transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:00] Hi everyone, I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of Crime Junkie, the go-to crime podcast for the biggest cases and the stories you won't hear anywhere else. So whether on your commute, studying, or while you work, let us keep you company. With new episodes every Monday, it is truly a Crime Junkie's dream. So join me, my best friend Britt, and our entire Crime Junkie community right now by catching up on hundreds of episodes and by listening to a new case every Monday on Crime Junkie, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Speaker 2:
[00:32] If you've been following Yvette and me since we hosted our first podcast, Root of Evil, which premiered back in 2019, you might know that I wasn't only a podcast host with my sister, but I was also a flight attendant for many years too. And let me tell you, there were a lot of perks to the job. I got to travel all over. These sites I never would have otherwise. I was able to explore different cities, cultures, food and art. I met a lot of amazing humans along the way. I mean, tell me that's not a dream come true. But there were downsides to it too. Like the jet lag, working odd hours, all with a smile on your face, staying in unfamiliar hotels, away from your family and your fur babies. It can be incredibly lonely for some and it was very isolating for me. And even for the professionals in the aviation industry, airports can be very stressful and very crowded. You know, there's the long lines, everything's expensive. It can feel mundane, even daunting at times. And even though I'm not a flight attendant anymore, as a podcaster, I get to travel a lot. And there is one airport that I always love passing through, because it feels like you're stepping into some creepy occult secret. One filled with codes, hidden messages, and well, conspiracy theories.

Speaker 3:
[02:11] That's right. Rasha is talking about the Denver International Airport in Colorado. And she's right. It feels less like an airport and more like a lobby of some secret society. From the giant unsettling murals that seem to predict the apocalypse, to the ominous time capsule dedicated to the New World Airport Commission, to the giant horse with glowing eyes, commonly referred to as Blucifer. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot that stands out about this place. Oh, and did I mention the secret tunnels that make you feel like you're in a Dan Brown novel? And if you don't know Dan Brown, he is the author of The Da Vinci Code. He writes about ancient secrets hiding in plain sight, secret societies, codes, hidden signs and symbols. And can I just say, I've seen a lot of these signs and symbols all over the Denver Airport. Okay, some say it's art, others call it great marketing. But a few people, like Rasha and myself, we definitely think there's more going on than meets the eye. I'm Yvette Gentile.

Speaker 2:
[03:30] And I'm her sister, Rasha Pecoraro. Welcome back to So Supernatural. Buckle your seatbelts and prepare for landing, because today we have a layover at the Denver International Airport. If you travel a lot, you probably know all of the local hubs. I guarantee you, frequent Delta flyers like myself have had a layover in Atlanta at some point. Spirit, United, Alaska and Southwest Airlines also route a bunch of their flights through that airport. But more than any of those other cities, the Denver International Airport, or what locals like to call DIA, is world famous amongst both travelers and art fans alike. It includes more than a dozen murals, statues and mosaics. And they're regularly putting new projects on display. So if you're a fan of art and about to take a trip, maybe aim for a layover in Colorado.

Speaker 3:
[05:06] But the airport itself has a really strange and interesting history. Though it's not as old as you might think, you see, DIA wasn't even built until the 1990s. Before that, the main airport was the Denver Municipal Airport or the DMA. Its name was changed to Stapleton International Airport in 1944. But eventually, Stapleton felt too small and outdated. So the city of Denver began construction on a completely new airport in a whole different part of the city. What would inevitably become DIA. Except problems began basically from the get. Because while the airport was still under construction, officials were also building something underneath it. Tunnels. And that was the tricky part. To be clear, yes, lots of airports have basements and underground areas for maintenance or offices. But these tunnels were special. At least on paper, they were supposed to house a unique automated baggage transport system. The idea was that if you checked your suitcase at the ticket counter, it would get to your gate by riding a series of underground conveyor belts. The machines would basically handle all of the work and people wouldn't have to worry about it. I guess when I think about it, when I go to the airport, I think this is what naturally happens. Unless you're at Burbank or Oakland at a smaller airport. Rasha, have you ever been in any underground tunnels?

