Kat Has Questions: True Crime and Unsolved Mysteries

Kat Has Questions is a true crime and unsolved mysteries podcast that dives into the real stories that sound made up — from strange history and psychology to unsolved mysteries, true crime, urban legends, and the weird corners of the internet. Thoughtful, funny, and just the right amount of unhinged.

Kat Has Questions: True Crime and Unsolved Mysteries is a true crime podcast hosted by Kat Chesnut, with 44 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Kat Chesnut hosts Kat Has Questions: True Crime and Unsolved Mysteries, a true crime show with 44 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #44

  44 - The Dyatlov Pass Incident: What Really Happened to the 9 Hikers?

  Aug 19, 202656 min

  In February 1959, nine experienced Soviet hikers disappeared while crossing the northern Ural Mountains. Weeks later, searchers discovered their abandoned tent partially buried on the slope of Kholat Syakhl. Their boots, warm clothing, food and equipment were still inside—but the tent had been cut open from within. The hikers’ bodies were eventually found scattered between the campsite and a forest nearly a mile away. Some had died from hypothermia. Others suffered catastrophic chest and skull injuries. Two were missing their eyes, one was missing her tongue, and traces of radioactive contamination were detected on several pieces of clothing. For decades, the Dyatlov Pass incident has inspired theories involving secret Soviet military tests, UFOs, infrasound, katabatic winds, murder and even a Yeti. More recent investigations point toward a delayed slab avalanche followed by extreme weather, injury and disorientation—but does that theory explain everything? In this episode of Kat Has Questions , Kat examines the hikers’ final photographs and diaries, the abandoned tent, the autopsy findings, the original Soviet investigation and the scientific theory that may finally explain what happened on Dyatlov Pass. ⸻ About the show Kat Has Questions is a curiosity-driven podcast about real stories that sound unreal — from unsolved crimes and strange history to the quietly weird corners of human behavior. New episodes every week. ⸻ Support the Show If you’re enjoying Kat Has Questions , follow the podcast, leave a review, or send in a weird historical mystery you want me to dig into next. Support the show (Patreon): https://patreon.com/KatHasQuestions?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Support the show & buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/kathasquesw ⸻ Sources & Further Reading Current Time. (2020, July 12). Russian officials reportedly close investigation into mysterious 1959 hiking disaster . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-officials-reportedly-close-investigation-into-mysterious-1959-hiking-disaster-dyatlov/30722068.html Dyatlov Pass. (n.d.). Case files . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files Dyatlov Pass. (n.d.). Diaries and chronology . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://dyatlovpass.com/diaries Dyatlov Pass. (n.d.). Death: Autopsy reports and recovery information . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://dyatlovpass.com/death Dyatlov Pass. (n.d.). Search operation of 1959 . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://dyatlovpass.com/1959-search Dyatlov Pass. (n.d.). Forensic examination of the tent: Case files 303–304 . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-303-304 Dyatlov Pass. (n.d.). Radiological examination: Case files 371–377 . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-371-377 Gaume, J., & Puzrin, A. M. (2021). Mechanisms of slab avalanche release and impact in the Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959. Communications Earth & Environment, 2 , Article 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-020-00081-8 Preston, D. (2021, May 10). Has an old Soviet mystery at last been solved? The New Yorker . https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/17/has-an-old-soviet-mystery-at-last-been-solved Puzrin, A. M., & Gaume, J. (2022). Post-publication careers: Follow-up expeditions reveal avalanches at Dyatlov Pass. Communications Earth & Environment, 3 , Article 63. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00393-x Simon, M. (2021, January 28). 9 Russian adventurers mysteriously froze to death. A new theory explains why. WIRED . https://www.wired.com/story/dyatlov-pass-incident-slab-avalanche/ Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Dyatlov Pass incident. In Wikipedia . Retrieved August 2, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident Music: “Scrunchy” by Night Drift Licensed by Uppbeat License code: CAHWZR9T33BFXDNY ⸻ Contact kathasquestionspod@gmail.com Instagram: @KatHasQuestions

