Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

They look like lost children… until you see their eyes — and realize you’ve just opened the door to something inhuman.

EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/dontletthemin

READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yath5y6w

FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Described as childlike beings with eerie coal black eyes, no iris or pupils, and pale, white skin, a scourge of mysterious black-eyed children have been reported all over the world. There are hundreds of reports of black-eyed children, often seen in groups of two or more, who ask for permission to enter the person’s home or vehicle. Witnesses often report an overwhelming feeling of dread and despair in their presence. What the black-eyed children seek is not known… nor is it known exactly what they are. (Invasion Of The Black Eyed Kids) *** In October of 1943, a U.S. Navy destroyer was supposedly turned invisible and teleported from Philadelphia to Norfolk. But did it really happen? (The Truth Behind The Philadelphia Experiment) *** The Witchcraft Act of 1735 ended the gruesome practice of burning witches at the stake, making it illegal to accuse anyone of having magical powers. Yet in 1944, Helen Duncan was convicted under this very law for fraudulent spiritual activities. Despite her claims of contacting spirits through ectoplasm and even revealing classified naval secrets, she was sentenced to prison. Her trial was one of the last times the Witchcraft Act was used before being replaced in 1951, but her supporters continue to campaign for her pardon. (Britain’s Last Witch) *** Once a powerful festival, Dies Sanguinis, or "Day of Blood," honored the Roman goddess of war, Bellona, with animal sacrifices and martial rituals. The festival showcased Rome's military strength and dedication to victory. Although the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Roman Empire eventually ended the festival, its legacy still sheds light on the fascinating nature of ancient Roman culture. (Rome’s Day of the Bloody Sacrifice) *** The Dardeen family was found brutally murdered in their home near Ina, Illinois, leaving residents and investigators stumped. Yet even after a confession by Tommy Lynn Sells, the truth is still a mystery. (Demise of the Dardeen Family)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00.00.000 = The Foreboding
00:03:33.089 = Show Open
00:06:34.068 = Invasion of the Black Eyed Kids (Part 1)
00:15:22.343 = Invasion of the Black Eyed Kids (Part 2) ***
00:35:26.768 = Demise of the Dardeen Family ***
00:53:33.895 = The Truth Behind The Philadelphia Experiment ***
00:59:05.177 = Britain’s Last Witch
01:06:50.721 = Rome’s Day of Bloody Sacrifice ***
01:10:26.990 = Show Close
01:11:54.153 = SONG: “Flee The Eyes As Black As Night” by Dark Weirdness: https://weirddarkness.com/music
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break

LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS:
Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps
*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

SOURCES and RESOURCES:
BOOK: “The Black-Eyed Kids” by G. Michael Vasey, https://amzn.to/3Tniri9
BOOK: “The Chilling True Terror of the Black Eyed Kids Monster Compilation” by G. Michael Vasey, https://amzn.to/3R8eTi7
BOOK: “The Case For The UFO” by M.K. Jessup: https://amzn.to/3JRDwxz
MORE BEK EPISODES: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/8kn9fpe9, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2tcs3p3n,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2tcs3p3n, https://weirddarkness.com/let-us-in/
“Invasion Of The Black-Eyed Kids” sources: Anomalien, https://bit.ly/3WszSln, https://bit.ly/3WtCGhV,https://bit.ly/3Ww4ySw, https://bit.ly/44uJb6j; The Business Standard, https://bit.ly/3yhWESI
“Demise of the Dardeen Family” source: Wikipedia, https://bit.ly/3WqgHbQ
“The Truth Behind The Philadelphia Experiment” source: Katie Serena at AllThatsInteresting.com, https://bit.ly/3JRDi9H
“Britain’s Last Witch” source: AmusingPlanet.com, https://bit.ly/3UzX7Hk; History Extra, https://bit.ly/3JQez5x: The National, https://bit.ly/3UzgDUs
“Rome’s Day of the Bloody Sacrifice” source: Ancient Origins, https://bit.ly/3WtCzTx; Tales Beyond Belief, https://bit.ly/3URoQ6T; Journal Of Cognitive Historiography, https://doi.org/10.1558/jch.39915; Roger Pearse, https://bit.ly/3wrydBS; Academia.edu, https://bit.ly/3JREmKJ
(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
Originally aired: May 08, 2024

State regulators arrived at South Chicago Chapel for a routine license check and walked out having ordered the removal of more than fifty unrefrigerated human remains, some infested with rodents and maggots, from a funeral home whose director had already been shut down once before.

SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/SouthChicagoChapel

Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

Orange County deputies say a 71-year-old man reported missing near Orlando turned up dismembered inside three suitcases dumped along White Road, and that the man now charged with his murder was his own stepson.

SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/WhiteRoadSuitcases

Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

Two enemy fighter pilots—one American, one Soviet—crash side by side in the frozen Arctic, drained of all power by something that fell from the stars and is patiently waiting for them to freeze.
Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn

Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Arctic Encounter” (May 26, 1978) ***WD
00:44:08.465 = Quiet Please, “A Time To Be Born” (March 27, 1949)
01:13:26.009 = Radio City Playhouse, “Local Storm” (December 04, 1949)
01:37:38.711 = Hollywood Mystery Time, “Case of the Glowing Eyes” (May 20, 1943) ***WD
02:06:19.867 = Sam Spade, “Death Bed Caper” (June 20, 1948)
02:35:47.495 = The Sealed Book, “Out of the Past” (May1 3, 1945) ***WD
03:05:17.187 = The Shadow, “The Club of Doom” (December 19, 1943)
03:29:21.706 = Sleep No More, “The Bet Clerks Quest” (April 03, 1957)
03:58:42.609 = BBC Spine Chillers, “Ghosting” (January 22, 2004)
04:26:40.026 = The Strange Dr. Weird, “The Voice of Death” (March 06, 1945) ***WD (LQ)
04:39:07.050 = Tales From The Tomb, “The Raven” (1960s)
04:48:33.312 = Incredible But True, “The Man Who Walked Behind” (1950-1951)
04:51:44.006 = Strange Adventure, “Death Rides The Desert” (1945)
04:55:01.207 = Beyond The Green Door, “New Hebridos Fisherman” (1966)
04:58:48.586 = Show Close

(ADU) = Air Date Unknown
(LQ) = Low Quality
***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing.
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0737

A driver who never stops on the long haul home pulls off a Massachusetts highway at midnight for a burrito, and finds a spotless chrome diner whose sign promises it's open twenty-five hours a day.

EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/mitm-diner25hours

SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“A Diner Open 25 Hours a Day” by Christopher Maxim: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristopherMaxim/

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

Midnight In The Macabre (MITM), originally aired: August 08, 2026