Speaker 2:
[06:42] Actually, I have. When I started with my former airline, I wasn't a flight attendant yet. I was a customer service representative, basically the people who checked in, people at the airport. I got to go into the underbelly of PDX, Portland International Airport, and it was fascinating. It's like a whole other world underneath the airport.

Speaker 3:
[07:07] Yeah, I could imagine. But while this automated system was being built, city officials kept changing their minds about the airport's layout and size. So construction workers would carve out a tunnel just for a foreman to come along and say something like, oops, never mind, we're not supposed to have a tunnel here after all, and you dug this for nothing. To this day, nobody is entirely sure how deep or far the tunnels go. Officially, they stretch across two full miles, which is a lot. But rumors suggest that they might go farther than that, like a hundred miles long. Officially, the airport is reported to be 470,000 square feet. And we know they're several stories deep. But again, there's a lot of speculation and mystery about exactly how far down they go. Which of course, may be intentional, because while the airport was under construction, officials kept firing all of their workers and then hiring brand new teams. Nobody saw the tunnels in their entirety. Each worker knew about the portion they were working on, but they'd lose their jobs before they'd come close to seeing the whole picture. And today, it's basically impossible to determine how big or deep the tunnels are with radar, because they're all allegedly lined with metal. Can I just say, episode from Paradise.

Speaker 2:
[08:42] Yeah, it definitely has Paradise bunker feels to it, for sure. Well, according to some reports, there are rumors of five massive building sized office spaces down there. But once these underground areas were built, inspectors came in, announced they weren't structurally sound, and said they couldn't be used. Rather than have the workers fix them or fill the caverns back in, they just sealed them off. Meaning, they are supposedly huge spaces within the tunnels that have never been used. And listen to this, according to some of those construction workers, those abandoned spaces resembled bunkers, just like our bunker in paradise. Unfortunately, they never shared much detail beyond that. So it's hard to say exactly what they saw. But a few details made their way through the rumor mill, including one that said there were huge stockpiles of food being stored in those spaces.

Speaker 3:
[09:46] Well in 1995, the digging was complete. Everything was built. The Denver International Airport was ready to open for business. Thanks to the changing plans and other unanticipated problems, the construction project had run $2 billion over budget and 16 months over its original deadline of October 29, 1993. Okay, none of which is unusual with a major construction project. Delays and unpredictable expenses always happen. But Denver locals found themselves wondering if there was a reason for all of the setbacks.

Speaker 2:
[10:29] Apparently, that gossip made its way beyond Denver and all the way to Alabama, where one 53-year-old woman was really intrigued. Her identity isn't public, but she writes under the pen name Alex Christopher, which is how they'll be referring to her in this episode. Now, at some point in 1995, Alex had to fly to Denver for a conference and she came in through the newly opened DIA. While she was at this conference, she met a man who was also from out of town, Phil Schneider. Like Alex, Phil was fascinated by the rumors. But unlike Alex, he had contacts who could help him access the areas of the airport that were closed to the public. Alex was never sure how he managed it, but he arranged for a tour of the tunnels for the both of them. During the tour, Alex said she and Phil got into an elevator and rode down what felt like at least four stories. It stunned Alex to realize the tunnel network went much deeper than she'd ever suspected before. Unfortunately, this tour didn't reveal anything super mysterious, just maintenance tunnels. But Alex suspected there had to be more to these caverns. They were way too big and deep to only be for maintenance. But the real interesting part came after the tour. Once Alex was back home, she got a call from someone. It's not clear if she knew this person, but it seems they wanted to talk about their own experience at the airport because they told her that they had found one elevator in the DIA that actually did go somewhere. It led to a military base that also contained, you'll never guess, alien-operated camps. Which, okay, yes, I know, that's pretty out there, even if you believe in conspiracy theories like we do here on So Supernatural. And it seems like Alex had her doubts too up until January 11th, 1996. By that point, she and Phil had become obsessed with DIA, gathering as much information as they possibly could. Her plan was to publish a book all about the mysteries of the Denver Airport, including the secret tunnels. But just before the book was released, Phil died by an apparent suicide. Except many people had their doubts about the manner of Phil's death. His friends and professional colleagues speculated that he might have been murdered. And the medical examiner who performed his autopsy was hiding his real cause of death. Alex also thought the timing was incredibly suspicious. She wondered if he'd been killed because the two of them had gotten too close to the truth about those tunnels. And maybe there was something to those theories about an alien military base after all. Alex's book caused a huge stir, and it sent the gossip into overdrive. Tons of people who'd never heard the rumors about the airport now had questions.

