By Tim Binnall
The mysterious deaths of Dorothy Kilgallen and Marilyn Monroe, a police officer who can communicate with the other side, and a strange murder that may have been caused by a neurological condition were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about a Flat Earth researcher who took his enthusiasm for the subject a little too far, an odd hole spotted on the surface of Mars, and a troubling case of what appears to have been vandalism aimed at one of Easter Island's iconic Maoi statues. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
The intersection of neuroscience and criminal justice was the focus of a riveting edition of the program this past Saturday night as journalist Kevin Davis detailed a remarkable 1991 case in which a woman in Manhattan plunged to her death from the 12th floor of an apartment building and her mild-mannered husband shockingly confessed to the crime. Intriguingly, it was determined that the man had a cyst on his brain and scientists suspected that this explained why his previous exemplary life took an unexpected and murderous turn. While the husband ultimately was able to take a plea bargain and was convicted of manslaughter, Davis indicated that the neuroscientific defense largely does not succeed in most court cases.
The infamous Flat Earth theory found its way into the news this past week with two rather surprising stories. First, in a testament to the strange widespread appeal of the much-maligned concept, it was revealed that a survey found that seven percent of the Brazilian population, which is a whopping 11 million people, believe in the controversial idea. Meanwhile, here in America, a Flat Earth enthusiast found himself in trouble with the law following an ill-advised trip to the playground of an elementary school in South Carolina wherein he attempted to enlighten the children about the 'true' nature of the shape of our planet. As one can imagine, his surprise appearance was not very well received by administrators and the conspiracy theorist was subsequently arrested for public disorderly conduct.
Communicating with the 'other side' is, by itself, a fantastic ability and when one combines that with a career in law enforcement, you get the remarkable life of former Salem, Massachusetts police officer Chuck Bergman, who shared his experience as the 'Psychic Cop' on Tuesday night's program. He recounted how, during his time protecting the public, his gift allowed him to locate lost people and solve difficult crimes. Bergman also talked about his work providing readings for clients, including one memorable incident in which he saw the spirit of legendary musician Ray Charles.
The mysterious world of Mars was in the spotlight this week by way of a pair of stories, beginning with an eyebrow-raising image of a puzzling hole that NASA had spotted on the surface of the Red Planet. Particularly intriguing about the cave-like spot is that the space agency indicated that such a location would be the ideal place to look for life on Mars since it would provide shelter from the planet's otherwise harsh conditions. To that end, the search for life on the Red Planet will advance considerably in the not-too-distant future thanks to the next NASA Mars Rover which is scheduled to launch later this year and, this past week, was officially named 'Perseverance.'
The curious deaths of reporter Dorothy Kilgallen and Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe were revisited on Monday night's program as Mark Shaw discussed his research into these two suspicious events. Suggesting that the true nature of their deaths has yet to be revealed, he posited that the duo were murdered in order to silence them. Specifically, Shaw noted Kilgallen's then-impending book on the JFK assassination and Monroe's intimate relationship with the slain president as possible causes for this course of action. He also pointed out several aspects of the two deaths which were eerily similar as if they had possibly been orchestrated by the same nefarious forces.
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping story of the week occurred on Easter Island, where a Chilean man was arrested for crashing his truck into a platform holding one of the famed site's sacred Maoi statues. The shocking incident, suspected of being an intentional act of vandalism, was understandably met with considerable outrage on the island as the damage to the ancient megalith was described by one official as "incalculable." The motorist now faces charges of damaging a national monument for his thoughtless misadventure.
Coast Insiders can check out all this week's shows as well as the last five years of C2C programs in our enormous archive. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.