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The Scarecast: Scary Stories, Mysteries, and True Crime

EP9 - The Dark History of Turnbull Canyon | Whittier, CA

The Scarecast: Scary Stories, Mysteries, and True Crime

Michael Crutchfield

True Crime, Society & Culture

4.5 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2026

⏱️ 40 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Turnbull Canyon looks like a peaceful four‑mile loop in the Puente Hills near Whittier, but generations of locals and investigators see it as a hotspot of tragedy, legend, and paranormal activity. In this episode, we go back centuries to the Tongva homeland, Spanish colonization, and mission‑era violence that left deep scars on the land and fueled claims of restless Indigenous spirits still haunting the canyon. You’ll hear how Mexican secularization, the rise of massive ranchos, and how the canyon got its name. The canyon was named after real estate mogul Robert Turnbull, who mysteriously passed away just after he sold his canyon property to Quaker founders. The episode also explores stranger 20th‑century chapters: inventor William Haight’s towering “Electrodome” weather‑control device built inside the canyon, later wrapped up in rumors of government interest and eerie abandonment after a mysterious final test on New Year’s Eve 1932. From there, we dissect the enduring but unproven tales of a forgotten asylum, the so‑called Gates of Hell, robed cults, and Depression‑era child sacrifices. Unlike many stories around Turnbull, some horrors are fully documented: the 1952 crash of Flight 416 and the modern crime cases of Gloria Gaxiola and Claudia Tecuautzin, both tied to the canyon’s roads and ravines. By the end of the episode, you’ll see how centuries of colonization, bloodshed, financial ruin, bizarre experiments, and verified crimes have all converged to make Turnbull Canyon one of Southern California’s most infamous “cursed” places — and why so many people refuse to drive it at night. In the next episode, we will be covering the personal accounts of people who have ventured into this very canyon, so make sure you subscribe and stay tuned. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

In this episode, I'm going to cover a haunted place that has received the most personal

0:06.7

experiences on my social media pages.

0:09.8

A place that is one of the most haunted locations in Southern California.

0:15.7

That place is Turnbull Canyon.

0:19.6

After I posted a short video about how haunted the place was on Instagram, it went viral.

0:25.6

In my comments section and inbox flooded with people sharing their own stories, warnings,

0:30.6

and don't ever go up there at night messages.

0:33.6

Given how extensive the history of this place goes and how many crazy things have happened

0:39.4

there, I'll be making a two-part episode for this place.

0:44.7

This first episode will only cover the history, legends, and crimes of Turnbull Canyon,

0:51.2

while my next episode will feature a selection of stories that I've come across

0:56.0

regarding the place.

0:59.8

So what is Turnbull Canyon?

1:02.8

Turnbull Canyon is a four-mile loop trail tucked into the Puente Hills Preserve near Whittier, California.

1:11.0

On the surface, it appears to be an ordinary stretch of sycamore trees,

1:15.9

sage-covered slopes, and creek-fed ravines,

1:19.4

just roughly 20 miles east of Los Angeles.

1:22.8

But for generations, locals, paranormal investigators,

1:27.0

in urban legend enthusi legend enthusiasts have treated

1:29.8

it as a nexus of tragedy, darkness, and inexplicable strangeness.

1:37.0

Now let's dive into the history of what makes this place so haunted.

1:43.0

The Land Before the Name

...

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