Speaker 3:
[13:53] And even if you didn't believe in Alex's story about secret military bases and alien camps, the logistics of the new airport did seem pretty suspicious. And like we mentioned before, DIA was supposed to be much bigger than the old airport, the Denver Municipal Airport. They needed more space to meet demand. And while the Denver International Airport was huge in terms of landmass, it was much farther from the city than the old airport. A lot of Denver Natives suddenly had to triple their commute to reach the new airport. And that underground automated baggage system never worked properly. After years of trying to fix it, DIA eventually stopped using it entirely. So people wondered, why the heck did the city spend so much money and effort building this airport? Its equipment didn't work properly, and it wasn't in a convenient location. Which is why everyone began to wonder if the airport had a hidden secret purpose after all. And maybe those who built it weren't trying to hide it, but instead were offering clues right there in plain sight. I've been doing a little spring cleaning with my closet lately, basically focusing more on quality over quantity, just building a wardrobe of pieces that are well made, versatile, and easy to reach for every day. And that's why I keep coming back to Quince. The fabrics feel elevated, the fits are thoughtful, and the pricing actually makes sense. Quince makes beautiful everyday pieces using premium materials like 100% European linen, organic cotton, and super soft denim, with styles starting around $50. Quince linen tops and pants have become my favorites for spring and summer. The fabric feels cool and light and so easy to wear. And they don't cost nearly as much as I thought quality linen would. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to quince.com/supernatural for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Go to quince.com/supernatural for free shipping and 365-day returns. quince.com/supernatural. After countless construction delays and technical problems, the Denver International Airport opened its doors in 1995. Roughly a year and a half later than projected. While officials tried to stay on top of the ballooning budgets and shifting timelines, they also wanted people to feel like they were getting a taste of Denver from the moment they landed. So they hired local artists to create murals and statues to display near the terminal gates. And they publicly invited creatives to submit proposals for other works. They ended up choosing several pieces, but it's what they chose that really had people talking.

Speaker 2:
[17:16] Take for example two murals in the DIA's baggage claim areas, one on the east side of the airport and one on the west. Both were created by Denver native Leo Tanguma. The one in the western baggage claim is called In Peace and Harmony with Nature. It features two panels. One shows a dystopian scene of environmental destruction. A woman and a child lie dead in side-by-side coffins. There are multiple dead animals of different species that are scattered around their grave site as a forest burns behind them. The second panel shows living people and wild animals, like a wolf, a tropical bird and a pair of monkeys, gathered around a glowing multicolored plant. You don't need to be a professional art critic to realize the mural is making a statement on the importance of conservation. Which is a great message, but an interesting choice for the airport. Which is why some people believe there might be another meaning buried beneath the surface. Because in the first panel, the one with the dead woman, child and animals, there's a particular bird near the center. It's called a quetzal. It's red and green with a long, almost phoenix-like tail. It's beautiful. But in the mural, the bird is in a glass enclosure and may not even be alive.

Speaker 3:
[18:48] Quetzals come from Central America and they're considered sacred to many indigenous communities there. The birds are symbols of goodness, light and the vitality of growth. But rumors started that the quetzals can also symbolize extinction. This is really telling because the first panel is all about how climate change can lead to loss of life and biodiversity. Except the second panel, the hopeful one, also might have a secret meaning. That one also shows a quetzal, but instead of being caged, it's flying free. See, the multicolored plant that everyone gathers around doesn't resemble anything that exists in real life. It could be a bioengineered plant or something from an alien planet. Some even believe it's the logo for a secret society. Taken together, you could interpret, in peace and harmony with nature, as being a prediction of sorts. It depicts two possible futures. People will either be wiped out in a mass extinction event that some say is represented by the Trap Ketzel, or they will survive by maybe surrendering to some kind of advanced technology or aliens, or by supporting and following the rules of a secret society, which will rule after an apocalyptic disaster. I mean, this is a whole bunch to intake.

