00:01:15
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.
00:01:31
NARRATOR (CONT’D)
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.
00:02:23
PROFESSOR WHITAKER
File labeled: “008 Rough Cut, Episode 8 - Tell Me a Story: The True Life of Jakob Stanley.”
SFX: A flutter of cooking activity.
RJ
Could you point out on a map where the Bell tree might be?
MISS LORETTA
Might be? Please. Everyone here knows where that tree is. Give it here. And once you’re up there, you’ll know... you can’t miss it.
AVERY/NARRATION
This morning we ate breakfast in the Homestead kitchen with Miss Loretta. She told us where we could find what is locally known as the “Bell Tree”. RJ’s Trooper reached out to Moira at the Palmer Family Funeral Home and Deb set up a time for us to meet up with Old Man Harker at St. Lucy’s church. Luckily enough, all these places are on, or near, Great Cliff's Peak.
CHUCK
(off mic)
Overlooking the aptly named: Great Cliff’s Peak Creek.
AVERY
(exasperated)
Bah, I was recording.
CHUCK
(off mic)
Oh, sorry.
00:03:19
AVERY
Oh, hey. Would you wanna record more of the VOs?
CHUCK
(off mic)
I hadn’t thought about that... Maybe I could be persuaded to allow you to use my dulcet tones-
AVERY
(shrug)
-Uhg, never-mind.
CHUCK
(off mic)
No. Wait.
[PODCAST INTRO SEQUENCE]
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]
00:05:12
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.
00:05:42
CHUCK
Palmer. Palmer. Palmer. Palmer. Palmer. Palmer.
[Chuck clears throat.]
CHUCK/NARRATION
(over the top smooth)
Well, hello there.
AVERY
(off mic)
Chuck.
CHUCK/NARRATION
Take it easy, I’m just warming up. ... Is this set in stone or?
AVERY
(off mic)
Just hit the main points. ... Tolen’s probably gonna wanna revise everything anyway.
CHUCK
(under breath/catty)
Yeah, no shit.
AVERY
(off mic)
What does that mean?
CHUCK
Come on? ... He’s being way too defensive. I’ll be surprised if any of this sees the light of day.
AVERY
(off mic)
To be fair, it is a lot of rumors and secondhand info.
CHUCK
You know he lied to Whitaker, right? About what we’ve found out so far?
AVERY
(off mic)
Did he lie, or did he omit?
CHUCK
Uh. A) They’re the same thing and B) He did both.
00:06:28
AVERY
(off mic)
Okay, no... I get what you’re saying. I just think he wants to be super careful because once that toothpaste is outta the tube, you know? - Look can we just crank these out before they get back. There’s like four of these I wanna finish.
CHUCK
Yeah, sure. ... Okay.
[Chuck clears throat.]
CHUCK/NARRATION
We started our day at the Palmer Family Funeral Home and Crematory.
MUSIC: [INTENSE DRAMATIC ORGAN MUSIC]
PALMER FAMILY FUNERAL HOME VM
(over phone line)
Welcome to the Palmer Family Funeral Home and Crematory, overlooking the Iphigenia Great Cliff’s Peak. Proudly serving the families of Porter Township with compassion and dignity for almost a century. No one is currently available to take your call. If this is an emergency please hang up and dial 911, otherwise stay on the line.
SFX: Beep.
00:07:27
AVERY
(off mic)
God, I wanna make that my ringtone.
SFX: RJ knocks on the front door of the funeral home.
AVERY (CONT’D)
Should we just go in?
TOLEN
No, give it a sec...
SFX: RJ rings the doorbell.
AVERY
Ugh... Come on.
SFX: RJ knocks again on the front door.
RJ
I don’t think anyone’s here.
TOLEN
Shit, really?
RJ
Yeah, I can’t see anyone in there.
AVERY
Damn it.
CHUCK
I bet Trooper Dickwad didn’t even call her.
RJ
He said it was all set up.
AVERY
Are we late? Or early?
RJ
There wasn’t an exact time, just to stop by. ... Should we wait?
CHUCK
I’m not doing that, it’s cold as balls out here. Damn, I wish I could find those gloves.
