30 Morbid Minutes
- Episodes
- 140
- Released
- every two weeks
- Latest episode
- Oct 19, 2026
About the podcast
Journey into the morbid, macabre, gruesome and unexplained, with comedians and friends Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami. Covering topics like: untimely deaths on cruise ships, sleep paralysis demons, celebrity death hoaxes, obituary bandits, pesky cursed objects, spontaneous human combustion, zombie apocalypses, the Victorian obsession with death, screaming mummies, the Dark Forest alien paradox, medical malpractice, good old-fashioned cannibalism, and so much more. Episodes on Mondays. ***Featured in Apple Podcast's New & Noteworthy 2022.***
Episodes 140
Can We Pass These Insane Witch Trials Tests?
Witch hysteria was so fervent and deadly in the 17th and 18th centuries, that, by the late 18th century in Europe, approximately 50,000 people had been executed for supposed crimes of witchcraft. When the …
Show notes
Witch hysteria was so fervent and deadly in the 17th and 18th centuries, that, by the late 18th century in Europe, approximately 50,000 people had been executed for supposed crimes of witchcraft. When the accused were put on trial they were forced to participate in strange and even violent tests to prove their innocence.
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30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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Burning Ballerinas: A Tragic 19th Century Spectacle
You know the expression “dance ‘til you drop?” Well, what about “dance until you are engulfed in flames?” Tragically, this was the case for some 19th century ballerinas. We examine the dangers of being a …
Show notes
You know the expression “dance ‘til you drop?” Well, what about “dance until you are engulfed in flames?” Tragically, this was the case for some 19th century ballerinas. We examine the dangers of being a Victorian Era ballerina.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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30 Morbid Minutes Recommends: THE SURVIVOR TAPES (Full Episode Preview)
There's a new episode of 30 Morbid Minutes on the way this Monday but, in the meantime, check out a full episode of THE SURVIVOR TAPES from our friend Josh Sterling. The Survivor Tapes is a narrative horror …
Show notes
There's a new episode of 30 Morbid Minutes on the way this Monday but, in the meantime, check out a full episode of THE SURVIVOR TAPES from our friend Josh Sterling.
The Survivor Tapes is a narrative horror drama set in a gruesome world where those left behind struggle to survive as the dead roam the earth.
This episode, "Every Decision Matters," features Ashly Burch.
Subscribe on YouTube @TheSurvivorTapes, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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Human Taxidermy and the Exploitation of Death
While traditional animal taxidermy relies on preserving an animal body covered in fur or feathers, human taxidermy -- the method of preserving and displaying human remains and skin -- has a controversial …
Show notes
While traditional animal taxidermy relies on preserving an animal body covered in fur or feathers, human taxidermy -- the method of preserving and displaying human remains and skin -- has a controversial history. We examine some of the more notable cases.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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Did the Bell Witch actually terrorize a president?
The Bell Witch might be the most documented haunting from American pioneer times. But what’s the real story here? Find out, in 30 Morbid Minutes. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :) 30 Morbid …
Show notes
The Bell Witch might be the most documented haunting from American pioneer times. But what’s the real story here? Find out, in 30 Morbid Minutes.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Euthanasia Coaster: An Ethical Death Machine?
Designed by Lithuanian artist Julijonas Urbonas, the Euthanasia Coaster is a hypothetical steel roller coaster and euthanasia device designed with the sole purpose of killing its passengers. We described (very …
Show notes
Designed by Lithuanian artist Julijonas Urbonas, the Euthanasia Coaster is a hypothetical steel roller coaster and euthanasia device designed with the sole purpose of killing its passengers. We described (very vividly) the experience of riding this death machine.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
"What's the Strangest Request?" - Q&A with a Funeral Home Director
Curious about the inner thoughts and routines of a career mortician? We pull the best questions from a Reddit AMA with a real life funeral home director. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :) 30 …
Show notes
Curious about the inner thoughts and routines of a career mortician? We pull the best questions from a Reddit AMA with a real life funeral home director.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From the Crypt: Death at Disneyland (Re-release)
Disney controls its family friendly image with an iron, four-fingered fist, but even the all-seeing Mouse House can’t anticipate every casualty – including the tragic deaths of park visitors or staff. Between …
Show notes
Disney controls its family friendly image with an iron, four-fingered fist, but even the all-seeing Mouse House can’t anticipate every casualty – including the tragic deaths of park visitors or staff. Between 2006 and 2020, more than 20 people have met their end while at Florida’s Magic Kingdom, and countless others have died in fatal incidents at other parks around the globe. We investigate the main causes while attempting to debunk some infamous myths and rumors.