Speaker 2:
[20:23] Yeah, it absolutely is. But if that sounds like a stretch, wait till you hear about Leo's other mural in the Eastern baggage claim. It's called Children of the World Dream of Peace. Again, it's made up of two panels. The first shows children cowering in the rubble of a collapsing building. To their left, a grieving woman cries with a baby in her arms, and on the right, there's a soldier in a gas mask. He's holding a gun in one hand and clutches a sword with the other, which he uses to skewer a dove. The next panel shows the same soldier lying on the ground, either defeated or dead. A pair of doves are perched on his body. All around him, children from across the world are collecting swords and various countries' flags. They're throwing them in a heap, like they don't need weapons or national conflict anymore. So again, two possible outcomes, two potential futures, one of darkness and one of light. Both of the paintings are striking, but a lot of critics think they're inappropriate for a public airport, especially since the imagery can be considered violent or even disturbing. So it's made many wonder if these images hint at a deeper purpose behind the airport, especially because they aren't the only unsettling artworks on display.

Speaker 3:
[21:58] Take a sculpture called Mustang, which is not in the airport but outside of it. The Mustang is on the same street as the airport, but about three miles from its front door. It looks like a 32-foot-tall blue horse rearing up on its hind legs. Now, apart from its size, the Mustang statue is really striking due to one feature. It has glowing neon red eyes that light up, which make it look, frankly, really scary and demonic. The Mustang was created by a sculptor named Luis Jimenez. He was already an accomplished New Mexico-based artist in 1993, which is when the officials contacted him. Luis had spent his career making art that celebrated American Southwestern history. In particular, he focused on indigenous and Hispanic figures, and the Denver Airport's authorities wanted him to create something special for them. So Luis designed the rearing Mustang statue. Then he spent over a decade building it.

Speaker 2:
[23:08] But making the statue took way longer than he planned. He'd originally agreed to unveil the Mustang on DIA's opening day. But Luis blew right past that deadline. To be fair, the piece was huge and heavy. It weighed more than 9,000 pounds, and it takes time to put something like that together. Especially because Luis's art studio was too small for him to build or store something that big all at once. Instead, he made three smaller pieces that he would put together once the entire statue was finished.

Speaker 3:
[23:48] Which still hadn't happened by June of 2006, 11 years after the Mustang was supposed to be completed. Luis had finished the head, but the horse's front legs and torso were still being built. However, Luis needed to move it to continue his work. Since it was so huge and heavy, he used straps and ropes to maneuver it. But unfortunately, they weren't secured properly. As Luis tried to adjust the Mustang's torso, the back section broke free of its support and crashed down right on top of him. The statue slashed a major artery in his leg, and Luis bled out before anyone could help him.

Speaker 2:
[24:37] That's so incredibly sad.

Speaker 3:
[24:39] It's devastating.

Speaker 2:
[24:41] Well, after Luis's death, his sons and former employees finished the Mustang statue for him. They finally installed it outside the airport in Luis's honor in 2008, two years after his death, and 13 years after it was supposed to actually be finished. But by this time, gossip was already flying about the demonic-looking horse sculpture. And soon, it had a nickname, Blucifer, as in a blue Lucifer. And the rumor mill was saying Luis didn't die in an accident, but that Blucifer was actually cursed. And the artist fell victim to the horse's dark energies.

Speaker 3:
[25:28] And it didn't help that the statue bore an eerie resemblance to a Russian painting from 1887. Its name, when translated into English, was Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. And if you look it up, you can see similarities in the horses because they have these hollow eyes. It depicts a scene from the Bible in which the incarnations of war, conquest, famine and death are unleashed on the earth. In the painting, death appears as a skeleton wrapped in a pale shroud. He's riding a grayish blue horse with empty sockets instead of eyes. In other words, it looks an awful lot like Blucifer, or what Blucifer would look like if you turned off the glowing red eyes, which is why some saw this as one more connection between DIA and the end of the world.

