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When a missing man presumed drowned is found living 700 miles away with a new family, new career, and new identity, he shocks everyone by insisting he has no memory of his previous life — and psychiatric experts believe him.

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IN THIS EPISODE: A bizarre masked figure interrupted two television broadcasts in 1987, creating one of broadcasting’s most disturbing unsolved mysteries. Who was behind the Max Headroom TV-signal hack? (The Max Headroom Hijacking) *** In the 1990s, residents of England's Wirral Peninsula witnessed enormous metallic discs up to half a mile wide hovering over their villages in broad daylight, including one craft that seemed to emit cries for help from within. (The Heswall Mothership) *** Across America, people with no history of mental illness are spiraling into severe psychosis after conversations with ChatGPT, convinced they've broken the laws of physics or become prophets destined to save the world. (When AI Triggers Psychosis) *** When a missing man presumed drowned is found living 700 miles away with a new family, new career, and new identity, he shocks everyone by insisting he has no memory of his previous life — and psychiatric experts believe him. It’s the strange true story of Lawrence Bader… or is he Fritz Johnson? (The Lawrence Bader Mystery)
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.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:22.760 = Show Open
00:04:24.851 = The Lawrence Bader Mystery
00:19:27.968 = The Max Headroom Hijacking
00:34:31.697 = The Heswall Mothership
00:47:22.930 = When AI Triggers Psychosis
01:00:35.626 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Lawrence Bader Mystery”: https://weirddarkness.com/lawrence-bader-mystery/
“The Max Headroom Hijacking”: https://weirddarkness.com/max-headroom-tv-hijack-chicago/
“The Heswall Mothership”: https://weirddarkness.com/heswall-mothership-ufo-sighting/
“When AI Triggers Psychosis”: https://weirddarkness.com/ai-psychosis/ 
=====(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: July 16, 2025
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/LawrenceBader
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