1 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Sharon couldn't sleep. It was Jay, her boyfriend, who suggested 2 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: she stayed at his house while he was out of town, 3 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: and since she was currently between apartments, it made perfect sense. 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: But Sharon had been reticent. It wasn't that she didn't 5 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: like the house. It was positively charming in its Bavarian 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: timber framed style, nestled high among the hills and trees 7 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 1: of LA's Benedict Canyon. In fact, the couple, who'd been 8 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: seeing each other for almost a year, had spent many 9 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: happy hours there together, often in the company of their 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: many glamorous friends, spending long lazy days by the pool, 11 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: drinking and getting high. But being there alone and at 12 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: night was an entirely different proposition. The place, located at 13 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: ninety eight sixty Eastern Drive, was built sometime in the 14 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: Prohibition era and once belonged to Hollywood film producer and 15 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: writer Paul Byrne. In nineteen thirty two, Burne's marriage to 16 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: Jean Harlowe, one of the major film stars of the 17 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: day and twenty years his junior, brought him to public prominence. However, 18 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: it was the events that occurred in their home two 19 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: months later that would seal his place in Hollywood infamy. 20 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: Burne's butler, John Carmichael, was inspecting the house early one 21 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: morning when he found Burne lying naked in the dressing 22 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: room adjacent to Jean Harlowe's bedroom. Assuming he'd collapsed, Carmichael 23 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: rushed to his help, only to find to his horror 24 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: that Burne was lying dead in a large pool of blood. 25 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: Carmichael saw the single bullet wound in his head, then 26 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: looking up the large splattering of blood and soft tissue, 27 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: still wet and clinging to the ceiling, Sharon host and 28 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: turned in bed, opening her eyes. She couldn't help but 29 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: stare at the entrance to that small adjacent room, just 30 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: visible in the dark, where Burne's blood soaked body had 31 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: once lain. There had long been rumors that the house 32 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 1: was haunted, that her mystery surrounding Burne's death had caused 33 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: his restless soul to wander and had become trapped in 34 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: that big, eccentric house of his. It was partly what 35 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: had drawn Jay to the house in the first place 36 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: when he bought it two years back in nineteen sixty three. 37 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: Sharon had never let it bother her until now, that is, 38 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: She tried to push it all from her mind and 39 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: get back to sleep. But couldn't escape that creeping sensation 40 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: that those creeks outside the door weren't just creaks but footsteps, 41 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: and they were getting nearer. You're listening to unexplained, and 42 00:02:55,480 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: I'm Richard McClean smith. Paul Burne's death was determined to 43 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: be a suicide after investigators found not only a gun 44 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: in his hand, but an apparent suicide note left at 45 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: the scene for his wife. It read, dearest dear, Unfortunately, 46 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: this is the only way to make good the frightful 47 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 1: wrong I've done you and wipe out my abject humiliation. 48 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: I love you, Paul. You understand that last night was 49 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: only a comedy. Only something didn't quite fit that misspelling 50 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: of unfortunately from a successful writer perhaps, or was it 51 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: something more. The day after Paul Burne's body was discovered, 52 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: a woman boarded the Delta King riverboat in San Francisco, 53 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: heading for Sacramento. In the early hours of the following day, 54 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: the woman, Dorothee Millet, Paul Burne's first wife, was seen 55 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: standing alone on the top deck, staring out to see 56 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: and clearly in some distress. A few hours later, a 57 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: night watchman found a pair of shoes and a woman's 58 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: coat on deck, close to where Dorothee had been seen. 59 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: By the time the boat docked the following morning, Dorothee 60 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: had completely vanished. Milette's disappearance soon hit the news, with 61 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: many speculating she had in fact killed Paul Byrne and 62 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:30,040 Speaker 1: faked her own death to get away. This speculation was 63 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: given greater credence when rumors emerged that Byrne had been 64 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: entertaining a mystery woman at his home the day before 65 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: his body was found. Years later, producer Samuel Marks, Burne's 66 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: friend and colleague at MGM Studios, who employed both Jean 67 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: Harlowe and Paul Byrne, made the stunning revelation that when 68 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: Burne's butler first found the body, he called the studio 69 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: before the police. Their response, according to Mars, was to 70 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: dispatch Marks into another the colleague, Irving Thalburk, to the 71 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: house to assess the situation before the police arrived. Their aim, 72 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: allegedly was to protect the reputation of Jean Harlowe, their 73 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: newest and brightest young star. Harlowe was said to have 74 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: been staying at her mother's house the night Burne died. 75 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: Mars claimed to have witnessed Thalburk tampering with the scene. 