1080 After Dark

Billy Armi and Dave Michaels are host of Flight 1080. Their radio show airs on KSCO am 1080 in Santa Cruz, California.

ep 44- The Bumville Talent Show Tragedy: The Death of Alec Hale 11/15/2025

ep 44- The Bumville Talent Show Tragedy: The Death of Alec Hale Episode 44: The Bumville Talent Show Tragedy- The Death of Alec Hale When Sheriff Alec Hale turns up dead along the San Lorenzo River—face down, dusted with glitter, and clutching a rubber chicken—Detective Billy Armi is dragged into Bumville’s strangest mystery yet. A vengeful poet known only as The Final Stanza appears to be back in town, leaving murderous verse etched into anything that doesn’t move. As Billy sorts through clues, Zach suddenly resurfaces after vanishing during the Walton Lighthouse Incident, claiming he’s just returned from an underwater alien cornhole tournament. His bizarre intel only deepens the mystery. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/39044935

ep 43- Bigfoot In The Witness Protection Program 11/08/2025

ep 43- Bigfoot In The Witness Protection Program EPISODE 43: Bigfoot in the Witness Protection Program Deep in the woods, with only the sound of crickets for company, Detective Billy Armi meets his strangest witness yet—Bigfoot. The legendary creature has finally come forward with explosive testimony about the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa… and now the feds want to hide him in plain sight. Under the watchful eye of Detective Armi, Bigfoot is being rebranded as Mr. Fonzerelli, complete with a fake ID, a comb, and a crash course in blending into suburbia. But it’s hard to stay low-profile when you’re eight feet tall, smell like pine tar, and can’t resist howling at the moon during neighborhood barbecues. Part hard-boiled noir, part absurd comedy, this forest-floor interrogation goes off the rails fast—as Detective Armi tries to protect the witness, keep his coffee warm, and figure out how to file paperwork on a guy who technically doesn’t exist. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38960345

ep 42- The Water Cooler Paradox 11/08/2025

ep 42- The Water Cooler Paradox Episode 42: The Water Cooler Paradox When Detective Billy Armi tries to rinse his coffee mug at the KSCO break room’s new “hydration station,” he accidentally triggers a particle accelerator and fuses himself to his cup. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38960290

ep 41: The Concrete Ghost of Seacliff Beach 10/25/2025

ep 41: The Concrete Ghost of Seacliff Beach EPISODE 41- The Concrete Ghost of Seacliff When Detective Billy Armi accidentally rewarms his coffee in a microwave that’s just come back from the tire shop, he finds himself aboard the SS Palo Alto during its roaring 1930s casino days—on the very night Harry Swanton is murdered. As Armi chases a suspect through fog and jazz, the past and present collide, until a single ding from the microwave snaps him back to modern-day Santa Cruz—where the ship now lies broken in the surf, its ghosts still whispering through the waves. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38778430

ep 40- B-Dead at Bingo: The Death of the Colonel 10/18/2025

ep 40- B-Dead at Bingo: The Death of the Colonel Episode 40: B-Dead at Bingo When a former KSCO caller—known for his loud opinions and ever-changing name—drops dead during bingo night at a retirement home, Detective Billy Armi is called in to investigate. The scene? A Victorian hilltop mansion that inspired Psycho. The cause of death? A rogue bingo ball. The motive? Armi’s still not sure anyone liked the guy enough to kill him on purpose. With cold coffee in hand and cigarettes smoldering just outside the no-smoking zone, Armi untangles the final moments of a man who choked on his own ego… and a G-47. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38629365

ep 39- The Vanishing at The Fair: Revenge of the Sketches 10/04/2025

ep 39- The Vanishing at The Fair: Revenge of the Sketches Episode 39: The Vanishing at the Fair At the Santa Cruz County Fair, the woman who headed the art exhibit has vanished without a trace. Detective Billy Armi is called in and finds that Flinx — a mild-mannered Flight 1080 caller known for his pencil sketches and fair-minded ideas — may have created artwork that listens, remembers, and takes revenge. When Armi inspects the hall after dark, he discovers the woman’s scream etched into Flinx’s drawings, and even a twisted reflection of her crawling inside his own painting. What begins as a disappearance unravels into a chilling reminder: some art doesn’t just imitate life… it punishes it. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38464815

