Emlen Physick and the Physick Estate

Episode 63 – Originally Released September 2018

At the very bottom of New Jersey is a tiny Victorian town called Cape May.  This is my home away from home.  Filled with historic charm, and “painted ladies” – what we affectionately call the vibrant Victorian homes – you feel as if you’re transported back in time to the 1800s.   One particular house has ties to Philadelphia: the Emlen Physick estate.  Built by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness in 1879, the Physick estate was home to Dr. Emlen Physick Jr., grandson of Dr. Phillip Syng Physick, known as the “father of American surgery.”

Dr. Emlen Physick never actually practiced medicine.  Instead, he left the bustling streets of Philadelphia for the life of a country gentleman in Cape May.  There he farmed on 11 acres, raised dogs and lived with his mother Frances and his maiden aunts Isabelle and Emilie.  The estate passed out of the Physick family in 1935, with the passing of it’s last Physick family resident Emilie Parmentier.  But some people believe Emilie never left and claim her ghost, among other spirits, lingers in the estate today.  Join me on this trip down the shore to Cape May, NJ, as we visit the Emlen Physick Estate and do a little ghost hunting!

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

The “Mainline Murders”

Episode 62 – Originally Released September 2018 with Special Guest Cohost Margo D, cohost of Book vs. Movie podcast, Dorking Out Podcast and the What a Creep Podcast

Content warning: This episode contains adult subject matter including discussions about abduction, missing persons including missing children and murder.  Listener discretion is advised.

Susan Reinert was an English teacher at Upper Merion High School, a district in suburban Philadelphia about 20 miles outside the city.  When she wasn’t teaching classrooms filled with students who adored her, she was with her two adoring children, Karen and Michael.  Susan was amicably divorced from her ex-husband Ken Reinert.  She seemed to have most of what she wanted in life – a successful career, two beautiful children, a loving and supporting circle of friends.  The one thing missing in Susan’s life was romance.

In 1978 Susan began dating a fellow teacher, William Bradfield.  Bradfield was eloquent, well educated, charming and a Lothario.  Susan Reinert wasn’t his only partner.  While she knew about a relationship Bradfield had with another teacher, he assured Susan he wanted to end his other relationship and start a future with Reinert.

In June, 1979, Susan planed a short trip with her children to Allentown, PA.  She had a speaking engagement with an organization called Parents Without Partners on Saturday morning, June 23.  She and the kids packed her car and left Ardmore on Friday night.  By Monday morning Susan Reinert was found murdered, dumped in the hatchback of her car, which was abandoned in a hotel parking lot in Harrisburg.  Karen and Michael Reinert were missing.

How could such a wonderful woman who lived a simple life wind up murdered, and in such a cruel, brutal manner?  Who would do such a thing to a beloved teacher, mother and friend?  It wasn’t just one person responsible for Susan’s death; there were two culprits – fellow teacher William Bradfield and Upper Merion High School principal Jay C Smith, who was under suspicion for the disappearance of his daughter and son in law.  Smith was also arrested for armed robbery.

What unfolded in the months and years after Susan Reinert’s death played out like a Hollywood movie, and eventually that’s what it became.  Joseph Wambaugh, former police officer turned crime writer, immortalized Susan’s murder in his bestselling novel Echoes in the Darkness.  In 1987 the made for TV movie based on his book aired on CBS, starring Stockard Channing and Peter Coyote as Susan Reinert and William Bradfield.

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

Ghosts of Kutztown: Old Main and Crystal Cave

Episode 61 – Originally Released September 2018

It’s back to school for many students across the country and in this episode we’re going to Kutztown, PA, where we’ll visit Old Main, one of the oldest and most recognizable buildings on Kutztown University campus.  We’ll talk about the history of the university, including the haunted history of Old Main, where the ghost of a young woman named Mary Snyder wanders the 5th floor of this historic building.  Students report sightings of Mary for over 120 years.  How did she die, and why does she linger on the university?

We’ll also take a trip to Crystal Cave, a subterranean wonderland that’s always a cool 54 degrees.  Formations in the cave date from anywhere between 80,000 years old to over three times that age.  Filled with crystals that adorn the walls and the rock formations, legends of Crystal Cave date back over 150 years featuring reports of ghosts inside and outside the cave grounds.  Head back to school with me to Kutztown, Pennsylvania!

