00:00.970
ANNOUNCER
For information on upcoming episodes, merch, and other ways to support the podcast, follow us on Instagram @JacobsStanleypodcast or on Twitter @InappropriateF and check out our website, jakobstanley.com to submit your own story to the podcast.
00:22.050
BARKBOX
Got a doggo and wanna support the poddo? Use the affiliate link in our show notes BarkBox.com/jakobstanley, that’s Jakob with a “K” and sign up for BarkBox! Each month BarkBox brings your dog more than $40 worth of toys, treats and chews tailored especially for your pup, curated from each month's unique themed collection. Is your puppers is into Stranger things? Would they dig some Beggo Waffles, or a Demo bat? Maybe they prefer the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? And want a sorting hat or Hedwig of their very own. So, click on the link in our show notes barkbox.com/jakobstanley that’s Jakob with a “K” or go to our website jakobstanley.com and use the link provided to help support our pod and bring monthly dog joy right to your door. OH! And by using our link you get an additional month FREE! That's barkbox.com/jakobstanley.
01:09.130
NARRATOR
In October of 2011, 4 college students disappeared in the woods near Porter Township Pennsylvania while researching a documentary on children’s author Jakob Stanley. They remain missing to this day. Last month their recordings appeared online. In an effort to aid in the investigation, the families of those missing have agreed to release the following sound files. If anyone has information on those missing or the identity of the person or persons who uploaded these files, please use the contact information provided. Anything submitted may be used in future episodes. Certain materials referenced in this podcast, including the published works of Jakob Stanley, are currently protected under U.S. copyright law and may be redacted. For legal reasons, some names have been withheld and voices altered. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcasters and participants, and do not represent the official policy or position of the Iphigenia County Police Department of Porter Township Pennsylvania or its associates. This podcast contains adult themes and language. Listener discretion is advised.
02:18.710
PROFESSOR WHITAKER
Warning: This episode discusses suicide. For support and resources, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or your local crisis center. Folder labeled: “012 Rough Cut, Episode 12 - Tell Me a Story: The True Life of Jakob Stanley.”
PODCAST INTRO SEQUENCE
02:45.030
NEWS ANNOUNCER
WN [BEEP REDACTED] TV New York.
MUSIC: [80’s NEWS INTRO THEME]
NEWS ANCHOR ‘83
If your child has been to a school book fair recently, chances are they came home with one of this author’s scary books-
MUSIC: [80’s SUNDAY TALK SHOW THEME]
SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOW HOST ‘81
Our guest’s first anthology leapt to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list -
MUSIC: [LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW INTRO APPLAUSE]
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST ‘86
- Thank you. Thank you! Over the past few years, he has become a household name -
MUSIC: [PODCAST THEME]
PUBLIC RADIO HOST ‘92
- Bridging the gap between Alvin Schwartz and Stephen King -
TV PREACHER
- The devil is among us, friends.
CONGREGATION
AMEN!
TV PREACHER
He’s among us, in the form of a writer. -
SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOW HOST ‘81
- The book might have struggled during it initial release in 1977, but now “Tell Me A Story: Under the Bed That’s Over My Head”, has skyrocketed -
ALSC COMMITTEE REP
- So many parent organizations complained that his work was too sophisticated for children-
TV PREACHER
- He has infiltrated your homes, and your children’s minds-
PUBLIC RADIO HOST ‘92
- His second macabre anthology “Tell Me A Story: Moonless Sky and Other Friends” sold out from bookstores in mere minutes. Becoming a controversial -
NEWS ANCHOR ‘83
- Stanley's books ranked on the American Library Association’s “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books” from 1981-1993 -
TV PREACHER
- Stanley’s books promote disobedience, violence and the occult! Lord have mercy -
PUBLIC RADIO HOST ‘92
- The 3rd volume in his “Tell Me A Story” collection “The Floor That Creaks, the Closet That Speaks and the Tip Toes That You Walk On” was released in 1986 to mass acclaim -
ALSC COMMITTEE REP
- All that fussing, just made his work more popular -
TV PREACHER
- Check your children’s rooms, check their bookshelves, check their back-packs! -
YOUTUBER
- I do think his final book, released in ‘99, “TMAS: The nightmare, The Dream and the Places Between,” was by far his best work.-
PUBLIC RADIO HOST ‘92
- His work has been described as “subversive” and “dark,” I simply describe it as genius.
SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOW HOST ‘81
- It is my pleasure to introduce -
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST ‘86
- Please welcome -
PUBLIC RADIO HOST ‘92
- Ladies and gentleman, please welcome -
SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOW HOST ‘81
- Jakob Stanley.-
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST ‘86
- Mister Jakob Stanley.
PUBLIC RADIO HOST ‘92
- Author, Jakob Stanley.
[Applause.]
MUSIC: [POD THEME SYNTH]
AVERY/NARRATOR
Little to nothing is known about the life of this elusive author. And since 1999 Jakob Stanley seems to have completely dropped off the face of the earth. Until a short two-line obituary appeared in a small town paper, over a year ago.
TOLEN/NARRATOR
From BOO Labs and Red Cup Media, I'm Tolen Reid -
AVERY/NARRATOR
And I'm Avery Fischer, this is TELL ME A STORY: THE TRUE LIFE OF JAKOB STANLEY.
SFX: The mic clicks on, no adjustments are made, it just starts. There is a long silence between the team.
05:54.890
AVERY
So.... Is everybody okay?
SFX: Chuck stands up suddenly causing her chair to screech on the floor.
CHUCK
Just going to pee.
SFX: Chuck goes to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
AVERY
I mean, you don’t have to be okay, nobody has to be okay, you feel how you feel, but I just... we haven’t - nobody has said anything yet. And I don’t know how anyone else is feeling right now and... I’m sorry.
SFX: The toilet flushes and Chuck comes back into the room and sits back on the chair.
CHUCK
What were you saying?
AVERY
I was just... asking how everyone was.
RJ
I don’t know. I’m in this really weird place of, I guess shock?-
TOLEN
-They accused us of murder. Murder, Avery!
AVERY
I know.
TOLEN
I couldn’t even do frog dissection in bio.
AVERY
I know.
TOLEN
Avery, we meet ducks!
AVERY
I know.
06:58.330
RJ
What?
AVERY
It’s never: “we saw a duck” or “we saw a dog.”
TOLEN
We say “I met a big duck today.” “I met a raccoon.” ... We meet ducks!
RJ
I get it.
CHUCK
What if her ME report had not’ve come in when it did? That’s what I wanna fucking know.
AVERY
We would have gotten arrested. Arrested arrested.
CHUCK
I overheard someone say it might have been suicide?
AVERY
Who said that?
CHUCK
I don’t know. I was inside the interrogation room and someone was talking outside the door.
TOLEN
That place was packed with people from the search party, it could have been anyone.
RJ
Was it suicide?
AVERY
The way they talked to us about it, it definitely didn’t seem like they thought it was suicide.
TOLEN
Yeah, but the cops seemed to be throwing a bunch of random accusations around to see if anything would stick?
CHUCK
And maybe when nothing stuck, they just decided to wrap it up quickly and stamp suicide on it.
RJ
I didn’t even think of suicide.
07:48.550
TOLEN
Could anyone inference anything from their questions?
CHUCK
Inference? We haven’t slept in 2 days. I barely remember my own damn name right now.
RJ
Could Jane have died by suicide?
AVERY
Oh, RJ. ... I mean it, it's possible, but the way they were questioning us... I don’t think so.
TOLEN
I don’t think it was suicide either. If they couldn’t pin it on the “outsiders,” they just didn’t wanna spend any additional effort on it.
CHUCK
Right. Needed to just shut it down.
RJ
Oh my god, was that call from her?
AVERY
What call?
RJ
The morning of the fire? We woke up and the phone was ringing and no one was there? Could that’ve been Jane?
AVERY
Shit, I forgot about that again.
08:30.520
TOLEN
Fuck, me too.
CHUCK
Completely dropped out of my head.
RJ
Do you think that will help the police? Should we go back over there?
AVERY
What, like right now?
TOLEN
RJ we can’t go back over there.
CHUCK
Those locals in the station were seconds away from turning on us.
AVERY
The only thing missing were the pitchforks and torches.
TOLEN
Let’s just get back home. Where we have the safety of distance and lawyers, and then we figure out-
RJ
- But, what if that information could help them right now?
AVERY
Okay, okay, okay, let’s call from the road? Get a bit of a head start, yeah? Then we call? Okay?
RJ
Yeah, okay.
09:02.320
CHUCK
Works for me, let’s pack up the car-
RJ
-Wait, where are the boxes?
AVERY
What boxes? ... Shit? Where are the boxes?
