Speaker 1: The life of a prospector was not an easy one.
Speaker 1: Though painted with the ideas of striking it rich, very
Speaker 1: few ever did. Many would work themselves to the bone,
Speaker 1: and many others died as a result. It was a
Speaker 1: lifestyle that gripped many victims. Today we will be talking
Speaker 1: about the story of heartbreak and murder, where prospecting didn't
Speaker 1: turn out so well and it drove a mother to kill.
Speaker 2: My name's Ben and I'm Nicole, and you're listening to
Speaker 2: Wicked and Grim.
Speaker 1: A true crime podcast.
Speaker 3: The following podcasts and material intended for.
Speaker 1: A mature audience.
Speaker 3: Listener Discretion's Eyes.
Speaker 1: For Once, we're recording early.
Speaker 4: Holy heck, kind of.
Speaker 1: I was just talking to Cole like, how are we
Speaker 1: going to start this episode today? And right away I'm like, oh,
Speaker 1: we're recording early. That's how we're gonna do this.
Speaker 4: That's a feat and a half. Ah for us.
Speaker 1: It is, Well, you're going on kind of vacation.
Speaker 4: Kind I don't think i'd call it a vacation.
Speaker 1: It's a work trip and you're gonna go visit family
Speaker 1: and do some cool stuff in the meantime.
Speaker 4: But yeah, I have an elopement and an engagement session
Speaker 4: in the Oak and Agan. So I'm pumped.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what it's like to be a professional photographer
Speaker 1: here in BC for miss Nicole.
Speaker 2: Yeah, this has living my dream life. I've always wanted
Speaker 2: to travel for work like this.
Speaker 1: So well, and tell me how many different wineries do
Speaker 1: you plan on going down there? Going to while you're
Speaker 1: down there?
Speaker 4: Actually, Like I didn't want to go to Angle? What
Speaker 4: I know. Isn't that weird because we actually have no
Speaker 4: wine either.
Speaker 1: No, we don't. We're like we were down to our
Speaker 1: last bottle I think right now, which is pathetic.
Speaker 2: So maybe I should, but I literally wasn't planning on
Speaker 2: it because also, like you can just go.
Speaker 4: To the liquor store.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's not the same.
Speaker 4: It's not the same.
Speaker 2: And it's funny that I'm usual all about this, but
Speaker 2: this time I'm kind of like, if I've downtime, I
Speaker 2: might just lay there and look at the ceiling and.
Speaker 4: Have a break.
Speaker 1: Yeah, touche, nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 4: We'll see, We'll see how I feel.
Speaker 1: Since we're recording early this time, we're not going to
Speaker 1: be thanking patrons this week because we are recording very early,
Speaker 1: so we're whoever is signed up in the midst of
Speaker 1: the past few days that we're recorded, or this coming week,
Speaker 1: you're gonna roll over into next week for us to
Speaker 1: give you your shout out, So don't worry about that.
Speaker 4: Okay, we'll be sure to shout you out still mm hm.
Speaker 1: So you're basically going to be getting like right after this,
Speaker 1: you're going to bed and then you're gonna wake up
Speaker 1: and drive.
Speaker 3: Hey.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm going to be watching the rest of my
Speaker 1: movie tonight.
Speaker 4: What are you going to be doing while I'm gone?
Speaker 1: Work work, work, work, work. I got some gigs and
Speaker 1: some stuff, some podcasts things. Fearful has been doing actually
Speaker 1: really well.
Speaker 4: That's exciting. Has anyone checked it out yet?
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're curious because I know some people have. It's
Speaker 1: definitely getting some ratings. It's definitely getting some listens. It's
Speaker 1: doing much better than I anticipated, especially considering it's only
Speaker 1: been like one weekend so far.
Speaker 4: So cool.
Speaker 1: So yeah, pretty pumped on that.
Speaker 4: Yeah, if you haven't checked it out, you're going to
Speaker 4: have to go.
Speaker 1: Yeah, link will be down in the description below. If
Speaker 1: you don't know anything about Fearful yet, we'll give you
Speaker 1: a little quick rundown. If you've listened to our Halloween week,
Speaker 1: you know, Jacko. Jacko was our MC and Fearful is
Speaker 1: Jacko's podcast. Yeah, so he's going through paranormal, creepy mysteries,
Speaker 1: some true crime, all that cool stuff.
Speaker 4: I've listened to every single one.
Speaker 1: Which is your favorite episode he's come out with so far?
Speaker 1: Do you know? Oh? I think the Jamison one for me,
Speaker 1: the James Jamison who's like the air to the John
Speaker 1: jameson Whiskey and he like.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I don't know, I don't know if I
Speaker 2: should say this, but honestly, the one that you put
Speaker 2: in Patreon.
Speaker 1: Patrio, Yeah, the Patreon pilot episode.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that one was really good. I like was kind
Speaker 2: of on my tip toes listening.
Speaker 1: To on your tip toes?
Speaker 3: Were you my tippy toes tippy toes?
Speaker 1: Well, it was a good one, it was.