76 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: It isn't known to what extent it was tampered with, 77 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: if it was at all, though it's been suggested that 78 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: the gun found in Burne's hand by police had not 79 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: been there when the butler first found his body. A 80 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: week after Millet disappeared, two fishermen working on the Sacramento 81 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: River found her body floating face down in the water. 82 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,679 Speaker 1: Over the next few days, a number of stories were spun, 83 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: some alleging that Dorothy had murdered her husband. After discovery, 84 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: he changed his will so that Harlowe would be the 85 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: sole beneficiary. At that time in her life, Millet, who 86 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: had been plagued by ill health and recently spent time 87 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: in a sanatorium, had become entirely dependent on Burne's financial support. 88 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: Friends of Burne's, however, spoke of his struggles with depression 89 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: due to the publicity surrounding his marriage to Harlowe, and 90 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: how he previously contemplated suicide, while at the same time 91 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: MGM Studios apparently worried by the fallout to Harlowe. Should 92 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: it be proved that Burne had been cheating on her, 93 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: supposedly made their own attempts to muddy the waters, allegedly 94 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: implying that Burne's failure to satisfy his wife sexually had 95 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: driven him to suicide. Burne's death was said by some 96 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: to have put a curse on the house, with at 97 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: least one other person rumored to have committed suicide there 98 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,679 Speaker 1: and another drowning in the pool since it had happened. 99 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,679 Speaker 1: Perhaps it was this that was racing through Sharon's mind 100 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: as she heard yet another creak coming from out in 101 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: the hallway. Powerless to resist the thought of Burne's bloodstained 102 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,239 Speaker 1: body lying naked only yards away, the blood splattered ceiling, 103 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: and his vacant, dead eyes. Enough was enough. Sharon switched 104 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: on the light and sat up in bed. Just then, 105 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: a sudden movement outside the bedroom caught her eye. As 106 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: she peered out into the darkness beyond, she saw, to 107 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: her horror that something was out there hovering in the doorway. 108 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: It was a man, Shortisian stature, with a small mustache 109 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: and a strange look on his face. He looked exactly 110 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: like Paul Byrne. Sharon could only watch in terror as 111 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: the man burst suddenly into the room, moving wildly about 112 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 1: the place at double speed. Sharon leapt from the bed, 113 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: grabbed her robe, and ran shrieking into the hallway, Fleeing 114 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: to the stairs. Sharon raced down the steps, only to 115 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: be confronted by an even more hideous sight, a body 116 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: tied up with rope at the bottom of the stairs, 117 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: just visible in the darkness, with its throat slit wide 118 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: open and blood gushing out of it. Sharon screamed as 119 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: she hurried through into the living room, slamming the door 120 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: shut behind her as she struggled to come to terms 121 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: with what was happening. Surely it was a dream, she thought, 122 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: as she paced manically about the room. It was just 123 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: one of those all two real, lucid dreams that emerge 124 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: when the mind flutters about in that liminal space between 125 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: sleep and wakefulness. But what was that figure tied up 126 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: to the stairs. It looked so familiar, she thought, Was 127 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: it Ja or had it in fact been a vision 128 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: of herself? Deciding she wanted a d she heard a 129 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: voice echoing from a distant place, telling her to look 130 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: at the bookshelf and convincing her further that it was 131 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: just a dream. Moving to the shelves, she found herself 132 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: frantically searching for something, despite having no idea what she 133 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: was looking for. But as she ran her fingers along 134 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: the books, she found a button and pressed it. With 135 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: a click, the bookshelf popped open to reveal a secret 136 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: bar space behind. Grabbing a bottle from within, she quickly 137 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: poured herself a drink. As she gulped it down, she 138 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: became transfixed by the wallpaper lining the bar inside. Reaching 139 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: out to touch it, she couldn't help but tear a 140 