(Originally released June 13, 2022)
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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Famous Last Words
What lasting impact can someone's final words leave? We talk about the new Netflix series Famous Last Words, and examine some of history's most iconic and memorable deathbed quotes. Leave us a review -- it …
Show notes
What lasting impact can someone's final words leave? We talk about the new Netflix series Famous Last Words, and examine some of history's most iconic and memorable deathbed quotes.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Headless Saints: Religion's Morbid Martyrs
Have you ever seen a painting of a saint holding their own severed head in their hands? These saints are known as cephalophore saints, and each and everyone one has a distinctly morbid backstory. Their headless …
Show notes
Have you ever seen a painting of a saint holding their own severed head in their hands? These saints are known as cephalophore saints, and each and everyone one has a distinctly morbid backstory. Their headless predicament certainly begs the question: where does the halo go?
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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From the Crypt: Incorruptibility of Saints
How would you react if you saw a dead body that, after a year, still looked like the person had died just yesterday? What about after five years? A hundred? This type of preservation, called incorruptibility …
Show notes
How would you react if you saw a dead body that, after a year, still looked like the person had died just yesterday? What about after five years? A hundred? This type of preservation, called incorruptibility, can happen. And while some consider it a holy miracle, science tells a different story. (Originally released February 27, 2024)
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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Some Really Weird Wills
Discussing what a Last Will and Testament is, and why you should have one, plus, some of Reddit's weirdest Wills. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :) 30MorbidMinutes is made by Elyse …
Show notes
Discussing what a Last Will and Testament is, and why you should have one, plus, some of Reddit's weirdest Wills.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
30MorbidMinutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Reintroducing 30 Morbid Minutes with Jessica & Elyse!
It's time for a quick catch-up with your favorite gruesome twosome. Elyse and Jessica talk about the state of the podcast, what's to come, and of course, get a little silly. Leave us a review -- it helps the …
Show notes
It's time for a quick catch-up with your favorite gruesome twosome. Elyse and Jessica talk about the state of the podcast, what's to come, and of course, get a little silly.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show!
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami, with theme music composed by Casey Edwards.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Taking the Corpse Road
From their practical role in funerary processions, to the eerie folklore and superstitions that later surrounded them, this episode traces the history of corpse roads in Medieval England. Leave us a review …
Show notes
From their practical role in funerary processions, to the eerie folklore and superstitions that later surrounded them, this episode traces the history of corpse roads in Medieval England.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show!
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami, with theme music composed by Casey Edwards.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From the Crypt: Ghost Stories During Christmas - A Victorian Tradition We Need to Bring Back
This episode was originally released December 19, 2023 Gathering around the fire and telling ghost stories during the holiday season was extremely in vogue during the Victorian Era. We explore how a tradition …
Show notes
This episode was originally released December 19, 2023
Gathering around the fire and telling ghost stories during the holiday season was extremely in vogue during the Victorian Era. We explore how a tradition of yuletide terror came to be, and the authors behind it.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show!
30 Morbid Minutes is made by Elyse Willems and Jessica Vasami, with music by Casey Edwards.
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What Does a Coroner Do? (Reddit AMA with a Coroner)
We’re doing a thorough examination of what life is like for a professional coroner, pulling questions from a Reddit AMA in which a real-life coroner gives personal insight into the ways in which they …
Show notes
We’re doing a thorough examination of what life is like for a professional coroner, pulling questions from a Reddit AMA in which a real-life coroner gives personal insight into the ways in which they investigate deaths, locate and notify families of deaths, determine cause and manner of death, and relay information to the media.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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30MorbidMinutes
Elyse Willems
Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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Is It Common to Die on Your Birthday?
