The Black Dirt Tapes

Announcement : Mid Season Break

We’re taking a short mid-season break to catch up and return with the quality The Black Dirt Tapes deserves. Hear why, what’s coming next, and how you can help shape the rest of the season.

04 The Sioux City Slayings

Episode 4 - In 2001, seven bodies were found at two separate crime scenes in Sioux City, Iowa — all at the hands of a single man with a hammer. No motive. No mercy. This episode unpacks one of the most senseless and brutal murder sprees in Iowa history… and the silence that followed.

03 The Flooding Of Red Rock

Episode 3 - The Flooding Of Red RockBeneath the still waters of Lake Red Rock lie the remnants of towns lost to time—and to something else. In this episode, we trace the violent frontier roots of Red Rock, the great flood that nearly wiped it out, and the government’s decision to drown it for good. But not everything was taken away. Some things were left behind. Foundations. Graves. Stories. And they don’t always stay buried.

02 The Visitor Of Van Meter

Episode 2 – The Beast of Van MeterIn the fall of 1903, something strange descended on the quiet town of Van Meter, Iowa. It came in the dark—winged, towering, and glowing from its head like a lantern. Townspeople swore it was real. Newspapers documented the terror. And then… it vanished.
In this episode, we dig through the original reports, eyewitness accounts, and the uneasy silence that followed. Because the people of Van Meter never forgot what they saw.
And they were certain… it was watching them too.

01 The Gitchie Manitou Massacre

Episode 1 - On a cold night in 1973, five teens went to Gitchie Manitou to hang out around a campfire. By morning, four were dead—and one would never be the same.This episode unpacks one of Iowa’s most horrific crimes: the murders, the land, and the haunting aftermath.Written, recorded, and produced by Cody Burk.