Promos in this episode include Framed Podcast and Ghost Press Podcast.  Follow Framed on twitter @framedpod and Ghost Press @ghostpresspod

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

Faking It – The Story of Bonnie Sweeten

Episode 60 – Originally Released August 2018

I love the idea of sneaking away unexpectedly for a few days, dropping off the grid, turning off the phone, and shutting out the world. Provided you don’t fake your own kidnapping to do it.

That’s what happened on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, when Bucks County Pennsylvania resident Bonnie Sweeten called 911 from the trunk of a car.  She said she’d been carjacked by two African American men.  These men threw Bonnie and her 9 year old daughter Julia into the trunk of their car and took off.  That phone call initiated a multi county search for Bonnie and Julia.  Police found Bonnie Sweeten’s car 12 hours later in center city Philadelphia, with a parking ticket on the windshield, and no sign of Bonnie or Julia.  Nor was there any sign of these supposed car jackers.  The car jackers didn’t exist, and Bonnie and Julia were at the happiest place on earth.

What would possess someone to fake their own kidnapping, and that of their child?  Why did Bonnie Sweeten fabricate such an elaborate ruse that had her family convinced, at least for 24 hours, they may never see her or her daughter again?  Her reasons for deception started four years before her trip to Disneyworld, and the breadth of her deceit was much farther reaching than anyone realized.

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

Beyond the Bell

Episode 59 – Originally Released August 2018

There is nothing I love more than being a tourist in my own city.  You hear me talk about that in so many episodes.  I wander City Hall every chance I get.  I stop at every blue and yellow historical marker, I know the obvious history and tourist attractions, but even more I love the not so obvious moments in history, and the not so obvious history makers.  One of my favorite ways to tour any city is taking a walking tour.

A new walking tour company recently launched in Philadelphia: Beyond the Bell.  Beyond the bell was founded by Rebecca Fischer and Joey Leroux, friends who met at Haverford college who wanted to share other perspectives from Philadelphia’s history, perspectives that amplify voices you may not have heard before.

Beyond the bell tours offer an inclusive history of Philadelphia.  Their mission is to create tours that influence public history and highlight marginalized communities including people of color, queer folks, first nation folks and women.  A quote from their website says Beyond the Bell is built to promote cross cultural engagement and put the people back into the people’s history.

Recently I was lucky enough to chat with Rebecca Fisher.  I was completely enthralled listening to her talk about how and why she and Joey created Beyond the Bell tours, and the stories they tell to provide different perspectives about the history in Philadelphia.   In this episode I share my conversation with Rebecca, she gives us a glimpse into some of the incredible women featured in the Women’s History Tour, we talk about going to a Philly Quizzo night together and we’ll get a sneak peak into some of the other tours Joey and Rebecca have in the works, which really aren’t all that twisted, but sound totally awesome.  Please join me in welcoming Rebecca to TwistedPhilly!

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

The Pennsylvania Amityville House

Episode 58 – Originally Published July 2018

There is a house in Northeast Pennsylvania, on a quiet residential street, with one of the worst haunted histories in our country.  It’s been compared to the Amityville Horror House.  This two story brick home with  three small windows on the second floor, what was once a charming front porch and a little yard in the back, was a nightmare for Bucky Johnson, his wife and daughters in the 1970s.

Was it the turmoil between the Connecticut and Pennsylvania settlers 300 years ago that created an environment for hatred and despair?  Did the blood of the men who died in the French and Indian war seep into the ground and curse the land in Wilkes Barre, PA?  Was there a curse on  Agustus Lanning, the man who built the home at 46 South Welles Street in 1860?  Whatever it is, it lurks behind wooden planks where there were once doors and windows.  Pennsylvania’s Amityville is abandoned, or at least that’s what the ghosts would like you to believe.

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

Joey Coyle – The South Philly Robinhood from TwistedPhilly Live at Philly Pod Fest

Episode 57 – Originally Published July 2017

Content warning: This episode contains adult subject matter including discussions about death as a result of suicide.  Listener discretion is advised.

On Sunday, July 1, 2018, I had the pleasure of participating in the 6th Annual Philly Podcast Festival.  This was my second year in the festival and my second time back at the best bar in Philly, Tattooed Moms on South Street.  Since I was in South Philly, I wanted to share a story from the neighborhood and I chose the story of Joey Coyle, a 28 year old South Philly man who in February, 1981, had the misfortune of finding $1.2 million on the side of the road.

