Dark History: Where The Darkness See’s The Light

S4 E7 The Harpe Brothers - A Brutal Reign of Terror on the Frontier


Listen Later

Send us a text. Thank you for your messages I really appreciate it 😁

Dive into the chilling true story of Micajah "Big" Harpe and Wiley "Little" Harpe, America's first documented serial killers, in this gripping episode of The Dark History Podcast. Born in the brutal backcountry of 18th-century North Carolina, the Harpe brothers unleashed a wave of terror across the untamed frontier, leaving a trail of mutilated bodies and shattered lives in their wake.

Discover how these sadistic killers turned murder into an art form—weighting victims with stones, performing crude surgeries on pregnant women, and leaving grotesque tableaus of their crimes. With at least 28 confirmed murders (and possibly as many as 50), their brutality shocked even the hardened settlers of the early American wilderness.

Join us as we explore:

  • The Harpes' twisted upbringing and how the American Revolution fueled their bloodlust.
  • Their gruesome killing methods and the eerie "signatures" they left behind.
  • The dramatic manhunt that ended Big Harpe’s reign—and the shocking fate of his severed head.
  • Little Harpe’s desperate attempt to escape justice—and how he met his own gruesome end.

Perfect for fans of true crime, dark history, and unsolved mysteries, this episode uncovers the horrifying legacy of the Harpe brothers—the monsters who set the blueprint for serial killers to come. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with fellow true crime enthusiasts.

🔍 Keywords: America’s first serial killers, Harpe brothers true crime, frontier murders, 18th-century killers, brutal historical crimes, dark history podcast, unsolved mysteries, gruesome killings, Natchez Trace murders, early American horror.

Listen now—if you dare.

Support the show




*** Patreon link https://patreon.com/Darkhistory2021?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link ***

Merch:
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dark-history?ref_id=36220

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkhistorypod?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Discord https://discord.gg/3mHPd3xg

Email: [email protected]

Tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLSvwJJV/

YouTube :https://youtube.com/c/DarkHistory2021

Twitter: @darkhistory2021

Instagram: @dark_history21

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Dark History: Where The Darkness See’s The LightBy Dark History

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

50 ratings


More shows like Dark History: Where The Darkness See’s The Light

View all
Lore by Aaron Mahnke

Lore

45,036 Listeners

Unexplained by iHeartPodcasts

Unexplained

7,597 Listeners

Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast by Andy Tate

Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast

8,700 Listeners

Dark Histories by Ben Cutmore

Dark Histories

1,845 Listeners

Southern Gothic by Southern Gothic Media

Southern Gothic

971 Listeners

Morbid by Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart

Morbid

99,107 Listeners

Who Did What Now by Katie Charlwood

Who Did What Now

1,019 Listeners

Haunted American History by Bloody FM

Haunted American History

432 Listeners

Crimes of the Centuries by Amber Hunt and Audioboom

Crimes of the Centuries

3,949 Listeners

Conspiracy Theories by Podcasts1

Conspiracy Theories

11,435 Listeners

Murder, Mystery & Makeup by Audioboom Studios

Murder, Mystery & Makeup

8,928 Listeners

Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries by Heart Starts Pounding

Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries

4,384 Listeners

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal by History Hit

After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

1,078 Listeners

Dark History by Audioboom Studios

Dark History

26,054 Listeners

Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong by Crime House

Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong

136 Listeners