Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

The legend of Stanley Stiers — an 11-year-old Iowa boy who allegedly murdered his family and classmates on Halloween in 1923 — bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain masked killer who wouldn't appear on screen for another 55 years. | #WDRadio WEEK OF JANUARY 04, 2026==========HOUR ONE: Was Stanley Stiers the real-life inspiration for Michael Myers in 1978’s John Carpenter film, “Halloween?” (The Real Michael Myers) *** The last known words of Peter Rugg were “Let the storm increase! I will see home tonight in spite of the last tempest, or I may never see home!" Over two-hundred years later and he has yet to make it home – but that hasn’t stopped his tempest! (The Eternal Ride of Peter Rugg) *** Imagine attending college for several years, only to find out that the whole time you’ve been studying on top of the corpses of thousands of mental patients. That’s exactly what happened in 2013 when The University of Mississippi made plans to expand parking for their students and staff. (The Corpses Under The University of Mississippi) *** Dealing with a ghost or two is awful enough – but what if you’re attacked by a whole gang of ghouls? It was reported as real news in 1889’s Chicago Tribune! (A Whole Gang O’ Ghosts) *** People With Super Powers!==========HOUR TWO: It’s rumored that an arcade game from 1980 might lead to the real death of its players. We’ll look at the death curse of Berzerk. (The Berzerk Death Curse, And The Polybius Urban Legend) *** And another arcade game in the early 80s was surrounded by controversy – because the game never existed, despite so many saying it did. Or did it exist? We’ll look at the urban legend of Polybius. (The Urban Legend of Polybius)==========SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: Michael Bryson disappeared on August 5th, 2020 from Hobo Campground at Umpqua National Forest. He has yet to be found. (The Disappearance of Michael Bryson) *** When it comes to cryptids, you have many to choose from – Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the chupacabra, the list goes on and on. But I’m willing to bet nowhere on the list of your favorite cryptids, or even the cryptids you’ve ever heard of, do you have an entry for “The Belled Buzzard” of Texas. (The Belled Buzzard Legend) *** When the Black Plague arrived at Eyam's doorstep in the 17th century, its villagers were forced to choose between life or certain doom. It’s the tragic tale of England’s Plague Village. (The Black Plague Comes to Eyam)==========SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW:“People with Super Powers” from Paranormality Magazine: https://weirddarkness.com/magazine“The Berzerk Death Curse” by Cat DeSpira: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckk96tv“The Polybius Conspiracy” by Ryan Houlihan for InputMag.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8h6v8z“The Real Michael Myers” from Casper McFadden at TheMorbidLibrary.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yvj6ueze, and from TheScareChamber.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vmew9uvb; “Halloween” theme piano solo by Noud van Harskamp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T9m-fj8K9c, “Halloween Kills | Epic Orchestral Theme” by Mike Chibante: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82MEfQiffk“The Disappearance of Michael Bryson” posted at Strange Outdoors: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mwvb3am8 (If you know anything that could help solve Michael Bryson’s disappearance, or if you were at the Hobo Campground around August 3rd, 4th, or 5th of 2020, please reach out to the sheriff’s office at (541) 682-4150, option 1, and reference case No. 20-5286.)“The Eternal Ride of Peter Rugg” posted at SlightlyOddFitchburg.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3z7pdtzn“The Corpses Under The University of Mississippi” by Erin Wisti for Ranker.com’s “Graveyard Shift”:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8tdu6k“A Whole Gang O’ Ghosts” posted from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9ynpev“The Belled Buzzard Legend” from Texas Cryptid Hunter: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p875fxv“The Black Plague Comes to Eyam” by Stephanie Almazan for TheLineUp.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/1aptirxk==========(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© 2026==========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).==========#MichaelMyers #Halloween #HorrorMovie #TrueCrime #UrbanLegends #JohnCarpenter #HalloweenMovie #CreepyStories #HorrorHistory #WeirdDarkness

