Preston Murr and the Boise Murder Mansion
Morbid
10/21/24
•50m
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In the early hours of June 30, 1987, Boise resident Clinton Sparks was awoken by someone pounding frantically on his storm door. A moment later, Sparks heard a loud scream in the distance, and he went inside to call 911.
Although he didn’t know it at the time, what Clinton Sparks heard was the last desperate cry of twenty-one-year-old Preston Murr, Two of Murr’s associates, Daniel Rodgers and Daron Cox, were arrested and tried and convicted for the murder.
The trial and conviction should have been where the story ended, but for the house on Linden Street where the murder occurred, it was only the beginning. Since Murr’s tragic death more than thirty-five years ago, the house has become a source of local legends, with claims ranging from the appearance of ghostly apparitions to blood inexplicably dripping down the walls. As a result, Boise’s “Murder Mansion” has become known as one of the most haunted houses in America.
Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!!
References
Ensunsa, David. 1987. "Boisean held on drug charges has prison record." Idaho Statesman , July 2: 1.
—. 1987. "Murder suspect cared for foster teens." Idaho Statesman, July 8: 1.
—. 1987. "Sister says Rodgers, slaying victim fought over drugs, money." Idaho Statesman, July 8: 1.
Fiorentino, Alyssa. 2022. The True Story of the Boise Murder House Is Straight Out of a Horror Movie.September 7. Accessed September 7, 2024. https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a41059891/boise-murder-house/.
Heart, Michelle. 2021. 7 chillding and real stories from Boise's infamous murder house. September 15. Accessed September 06, 2024. https://liteonline.com/7-chilling-and-real-stories-from-boises-infamous-murder-house/.
—. 2024. Dare to enter? Boise's fascinating Murder House will open for public tours soon. May 23. Accessed September 7, 2024. https://liteonline.com/murder-house-tours/.
—. 2017. Nightmare on my street: Boise's Murder House. October 5. Accessed September 5, 2024. https://liteonline.com/nightmare-on-my-street-boises-murder-house-video-2/.
Idaho Statesman. 1988. "Fingerprints tied to murder victim." Idaho Statesman, March 10: 7.
KBOI News. 2012. The Murder House: Is site of decades-old murder haunted? June 27. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/nation-world/the-murder-house-is-site-of-decades-old-murder-haunted-11-17-2015.
Lamay, Colleen. 1988. "Court told gun bore Rodgers' prints." Idaho Statesman, March 15: 10.
McFarland, Kelsey. 2016. Murder house: Is site of decades old crime scene haunted. October 27. Accessed September 6, 2024. https://idahonews.com/news/local/murder-house-is-site-of-decades-old-crime-scene-haunted.
Peterson, Anne, and Julie Stutts. 1987. "Police discover blood on street in southeast Boise." Idaho Statesman, July 1: 26.
Pewitt, Jana. 1988. "Deal frees Cox of murder charge." Idaho Statesman, March 22: 13.
—. 1988. "Nampa man says he found body parts." Idaho Statesman, March 11: 19.
—. 1987. "Police: disposal of body recounted." Idaho Statesman, September 5: 15.
—. 1988. "Rodgers' lawyer asks for mistrial." Idaho Statesman, March 8: 7.
—. 1988. "Rodgers says blood sickens him." Idaho Statesman, March 18: 21.
—. 1987. "Screams prompted call to police." Idaho Statesman, September 4: 9.
—. 1988. "Crime lab expert testifies bullet in skull belonged to Rodgers' gun." Idahome Statesman, March 17: 19.
Romine, Dannye. 1989. "She led two lives." Parade Magazine, June 25: 4-6.
State of Idaho v. Daniel Rodgers. 1990. 17785 (Court of Appeals of Idaho, November 13).
Stutts, Julie. 1987. "Ada to suspend 2 dispatchers over call." Idaho Statesman, July 16: 1.
Stutts, Julie, and Jana Pewitt. 1988. "Verdict: Rodgers guilty of murder, dismemberment ." Idaho Statesman, March 19: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Previous Episode
The Amityville Horror Conspiracy
October 17, 2024
•97m
On December 18, 1975, George and Kathy Lutz moved their family into their new house on Ocean Avenue in Amityville, NY, where, just one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo Jr. had murdered all six members of his family. Twenty-eight days later, the Lutz family fled the home, leaving behind all their belongings and vowing never to return again. According to the Lutzes, their time in the house on Ocean Avenue was a nightmare of psychic attacks and demonic activity that put them in fear for their lives.
The supposed experience of the Lutz family served as the basis for the iconic haunted house story, The Amityville Horror, and the countless films adapted from or inspired by the original novel. However, unlike most other stories of paranormal experiences, The Amityville Horror became a phenomenon that influenced everything from Ronald DeFeo’s criminal defense to the American public’s belief in the supernatural. Yet for all their talk of it being a genuine story of demonic activity, in the years since the publication of The Amityville Horror, a large body of evidence from skeptical evaluations to court records and interview transcripts suggest that America’s most notorious haunted house might not have been quite so haunted after all.
Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!!
References
Ansen, Jay. 1978. The Amityville Horror. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Bartholomew, Robert, and Joe Nickell. 2016. "The Amityville Hoax at 40." Skeptic Magazine 8-12.
Carter, A.J. 1976. "DeFeo house: legal twist." Newsday, February 17: 3.
Drehsler, Alex, and Jim Scovel. 1977. "Fact or fiction." Newsday, November 17: 188.
Gelder, Lawrence Van. 1977. "A real-life horror story." New York Times, October 9: L12.
Lutz v. Hoffman et al. 1979. 77-032D-T (Southern District of California ).
Nickell, Joe. 2003. "Amityville: The Horror of it All." Skeptical Inquirer 13-14.
Nickell, Joe. 2009. "The questionable research of Hans Holzer, dean of ghost hunters (1920-2009)." Skeptical Inquirer 5-6.
Schemo, Diane Jean. 1992. "'Amityville' prisoner says movie money tained defense." New York Times, June 25: B6.
Snider, Jane. 1977. "New owners call house beautiful, not haunted ." Newsday, May 13: 23.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Next Episode
The House of Flying Objects: The Popper Poltergeist
October 24, 2024
•65m
On the afternoon of February 9, 1958, a complaint was called into Long Island’s seventh police precinct regarding a series of “strange occurrences” taking place in the caller’s home. According to the caller, Lucille Herrmann, for nearly a week the caps and lids of bottles in the basement had been popping off inexplicably, while other bottles and containers were tipping over and spilling their contents for no obvious reason. Elsewhere in the house, items were flying off shelves without the aid of human hands, and toys were breaking without explanation. Not only were the disturbances destructive to the Herrmann’s home and property, but they were also psychologically upsetting, since they seemed to be happening on their own.
Lucille Herrmann’s call to the Seaford Police Department kicked off a two-month-long fascination with what many came to believe was genuine poltergeist activity in the Herrmann’s Long Island, NY home. What began as a simple call to the police for assistance quickly escalated into near daily media coverage and interest from a variety of paranormal investigators and skeptics, all determined to identify and explain the cause of the ostensibly supernatural occurrences in what became known as “the house of flying objects.”
The Herrmann’s case of poltergeist activity is considered by many to be the first modern investigation into poltergeist disturbances and would serve as the inspiration for Stephen Spielberg’s 1982 horror film, Poltergeist. Despite the considerable attention, however, the case remains unexplained to this day.
Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!
References
Allen, Tom. 1958. "A haunted house is not a home." Daily News (New York, NY), March 9: 30.
Aronson, Harvey. 1958. "Expert sees no hoax in bottle-popping." Newsday, March 7: 3.
Associated Press. 1958. "Bottles--all kind--flip their tops." Democrat and Chronicle , February 11: 1.
—. 1958. "Bottle tops rout pop." Elmira Star-Gazette, February 23: 1.
—. 1958. "Bottles pop, Davy falls for angel." Press and Sun-Bulletin, February 17: 11.
Dorman, Michael. 1987. "Ghost stories." Newsday, October 25: 9.
Elmira Advertiser. 1958. "Herrmanns' house quiet." Elmira Advertiser, March 27: 4.
Kahn, Dave. 1958. "Bottle-popping force shakes our reporter." Newsday, February 24: 3.
—. 1958. "Bottle-popping report points to Jimmy." Newsday, May 15: 5.
—. 1958. "Experts are working, bottle-pop force isn't." Newsday, February 27: 4.
—. 1958. "Flying figurines drive family out of Seaford home." Newsday, February 22: 5.
—. 1958. "Has the LI bottle-popping force popped its last." Newsday, March 17: 7.
—. 1958. "Jimmy a bottle-popper? No, sasy father." Newsday, February 28: 5.
—. 1958. "Our bottle-proper's decision: he's baffled." Newsday, February 25: 5.
—. 1958. "'Spirit' gets rough, starts hurling things." Newsday, February 21: 5.
—. 1958. "Two more bottles blow tops at LI house." Newsday, February 12: 4.
Newsday. 1958. "All's quiet on the bottle front." Newsday, March 3: 5.
—. 1958. "Clues remnmain cold in bottle mystery, but bottles get hot." Newsday, February 17: 5.
—. 1958. "Expert ponders bottle popping." Newsday, February 15: 10.
—. 1958. "Look out! Things are popping again." Newsday, March 4: 5.
Nickell, Joe. 2012. The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books.
Roll, William G. 1976. The Poltergeist. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
United Press. 1958. "Boy likely was spook, says expert." Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY), May 15: 25.
Ziaman, Ronald. 1958. "Teen interviews." Brooklyn Daily, June 26: 14.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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