WILDCIDE

Shortcide: What Could POSSIBLY Go Wrong?

In this episode of What Could Possibly Go Wrong?, we dive into two of history’s most bizarre true stories. First, we unpack how Pepsi, in a deal so strange it sounds made up, briefly became the owner of one of the largest navies in the world. Then we head to Australia, where the military launched a campaign against flocks of destructive emus and somehow came out looking like the underdog. It’s a story of corporate power, government miscalculation, and the kind of real-world chaos that proves history can be stranger, and funnier, than fiction.

Corporate Manslaughter? The Byford Dolphin and Paria Disasters

At first, they were called tragic accidents. Sudden, devastating events that seemed to end in the water, in the chamber, in the final moments no one could take back. But as investigations unfolded, the questions began to change — from what happened to who was responsible, who made the decisions that led there, and who failed when lives were still hanging in the balance. In this episode, we explore the Byford Dolphin disaster and the Paria diving disaster through the lens of negligence, corporate responsibility, and systemic failure. While Paria would later raise the question of corporate manslaughter, both cases reveal how preventable deaths can grow out of unsafe systems, ignored risks, delayed action, and choices made long before the disaster itself. Because sometimes the real story is not just how people died. It is how those deaths became possible in the first place — and what happened after.
 

MMIW: The Winnipeg Serial Killer (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this case, the investigation into Jeremy Skibicki reveals the full scope of what happened inside a small apartment in Winnipeg and how multiple women became connected to one of the most disturbing serial murder cases in modern Canadian history. As investigators reconstruct timelines, search landfills for evidence, and piece together Skibicki’s confession, the case expands far beyond a single murder investigation and becomes a national conversation about missing and murdered Indigenous women, systemic failures, and the value placed on vulnerable lives.
This episode covers the discovery of multiple victims, the role of forensic and digital evidence, Skibicki’s confession, the landfill search controversy, and the 2024 trial that ultimately led to his conviction for four counts of first-degree murder. But even after the verdict, the story was not over. Because one victim was still known only as Buffalo Woman — and it would take years before she would finally be given her name back.
This is Part 2 of the Jeremy Skibicki case — a story about violence, vulnerability, justice, and the women whose lives should never be reduced to a headline.

MMIW: The Winnipeg Serial Killer (Part 1)

Three women vanish from the same area of Winnipeg within weeks of each other. At first, their disappearances don’t raise widespread alarm—lost phones, unstable housing, and the realities of life on the margins make it easy for cases like these to slip through the cracks. But their families knew something wasn’t right.
Then, on a cold morning in May 2022, a man searching through a dumpster makes a discovery that changes everything. Human remains. As investigators work to identify the victim, they uncover a name: Rebecca Contois. And with that confirmation, the case shifts from a missing persons investigation to something far more disturbing. Because Rebecca isn’t the only woman who’s gone missing.
Morgan Harris. Marcedes Myran. And Buffalo Woman, a victim who would remain unidentified for three years after her murder. All Indigenous. All last seen in the same area. All disappearing within weeks of another.
As detectives begin retracing Rebecca’s final movements, their investigation leads them to a quiet apartment building just steps from where her remains were found. Inside, they begin to uncover something that suggests this may not be an isolated crime—but part of a much darker pattern.
By the end of Part 1, investigators are no longer asking whether a murder occurred.
They’re asking how many.
 
Resources:
Hope for Wellness Help Line for Indigenous Peoples: 1-855-242-3310National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.): 1-800-799-7233StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE
If this case moved you, consider learning more about the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People and supporting organizations doing this work.
MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan: Government of CanadaNational Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Final ReportAssembly of Manitoba ChiefsNative Women’s Association of CanadaManitoba Keewatinowi OkimakanakCanadian Human Rights Commission resources on MMIWGWinnipeg Bear Clan PatrolSiloam Mission, WinnipegN’Dinawemak – Our Relatives’ Place, Winnipeg
 