CHUCK
Oh my god? Did the cops-
TOLEN
No, no, no guys-
AVERY
-Oh my God.-
TOLEN
-Nononono, guys. Don’t worry, I did it.
CHUCK
Did what?
AVERY
What did you do?!
TOLEN
I did... that. Uh, remember when we got back and I came up here to set up the interview with Wallace?
AVERY
Barely.
TOLEN
Well, I told him about finding the manuscript, then he told me about Jane and bam that’s when the cops pull up. So, he offered to come get all the Stanley stuff so it couldn’t be confiscated.
CHUCK
Huh, well played.
09:36.790
RJ
But, he didn’t get the manuscript though?
TOLEN
What?
RJ
It’s still here, look.
SFX: RJ crosses to the bedside table and picks up the puzzle box and passes it to Tolen.
SFX: Tolen shakes the box, music box plays
CHUCK
I hate that thing-
TOLEN
Oh thank god, it’s still inside.
AVERY
If it’s inside.
RJ
Why would he take everything except the manuscript?
TOLEN
He probably didn’t know this was it. I just said “manuscript”, he musta’ thought it was in with the other stuff. There wasn’t much time to explain things.
CHUCK
That does look like room decor. Well, for this place anyway.
RJ
Yeah, I wouldn’t have noticed it.
TOLEN
So, we should call him. Right?
10:07.996
CHUCK
I’ll do it.
SFX: Chuck reaches over for the room phone.
TOLEN
No, it’s okay. I can do it.
CHUCK
I said... I’ll do it.
SFX: Chuck starts to dial.
TOLEN
Put it on speaker.
CHUCK
Will you calm down?
TOLEN
Okay, but be sure to ask about the inter-
CHUCK
Tolen. ... Stop.
SFX: Chuck pulls the phone into the bathroom and calls Wallace from there.
TOLEN
Shit! Hold. We really should be recording this.
RJ
It’s already on.
AVERY
What?
RJ
It’s like second nature at this point.
TOLEN
Perfect. Check. Check.
SFX: Tolen adjusts levels.
TOLEN (CONT’D)
Okay, so. Shit. ...I don’t even know how to start.
AVERY
It’s already started.
TOLEN
Uh... ok. We just got released from the police station. It is 6:45 PM... what day is it?
AVERY
No one knows.
TOLEN
Fuck it. We were taken in this morning at approximately 7 AM, after having returned to the Homestead from the Stanley house, upon finding what we think is his long lost manuscript. A manuscript so salacious, it was rejected by his publishers and has remained a buried secret ever since.-
RJ
“Salacious”?
AVERY
Forget it he’s rolling.
10:59.690
TOLEN
- So, for about... 12 hours - Jesus, was it that long? - Ah. We were questioned about the death of Jane Stanley, the niece and only living relative of Jakob Stanley, who has been missing for the past several days. Her body was found in the woods near where Stanley’s FMC camper was parked. And ah, Jane’s ME report came back while we were being questioned, and it evidently showed she died the day they had us in for questioning before.
AVERY
-Bit of luck there.
RJ
AVERY!
AVERY
Sorry. I’m tired.
TOLEN
We don’t know how she died, they didn’t tell us anything. Uh.
AVERY
Don’t forget about the grave robbing.
TOLEN
Right, uh. ... Evidently, Jakob Stanley’s grave was robbed a while ago, which is why when we were there... the side of it was... uh, open? Is that how I should say that?
11:42.900
AVERY
Sure?
TOLEN
So, they were also very curious as to why we went to the graveyard. But, as I said, the second they got Jane’s ME report in, they tossed us outta there.
AVERY
The locals were circling and they didn’t want trouble at the station.
RJ
I’m sorry I told the Trooper about the graveyard, I didn’t think it would be used against us.
SFX: Chuck exits the bathroom and sets the phone back on the dresser. She crosses to the other bed and falls into it.
TOLEN
Well?
CHUCK
So, Wallace said he will bring over the boxes. Oh, and if we want, he’ll even do the interview.
12:15.210
TOLEN
Great!
CHUCK
He’s sorry he missed the manuscript. When he looked through the stuff and realized it wasn’t there, he panicked... whatever the Wallace version of panic is. Anyway, he’s basically down for whatever we need. Even promised us dinner.
TOLEN
Oh, hell yeah!
RJ
Uhm.
AVERY
We don’t have time for dinner.
CHUCK
I will pass out if I don’t get some food before we leave.
