Rainy Day Rabbit Holes: History Unhinged

What if some of the best places to find wildlife in the city are also full of dead people?
Pour yourself a glass of wine and join Shea and her friend Raine Rath for a wander through the wonderfully strange world of historic Victorian garden cemeteries.
Raine is a writer, illustrator, longtime bird nerd, nature geek, and cemetery enthusiast who is working on a forthcoming book with Heyday Books about the historic garden cemeteries of the West Coast. The project began while she was birdwatching in Tacoma's Old Tacoma Cemetery and realized that these beautiful old burial grounds aren't just repositories of human history. They can also be fascinating pockets of urban nature.
We talk about why Victorians designed cemeteries to feel more like parks and gardens, why old trees and relatively undisturbed spaces can be so valuable for wildlife, and how the Victorian obsession with nature collided with an equally impressive obsession with death.
And then things get weird.
Mourning jewelry. Grave symbolism. Spiritualism. Cemetery legends. And plenty of birds.
We also explore some of the historic cemeteries Raine is researching around Tacoma, Seattle, Portland, Bellingham, and Victoria.
So grab your binoculars, pour a glass of wine, and come take a walk among the dead.
Turns out, they're surrounded by an awful lot of life.
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What happens when the Ted Bundy story is told by someone who actually knew him?
Shea and Ellicia are fresh from Grit City After Dark, a night of Pacific Northwest true crime at Tacoma's Spanish Ballroom featuring retired Tacoma detective Lindsey Wade, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Caroline Fraser, and Ted Bundy's cousin Edna Cowell Martin.
Edna Cowell Martin, co-author of Dark Tide: Growing Up With Ted Bundy, offers a perspective dramatically different from the infamous mythology surrounding Bundy: what it was like discovering that someone she had known and loved within her family was capable of terrible crimes.
Lindsey Wade, author of In My DNA, brings the investigator's perspective through her career with the Tacoma Police Department, including her work on cold cases.
And Caroline Fraser, author of Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers, zooms out to look at serial murder and the Pacific Northwest through a broader historical and cultural lens.
Then the rabbit hole gets personal.
Ellicia talks about her work as an assistant producer on Killing Theodore, a documentary project that has sought to move the conversation away from the mythology surrounding Ted Bundy and toward the people affected by his crimes.
We're talking about cold cases, DNA, family secrets, true-crime storytelling, Tacoma history, and the uncomfortable question underneath all of it:
How do we tell these stories without making the killer the most important person in the room?
In this episode
Ted Bundy and the mythology built around him
Edna Cowell Martin and Dark Tide: Growing Up With Ted Bundy
Lindsey Wade and Tacoma cold cases
Caroline Fraser and Murderland
Grit City After Dark in Tacoma
Ellicia's work as an assistant producer on Killing Theodore
Victims, families, investigators, and the ethics of true-crime storytelling