Speaker 2: I really like that one. And I also just think,
Speaker 2: like jack O, I don't know, it almost is like
Speaker 2: something you could listen to you as you're like going
Speaker 2: to sleep, Like it's just kind of soothing.
Speaker 1: He's soothing.
Speaker 4: He's not very soothing.
Speaker 1: There's something about him. I don't know.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but I don't know. No, Yeah, he's a good.
Speaker 1: Vibe He's a good vibe for sure.
Speaker 4: So I know you've been researching away what you got
Speaker 4: in store for us today.
Speaker 1: Well, he got an interesting episode. I kind of made
Speaker 1: sure that I searched for one that would be a
Speaker 1: good mix to kind of bring Fearful to light but
Speaker 1: also for Wick and Grim. Okay, so it's an interesting one.
Speaker 1: You ready for it, let's dive in. Okay, this episode.
Speaker 3: I feel like you have not given enough credit where
Speaker 3: it is due. My podcast Fearful has been received more
Speaker 3: than just well, I would say it's been leaving people breathless.
Speaker 3: Instead of your regular Wicked and Grim program. Why don't
Speaker 3: we take a detour into my world for a while
Speaker 3: and I can show you exactly what you can expect
Speaker 3: when you listen to my show. My name is jack O,
Speaker 3: And on this episode of Wicked and Grim Things a
Speaker 3: bit fearful. Our tale takes place in the time of
Speaker 3: the gold Rush in the heart of Arizona in the
Speaker 3: United States of America. The gold rush initially started around
Speaker 3: eighteen fifty eight. In This was a time of tails
Speaker 3: of the hills flowing with gold, and each person who
Speaker 3: dared to chase the riches would invest their life and
Speaker 3: all they had in order to try and strike it rich. Prospecting, though,
Speaker 3: was not for the feint of heart, as many would
Speaker 3: find out, it was a rough life. It was extremely
Speaker 3: hard work to generally bear very little money in return.
Speaker 3: But it was a calculated risk that many took, wagering
Speaker 3: it all on a roll of the dice of life,
Speaker 3: all for the slim chance of riches. In Arizona, gold
Speaker 3: particularly was rare, so instead many would turn to finally
Speaker 3: mining silver and copper as a means to try and
Speaker 3: stay afloat. The town of Kingmen was established in eighteen
Speaker 3: eighty two as a result of the mining, and it
Speaker 3: was your typical small mining town. But not far from Kingmen,
Speaker 3: nestled amidst the rugged landscape of this American West lay
Speaker 3: a hidden secret, shrouded in a darkness and a mystery,
Speaker 3: was a place known as Slaughterhouse Canyon, where the ghosts
Speaker 3: of the past whisper haunting tales of tragedy and despair.
Speaker 3: Just southeast of Kingmen is where the canyon lays. But
Speaker 3: alas before it received this ominous nickname, the canyon would
Speaker 3: be named Luna's Canyon, in honor of a matriarch of
Speaker 3: an impovershed family who lived in a small wooden shack
Speaker 3: deep in the heart of the canyon, and this is
Speaker 3: her story. While there are many different versions of this tale,
Speaker 3: if you dive deep enough into the history, there are
Speaker 3: many reoccurring themes between each and everyone, which will in
Speaker 3: turn paint a picture of what is considered to be
Speaker 3: the truest of events. Luna was a mother and a
Speaker 3: wife to a miner who lived in the canyon. The family,
Speaker 3: like many others in the area, were taking their chances
Speaker 3: chasing riches in the hills and were captivated by gold fever.
Speaker 3: So they moved with their children into a small wooden
Speaker 3: shack along a dry wash in the middle of the canyon.
Speaker 3: Luna would stay home and care for the household, while
Speaker 3: her husband would go out and prospect for gold, trying
Speaker 3: to bring the riches home to his family. All he
Speaker 3: longed for was to provide to offer his family comfort
Speaker 3: and security. Casting way the shackles of an impoverished life,
Speaker 3: armed with the unwavering resolve, he embarked on daring ventures,
Speaker 3: delving into the untained lands in pursuit of treasures untold.
Speaker 3: His hands calloused and weathered, he tirelessly toiled to unearth
Speaker 3: glimmering veins of gold and precious oree, while the sweat
Speaker 3: that adorned his brow bore witness to his unwavering devotion.
Speaker 3: Both Himm and Luna dreamt that with the shimmering find,
Speaker 3: they drew nearer to the day when they would strike
Speaker 3: it rich, and they, along with their children, would never
Speaker 3: again endure the agonizing uncertainty of a meal by meal existence.
