The case drew attention after resident Cathy Budde reported that a woman had been relieving herself outside her family’s home roughly once a week for seven weeks. Budde confronted the runner, but the incidents reportedly continued. Police got involved, the story spread internationally, and a family’s unpleasant neighborhood problem became something strangers everywhere were cracking jokes about.
TLC’s The Mad Pooper revisits the mystery through archival news coverage, firsthand accounts from residents and interviews with former law enforcement officials. The trailer follows investigators chasing leads and trying to answer the questions that made this story so baffling in the first place: Who was doing this, and why did it keep happening? It teases a possible suspect, but Colorado Springs police recently told FOX21 that the case remains unsolved.
For everyone watching from a distance, the nickname practically wrote its own punchlines. For the neighbors, it meant wondering what they’d find outside their homes. That combination of an absurd headline and a very real nuisance gives the documentary plenty to revisit. Whether it delivers answers is another question.
The Mad Pooper premieres Thursday, November 19, on TLC, with streaming available November 20 on HBO Max and discovery+. Check local listings for the Mountain Time broadcast. In the meantime, watch TLC’s official trailer or read FOX31’s full story for more on the mystery.