SFX: The team trudges down the wooden front steps.
AVERY
We can always go interview Harker and just come back here afterwards.-
TOLEN
What if we miss Moira?
CHUCK
Man, the church is right there, we can see anyone coming up this road.
SFX: Voice altered, name redacted.
[BEEP] PALMER
Hey!
SFX: [BEEP] Palmer’s voice is altered in post and name redacted.
RJ
Who’s that?
00:08:22
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Dropping off or picking up?
AVERY
What?
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Dropping off or picking up?!
AVERY
No we’re not here for... uh -
RJ
Hiyah, I’m RJ. Uhm, Trooper [BEEP] said he was going to contact Moira Palmer about an interview today?
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Why would you want to interview my mom?
AVERY/NARRATION
This [BEEP] Palmer. The daughter of Moira Palmer of the Palmer Family Funeral Home and Crematory. She’s a pouty goth Norwegian black metal head whose look screams “I will set you on fire.”
TOLEN
Uh, is she here?
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
No. Grandma’s boyfriend is in the hospital again, so she left last night.
RJ
Oh, shit. I’m sorry.
AVERY
Is she gonna be back soon or?
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Not sure.
00:09:10
AVERY
Damn it, okay thanks. Can you tell her that... you know what, we’ll get back with her later. Thanks.
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Trooper [BEEP] is a monosyllabic turd, why’d he set this up?
AVERY
(to herself)
Honestly, I don’t know anymore.
RJ
He was just calling in a favor for us.
TOLEN
We’ll circle back to your mom later, thank you.
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
What’s all that stuff for?
CHUCK
It’s gear -
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Duh, but what’s it for?
TOLEN
(quietly to team)
How we playing this: BOO, or Stanley?
RJ
Uh, I do a ghost hunting show called BOO. We filmed at the Mendenhall the other day and this would be like part 2 of that?
[BEEP] PALMER
(in the distance)
Oh, cool.
AVERY
We’re also doing a documentary podcast on Jakob Stanley, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him or whatever?
TOLEN
What are you doing?
AVERY
Shhh.
SFX: [BEEP] Palmer bounds from the side of the house towards them.
[BEEP] PALMER
You mean like the writer Jakob Stanley?!
AVERY
(fake cool)
Yeah, the writer. You guys embalmed him here or something? But, it would have been under the name Russell Stanley.
[BEEP] PALMER
THAT WAS HIM!! That Russell guy?!
00:10:01
AVERY
I had a feeling she was a fan.
[BEEP] PALMER
I had no idea!
TOLEN
She’s a kid, Avery.
[BEEP] PALMER
Oh my God! I can’t believe it. This is literally the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.
AVERY
You remember him coming in?
[BEEP] PALMER
Totally, cuz’ it was like right when we moved to this town of inbred fucks.
AVERY
Oh, and the vandalism stuff happened. Yeah, Troop Dick-nuts mentioned that.
[BEEP] PALMER
Of course he did. Fucking tool.
AVERY
Right.
[BEEP] PALMER
But also I remember it cuz’ it was like, majorly sad.
AVERY
Oh, why was that?
[BEEP] PALMER
They just found him in his house, alone. Mom said he coulda been dead for weeks.
AVERY
So, you were here when Stanley came in? Did you actually like see him or...?
[BEEP] PALMER
Oh, ho, ho, yeah I did! I even assisted on that one.
TOLEN
Sure you did. Avery knock it off. She’s like 14.
[BEEP] PALMER
Uh, I’m 18.
TOLEN
Right, you’re 18.
[BEEP] PALMER
Yes, asshole and I turn 19 next week.
00:10:53
AVERY
Sorry, he’s a bit prickly. I’m Avery, that’s Chuck, and this little cactus is Tolen.
TOLEN
I don’t like this.
AVERY
It’s fine, Tolen.
[BEEP] PALMER
Yeah, it’s fine, Tolen.
AVERY
So, is there some place we can
talk?
TOLEN
Shit.