Sinister Minister: The Case of Arthur "A.B." Schirmer

A trusted pastor. A small Pennsylvania church. And a string of tragedies. 
When a man named Joseph Mesante walked into a church office in Reeders, Pennsylvania and ended his life, the story seemed heartbreakingly simple: a husband devastated by the discovery of his wife’s affair with their pastor, Arthur “A.B.” Schirmer.
But Joseph's suicide was the unfortunate catalyst to a horror story.
As investigators began looking more closely at the pastor’s life, disturbing questions surfaced about another tragedy just months earlier—the death of Schirmer’s wife in what had been ruled a car accident. Then detectives uncovered an even older case: the mysterious death of Schirmer’s first wife years before.
What initially appeared to be unrelated tragedies started forming a chilling pattern.
In this episode, we unpack the case of Arthur Schirmer, a minister who spent decades guiding people through their darkest moments—while hiding secrets that would eventually lead to a murder conviction and a life sentence.
 
Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or the impact of betrayal trauma, help is available.
Suicide & Crisis Support
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 (U.S.)• 988lifeline.org – Chat and resources for immediate support• Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor
Betrayal Trauma & Relationship Support
• APSATS (Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists)https://www.apsats.org
• Bloom for Women – Educational resources and support for betrayal traumahttps://bloomforwomen.com
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)https://www.rainn.orgNational Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE
Mental Health Support
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)https://www.nami.orgHelpLine: 800-950-NAMI

Shortcide: The Butterfly Effect

History doesn’t always change because of grand decisions. Sometimes it changes because of a wrong turn… or a forgotten petri dish.
In today's Shortcide, Bailey tells the unbelievable story of how a driver’s accidental turn down the wrong street placed Archduke Franz Ferdinand directly in front of Gavrilo Princip—triggering a chain reaction that would lead to World War I, the rise of Hitler, and the deadliest century in human history.
Then Chelsea explores the opposite side of fate: how a contaminated lab plate and one curious scientist led to the discovery of penicillin—an accident that would go on to save millions of lives.
Two tiny moments. One that helped unleash global war.
And one that quietly helped save the world.

Understanding Domestic Violence with Jennifer Salmons, LPC

Domestic violence is rarely as simple — or as obvious — as people expect it to be.
In this special Wildcide interview episode, Bailey and Chelsea sit down with domestic violence expert and therapist Jennifer Salmons for an honest, deeply practical conversation about how abusive relationships actually develop, why victims stay, and what outsiders often misunderstand about abuse dynamics.
Moving beyond headlines and true crime narratives, Jennifer draws from decades of frontline experience working not only with survivors, but also directly with domestic violence offenders. Together, the conversation explores how abuse typically begins long before physical violence appears, the behavioral patterns that signal escalating control, and the psychological and social factors that can make someone vulnerable to remaining in a harmful relationship.
The discussion breaks down common myths — including the belief that abuse is always obvious, that apologies signal real change, or that leaving is simply a matter of willpower. Jennifer explains the stages of abuse, the role of manipulation and intimidation, and why safety planning with trained domestic violence professionals is often critical when someone decides to leave.
This conversation shifts the focus from crime stories to prevention, awareness, and understanding — offering insight for survivors, loved ones, and anyone wanting to better recognize the realities of domestic violence.
About Our Expert:
Beginning as a volunteer and advocate on a domestic violence hotline in Charleston, Illinois in the early 1990s, Jennifer Salmons went on to develop three domestic violence offender intervention programs over the course of her career. During the 1990s, she created two offender programs in Illinois operating in compliance with the protocols and standards of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence to ensure accountable and effective intervention.
In 2000, she brought her expertise in offender programming and coalition-based standards to Kansas City, Missouri, where she developed the first domestic violence offender program in the area. She later served as a board member of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence and contributed to the statewide committee responsible for developing Missouri’s standards and program protocols for domestic violence offender treatment.
Throughout her career, Jennifer has provided extensive training to law enforcement, prosecutors, hospitals, advocates, and court professionals, strengthening coordinated community responses and advancing system-wide accountability in addressing domestic violence.
If you'd like to contact Jennifer directly, email her: jennifer@therapybyjennifer.com
 
