We'd love to hear from you!

A mother opens her front door and watches a “stranger” sprint through the snow with her arms wide, calling someone else “Ma” and “Nervie” like it’s the most natural thing in the world. That’s where we pick up the Watseka Wonder, the infamous Watseka, Illinois possession case that still messes with our sense of identity, grief, and what we think is possible.

We walk back into the Vennum home as Mary Roff’s voice seems to speak through Lurancy Vennum, and the reunion with the Roff women turns tender, awkward, and heartbreaking all at once. The details are too personal to shrug off, but the body is wrong, the timeline is impossible, and every loving gesture lands on a family already stretched thin. 

We also zoom out to talk about Dr. Stevens, spiritualism, and what it looks like to stay curious without turning the unknown into a cheap spectacle. Along the way, we connect this real American paranormal history to the research that helped shape The Exorcist, proving small towns can leave a mark on the biggest horror stories we tell.

Then we flip the porchlight on and switch gears to Porchlight Whispers. We sit down reunion-style and trade real unexplained experiences: Lanterns Lane ghost lights that pulse, vanish, and reappear behind you, a chilling “woman in white” sighting, and poltergeist-like activity that includes a TV turning on by itself, strange camera-flash sounds, and toys triggering for no clear reason. We end by asking what our role is in keeping stories like the Watseka Wonder alive, and why paying attention matters more than pretending we have all the answers.

If you love paranormal podcasts, small town folklore, and true haunting stories with history you can trace, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a rating and review. What’s your theory about what’s really happening here?

Support the show

If this show resonates with you, please hit follow, share it with a friend who loves true history and the paranormal, and leave a rating and review. It really helps us get discovered, and it helps boost my morale! 

If you’ve enjoyed listening and you would like to support the show, please consider donating through the following, which are also listed at the end of the episode:

Venmo- Bethany-Borden-1

Paypal- BethanyBorden865

Buzzsprout website

CashApp- $SmallTownWhispers

Please share your stories with us at [email protected] 

or send us a message on the Small Town Whispers Facebook page! 

You'll also want to head to our Patreon page for exclusive footage of the Roff house, bonus listener stories, and more! 

Did you know we’re on YouTube?! I dare you to put it on at bedtime. https://www.youtube.com/@SmallTownWhispersPodcast

Don't forget to tell a friend or family member about the show. 

Thank you!