On September 20, 1988, 19‑year‑old college student Tara Calico left her Belen, New Mexico home for a morning bike ride and never came back. This episode examines the haunting 1989 Polaroid that made this case a national obsession, witness accounts of an old pickup truck, and the recent breakthroughs in 2023. Tara Calico's case is a bizarre, true-crime mystery.

With special guest, filmmaker, Robert Cannon. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1684951/]

Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/

Instagram: @astudyofstrange Website: www.astudyofstrange.com

Hosted by Michael May [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562071/?ref_=fn_all_nme_2]

Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com

©2025 Convergent Content, LLC

LINKS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbct63zPK0c

https://www.scribd.com/doc/270970248/New-Mexico-State-Police-Tara-Calico

https://charleyproject.org/case/tara-leigh-calico#:~:text=day%2C%20Doel%20found%20a%20Boston,riding%20away%20from%20her%20residence

https://people.com/crime/tara-calico-polaroid-photo-true-story/#:~:text=Calico%27s%20mom%2C%20Patty%20Doel%2C%20believed,Alive%20was%20a%20Horrifying%20Polaroid

https://www.taracalico.com/new-blog/2023/7/3/press-conference-on-update-on-tara-calicos-case

https://www.taracalico.com/press

https://www.patreon.com/VANISHEDPod



Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/a-study-of-strange/donations

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Mystery of Tara Calico’s Disappearance | With Guest Robert Cannon

The internet promises answers to everything, but it creates more mysteries than most care to admit. In this episode of A Study of Strange, we dive into four of the web’s most cryptic mysteries.

Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/

Instagram: @astudyofstrange Website: www.astudyofstrange.com

Hosted by Michael May [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562071/?ref_=fn_all_nme_2]

Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com

©2025 Convergent Content, LLC



Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/a-study-of-strange/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

4 of the Internet’s Most Cryptic Mysteries

When my nine year old son said, “I want to be on your podcast and hear about UFOs,” I proceeded as any dedicated podcaster would: by recording this episode.Great Mountain UFO Encounters looks at some of the early unidentified anomalous phenomena in the beautiful state of Vermont, before sharing the terrifying abduction claim known as the “Buff Ledge Abduction”. One of the most famous UFO accounts from Vermont.

Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/

Instagram: @astudyofstrange Website: www.astudyofstrange.com

Hosted by Michael May [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562071/?ref_=fn_all_nme_2]

Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com

©2025 Convergent Content, LLC



Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/a-study-of-strange/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Green Mountain UFO Encounters

In this chilling episode of A Study of Strange, we look at the terrifying real-life mystery that inspired A Nightmare on Elm Street: unexplained deaths of healthy Southeast Asian men who died suddenly in their sleep. Known as “Asian Death Syndrome” or Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome (SUNDS), this phenomenon was first noted in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Was it genetics, trauma, or nightmares themselves?



Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/

Instagram: @astudyofstrange Website: www.astudyofstrange.com

Hosted by Michael May

Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com

©2025 Convergent Content, LLC



Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/a-study-of-strange/donations

Dead In Their Sleep: The True Inspiration for Freddy Krueger

A summer re-release of a classic episode! On July 10th, 1967, 25 year old mother of three, Leota Camp, was found by her young children, stabbed and bleeding in a small bedroom of the family’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. There was no sign of a robbery, forced entry, or sexual assault. In short, there doesn't seem to be a motive, and the attack happened when family and neighbors were within earshot. The murder of Leota Camp still haunts her family and friends to this day and has become one of Iowa's most notorious cold cases.

With special guest Bill Whirity.

Anyone with information about Leota Camp’s unsolved murder can contact the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation at (515) 725-6010 or email at dciinfo@dps.state.ia.us.

Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/

Instagram: @astudyofstrange Website: www.astudyofstrange.com

Hosted by Michael May

Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com

©2025 Convergent Content, LLC

 --------------

Links:

https://iowacoldcases.org/case-summaries/leota-camp/ https://www.dsm.city/departments/police-division/index.php https://www.communitynewspapergroup.com/independence_bulletin_journal/news/article_d8c57172-3d40-11e5-84c3-63934fcead6e.html https://iowacoldcases.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1967-7-11-dmr-leota-camp-six-unsolved-murders-2pgs.pdf https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2015/07/25/years-later-memory-mothers-brutal-death-lingers/30682451/ [https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/investigations/2015/07/25/years-later-memory-mothers-brutal-death-lingers/30682451/]

https://www.newspapers.com/search/?query=leota%20camp&p_province=us-ia&dr_year=1967-1967 [https://www.newspapers.com/search/?dr_year=1967-1967&p_province=us-ia&query=leota+camp] 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76258647/leota-maecamp [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76258647/leota-mae-camp] 

https://madison.com/news/iowa/who-killed-leota-camp-48-years-later-and-still-no-answer/article_5959062c-ddfa-5c02-a8e9-bdb7e4dea47a.html?mode=comments 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQZpgfnOm8w&t=10061s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10061s&v=iQZpgfnOm8w] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51AzHqs_N6I [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3015401821489191091]  



Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/a-study-of-strange/donations

The Murder of Leota Camp REDUX

We conclude the devilish and mysterious story surrounding the disappearance of a group of women involved in a small cult run by new age author Carlos Castaneda. 

Not many are aware that one of the most successful New Age authors, Carlos Castaneda, lead a cult. The women that made up the inner circle of his cult were called “the witches” and five of them disappeared after Castaneda’s death in 1998. In an all too familiar trope, Castaneda’s mythology was built on lies, narcissism, hypocrisy, and abuse, yet the witches remain missing. Did they commit mass suicide, or are they still in control of the cult’s workshops (Tensegrity) and publishing empire?

With Special Guest Mariah Klapatch! 

Theme Music by Matt Glass
https://www.glassbrain.com/Instagram: @astudyofstrange
Support the Show! astudyofstrange.substack.com/ [http://astudyofstrange.substack.com/] Website: www.astudyofstrange.com [http://www.astudyofstrange.com] Hosted by Michael May
[https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com!
©2025 Convergent Content, LLC   LINKS

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8088.Carlos_Castaneda [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APXVFG [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]

https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a60923618/carlos-castaneda-cult-geoffrey-gray/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]

https://deleuze.cla.purdue.edu/people/carlos-castaneda/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]

https://www.castaneda.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]

https://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Apprentice-Life-Carlos-Castaneda/dp/1583942068/ref=asc_df_1583942068?mcid=0d8519cc17a73ea982de07dd78440a03&hvocijid=5328905483217033375-1583942068-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5328905483217033375&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031201&hvtargid=pla-2281435177378&psc=1 [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/3032800411727093354]

Tensegrity and the Vanishing Witches PART TWO: The Cult of Carlos Castaneda

Not many are aware that one of the most successful “new age” authors, Carlos Castaneda, lead a cult. The women that made up the inner circle of his cult were called “the witches” and five of them disappeared soon after Castaneda’s death in 1998. In an all too familiar trope, Castaneda’s mythology was built on lies, narcissism, hypocrisy, and abuse, yet the witches remain missing. Did they commit mass suicide, or are they in control of the cult’s workshops (Tensegrity) and publishing empire. 

Theme Music by Matt Glass: https://www.glassbrain.com/

Instagram: @astudyofstrange

Support the Show! astudyofstrange.substack.com/ [http://astudyofstrange.substack.com/]

Website: www.astudyofstrange.com [http://www.astudyofstrange.com]

Hosted by Michael May [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562071/]

Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com!

