Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

Maryland families once painted seven-pointed stars on their barns to keep away the Snallygaster, a dragon-like bird said to drink its victims' blood, and when sightings near South Mountain filled the newspapers in 1909, the Smithsonian and Theodore Roosevelt both took an interest.

READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p96kr8z

FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Can you perform an exorcism using your smartphone? The Catholic church now says you can! (Exorcism of Demons by Phone) *** Does the ghost of a murdered child haunt East Lake Park in Birmingham, Alabama? (Child of the Lake) *** A young female college student vanished into nowhere in December of 1946 and became a mystery that would haunt the sleepy town forever. (The Disappearance of Paula Jean Weldon) *** An elderly woman requests to be buried upon her death, but the family cremates her instead. And that is when the vampire arrived. (The Wallasey Vampire) *** Orbs, late-night taps on the window, shadow figures, and more haunt a new home. (Creepy Happenings In The Middle of the Night) *** John Kraft noticed the neighbors, the Jacob Wolf family, had left their laundry on the clothesline overnight and their horses untended. He went to investigate and stumbled into what might be the most horrific crime scene in North Dakota history. (The Wolf Family Murders) *** Was the creature real? Where was it hiding? Why had only some people seen it? The Snallygaster terrorized Maryland and Washington in the 1730s – and we begin there, first! (Surprising End To Legend Of The Snallygaster) *** Mainstream journalists, the Travel Channel, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel have all investigated a certain home in Atchison, Kansas due its paranormal activities. What secrets lie within the Sallie House? (Secrets of the Sallie House) *** How can thousands of people instantly vanish without a trace? (3,000 Soldiers Vanish Into Thin Air) *** A child’s mother slowly dies of lung cancer at home – then continues to live there after her passing. (Sounds In The Night) *** Was the death of Meriwether Lewis a murder or a suicide? This early 1800s mystery continues to baffle historians and detectives alike. (The Death of Meriwether Lewis) *** No one knows the motive of a mysterious murder that took place in 1866 New York. In fact, they still have no suspects. (A Mysterious Murder) *** The gift of a cross to protect a couple from a poltergeist, ends up creating more unusual events. (Poltergeist – The Disappearing Cross)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding
00:00:39.563 = Show Open
00:03:46.803 = Surprising End to the Legendary Snallygaster
00:08:04.778 = Exorcising Demons By Smartphone
00:10:27.513 = Child of the Lake
00:15:29.450 = The Disappearance of Paula Jean Weldon ***
00:19:46.314 = The Wallasey Vampire
00:26:15.628 = Creepy Happenings in the Middle of the Night
00:27:46.215 = The Wolf Family Murders
00:33:10.892 = Sinister Secrets of the Sallie House ***
00:40:38.592 = 3,000 Soldiers Vanish Into Thin Air
00:44:31.915 = Sounds In The Night
00:51:31.596 = The Death of Meriwether Lewis ***
00:57:15.126 = A Mysterious Murder”
00:59:26.830 = Poltergeist – The Disappearing Cross
01:05:43.551 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*
SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“Surprising End to the Legend of the Snallygaster” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4mfk3kdw
“Exorcism of Demons by Phone” from Earth Chronicles of Life: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4y9x7v4w
“Child of the Lake” from GhostsNGhouls.com (link no longer available)
“The Disappearance of Paula Jean Weldon” by Doug MacGowan for Historic Mysteries:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2b8ujh84
“The Wallasey Vampire” by Tom Slemen for Wirral Globe: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/c9p28b2u
“Creepy Happenings in the Middle of the Night” by Malcolm Deanings for MyHauntedLifeToo.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/jzbystwy
“The Wolf Family Murders” by Troy Larson for Ghosts of North Dakota: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5xh9swyk
“Sounds In The Night”: (written by an unknown author - link no longer available)
“The Death of Meriwether Lewis” by Doug MacGowan for HistoricMysteries.com: http://bit.ly/30vvYZp
“3,000 Soldiers Vanish Into Thin Air” by Ellen Lloyd for MessageToEagle.com: http://bit.ly/2YBUWEM
“Sinister Secrets of the Sallie House”: (written by an unknown author - link no longer available)
“A Mysterious Murder” by Robert Wilhelm for MurderByGaslight.com: http://bit.ly/2LXIfm8
“Poltergeist – The Disappearing Cross” by Keith Linder for MyHauntedLifeToo.com: http://bit.ly/2Jt2ZQI

(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.

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

An uncle in Fresno tells his nephew, a Hollywood photographer, that he'll be dead within a week, then leaves him everything on one condition: he has to check the locks on the family mausoleum every single day.

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Shadows From The Grave” (February 28, 1979) ***WD
00:46:46.506 = Dark Fantasy, “Curse Of Neanderthal” (January 09, 1942) (LQ)
01:11:51.129 = Fear on 4, “Mind Well The Tree” (February 28, 1988) ***WD
01:42:18.285 = Theater Five, “Bug Off” (December 07, 1964) ***WD
02:04:22.312 = Future Tense, “Born Of Man And Woman” (May 16, 1974) ***WD
02:33:19.190 = Ave Maria Hour, “St Benedict of Nursia VS Poison And Witchcraft” (1939)
02:58:01.100 = The Hall of Fantasy, “The Tell-Tale Heart” (June 01, 1953) ***WD
03:22:42.796 = Harry Lime, “Farthings Your Thoughts” (November 30, 1951)
03:48:47.742 = Haunted, Tales of the Supernatural, “Keeping His Promise” (September 13, 1980)
04:18:49.070 = The Haunting Hour, “Nocturne” (September 15, 1945)
04:44:42.637 = Hermits Cave, “Spirits Of Vengeance” (March 16, 1947)
05:09:26.379 = 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.