MUSIC : [POD THEME]
00:11:09
AVERY/NARRATION
After our experience at the Palmer Family Funeral Home, we jumped in the car to warm up and... process the information we had just received. You see, there was supposed to be an interview here, but no one felt comfortable leaving it in, because of the questionable age of the interviewee. So, it was cut. But, for some reason they were still comfortable with using the death certificate she provided, so hey whatevs. ... Just making up our own rules.
SFX: A strong wind whistles through the car. Someone cracks open a soda can. Tolen sits and closes his car door.
00:11:51
TOLEN
Right, [Clears throat]
So... here it is:
(Reading)
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Statistics Certificate of Death. Death Occurred in: Iphigenia County. City or borough of: Porter Township. Full name of Hospital or Institution: At Home. Name of deceased: Russell Jakob Stanley. Date of Death: August 28, 2009
- Da-da-da-da... Informants name: - Da-da-da-da... Cause of death:
Death was caused by: immediate cause A: cardiac arrest/NA, due to B: NA. Interval between onset and death: NA. Was autopsy performed: No. ... And... that’s basically it. ... Hum.
00:12:44
AVERY
Hummm. Still sure you wanna get rid of that interview?
TOLEN
Avery.
SFX: Avery shifts aggressively in her seat.
AVERY
Fine, shit, delete it.
RJ
But, just because we delete the interview doesn’t mean we can’t use the information from it, right?
TOLEN
I mean, I guess?
AVERY
Oh, you’re good with that, though?
TOLEN
What is with you?
AVERY
You’re being all Judgey Judgerson.
TOLEN
I am not being all Judgey Judgerson-
AVERY
You said I “inappropriately exploited a minor”.
TOLEN
Well, you did!-
RJ
GUYS STOP! ... Just talking through this out loud... So, based on what [BEEP] said... when Stanley’s body was discovered, he was in the advanced stages of decomp-
TOLEN
Past rigor mortis, past bloat-
RJ
- But an autopsy was not requested by police and Moira didn’t want to rock the boat to push for one because she was already being harassed, so it didn’t happen.
TOLEN
Yeah. And - if [BEEP] is to be believed - the body was so badly decomposed that he could only be ID-ed by the wallet in his pocket.
CHUCK
Well, he was in his house?
TOLEN
Right, but it’s just weird they never got confirmation. Here’s a body so badly decomposed it can’t be visually identified and they don’t do an autopsy? Or at least a DNA test of some kind?
00:13:51
AVERY
There is a lot of “NA” on that death certificate? Cause of death was “cardiac arrest/NA”? I have a feeling that’s what they put down when they don’t know.
TOLEN
Exactly! Which goes back to, why wasn’t there an autopsy or DNA test? ... Was it even Stanley?
CHUCK
He was an old man, alone, in his own house?
AVERY
Speaking of old man... Do we think that’s Harker?
RJ
One way to find out.
SFX: RJ opens her car door and the mic cuts.
MUSIC: [POD THEME]
00:14:18
AVERY/NARRATION
After our lively debate, we walked over to Old Man Harker’s place of work, St. Lucy’s Church. I would describe the architecture as ... dilapidated gothic meth den? Which I’m pretty sure it was a mere few days from completely falling in on itself creating some sort of a hell mouth to the center of the Earth. ... But, I digress, Harker, aka Old Man Harker - we still don’t know his first name - was... uh, a cross between the creepy old man in Poltergeist and the Tall Man from Phantasm, but ... nice? Although once we dropped Stanley’s name, he turned cold. Then, after a lot of convincing and dare I say it, crafty manipulation? He eventually acquiesced.
CHUCK/NARRATION
However, when he finally allowed us to record, he spoke so quietly that the mics barely picked him up... So, this is the section we could clean up the best:
SFX - The sound of the echoey old church hums in the background, almost over-powering Harker’s voice entirely.And there are several cats who comment frequently in the background. Old Man Harker’s voice is altered in post.
00:15:13
OLD MAN HARKER
“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” I suppose Rockland brought me up because of Lavinia.
AVERY
(off mic)
Lavinia?
OLD MAN HARKER
Oh, Lavinia was just about the best friend I ever had. The most beautiful hair ya ever did see. And fast.
AVERY
(off mic)
“Fast”?
