The Devil Within

THE DEVIL WITHIN

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

Episode Three: Twenty-Eight Days in Hell

The Amityville Horror — Six Murders, One Haunted House, and America's Most Infamous Paranormal Mystery

On November 13, 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were discovered murdered inside their beautiful waterfront home in Amityville, Long Island. Each had been shot while apparently sleeping in their bed. The killer was one of their own: twenty-three-year-old Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr.

But the murders were only the beginning of a story that would become one of the most controversial supernatural mysteries in American history.

Thirteen months later, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the house at 112 Ocean Avenue with their three young children. They knew about the murders. They knew about the property's disturbing reputation. What they couldn't have anticipated, according to their subsequent accounts, was the nightmare that awaited them.

Twenty-eight days later, they fled the house in terror.

In this chilling installment of The Devil Within: Haunted Halloween, we investigate the true story behind The Amityville Horror, from the brutal DeFeo family murders to the extraordinary paranormal claims that transformed an ordinary Long Island residence into America's most notorious haunted house.

We'll examine Ronald DeFeo Jr.'s conflicting confessions and allegations of mysterious voices, the disturbing circumstances surrounding the six murders, and the unanswered questions that have fueled speculation for more than half a century.

Then we'll enter the house with the Lutz family.

The unexplained noises. The swarms of flies in the dead of winter. The mysterious green substance reportedly appearing on the walls. George Lutz's unsettling habit of awakening at precisely 3:15 a.m. And perhaps most disturbing of all, the family's account of Jodie, an enormous, red-eyed pig-like creature allegedly befriending their youngest daughter.

We'll also revisit the investigation conducted by Ed and Lorraine Warren, the infamous photograph purportedly showing a ghostly child peering from a doorway, and the explosive allegations that the entire haunting was an elaborate fabrication.

Was Amityville genuinely possessed by something malevolent? Were the Lutzes victims of psychological suggestion, sensationalism, or something far more sinister? Or did a horrific but entirely human crime become the foundation of one of the most profitable supernatural legends ever told?

The murders were real. The haunting remains unproven. And the house at 112 Ocean Avenue will forever be haunted by what happened there.

Because sometimes the most terrifying explanation isn't that a demon committed an atrocity.

It's that no demon was necessary.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE DEVIL WITHIN

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Don't miss a single installment of our Haunted Halloween series as we investigate America's darkest histories, infamous hauntings, and enduring supernatural mysteries.

Rate & Review: If you're enjoying the show, leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners and keeps these extraordinary stories coming.

Watch & Subscribe: Experience The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes, haunting imagery, historical investigations, and original true crime and paranormal storytelling.

Join the Conversation: Follow us on Instagram @thedevilwithinpod for episode updates, behind-the-scenes content, archival imagery, and more from the darker corners of history.

Share Your Story: Have you experienced something you can't explain? Know of a haunted house, mysterious disappearance, or disturbing historical event we should investigate? Send your stories, suggestions, and tips to mailto:[email protected].

COMING NEXT ON HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

Our journey through America's most haunted places continues with three legendary destinations:

Sleepy Hollow, New York: The colonial village where Washington Irving's Headless Horseman continues to ride through centuries of American folklore.

The Queen Mary, Long Beach: The magnificent ocean liner whose decks, staterooms, and passageways are said to harbor the spirits of passengers and crew who never completed their final voyage.

New Orleans, Louisiana: A journey into the city's famous Cities of the Dead, where aboveground tombs, centuries of burial traditions, and the legends surrounding voodoo priestess Marie Laveau have created an extraordinary landscape of supernatural mythology.

Three more places where history and haunting have become inseparable.

The Devil Within is an Evio Creative production.

Some houses are haunted by ghosts. Others are haunted by the terrible things human beings have done inside them.

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THE DEVIL WITHIN

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

Episode Two: The Hotel That Remembered Everything

The Stanley Hotel, Room 217, and the Terrifying Inspiration Behind The Shining

In October 1974, a young novelist named Stephen King checked into Room 217 of a nearly deserted hotel in the Colorado Rockies. That night, he experienced a nightmare so terrifying that it would inspire one of the most celebrated horror novels ever written.

But the Stanley Hotel had been collecting ghost stories long before Stephen King arrived.