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,320 Speaker 1: piece of it away, revealing a copper panel behind it. 141 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:52,439 Speaker 1: She pulled another strip, and then another. Finishing her drink, 142 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: Sharon made her way back to the hall. Peering out 143 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: toward the bottom of the stairs, she caught sight of 144 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: the horrifying figure once more, still tied up to the banister, 145 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: its neck still gushing with blood. Then a movement upstairs 146 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: drew her attention to the peculiar man again, who was 147 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: now moving about on the landing. It's only a dream, 148 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: she reminded herself, closing her eyes. Sharon jumped onto the 149 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: stairs and sprinted back to the bedroom, closing the door 150 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: quickly behind her. Then the sound of another voice calling 151 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: her name from somewhere getting louder and louder, a voice 152 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:36,079 Speaker 1: she recognized immediately as Jay's, and then she opened her eyes. 153 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: Sharon awoke to find herself back in bed, hearing the 154 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: sound of Jay's voice calling from downstairs. Moments later, he 155 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: was at the door, greeting her with a smile. Sharon 156 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: laughed with relief as she tried to explain the peculiar 157 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: nightmare she'd been having. She was still explaining it to 158 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 1: him as the couple made their way downstairs for breakfast, 159 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: when Sharon caught sight of the mess in the living room. 160 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: The bookcase bar was open and at the base of 161 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 1: it was a small pile of wall paper ribbed out 162 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:21,559 Speaker 1: from the inside. It was certainly a compelling story, thought Dick, 163 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: But what does it mean? Asked Sharon. It was August 164 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight, and with Sharon now a rising star 165 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: herself in Hollywood, the pair was sat in a trailer 166 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: on the set of her latest movie, The Wrecking Crew, 167 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: a spoofed spy comedy that Sharon was starring in alongside 168 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:46,359 Speaker 1: Dean Martin. Dick, a Hollywood correspondent working for the newspaper 169 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: Enterprise Association at the time, had come to interview her 170 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: for an article he was writing about the production of 171 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: the film. Her story had been a response to Dick's 172 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: final question, something he liked to ask all his interviewees. 173 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: Had she ever had any psychic experiences? Sharon sat back 174 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: in her chair and took another drag of her cigarette 175 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: as Dick racked his brains for an answer. I mean, 176 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: was it a dream? Was it ghosts? She asked, adamant 177 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: it was the only experience of that kind she'd ever had. 178 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: Dick was stumped. Maybe the peculiar man she'd seem was 179 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: a ghost, he thought, the troubled spirit of Paul Byrne perhaps, 180 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: But the horrific vision of the mutilated figure on the 181 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: stairs that she recognized as either herself or her boyfriend Jay, 182 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: that he couldn't explain. Rosemary Kent, a woman who lives 183 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: on the edge of the infamous Black Hill's Forest, needs 184 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: your help to find her missing son. But to find him, 185 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: you must investigate the mysterious forest yourself. Will you face 186 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: down the horror of the blair Witch and those who 187 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: serve her. Blair Witch is the new horror subscription game 188 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: brought to you by Hunt a Killer in partnership with 189 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: lions Gate, a fully immersive experience in the blair Witch 190 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: universe delivered straight to your door, and its scary as hell, 191 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: with a full season comprising of six boxes or episodes. 192 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,359 Speaker 1: Each box will have you sifting through cryptic documents, discovering 193 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: audio recordings, and solving some disturbing puzzles. 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Head to hunter Killer dot com 203 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 1: slash b w unexplained for twenty percent off and to 204 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: show support for the podcast once again, that's hunt a 205 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: Killer dot com slash bw unexplained. Will you Survive the 206 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:13,439 Speaker 1: Curse of the blair Witch By nineteen sixty eight, Sharon 207 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: and Jay were no longer together. In nineteen sixty five, 208 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: not long after that horrifying experience in Jay's house. Sharon 209 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: had traveled to Europe to shoot the occult horror mystery 210 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: Eye of the Devil. Having fallen in love with London 211 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: in the process, she decided to stay awhile once filming 212 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: had ended. It was there that she was first introduced 213 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: to Roman, an up and coming film director from Poland. 