OLD MAN HARKER
Run like the wind,... When I’s a boy, sometimes we would go to the orchard, and I’d stand up on her back and grabs apples right outta the tree. We’d eat so many we’d get sick.
SFX: Slight burst of static.
AVERY
(off mic)
So, Lavinia was your horse?
OLD MAN HARKER
Oh, yes ma’am. The best horse.
AVERY
(off mic)
So, Rockland suggested we contact you about Stanley because of Lavinia?
OLD MAN HARKER
I suppose. [unintelligible mumble] But...uh... I don’t know.
AVERY
(off mic)
It’s ok, take your time.
OLD MAN HARKER
Lavinia she was... Lavinia she was... uh, she passed on... right in her prime.
AVERY
(off mic)
Oh, I’m so sorry.
SFX: Slight burst of static.
OLD MAN HARKER
It was a long time ago now, but [unintelligible mumble].
SFX: Slight burst of static.
OLD MAN HARKER (CONT’D)
Coyotes got to her. That’s what I thought. It’s what it looked like. Other farms had livestock attacked. It musta’ been coyotes. [unintelligible mumble] But, some, some thought different. ... “With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.” Proverbs 11 verse 9. [unintelligible mumble]
SFX: Slight burst of static.
00:17:33
AVERY
(off mic)
-Sorry, Mr. Harker. I’m not quite sure what you’re telling us?
OLD MAN HARKER
I am telling what I know.
SFX: Slight burst of static.
AVERY
(off mic)
Uh, wel-
SFX: Slight burst of static.
OLD MAN HARKER
-It was them other folks said different.
AVERY
(off mic)
What did they say?
OLD MAN HARKER
People, ya know, need to blame. That’s when trouble starts. And it all ends up going nowhere and doing no one no good. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth-
SFX: Slight burst of static.
AVERY
(off mic)
I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you're saying.
OLD MAN HARKER
I said what I said. They said what they said.
AVERY
(off mic)
And what did they say?
OLD MAN HARKER
The Lord don’t like a gossip.
SFX: Chuck steps forward.
CHUCK
(off mic)
Avery, side bar?
AVERY
(off mic)
Excuse me.
SFX: Chuck and Avery whisper to the side. Avery returns to Harker.
00:18:41
AVERY (CONT’D)
(off mic)
Okay, so. Uh. Let me see if I got this.
OLD MAN HARKER
Yes, ma’am.
AVERY
(off mic)
Your horse Lavinia was attacked by coyotes?
OLD MAN HARKER
Other farms too.
AVERY
(off mic)
And other farms too? Okay. But folks in town didn’t think it was coyotes?
OLD MAN HARKER
That’s, that’s right.
AVERY
(off mic)
So, folks thought Stanley did it.
OLD MAN HARKER
I never said that.
AVERY
(off mic)
But that’s what you’re implying, correct? That’s why Rockland told us to talk to you?
TOLEN
(off mic)
-Avery.
SFX: Burst of static.
AVERY
(off mic)
Mr. Harker, no one is saying that you did. But, were you or were you not implying that the people of this town thought that Stanley killed Lavinia?
CHUCK
(off mic)
And possibly attacked other farms too?
AVERY
(off mic)
And possibly attacked other farms too?
OLD MAN HARKER
I never said nothing about that, you said those words, not me. I said my horse died and it was coyotes done it. “On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” Porter jawing’ is none of my concern and saying those things about that boy never did no one no good.
AVERY
(off mic)
What boy?
OLD MAN HARKER
That boy.
TOLEN
(off mic)
Avery drop it.
AVERY
(off mic)
What boy?
OLD MAN HARKER
That one.
AVERY
(off mic)
We need him to say it.
TOLEN
(off mic)
Avery!
AVERY
(off mic)
What boy, Mister Harker?
OLD MAN HARKER
(mumbling)
I’m an old man, who don’t want no trouble from no one. And this is trouble that I don’t ne-
SFX: Harker shoves away the mic and it cuts out.
CHUCK/NARRATION
[Exhale] ... Uh, Avery, anything you want to add here?
AVERY
(off mic)
No, not really.