In this installment of The Devil Within: Haunted Halloween, we travel to Estes Park, Colorado, to explore the extraordinary history of the Stanley Hotel, the magnificent mountain resort that inspired The Shining, and the unsettling legends that continue to haunt its corridors more than a century after it first opened its doors.

Built in 1909 by wealthy inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley, the hotel was intended to be a monument to luxury, innovation, and American ambition. But in 1911, a devastating gas explosion nearly killed a housekeeper named Elizabeth Wilson, whose alleged spirit would eventually become one of the hotel's most notorious supernatural residents.

Guests in Room 217 have reported mysteriously rearranged belongings, lights switching on without explanation, and the unsettling sensation that someone is attending to their room while they sleep. Elsewhere in the hotel, visitors claim to hear the phantom piano playing of Flora Stanley, the laughter of invisible children on the fourth floor, and footsteps echoing through corridors that should be empty.

Then came Stephen King.

We'll revisit his fateful stay in Room 217, the nightmare that inspired The Shining, and Stanley Kubrick's transformation of King's fictional Overlook Hotel into one of cinema's most terrifying creations. We'll also explore how Room 217 became Room 237 on screen, and how decades of storytelling have blurred the boundaries between documented history, paranormal folklore, and Hollywood mythology.

Is the Stanley Hotel genuinely haunted? Or has one extraordinary story become so deeply embedded in its walls that visitors now arrive carrying the very ghosts they hope to encounter?

Because sometimes a building doesn't need to be haunted by the dead.

Sometimes it's haunted by the stories we tell about it.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE DEVIL WITHIN

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Our Haunted Halloween series explores the terrifying histories, unexplained phenomena, and enduring legends behind America's most infamous haunted places.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps new listeners discover The Devil Within and allows us to continue bringing these extraordinary stories to life.

Watch & Subscribe: Watch The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes, haunting historical imagery, paranormal investigations, and more from the Evio Creative network.

Join the Conversation: Follow us on Instagram @thedevilwithinpod for episode updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more stories from the darker corners of history.

Share Your Story: Have you stayed at the Stanley Hotel? Experienced something unexplained in a supposedly haunted location? We'd love to hear from you. Send your experiences, story suggestions, and tips to mailto:[email protected].

COMING NEXT ON HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

The Amityville Horror: Twenty-Eight Days of Terror

In November 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were murdered inside their Long Island home. Just over a year later, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the same house and claimed that something malevolent had remained behind.

What followed would inspire one of the most controversial haunting stories in American history.

The murders were real. The haunting remains disputed. And the house at 112 Ocean Avenue would become one of the most infamous addresses in America.

The Devil Within is an Evio Creative production.

The past is never truly gone. And some places, it seems, never forget.

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To her tight-knit Maryland community, Lexi Thomas was the picture of devout resilience. She was a courageous young woman facing a sudden medical crisis in 2012. Anchored by her blog—where every post opened with Romans 8:28—Lexi shaped a story of suffering, divine trust, and cutting-edge treatments that inspired an entire community to rally around her and donate thousands of dollars. 

In the premiere of this multi-part investigative series, hosts Nancy Moscatiello and Scott Eldridge trace how a deeply trusted backstory was built layer by layer. From her initial mystery hospitalization to the launch of her online updates, Episode 1 reveals how genuine community faith was weaponized to mask a growing web of fabrications—including plagiarized cancer memoirs and a world-renowned Duke specialist who claims he never even knew her name.

The LexiCON is a production of The Slippery.  Search for The Slippery or The LexiCON wherever you get your podcasts. https://linktr.ee/TheSlippery

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THE DEVIL WITHIN

HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

The Village That Invited the Devil

Salem, Massachusetts — 1692

In the winter of 1692, the Devil arrived in Salem Village. Or so the good Christian people of Massachusetts were led to believe.

It began with two young girls suffering mysterious fits, terrifying visions, and accusations of invisible tormentors. Within months, an entire community had descended into religious hysteria, neighbors were turning against neighbors, and the courts were condemning innocent people on the testimony of children who claimed to see the Devil's handiwork.

By the time the madness ended, nineteen people had been hanged, one elderly farmer had been crushed beneath heavy stones, and several others had died in prison.

