Sunday Feb 01, 2026

Ep. 1: The Mysterious Captain Purple

Bedford, Indiana, 1983. A mysterious person leaves spray painted footprints at the steps of a local church and a letter declaring himself ‘Captain Purple.’ Other similar messages start appearing across the 12 square miles of the small Indiana town. Youth Pastor Harold Neeley recounts finding the letter at the Bedford Free Methodist Church, and the national interest, and fear that followed. Despite the nature of small towns, no one knows who was behind the night time antics of Captain Purple.

 

2025: Nick Storm and Derek Ingersoll begin their investigation into Captain Purple heading to Bedford, Indiana, to speak with first hand sources from four-decades prior, and they begin to understand why this true story could have much deeper implications. 

 

Are You Captain Purple merch is available now on our webstore. 

 

Original music in this episode by Owen Beverly. 

‘Words of Caution,’ by Nathan Jacques. 

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****SPOILERS****

 

Click here for a look at the I-log report from June 14, 1983 and other source notes from our reporting. 

 

Have a hometown mystery to pitch? Email us at areyoucaptainpurple@gmail.com

 

Website: CaptainPurple.com

 

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Comments (2)
uwebdwebb@yahoocom

3 months ago

I`m recalling an intriguing event from my childhood; this Captain Purple visited my Church. He left an iconic set of Purple Footprints nearby the main entrance. Near the end of episode #1 there`s an account of the events that occurred at my church `The First Penecostal Church of God`. The church board was torn between filing a police report for vandalism concerning the painted tracks and simply removing the paint and passing out the do-gooders gifts to those in need of this benevolence. Bill Eggers may recall the boards directives, in accordance to the Captain Purple event. The whole saga went strangely silent, with immediacy, when the local paper posted articles decrying Purple Person Tracks as acts of vandalism... It`s time to resume my interest in this mystery with episode #2 upcoming. Thanks guys for your interest in resolving this, now, decades long caper!

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