Criminology - Wondery Presents: Frozen Head

Episode Date: January 30, 2023

Hosted by Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart from the hit show Morbid. When 90-year-old Laurence Pilgeram drops dead on the sidewalk outside his condo, you might think that's the end of his story. But, really, it's just the beginning. Because Laurence and others like him have signed up to be frozen and brought back to life in the future. And that belief will pull multiple generations of the Pilgeram family into a cryonics soap opera filled with dead pets, gold coins, grenades, fist fights, mysterious packages, family feuds, Hall of Fame baseball legends, and frozen heads — lots of frozen heads. From Wondery, comes a story about life, death, and what comes next. Follow Frozen Head on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery App.   Listen to Frozen Head: Wondery.fm/FH_Criminology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you had the chance to be brought back to life hundreds of years in the future, would you take it? Wondry's newest podcast, Frozen Head, hosted by Ash and Elena of the hit show Morbid, tells the true story of Lawrence Pilgrim, a lifelong scientist who planned for death his entire life. Because for him, death wasn't the end. It was just the beginning. Lawrence's dream to be frozen and brought back to life in the future. pulls us into a cryonics soap opera filled with dead pets, grenades, family fuse, Hall of Fame baseball legends, and Frozen Heads. Lots of Frozen Heads.

It's a story about the desire to avoid death. The links people will go to to make that a reality and what it means to be alive to begin with. I'm about to play a clip from Frozen Head. While you're listening, follow Frozen Head wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Prime members, you can binge all six episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. It's a fresh spring day in Montana, but inside a modest white ranch house, the living room is filled with death. There's a dead fox, a couple of dead coyotes, and deerheads mounted on the wall.

This is the Pilgrim's home. Pilgrim. As in Lawrence Pilgrim. the man who tried to have his wife frozen in Alcor, the very same. But this is his son, Kurt's house. On this day, Kurt's son, Lawrence's grandson, Benjamin, is at home when he hears something outside. I remember the dog's barking when he pulled up. The dogs always bark when anybody pulls into the place.

Now, normally the mailman delivers to the mailbox by the road. But today, he's come all the way up to the front door. and he's holding a package. He didn't leave it at the door, like what they usually do. So I was like, yeah, well, I'm sure it's just something needs to be signed for it. So Benjamin opens the door. I met him and I signed for the box. As I'm signed for it, I'm looking at the box.

It was just a regular old cardboard box. It's a rectangular-shaped box, about a foot long and half as wide, a little bit bigger than a shoe box. Benjamin is used to seeing boxes arrive at the house. His dad, Kurt, sells two. But something about this one is different. I'm thinking this is a pretty small box. It doesn't sound like it's full of tools.

Benjamin says thank you. And as the mailman walks back to his truck, Benjamin takes a closer look at what's in his hands. I believe the markings were extremely fragile. Ashes or body remains or something of that regard was on the side of it. Oh, this is definitely not a box of tools. No, it's not. His dad is out on a delivery, but Benjamin decides to give him a call. I was like, let me at least give him a heads up,

because this sounds like something that he may have to deal with. Yeah, like a box of human remains is probably something he'll have to deal with. I was like, your dad was going to be frozen upon his death. Is that correct? Fair question. And my dad said, yes, he was going to be frozen. Why do you ask? I was like, I am holding a box that I just signed for that is containing someone's ashes.

Hey, Prime members, you can binge all six episodes of Frozen Head ad free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today.