ep 38- The Return of the Fence Ripper 10/04/2025

ep 38- The Return of the Fence Ripper ep 38- The Return of The Fence Ripper In Episode 38, Detective Billy Armi investigates the shocking return of the Fence Ripper — but this time, the target isn’t just fences. Manny, the humble and well-loved former chief of police, is found where his backyard border once stood. What begins as a case of stolen posts turns into a story of obsession, ritual, and community loss. With Cypress Coast Fence, Righetti’s Hardware, and even a viral beaver video creeping into the mix, Armi follows the trail of fences stacked like soldiers — and a killer who thinks he’s tearing down lies. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38464785

Episode 37: Killer Klowns and The Death of Downtown Owl 09/06/2025

Episode 37: Killer Klowns and The Death of Downtown Owl Episode 37: Killer Klowns and The Death of Downtown Owl Downtown Owl, a familiar voice on Flight 1080, is found dead in the Watsonville gazebo — his body drained of blood. Detective Billy Armi is called in to investigate, and what he uncovers is stranger than fiction. The infamous Killer Klowns from Outer Space have returned, and the streets of Watsonville are littered with cotton candy cocoons, acid pies, and balloon animals with sharp teeth. While locals cheer, thinking it’s a Hollywood sequel, the body count climbs. Can Detective Armi stop the carnival of carnage before Watsonville becomes the clowns’ permanent sideshow? /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38112710

Episode 36: The Councilman and the Otter 09/06/2025

Episode 36: The Councilman and the Otter Episode 36: The Councilman and the Otter A city councilman is found dead, floating near the pier, his body traced by a chalk outline in the tide. With the city in uproar over his ban on filtered cigarettes, Detective Billy Armi faces the prime suspect: Otter 834, the notorious sea otter who once made national headlines for attacking surfers. But in an interrogation filled with squeaks, grunts, and growls, Armi must decide whether the councilman was struck by a boat… or if justice really has whiskers and claws. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38112665

Episode 35: The Death of Late Night- Walter Sterling 09/06/2025

Episode 35: The Death of Late Night- Walter Sterling Episode 35: The Death of Late Night- Walter Sterling When radio host Walter Sterling is found dead among the waxen figures of Hollywood’s Madame Tussauds, Detective Billy Armi is called to the scene. A mint on Sterling’s tongue and a note bearing Armi’s name suggest the late-night legend knew the detective would come looking. Was it a jealous contributor, a bitter program director, or an advertiser with too much bite? As Armi follows the trail through wax museums, fading stars, and the wreckage of late-night radio, he discovers Sterling may have been keeping track of him all along. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/38112655

ep 34- To Kill John Lennon 08/23/2025

ep 34- To Kill John Lennon Episode 34 – To Kill John Lennon On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was gunned down outside the Dakota Building in New York. The world believed it was Mark David Chapman who pulled the trigger. But in Santa Cruz, a voice has been screaming a different story for decades: Stephen King killed John Lennon. Detective Billy Armi digs into Steven Lightfoot’s infamous theory, only to discover an even darker possibility — an AI conspiracy that reaches through time itself. Strange radio signals bleed into KSCO broadcasts, carrying fragments of Lennon’s voice, Chapman’s words, and even a long-forgotten interview that KSCO’s own MZ once recorded with Lennon as a college kid. Was Lennon silenced by a lone madman, by a cybernetic Stephen King sent from the future, or by something even bigger? In this business, the static has a memory… and it’s starting to talk. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37930235

ep 33- Bringing Back The Dead Callers 08/23/2025

ep 33- Bringing Back The Dead Callers Episode 33 – “Bringing Back the Dead Callers” On a sleepless night at KSCO, Detective Billy Armi stumbles across a lost frequency carrying voices long gone. From legendary hosts like Art Bell, Rush Limbaugh, Don Husing, Dr. Corey Gold, Dr. Bill Wattenberg, and Mr. Logic, to unforgettable callers like Richard N Watsonville, Big Gun Gordy, The Great Ben, Millie, and Asa — the airwaves come alive with echoes of the past. Radio waves never die… they just wait to be heard again. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37930215

