In 1931, Peter Kürten walked to the guillotine and asked if he would hear his own blood gushing from his neck after decapitation, calling it "the pleasure to end all pleasures" - the final words of a man who had murdered at least 10 people and committed 68 crimes with absolutely no remorse.

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IN THIS EPISODE: When you think of methods of execution, what comes to mind? Electric chair? Hanging? Firing squad? Lethal injection? Or perhaps something a bit more historic like guillotine, or even stoning. But I’m guessing the last thing you’d think of for a method of execution would be death by golden shower. (Death by Urination) *** Had Daniel Lambert been alive today, he would’ve carted his more than 700 pounds around in a motorized scooter, as too many morbidly obese people choose to do. But in the early 1800s, such amenities weren’t available, because there was no market for them. Lambert was a true anomaly. And people couldn’t get enough of him. (Daniel Lambert: Fat Man On Display) *** A woman describes how frightened she was when working in a school after hours – so frightened that now, over 23-years-later, she still has trouble sleeping due to the fear she experienced. (Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Schoolhouse) *** An eerie painting spooked many who just saw it. Those who owned it fared worse. Could this piece, painted in 1972, truly be haunted? (The Hands Resist Him: Haunted Painting) *** From murdering children to drinking blood, Peter Kürten was "the king of the sexual perverts" and perhaps the worst serial killer ever. So it’s no surprise he would be tagged with the word “vampire” to describe him. (The Abominations Of Peter Kürten - Vampire Of Düsseldorf)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Content Warning and Lead-In
00:02:21.855 = Show Open
00:04:38.287 = The Abominations of Peter Kürten – The Vampire of Düsseldorf
00:16:17.201 = Death By Urination
00:20:04.592 = Daniel Lambert: Fat Man On Display
00:25:27.445 = Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Schoolhouse
00:39:56.113 = The Hands Resist Him – The Haunted Painting
00:43:57.760 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…PHOTO: Peter Kürten’s head before and after the guillotine: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DwPBBE5X0AAmtZa.jpg
“The Abominations Of Peter Kürten - Vampire Of Düsseldorf” by Katie Serena for All That’s Interesting,https://tinyurl.com/ycr8yl2p; and Joe Duncan for List Verse: https://tinyurl.com/y7txms9y
“Death by Urination” by Daven Hiskey for Today I Found Out: https://tinyurl.com/9wftd7z
“Daniel Lambert: Fat Man On Display” by Marc Hartzman for Weird Historian: https://tinyurl.com/yb52ke48
“Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Schoolhouse” by Bettina Marie from Your Ghost Stories: https://tinyurl.com/yctbrebo
“The Hands Resist Him: Haunted Painting” from The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/y8hfk7vp=====(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: October 25, 2019
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/PeterKurten
ABOUT 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 thing 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.
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