He was a holy man, a mystic, a womanizer, and quite possibly one of the most dangerous men in the Russian Empire. Grigori Rasputin went from a wandering Siberian peasant to the unlikely confidant of the Romanov royal family, gaining extraordinary influence over Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. But was he a miracle worker, a master manipulator, or simply a very convincing con man?

In this episode of Seven Deadly Sinners, we dive into the bizarre life, sexual exploits, political intrigue, and downright unbelievable death of the man who seemed impossible to kill. From palace scandals to poisoned wine, gunshots, and rumors of a missing appendage that supposedly ended up in a museum, Rasputin's story is stranger than fiction. And in the final days of Imperial Russia, the Mad Monk may have been the most infamous sinner of them all.

When The Exorcist hit theaters in 1973, audiences were terrified by what they saw on screen—but the stories surrounding the making of the film were almost as disturbing.

From unexplained accidents and injuries to fires, deaths, strange occurrences, and claims of paranormal activity, the production of The Exorcist developed a reputation for being cursed. Several people connected to the film reported unsettling experiences, while others wondered whether the movie’s subject matter had somehow followed the cast and crew off the set.

In this episode of Seven Deadly Sinners, we step behind the scenes of one of the most controversial horror films ever made and explore the bizarre, frightening, and sometimes downright inexplicable events surrounding its production. Was the set truly haunted? Was something darker at work? Or did a troubled production, coincidence, and the power of suggestion create a legend that has lasted for decades?

Either way, the story behind The Exorcist may be almost as terrifying as the movie itself.

Colton Harris-Moore became one of America’s most unlikely outlaws. A troubled teenager from a tiny island in Washington State, he began with petty theft and burglary before escalating to stealing cars, boats—and eventually airplanes. Often barefoot, Harris-Moore became an internet sensation as he seemingly outsmarted authorities across multiple states and countries.

From a lonely childhood to a worldwide manhunt, this is the strange, chaotic story of the Barefoot Bandit—and the crimes that turned a troubled kid into a modern folk hero.

In the summer of 2021, southern Oregon became the battleground for one of the largest and most terrifying wildfires in American history. What began with a lightning strike near Beatty exploded into the infamous Bootleg Fire—a relentless inferno that devoured more than 413,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of structures, forced widespread evacuations, and generated its own weather as towering pyrocumulus clouds churned above the flames.

In this episode of Seven Deadly Sinners, Rachael dives into the science, the heroism, and the heartbreak behind the wildfire that firefighters described as a "monster." Hear firsthand accounts of crews battling impossible conditions, the families forced to flee everything they owned, and the growing questions surrounding drought, climate change, and the future of wildfire in the American West. As the flames raged across Oregon, the Bootleg Fire became more than a natural disaster—it became a warning of what may lie ahead.

When nature becomes unstoppable, who survives... and what is left behind?

Long before Las Vegas, one man built an empire on violence, bootlegging, and bribery. This week, Rachael dives into the extraordinary life of Owney Madden—the Hell's Kitchen street thug who survived multiple assassination attempts, became one of the most powerful figures in organized crime during Prohibition, and quietly transformed himself into a respected businessman.

From brutal gang wars in New York to controlling a vast liquor empire, Madden's fingerprints were all over some of the most infamous chapters in American crime history. But despite his reputation, he managed to evade the fate that claimed so many of his rivals, living out his final years far from the streets that made him a legend.

How did one of the deadliest gangsters of the 20th century escape prison, outlive his enemies, and rewrite his own story? Pour yourself a stiff drink—this is the unbelievable rise of the man they called "The Killer".

For decades, ranchers across southern Colorado have awakened to a nightmare: cattle found dead under impossible circumstances — surgically precise incisions, organs removed, and almost no blood left behind. Rumors spread from lonely highways to isolated ranchlands: UFOs, cults, government experiments, predators… or something even stranger.

In this episode of Seven Deadly Sinners, retired police officer Greg Feinman comes to our ranch in Southern Colorado to tell us what he witnessed firsthand while investigating one of the West’s most chilling mysteries. From bizarre crime scenes to frightened ranchers and unexplained evidence, Feinman shares a case that still haunts him.

Were these mutilations elaborate hoaxes, covert operations, or phenomena beyond explanation? The deeper we dig into southern Colorado’s dark open plains, the stranger the story becomes.

In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as Boston police officers walked into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and disappeared into history carrying over $500 million worth of stolen art. Paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Edgar Degas vanished without a trace in what remains the largest unsolved art heist in modern history.

This week on Seven Deadly Sinners, we dive into the suspects, mafia connections, bungled investigations, and chilling theories surrounding the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft. Who pulled it off? Where is the missing artwork now? And how does a crime this massive stay unsolved for decades?

Some masterpieces are priceless. Some secrets are deadly.

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.gardnermuseum.org/
https://www.fbi.gov/history/cases-and-criminals/isabella-stewart-gardner-museum-heist
https://www.bostonglobe.com/