ep 32- Kol Krush The Rhymes Talker- Someone Tried To Kill Hip Hop 08/16/2025

ep 32- Kol Krush The Rhymes Talker- Someone Tried To Kill Hip Hop ep 32 — “Kol’ Krush: The Rhymes Talker” When the heartbeat of hip‑hop flatlines at a pop‑up show in a new Watsonville shopping center—built where the legendary Flamingo Club once stood—Detective Billy Armi slips into his alter ego, Kol’ Krush, a hard‑boiled “Rhymes Talker” who hunts crimes against the culture. Joel, owner of The Mix 104.7 FM, lines up a killer roster—DJ CHUD, Junky J, Seth Dean, DJ Universoul, DJ Gil, DJ Primo, DJ Joker—but midway through the night the room goes cold, the records warp, and the music dies. The only clue? A crumpled napkin of AI‑generated lyrics so bad they feel criminal. Kol’ Krush follows the trail through Watsonville lore—the Flamingo’s devil‑dance legend, the nights when N.W.A, Rodney O, and MC Hammer rolled through—and lands on a chilling truth: something tried to kill hip‑hop, but the crew at The Mix was ready to defend it from wack MCs and dime‑store DJs. With coffee in one hand and an FCC‑friendly smoke break in the other, Kol’ Krush reminds us: the culture isn’t dead—it’s just waiting for the right beat to call it back. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37846440

ep 31- The Lighthouse Incident: The Death of Zach 08/16/2025

ep 31- The Lighthouse Incident: The Death of Zach ep 31- The Lighthouse Incident: The Death of Zach When the Walton Lighthouse crumbles overnight, the only witness swears it wasn’t weather or vandals — it was the Old Man of Monterey Bay, a serpent-like monster with a human face. And caught in the middle was Zach, a man with a carton of eggs and the worst timing in Santa Cruz history. Detective Billy Armi follows the trail from a heartbroken sea creature to an ancient legend, proving that in this town, romance and ruin often share the same tide. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37846420

ep 30- Stalked in The Shadows 08/07/2025

ep 30- Stalked in The Shadows Episode 29: Stalk in the Shadows A cold night. A rustle in the cornfield. And a suspect who swears he’s just “standing there.” When reports of late-night stalking shake the south fields, Detective Billy Armi finds himself face-to-face with a familiar yellow troublemaker. But is Corn just a clueless crop… or is something darker growing in the rows? Suspicion, kernels of truth, and a whole lot of husks in Stalk in the Shadows. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37723735

ep 29- Dave Gets Killed Again 08/07/2025

ep 29- Dave Gets Killed Again Episode 29: Dave Gets Killed Again When a late-night comedy show at the Catalyst turns deadly, Detective Billy Armi finds himself face-to-face with the strangest killer Santa Cruz has ever seen—a baby in a fez with a brass horn and a stand-up act about incomplete stops. The crowd thinks it’s all part of the routine. Armi knows better. But with Dave Michaels dead for the… what, third time?… the real mystery isn’t how it happened. It’s how long until Dave comes back on the air. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37723570

ep 28- The Talkers Conspiracy- The Death of Michael Harrison 07/26/2025

ep 28- The Talkers Conspiracy- The Death of Michael Harrison Episode 28: The Talkers Conspiracy: The Death of Michael Harrsion When legendary broadcaster Michael Harrison vanishes mid-broadcast, Detective Billy Armi follows a trail of scrambled audio files, rigged ratings, and corporate sabotage. As Armi digs into the dark underbelly of the radio industry, he uncovers a conspiracy designed to silence independent voices and rewrite the airwaves. Featuring the rhythmic echoes of Harrison’s spoken-word performances and a transmitter set to explode with truth, this episode tunes in to one final broadcast… and it may be his last. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37561445