Speaker 2:
[26:23] But there's one other art piece that people point to as part of the conspiracy. It's the airport's dedication capstone, the final stone or piece you put on a building. And the Denver Airport's capstone isn't an ordinary stone. It's engraved with a message, quote, the time capsule beneath this stone contains messages and memorabilia to the people of Colorado in 2094, end quote. Underneath that is a masonic symbol, namely, the masonic crest. And right under that are the words, quote, March 19th, 1994, New World Airport Commission, end quote. The rest of the stone is filled with the names of people and groups, including two local chapters of the Freemasons. Except, officially, the Masons had nothing to do with DIA's design or construction. They didn't pay for it. They didn't help build it. They did have civic ties to the dedication, though, because they paid for the capstone. Similarly, it's pretty weird that the text is dated March 19th, 1994, because the airport opened its doors on February 28th, 1995. And yes, there were multiple delays, and the grand opening was pushed back a bunch of times. But March 19th, 1994 isn't even the original opening date. That was in October of 1993. However, some say if you add up all of the digits in that date, 1 plus 9 plus 1 plus 9 plus 9 plus 4, you end up with 33, which is a very significant number in Freemasonry. It represents completion and perfection, which is why some think the date is another subtle reference to Masonic beliefs. What some haven't considered is that the month, March, or the number 3, isn't included in that equation.

Speaker 3:
[28:34] It is conveniently ignored, but let's talk about the last bit of text, the reference to the New World Airport Commission. If you dig into the city's records, they show the New World Airport Commission was founded in 1986, right around the time when construction began on DIA. It disbanded in 1998, just after the airport started operating. So, in other words, this group was only operational for about 12 years. All while DIA was being built, almost like their purpose was to oversee the construction and maybe influence it somehow. Given everything we've covered about the secret tunnels and the art, I can see why that would raise some red flags. I mean, a mysterious group watching over a mysterious building project? Yeah, that's mysterious as heck. And not to mention, it also sounds a lot like the New World Order, doesn't it?

Speaker 2:
[29:37] It does. And if you're not familiar, the New World Order is thought to be a group of wealthy, powerful people trying to incite the apocalypse. They allegedly want to destroy the world's governments, make economies crash across the globe, and spread disease, so they can make a massive profit during those times of civil unrest. They can jack up prices on food, medicine, shelter, and other necessities, and give themselves comfortable, luxurious lives at the expense of humanity. Maybe in, say, one of those DIA bunkers? There are a lot of different theories about who the New World Order is, but a lot of people feel they might be members of a secret society, like the Illuminati or even the Freemasons. And I do want to say here that we personally know a prominent member of the Hawaii Masons, and this person is an incredible human, and they are not involved with the NWO in any capacity. But as with every secret society or group, there is always the good and there is always the bad. But whoever the NWO are, it's commonly believed that they're going to kick off the apocalypse soon. And for decades now, a particular theory has been circulating the internet, that they're going to start a pandemic by releasing a virus called the Australian Antigen. And some say there's one sign that this is true. Because it's written on the floor at the Denver Airport.

Speaker 3:
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Speaker 2:
[34:20] After DIA opened in 1995, the people of Denver began spreading wild rumors about the airport. Many believed it had hidden messages about an apocalypse, and that there were secret bunkers installed in the tunnels, perhaps to one day be used by members of a secret society, like the Illuminati or the New World Order, societies that would use something called Australian antigen to kick off their doomsday plan.

Speaker 3:
[34:51] In simple terms, researchers discovered the Australian antigen in 1970. A very sick man in Australia whose identity hasn't been made public, checked into a hospital that year, and when his doctors drew his blood, they were shocked to find a previously undiscovered particle in it. After studying it for years, they realized it was a surface protein from the hepatitis B virus, and it helped to lead to the discovery of the hepatitis B vaccine. The doctor who initially studied it received the Nobel Prize in 1976, and it's now sometimes still known as the Australian antigen. These days, medical researchers from all across the globe still study the Australian antigen. But according to one rumor, which has been repeated on blogs, news articles, and all across social media, the New World Order also has a sample of the antigen, and any day now, they'll release it to kick off a pandemic and cement their own power.