214 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: Having established himself in nineteen sixty two with his breakout 215 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: film Knife in the Water. Roman was looking to cast 216 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: his latest film, The Fearless Vampire Killers, when it was 217 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: suggested to him that he considers Sharon for a part. 218 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: The Fearless Vampire Killers was to be a power of 219 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: the British horror films of the day, epitomized by the 220 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 1: famous Hammer Film Productions. The role of Sarah Schargle, the 221 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: daughter of an innkeeper who would eventually turn into a 222 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: vampire herself, was to provide the romantic interest of the 223 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: film's lead character, which, as it happened, would be played 224 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: by Roman. After much persuasion by the film's executive producer, 225 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: Marin Ransohoff, who also had a stake in Sharon's career, 226 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: Roman finally agreed to offer her the role. Though they 227 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: clashed at first, through the course of filming in nineteen 228 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: sixty six, the pair embarked on an affair. Before long 229 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: they were immersed in the thick of swinging sixties London together, 230 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: bouncing from one party to the next, hanging with all 231 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: the bright young stars in Soho or along the King's Road, 232 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: at all the most fashionable clubs and bars. Roman made 233 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,359 Speaker 1: it clear early on that he was not the monogamous type, 234 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: but Sharon, who would have preferred him to be, could 235 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: resist way she felt about him. Though he was a 236 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: little on the short side, she had been seduced by 237 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: his sheer sense of inner conviction and confidence. He seemed 238 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: beyond manipulation in a way, utterly self assured and resistant 239 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: to external forces. That he was unwilling to even countenance 240 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: dedicating himself to her alone, she reasoned, was merely further 241 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: evidence of his beguiling free spiritedness, and London for her, 242 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: in the increasingly rare social circles that she was beginning 243 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: to find herself in, was intoxicating, populated, as she said, 244 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: with free thinkers feeling their way through life and leaving 245 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: an impression on the times. Being the daughter of a 246 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: United States army officer. Sharon, who was by then twenty four, 247 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 1: reveled in the youthful rebellion and urgency of the day. 248 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: It was a mind expanding revolution of color and thought, 249 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: catalyzed by a ubiquity of pot and other mind altering 250 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,400 Speaker 1: substances that only served to further expose the rigid status quo, 251 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: and she was at the epicenter of it all five 252 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: thousand miles away, another young woman had also just secured 253 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: the part of a vampire in a somewhat less auspicious production. 254 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 1: By nineteen sixty seven, Susan had been living in San 255 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: Francisco for just over a year when she took a 256 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: job as a go go dancer, working at a number 257 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: of clubs on the North Beach Strip. Nights were long, 258 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: usually running from four pm till two in the morning, 259 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: before moving on to the next club to dance until 260 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: dawn in the hope of maybe being spotted by a 261 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: talent agent. It was while dancing one night that Susan, 262 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: only eighteen years old at the time, was introduced to 263 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: Anton LeVay. Levy and his followers had been causing a 264 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: stir with the recent establishing of his Church of Satan. 265 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: Though many found the group alarming. In truth, it was 266 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: little more than an individualist occult movement that practiced magic, 267 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: more opposed to the orthodoxes of Christianity than in thraw 268 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: to any actual Satan. Lavay was developing a production based 269 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: around the idea of a witch's Sabbath and was looking 270 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: for women to play the part of alluring scantily clad 271 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: vampires who would terrorize the audience as the sabbath was conducted. Susan, 272 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: needing the money, had reluctantly taken the job, often relying 273 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: on acid in order to find the courage to perform. 274 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: Though the show was a hit, it had come at 275 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: a moment of crisis for Susan. Having become heavily immersed 276 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: in the San Francisco scene, her drug use had steadily intensified, 277 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: and her health, both mental and physical, was shot. Four 278 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,959 Speaker 1: months later, she had a breakdown and was admitted to hospital. 