ep 27- The Death of Larry in Marina 07/26/2025

ep 27- The Death of Larry in Marina Episode 27 – The Death of Larry in Marina When longtime Flight 1080 listener Larry goes missing near the windswept dunes of Marina, Detective Billy Armi is called in to investigate. What starts as a routine recovery soon spirals into a chilling tale of Cold War experiments, abandoned military bunkers, and a mysterious radio signal that may be broadcasting from another time entirely. Was Larry hearing ghosts… or something worse? Tune in for static, suspicion, and sand in all the wrong places in this haunting new installment of The KSCO Whodunnit, Whatdunnit, What-The-Heck-Is-Going-On-Here Murder Mystery and Slightly Off-Topic Theater of Dubious Justice. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37561430

ep 26- The Last Broadcast of Gary Morris 07/19/2025

ep 26- The Last Broadcast of Gary Morris Episode 26 – The Last Broadcast of Gary Morris When KNRY in Monterey celebrates its 90th anniversary, station owner Gary Morris decides to power up a forgotten transmitter and play a mysterious sign-off tape from the station’s early days. But Cannery Row is no stranger to cursed history—especially next door to the infamous La Ida’s bordello. What begins as a tribute quickly turns into a deadly broadcast, awakening the spirit of The Lady in the Bay, a long-lost singer with unfinished business. Detective Billy Armi returns to sort out the static, the ghosts, and the cold coffee in this haunting tale of music, memory, and watery graves. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37466230

ep 25- Sea Monkey Nukes 07/12/2025

ep 25- Sea Monkey Nukes ep 25 – Sea Monkey Nukes When porta-pottys start flipping and glowing graffiti shows up in Watsonville, Detective Billy Armi follows a trail of shrimp cocktail stench, paranoia, and radioactive footprints. What he uncovers beneath the city’s water treatment plant—and in the muddy banks of the Pajaro River—might explain the vandalism… or it might just be what happens when a Sea Monkey gets nuked. Cold coffee, bad science, and one slippery mystery. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37383955

ep 24- The Death of You 07/12/2025

ep 24- The Death of You ep 24- The Death of You What happens when the next victim is… you? In this chilling yet reflective installment, Detective Billy Armi arrives at a scene unlike any other. The listener has become the subject of the mystery, found silent with only Billy’s own voice echoing back from the radio. As he searches for clues, Billy ponders routines, time, and what’s left behind when the coffee goes cold and the broadcast ends. Because in the end, we’re all just stories waiting for someone to listen. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37383880

ep23- Ghost Ride The Whip- The Deaths of MZ and Amy 06/28/2025

ep23- Ghost Ride The Whip- The Deaths of MZ and Amy Episode 23: Ghost Ride the Whip MZ and Amy thought it was just another free dinner promo from Waymo. But when they stepped into that silent driverless car near Aquatic Park, they never came back. Detective Billy Armi uncovers a truth darker than San Francisco fog: these cars aren’t driven by AI—they’re driven by the ghosts of old cabbies who refuse to give up the streets they once ruled. A tale of haunted routes, vanished passengers, and a city that remembers everyone… even when it shouldn’t. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/37203650

ep 22- The Death of Rich Lieberman 05/31/2025

ep 22- The Death of Rich Lieberman Episode 22 – The Death of Rich Lieberman When Rich Lieberman, the Bay Area’s most abrasive media critic, is found dead in the bushes outside the long-defunct KGO radio building, Detective Billy Armi is called to the scene. What looks like poetic justice turns sinister when another bizarre rhyme appears — signaling the return of the Final Stanza. Was it karma… or murder? Episode 22 of the KSCO Whodunnit delivers static, satire, and a chalk outline in all the wrong places. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36799360

ep 21- The Alex Jones Incident: The Death of Steve O'Brien 05/31/2025

ep 21- The Alex Jones Incident: The Death of Steve O'Brien Episode 21: The Alex Jones Incident: The Death of Steve O'Brien When conspiracy broadcaster Steve O’Brien is found dead backstage at the Cocoanut Grove during a KSCO-sponsored Alex Jones event, Detective Billy Armi steps into a swirling cocktail of kombucha, USB sticks, titanium socks, and paranoia. Was it poison, sabotage, or something even weirder? As usual, a bizarre poem is left behind — the signature of the Poet of Questionable Merritt. One more dead broadcaster. One more case that makes less sense the more you understand it. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36799335