But Salem's story didn't end at the gallows.

In the premiere of our Haunted Halloween series, The Devil Within travels back to colonial Massachusetts to explore the terrifying origins of the Salem witch trials and the supernatural legends that have haunted the region for more than three centuries.

We'll uncover the bizarre ritual of the witch cake, the accusations that condemned seventy-one-year-old Rebecca Nurse, the horrifying death of Giles Corey, and the chilling stories of apparitions said to linger around the old Nurse homestead and the streets of Salem.

From the ruins of Reverend Samuel Parris's parsonage to the execution site at Proctor's Ledge, we'll separate historical fact from paranormal folklore and confront a disturbing possibility:

What if the Devil never came to Salem at all? What if the real evil was already living among its people?

Because sometimes the most terrifying monsters are the ones who believe they're doing God's work.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & SUPPORT THE DEVIL WITHIN

Listen & Follow: Subscribe to The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don't miss a single installment of Haunted Halloween as we explore America's most disturbing histories and supernatural mysteries.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave us a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps new listeners discover The Devil Within and keeps these stories coming.

Watch & Subscribe: Experience The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe, turn on notifications, and explore our growing collection of true crime, paranormal investigations, and historical mysteries.

Join the Conversation: Follow us on Instagram @thedevilwithinpod for episode updates, behind-the-scenes content, historical photographs, and more.

Share Your Story: Have you experienced something unexplained? Know of a haunted location or disturbing historical mystery we should investigate? Send your stories, suggestions, and tips to mailto:[email protected].

COMING NEXT ON HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

The Stanley Hotel: The Haunting That Inspired The Shining

High in the Colorado Rockies stands a magnificent hotel whose haunted reputation helped inspire one of the most terrifying novels ever written. We'll explore Stephen King's fateful stay in Room 217, the hotel's mysterious history, and the ghostly residents who allegedly never checked out.

The Devil Within is an Evio Creative production.

History is never truly dead. And neither, it seems, are some of its darkest secrets.

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THE DEVIL'S LEDGER

Halloween Edition | Week of October 26, 2026

Poisoned Mushrooms, Haunted Hotels, Edgar Allan Poe, and a Hollywood Monster

Happy Halloween from the Evio Creative Universe!

This week on The Devil's Ledger, Branden Morgan welcomes the season of costumes, candy, and questionable judgment with a few reminders about Goosey Night, Mischief Night, and the legendary razor blades supposedly lurking inside Halloween candy.

But beyond the seasonal mischief, we've got a particularly sinister lineup of true crime, supernatural history, literary horror, and Hollywood nightmares.

THE CREEPIEST THING I HEARD THIS WEEK: THE MUSHROOM MURDERER

A family lunch. A homemade beef Wellington. Three people dead.

Australia's notorious mushroom murder case returns to the headlines as convicted killer Erin Patterson appeals her triple-murder conviction, while prosecutors seek to ensure she never becomes eligible for parole.

At the center of the controversy is a bizarre jury accommodation mistake, disputed cellphone evidence, and a deadly meal containing some of the world's most poisonous mushrooms.

Sometimes the most terrifying thing at the dinner table isn't the conversation. It's what's for lunch.

THE DEVIL WITHIN: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

Our supernatural journey continues with three of America's most infamous haunted destinations.

Salem, Massachusetts: The witch trials of 1692, where religious hysteria and paranoia condemned innocent people to death.

The Stanley Hotel, Colorado: The magnificent mountain resort whose mysterious atmosphere inspired Stephen King's The Shining.

Amityville, New York: The horrifying DeFeo family murders, the Lutz family's alleged haunting, and the house that became an international supernatural phenomenon.

Three locations. Three disturbing histories. And three very good reasons to leave the lights on.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: A HALLOWEEN CLASSIC

Carolyn Ossorio celebrates Halloween with a chilling selection from Edgar Allan Poe, the master of psychological terror, obsession, madness, and murder.

Experience a literary horror classic brought to life on Criminal Mischief.

ON THE SLIPPERY: THE LEXI CON

Scot and Nancy continue their gripping new true-con limited series, The Lexi Con, from the producers of Scamanda.

Catch up on the latest installment, available exclusively through the Evio Creative Network.