279 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 1: As someone who felt she'd spent her whole life looking 280 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:06,919 Speaker 1: for somewhere to belong, it was clear that where she 281 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 1: was then wasn't it. Her collapse was a wake up 282 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: call that brought her to the more mellow confines of 283 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: hate Ashbury, a counterculture mecca and the center of what 284 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: would later become known as the Summer of Love. It 285 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: was while walking along the streets of hate Ashbury one 286 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: afternoon that Susan bumped into Barbara, an old friend from 287 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: her hometown of Los Banos. Susan had always thought Barbara 288 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: a little square, so was surprised to find her there, 289 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: of all places. But Barbara had evolved somewhat from the innocent, 290 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: seeming farm girl Susan had thought her to be. With 291 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: the political turmoil of nineteen sixties America, lurching from the 292 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,040 Speaker 1: successful Civil Rights movement one moment to being my I 293 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: had in an increasingly messy war in Vietnam the next, 294 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 1: many Americans were beginning to question just what a free 295 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: world was. Exactly what was happening in hate Ashbury offered 296 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,679 Speaker 1: a glimpse of a different world, a world that was 297 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: no longer bound by the restrictive social conventions of the day, 298 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: a place in which, often with the aid of LSD 299 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: and marijuana, you could shed every label, tag, and assumption 300 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,880 Speaker 1: that had ever weighed you down. Like Susan, Barbara had 301 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: also been drawn there by its alluring promise of new 302 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 1: ways to exist. She invited Susan back to the house 303 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 1: she was living in to meet her new family, as 304 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 1: she called it. The house was a large, two story 305 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:49,880 Speaker 1: townhouse on the corner of Oak and Lyon Street, right 306 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: next door to Janis Joplin's home. Once there, Barbara showed 307 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: Susan around the property and introduced her to the ten 308 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: other people that were living there as part of the commune, 309 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,120 Speaker 1: one woman for each man, but Susan noticed there were 310 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: presently six men to only five women. Susan sat and 311 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: smoked part with them as they explained to her how 312 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: it worked. They all shared everything in common except each other, 313 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: with the man to woman pairings being strictly monogamous. They 314 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,400 Speaker 1: made money by selling dope on the street, with each 315 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: man being a dealer and the women tasked with finding 316 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: people to sell it to. When Barbara suggested Susan move 317 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: in with them to make up the numbers, she jumped 318 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: at the charts. Having wrapped up production on The Fearless 319 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: Vampire Killers, Roman and Sharon had returned together to Los Angeles, 320 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: unable to find somewhere to settle down, due in part 321 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: to Roman's reluctance to become too rooted anywhere, but also 322 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: their naturally transient work life. The couple rented a room 323 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: at the Chateau Marmont before moving into a house in 324 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: Benedict Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. The house, which they 325 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 1: rented from Oscar winning actor Patty Duke, quickly became a 326 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 1: regular hangout for the couple's burgeoning and increasingly high profile 327 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: group of friends, everyone from Steve McQueen and Dennis Hopper 328 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: to Candice Bergen and Mia Farrow, from the Mummers and 329 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: the Pappas to Jim Morrison. The house was so often 330 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: visited people soon became accustomed to Sharon and Roman's relaxed nature, 331 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: where the door seemed permanently open, so that almost anyone 332 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: could come and go as they pleased. As part of 333 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: the agreement to rent the house, the couple had agreed 334 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: to look after Patty's English sheep dock. When one morning 335 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: it bolted out of the property, giving chase, Roman tracked 336 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: it to a house a little further down the road. 337 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: The house was being used by members of the Process 338 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: of the Final Judgment, otherwise known simply as the Process. 339 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: The group was a religious movement of sorts established in 340 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: London in nineteen sixty six, inspired in part by scientology 341 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: Alister Crowley and the work of psychologist Alfred Adler. There 342 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: were rumors that they participated in the farious rituals, but 343 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: Roman knew little of that, only that they were well 344 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: known for keeping large Alsatian dogs as pets, a fact 345 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: he became plainly aware of that day when, on seeing 346 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: him draw near to the property, two of them chased 347 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: him into a nearby garage in desperation, as the dogs 348 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: barked manically outside, the traumatized Roman was forced to break 349 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: a window before leaping out the back of the building 350 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:57,360 Speaker 1: and hurriedly making his escape. Back in San Francisco, Susan's 351 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 1: commune was attracting the attention of the FBI. One day, 352 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,479 Speaker 1: while out with two of the men, Susan realized they 353 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: were being followed by a couple of plainclothed officers. The 354 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,479 Speaker 1: group decided to split up, with Susan high tailing it 355 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: in one direction and the others heading off in another. 