Welcome to Her Strange Hour, where we explore strange history, unsolved stories, forgotten women, and mysterious lives. Browse the episodes below to discover each story, then follow the link to read the complete companion article and show notes on Medium.
Her Strange Hour: Season 2
Welcome to Season 2 of Her Strange Hour, where Ivy Monroe explores unsolved disappearances, strange history, forgotten women, and mysterious true stories. Each episode below includes a short introduction, a link to watch or listen, and companion show notes on Medium.
Looking for earlier stories? [Browse all Season 1 episodes here.]
Episode 1: The Mysterious Disappearance of Dorothy Forstein
In 1949, Philadelphia mother Dorothy Forstein disappeared from her home without a trace. Her children later described a strange man carrying their unconscious mother down the stairs—but despite an extensive investigation, Dorothy was never found.
[Watch or listen to the Dorothy Forstein episode.]
[Read the complete Dorothy Forstein show notes.]
Episode 2: What Happened to Theodosia Burr Alston?
Theodosia Burr Alston was the intelligent and accomplished daughter of former Vice President Aaron Burr. In 1812, she boarded a ship headed for New York and vanished somewhere along the Atlantic coast, leaving behind rumors of storms, pirates, shipwrecks, and possible murder.
[Listen to the Theodosia Burr Alston episode on Spotify.]
[Read the complete Theodosia Burr Alston show notes here.]
Episode 3: Three Bizarre Asylum Cases From the 1800s
This episode explores the experiences of three women who were confined inside 19th-century asylums: Mary Frances Heaton, Hersilie Rouy, and Clarissa Caldwell Lathrop. Their stories reveal how easily women could lose their freedom—and how hard they fought to prove they deserved to be heard.
[Listen to Three Bizarre Asylum Cases From the 1800s on Spotify]
[Read the complete asylum cases show notes Here.]
Episode 4: Tillie Klimek—The Chicago Poisoner
Tillie Klimek claimed she could predict when the people around her would die. But after several husbands, relatives, and neighbors became mysteriously ill, investigators began to suspect that her predictions were not predictions at all.
[Listen to the Tillie Klimek episode Spotify.]
[Read the complete Tillie Klimek show notes on Medium.]
Episode 5: Linda Hazzard — The Starvation Doctor
Linda Hazzard had no medical degree, yet she was legally allowed to practice medicine and convinced patients that extreme fasting could cure disease. Inside her Washington sanitarium, patients survived on tiny amounts of broth and juice while enduring harsh treatments — and some never made it home.
[Listen to the Linda Hazzard episode on Spotify.]
[Read the complete Linda Hazzard show notes on Medium.]
Episode 6: The Disappearance of Ruth Cruger
In 1917, 18-year-old Ruth Cruger disappeared after leaving her New York City home to have her ice skates sharpened. Police searched the place where she was last seen but found nothing. It took the determination of attorney and investigator Grace Humiston to uncover what investigators had missed—and finally reveal what happened to Ruth.
[Listen to the Ruth Cruger episode on Spotify.]
[Read the complete Ruth Cruger show notes here.]
Episode 7: Bonnie Nettles and the Woman Behind Heaven’s Gate
Long before Heaven’s Gate became known for the 1997 mass suicide that shocked the world, Bonnie Nettles helped shape the beliefs that would define the group. Known as “Ti,” she became the spiritual partner and guiding influence of Marshall Applewhite, helping develop ideas about leaving the human body behind and reaching what they called the “Next Level.” Her role is often overshadowed by Applewhite, but the story of Heaven’s Gate cannot really be understood without her.