FINALLY THIS WEEK IN HORROR: CLAYFACE

DC Studios ventures into body-horror territory with Clayface, directed by James Watkins and co-written by Mike Flanagan.

When a disfiguring accident transforms a Hollywood actor into a shape-shifting monster, the line between human ambition and physical horror becomes disturbingly thin.

After all, Hollywood has been encouraging people to change their faces for decades.

LISTEN, WATCH & JOIN THE EVIO UNIVERSE

LISTEN & FOLLOW: Find The Devil Within, Criminal Mischief, On the Slippery, and The Devil's Ledger on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your favorite podcast platforms. Follow your favorites so you never miss an episode.

RATE & REVIEW: Leave a five-star rating and review to help new listeners discover the Evio Creative Network and support independent storytelling.

WATCH & SUBSCRIBE: Visit the Evio Creative YouTube channel for video episodes, original visual storytelling, and exclusive content. Subscribe and turn on notifications.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for haunting stories, episode announcements, and updates from the Evio Universe.

GET IN TOUCH: Have a story, a tip, or something particularly creepy we should investigate? Email mailto:[email protected].

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

From everyone at Evio Creative, have a safe, happy, thoroughly sugar-fueled Halloween. Enjoy the costumes, the candy, and the opportunity to terrify your neighbors without attracting unnecessary police attention.

And remember: You're never too old to dress up like Bruce Springsteen. No matter what your kids tell you.

We'll see you this week across the Evio Universe.

The Devil's Ledger is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production.

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THE DEVIL WITHIN

The Winchester Mystery House: The Gun That Built a Ghost Story

Theme: Guilt | True Crime, Haunted History & the Paranormal

In San Jose, California, there stands a Victorian mansion unlike any other in America. Staircases climb into ceilings. Doors open onto empty space. Windows look into other rooms, and corridors twist through an architectural labyrinth containing approximately 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, and 10,000 windows.

For thirty-six years, a wealthy widow named Sarah Winchester transformed an ordinary eight-room farmhouse into one of the strangest residences ever constructed. And according to legend, she did it because she was terrified of the dead.

Sarah was the widow of William Wirt Winchester, heir to the firearms fortune built upon the legendary Winchester repeating rifle, including the Model 1873, famously marketed as “The Gun That Won the West.” After losing her infant daughter and then her husband, Sarah inherited an enormous fortune and moved west, where she began a construction project that would continue until her death in 1922.

But why did she never seem to stop building?

The legend claims Sarah consulted a medium who warned that the spirits of people killed by Winchester rifles were pursuing her. Her only hope of survival was to construct a house that would never be finished, a maze of rooms and passageways intended to confuse the restless dead.

There's just one problem: no convincing historical evidence establishes that Sarah Winchester ever believed the story.

In this episode of The Devil Within, Branden Morgan investigates the extraordinary history of the Winchester family, the rifle that helped shape the American frontier, and the eccentric mansion that became one of the country's most famous haunted attractions.

We'll explore the mysterious Séance Room, the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and reports of unexplained footsteps, shadowy apparitions, and a ghostly workman known as Clyde, who supposedly continues his duties long after the mansion's construction ended.

And we'll consider a darker possibility: perhaps Sarah Winchester wasn't haunted by the victims of her family's rifles at all. Perhaps generations of Americans needed her to be, transforming an uncomfortable history of violence and extraordinary wealth into a ghost story.

Sometimes a house isn't haunted because somebody died inside it. Sometimes it's haunted because the living cannot stop imagining who ought to be there.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The Gun That Won the West: Oliver Winchester, the Model 1866, the Model 1873, and the fortune behind the mansion.

• Sarah Winchester's Tragedy: The deaths of her infant daughter and husband, and her move to California.

• The House That Wouldn't Stop: Thirty-six years of construction, architectural oddities, and the legends surrounding Sarah's motivations.

• The Séance Room: The mysterious chamber where Sarah supposedly communicated with spirits.

• The Earthquake of 1906: How a natural disaster reshaped the mansion and contributed to its peculiar architecture.

• The Ghosts of Winchester House: The phantom workman Clyde, unexplained footsteps, mysterious photographs, and reported paranormal encounters.

