For the entirety of this quarter I will be listening to the podcast titled, “Bear Brook”. I was curious as to what this could be about based on the title and once I read the short description, I knew I was hooked. “Bear Brook” takes a look at a cold case from 1985 where originally two, then later found to be four dead bodies were found in blue barrels in the woods of Bear Brook State Park in Allentown, New Hampshire. A couple young boys were playing an innocent game of hide and seek when they stumbled across a smelly barrel, yet never took a chance to look inside. Come to find out it was filled with the two dismembered bodies of a young woman and child. With limited ways to identify the bodies, the case went cold. However, fifteen years later two more bodies were discovered in a similar blue barrel only three hundred feet away thus bringing the cold case back to the headlines. Jason Moon narrates this thrilling mystery and there is so much more to be learned as the podcast continues.
One of the first things I noticed about this podcast as it began was how narrator Jason Moon introduces what would become a grim and depressing story by using cheery movie-like music. Moon introduces the case of Bear Brook comparing it to an old school 80s movie even using the song “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds from the Breakfast Club to set the scene in this small town. I thought that was very peculiar because the whole point of the podcast is to tell the mysterious and dark narrative of the murders in Bear Brook but he starts with such a cheery and upbeat song. However, this helps the listener get a better understanding for the setting and situation at hand. The comparison to an 80s movie continues until when one of the boys discovers the barrel. The story takes a sharp turn from what was expected to happen (at least by me). They walk away without discovering the body leaving the listener confused about what was to happen next. This is unlike any 80s movie I’ve ever seen.
Not only did this story take a turn but multiple people were along for the ride. Throughout both episodes one and two, Moon interviews multiple people who were closely related to the murders at Bear Brook. Related meaning that they had something to do with the discovery, lived in the RV park nearby, or had a fascination with this cold case themselves. Having eyewitness accounts from police officer Ron Montpleasure who discovered the bodies, the Morgan Family as the local RV park family with the inside scoop, and rookie crime unit detective John Cody discovering the second barrel all helped with building the story and answering the questions the listeners might have about this mystery. However, one person specifically caught my attention in the development of this story. Ronda Randall. Who is she? Why is she important? Well let me tell you. This rookie reporter and researcher, originally working as a social worker and in genealogy, had a deep fascination with the case. The incorporation of Randall into this narrative not only gave the listener more information as to what was uncovered but it established almost a dynamic duo to root for in solving this case. The duo turned into a tremendous trio when Randall and her brother took narrator Jason Moon under their wing to go examine the site where the barrels were found. This gives the audience a team to get behind in trying to find the answers we all want to know so badly. It makes the story that much more interesting that a random woman who likes to find people would get so invested in a case that seemed so distant. I am curious as to if she will continue to play a major role in the investigation as the podcast moves forward.
All of this happened because of the barrels at Bear Brook…
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Hi Haley,
Great job in summarizing the events of the podcast! As someone who had never heard of this case before, you did a great job giving me just enough information to get me hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your take on the narration of this podcast. Since I had also chosen something dark and depressing, I saw lots of similarities between the two narratives but also a few differences.
The first difference I found incredibly fascinating was the music choice, just as you did. My podcast used suspenseful music to set the scene and get the audience on the edge of their seat which was obviously not the case for yours. The use of cheery and upbeat music creates an entirely differently tone for this podcast than previous podcasts I had listened to with similar mysterious content. This captivates the listeners from the first impression as it is not something they are used to, giving them an immediate advantage in the podcast world.
While my podcast only included the two narrators, yours included many different eyewitness accounts from police officers, family members living at the RV park, and even some detectives. This would intrigue the listeners as sometimes hearing only two people talk can get boring and repetitive, whereas direct interviews can give off the impression that the listener is directly a part of solving the case. This can play to the podcast’s advantage because listeners will develop feelings of involvement and importance, keeping them hooked on the series. I appreciated how even though there were so many different witnesses to choose from, you focused on one rookie reporter you had a particular fascination with and delved deeper onto only her relation the case. Overall, great work on your response! I loved hearing your thoughts on this interesting narrative!
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