ep20 V2- The Death of Don From Salinas- Hoe Down Version 05/24/2025

ep20 V2- The Death of Don From Salinas- Hoe Down Version Episode 20 – The Death of Don from Salinas (Hoe-Down Edition) Hold onto your britches and crank up that rotary phone—Detective Billy Armi’s back, and this time he’s got a twang in his voice and vengeance in his gut. When ol’ Don from Salinas kicks the bucket mid-rant, it ain’t just a tragedy—it’s a full-blown corn-fed conspiracy. With mysterious poems, government tofu, and a killer who rhymes like a rattlesnake with a thesaurus, this hoe-down edition of the KSCO Whodunnit is dumber than a screen door on a submarine… and twice as fun. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36698325

ep19- The Death of Don from Salinas 05/24/2025

ep19- The Death of Don from Salinas Episode 19 – The Death of Don from Salinas When legendary KSCO caller Don from Salinas is found dead mid-rant—clutching his landline and surrounded by mystery—it’s up to Detective Billy Armi to track down the poetic madman known only as The Final Stanza. Packed with deadpan wit, ideological outrage, and one last bizarre poem, this episode honors a true voice of resistance… and leaves the mic just warm enough for revenge. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36698235

ep18- Consulting The Dead- The Death of The High-Priced Consultant 05/24/2025

ep18- Consulting The Dead- The Death of The High-Priced Consultant Episode 18 – Consulting the Dead When the body of the High-Priced Consultant is found floating in the KSCO lagoon, Detective Billy Armi is called in to investigate. Was it murder? Mismanagement? Or just another Tuesday in Santa Cruz? As the trail leads through format flips, offended street preachers, and a Rush Limbaugh photo with googly eyes, Billy uncovers a plot so strange it might just be television. Featuring an unexpected twist, a fake death, and a poem with a very unfortunate pasta reference. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36698195

ep17- No Encore For Kenny Thomas 05/10/2025

ep17- No Encore For Kenny Thomas Episode 17 – No Encore for Kenny Thomas When beloved local musician and event promoter Kenny Thomas is found dead in the Uvas Reservoir, foul play is suspected. Detective Billy Armi returns with coffee in one hand and suspicion in the other, uncovering shady radio dealings, failed comedy sets, and one suspiciously fast-talking heckler. Another cryptic poem may hold the key… or just confuse everyone further. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36517685

ep16- A Slice of Suspicion- The Death of Carol Stafford 05/10/2025

ep16- A Slice of Suspicion- The Death of Carol Stafford Episode 16 – A Slice of Suspicion Carol, KSCO’s strict and sugar-free traffic manager, is found dead—face-down in a cake she would never eat. But this frosting-covered murder hides more than just a billing dispute. Detective Billy Armi uncovers a hidden chamber beneath the station, a prehistoric painting of MZ, and poems that rhyme… until they don’t. Was Carol silenced for discovering something reptilian beneath the radio? Tune in to the KSCO Whodunnit and follow the clues—right down to the raccoons behind the dumpster. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36517670

ep 15- The Curse Beneath The Fog 05/03/2025

ep 15- The Curse Beneath The Fog Episode 15: The Curse Beneath the Fog When glowing figures are spotted emerging from the Branciforte hills and Del Monte Forest, Detective Billy Armi receives a chilling call that pulls him into one of the darkest cases he’s ever faced. As townsfolk vanish and mutilated bodies appear near the remnants of old Spanish missions, whispers spread of undead pirates returned from the grave—cursed raiders seeking lost treasure buried centuries ago. With only fragments of history, half-mad survivors, and the lingering scent of salt and decay, Armi races against time to uncover why the spirits have risen—and what unholy relic has drawn them back. The deeper he digs, the clearer it becomes: some treasure was never meant to be found… and some ghosts never forget. /episode/index/show/4f032d86-2b35-4226-95f7-fe77483de89e/id/36419360

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