[MUSIC: POD TRANSITION]
SFX: RJ and Chuck are wandering the graveyard near St Lucy’s, waiting for Tolen and Avery to stop arguing in hushed tones in the background.
00:20:49
RJ
(narration)
So, we just left St. Lucy’s church, where we interviewed Old Man Harker.
CHUCK
That was rough.
RJ
(narration)
Uh, Chuck and I are now in the graveyard between Palmer’s Funeral Home and St. Lucy’s church. ... Evidently, from here, if you follow the tree line you can spot the Bell Tree, but I’m not seeing it.
CHUCK
And Avery and Tolen are currently arguing about their literary hero possibly being a horse mutilator... next to a shed. - Should I be more detailed? A gross shed.
RJ
Uhg. I don’t have the head space for horse mutilation right now.
CHUCK
We’re actually finding out things about Stanley, sure it’s negative, but you would think Tolen would be at least a little excited about that.
RJ
His entire persona is wrapped up in Jakob Stanley, so I’m not surprised he’s having a hard time with this. - Can you help me look for this damn tree.
CHUCK
Fine.
RJ
The way Loretta talked about it, made it sound like it would jump right out at us.
CHUCK
Yeah, like that one over there.
RJ
What? ... Oh shit. -I see it... That’s gotta be the Bell Tree.
CHUCK
That is one sinister plant.
RJ
Yeah, it is.
CHUCK
I am not climbing up there tonight.
SFX: RJ starts taking pictures of the Bell tree.
RJ
(while taking pics)
Don’t worry, the sun’s going down, there is no way we could make it up there without losing the light.
CHUCK
Good. I have done enough night woods wandering to last me a lifetime.
SFX: RJ keeps taking pictures.
RJ
It’s like I can’t stop looking at it.
00:22:15
CHUCK
Uh, did Jane or [BEEP] say where Stanley was buried?
RJ
Maybe, but I don’t remember.
CHUCK
Could he, by any chance, have been buried here?
RJ
I guess? Why?
SFX: RJ keeps taking pictures.
CHUCK
Cause that mausoleum over there has his name on it.
SFX: RJ stops taking pictures and spins around.
RJ
What?! Where?
CHUCK
Right... over... there.
RJ
Holy shit!
CHUCK
HEY ASSHOLES, KNOCK IT OFF AND GET OVER HERE.
AVERY
(from a distance)
EAT A DICK CHUCK.
RJ
WE FOUND STANLEY’S GRAVE!
SFX: Avery and Tolen run through the graveyard to Chuck and RJ.
TOLEN
Where?!
RJ
Over there!
AVERY
Holy Shit.
RJ
Well? We gonna just stand here looking at it or are we gonna check it out?
AVERY
Tolen?
TOLEN
Let’s do it.
SFX: A low battery warning beeps, and the mic cuts out abruptly.
SFX: The mic pops on. It is being manhandled as levels are adjusted.
00:23:07
RJ
Check, check. Okay we’re back.
TOLEN
We have to pay more attention to our battery levels, people.
AVERY
You really gonna harp on that now?
TOLEN
Well, some of us would like to see this succeed and having working batteries kinda goes hand in hand with that.
AVERY
Well, some of us spent 2 days without any working batteries, what does that go hand in hand with?
RJ
Ineptitude.
CHUCK
Meee-ouch.
SFX: There is a very obvious and abrupt edit point - “click.”
00:23:27
AVERY
(narrating)
We are standing outside the final resting place of one Russell Jakob Stanley. It is a beautifully carved stone mausoleum with a small stained glass window, surrounded by - are those rose bushes? - Surrounded by rose bushes and a very substantial wrought iron gate.
SFX: RJ is taking pictures.
RJ
(off mic)
What’s that?
AVERY
What?
RJ
(off mic)
That symbol? At the top there? Is it a...cross? Or... a star? In the circle.
AVERY
Uh... Can’t get a good look.
RJ
Here, let me get a pic... hold on.
SFX: RJ takes a picture of the symbol and shows the group.
RJ (CONT’D)
Here.
AVERY
Is it a sigil?
RJ
Some sort of religious... rune thing?
CHUCK
Or like a free mason?
TOLEN
It’s not masonic.
