The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

From Seriously Mysterious - Missing Persons, Unsolved Murders & Historical True Crime by John Lordan - Respectful True Crime Content Creator, Advocate and Host

May 26, 2026 · 18 min

About this episode

The episode explores the mysterious case of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, Illinois, examining whether it was folklore, mass hysteria, or a real threat.

In Mattoon, Illinois residents reported a mysterious figure lurking in the night, spraying a sweet-smelling, paralyzing gas through open windows. Is the Mad Gasser just a piece of small-town folklore, a sign of mass hysteria or something far more dangerous? Written by Frederick Crook - check out our other collaboration WRAITHWORKS - Wraithworks at Amazon https://www.amzn.com/dp/B07HXNCW4L (audiobook narrated by John Lordan) Also avaible on iTunes: https://apple.co/2OFXb8L Do you have any comments, or a case you’d like to suggest? You’ll find a comment form and case submission link at LordanArts.com . This is not intended to act as a means of proving or disproving anything related to the investigation. It is a conversation about the current known facts and theories being discussed. Everyone directly or indirectly referred to is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. LordanArts 2026

People in this episode

Host: John Lordan

Topics covered

  • mystery
  • true crime
  • mass hysteria
  • urban legend
  • historical crime

Keywords

  • Mad Gasser
  • Mattoon
  • paralyzing gas
  • true crime
  • urban legend
  • mass hysteria
  • historical crime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WRAITHWORKS, LordanArts

Places: Mattoon, Illinois, Amazon, iTunes

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