TOLEN
And trust me, you want him to bring dinner.
CHUCK
Yeah, you want that. He makes the best [unintelligible yawn] ... I’ve ever had.
12:48.470
AVERY
Okay.
RJ
Did he say when he was gonna get here?
CHUCK
Soon.
AVERY
RJ you good with that?
RJ
... Yeah... I kinda really need food too.
TOLEN
Excellent! So, we should prep for that interview?
AVERY
We really gonna try to do that tonight?
TOLEN
Why not, might as well?
AVERY
Okay.
RJ
The notes are all on this morning’s sound file - just needs to be transcribed. Chuck?
CHUCK
On it.
SFX: Chuck rolls forward, grabs her lap top and starts typing.
RJ
Hey. Wanna review files? Organize the last few days?
AVERY
You read my mind.
SFX: Avery and RJ start collecting memory cards.
RJ
Should check to see if we have anything that could help the police with Jane.
AVERY
Good idea. There could be anything in those sound files.
TOLEN
What should I do?!
AVERY
Uhhh...
SFX: Avery taps on the wooden puzzle box.
AVERY
This. Get to work on opening the box. Even after you figure out the pattern of the puzzle, it will still take forever to get it all the way open. So, focus on that. I guess?
TOLEN
Yes, that’s perfect!
SFX: Tolen starts wrestling with the puzzle box.
RJ
Can you pass me that?
13:41.840
CHUCK
Sure.
SFX: Chuck passes RJ the recorder and the mic clicks off.
SFX: The loud ticking of a massive grandfather clock welcomes us to the Homestead fireplace room. Tolen is madly trying to free the manuscript from the puzzle box.
DEBBIE
What if you-
TOLEN
Hey-hey-hey.
DEBBIE
Sorry, Jesus. Still don’t know why you won’t let me take a hacksaw to that thing.
TOLEN
I don’t want to damage whatever’s inside. I’ll figure it out.
MISS LORETTA
I’m good at puzzles.
TOLEN
I’m sure you are.
RJ
Chuck, where the heck is Wallace?
CHUCK
I don’t know. I thought he would’ve been here by now and we’d already be on the road.
MISS LORETTA
In the state you’re in...?
DEBBIE
You guys need sleep. Just one more night here won’t kill ya, but driving like you are, just might.
MISS LORETTA
Where’s Avery?
14:38.274
CHUCK
Still working on sound files, she hit a flow and couldn’t stop.
RJ
I thought we could maybe find something in the recordings that would help the police with Jane, but I didn’t find anything.
TOLEN
You know what just popped in my head, Jane told us Stanley was married. I completely forgot about that.
DEBBIE
He was married? Oh, lord. Mom, you know about that?
MISS LORETTA
Can’t say I did.
CHUCK
Oh and Deb, get this ... Stanley’s remains have been stolen!
DEBBIE
What the hell?!
TOLEN
IF they were in fact Stanley’s remains.
CHUCK
Right. Fuzzy Melon.
DEBBIE
What?
RJ
Harry Lime.
15:14.682
DEBBIE
That doesn’t help me.
SFX: Avery scurries into the room computer in hand.
AVERY
Guys, you have to listen to this.
MISS LORETTA
Evening, Avery.
AVERY
Uh. Evening, Miss Loretta... Uhm, that day at the quarry...I think someone may have put that hole in our tire.
SFX: Avery sits on the ground and opens her laptop and pulls up a sound file.
RJ
What?!
TOLEN
Shit, that’s right we still have a spare on the car, damn it, how far can you drive on one of those?
CHUCK & DEBBIE
Fifty miles.
AVERY
Just, just listen to this. And bare in mind, I did not record this:
SFX: Avery clicks play, a sound file begins to play.
RJ
(from recording)
I’m sure they’re just cranky from sleep deprivation.
AVERY
(from recording)
Whatever, we haven’t slept either...
CHUCK
What the fuck?
AVERY
(from recording)
You’ve done this before, yes?
RJ
(from recording)
Of course.
RJ (CONT’D)
Oh my God.
TOLEN
What the fuck?
AVERY
(from recording)
Yeah, my dad made me learn how.
RJ
(from recording)
Mine even made me learn how to change the oil... Not that I will ever do that.
AVERY
(from recording)
He always wanted me to learn manual, never did... Wish I got him to teach me. Ha, if my mom had tried to teach me stick, we would have killed each other.