Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

In November 1966, a winged creature with glowing red eyes began terrorizing the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia — and thirteen months later, just ten days before Christmas, the Silver Bridge collapsed during rush hour, killing 46 people returning home from holiday shopping. Was the Mothman a harbinger of doom... or something far more sinister? | WEEK OF DECEMBER 21, 2025 #WDRadio==========HOUR ONE: Most all of us think of Christmas as a time of love, warmth, joy, and charity… but for some, Christmas isn’t merry at all… it’s murderous. We’ll look at some horrific holiday murders and the killers behind them. And more! But first… we visit Point Pleasant, West Virginia during the Holidays of 1967… but we don’t see a sleigh and reindeer in the sky… we see a nightmare.==========HOUR TWO: Christmas is supposed to be the merry season with joy and light in the darkness. But many places arehaunted by ghosts and paranormal activity during this time. In fact, many of the ghost stories I’ll share tonight are haunted especially around Christmas.==========SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: “Rejected Christmas Gift Ends In Murder” *** “The Lawson Christmas Massacre”==========SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW:“Overshadowing Christmas With Tragedy” by Julie Henthorn: https://tinyurl.com/3e2a5dr6“Have Yourself a Very Mothman Christmas”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mrxt43wx“Bruce Pardo: Killer Santa”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8c78vd“Kristy Bamu’s Cruel Christmas”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8k3mys“The Tradition of Christmas Ghost Stories”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckzjuwk“Christmas Hauntings”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8ja4rz“The Mistletoe Bride”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/26ak3rxs“Fatima’s Harp”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3pe7cne8“A Royal Christmas Haunting”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3fyzhj6p“The Highway Man”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8h68z3“The Brown Lady”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yc7z852v==========Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.==========(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for material I use whenever possible. If I have overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately. Some links may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)=========="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46==========WeirdDarkness®, WeirdDarkness© 2025==========To become a Weird Darkness Radio Show affiliate, contact Radio America at [email protected], or call 800-807-4703 (press 2 or dial ext 250).

She asked for a doll, but the gift waiting under the tree had other plans for her — and her sisters.Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! STORY AND MUSIC CREDITS/SOURCES…
”The Clown Puppet”: https://tinyurl.com/rmzhwoa“Devil In The Closet”:  https://tinyurl.com/rbcqqoo“The Carol” by Jessica Bayliss: https://tinyurl.com/wkp7uu6All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g).

Long before Santa slid down chimneys, other figures roamed the winter nights — and they weren't bringing presents. They were bringing punishment.IN THIS EPISODE: ‘Tis the season for not only reindeer, grinches and magical snowmen but also fearless children, negligent parents and dumb thieves. “Home Alone” may be the first Christmas movie that comes to mind upon hearing that description, but it turns out there’s a long and storied tradition of true stories of children left alone around the holidays matching wits against would-be robbers. (Home Alone) *** What would you think if you received a Christmas card in the mail that had a picture of a dead bird on the cover? Not very festive, is it? But that’s not what people believed in the past. For a while, a dead bird was synonymous with saying “Merry Christmas!” (Merry Christmas, Here’s a Dead Bird) *** A woman leaves her family to go Christmas shopping at the last minute… and disappears forever. (Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping) *** Christmas fun isn’t all about Santa, his reindeer, and a magical snowman come to life thanks to a hat. There are some downright terrifying yuletide monsters that might make you want to stay behind locked doors this year. (Creepy Christmas Characters)SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“Merry Christmas, Here’s a Dead Bird” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9b4f73“Creepy Christmas Characters” by Molly Mahan for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8mf9e9, and Karen Anne for German Girl In America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckjs6r6“Mom Vanishes While Christmas Shopping” by Chrissy Stockton for Thought Catalog: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckpe5n5“True Stories of Kids Home Alone At Christmas” from Second Glance History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/25uum6xj, “Home Alone” theme by John WilliamsVisit our Sponsors & Friends: https://weirddarkness.com/sponsorsJoin the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateAdvertise in the Weird Darkness podcast or syndicated radio show: https://weirddarkness.com/advertise= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above 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.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Originally aired: December 22, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasCreaturesABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness 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 case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness, #Krampus, #ScaryChristmas, #ChristmasHorror, #FrauPerchta, #DarkChristmas, #HolidayHorror, #ChristmasDemons, #CreepyChristmas, #DarkFolklore

Matthew Klein watched his son Logan hold a spirit board—just as Matt himself did thirty years ago—and speak in a voice that didn't belong to a ten-year-old boy. The demon Zurvan has found his new vessel, choosing the cruelest one possible: Matt's own child. For three decades, Zurvan has orchestrated this moment, first possessing the kind neighbor who ran toward the flames to help, then guiding Wilbur Ward's hands as he built the advent calendar from the charred remains of the original spirit board. Now the demon's patience has been rewarded. Matt's allies are few—Detective Davenport has finally seen too much to deny what's happening, and Father Olsen has confirmed they face an ancient entity whose methods are psychological torment followed by violence. But Anika believes her husband unfaithful, Matt's foster parents have arrived oblivious to the horror and bearing a spirit board as a gift, and the bodies continue to pile up: Steven's phantom crumbled to ash, Wilbur Ward's corpse rots in the crawlspace, Simon Welch lies dead from his own possessed fury. Four doors remain on the calendar. Four days until December 24th, when Zurvan's mid-winter celebration reaches its peak. The demon no longer hunts from the shadows—he wears Matt's son's face now.Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror

When Mrs. Hostutler finally found the perfect Christmas tree, she never stopped to wonder why it was growing out of a grave.Episode 9 of 12 in the #12NightmaresOfXmas series!In this episode: “The Perfect Christmas Tree”, “A Rose For Her Hair”, “Eternal Love”, “Guides In The Snow”SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…All stories in this episode are from the book, “The Spirits of Christmas: The Dark Side of the Holidays” by Sylvia Shults: https://amzn.to/3uT2vMA= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. Music from Shadows Symphony (https://tinyurl.com/yyrv987t), Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ) Kevin MacLeod (https://tinyurl.com/y2v7fgbu), Tony Longworth (https://tinyurl.com/y2nhnbt7), and Nicolas Gasparini (https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8) is used with permission of the artists.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(Over time links seen above 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.)= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2023, Weird Darkness.https://weirddarkness.com/PerfectChristmasTree#WeirdDarkness, #ChristmasGhostStory, #ScaryChristmas, #GhostStory, #HolidayHorror, #CreepyChristmas, #Paranormal, #TrueScaryStories, #HauntedHolidays, #DarkChristmas