A Chinese shopping mall's radical solution to bathroom smokers accidentally preaches one of the most uncomfortable truths in Scripture.SERMON TRANSCRIPT…https://weirddarkness.com/COTU-TransparentBathroomStallsWeird Darkness® and Church Of The Undead™ are trademarked. Copyright © 2025.#WeirdDarkness #ChurchOfTheUndead #ChristianPodcast #WeirdNews #TransparentDoors #GodSeesEverything #EvangelicalSermon #WalkInTheLight #BibleTeaching #ViralChina

Pittsburgh's Congelier Mansion saw so much death — from a wife's bloody revenge to a doctor's gruesome experiments to workers found dead in the basement — that some believe the Devil himself reclaimed it in a 1927 explosion.IN THIS EPISODE: The dark and strange history of the Congelier Mansion in Pittsburgh is lost to time, but not to those who’ve heard the stories. (The House The Devil Built) *** A chance meeting brings two people love, then marriage… then jealousy and murder. (The Bitter Fruit of a Jest) *** He terrified citizens in Australia in the 1990s – suspected of at least twelve murders, and sentenced to seven life terms in prison. His name was Ivan Milat. (Serial Killer Ivan Milat) *** How can a young woman remember herself being old? (Hannah’s Past Lives) *** A toddler plays with an imaginary friend – who ends up being his deceased grandmother whom he has never met. (Panteletas) *** In 1972 an aircraft crashed into the Florida Everglades - and has become one of the most famous aircraft flights in the annals of the supernatural. (Ghosts of Flight 401) *** A young girl is beaten and abused as a child, ignored by her family and schoolmates, and ended up crying each night alone in her room… although she was not truly alone. (Who Is With Me) *** There is no doubt that something puzzling did happen hundreds of years ago in Ireland. Scientists, historians and locals admit this particular place is shrouded in mystery. (Unexplained Phenomenon in Ancient Ireland) *** Skyquakes. Mistpouffers. Seneca Guns. The mysterious booms in South Carolina have many names, but no one knows what causes them. (Mysterious Booms in South Carolina) *** A man had apparently leapt off the roof of a building, committing suicide. That would’ve been the end of it, except that police found a note in the man’s pocket with instructions on how to find the pieces of his girlfriend. (The Zach and Addie Murder/Suicide) *** No one paid much attention to Kaspar Hauser when he strolled into Nuremberg one morning in 1828. But that would soon change. (The Enduring 200 Year Mystery of Kaspar Hauser) *** When a man goes to prison, only to come home a year later and find his wife with another man, you know the ending already. (The Brown Tragedy) *** A woman’s body was found in a secluded Texas home, sitting upright in a rocking chair in front of a mysterious altar. The murder of Olivia Mabel is so strange that authorities are asking for your help in solving the mystery. (The Bizarre Death of Olivia Mabel)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:02:01.738 = Show Intro00:05:24.743 = The House The Devil Built00:11:48.540 = Hanna’s Past Lives00:13:33.398 = The Bitter Fruit Jest00:20:13.564 = *** Who Is With Me?00:25:42.497 = Serial Killer Ivan Milat00:28:47.613 = Pantaletas00:31:44.374 = The Ghosts of Flight 40100:38:16.916 = *** Bizarre Death of Olivia Mabel00:45:34.863 = The Brown Tragedy00:52:31.214 = Unexplained Phenomenon in Ancient Ireland00:59:29.887 = *** The Enduring 200 Year Mystery of Kasper Hauser01:04:04.466 = Mysterious Booms Plague South Carolina01:08:30.288 = *** The Zach And Addie Murder-Suicide01:17:29.747 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES – and/or --- PRINT VERSION to READ or SHARE:“The House The Devil Built” posted at The Occult Museum (link no longer available)“The Bitter Fruit of a Jest” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: http://bit.ly/2WtC2Cy“Serial Killer Ivan Milat” by Robert Keller (link no longer available)“Hannah’s Past Lives” was submitted anonymously“Pantaletas” submitted by Michy from Upcycle Creations: http://bit.ly/2WqMwCx“Ghosts of Flight 401” by Troy Taylor in his book, “Cabinet of Curiosities”: https://amzn.to/2KEWqI5“Who Is With Me” from YourGhostStories.com: http://bit.ly/30Q2WnJ“Unexplained Phenomenon in Ancient Ireland” by Ellen Lloyd: (link no longer available)“Mysterious Booms Plague South Carolina”: (link no longer available)“The Zach And Addie Murder/Suicide” by Shelly Barclay for Historic Mysteries: http://bit.ly/2HZq8qR“The Enduring 200 Year Mystery of Kasper Hauser” by Gina Dimuro for All That’s Interesting: http://bit.ly/2Kgll7l“The Brown Tragedy” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: http://bit.ly/2I5NZoD“The Bizarre Death of Olivia Mabel” from OliviaMabel.com: http://oliviamabel.com/=====(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.)= = = = ="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 ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: May 27, 2019EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/CongelierMansionABOUT 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 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.#WeirdDarkness, #HauntedHouse, #Paranormal, #TrueHorror, #GhostStories, #HauntedPittsburgh, #CongelierMansion, #MostHauntedHouse, #CreepyHistory, #HauntedPlaces