Domestic Violence Resources: 
If you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, confidential support is available 24/7.
National Domestic Violence HotlineCall: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)TTY: 1-800-787-3224Text: START to 88788Website & Live Chat: https://www.thehotline.org
StrongHearts Native Helpline (for Native American and Alaska Native survivors)Call or Text: 1-844-762-8483Website: https://strongheartshelpline.org
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)Educational resources and safety planning informationhttps://nrcdv.org
National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)Find state coalitions and local domestic violence programshttps://nnedv.org
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)Sexual assault support hotlineCall: 800-656-HOPE (4673)Website & Chat: https://www.rainn.org
Local Services DirectoryFind shelters, advocacy programs, and local support by ZIP codehttps://www.thehotline.org/get-help
Emergency AssistanceIf you are in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Against All Odds: The Tracey Thurman Case

Tracey Thurman did everything a victim is told to do. She left her abusive husband. She reported threats. She obtained a restraining order. She called the police again and again — documenting a danger everyone could see coming.
On June 10, 1983, after months of ignored warnings, Tracey was brutally attacked outside her home while help arrived too late to stop the violence. What followed wasn’t just a criminal case, but a constitutional battle that forced America to confront how domestic violence victims were treated by the justice system.
Her lawsuit against the Torrington Police Department changed policing nationwide, transforming domestic violence from a “private matter” into a public responsibility.
This case isn’t only about violence — it’s about warning signs, institutional failure, and the moment one survivor reshaped the law for millions who came after her.

Heist of the Century: The Brink's Robbery

Boston, January 17, 1950. Just after 7 p.m., a group of masked men walked calmly into the Brink’s Armored Car Company building and carried out what would soon be called the “Crime of the Century.”
There was no chaos. No gunfire. No panic. The robbers moved with precision — wearing disguises, speaking little, and tying up employees before disappearing into the night with nearly $2.8 million in cash, checks, and securities, the largest robbery in American history at the time. Within minutes, they were gone… leaving almost no evidence behind.
What followed was one of the longest and most complex investigations the FBI had ever faced. Thousands of leads went nowhere, suspects stayed silent, and for years the robbery looked like the perfect crime. As the statute of limitations crept closer, the case finally cracked — not because of forensic breakthroughs, but because loyalty inside the group began to collapse.
The Brink’s robbery wasn’t just a historic heist. It changed how law enforcement approached organized crime, insider planning, and long-term investigations — proving that even the most meticulous plans can unravel when human nature gets involved.
Bailey explores the psychology of group loyalty, rationalization, and delayed guilt, while Chelsea examines postwar America, organized crime culture, and why this robbery captured the nation’s imagination. Because sometimes the real story isn’t how criminals escape… it’s why they eventually turn on each other.

Bad Blood (Literally): The Case of Dr. John Schneeberger

In 1992, a respected small-town physician was accused of sexually assaulting one of his patients during a routine appointment. The allegation shocked the tight-knit Canadian community — but what happened next was even more unbelievable. Despite a DNA test meant to settle the case once and for all, the results seemed to clear the doctor. The charges were dropped. Life moved on.
But the victim never stopped fighting.
Years later, new evidence surfaced that would unravel one of the most audacious deceptions in true crime history — exposing a calculated plan that fooled investigators, prosecutors, and even medical professionals. In this episode, we unpack the disturbing case of Dr. John Schneeberger: a story of power, manipulation, and a scheme so brazen it sounds like fiction — until you realize it wasn’t.
 
References:
Rapist, M.D. Crime Magazine
Candice Fonagy Archives - Forensic Files Now
Dr. Schneeberger Case Study - Edubirdie
Deport doctor, his ex-wife says - The Globe and Mail
Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Schneeberger (F.C.)
The Case of Dr. John Schneeberger | PDF | Deviance (Sociology) | Public Law
Sask. doctor sentenced for rape | CBC News