• History Versus Legend: What we can establish about Sarah Winchester's life, and what remains speculation.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us for new investigations into true crime, paranormal phenomena, occult history, and the mysteries that continue to haunt us.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave us a five-star rating and a written review. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners and keeps these stories alive.

Watch & Subscribe: Watch The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes, original videos, and more from across the Evio Universe.

Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for episode updates, historical mysteries, and behind-the-scenes content.

Have a Story to Tell? Send your paranormal experiences, true crime tips, and story suggestions to mailto:[email protected].

The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production.

EPISODE KEYWORDS

Winchester Mystery House, Sarah Winchester, Winchester House haunting, haunted California, San Jose ghosts, Winchester rifle, Winchester Model 1873, The Gun That Won the West, Oliver Winchester, William Wirt Winchester, Winchester fortune, Séance Room, Clyde ghost, 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Victorian mansions, haunted houses, paranormal investigations, American history, true ghost stories, The Devil Within, Branden Morgan, Evio Creative.

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THE DEVIL WITHIN

The Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe: Baltimore's Most Famous Haunting

Episode Two | Edgar Allan Poe Series

Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849. Nearly two centuries later, some people insist he never really left.

Along the rain-soaked cobblestone streets of Fell's Point, stories persist of a pale, dark-haired figure wandering beneath streetlights before vanishing into the night. Inside an old Baltimore tavern, employees and patrons have reported unexplained disturbances attributed to a spirit they call Edgar. And at a modest brick house on North Amity Street, where Poe once struggled to survive as a young writer, visitors encounter a building whose history may be more haunting than any ghost story.

In this episode of The Devil Within, Branden Morgan returns to Baltimore to investigate the supernatural legends surrounding America's greatest master of the macabre, exploring the extraordinary ways a writer who spent his life contemplating death became one of the country's most enduring ghosts.

Our investigation begins at the Edgar Allan Poe House, where poverty, ambition, family tragedy, and literary genius converged during the 1830s. We then travel to Westminster Burying Ground, where a mysterious visitor dressed in black appeared for decades on Poe's birthday, leaving three red roses and a bottle of cognac beside his grave. Known only as the Poe Toaster, the stranger became one of Baltimore's most beloved unsolved mysteries.

From there, we venture into Fell's Point and the legendary Horse You Came In On Saloon, where local folklore claims Poe enjoyed one of his final drinks before his mysterious death. Today, the establishment is associated with reports of moving objects, unexplained activity, and the possibility that its most famous patron has never checked out.

But how much of Baltimore's haunted history can actually be verified? Are these genuine encounters with the supernatural, elaborate traditions passed down through generations, or the inevitable consequence of a city that refuses to let its most famous literary resident rest in peace?

Edgar Allan Poe spent his life writing about the dead refusing to remain dead. Perhaps his greatest trick was becoming one of them.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The House on Amity Street: Poe's early years in Baltimore, his family, his literary breakthrough, and the ghost stories surrounding his former home.

• The Poe Toaster: The mysterious stranger who visited Poe's grave every January 19th, leaving cognac and three red roses.

• The Ghosts of Fell's Point: Reports of a nineteenth-century figure wandering Baltimore's historic waterfront streets.

• The Horse You Came In On Saloon: The legendary tavern associated with Poe's final days and an alleged resident spirit named Edgar.

• History Versus Haunting: Why Poe's supernatural legacy continues to flourish nearly two centuries after his death.

COMING NEXT: THE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE

Our journey into America's haunted history continues in San Jose, California, where Sarah Winchester, widow of firearms heir William Wirt Winchester, spent decades transforming a modest farmhouse into an architectural labyrinth.

Staircases leading nowhere. Doors opening onto empty space. Rooms within rooms. And a persistent legend that Sarah Winchester believed herself haunted by the spirits of people killed by the rifle that made her family wealthy.

Was the Winchester Mystery House built to confuse the dead, or is the truth behind its construction even more fascinating than the ghost stories?

Find out next time on The Devil Within.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us for new investigations into true crime, paranormal phenomena, occult history, and the mysteries that continue to haunt us.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating and a written review. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners and keeps these stories alive.

Watch & Subscribe: Watch The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes, original videos, and exclusive content from across the Evio Universe.

Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for episode updates, historical mysteries, and behind-the-scenes content.

Have a Story to Tell? Send your paranormal experiences, true crime tips, and story suggestions to mailto:[email protected].

The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production.

EPISODE KEYWORDS

Edgar Allan Poe, The Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, Poe haunting, Edgar Allan Poe House, Baltimore ghosts, haunted Baltimore, Fell's Point, Poe Toaster, Poe's grave, Westminster Burying Ground, The Horse You Came In On Saloon, haunted taverns, paranormal investigations, American Gothic, literary ghosts, true ghost stories, The Devil Within, Branden Morgan, Evio Creative.

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THE DEVIL WITHIN

The Five Lost Days: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Episode One | Edgar Allan Poe Series

On September 27, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe boarded a steamship in Richmond, Virginia, with plans for the future and a woman he hoped to marry. Five days later, one of America's most celebrated masters of the macabre had seemingly vanished from the historical record.

When Poe resurfaced in Baltimore on October 3, he was delirious, gravely ill, and reportedly wearing clothes that weren't his own. He had been discovered outside a tavern serving as an election polling place, unable to explain where he'd been or what had happened to him. Four days later, at just forty years old, Edgar Allan Poe was dead.

Nearly two centuries later, the circumstances remain a mystery.

In this episode of The Devil Within, Branden Morgan investigates the strange final days of Edgar Allan Poe, exploring theories involving alcoholism, disease, robbery, and a sinister nineteenth-century election fraud scheme known as cooping, in which unsuspecting men were allegedly kidnapped, drugged, disguised, and forced to vote repeatedly.

But Poe's story doesn't end with his death.

Twenty-six years after his burial, his remains were exhumed and relocated to a more prominent grave in Baltimore. What followed was a particularly disturbing legend: that scratches had been discovered inside his coffin, suggesting the man who famously wrote about the horrors of premature burial had himself been buried alive.

Is there any truth to the story, or did generations of admirers simply invent the perfect ending for America's greatest Gothic storyteller?

From Poe's unexplained disappearance to the macabre folklore surrounding his grave, The Five Lost Days explores the uncomfortable territory where documented history ends and legend begins.

Some mysteries remain unsolved. Others become immortal.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Poe's final departure from Richmond and his plans to marry Elmira Royster Shelton.

• The five missing days between September 27 and October 3, 1849.

• His mysterious discovery at a Baltimore polling place.

• The competing medical and criminal theories surrounding his death.

• The terrifying nineteenth-century practice of premature burial and the invention of safety coffins.

• Poe's 1875 exhumation and the legend of the scratches inside his coffin.

COMING NEXT: THE GHOST OF EDGAR ALLAN POE

Our investigation continues in Baltimore, where Poe's presence supposedly lingers nearly two centuries after his death. From his former home on Amity Street and the cemetery where he rests to the haunted taverns of Fell's Point, we explore the ghost stories, strange encounters, and enduring legends surrounding the man who made the macabre an American art form.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episodes explore true crime, paranormal mysteries, occult history, and the darkest corners of the human experience.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave us a five-star rating and a written review. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners.

Watch & Subscribe: Visit the Evio Creative YouTube channel, subscribe, and turn on notifications for video episodes, original investigations, and more from across the Evio Universe.

Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for episode updates, historical mysteries, and behind-the-scenes content.

Have a Story to Tell? Send your paranormal encounters, true crime tips, and story suggestions to mailto:[email protected].

The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production.

EPISODE KEYWORDS

Edgar Allan Poe, The Five Lost Days, Edgar Allan Poe death, Edgar Allan Poe mystery, Baltimore 1849, Poe's final days, premature burial, buried alive, Poe's grave, Poe exhumation, cooping, election fraud, Gothic literature, historical mysteries, true crime history, paranormal history, The Devil Within, Branden Morgan, Evio Creative.

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THE DEVIL'S LEDGER

Week of October 19, 2026 | Evio Creative

A Haunted Halloween, the Murdaugh Retrial, The Lexi CON & Crystal Lake

This week on The Devil's Ledger, we begin on a somber note, acknowledging the victims and families affected by the reported elementary school shooting in Bend, Oregon, and confronting America's ongoing epidemic of gun violence.