A strange sickness documented since the 1600s causes its victims to see the people around them as edible — and several who caught it killed and ate their own families.IN THIS EPISODE: The Wendigo is terrifying enough – with its backstory claiming it is the creation of a person who chose to become a cannibal, and ended up twisting up into the legendary monster. But that’s just it – so far, it’s only just a legend. We have no solid proof of its existence. But even more horrifying than the Wendigo is Wendigo Psychosis – something that is not a legend at all. (Wendigo Psychosis: When Humans Become Monsters) *** Lauretta Lyons was killed in her own home on June 9th, 1966. And now, so many decades later, authorities are still at a loss as to who committed the murder. (The 1966 Murder Rockford Police Failed: Witnesses Identified the Killer — But He Was Never Charged) *** What does it feel like to die? We obviously won’t know personally until we die ourselves, as it’s hard to talk to someone about their experience of dying if they are… well… dead. But Reverend J.T. Mann can describe it – as he was hanged… died… and then came back to life to tell the story of what happened to his soul while he was gone. (The Man Who Came Back From the Noose: Rev. J. T. Mann) *** We’ll look at a few other legendary creatures and cryptids that have some interesting stories attached to them! (Mythical Creatures You've Probably Never Heard Of)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Face of the Wendigo00:00:50.500 = Show Open00:02:54.563 = Wendigo Psychosis: When Humans Become Monsters00:13:34.059 = *** Mythical Creatures You've Probably Never Heard Of00:27:18.914 = **** The 1966 Murder Rockford Police Failed: Witnesses Identified the Killer — But He Was Never Charged00:34:53.557 = The Man Who Came Back From the Noose: Rev. J. T. Mann00:39:54.302 = *** A Ouija Board, a Demon House, and a Lifetime of Terror00:52:11.523 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“Wendigo Psychosis” by Kathy Weiser for Legends of America: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ymvwr3cr“More Mythological Monsters” by Estelle for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/dd9dy63a“The 1966 Murder Rockford Police Failed: Witnesses Identified the Killer — But He Was Never Charged” by Kathi Kresol for Haunted Rockford: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ysmfm8ap“The Man Who Came Back From the Noose: Rev. J. T. Mann” by Robert A. Waters for the website Kidnapping, Murder and Mayhem: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/82vvt58p“A Ouija Board, a Demon House, and a Lifetime of Terror” by Weirdo family member, Reverend Terry Wheless=====(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.)= = = = ="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 ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: May 19, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/WendigoPsychosisABOUT 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 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.#Wendigo #Cryptids #NativeAmericanLegends #ParanormalStories #ScaryStories #TrueHorror #Monsters #CreepyStories #Folklore #WeirdDarkness

When my friend dared me to explore an abandoned house, I didn't expect to find a puppet blocking my only way out. | “MR. RUBBERHEAD” by A.J. SpencerFind more family-friendly frights and creepy games to play on our website at http://MicroTerrors.com!Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrorsOther stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaUOther narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness©, 2025Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids™, 2025#ScaryStoriesForKids #StoriesForKids #KidsStories #HalloweenKids #MicroTerrors #HalloweenStories #WeirdDarkness