Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The theory basically goes that the flesh could have been from animals on another planet that exploded and then their meat rained down to our planet." — Ashley Flowers
"When I guess when buzzards are startled and they've eaten a lot, they like throw up to make themselves lighter so they can get away faster." — Ashley Flowers
"Fish however need water and there is no astronomer of reputation who would entertain the hypothesis of cosmic rivers stuck with cosmical fish." — Ashley Flowers
The episode begins by introducing the "Kentucky Meat Shower of 1876," a peculiar event where small pieces of meat rained down on a farm in Olympia, Kentucky, on a clear spring day. The initial witness, Rebecca Crouch, described the falling material as having a "slapping sound" and being pieces of raw meat, some smaller than her hand, appearing to be ripped rather than cut. This immediately sparked fear and speculation about the nature of the event and its potential meaning.
As the story unfolds, the scale of the incident is discussed, with conflicting reports on the area affected, ranging from a narrow strip to an area as large as a football field. The family's husband and son returned home safely, and despite Rebecca's apprehension, her husband, Alan, collected some of the fallen meat. While most of the farm animals ate the meat without ill effect, their dog reportedly became sick, though the severity is unconfirmed. The event quickly spread through local communities, leading to a mix of curiosity and fear, with some locals even tasting the mysterious meat, describing it as similar to venison or mutton, though with a peculiar milky fluid.
The narrative then explores various theories proposed to explain the phenomenon. Early ideas included human remains from fights or even frog eggs, but these were largely dismissed. More credible explanations began to emerge, drawing parallels to documented instances of fish raining from the sky, which are often attributed to severe weather events like waterspouts or strong winds picking up aquatic life and dropping it elsewhere. The most widely accepted theory discussed is that the meat originated from vultures. This explanation posits that startled vultures, having regurgitated undigested food to lighten their load for escape, could have simultaneously expelled meat over the Crouch farm. While scientific testing of the samples was inconclusive, with some scientists suggesting animal lung tissue and others identifying a type of bacteria, the vulture theory gained the most traction as a plausible, albeit unappetizing, explanation. The episode concludes by acknowledging the enduring mystery and the human tendency to seek out extraordinary explanations, even when faced with rational possibilities.