356 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,719 Speaker 1: When Susan returned to the house later that afternoon, a 357 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 1: little stone from a joint she just smoked, she heard 358 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,880 Speaker 1: the sound of a guitar and some one singing coming 359 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:31,560 Speaker 1: from one of the rooms above. Following the sound. She 360 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: drifted softly up the stairs in her bare feet toward 361 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 1: the doorway of the living room. There, sat on the 362 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: sofa was a Shortish man, clean shaven, with long dark hair, 363 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 1: playing the guitar. He was dressed in a white T shirt, 364 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: blue jeans, and sandals, and had multi colored beads draped 365 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: around his neck. On either side of him sat a woman, 366 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,240 Speaker 1: while on the ground other women sat at his feet 367 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: as they watched him, his eyes closed and head tilted back, 368 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: singing gently into the air. The room, thick with the 369 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: smell of pot and incense, was hazy with smoke that 370 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: curled and played with the soft light of the afternoon. 371 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,280 Speaker 1: Susan couldn't take her eyes off the man. Just then, 372 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: for a moment, he opened his eyes and fixed her 373 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: with his stare, as if beckoning her to go in. 374 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:36,879 Speaker 1: Unable to resist, Susan stepped inside and took a seat 375 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: at the singer's feet, looking up at him from below. 376 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: Lit up behind by the soft afternoon light, he looked 377 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: like an angel. She was still staring at him when 378 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,439 Speaker 1: she realized he was no longer singing, but talking to 379 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: the woman next to him. Just then, a thought popped 380 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 1: into her head that she would like to play his guitar. 381 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: Without having said a word, the man turned to her 382 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: suddenly and said, why don't you play it. Susan was shocked. 383 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 1: Had he just read her mind in that moment, she 384 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: knew immediately that this was the thing she'd been looking for. 385 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: Without thinking, Susan smiled at the man and then bent 386 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: down and kissed his feet. Just then, the sounds of 387 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: Jefferson Airplane began to emanate from a record player. Lured 388 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: by the rhythm, Susan pulled herself up and began to dance. 389 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: Unbeknownst to her, the man put down his guitar and 390 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,879 Speaker 1: walked over to join her. Moving in close behind, he 391 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: leant in and whispered in her ear. No two actions 392 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: are the same. Everything is new. Let it be new, 393 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,959 Speaker 1: he said. Before long, they were fused, mirroring each other's moves. 394 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:58,600 Speaker 1: At one point, it seemed to Susan that they'd even 395 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: traveled through each other's bodies. The music swelled, growing in 396 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: speed and intensity, and their movements did the same, becoming 397 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: more and more wild, until suddenly the music stopped. You're beautiful, 398 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: said the man. I'm Susan, she said in reply, who 399 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: are you me? Said the man? I'm Charlie. Charlie Manson. 400 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: You've been listening to part one of Unexplained, Season five, 401 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: Episode five, When Love Breaks Down. Part two will be 402 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: released next Friday, November thirteenth. If you enjoy Unexplained and 403 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: would like to help support us, you can now do 404 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: so via Patreon. To receive access to add three episodes, 405 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: discount or merchandise, as well as brand new video and 406 00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 1: audio content exclusive to Patreon members, just go to patron 407 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 1: dot com, forward slash Unexplained Pod to sign up, or 408 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: if you'd like to make a one time donation, you 409 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: can go to Unexplained podcast dot com forward Slash Support. 410 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: All donations, no matter how large or small, are greatly appreciated. Unexplained, 411 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: the book and audiobook, featuring ten stories that have never 412 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:19,159 Speaker 1: before been covered on the show, is now available to 413 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: buy worldwide. You can purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, 414 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: and Waterstones, among other bookstores. All elements of Unexplained, including 415 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: the show's music, are produced by me Richard McClain smith. 416 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: Please subscribe and rate the show wherever you listen to podcasts, 417 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: and feel free to get in touch with any thoughts 418 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: or ideas regarding the stories you've heard on the show. 419 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: Perhaps you have an explanation of your own you'd like 420 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: to share. You can reach us online at Unexplained podcast 421 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 1: dot com or Twitter at Unexplained Pod and Facebook at 422 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: Facebook dot com. Forward Slash Unexplained Podcast