Morbid

Podbit · Morbid

Listener Tales 111: Camping Tales

Explore episode Jun 25, 2026
True Crime
Josh's First Camping Murder: Unknowingly Taunting an Axe Killer

Listener Tales 111: Camping Tales · Jun 25, 2026 True Crime

Josh and three drunk college friends camped in Maryland during spring break 1998, saw a distant campfire, and drunkenly yelled 'we are the kings of the forest!' at whoever was there. The fire belonged to a man on the run from police for axe murders. After they left, the axe murderer visited their cabin and tent — turning the borrowed tent into state's evidence, making it impossible to return to Josh's father.

4m 7s

Where this was said

Tale 4 — The Camping Murders (All Three of Them)

At 1:02:43 · chapter starts 58:10

This four-chapter listener tale follows Josh's extraordinary camping cursed history through the eyes of his wife. Chapter 1, spring break 1998: Josh and three college friends camp in Maryland near a man they unknowingly taunted from across the fire. The man was an axe murderer on the run from police. He visited their cabin after they left, touching Josh's borrowed tent — which was then seized as state's evidence, devastating Josh's relationship with his very particular father. Chapter 2, circa 2000: Josh camps with high school friends at a packed upstate New York campground on the night of a famous Pedro Martinez vs. Roger Clemens game. At 3 AM, a massive brawl between Eastern European campers and bikers spills into their campsite, topples a grill, and sets his brand-new tent on fire. A man is seen with a cooking fork embedded in his skull. They flee. Chapter 3, the wife's first trip: At a family-friendly Pennsylvania state park, the wife accidentally leaves a beer can visible during quiet hours. Park rangers arrive. Josh whispers 'it's happening again, but this time we're gonna be murdered.' They are forced to pour 100+ ounces of alcohol onto the forest floor. The only murder: their evening.

True Crime
Josh's Second Camping Murder: The Brawl, the Fire, and the Steak Fork

Listener Tales 111: Camping Tales · Jun 25, 2026 True Crime

Josh's second camping trip in 2000 ended when an epic 3 AM brawl between Eastern European campers and a biker gang spilled into his campsite, toppling a grill and setting his new tent on fire. Amid the chaos, Josh saw a man with a cooking fork embedded in his head, bleeding and unconscious. His brand-new replacement tent was destroyed. He left immediately.

1m 15s
Comedy
Josh's Third 'Murder': Park Rangers and 100 Ounces of Alcohol

Listener Tales 111: Camping Tales · Jun 25, 2026 Comedy

On the third and final camping trip, Josh's wife (our listener) left a beer can on the table during quiet hours at a Pennsylvania state park. Park rangers appeared with flashlights, Josh whispered 'it's happening again but we're gonna be murdered,' and the group was forced to pour over 100 ounces of alcohol onto the forest floor. The murderer, it turned out, was the listener — of fun and of the forest floor.

4m 35s

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