Speaker 3: Until they realized their dream of striking it rich, they
Speaker 3: needed to rely on what was brought home from the
Speaker 3: prospecting excursions. Many times their food stores would solely be
Speaker 3: what was able to be brought home from the hunt
Speaker 3: of the father's outings. Sometimes, in both hunting and prospecting
Speaker 3: he was indeed fruitful, when others it seemed a gloomy
Speaker 3: shadow stole any luck he may have once had, and
Speaker 3: he would return home with little to none. Yet time
Speaker 3: and time again he would venture out in search of riches,
Speaker 3: each time bidding farewell to his loved ones as he
Speaker 3: embarked on an expedition into the unknown. This time around, however,
Speaker 3: things would be different. The normal few days he was
Speaker 3: absent would soon turn into weeks and weeks into aching
Speaker 3: months in the depths of the mountain. His trusty mule
Speaker 3: carried him and his gear along the dry landscape, and
Speaker 3: a fate's mysterious design would create a new fate for him.
Speaker 3: Entirely cruelly snatching him away from his loved ones, he
Speaker 3: vanished into the shadows of the mountain, never to be
Speaker 3: seen again. Whispers of his disappearance reverberated through the town
Speaker 3: of Kingmen, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. What
Speaker 3: became of this relentless prospector did he succumb to greedy robbers,
Speaker 3: or did the unforgiving wilderness claim him in a ruthless grasp.
Speaker 3: His absence cast a haunting veil over his family, leaving
Speaker 3: them suspended between both hope and despair. To this day,
Speaker 3: the fate of the miner remains a mystery, as not
Speaker 3: a trace was ever found of him. Some claim he
Speaker 3: indeed fell prey to treachery by the hands of thieves.
Speaker 3: Others surmised the nature's untamed creatures claimed him. Whatever the case,
Speaker 3: his family was left behind without the provider. Lunar waited
Speaker 3: for her husband's return with bated breath, but her hopes
Speaker 3: began to wither, while her family's provisions dwindled, leaving them
Speaker 3: in the grip of an insidious hunger. The relentless pangs
Speaker 3: of starvation tormented them, and despair slowly tightened its grip
Speaker 3: Luna's fragile sanity. Her children too were starving and now
Speaker 3: bore the unmistakable marks of malnourishment in their frail forms,
Speaker 3: their eyes hollow when pleading, gazing at their mother with desperation. Yet,
Speaker 3: despite her love, she found herself trapped in a horrifying
Speaker 3: reality where nourishment was but a distant memory. Unable to
Speaker 3: bear witness to her children's slow demise, a sinister madness
Speaker 3: clawed its way into her mind in a nightmarish twist
Speaker 3: of fate. Consumed by a dark delusion, she committed an
Speaker 3: unthinkable act. She would dawn her wedding gown and succumb
Speaker 3: to the twisted company.
Speaker 1: She took the.
Speaker 3: Lives of her innocent children and dismembered their bodies into
Speaker 3: several small, macabre fragments. The tiny wooden shack, once a
Speaker 3: sanctuary of a family's love, became a house of unfathomable horror,
Speaker 3: its walls splattered with the Crimson testament of a mother's
Speaker 3: descent into madness as she was unable to watch her
Speaker 3: children starve for a moment longer. Driven by the grief
Speaker 3: of her actions and by the starvation, she.
Speaker 1: Was forced to act upon.
Speaker 3: Lunar's frail frame carried the remains of her beloved children
Speaker 3: towards the murky waters of the nearby river. As her
Speaker 3: trembling hands released her children into the cold waters, her
Speaker 3: blood soaked figure collapsed, a wretched heap of anguish and sorrow.
Speaker 3: Her heart broken cries pierced through the silent night. As
Speaker 3: she laid on the river's edge. A scream would echo
Speaker 3: through the haunting canyon as she mourned the very lives
Speaker 3: she had just extinguished. By mourning, she would succumb to
Speaker 3: starvation and join her children in the afterlife. Legend tells
Speaker 3: her restless spirit remains within the ancient cliffs, driven by grief.
Speaker 3: Her ethereal wails, mournful sobs still echo through the mountains
Speaker 3: and defy the passage of time. Those who dare to
Speaker 3: venture near slaughter House can recount ye reetales of inexplicable sounds,
Speaker 3: Whispers from an alleged mother's shattered heart and her descent
Speaker 3: into madness.
Speaker 1: But is it true.
Speaker 3: Do her cries really echo through the night in slaughter
Speaker 3: House Canyon or is it the imagination of those passing
Speaker 3: through hearing a mere ghost story. One thing is for sure,
Speaker 3: this tale is a haunting reminder of the past and
Speaker 3: what some have gone through simply to survive, and what
Speaker 3: others go through to end the suffering of another. Luna
Speaker 3: may very well have taken pain from her children, but
Speaker 3: if this story is true, in doing so, it seems
Speaker 3: she may have very well paid the ultimate tour of
Speaker 3: an eternity of torment on herself just to ensure her
Speaker 3: children could rest. I do hope you enjoy today's episode,
Speaker 3: and I do appreciate you allowing me to hijack the show,
Speaker 3: even if you didn't have much choice in the matter.
Speaker 3: If you want to check out my show, Fearful, give
Speaker 3: it a search wherever you find your podcasts, or you
Speaker 3: can find the Spotify link in the description below. Regardless
Speaker 3: of your decision, it is about time I make my leave,
Speaker 3: and as Ben in Nicole always say, stay wicked.