Sometimes a surprise birthday party can result in an unforeseen death. We explore the dark statistical phenomenon that is the Birthday Effect. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :) Follow Us …
Show notes
Sometimes a surprise birthday party can result in an unforeseen death. We explore the dark statistical phenomenon that is the Birthday Effect.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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30MorbidMinutes
Elyse Willems
Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards
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Cemetery Sleepovers: Not As Morbid As You Think?
What compels thrill-seekers and ghosthunters to spend the night amongst the gravestones? And how do local communities use cemeteries for special events and spooky movie nights? Find out, in 30 Morbid Minutes …
Show notes
What compels thrill-seekers and ghosthunters to spend the night amongst the gravestones? And how do local communities use cemeteries for special events and spooky movie nights? Find out, in 30 Morbid Minutes.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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Music by Casey Edwards
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From the Crypt: The History of Halloween - America's Most Morbid Holiday
Spooky enthusiasts rejoice, it's the most wonderful time of year: Halloween season! No better time than now to dive into the history behind America's most morbid holiday; how it started, where certain …
Show notes
Spooky enthusiasts rejoice, it's the most wonderful time of year: Halloween season! No better time than now to dive into the history behind America's most morbid holiday; how it started, where certain traditions like trick-or-treating come from, and how Halloween has evolved and popularized into more than just a commercial candy and costume fest. (This is a re-release of an episode originally released on October 4, 2022.)
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Music by Casey Edwards
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More Cursed Objects: The Tallman Bunk Beds
In the 1987 the Tallman Family of Horicon, Wisconsin were driven from their home by paranormal activity caused by an unexpectedly haunted artifact: bunk beds. Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :) Follow …
Show notes
In the 1987 the Tallman Family of Horicon, Wisconsin were driven from their home by paranormal activity caused by an unexpectedly haunted artifact: bunk beds.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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Music by Casey Edwards
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From the Crypt: The Real Life Dr. Frankenstein
Examining the real life mad doctors and their galvanic experiments that inspired one of literature's most famous monsters. (This episode was originally released October 10, 2023.) Leave us a review -- it helps …
Show notes
Examining the real life mad doctors and their galvanic experiments that inspired one of literature's most famous monsters. (This episode was originally released October 10, 2023.)
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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Music by Casey Edwards
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"What's it like to die NINE times?" - Q&A
Reddit user Generic Box was 20-years-old when they had their first out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest -- meaning, their heart just suddenly stopped beating. After being diagnosed with hypertrophic …
Show notes
Reddit user Generic Box was 20-years-old when they had their first out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest -- meaning, their heart just suddenly stopped beating. After being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, eight more sudden cardiac arrests and "deaths" happened to them. In this episode, we dive into their Reddit AMA and get to the heart of what it's like to cheat death and their various near death experiences.
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Music by Casey Edwards
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America's Most Isolated Family: The Whittakers
Who are the Whittakers, and why has the world become so fascinated with them and their isolated West Virginia way of life? We take a look at their insular family tree, and the genetic fallout that can occur …
Show notes
Who are the Whittakers, and why has the world become so fascinated with them and their isolated West Virginia way of life? We take a look at their insular family tree, and the genetic fallout that can occur with inbreeding.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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Music by Casey Edwards
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The Unspoken Rules of Appalachia
Is the rich history of Appalachian folklore meant to be taken literally? Do cryptids, spirits and supernatural dangers exist in those rugged hills? If you hear a voice say your name in the woods, should you …
Show notes
Is the rich history of Appalachian folklore meant to be taken literally? Do cryptids, spirits and supernatural dangers exist in those rugged hills? If you hear a voice say your name in the woods, should you respond? (Spoiler: no.) In this new episode, we examine the unspoken rules of Appalachia and give a brief history of the mountain range.