What would you do if you found one million dollars?  Would you keep it, share it, turn it in?  Would you wait for a reward?  On the surface it sounds like that sort of a windfall would make all your dreams come true.  But for Joey Coyle, in 6 days he went from rags to riches to rags again and landed himself in jail in the process. TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

The Story of Jessica Padgett

Episode 56 – Originally Published June 2018

Content warning: This episode contains adult subject matter including sexual assault and murder, which may be upsetting to some listeners.  Listener discretion is advised.

On November 21, 2014, 33-year-old Jessica Padgett from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, ran an errand on her lunch break.  Her coworkers at Duck Duck Goose Child Care expected her back within about 30 minutes.  Jessica left work that day a little before 1PM, her youngest child still at the day care where he went with her every day, and she was never seen again.

For five days Pennsylvania State Police, Northampton County police, the community, Jessica’s family and her husband Micah Padgett, searched for Jessica.  Social media posts pleaded for help.  The community responded. Thousands of people searched for Jessica Padgett, everyone hoping for her safe return.  Five days after her disappearance, someone came forward and confessed to her murder.  The killer, and his motive, were more shocking than her family could have ever imagined. 

This case was requested by many of TwistedPhilly listeners over a year ago and because of the sensitive nature of Jessica Padgett’s murder, and consideration for her family, it took some time before I was able to share this story.

Episode 56 – Originally Published June 2018

Content warning: This episode contains adult subject matter including sexual assault and murder, which may be upsetting to some listeners.  Listener discretion is advised.

On November 21, 2014, 33-year-old Jessica Padgett from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, ran an errand on her lunch break.  Her coworkers at Duck Duck Goose Child Care expected her back within about 30 minutes.  Jessica left work that day a little before 1PM, her youngest child still at the day care where he went with her every day, and she was never seen again.

For five days Pennsylvania State Police, Northampton County police, the community, Jessica’s family and her husband Micah Padgett, searched for Jessica.  Social media posts pleaded for help.  The community responded. Thousands of people searched for Jessica Padgett, everyone hoping for her safe return.  Five days after her disappearance, someone came forward and confessed to her murder.  The killer, and his motive, were more shocking than her family could have ever imagined. 

This case was requested by many of TwistedPhilly listeners over a year ago and because of the sensitive nature of Jessica Padgett’s murder, and consideration for her family, it took some time before I was able to share this story.

Collision on the Delaware River

Episode 55 – Originally Published May 2018

Content warning: This episode contains adult subject matter including discussions of traumatic accidents resulting in death, which may be upsetting to some listeners.  Listener discretion is advised.

Ride the Ducks landed in Philly in 2003.  The company had been around for over 30 years, primarily operating on land and water in more rural areas, but after the launch of Boston Duck Tours in 1994, more an more touring duck companies ventured into metropolitan areas – as long as there was a way to get from land to water, a city could be a great fit for duck touring vehicles.

While Ride the Duck tours was a popular tourist excursion in Philadelphia, Ride the Ducks no longer operates in our city as the result of two tragic and avoidable accidents that took the lives of three people.  The first incident occurred in 2010, the other just 5 years later, and then in 2016 Ride the Ducks closed up shop.  Duck boats are quirky, they’re large, lumbering hulks of metal that instantly trigger feelings of nostalgia, and they can be deadly, not only in Philadelphia but other cities around the country.  The catastrophe on the Delaware river in Philly wasn’t the first time someone lost their life in a duck boat accident, nor was it the last.

Thank you to Nicki, host of Strictly Homicide Podcast, for her participation in this episode.

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. 

Twisted Legends: The Green Man and the Bus to Nowhere

Episode 54 – Originally Published May 2018

In this episode we get a little spooky, a little scary, and certainly twisted.  Twisted Legends features two Pennsylvania legends: The Green Man from our “west coast” outside of Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia’s Bus to Nowhere, a Philly legend that scares me to my core. 

These stories were part of the live broadcast Live Stream for the Cure between May 18 and 20th. This event raised over $11,000 for cancer research and I’m so happy to share these stories with you here on TwistedPhilly.  Grab your flashlight, hug your cat, and get ready to pull the blanket over your head because we’re packing loads of twisted terror in this episode! (Content warning: the second story, the Bus to Nowhere, contains discussion about depression and anxiety. Listener discretion is advised.)

TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show.