Wait, Explain That?

About Wait, Explain That?

The story everyone knows is where we start. The question nobody asked is where we go. Welcome to Wait, Explain That? — the podcast for people who hear a story and immediately have 47 follow-up questions. Best friends Heather and Natalie dive into true crime, unsolved mysteries, bizarre history, cults, scams, psychology, espionage, and real-life stories so unbelievable they sound made up. We go beyond the headlines, digging through court records, police reports, original documents, and overlooked details to uncover what happened, what doesn’t add up, and what everyone else seems to have moved past. Expect deep research, skeptical questions, unexpected twists, dark humor, and the occasional rabbit hole we probably should have left alone. Because the story is never just the story. 🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday.

Publisher

Heather and Natalie

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episode

3 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Nov 2026

   Sonia Exelby: The $4,000 Deal and the Messages That Changed Everything | Episode 7

   She traveled from England to Florida to meet a man she'd been talking to online for nearly two years. Investigators say their arrangement involved torture, money, and her death. But then Sonia Exelby started sending messages. "I'm so, so scared. I'm so broken and in so much pain." By the time investigators recovered those words, Sonia had been found stabbed to death and buried in a shallow grave. And the messages weren't the only evidence. There was a deleted video showing Sonia visibly injured. A shovel purchased before she even landed in Florida. A mysterious package mailed to Ohio. And financial transactions investigators began tracing. But one question changes how you look at all of it: If Sonia initially agreed to something, what happened when she wanted out? In Episode 7 of Wait, Explain That?, Heather and Natalie unpack the investigation into Sonia Exelby's murder, the evidence against Dwain Hall, and the messages that challenged his account of their relationship. Because Sonia wasn't just a name in a disturbing headline. She was a musician, a sister, a longtime partner, and a woman whose family is fighting for justice. Content warning: Suicide, sexual violence, coercion, homicide, and disturbing evidence. Follow Wait, Explain That? for thoroughly researched cases and the evidence that changes how we understand them.

2. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Christa Pike: The Murder of Colleen Slemmer | Death, Life & Probation

   She was 19 years old. Her killer became infamous. But somewhere along the way, the world stopped talking about Colleen Slemmer. In January 1995, Colleen Slemmer was lured into the woods near the Knoxville Job Corps campus in Tennessee, where she was brutally tortured and murdered. Christa Pike was just 18 years old when she committed the crime that would send her to death row. But this story doesn't end with a murder conviction. There was a boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp. Another young woman, Shadolla Peterson, whose punishment was dramatically different. Allegations of another murder attempt behind bars. An escape plot. And more than three decades later, an execution that went horribly wrong. On September 30, 2026, Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike. She survived. Now the country is debating her suffering, her punishment, and whether she deserves another chance. But what about Colleen? In Episode 6 of Wait, Explain That?, Heather and Natalie take you beyond the headlines, examining the murder, the people involved, the court proceedings, Pike's violent history behind bars, and the disturbing developments that have brought this case back into the national spotlight. Because Christa Pike may be the name everyone recognizes. But Colleen Slemmer is the name we refuse to let anyone forget. ⚠️ Content Warning: Graphic discussions of murder, torture, and violence. 🎙️ Love a good rabbit hole? So do we. Follow Wait, Explain That? so you never miss an episode. New episodes every Tuesday! If this episode made you think, question, or yell at your speakers, share it with someone who needs to hear this story. ⭐ Rate the show, leave us a review, and help us get these stories in front of more people. Find us everywhere: https://beacons.page/waitexplainthatpodcast (https://beacons.page/waitexplainthatpodcast)

3. 

