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The Mantawauk Caves


16 episodes


Full cast Horror Serial Audio Drama


Synopsis:

Winner: Best Fiction Podcast, iHeart Podcast Awards. 

On the night of May 10, 2007, three boys entered a cave in Mantawauk County, Tennessee. Only one made it out alive. The other two were found ten days later. They had been attacked by someone - or something. The investigation that followed revealed town secrets as old as the caves themselves and put a third teenage boy, James Fincher, on death row. This haunting narrative follows Julien Solas, an amateur writer and James' friend who’s been haunted by the events ever since.  Now, with Fincher's execution looming, Julien returns home to reconcile his past and uncover the truth behind the killings. 

Created by filmmaker Dan Bush, The Mantawauk Caves is a riveting, immersive, binaural audio experience that weaves together the narrative threads of social drama, supernatural horror, and psychological thriller. A co-production of Blumhouse Television, iHeartPodcasts, and Psychopia Pictures. Starring Jonathan Tucker (Westworld) and Edi Gathegi (The Harder They Fall).

Headphones recommended.


Language: English

Format: Audio Drama

Continuity: Serial

Writing: Scripted

Voices: Full cast

Genres: Horror, Thriller and Psychological

Completion status: Finished

Not tagged: [Framing device] [Maturity] [Creator demographics] [Character demographics] [Country of origin] [Transcript] [Content warnings]

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Episodes:

Alive Again | E2 | River of Blood

Tue, 13 May 2025 07:15:00 +0000

Go listen to ALIVE AGAIN. Episodes available now. Search for ALIVE AGAIN wherever you get your podcasts.

In June 2020, Manuel Bayo Gisbert was kidnapped by armed men and teenagers tortured, and held captive until his family paid his ransom. His story, unfortunately, is a familiar one in Mexico — where more than 116,000 people (as the official number goes) have been disappeared and possibly murdered. But unlike so many, Manuel survived. Unable to shake the ghosts of that night, he set out to photograph and interview families who have lost loved ones to cartel and government-sponsored violence. His perspective is unique in that he developed a relationship with the young men on the night they tortured him, and came to realize that they are victims too – of a much larger system. 

Before his release, covered in blood with multiple broken bones and horribly beaten, Manuel’s captors started a conversation with him while on the ride back down the mountain to let him go. They talked for two hours- while he was coughing up blood and writhing in pain.  They were teenagers- they weren’t in charge of the operation. They were 15 year old boys with assault rifles— they told him that they had targeted him because he was filming and had a camera. They wanted to know if he was a filmmaker. He told them that he was, and they suggested that he make a film about this very incident. They also asked if he would invite them to the screening when he completed the movie. At that moment, he realized that these kids were victims too. And though he’d lost his dignity, and had his sense of self and autonomy was destroyed forever, he still had his humanity— but these kids did not.  These kids had lost their humanity.Now he goes back into the same neighborhoods, where he was abducted,  to interview and help families who have also missing loved ones. Besides the derivative potential of this incredible story, Manuel needs funding for the documentary he’s making about the 116,000 people that have gone missing in Mexico. 

From Alive Again producer and host, Dan Bush.

For more about Manuel and his work, go to: https://www.manuelbayogisbert.com

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Episode 13: The Baptism

Wed, 31 May 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Season Finale. James Fincher’s gamble pays off for Dena and his nephew. Julien faces the truth and makes the ultimate sacrifice.

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Episode 12: The Goodbye Dress

Wed, 24 May 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Description: Dena prepares for the worst. Julien’s struggle to stop Fincher’s execution takes a devastating turn.

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Episode 11: The Midnight Man

Wed, 17 May 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Desperate to uncover the truth, Juien’s investigation leads him a little too close to home, as old familial ties lead to shocking new discoveries

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Episode 10: A Message From Tyler (Part 2)

Wed, 10 May 2023 07:03:00 +0000

Tyler's cryptic message continues. Julien learns what became of his friend and picks up a new trail.

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Episode 9: A Message From Tyler (Part 1)

Wed, 10 May 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Fincher is offered a deal. Julien discovers a haunting message left for him by Tyler; is it the rant of a madman or a key to the truth? 

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Episode 8: Wanting To Hurt Stuff

Wed, 03 May 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Julien takes shelter at Dena’s house. Dena gets a house call from an unlikely friend but struggles to protect her son from malevolent forces. 

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Episode 7: The Deal

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:01:00 +0000

James Fincher’s time on death row has been anything but routine. Julien receives a warning. Ominous forces are closing in, and time is running out to stop Fincher’s execution.

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Episode 6: Nadine O'Leary

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Julien struggles to connect the dots between the Hadley murders and the dark history of the caves. His investigation takes him back to the Fowler estate, where he meets unexpected visitors and discovers a new lead. 

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Episode 5: The Necklace

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:01:00 +0000

A key piece of evidence turns up that could prove Fincher’s innocence… or guilt. Tyler goes missing. Julien’s nightmares intensify.

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Episode 4: A Delicate Balance

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:01:00 +0000

In order to get answers, and with only nine days left until Fincher’s execution, Julien must come to terms with his past actions. 

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Episode 3: A History of the Devil

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Despite the worsening nightmares and blackouts, Julien continues his investigation, connecting the dots between James Fincher’s fascination with the Mantawauk Caves and their disturbing history. The true identity of James Fincher’s nephew is revealed.

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Episode 2: Devil's Prank

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:05:00 +0000

With the help of Jill Campbel, a mitigation specialist working on Fincher’s case, Julien acquires logs from the Hadley brother’s murder investigation and picks up a mysterious trail left by Detective Solomon Smith. He soon realizes he's up against more than he bargained for.

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Episode 1: The Remains

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:03:00 +0000

Series Premiere. When Julien Solas receives word that James Fincher’s execution date has been set, he returns to Mantawauk County after 14 years to reconcile his past and uncover the truth behind the killings of two teenage boys.

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Special Release: The Mantawauk Caves Theme, “A Killer Inside” (EXTENDED VERSION) by Lera Lynn

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:01:00 +0000

Lera Lynn once again entices the listener into her dark, twisted indie rock world with her new composition “A Killer Inside,” The Mantawauk Caves anthem. With echoes of her work from True Detective, “A Killer Inside” seduces the listener to the macabre with its strikingly arranged strings, driving drums, and Lynn’s signature electric guitar. Each spin of the song reveals new twists in melody and meaning.

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Introducing: The Mantawauk Caves

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 04:03:00 +0000

Julien Solas, an aspiring writer, returns home to save his friend, James Fincher, from a death sentence fourteen years after he was convicted for the gruesome murder of two teenage boys. As Julien digs into the past, uncovering dark truths about himself and his family, he must work through his own psychosis while trying to uncover the mystery behind what happened in the caves of Mantawauk County. Jonathan Tucker (Westworld) and Edi Gathegi (The Harder They Fall) star in this original, immersive audio experience that weaves together the narrative threads of social drama, supernatural horror, and psychological thriller.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Direct MP3 link

Transcript