the Silver Bridge collapsed on December 15, 1967, many wondered if the sightings had been a warning. This episode walks through the eyewitness accounts, the folklore, the fear, and the tragedy that shaped the legend of the Mothman, and why this story still refuses to fade.Have a story suggestion, a strange encounter, or a topic you want us to explore Find us on TikTok and Instagram at @downthecrookedpath Or email your recommendations to crookedpathsocial@gmail.com

Showing 21–31 of 31 episodes