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  Episode #43

  43 - The Murder of Kelsie Schelling & The Woman Who Dated the Prime Suspect

  Aug 12, 202628 min

  In February 2013, 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling drove from Denver to Pueblo, Colorado after learning she was pregnant. She believed she was meeting the father of her unborn child, Donthe Lucas . She never came home. What followed became one of Colorado's most remarkable no-body homicide cases . Investigators reconstructed Kelsie's final hours through surveillance footage, text messages, phone records, ATM transactions, and the movements of her abandoned Chevrolet Cruze. Years passed without answers, while Kelsie's family refused to stop searching and continued fighting for justice. Then the investigation took an extraordinary turn. A woman named Lauren Suhr , who had never met Kelsie, made the unimaginable decision to build a relationship with the man many believed was responsible for her disappearance. Her testimony would later become one piece of a much larger circumstantial case presented to a jury. How do prosecutors convict someone of murder when they can't recover the victim? In this episode of Kat Has Questions , we examine the complete timeline of Kelsie Schelling's disappearance, the investigation, the evidence, the trial, and the conviction of Donthe Lucas—all while separating proven facts from allegations and exploring one of the most unusual investigations we've ever covered. If you enjoy deeply researched true crime documentaries, unsolved mysteries, and long-form investigative storytelling, be sure to follow Kat Has Questions wherever you listen to podcasts. Topics Covered: Kelsie Schelling Donthe Lucas Lauren Suhr Colorado cold cases No-body murder prosecutions Circumstantial evidence Missing persons investigations Pueblo, Colorado True crime documentary Criminal trials ⸻ About the show Kat Has Questions is a curiosity-driven podcast about real stories that sound unreal — from unsolved crimes and strange history to the quietly weird corners of human behavior. New episodes every week. ⸻ Support the Show If you’re enjoying Kat Has Questions , follow the podcast, leave a review, or send in a weird historical mystery you want me to dig into next. Support the show (Patreon): https://patreon.com/KatHasQuestions?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Support the show & buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/kathasquesw ⸻ Sources & Further Reading Schelling, Laura, et al. Federal Civil Complaint , United States District Court for the District of Colorado, 2016. Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Missing Person: Kelsie Schelling. Colorado Court of Appeals. People v. Donthe Isiah Richard Lucas , 2024. ABC News. "Mom Fights to Bring Pregnant Daughter's Killer to Justice Years After Disappearance." ABC News / 20/20. The Disappearance of Kelsie Schelling. ABC7 News. "Kelsie Schelling Story: Missing Woman, Donthe Lucas Trial and Lauren Suhr Interviews." Denver7 News. Coverage of the disappearance of Kelsie Schelling and the trial of Donthe Lucas. KOAA News5. Trial coverage of People v. Donthe Lucas , February–March 2021. The Pueblo Chieftain. Coverage of the disappearance of Kelsie Schelling and subsequent criminal proceedings. The Denver Post. Coverage of the investigation and trial involving Kelsie Schelling. Court filings and publicly available records from Pueblo County District Court, Case No. 17CR2491 ( People of the State of Colorado v. Donthe Isiah Richard Lucas ). Music: “Scrunchy” by Night Drift Licensed by Uppbeat License code: CAHWZR9T33BFXDNY ⸻ Contact kathasquestionspod@gmail.com Instagram: @KatHasQuestions

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  Episode #42

  42 - Illinois Unsolved: The Murder of Holly Cassano | How DNA Solved a 10-Year Illinois Cold Case

  Aug 5, 202647 min

  On November 2, 2009, 22-year-old mother Holly Cassano was found murdered inside her home in Mahomet, Illinois. Investigators recovered unusually powerful forensic evidence almost immediately. Holly’s attacker had been injured during the assault, leaving his blood throughout the mobile home. Semen recovered from Holly’s body came from the same unknown man. Police had the killer’s DNA—but there was no match in CODIS and no name to attach to it. Over the next nine years, investigators interviewed witnesses, examined injuries, followed leads and collected DNA from more than 150 men. Every one of them was excluded. Then investigative genetic genealogy pointed detectives toward Michael Henslick. After surveillance, investigators collected DNA from cigarettes he discarded. The laboratory comparison matched the blood and semen preserved from Holly’s murder. In this episode of Illinois Unsolved , we reconstruct Holly’s final night, the discovery of the crime scene, the first people investigators examined, the years spent searching for the unknown DNA contributor, the genealogy breakthrough, Henslick’s five-hour interrogation and the confession that followed. Using sheriff’s investigative records and Illinois court opinions, this episode also examines the forensic evidence presented at trial, Henslick’s changing stories, the mystery-intruder theory rejected by the courts and the natural-life sentence he ultimately received. This is the murder of Holly Cassano—and the evidence that waited nearly nine years for a name. ⸻ About the show Kat Has Questions is a curiosity-driven podcast about real stories that sound unreal — from unsolved crimes and strange history to the quietly weird corners of human behavior. New episodes every week. ⸻ Support the Show If you’re enjoying Kat Has Questions , follow the podcast, leave a review, or send in a weird historical mystery you want me to dig into next. Support the show (Patreon): https://patreon.com/KatHasQuestions?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Support the show & buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/kathasquesw ⸻ Sources & Further Reading Cassano v. Champaign County Coroner records and investigative materials obtained through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Illinois Appellate Court. (2022). People v. Henslick , 2022 IL App (4th) 200481. Illinois Appellate Court. (2026). People v. Henslick , 2026 IL App (5th) 231077-U. Champaign County Sheriff's Office. Investigative reports and supplemental case documents obtained through Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana). Contemporary reporting on the Holly Cassano homicide investigation. WCIA-TV. Coverage of the investigation, arrest, trial, and conviction. WAND-TV. Coverage of the Holly Cassano investigation and court proceedings. Music: “Scrunchy” by Night Drift Licensed by Uppbeat License code: CAHWZR9T33BFXDNY ⸻ Contact kathasquestionspod@gmail.com Instagram: @KatHasQuestions

