Ridiculous Crime

Oct 20, 2026 · 1h 11m

Elmer McCurdy came of age at the end of the Old West, and as it vanished he tried to grab at that outlaw life while it was still a real thing. Trouble was, he was not good at being a bad man. In death, he became an avatar and totem of the fast disappearing Wild West. There he remained, until one day the story of an astronaut and test pilot freed him from his bizarre afterlife. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 15, 2026 · 56m

There's a lot of money to be made in tourism, especially in culturally rich areas like Italy's Veneto region. So what's a philanthropist/entrepreneur/orchestra conductor to do? Build a fake ancient amphitheater, of course! The Italian government, though, doesn't take kindly to that kind of scamming. Sparisci, truffatore!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 13, 2026 · 1h 8m

Last week, Elizabeth shared a story from the Gold Rush. And this week, Zaron brings us a story from the Yosemite Gold Rush. If you've never heard of it, that's when a bunch of dirtbag rock climbers who called Yosemite home learned about a downed pot smuggler's plane that was trapped in a frozen lake not far from the park. That whispered rumour led to a extravganza of amateur pot smuggling as the various climbers attempted to rescue the weed and bring it to market. Ah, the 1970s! It was such a simpler time... for pot smugglers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 8, 2026 · 54m

Marie Suize made her way from France to the foothills of California for the Gold Rush. One of just a few women up there mining for gold, she managed to make a fortune and gain the respect of her fellow prospectors. In an effort to be practical and comfortable, she started wearing pants. But that just wasn't done. Well, tell that to Marie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 6, 2026 · 1h 4m

Raised in difficult cirumstances, it was no surprise that Brenden Abbott turned to a life of crime. But once he got going, he was an endless source of surprises for the Australian police who struggled to capture and recapture him, as he broke out of multiple prisons and enjoyed life on the lam as Australia's favorite bank robber and outlaw folk hero. Come for the ridiculousness, stay for Zaron's attempts at an Australian accent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 1, 2026 · 44m

A genius goes to work in the Danish Royal Library. Sounds about right. That genius starts stealing books. That's not right. The genius stops stealing books. That's good! His family starts selling off the stolen books. Okay, we're back to not good again. This Scandinavian caper took some twists and turns until one keen auctioneer and one dedicated security director straight up cracked the case. Godt arbejde! Oh, and Elizabeth apologizes for her LEGO crimes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 29, 2026 · 57m

How far would you go to fight the law and keep your stuff? For Alaskan bush pilot Ken Jouppi the answer is: all the way to the Supreme Court. Thanks to Alaska’s strict laws about bringing booze into a dry town, Jouppi was set to lose his seaplane to legal forfeiture. And now the Supreme Court must decide: did Alaska violate Ken's Constitutional rights over some Budweiser tallboys, or nah?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 26, 2026 · 34m

Did you know reindeer love tripping? Or that, once upon a time, otherwise responsible parents would dose their children with high-test opioids? In the second chapter of their ongoing series, Ben, Noel, and Max welcome returning guest Zaron Burnett, co-creator of Ridiculous Crime, to learn more about bizarre drugs of yesteryear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 26, 2026 · 40m

Have you ever gone full red-mouth off betel nut? Did you ever buy cigarettes to cure your asthma? When Ben, Noel, and Max first began exploring bizarre drugs of yesteryear, they had no idea that they'd stumbled across a continuing series. Luckily, the guys aren't returning to this Ridiculous History alone -- they're joined by special returning guest Zaron Burnett, co-creator of Ridiculous Crime, to learn even more about history's strangest drugs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.