When the darkness reaches its Zenith

And the moon floats high and white

When the spirits scream

And knife blades gleam

It’s….

Shortly After Midnight

Hello fiends, and welcome to the darkest time of day. 

This week's original story, Polly Pocket, is a spellbinding blend of nostalgia and nightmares told through the eyes of the scariest creatures known to man, Middle school girls. Set In the not so distant past, this terrifying tale takes us on a trip to a charming little hideaway deep in the woods, filled with dappled sunlight, singing birds and terrifying secrets.

Polly Pocket is a We Would Be Dead Production, written and read by Holly Knapp, with sound and score by Jon Katity, and sparkling prologue / epilogue commentary by cohosts Holly Knapp and Leslie Weidel.

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

REPOST: Due to the sensational new season of the Netflix show "Monster", Ed Gein has been everywhere lately.  Monster: The Ed Gein Story promises an accurate retelling of the life this deeply troubled man, but instead delivers a considerable amount of inaccuracies and copious amounts of downright fabricated information. Ever the truth enthusiasts,  upon hearing this, we decided to share our coverage of what Holly considers to be the most interesting person we've ever explored. We would argue that the word "monster" is actually not appropriate in this case. Perhaps after listening, or re-listening you'll think so too! Either way, hop on over to our social media to let us know your thoughts.   

---------

On the morning of November 16th, 1957, Waushara County Wisconsin police officers responded to the report of missing local hardware store owner, Bernice Worden. Berince lived and worked in the nearby village of Plainfield. The investigation that followed lead authorities to an old farm on the outskirts of town. They were in search of a local man who had been the last reported customer Bernice served before the hardware store went mysteriously dark for the rest of the day. What the police would soon discover in that house however, would put sleepy Plainfield on the map, and change the face of horror movies forever.  

This episode takes a look at the deeply twisted story of Ed Gein, a quiet and unassuming man who did things beyond the realms of most human imaginations. Hang on to your hats this week fiends, because things get graphic!

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

Lets get October started with re-listen to episode 130... We will be back next week with a Shortly After Midnight, followed by some terrifying tales perfect for this Halloween season!

-------------

Charlie Brandt was a quiet man, a loving husband and a good friend. All in all Charlie was what you might call normal. His sudden death however, was anything but. In the process of investigating what appeared to be a gruesome murder suicide, law enforcement discovers a horrifying secret that Charlie and his family kept buried for decades.

CBS news Deadly Obsession

Angela's Police Interview

ATI Charlie Brandt

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

Try Audible Plus

Give the Gift of Audible!

Kindle Unlimited Membership

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

In late 2021, successful journalist and podcaster Chico Felitti relocated to a quiet, old money neighborhood of the mega city of Sáo Paulo Brazil called Higienópolis. One day while on a walk with his dogs he stumbled on an abandoned old manor house, a ghostly figure, and an unbelievable secret hidden right in plain sight. 

In part 2 we will learn more about Margarida Bonetti's terrible secret. We'll uncover the details of her strange life in America, examine the circumstances that would let her keep such a monumental secret, and ultimately tell the story of the woman she kept in modern day slavery for 19 years: Hilda Rosa Dos Santos.

Click to learn more

The Fugitive Heiress Next Door (WAPO Article)

Abandoned: The Woman in the Decaying House Documentary

Rene's Appeal Documents

Original WAPO article

Hilda reunites with the detective on her case

35 Potluck Ideas (just in case)

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

In late 2021, while the waves of deadly corona virus were still cresting and falling, Sao Paulo Brazil, one of the most densely populated cities in the world was a pretty stressful place to be. Desperate to escape the frighteningly close quarters, successful journalist and podcaster Chico Felitti relocated to a quiet, old money neighborhood called Higienópolis. One day while on a walk with his dogs he stumbled on an abandoned old manor house, a ghostly figure, and an unbelievable secret hidden right in plain sight. This story is so shocking an unpredictable that it took me several hours of research to be convinced that it wasn't fiction. At the end of this episode, you may be tempted to think that you've heard everything this case could possibly entail, but hang in there, because remember, there's a part 2. 

Click to learn more

*No peeking! Sources will be listed in full in the show notes of part 2.

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

We’re back this week with a rebroadcast of one of our favorites - Nightmare Fuel (Cursed Objects). Unfortunately, Holly’s been under the weather with Covid, so our brand-new episode is on pause. But with Annabelle making headlines again, we figured there’s no better time to revisit the creepy origins and lore behind her (and a few other famously cursed objects). This one’s a fun, spooky ride. Perfect for a re-listen, or a first dive if you missed it the first time around!

---------------------

This week the girls dig into the chilling world of cursed objects. Holly exploits everyone's inexplainable (well kind of explainable) fear of creepy dolls with the tales of Annabelle, the doll that launched a thousand nightmares with her series of films, and Robert the Doll. Leslie dips into the weirder side of cursed object with the Dibbuk Box and the painting that haunted Ebay "The hands Resist Him".  This is a fun one, fiends; we hope you enjoy! Special guest appearance by Post Malone!  (Well, he's mentioned; the girls don't actually speak to him.) 

* WWBD regrets to inform you that Warren's Occult Museum is currently closed due to structural issues with the building, which would seem to be the price of doing business with roughly 200 demons. Owners of the estate are looking for a new building to house all of their cursed objects. We hope none of them escape in the intrim. Sleep tight fiends. 

 On Friday May 30th 2025 9 year old Paityn, 8 year old Evelyn, and 5 year old Olivia Decker left their home on what should have been a short outing and never returned. Three days later the girl's bodies were found just outside a local campground. What followed was one of the most chilling and emotionally charged manhunts in recent memory. In this episode, we unravel the tragic story of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker—and the man the world is still searching for: their father, Travis Decker.

 If you see Travis Decker, or anyone matching his description—do not approach him, he is considered armed and dangerous. Call 911 immediately or call the US Marshals Service Tip Line (Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force) at  1‑800‑336‑0102. You can also submit tips and details via the USMS Tips portal at usmarshals.gov/tips. Washington State locals can report tips to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line: 509‑667‑6845

Websleuths feed / timeline

NY Post article

Fox 13 coverage

ABC News Timeline

People News article

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

When darkness has reached its Zenith

And the moon floats high and white

When the spirits scream

And knife blades gleam

It’s Shortly After Midnight.

Welcome Fiends, to the darkest time of day! 

Today's terrifying tale takes us to the sleepy little town of Marrow Hill. Nestled in cornfields of middle America, Marrow Hill was the kind of town that songs were written about. In fact, it was often said that Marrow Hill must have had the greenest grass in the country because no one ever wanted to leave...That is until a tragic accident occurred, and the town's residents began slowly and inexplicably killing each other, one by one.  What caused this idyllic little community to fall into a sudden and violent trance, and what, if anything, can break it?

Buy your WWBD swag here! 

They were called “The Lethal Lovers” — two nurse’s aides, Cathy Wood (25) and Gwendolyn Graham (34), whose twisted relationship would leave a trail of death behind the quiet walls of a Michigan nursing home. When Cathy’s ex-husband walked into a police station in 1988 with a chilling confession, investigators uncovered a string of suspicious deaths among Alpine Manor’s most vulnerable residents. What emerged was a story of obsession, manipulation, and murder — and one of the most disturbing cases of female serial killers in U.S. history. 

Medium Article

Forever and 5 days on Amazon, Also Available to borrow on internet archives for free, and in most libraries.

Oxygen original article 

People Magazine update article

Oxygen update article.

Original New York Times article

Buy your WWBD swag here!