The Compendium Podcast

The Compendium Podcast

An Assembly of Fascinating Things

The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things is a weekly documentary-style podcast about strange true stories, true crime, dark history, scandals, mysteries and remarkable people.

Why listen to three podcasts when you can have it all in one? Hosted by Kyle Risi and Adam Cox, each episode takes one fascinating real-life story and gives you the full thing: the context, the characters, the chaos, the terrible decisions, and the tiny details that make you say, “Wait… how did this actually happen?”

From infamous crimes and forgotten history to celebrity scandals, survival stories, cults, frauds and real-life mysteries, The Compendium is smart, funny, curious and thoroughly researched — made for listeners who want the whole story in one satisfying listen, without a ten-part homework assignment.

New episodes weekly. Step inside the circus tent.

  • All
  • mysteries
  • incredible people
  • pop culture
  • history
  • true crime
  • disasters
  • scams & hoaxes
  • cults
Taylor Parker: Part 2, Reagan Hancock, Braxlynn Sage, and the Lie That Collapsed
June 16, 2026

Taylor Parker: Part 2, Reagan Hancock, Braxlynn Sage, and the Lie That Collapsed

A fake pregnancy, a roadside birth lie, and years of calculated deception sit at the centre of Part 2 of the Taylor Parker case. This episode follows how Taylor’s manufactured world of forged paperwork, invented crises, and false identities led prose...

Taylor Parker: Part 1, Fake Pregnancy, Inheritance Lies and a Foetal Abduction Case
June 09, 2026

Taylor Parker: Part 1, Fake Pregnancy, Inheritance Lies and a Foetal Abduction Case

The Taylor Parker case centres on a woman who convinced people around her that she was pregnant while also building a wider story of inheritance disputes, family sabotage and threats. In this first part of the episode, those lies escalate until Parke...

Marilyn Monroe: Dark History of How Hollywood Built and Broke an Icon
June 02, 2026

Marilyn Monroe: Dark History of How Hollywood Built and Broke an Icon

The story of Marilyn Monroe began unassumingly, with a shy, anxious girl known simply as Norma Jean. Out of a brutal childhood, Hollywood constructed the blonde bombshell: a persona shaped by damage, fame, and public fantasy, transforming Norma Jean ...

Zodiac Killer: Unsolved Mysteries, Ciphers and the Dark History of the Hunt
May 26, 2026

Zodiac Killer: Unsolved Mysteries, Ciphers and the Dark History of the Hunt

The Zodiac Killer terrorised Northern California with a string of murders, taunting letters and cryptic ciphers that helped turn the case into one of America’s most infamous unsolved mysteries. This episode follows the killings, the codes, the suspec...

John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Case and the Dark History Behind It
May 19, 2026

John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Case and the Dark History Behind It

John Wayne Gacy was not just the “killer clown” of popular myth - he was a respected local figure who hid years of sexual violence and murder in plain sight. This episode follows the case from Robert Piest’s disappearance to the discovery of the bodi...

Room 1046: A Kansas City Hotel Murder and One of True Crime’s Unsolved Mysteries
May 12, 2026

Room 1046: A Kansas City Hotel Murder and One of True Crime’s Unsolved Mysteries

The Room 1046 mystery begins with a man calling himself Roland T. Owen, a hotel room in Kansas City, and a death that never properly made sense. When the victim was later identified as Artemis Ogletree, the case only grew stranger, adding false names...

Nepal Royal Massacre: A Dark History of Prophecy, Power and Palace Killings
May 05, 2026

Nepal Royal Massacre: A Dark History of Prophecy, Power and Palace Killings

The Nepal Royal Massacre began with a prophecy, a forbidden royal romance, and a family dinner that ended in gunfire. This episode traces Crown Prince Dipendra, Devyani Rana, and the palace killings that helped bring Nepal’s monarchy crashing down.

Michael Jackson Allegations Part 2: Famous Trials, Settlements and the Legacy War
April 28, 2026

Michael Jackson Allegations Part 2: Famous Trials, Settlements and the Legacy War

Michael Jackson allegations sit at the centre of his legacy. We all know what we are talking about. In this episode, we examine the Chandler case that first ignited the scrutiny which would come to define the final phase of the King of Pop’s life.

Michael Jackson Part 1: A Dark History of Fame, Motown and the King of Pop
April 21, 2026

Michael Jackson Part 1: A Dark History of Fame, Motown and the King of Pop

Michael Jackson became the most famous performer on earth, but how was the King of Pop actually made? Today, we trace his journey from family pressure and child stardom to Motown polish and a relentless drive to outgrow everyone around him.

Peter the Dolphin: Weird History and NASA’s Experiment That Went Too Far
April 14, 2026

Peter the Dolphin: Weird History and NASA’s Experiment That Went Too Far

In the 1960s, NASA-funded experiments led by neuroscientist John C. Lilly saw researcher Margaret Howe Lovatt live with a bottlenose dolphin named Peter in a flooded house to try to teach him human language. The controversial project blurred lines be...