©2025 Convergent Content, LLC

LINKS

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8088.Carlos_Castaneda

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APXVFG

https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a60923618/carlos-castaneda-cult-geoffrey-gray/

https://deleuze.cla.purdue.edu/people/carlos-castaneda/

https://www.castaneda.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Apprentice-Life-Carlos-Castaneda/dp/1583942068/ref=asc_df_1583942068?mcid=0d8519cc17a73ea982de07dd78440a03&hvocijid=5328905483217033375-1583942068-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5328905483217033375&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031201&hvtargid=pla-2281435177378&psc=1

Tensegrity and the Vanishing Witches: The Cult of Carlos Castaneda PART ONE

What makes an object haunted? These four paintings have strange and mysterious backgrounds, along with claims of supernatural phenomena. #1 The Hands Resist Him [https://stonehamstudios.com/haunted], #2 The Anguished Man [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anguished_Man], #3 Woman of the Rain [https://www.reddit.com/r/museum/comments/wzf14i/woman_of_the_rain_svetlana_telets_1996/], #4 The Crying Boy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crying_Boy]

Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/8571656400991337726] Instagram: @astudyofstrange Support the Show! astudyofstrange.substack.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/8571656400991337726] Website: www.astudyofstrange.com [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/8571656400991337726] Hosted by Michael May [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562071/] Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com! ©2025 Convergent Content, LLC

Four of the World's Most Haunted Paintings

In 1908, something tore through the skies over Siberia and exploded with the force of a thousand Hiroshima bombs. Trees were flattened across 800 square miles, yet no impact crater was ever found. What caused the Tunguska Event? A meteor? A comet? Something stranger?
In this episode, we analyze the science and the some of the wild theories behind the largest cosmic explosion in recorded history, and explore other mysterious blasts from history. 

Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/6188800592896441264] Instagram: @astudyofstrange Support the Show! astudyofstrange.substack.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/6188800592896441264] Website: www.astudyofstrange.com [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/6188800592896441264] Hosted by Michael May [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/6188800592896441264] Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com! ©2025 Convergent Content, LLC

Tunguska: When the Sky Exploded

On April 1, 2014, two young Dutch friends, Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, tragically disappeared while on vacation in Panama. What began as a day hike turned into a heartbreaking mystery when their remains were discovered weeks later. While the prevailing theory suggests a tragic accident led to their deaths, there are several unexplained and unsettling details. Among these are eerie photographs taken after their disappearance which cannot be explained.   Theme Music by Matt Glass https://www.glassbrain.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/788955932907542348] Instagram: @astudyofstrange Support the Show! astudyofstrange.substack.com/ [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/788955932907542348] Website: www.astudyofstrange.com [https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/4805158041314074833/788955932907542348] Hosted by Michael May [https://www.imdb.com] Email stories, comments, or ideas to astudyofstrange@gmail.com! ©2025 Convergent Content, LLC   LINKS! https://koudekaas.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-disappearance-of-kris-kremers-and_11.html https://www.threads.com/@thescaryfact/post/DCB3CsJtnpP/on-april-8-90-photos-were-taken-between-1-and-4-am-deep-in-the-jungle-on-froons- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_of_Kris_Kremers_and_Lisanne_Froon https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/15rlrrb/kris_kremer_and_lisanne_froon_there_is_no_mystery/ https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/kris-kremers-lisanne-froon-vanished-clues-225178-20241103 https://allthatsinteresting.com/kris-kremers-lisanne-froon

Scary Photos That Can't Be Explained: What Happened to Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon

For lovers of true crime, mysteries, and even outlandish tales of high strangeness, join host Michael May as he and a guest study tales of the unknown each week from unsolved crime to unexplained phenomena. A Study of Strange attempts to debunk common misconceptions and encourages each guest to “play a role” in the storytelling process. Guests include entertainment industry insiders, friends, weirdos, randos, and more! Michael May is a filmmaker and performer known for producing films like GHOSTS OF THE OZARKS, 12 HOUR SHIFT, FUN SIZE HORROR and hosting the true-crime automotive TV shows AUTO/BIOGRAPHY and AUTOBIOGRAPHY: COLD CASES. He obsesses over historical mysteries and loves to bring fascinating stories to life.

Michael May

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