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  Episode #41

  41 - The Dancing Plague of 1518: The Mystery of the Town That Couldn't Stop Dancing

  Jul 29, 202643 min

  In July of 1518, something unimaginable happened in the city of Strasbourg. A woman stepped into the street and began dancing. She didn't stop. Days later, dozens of others had joined her. Soon, hundreds were reportedly dancing through the city—some collapsing from exhaustion and some allegedly dancing themselves to death. More than 500 years later, historians still can't fully explain what became known as the Dancing Plague of 1518 . Was it a case of mass psychogenic illness? Poisoned rye contaminated with ergot? A religious phenomenon tied to Saint Vitus? Or the result of multiple forces colliding at exactly the wrong moment? In this episode of Kat Has Questions , we're investigating one of history's strangest unsolved mysteries. We'll separate fact from myth, examine the historical evidence, explore the leading scientific theories, and ask the question that has puzzled researchers for centuries: How could an entire town seemingly become unable to stop dancing? In this episode: • The true story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 • Frau Troffea and how the outbreak began • Why city leaders encouraged MORE dancing • Did people really dance themselves to death? • The leading theories explained • What historians believe today ⸻ About the show Kat Has Questions is a curiosity-driven podcast about real stories that sound unreal — from unsolved crimes and strange history to the quietly weird corners of human behavior. New episodes every week. ⸻ Support the Show If you’re enjoying Kat Has Questions , follow the podcast, leave a review, or send in a weird historical mystery you want me to dig into next. Support the show (Patreon): https://patreon.com/KatHasQuestions?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Support the show & buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/kathasquesw ⸻ Sources & Further Reading Waller, John. A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518. Icon Books, 2008. Waller, John. "A Forgotten Plague: Making Sense of Dancing Mania." The Psychologist. Backman, Eugene Louis. Religious Dances in the Christian Church and in Popular Medicine. George Allen & Unwin, 1952. Cohn, Norman. Europe's Inner Demons. Sussex University Press. Midelfort, H.C. Erik. A History of Madness in Sixteenth-Century Germany. Stanford University Press. Encyclopedia Britannica. "Dancing Plague of 1518." History.com Editors. "The Dancing Plague of 1518." Smithsonian Magazine. "The Dancing Plague of 1518." Wikipedia contributors. "Dancing Plague of 1518." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (Used for general orientation and cross-referencing; historical claims verified against primary and scholarly sources.) Music: “Scrunchy” by Night Drift Licensed by Uppbeat License code: CAHWZR9T33BFXDNY ⸻ Contact kathasquestionspod@gmail.com Instagram: @KatHasQuestions

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  Episode #40

  40 - The Disappearance of Maura Murray (Part 2): America's Most Baffling Missing Person Mystery

  Jul 22, 202642 min

  On February 9, 2004, twenty-one-year-old nursing student Maura Murray packed a bag, withdrew nearly all the money from her bank account, emailed her professors saying there had been a death in the family, and drove north from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Just hours later, her black Saturn crashed on a quiet road in Haverhill, New Hampshire. A local bus driver stopped to help. Maura told him she had already called AAA. He knew she couldn't have. He drove home to call police. When officers arrived just minutes later, Maura was gone. More than twenty years later, she has never been found. In this episode of Kat Has Questions , we examine the complete timeline of Maura Murray's disappearance—from the strange events leading up to her final drive to the witness accounts, the massive search efforts, and the leading theories that continue to divide investigators and armchair detectives alike. Did Maura succumb to the elements? Did she accept a ride from the wrong person? Was foul play involved? Or did something happen that no one has considered? Join me as we explore one of the most debated and enduring missing person cases in American history. ⸻ About the show Kat Has Questions is a curiosity-driven podcast about real stories that sound unreal — from unsolved crimes and strange history to the quietly weird corners of human behavior. New episodes every week. ⸻ Support the Show Please consider following on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leaving a rating or review. It helps more people discover these stories and supports independent creators like me. Support the show (Patreon): ⁠ https://patreon.com/KatHasQuestions?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink ⁠ Support the show & buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/kathasquesw ⸻ Sources & Further Reading Primary Sources New Hampshire Department of Justice – Cold Case Unit (Maura Murray): ⁠ https://www.doj.nh.gov/bureaus/cold-case-unit/victim-list/maura-murray⁠ New Hampshire State Police FBI ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program) News & Reporting WMUR News The Boston Globe NBC News ABC News CBS News CNN New Hampshire Union Leader Books True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner Podcasts & Documentary Research Missing Maura Murray Podcast Media Pressure (hosted by Julie Murray) Oxygen – The Disappearance of Maura Murray ID Discovery Specials Additional References MauraMurrayMissing.org Charley Project NAMUS Missing Person Case #MP10179 Wikipedia (used only for cross-referencing publicly available timelines) Music: “Scrunchy” by Night Drift Licensed by Uppbeat License code: CAHWZR9T33BFXDNY ⸻ Contact ⁠kathasquestionspod@gmail.com⁠ Instagram: @KatHasQuestions

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