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30MorbidMinutes
Elyse Willems
Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards - @ComposerCasey
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"Have You Ever Seen a Ghost?" Q&A with a Cemetery Groundskeeper
In this episode, we pull the most interesting questions and responses from Reddit user odd_fisch's cemetery groundskeeper AMA! They live at and maintain a historic and still active cemetery …
Show notes
In this episode, we pull the most interesting questions and responses from Reddit user odd_fisch's cemetery groundskeeper AMA! They live at and maintain a historic and still active cemetery.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CemeteryPorn/comments/1l79n8e/im_a_cemetery_grounds_keeper_ama/
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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30MorbidMinutes
Elyse Willems
Jessica Vasami
Music by Casey Edwards - @ComposerCasey
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Cemeteries vs. Graveyards: What's REALLY the Difference?
Cemeteries and graveyards aren’t actually the same thing. An important distinction that probably doesn’t matter much… if you’re dead. In this episode, we examine the historical and practical differences that …
Show notes
Cemeteries and graveyards aren’t actually the same thing. An important distinction that probably doesn’t matter much… if you’re dead. In this episode, we examine the historical and practical differences that set these two bone yards apart.
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Music by Casey Edwards - @ComposerCasey
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Corpse Cleaning: Crime Scenes, Hoarders, and Detective Work
Ever wonder what happens after a crime scene gets cleared? When the cops leave, the body’s been removed, and the yellow tape comes down? What happens to all the... mess? The blood, the broken glass, the smell? …
Show notes
Ever wonder what happens after a crime scene gets cleared? When the cops leave, the body’s been removed, and the yellow tape comes down? What happens to all the... mess? The blood, the broken glass, the smell?
Well, someone has to clean it up. And that job falls on a very specific group of people, known as trauma cleaners or biohazard cleanup crews. Learn what goes on behind-the-scenes in this morbid and messy profession.
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Music by Casey Edwards - @ComposerCasey
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From the Crypt: Tombstones, Epitaphs & Symbols Explained (New Intro)
This is a rerelease of an episode that originally aired July 19, 2022 with a new intro from Elyse & Jessica. Exploring the origins of the modern tombstone and what the future of memorial monuments might hold …
Show notes
This is a rerelease of an episode that originally aired July 19, 2022 with a new intro from Elyse & Jessica.
Exploring the origins of the modern tombstone and what the future of memorial monuments might hold. Plus, we break down the anatomy of epitaphs, and share some of history’s most bizarre and funny ones.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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Music by Casey Edwards - @ComposerCasey
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From the Crypt: Funeral Home Secrets (New Intro)
This is a rerelease of an episode that originally aired September 13, 2022 with a new intro from Elyse & Jessica. The modern funeral industry capitalizes on stigmas about death, creating a deliberate air of …
Show notes
This is a rerelease of an episode that originally aired September 13, 2022 with a new intro from Elyse & Jessica.
The modern funeral industry capitalizes on stigmas about death, creating a deliberate air of mystery and secrecy around how funeral homes operate. We go inside the unspoken practices of morticians, and debunk some of the myths and tall tales surrounding the post-mortem process.
Leave us a review -- it helps the show! :)
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Music by Casey Edwards - @ComposerCasey
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30 Morbid Minutes Presents Petty Crimes: Airbnb Boat featuring Ego Nwodim
Check out this episode of the podcast Petty Crimes! The rental listing said “please don’t unsnap.” Spoiler alert…she snapped. Follow Ego Nwodim on Instagram and listen to her podcast, Thanks Dad with Ego …
Show notes
Check out this episode of the podcast Petty Crimes!
The rental listing said “please don’t unsnap.” Spoiler alert…she snapped. Follow Ego Nwodim on Instagram and listen to her podcast, Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim. ... And look for new episodes of 30 Morbid Minutes, every other Monday.
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These are the latest 40 of 140 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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