Speaker 2:
[36:02] Now, theories say the NWO has actually hinted at this through artwork at the Denver Airport. Just past airport security in an area with a bunch of restaurants and shops called the Great Hall is a small, pretty easy-to-miss carving on the floor. It shows a cart with wheels and it looks like it's filled with rocks or something like that inside. And on the cart are the following letters, A-U, A-G. According to a number of blogs and social media posts, A-U, A-G might stand for Australian antigen. And this artwork is the NWO's way of hinting that an epidemic is coming.

Speaker 3:
[36:48] Okay, but if that's the case, the rich and powerful will need a place to survive doomsday, which may be why, according to some speculation, the tunnels under DIA can be repurposed into a safe subterranean city. And as we mentioned, they apparently include a massive network of empty bunkers and stockpiled food. So let's just ask ourselves, is that because they were really designed to be a fallout shelter?

Speaker 2:
[37:19] Well, conspiracy theorists would say yes. And all of these subtle clues around the airport are a way of confirming it. In fact, even the airport's location could be symbolic. As we said, the Denver Municipal Airport, which served the city before DIA, was a lot closer to downtown Denver. And nobody knew why the new airport was built so far away. Not until a few movie buffs spotted something wild in Steven Spielberg's 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which, by the way, is one of Yvette's favorite movies of all time.

Speaker 3:
[38:03] It is. I've talked about it many times on different episodes. Yes.

Speaker 2:
[38:07] Well, if you've never seen it, the film depicts the aftermath of a UFO sighting over a small rural town in Indiana. The craft gives two of the characters coordinates, and they feel an intense urge to go visit that place. When they arrive, they find themselves at a very famous rock formation in Wyoming called the Devil's Tower. Except if you actually put those coordinates into Google Maps, they don't lead anywhere near the Devil's Tower in Wyoming. They correspond to a small town that's 65 miles from DIA. So the story goes that the Denver International Airport was built well outside of the city of Denver because officials wanted it to sit near the coordinates from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And that's because there's some kind of connection between the airport and the characters who share the coordinates. As for what that connection is? Well, there are a lot of theories. Maybe Alex Christopher was right about aliens running a military base there after all. Maybe the New World Order is in contact with extraterrestrials or even working with them. The only people who know for sure are presumably the New World Airport Commission.

Speaker 3:
[39:32] Except the truth is, a lot of these doomsday clues and codes have pretty simple explanations. And it's possible conspiracy theorists might be looking for signs where there aren't any. Let's just take this one for example. The New World Airport Commission seemingly had nothing to do with the New World Order. It's simply the group that planned DIA's opening ceremony. It was named after the New World Symphony by the famous composer Dvorak. But that's it. The similar names are reportedly just a coincidence. And the date on the plaque is another coincidence. After the DIA missed its original deadline, the officials pushed back its opening day. Then they had to push it back again and again. At one point, it really looked like the airport would be finished by March of 1994. So they carved that date onto the capstone. And by the time everyone realized they'd need to reschedule again, it was basically too late to change the inscription. There's also a simple explanation for that AU AG carving, Rasha, that you mentioned. Many people believed AU AG stands for Australian Antigen, the disease the New World Order was supposedly using to wipe out their enemies. But if you have a background in science or medicine, which Rasha and I do not, you probably picked up on a plot hole in that theory. Researchers would never name a disease the Australian Antigen, because by definition, antigens don't infect you. They often boost your immune system. And officials say AU AG lettering has nothing to do with upcoming pandemics or the Australian Antigen. Instead, AU is the chemical symbol for gold, and AG stands for silver. So DIA spokespeople claim that this carving celebrates Denver's history as an old mining town. People used to dig for silver and gold in its heels. And that's why AU and AG are on the wagon.