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Oregon's Serial Killer Update
When Jody and I first talked about this story back in 2023, it felt like something out of a true crime documentary that was still being written.
At the time, several women had been found dead across the Portland area, rumors of a serial killer were spreading everywhere, and investigators were publicly saying they had no reason to believe the cases were connected.
A lot has changed since then.
In this bonus episode, I take a step back and walk through the entire story from the beginning, from the disappearances that first raised concerns to the growing list of indictments prosecutors have now filed against Jesse Lee Calhoun. What started as a handful of seemingly unrelated cases has evolved into one of the most significant homicide investigations Oregon has seen in years.
As always, it's important to remember that these are allegations. Calhoun has pleaded not guilty, and the case has not yet been decided in court.
A Story We Couldn’t Stop Thinking About
This case has been in the background of the podcast almost from the beginning.
When we first mentioned it, nobody knew whether the deaths were connected. Some people thought the serial killer theories were overblown. Others were convinced something bigger was happening.
Looking back now is fascinating because we get to see how the investigation unfolded in real time and how dramatically the public understanding of the case changed over the past few years.
From Wildfires to Murder Charges
One of the most surprising parts of the story has nothing to do with the investigation itself.
Years before his name became tied to these allegations, Jesse Lee Calhoun was one of the inmates who helped fight Oregon's devastating 2020 wildfires. His service earned him clemency and an early release from prison.
Today, prosecutors allege he is connected to the deaths of six women across the Portland metropolitan area, transforming what was once a local mystery into a case being followed throughout the Pacific Northwest.
What We Cover in This Episode
How the story first landed on our radar
The disappearances that started the investigation
Why rumors of a serial killer spread so quickly
The evidence timeline prosecutors have laid out so far
The indictments announced between 2024 and 2026
Why one alleged victim's body has never been recovered
What happens next as the case moves toward trial
A Final Reminder
This is still an active criminal case.
The charges discussed in this episode are allegations made by prosecutors and have not been proven in court. Jesse Lee Calhoun has pleaded not guilty, and the outcome will ultimately be decided through the legal process.
If you've been following this case since we first covered it years ago, this episode brings everything together in one place and catches you up on where the investigation stands today.
Stay curious, and we'll see you down the next rabbit hole.
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A backyard. Two countries. One unbelievable story.
Most people think of the U.S.-Canada border as quiet, friendly, and uneventful. But behind a quirky bed-and-breakfast in Blaine, Washington, one of the strangest border stories in modern North American history was unfolding.
This week, Shea sits down with author Reece Jones to discuss his new book Smuggler: Drugs, Gangs, and Refugees at America's Northern Border. What begins as the story of a roadside inn quickly turns into a tale involving smugglers, asylum seekers, Border Patrol agents, underground networks, and a Supreme Court case that continues to shape debates about federal law enforcement today.
At the center of it all is Bob Boulay, the owner of the Smuggler's Inn, whose backyard quite literally sat on the international border.
In This Episode
The Strangest Property in America
The Smuggler's Inn wasn't just near the border. It was on it.
Reece explains how Bob Boulay accidentally became a border innkeeper and found himself witnessing everything from drug trafficking operations to refugee crossings. What started as a simple real estate investment became one of the most important crossroads on the U.S.-Canada border.
Why Refugees Chose Canada
A major theme of the conversation is the little-known history of asylum seekers traveling through the United States to reach Canada.
Reece breaks down how changes to Canadian immigration policy unintentionally transformed the Smuggler's Inn into a destination for people fleeing persecution from places including Afghanistan and Turkey.
The Supreme Court Case That Changed Everything
The story eventually landed before the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark case Egbert v. Boule.
The discussion explores how one confrontation between a Border Patrol agent and Bob Boulay evolved into a legal battle with major implications for constitutional rights, federal accountability, and border enforcement.
About Our Guest
Reece Jones is a professor of geography and environment at the University of Hawaii and the author of multiple award-winning books on borders, migration, and immigration policy. His latest book, Smuggler: Drugs, Gangs, and Refugees at America's Northern Border, was co-written with attorney Greg Boos.
Learn more about Reece and his work: 🔗 https://www.reecejonesauthor.com/
More Rainy Day Rabbit Holes
Explore more strange true stories and hidden history: 🔗 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/
Related episodes:
🔗 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/convergence-true-crime-and-corruption-in-the-windy-city
🔗 https://www.rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast/when-tylenol-turned-deadly

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Jody's Back, Baby!
Good news, rabbit holers: Jody is officially back.
After taking time away to focus on family, travel, and life outside the studio, she's rejoining Shea behind the microphones. But this isn't just a welcome-back episode. It's a look at where Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is headed next and why the show is evolving.
After three years of producing episodes, meeting incredible listeners, and building a community neither host expected, Shea and Jody are making some changes designed to keep the podcast fun, sustainable, and full of the stories they love telling.
Why We're Changing Things
Weekly episodes have been rewarding, but they've also been demanding. Rather than rushing to produce content every week, Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is moving to a seasonal format.
Starting in 2027, listeners can expect:
Three themed seasons per year
Six episodes per season
More research and deeper storytelling
Guest interviews between seasons
Special rabbit holes that don't fit into a larger theme
The goal is simple: better stories, less burnout, and more room for curiosity.
A Sneak Peek at 2027
The upcoming seasons are shaping up to be some of the most ambitious yet:
Season One: Villains
Con artists. Grifters. Outlaws. Criminal masterminds. Strange and forgotten villains you probably haven't heard much about.
Season Two: Heroes
Inventors, scientists, explorers, doctors, civil rights pioneers, and everyday people who accomplished extraordinary things.
Season Three: Folklore & Mysteries
Cryptids, hauntings, strange legends, unexplained events, local lore, and the kind of weird stories that make perfect rabbit holes.
Building a Bigger Community
One unexpected part of creating the podcast has been meeting listeners who became genuine friends.
In this episode, Shea and Jody reflect on:
Live events in Tacoma
Meeting listeners in person
Growing the Patreon community
Why fan connections have become one of the most rewarding parts of podcasting
They also share ideas for future live events, listener involvement, and expanded Patreon perks.
UFO Festivals, Men in Black, and Other Future Shenanigans
The hosts also discuss their growing involvement with the annual Men in Black Birthday Bash and plans being explored for the 80th anniversary of the Maury Island Incident in 2027.
Expect:
UFO-themed events
Community gatherings
Independent films
Local history
Plenty of tongue-in-cheek mystery and folklore
No alien conversion required.
Just curiosity.

Visit www.rainydayrabbitholes.com for more or to learn how you can join the Patreon!

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