Room 49B

What mysteries does a small motel in Northern Idaho hold?

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Hello, peeps. How art thou? I am unwell, but well enough to do this show. I feel a sickness creeping up over me. I feel weirdness in my throat, and how I perceive temperature. Something is coming. But, don’t fear, folks: you are far away from me right now, or are you? Haha.

OK, so the whole gang is here in the studio right now: Markus Dewitt, our engineer. Quincy Jones, our post-production editor. And Ethan James, our producer. And lastly, we have me: Quomsec. So, let’s get right to it, shall we?

Today’s episode is about Room 49B. What is Room 49B? Well, that’s what we’re talking about here. So, just settle down, ya hear? Oh-oh-oh, wait: I’m the one not settled. Let me settle myself. Ahhhhhh... OK. Settled, I am.

Room 49B is a particular motel room in Idaho. The Motel is called Cannadine Inn, and is located in Northern Idaho, not too far from the Canadian border, in the town called Bonners Ferry. Now, the name Cannadine Inn has no relation to Canada, even though they are pretty close to each other. Cannadine Inn is owned by an old couple, Elizabeth and Micahel Moorland, who grew up in the area.

The motel features eighty rooms. The rooms are numbered sequentially, however there is an additional “B” room every seven rooms. The room order starts at 1 and ends at 70B, for a total of eighty rooms. This is how this works: let’s start at the first few rooms: 1 through 7. Room 7 is followed by 7B. After 7B, we have rooms 8 through 14, which is followed by 14B. After 14B, we have 15 through 21, followed by 21B. This pattern continues all the way until the last room, which is room 70B. There are a total of ten “B” rooms, for a grand total of eighty rooms. The numbering formula is a bit odd, for sure; but it’s pretty simple. After every seven rooms, a “B” room comes next. 1 through 7, 7B; 8 through 14, 14B; etc. Furthermore, the motel does not skip room number 13, like many hotels and motels do.

Now, there are no “A” rooms; nor are there any “C” rooms. There are regular numbered rooms, and then occasional “B” rooms. So, what are these “B” rooms, exactly? Is there anything special to them? The Moorlands claim there is nothing special or unique about them, even though the motel has not always been numbered in this fashion. They claim the motel rooms are numbered in this way because of an old superstition in Northern Idaho that claimed that staying in rooms of any numbers between 71 and 91 brought bad luck. The Moorlands simply avoided going into this range by adding ten “B” rooms every seven rooms, having their room numbers reach only up to 70B, while still containing a total of eighty rooms. Then, however, why does their motel contain room 13, which many link with bad luck? Well, the Moorlands simply do not believe in that common superstition. However, they also note that people often request to change rooms when they are given room 13.

Furthermore, all of the rooms have been regularly accessible and usable by guests with one exception: you’re probably thinking we’re about to mention room 49B; but no: the room is 56. Room 56 has had many issues for as long as the motel has been around. Room 56 is, sort-of the bermuda triangle of motel rooms at the Cannadine Inn. Room 56 has very repetitive plumbing issues, as-as well as many problems with bugs, and unusual sounds. The issues with bugs have continued even after multiple fumigation attempts.

What is most shocking about the room, however, was a murder that took place in the room, roughly twelve years ago. A young lady by the name of Meridith Guinevere was vichiously murdered in room 56 by her ex-boyfiend, Rodney Johnson. Thankfully, Rodney was caught just a few days after the murder by Idaho state police during a routine traffic stop in Southern Idaho. The motel was closed down for two weeks after the murder, and was remodeled and renamed into what it is know today as the Cannadine Inn. Its original name was Moorland Inn.

Now, this murder is obviously a big deal, and we are happy that the murderer was caught and was brought to justice. The owners of the motel, the Moorlands, were heavily struck by the murder and did everything they could to support the family that Meridith left behind. She had two kids; both in their teens. And she was living with her mother, providing care for her in her later years. Her father passed away just four years before her death. Her two kids were not from the ex-boyfriend that killed her, but were from an ex-husband of nine years. They separated shortly after her father passed. The Moorlands even made a shrine for Meridith behind the motel–an elaborate and beautiful shrine that her kids often visit. Also, many visitors enjoy spending time at the shrine to pay their respects–these are people who did not even know her.

Now, let's go back to the unusual superstition that we brought up earlier. This is the superstition that rooms 71 through 91 bring bad luck. We have researched this claim, and have found little to back it up. We even talked to other motel and hotel owners in the area and in neighboring towns. Several of these locations did, in fact, have room counts that exceeded one hundred rooms, and these hotels did actually contain rooms that were numbered 71 through 91.

The room numbering system for the Cannadine Inn was very unusual, but in the scheme of things; it just really didn’t seem to matter that much. Or so we thought.

Folks: I am out of time. We will continue this story in the next episode. Thank you so much for listening.

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Room 49B
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