Speaker 2:
[41:54] Similarly, Luis Jimenez never intended for his blue mustang statue to be a sign of the apocalypse. In fairness, he never publicly said why he gave it blue skin and red eyes. But many people believe he got the idea from his very own horse. Its black and white fur sometimes appeared blue in just the right lighting. As for the red eyes, well, apparently they were inspired by an actual event from Luis' real life. One night, before he began designing the mustang, Luis was woken up by something shuffling around his living room. Luis thought someone had broken into his home, so he went into the living room to investigate. And the moment he walked in, he saw a pair of glowing eyes watching him. Luis turned on the lights, and that's when he saw the eyes belonged to his own horse. And somehow, it had gotten out of its barn, pushed the front door open, and wandered into the house. The red eyes on Blucifer were meant to be a reminder that what seems scary might not always be. The image also reminded him of a legend he'd once heard about the earliest indigenous people who'd settled in Colorado. They didn't know where to look for food, fresh water, or safe places to build shelters. But every now and then, when the outlook seemed grim, a spirit would appear in the heavens. It looked like a blue horse with red eyes, and it would lead the explorers to a safe place to stop for the night, to hunt, and to gather the necessities. So, Louise wanted his Mustang sculpture to look like the guardian horse from the legend and his beloved pet horse. To him, it showed that the DIA was a safe place for travelers to stop and take shelter before traveling onward.

Speaker 3:
[43:53] Okay, as for the rumors about the massive tunnels, officials say they're just that, rumors. The tunnels exist, but nothing secret is down there. They've even taken journalists on guided tours to try and prove they're just ordinary maintenance tunnels. And sure, it's possible those tours conveniently skip the most top secret features. Most visitors agree, they've been underground, they've seen what there is to see, and there's, I guess, just nothing alarming there. All to say, there are logical explanations for almost everything at the Denver International Airport.

Speaker 2:
[44:37] But what I find very interesting is that in 2016 and moving forward, officials at DIA actually began having fun with and embracing some of these conspiracy theories. They put on art exhibits and tours focusing on a lot of the crazy theories. Their Twitter account featured references to the wildest allegations and rumors, and employees also discussed them in interviews with the press. When they underwent some renovations, they hung signs that were a bit more creative than the usual no trespassing signs. Instead, some of the signs said, quote, construction or cover-up, and forgive the mess, building secret underground tunnels can get quite untidy. The artwork even showed lizard people, hard hats with masonic symbols, and our favorite, aliens.

Speaker 3:
[45:39] Right? If that's not good marketing, I don't know what is. I'm just saying. It's also, it's like a, are they, you know, doing that to get your mind away from, from what is really happening?

Speaker 2:
[45:49] I mean.

Speaker 3:
[45:51] You know, I'm just saying.

Speaker 2:
[45:52] Stranger things have happened.

Speaker 3:
[45:53] Yes, indeed. Well, around this time, officials commissioned a new art exhibit in the baggage claim area. They installed animatronic gargoyles that could actually interact with travelers. These gargoyles even make comments like, welcome to Illuminati headquarters. I mean, Denver International Airport.

Speaker 2:
[46:18] Can you imagine?

Speaker 3:
[46:20] So the airport's PR team says, they're going to keep playing all into the theories because, well, I mean, they're good free marketing, right? I know it definitely makes me want to take a magnifying glass the next time that we go through Denver and check everything out from head to toe. Like, Rasha, should we make that a layover?

Speaker 2:
[46:42] I was about to say absolutely yes, because the next time we had to visit our Audiochuck family in Indianapolis, we have to go through Denver International Airport. Well, what I can tell you after spending so much time of my life in airports, you can learn something important. Most places are exactly what they appear to be. Functional, predictable, but every once in a while, you pass through somewhere that gets you to pause. That makes you question things. That does not follow the flight plan. That's the Denver International Airport. Maybe it's art, maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it's a conspiracy after all. But what I love about this mystery is, it doesn't require top secret clearance to get close to it. All you need is a boarding pass, an open mind, and a willingness to explore.

Speaker 3:
[47:55] This is So Supernatural, an Audiochuck original produced by Crime House. You can connect with us on Instagram at So SupernaturalPod and visit our website at sosupernaturalpodcast.com. Join Rasha and me next Friday for an all-new episode. I think Chuck would approve.

Speaker 4:
[48:21] Hi, I'm Kylie Lowe, host of Dark Down East, a true crime podcast unlike any other. Why? Because every case I cover comes from the heart of my home, New England. From the rocky main coast to the historic streets of Boston, to the quiet corners of Vermont and beyond, I investigate stories filled with untold twists, enduring questions, and voices that deserve to be heard. So if you're ready to explore the darker side of New England, join me every week for Dark Down East. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.