For two years, a knife-wielding predator terrorized the women of London — but when authorities finally made an arrest, the evidence was shakier than anyone wanted to admit. "The Monster" terrorized fashionable women by slashing their clothing and flesh, leading to a sensational manhunt that captured a suspect – but was he really the culprit?
*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*
IN THIS EPISODE: In March 1788 Maria Smythe was attacked by a stranger who uttered some foul words, stabbed her, then ran. She survived, but was only the first of more than fifty women to suffer the same in London. This wasn’t Jack The Ripper – he wouldn’t come along for another 100 years. This was the Monster of London. (The Monster of London) *** On his first day walking to the bus stop alone before school, Etan Patz was abducted – and became one of the first children whose face ended up on a milk carton. (The Boy On The Milk Carton) *** If you are left-handed, you might be offended by one of the stories I have in this episode. But then, you lefties are all sinister anyway, right? (The Sinister Left-Handers) *** In 1827, young Maria Marten slipped into a red barn to meet her secret lover. It was the last time she would be seen alive. (The Red Barn Murder) *** It sounds like the makings of a paranormal slasher film – a woman is followed home one day by a paranormal entity – an entity that is angry because it used to be a human that was murdered. (The Haunting of Leah Lewis) *** Imagine your business is failing and you need to drum up customers, so you hire a consultant. “No problem,” he says. “All I need is a few things to get started… do you happen to have have any problems chopping off your closest living relative’s hand?” Welcome to Muti magic that some say still takes place even today. (Murderous Muti Magic) *** Edward Howard Bell was a murderer on the run and evaded capture for close to twenty years. When finally captured, authorities found out they didn’t just have a murderer… but a serial killer, who he claims had sent eleven young girls to heaven. (He Sent Eleven Young Girls to Heaven)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:02:39.530 = The Monster of London
00:15:31.989 = The Boy on the Milk Carton ***
00:24:43.618 = Sinister Left-Handers
00:33:48.666 = The Red Barn Murder ***
00:42:49.340 = The Haunting of Leah Lewis
00:48:25.159 = Murderous Muti Magic
00:55:18.661 = He Sent Eleven Young Girls to Heaven ***
01:02:31.619 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“The Boy On The Milk Carton” by Liz Jin for Medium: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/e3htkxka, and from History.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/d4x2zkbs
“The Sinister Left-Handers” by Dr. Romeo Vitelli for Providentia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/nxucebke
“The Red Barn Murder” by Stephanie Almazan for The Line Up: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/wp8sm47m
“The Haunting of Leah Lewis” by Helen Kreft for Staffordshire-Live.co: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3ces9xcs
“The Monster of London” posted at Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/kxc8hvrm
“Murderous Muti Magic” posted at The Scare Chamber: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/48tp8te7
“He Sent Eleven Young Girls to Heaven” by Matthew Lavelle for Unspeakable Times: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/c4yy3b7h
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(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.)
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Originally aired: August 10, 2021
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MonsterOfLondon
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: #WeirdDarkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
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