The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things

By: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Bleav
  • Summary

  • A weekly variety podcast giving you just enough information on a topic to stand your ground at any social gathering. We explore stories from the realms of true crime, history, and incredible people.
    © 2025 The Compendium: An Assembly of Fascinating Things
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Episodes
  • The Pizza Bomber Heist: The Astonishing Story of Brian Wells and the Collar Bomb Conspiracy
    Apr 8 2025

    In this episode of The Compendium, I tell Adam the horrifying yet intriguing case of the Pizza Bomber Heist. On August 28, 2003, Brian Wells, a pizza delivery driver in Erie, Pennsylvania, was coerced into robbing a PNC Bank with a bomb locked around his neck as part of a horifying life or death scavenger hunt. This shocking event led investigators into a labyrinth of conspiracies involving Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Bill Rothstein. The case, often likened to a real-life "Saw" movie, remains one of the most intricate in FBI history.​

    We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:

    • Death of Brian Wells - Wikipedia​​
    • Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (2018) - Directed by Barbara Schroeder
    • Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of America's Most Shocking Bank Robbery - by Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella​
    • The Story Of Brian Wells And The ‘Pizza Bomber’ Bank Robbery - allthatsinteresting​
    Host & Show Info
    • Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    • About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
    • Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin
    Community & Calls to Action
    • Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    • 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    • 🌐 Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
    • ❤️ Early access episodes: Patreon
    📤 Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Sixto Rodriguez: The Story of an Unknown Musician who Inspired a Revolution
    Apr 1 2025

    Today we uncover the incredible true story of Sixto Rodriguez, the Detroit musician who unknowingly became a South African icon who helped spark a revolution. His album, Cold Fact, flopped in the U.S. but became a protest anthem against apartheid, inspiring a generation.

    While Rodriguez lived in obscurity, believing his music had faded into history, he was secretly outselling Elvis in South Africa. It wasn’t until the documentary Searching for Sugar Man that the world finally learned the truth.

    How did Rodriguez’s music make it to South Africa? Why was his story hidden for so long? And what happened when he finally discovered his own fame? This is the rise, the fall, and the miraculous rediscovery of a lost legend.

    Listen to the musical version – Experience this episode with the full music as intended.

    We give you the Compendium, but if you want more, then check out these great resources:

    1. "Searching for Sugar Man" - Documentary
    2. "Cold Fact" - Album by Sixto Rodriguez
    3. "Coming From Reality" - Album by Sixto Rodriguez
    4. "The History of Apartheid in South Africa" - Educational Resource
    5. "The Power of Protest Music in Social Movements" - Article
    6. "Sixto Rodriguez: Biography and Discography" - Music Resource


    Host & Show Info

    • Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    • About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
    • Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin


    Community & Calls to Action

    • Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    • 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    • 🌐 Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
    • ❤️ Early access episodes: Patreon


    📤 Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Chris Watts: Inside the Mind of a Family Annihilator and the Depth of Betrayal
    Mar 25 2025

    In this episode of the Compendium, Chris Watts stands at the center of a chilling American Murder that captivated the world in 2018. We’ll find out how the Watt Family Murders Unfolded, from Shanann Watts’ life in Frederick, Colorado, to the appalling truths behind a Family Annihilator. Throughout our investigation, one question looms: Why Did Chris Watts Kill His Family?

    We give you just the Compendium, but if you want more, here are our resources:

    1. American Murder: The Family Next Door [2020] - by Jenny Popplewell
    2. Chris Watts Body Cam Footage - by Colorado Bureau of Investigation
    3. Letters from Christopher - by Cheryln Cadle
    4. Chris Watts Interrogation Video - by Colorado Bureau of Investigation


    Host & Show Info

    • Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
    • About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
    • Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin


    Community & Calls to Action

    • Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts
    • 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast
    • 🌐 Visit us at: TheCompendiumPodcast.com
    • ❤️ Early access episodes: Patreon


    📤 Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favorite takeaway.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins

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