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

In a jungle prison colony where the only way out is a river full of caimans and ratfish, a lifer who weaves hats for the commandant keeps a carved knuckle bone and a bag of Indian medicine buried under the floor of his hut.

SOURCES and RESOURCES: 
“Crooked Bone” is by Gerald Kersh from the anthology, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Month of Mystery” by Random House: https://amzn.to/3hZSBjM

WeirdDarkness® | Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness | Midnight In The Macabre™

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

Charlie and Charlotte Tucker pay two hundred dollars for a dead minister's grandfather clock at a garage sale, and the seller swears it doesn't chime, though it struck one as they walked past. Once it's home, the air inside the case stays cool and damp, the cat won't set foot in the house, and the clock starts striking in the middle of the night.

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Hickory Dickory Doom” (February 26, 1979) ***WD(LQ)
00:46:58.058 = The Devil And Mr. O, “Neanderthal” (September 04, 1971) ***WD
01:16:42.741 = Diary of Fate, “Peter Drake” (February 23, 1948) ***WD
01:47:07.584 = Dimension X, “Mars Is Heaven” (January 07, 1951) ***WD
02:12:54.970 = The Eleventh Hour, “Ghost On Chertains Corner” (ADU) ***WD
02:34:22.627 = Escape, “Figure A Dame” (December 20, 1949)
03:03:48.396 = Everyman’s Theater, “This Precious Freedom” (October 04, 1940) ***WD
03:32:06.564 = Murder By Experts, “Dig Your Own Grave” (August 15, 1949)
04:03:05.690 = Exploring Tomorrow, “First Contact” (January 15, 1958)
04:24:33.594 = Faces In Window, “Black Cat” (November 22, 1952) ***WD
04:48:13.156 = 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.

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

On Easter Sunday, 1975, eight children hunted for eggs in the front yard of their grandmother's house in Hamilton, Ohio, while their uncle, James Ruppert, slept off a night of drinking upstairs. By that evening, eleven members of the family were dead inside, and the families who rented the house afterward kept moving out, telling of voices, slamming doors, and footsteps coming down the stairs.

FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Author Troy Taylor tells us about the horrors and hauntings of a murderous nightmare, taking place on the holiest day of the year. (“Easter Sunday Massacre”) *** Two young boys find a bloody shirt on a stone on the side of the road – and it leads to details of one of the most brutal murders in the history of Massachusetts. (“Massachusetts Butchery”) *** Why would a mother tell her daughter to never wander in their own backyard? (“Displaced Entities”) *** The true story of an actor who lost his fortune, his life, and his head. (“The Headless Ghost of St. Paul’s Chapel”) *** It probably comes as no surprise that nursing homes can be haunted. A Certified Nurse Assistant tells us his own personal experiences of it. (“Nursing Home Hauntings”) *** Plus, I’ll share a creepypasta that was specifically requested for me to narrate by one of you, my Weirdo Family. (“No End House”) *** “Doppelganger Confusion” *** “The Black Eyed Phenomenon – Not Just Kids?” *** “Is Your House On The List?” *** “Another Black-Eyed-Kids Encounter – Is This An Epidemic?” *** “What Caused Our Creaking Catwalk?” *** “In Reverse… The Doppelganger Student” *** “My Haunted In-Laws Place” *** “We Deliver, We Cater, We Scare” *** “Death In The Triangle” *** “The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive”

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding
00:00:56.557 = Show Open
00:02:38.104 = Easter Sunday Massacre
00:11:01.481 = Nursing Home Hauntings
00:14:15.816 = Massachusetts Butchery
00:22:35.239 = Displaced Entities
00:34:43.656 = The Headless Ghost of St. Paul's Chapel
00:39:52.902 = Doppelganger Confusion
00:42:52.349 = The Black Eyed Phenomenon – Not Just Kids?
00:44:53.175 = Is Your House On The List?
00:49:09.955 = Another Black-Eyed-Kids Encounter – Is This An Epidemic?
00:51:31.981 = What Caused Our Creaking Catwalk?
00:56:30.364 = In Reverse… The Doppelganger Student
01:00:38.909 = Death In The Triangle
01:24:24.896 = We Deliver, We Cater, We Scare
01:26:08.181 = My Haunted In-Laws Place
01:28:31.129 = The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive
01:36:46.007 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break

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

SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“Massachusetts Butchery” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder by Gaslight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/44c96wvt
“Displaced Entities” by Stacy K for Your Ghost Stories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/xafzpt29
“The Easter Sunday Massacre” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/38dt633u
“The Headless Ghost Of St. Paul’s Chapel” by Jessica Ferri for The Line Up: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yt49e66j
“Nursing Home Hauntings” by Morgan Jobe https://www.facebook.com/morgan.jobe
“Doppelganger Confusion” submitted anonymously: (link no longer available)
“The Black Eyed Phenomenon – Not Just Kids?” submitted by Roger M.: (link no longer available)
“Is Your House On The List?” submitted by Keith W: (link no longer available)
“Another Black Eyed Kids Encounter – Is This An Epidemic?” submitted by Rick R.: (link no longer available)
“What Caused Our Creaking Catwalk?” submitted by Amanda: (link no longer available)
“In Reverse… The Doppelganger Student” submitted by Paul: (link no longer available)
“My Haunted In-Laws Place” by Anna Olinick: (link no longer available)
“We Deliver, We Cater, We Scare” by Ian White: (link no longer available)
“Death In The Triangle: The History, Hauntings, and Horrors Of America’s Worst Factory Fire” by Troy Taylor and Rene Cruse from the book And Hell Followed With It: https://amzn.to/2I9MB2G
“The Mother Who Burned Her Daughter Alive” by Dennis McDougal from his book, Mother’s Day: https://amzn.to/2pGHCA4
(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.

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.