   20 Oct 2026

   Miranda Corsette: Everyone Knew Something

   Sixteen-year-old Miranda Corsette was murdered in St. Petersburg, Florida, in February 2025. Steven Gress and Michelle Brandes are accused of her brutal captivity, torture, and murder. But the questions surrounding this case go far beyond the two people charged. Investigators uncovered disturbing photographs, witness accounts, and evidence that other people knew Miranda was in danger. Who saw the warning signs? What did they know? And why didn't someone save her? Heather and Natalie examine the evidence, the witnesses, and the unanswered questions in the Miranda Corsette murder case. Because Miranda's story isn't just about what happened behind closed doors. It's about what happened when those doors opened and other people still didn't intervene. Wait, Explain That? — The story everyone knows is where we start. The question nobody asked is where we go. New episodes every Tuesday.

4. 

   13 Oct 2026

   The Florida Keys Murders: Satanic Panic, Unsolved Cases & Charlie Brandt

   A murdered 4-year-old. A young woman killed after leaving a party. Another woman whose murder would later be linked to a suspected serial killer. And a community gripped by Satanic Panic. What happened in the Florida Keys, and how many questions remain unanswered decades later? In Episode 4 of Wait, Explain That?, Heather and Natalie investigate the murders of Patricia “Patty” Lanza, Lisa Sanders, and Sherry Perisho, exploring the disturbing crimes, the rumors that fueled fear throughout the Florida Keys, and the investigation into Charlie Brandt. We examine Brandt's violent childhood, the killing of his pregnant mother, and the horrific 2004 murders of his wife, Terri Brandt, and niece, Michelle Jones — crimes that exposed a violent history hidden for decades. But here's where the story gets complicated. Patty Lanza and Lisa Sanders' murders remain unsolved. Sherry Perisho's murder was later attributed to Charlie Brandt. How much of what people believed during the Satanic Panic was supported by evidence? Were investigators following the right leads? And what happens to victims when speculation becomes louder than the facts? We separate documented evidence from theories and examine the questions that still deserve answers. Because behind every sensational headline is a person whose life mattered long before their name became part of a murder investigation. Three victims. Decades of questions. And stories that deserve more than speculation. 🎙️ Wait, Explain That? — The story everyone knows is where we start. The question nobody asked is where we go. New episodes every Tuesday. CONTENT WARNING: Murder, child murder, domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, mutilation, dismemberment, and disturbing crime details.

5. 

   6 Oct 2026

   How to Fake Your Own Death

   What if you wanted to disappear completely... and collect your own life insurance money while you were still alive? In the late 1980s, Gene Hanson and John Hawkins had built a wildly successful-looking sweatpants business called Just Sweats. Then everything started falling apart. Millions of dollars were disappearing. Gene wanted out. Life insurance entered the picture. And somehow, the plan became much bigger than simply walking away from a failing business. Because if Gene was going to disappear... someone had to become Gene Hanson. And that raises one terrifying question: Where do you get a body? This is the story of Just Sweats, a bizarre insurance scheme, a doctor pulled into the plan, a missing man named Ellis Greene, and the increasingly impossible problem of proving that a man who was very much alive was actually dead. And just when you think you understand the scheme, it gets darker. 🎙️ Wait, Explain That?

6. 

   29 Sept 2026

   The Couple With Two Names — Part 2

   The fake identities are blown. The parents are in custody. And somehow, their own children still don’t know who they really are. In Part 2, Heather and Natalie follow the Dultsevs after the arrest, as an already unbelievable spy story turns into something much stranger: a family caught between two identities, multiple governments, and a secret that becomes harder to keep by the day. How long can you keep pretending to be someone else when almost everyone knows the truth, except your own kids?

7. 

   29 Sept 2026

   The Couple With Two Names — Part 1

   They were already married. Then they met again as strangers. Different names. Different histories. A second wedding. Two children growing up inside a life that looked completely normal from the outside. In Part 1, Heather takes Natalie into the story of Maria and Ludwig—and the increasingly strange details behind the identities they built, the family they created, and the investigation that began pulling it all apart. By the end, one thing is clear: whatever this family really is, the children are the last people who know.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact Wait, Explain That?

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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