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The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

By: Strange True Stories with Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
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The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people. Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions, and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?” From infamous crimes and forgotten history to celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment. New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.© 2025 The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • Zodiac Killer: Unsolved Mysteries, Ciphers and the Dark History of the Hunt

    Zodiac Killer: Unsolved Mysteries, Ciphers and the Dark History of the Hunt
    May 26 2026
    The Zodiac Killer did not just murder people; he turned the case into a public game of fear, symbols, letters and unsolved ciphers. This episode follows the Zodiac Killer from the first lovers’ lane attacks in Northern California to the murder of taxi driver Paul Stine, tracing how a string of true crime cases became one of America’s most enduring unsolved mysteries. We unpack the Zodiac Killer murders, the taunting newspaper letters, the coded messages, the Z340 cipher, surviving witnesses, and the strange public performance that made the case feel bigger than the crimes themselves. We also look at the suspects and theories that have kept the case alive, including Arthur Leigh Allen, Lake Berryessa, Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, and the haunting question of why the Zodiac Killer was never caught. This is dark history, historical true crime, real life mysteries and true crime stories at their most unnerving: a serial killer podcast deep dive into what really happened, what remains unknown, and why the hunt still fascinates listeners decades later. Topics Include zodiac killer murderszodiac killer letters and ciphersz340 cipher and the unsolved codesarthur leigh allen and other suspectswhy the zodiac killer was never caught Resources and Further Reading The Zodiac Killer Part 01 - FBI VaultThe Zodiac Killer Part 02 - FBI VaultZodiac Killer - WikipediaWho Is the Zodiac Killer? - BiographyThe Solution 340-Character Cipher - Wolfram Blog Host & Show Info Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music:Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: TheCompendiumPodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonWe’re Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Host & Show InfoHosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to ActionReview & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Case and the Dark History Behind It

    John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Case and the Dark History Behind It
    May 19 2026

    John Wayne Gacy was never just the killer clown; he was a trusted local man hiding sexual violence, murder, and years of missed warnings in plain sight.

    Today we explore the real story of John Wayne Gacy, starting with 15-year-old Robert Piest’s disappearance and the police work that finally broke the case open. We trace Gacy’s public image as a contractor, community figure, and Pogo the Clown, then follow the darker pattern behind the headlines: earlier assaults, parole failures, ignored red flags, victims lured into danger, and the horrifying crawl space discoveries beneath his house.

    Rather than treating John Wayne Gacy as a simple monster-myth, we ask what really happened, why the killer clown label became so sticky, and how a man with such a visible life kept offending for so long. It is a dark history episode for listeners drawn to true crime stories, true crime cases, famous trials, serial killer podcast deep dives, and strange true stories about the people who hide in plain sight.

    Topics Inclued

    • robert piest and the disappearance that broke the case
    • the truth behind the killer clown myth
    • john wayne gacy’s double life and public image
    • police failures, parole failures, and missed warnings
    • the crawl space discoveries, confessions, and trial

    Resources and Further Reading

    • John Wayne Gacy - Encyclopaedia Britannica
    • John Wayne Gacy's Artwork - Encyclopaedia Britannica
    • John Wayne Gacy - FBI Vault
    • John Wayne Gacy - Biography.com
    • John Wayne Gacy: A Timeline - Biography.com
    • Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes - Netflix
    • John Wayne Gacy - Wikipedia

    Host & Show Info

    • Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    • Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland

    Community & Calls to Action

    • Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    • Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    • Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    • Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    • Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus

    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • Room 1046: A Kansas City Hotel Murder and One of True Crime’s Unsolved Mysteries

    Room 1046: A Kansas City Hotel Murder and One of True Crime’s Unsolved Mysteries
    May 12 2026

    A man checks into the President Hotel under a false name — and Room 1046 becomes a locked-door nightmare.

    The death of the man known as Roland T. Owen remains one of the strangest true crime stories of 1930s Kansas City. Behind the name was a deeper mystery: Artemis Ogletree, a false identity, a hotel room filled with unanswered questions, and a cast of names that still feel like pieces from a puzzle no one has ever fully solved.

    This historical true crime episode follows the eerie Room 1046 case through the President Hotel, the Kansas City murder investigation, the mystery letters, and the people connected to the story, including Eugene K. Scott, Mary Soptic, Don Kelso and the elusive “Louise”. Was Room 1046 the scene of a planned hotel murder, a meeting gone wrong, or something even stranger?

    For listeners drawn to unsolved mysteries, real life mysteries, cold case podcast stories and dark history, this is a chilling look at how one hotel room became a lasting legend. Room 1046 is not just a murder case. It is a strange history of aliases, silence, fear and unanswered questions that still refuses to stay buried.

    Topics Include

    • The President Hotel in Kansas City in January 1935
    • Roland T. Owen and the false identity trail
    • The note to Don and the name Louise
    • The attack inside room 1046
    • Artemis Ogletree and the letters sent after death
    • Why the Room 1046 case remains unsolved

    Resources and Further Reading

    • Murder of Artemus Ogletree - Wikipedia
    • The Creepy Murder In Room 1046 - Youtube
    • The Man Who Locked Himself In - Criminal
    • The Owens Case - Kansas City Mag

    Host & Show Info

    • Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    • Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland

    Community & Calls to Action

    • Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    • Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    • Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
    • Support us: Sign up to Patreon
    • Circus Job Board: Apply to join the Circus

    Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 18 mins
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the content is often unique when compared to other true crime shows . thanks compendium.

fun and fascinating

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