Then, in The Creepiest Thing I Heard This Week, a horrifying accident during a livestreamed church service in Ecuador raises unsettling questions about faith, fate, and one of the most improbable tragedies imaginable.

THIS WEEK ACROSS THE EVIO UNIVERSE:

THE DEVIL WITHIN | HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

October gets considerably darker as we investigate the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe and the five missing days before his final appearance in Baltimore. Then we travel to California's legendary Winchester Mystery House, where an eccentric heiress, an architectural labyrinth, and more than a century of ghost stories have created one of America's most fascinating haunted landmarks.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF | THE MURDAUGH RETRIAL

New developments in the Alex Murdaugh murder case raise questions about missing weapons, unrecovered clothing, a possible secret grand jury proceeding, and unidentified male DNA found beneath Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails. Could additional forensic testing change the course of the upcoming retrial?

THE SLIPPERY | INTRODUCING THE LEXI CON

From the creators of Scamanda, Nancy Moscatiello and Scott Eldridge introduce The Lexi CON, a multipart investigation into a Maryland woman's extraordinary medical claims, a community united by faith, and allegations of an elaborate deception that inspired thousands of dollars in donations.

Listen to The Slippery and The Lexi CON: https://linktr.ee/TheSlippery

THIS WEEK IN HORROR | CRYSTAL LAKE

We're returning to Camp Crystal Lake for Peacock's Friday the 13th origin series, starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees. Before Jason became horror royalty, his mother had a story of her own, and it wasn't particularly conducive to a pleasant summer vacation.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE EVIO UNIVERSE

• Listen & Follow: Subscribe to The Devil's Ledger, The Devil Within, Criminal Mischief, and The Slippery wherever you get your podcasts.

• Rate & Review: Leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps independent storytelling reach new audiences.

• Watch & Subscribe: Visit the Evio Creative YouTube channel, subscribe, and turn on notifications for new episodes, videos, and exclusive content.

• Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram.

• Have a Story or Tip? Email mailto:[email protected].

Stay safe out there, protect the ones you love, and we'll see you this week across the Evio Universe.

The Devil's Ledger | An Evio Creative Production

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THE DEVIL’S AUDITION

Episode Three: The Body by the River

For more than twenty years, Valerie McDonald’s family lived without an answer.

Valerie disappeared from San Francisco in November 1980 after Michael Hennessey offered the aspiring actress a small role in a Dustin Hoffman movie—a movie that did not exist. Hennessey and John Gordon Abbott subsequently fled north toward Canada, where Hennessey was killed in a shootout with police. Valerie’s identification was reportedly found among the fugitives’ belongings, but Valerie herself seemed to have vanished.

Then came the discovery nobody initially understood.

On October 3, 1991, hunters found partial human remains near the Kettle River in Ferry County, Washington, roughly a mile from the Canadian border. The woman could not be identified and became a Jane Doe. For nearly another decade, two investigations continued independently: Valerie remained a missing woman in California while her unidentified remains waited in Washington.

In January 2001, dental records finally connected them.

The Kettle River Jane Doe was Valerie McDonald.

In the final episode of The Devil’s Audition, we follow Valerie home and confront the tantalizing geography of her case. Her remains were discovered near the Canadian border—the same general direction Hennessey and Abbott traveled after she vanished—but geography is not proof. No one has ever been convicted of Valerie’s murder.

We also return to Phillip Arthur Thompson, whose later conviction for the murder of twenty-one-year-old Betty Cloer established just how dangerous at least one man in Valerie’s orbit truly was, while still providing no legal answer to what happened to Valerie. TDW_Devil Audition_3

And finally, we reconsider the Satanic-cult theory that has followed this case for decades. Valerie reportedly described some activity around the Tower Apartments as Satanic, but there is no reliable evidence establishing that she was murdered in a Satanic ritual or sacrificed by a cult. The documented story may be considerably simpler—and considerably more frightening. TDW_Devil Audition_3

Valerie knew she was in danger. She was already leaving.

Then someone offered the aspiring actress exactly what she wanted: an audition.

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This is the conclusion of The Devil’s Audition. Thank you for spending these three episodes with Valerie McDonald and with us.

We’ll have an entirely new story next week. Stay tuned.

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