The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things – Details, episodes & analysis

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

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

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A royal dinner becomes a bloodbath, a prince lies in a coma, and the Nepal Royal Massacre turns a dynasty into one of modern history’s most disturbing mysteries.

This dark history episode follows the Nepal Royal Massacre from the Shah dynasty prophecy and the “tenth generation” curse to Crown Prince Dipendra’s blocked relationship with Devyani Rana, royal astrology, status, and the marriage politics simmering inside the palace. On 1 June 2001, a family gathering in Kathmandu ended with King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and much of Nepal’s royal family dead — and with an official account that many Nepalis struggled to believe.

We trace the palace massacre, the early “accident” cover story, Dipendra being crowned king while in a coma, Gyanendra’s succession, the Kathmandu riots, and the conspiracy theories that still cling to the case. For listeners of true crime stories, royal scandals, real life mysteries and strange true stories, the Nepal Royal Massacre is a chilling collision of love, power, prophecy, public distrust and historical true crime.

Topics Include: 

• The Shah dynasty prophecy and the “tenth generation” curse
• Crown Prince Dipendra and Devyani Rana
• Royal astrology, status, and marriage politics
• The June 2001 family gathering inside the palace
• The massacre, the “accident” cover story, and Dipendra’s coma
• Succession, outrage, and the conspiracy theories that followed

Resources and Further Reading 

• Nepalese royal massacre - Wikipedia
• A royal massacre - ABC
• Massacre at the Palace - by Jonathan Gregson
• Nepal Royal Family Massacre - Zero Hour Documentry

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
• Certified Freaks: Submit your job Descriptions

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

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

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

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A newsletter criticised eBay. Then came dead insects, sinister messages, fake accounts and masked surveillance outside a couple’s home.

The eBay Stalking Scandal is one of the strangest true crime stories to come out of Silicon Valley: a corporate harassment campaign aimed at Ina and David Steiner, the married couple behind EcommerceBytes, after their reporting angered powerful people inside eBay. What began as online retaliation became a bizarre campaign involving eBay cyberstalking, disturbing deliveries, private dossiers, threatening messages, covert travel and a Global Security team that seemed to confuse criticism with a threat.

This episode explains the eBay Stalking Scandal from the EcommerceBytes articles that sparked the obsession to the FBI investigation that traced the harassment back through corporate security, executive pressure and internal paranoia. Along the way, we look at James Baugh, Devin Wenig, Steve Wymer, the “Threat Matrix”, DOJ charges and the deferred prosecution agreement that followed.

For fans of a true crime podcast, documentary podcast stories, internet scandals and corporate scandals, the eBay Stalking Scandal is a strange true story about what really happened when a tech giant’s culture of loyalty curdled into intimidation. It is corporate misconduct as dark comedy, bizarre crimes as boardroom crisis, and one of the more unsettling reminders that online harassment can begin very far from the internet.

Topics include

• EcommerceBytes, Ina and David Steiner, and the criticism eBay could not ignore
• eBay cyberstalking tactics, fake accounts, and a harassment campaign gone rogue
• Threat Matrix, private dossiers, and what Global Security thought it was doing
• How the FBI traced the stalking back to eBay executives and DOJ charges

Resources and Further Reading 

• eBay stalking scandal - Wikipedia
• Take her down - Boston Magazine
• Execs Made Life Hell for Critics - Wired
• USA vs. eBay - Defered Prosecution Agreement

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

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

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In this episode of the Compendium, we step back into time to revist The Cleveland Balloon Fest of 1986, a high-flying event that hoped to lift a city's spirits but instead spiraled into one of the most infamous blunders of the decade. I tell Adam all the juicy details of this helium-filled fiasco, where ambition met reality with explosive environmental consequences. We'll explore how this well-intentioned charity event turned into a disaster, examining the safety concerns of mass balloon releases and their unintended environmental impacts.

You'll hear how a city’s attempt to set a world record became a case study in event planning disasters. The story highlights significant points in environmental activism history and raises questions about the safety practices surrounding helium balloons, ultimately becoming a controversial chapter in the Guinness World Records.

Resources and Further Reading

1. “The Balloon Fest That Went Horribly Wrong” - The Atlantic
2. “Balloonfest 86” - Wikipedia
3. “Understanding the Impact of Balloon Releases” - HRSD
4. “Balloonfest” - Apple tv Documentary by Nathan Truesdell

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

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

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In this episode of the Compendium, we are diving into part two of our female scammer series where I tell Adam all about Anna Delvey, New York's infamous fake heiress.

Originally born Anna Sorokin in Russia, Anna set out to take what she wanted and nothing was going to stand in her way, not even being poor.   We recount Annas first initial appearance in the glittering social scene, her ambitions plans to secure funding for the “Anna Delvey Foundation: For Kids that Can’t Read Good”, to her dramatic downfall and the media frenzy that was her trial!