AVERY
It kinda looks like several symbols on top of one another.
RJ
Avery, can you give me a boost.
AVERY
Yeah, yeah sure. One, two, three.
SFX: Avery boosts up RJ against the metal gate so she can zoom in for a better picture. She fires off a series of pics.
RJ
Okay.
TOLEN
Really zoom in.
RJ
Yeah, that’s what I’m doing.
TOLEN
Right, sorry.
AVERY
What? What’s wrong?
RJ
Put me down.
SFX: Avery puts RJ down, the iron gate clangs against her. RJ crosses to the side of the mausoleum. Everyone follows after her.
AVERY
What do you see?
CHUCK
RJ, you’re freaking me out.
RJ
There.
AVERY
Oh. Shit-
SFX: There is a very obvious and abrupt edit point - “click.”
00:24:51
RJ
Check, check.
RJ (CONT’D)
(narrating)
Uhm, ok, so along the side of Jakob Stanley’s mausoleum, there is a ... hole? Like someone jammed something into the mortar and pulled out one of the stone blocks.
AVERY
(to RJ)
You think you could you fit through there?
RJ
Excuse me?
AVERY
Nothing.
TOLEN
So, is this... vandalism...or?
RJ
Grave robbing?
TOLEN
No? Really? You think someone... Nonononnono. No one even knew it was him?
AVERY
You wouldn’t have to know it was Jakob Stanley the writer to rob the grave, I guess?
SFX: The wind howls, night has fallen.
00:25:24
TOLEN
It sure got dark fast.
CHUCK
No shit, can we go? We have our phone meeting with Whitaker, like now.
TOLEN
Should we call the police about the hole thing?
AVERY
I mean... we don’t know for sure... if this is ... actually ... anything?
RJ
Right. Yeah... Maybe they’re in the middle of repairing it? Or like animals...
CHUCK
You wanna break into that mausoleum don’t you?
AVERY
Uh...
00:25:52
CHUCK
I hate you people so fucking much.
SFX: There is a very obvious and abrupt edit point - “click.”
MUSIC: [POD TRANSITION]
SFX: Tolen hits play on their VM messages.
AUTOMATED VOICE
(over phone line)
You have two new messages. First voice message:
SFX: Beep.
TROOPER 2/BEEP
(over phone line/sneaky)
Hey RJ, Trooper [BEEP] here. Uhm, yeah so today while they were out searching for Jane, they found these 2 bags with your name on uhm. Ahhh. Don’t worry I pulled them to the side, so I can get them back to you. Uhm. Like tomorrow? Or, uhm... I don’t know, I don’t know what, what else you guys are up to, but uhm, I could come by with them. Uh, if you wanted? [Sound in background] - Ah, [a door closes in the background] Shit, gotta go. Bye.
SFX: There is a loud beep.
AUTOMATED VOICE
(over phone line)
Next voice message:
PROFESSOR WHITAKER
(over phone line)
This is a bunch of donkey dust... The second you can summon the spiritual fortitude, that it will take for you to deal with me, ya better damn well call my CELL PHONE. ... I will be waiting.
SFX: There is a loud beep.
00:27:16
PROFESSOR WHITAKER
End of file labeled: “008 Rough Cut, Episode 8 - Tell Me a Story: The True Life of Jakob Stanley.”
00:27:32
NARRATOR
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcasters and participants. 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.
00:27:57
ANNOUNCER
“Tell Me a Story: The True Life of Jakob Stanley” is a biweekly podcast produced by Silvia, Whitaker. Please, rate, review and subscribe. If you have information on the missing, know the identity of the person or persons who uploaded these files, have a theory about the case, or have had your own unexplainable experiences in Iphigenia County, Pennsylvania, we want to hear from you. Please record a message via our website. - www.JakobStanley.com - Messages may be used in future episodes. Voices will be altered and names redacted to protect your anonymity. - Follow us on Instagram @JakobStanleyPodcast or on Twitter @InappropriateF -
00:28:45
ANNOUNCER (CONT’D)
Episode 9 will be released Wednesday, March 23rd.
[Transcripts are generated by a combination of speech recognition and transcribers, and may contain errors.]