Anna’s story blurs the lines between ambition and deception, is it okay to fake it until you make it?

Resources and Further Reading

• "My Friend Anna" by Rachel DeLoach Williams
• "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People" by Jessica Pressler
• "Inventing Anna" Netflix mini series

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

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

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In this episode of the Compendium, we're looking up Cassie Chadwick, the woman who walked so that Anna Delvey could run. Dubbed Carnegie's imaginary heir, Cassie Chadwick's scam is a story of deception, ambition, and the pursuit of wealth at any cost.

We love a female con artist here on The Compendium, and Cassie Chadwick is the original OG Queen of the con. Today, we explore how Cassie convinced a bunch of rich greedy bankers to hand her millions of dollars in hard cold cash that resulted in her becoming an icon of the ages. Cassie's story is a testament to the power of storytelling, the allure of the unattainable, and the lengths to which one might go to secure their place in history.

Resources and Further Reading

1. "Cassie Chadwick” - Wikipedia
2. "Cassie Chadwick: The Female Wizard of Finance” - Ohio History Connection
3. "Greed in the Gilded Age" - by William Elliott Hazelgrove
4. "The High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance" – by Karen Abbott

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

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

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In this episode of the Compendium, we delve into the audacious tale where eight Belgian nuns orchestrate an unlikely escape from a life of stringent spiritual commitments to chase a dream of freedom in the sun-drenched South of France. Explore how Sister Anna and her cohort leveraged a surprising Belgian nuns legal loophole exploitation to sell their ancient convent and fund their new lavish lifestyle. This scandalous nun story, wrapped in secrecy and drama, challenges the expected norms of the Order of Saint Clare and highlights profound Catholic Church scandals.

We'll take you through the planning, the escape, and the aftermath, as these nuns navigate legal complexities and ethical dilemmas. From the quiet streets of Bruges to the luxury of a French castle, their journey invites us to question the balance between spiritual devotion and personal fulfillment. This episode is a rollercoaster ride through faith, betrayal, and liberation.

Resources and Further Reading

1. “The aging nuns who sold their convent” - The advisor
2. “Poor Clares” - Wikipedia
3. “The Millionaire Nuns” - Radar online

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

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

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In this episode of the Compendium, we’re clutching our pearls as I tell Adam all about the tumultuous saga behind the House of Gucci. From the ambitious beginnings of Guccio Gucci to the tragic murder of Maurizio Gucci. We’re not hitting play on an old run of ‘Days of our Lives’, because this is the real story of legacy, scandals and murder.

We are recounting the pivotal roles played by Aldo and Rodolfo Gucci, the transformative under Tom Ford, and how the murder orchestrated by Patrizia Reggiani marked a turning point for the luxury brand. The story of the Gucci family is more than the sum of its parts, offering a window into the complexities of legacy, the price of ambition, and the true story behind the headlines.

Resources and Further Reading

1. "The House of Gucci" by Sara Gay Forden
2. "Gucci: The Making of" by Frida Giannini, Katie Grand, and Peter Arnell
3. "The Gucci Mane" by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin
4. "Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes" by Dana Thomas
5. "Empire of Fashion" by Gilles Lipovetsky

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

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

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We're Back!!! In this episode of the Compendium, we’re giving you a brief foray into the intricate and controversial O.J. Simpson trial. Today’s story is one that captivated a nation, and we will help open the doors to the rabbit hole of a story that meanders and weaves. Its a doozie!

We unravel the complex layers of celebrity, racial tensions, and the American justice system, dissect the key events - from the tragic deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the sensational white Bronco chase, to the infamous glove that played a pivotal role in the trial. Join us as we give you the Compendium on the imfamous O.J Simpson story! The facts, the theories, and the societal impact of this landmark case,

Resources and Further Reading

1. "The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson" by Jeffrey Toobin
2. ESPN's Documentary: "O.J.: Made in America"
3. "Without a Doubt" by Marcia Clark
4. "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" - FX Series
5. “You’re Wrong About” - Podcast by Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbs

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

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

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In this episode of the Compendium, we are revisiting the enigmatic tale of Gunther’s Millions, the legacy behind the world’s most affluent canine. From an unexpected dog inheritance to the mysterious German Countess and her association with the savvy businessman Maurizio Mian, we unravel the story piece by piece. We will uncover how a German Shepherd become the owner of two Italian football clubs, Madonna's Miami mansion, a pop group, reality TV show and even a sex cult!?

Resources and Further Reading

1. “Gunther's Millions” Netflix documentary 2023
2. “Maurizio Mian” Wikipedia
3. “Is Gunther’s Millions a true story?” by Steven Ross
4. "Wild Dog by The Gunther Group" - Youtube

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

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

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