Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

A 19-year-old hitchhiker had just 12 hours to live when she escaped through a bathroom window — her captor, a NASA engineer with top-secret Pentagon clearance, had already drained nearly half her blood.

IN THIS EPISODE: John Brennan Crutchley was no ordinary rapist and murderer. He added vampirism into his modus operandi. (The True Story of the Vampire Rapist) *** The spooklight phenomenon caused panic in a small Missouri community in the late 1800s – frightening many to the point of moving their family away. And today, the Joplin Spooklight is still a mystery that remains unsolved despite appearing several times a year. (The Mysterious Missouri Spooklights) *** Based on its name alone, you’d think the Gympie-Gympie plant is small, cute, and harmless. In reality, it’s one of the most dangerous plants in the world – and you’ll want to stay as far from it as possible. (The Deadly Gympie-Gympie) *** We’ll end the broadcast with one of the strangest funerals you’ve likely ever heard! (Polly Wanna Tombstone) 

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding
00:01:13.146 = Show Open
00:02:53.503 = The True Story of the Vampire Rapist
00:14:52.231 = Mysterious Missouri Spooklights ***
00:19:13.226 = The Deadly Gympie-Gympie
00:25:25.117 = The Entity That Followed Me (from a Weird Darkness listener) ***
00:34:00.100 = Shared Worlds (from a Weird Darkness listener)
00:43:37.225 = Polly Wanna Tombstone
00:50:32.498 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break

SOURCES and RESOURCES:“The True Story of the Vampire Rapist” by Cat McAuliffe for Unspeakable Times:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4erta5zb
“The Mysterious Missouri Spooklights” from TulsaWorld.com: (Link no longer valid.)
“The Deadly Gympie-Gympie” from TheScareChamber.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/skykszwa
“Polly Wanna Tombstone” by Chris Woodyard for The Victorian Book of the Dead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vcd6me3n=====(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 ©2026, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: July 01, 2021
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/VampireRapist
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 things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#WeirdDarkness #VampireRapist #JohnBrennanCrutchley #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #NASAEngineer #FloridaCrime #TrueCrimeStories #ColdCase #UnsolvedMurders #CriminalMinds #TrueCrimeCommunity #Kidnapping #SurvivorStory #CrimeDocumentary #TrueHorror #PentagonSecrets #BrevardCounty #CriminalPsychology #TrueCrimeYouTube

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

A Shanghai woman's battle against a "demon-revealing" traffic mirror led to a rash of car accidents, police intervention, and mirrors sealed in cement.


READ, PRINT, SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/fengshui-traffic-mirror/

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

#WeirdDarkness #WeirdDarkNEWS #FengShui #Shanghai #China #DemonRevealingMirror #ChineseFolklore #ChineseMythology #NineTailedFox #Supernatural #Paranormal #StrangeNews #WeirdNews #CursedObjects #Superstition #BadLuck #TrueStories #BizarreStories #OddNews #ViralNews

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

A Missouri man allegedly threatened to kill someone because he was denied access to a soft drink, proving that brand loyalty can be taken too far.


READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/pepsi-murder-threat

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

#WeirdDarkness #WeirdDarkNEWS #TrueCrime #BizarreCrime #StrangeNews #MissouriCrime #Pepsi #MurderThreat #StalkingArrest #WeirdNews

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

From mass ritual suicide to mass hysteria, unanimous elections to ancient manuscripts that proved the Bible's accuracy, February 4th has a body count — and a weirdness count — that spans centuries and continents. | The Morning Weird Darkness #MWD

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

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: https://WeirdDarkness.com/MWD20260204

#WeirdDarkness #MorningWD #DarrenMarlar #MarlarInTheMorning #MWD #ThisDayInHistory #February4th #FortySevenRonin #SamuraiHistory #PattyHearst #EiffelTower #FranzReichelt #EmperorNorton #GeorgeRomero #DarkHistory #TrueStories #HistoryPodcast #StrangeHistory #DeadSeaScrolls #BloodyMary

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

A British filmmaker says a Trump insider leaked plans for a historic UFO disclosure speech timed to the Roswell anniversary — but the claim has more red flags than evidence.

READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/trump-ufo-july

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

#WeirdDarkness #WeirdDarkNEWS #UFO #UFOs #UAP #Aliens #Disclosure #Trump #Roswell #UFOdisclosure #Extraterrestrial #GovernmentCoverup #UFOnews #DavidGrusch #Whistleblower #AgeOfDisclosure #RendleshamForest #FlyingSaucer #NonHumanIntelligence #Pentagon

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

Some believe it was a lone gun experiment. Others believe the whole incident was something from the paranormal. And still others say it was a case of mass hysteria. Who or what exactly was the Mad Gasser of Mattoon?

IN THIS EPISODE: In the fall of 1944, the quiet town of Mattoon, Illinois, was gripped by fear as an enigmatic figure known as the 'Mad Gasser' unleashed mysterious gas attacks, leaving victims paralyzed and bewildered. Decades later, the identity and motives of this phantom attacker remain one of history's most chilling unsolved mysteries.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Mad Gasser of Mattoon” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4j3xh6sa

=====(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 ©2026, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 28, 2021
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MadGasserOfMattoon
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 things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#WeirdDarkness #MadGasserOfMattoon #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueMystery #ParanormalStories #CreepyHistory #AmericanMysteries #UnexplainedPhenomena #HistoricalMysteries #TrueHorror #MysteriousAttacker #UrbanLegends #StrangeButTrue #UnsolvedCases #DarkHistory #SpookyStories #TrueCrime #MattoonIllinois #PhantomAttacker #MysteryPodcast

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

A 24-year-old in Toulouse, France needed emergency surgery after inserting a live World War I artillery shell into his rectum, which honestly raises more questions than it answers.

READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/buttbomb

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #WWI, #BombSquad, #HospitalEvacuation, #StrangeNews, #WeirdNews, #BizarreNews, #TrueStory, #DarkHumor, #MilitaryHistory, #UnexplodedOrdnance, #France, #IronHarvest, #WorldWarOne, #MedicalEmergency, #WTFNews, #YouCantMakeThisUp, #HistoryFacts, #StrangeButTrue

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

From a vengeful saint's ghost striking down a Viking conqueror to an occult-obsessed music producer who foresaw death at a séance and then walked straight into his own dark prophecy, February 3rd is one of history's most unsettling dates. | IT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE, FEBRUARY 03 | The Morning Weird Darkness #MWD

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

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: https://WeirdDarkness.com/MWD20260203

#WeirdDarkness, #MorningWD, #DarrenMarlar, #MarlarInTheMorning, #MWD, #ThisDayInHistory, #TrueCrime, #GhostStories, #Paranormal, #DarkHistory, #CreepyHistory, #BuddyHolly, #DayTheMusicDied, #HistoricalMysteries, #Occult, #Seance, #TrueCrimePodcast, #ParanormalPodcast, #HistoryPodcast, #CreepyPodcast

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

Peter Stumpp was arrested accused of being an "insatiable bloodsucker” - which, in 1589, meant he was being accused of being a werewolf. Even stranger… Peter readily admitted to being one.

IN THIS EPISODE: For years the doctors couldn’t figure out why Wally was coughing so much, why his skin cracked and bled, turning the bedsheets red. They prescribed ointments, antibiotics, decongestants, pain killers. His guts ached for years, too, and even morphine didn’t help the pain. He died a wraith, 73 years old. The government says it has no idea what happened to him, but then that’s because he worked in Area 51. (Area 51 Killed My Husband) *** Two accounts of Bigfoot are reported from Illinois. But these aren’t your typical sightings. They take place in the middle of the night, possibly inside a dream. In fact, they aren’t described as Bigfoot – but as a wookie, like Chewbacca from Star Wars. But then, how do you explain the accounts being exactly the same from two complete strangers? (Wookies In Illinois) *** Peter Stumpp was arrested accused of being an "insatiable bloodsucker” - which, in 1589, meant he was being accused of being a werewolf. Even stranger… Peter readily admitted to being one. (The Man Who Went On Trial For Being a Werewolf) *** It’s first sighting was described as “half man and half beast, standing about five feet six inches, with a tall pointed head. Whatever it was that he had seen, he was convinced that it was neither a bear nor a monkey.” We take a look at the mysterious creature, the Yeti. (Taking a Look At the Yeti Phenomenon) *** On May 16, 1929, Al Capone was arrested in Philadelphia on gun-carrying charges – but it was a put-up job that unfortunately led to a year in prison and Capone’s first encounters with the ghost that he believed haunted him to the grave! (Al Capone and the Ghost of Jimmy Clark) *** Seeing an intruder while in the shower may sound cliché for the movies – but not so much when it happens to you. (Those Strange Fingertips) *** Multiple women have disappeared without a trace from what has become known as Ireland’s ‘vanishing triangle’. Their fates still remain a mystery. (The Ireland Vanishings) *** When you see something out of the corner of your eye, simply to turn and not see anything there… is it your imagination, or is something else at work? (From Work to Home) *** The ancient pterodactyl, the legendary thunderbird, the cryptid known as the Mothman: could they all be one and the same? (Is Mothman a Shapeshifter)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding
00:01:15.620 = Show Open
00:04:36.200 = The Man Who Went On Trial For Being a Werewolf
00:18:33.359 = Area 51 Killed My Husband ***
00:46:26.361 = Wookie In Illinois ***
00:53:02.859 = Is Mothman a Shapeshifter?
00:58:01.077 = The Ireland Vanishings
01:01:31.452 = From Work To Home
01:05:59.360 = Al Capone and the Ghost of Jimmy Clark ***
01:15:31.148 = Those Strange Fingertips (From a Weird Darkness listener)
01:18:17.144 = The Yeti Phenomenon
= Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“The Man Who Went On Trial For Being a Werewolf” by Ashley Cowie from Ancient Origins: http://bit.ly/2mh5Qlu
“Old Stinker” by Sam George from Ancient Origins: http://bit.ly/31RSNHt
“Area 51 Killed My Husband” by Richard Leiby from The Washington Post: https://wapo.st/2lNYbeg
“Wookies in Illinois” posted anonymously to PhantomsAndMonsters.com: http://bit.ly/2lT3BVq
“Is Mothman a Shapeshifter?” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: http://bit.ly/2m1A4bV
“Al Capone and the Ghost of Jimmy Clark” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2kbVGC0
“Those Strange Fingertips” by Kristine J., submitted at WeirdDarkness.com
“The Ireland Vanishings” posted at The Line Up: http://bit.ly/2lGfaiu
“From Work to Home” by Thor220 at YourGhostStories.com: http://bit.ly/2m45wX2
“Taking a Look at the Yeti Phenomenon” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: http://bit.ly/2kBC5LG
=====(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 ©2026, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 26, 2021 and June 27, 2018
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/WerewolfTrial
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 things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
#WeirdDarkness, #Werewolf, #PeterStumpp, #TrueCrime, #Paranormal, #TheExorcist, #DarkHistory, #Lycanthropy, #OldStinker, #HistoricalHorror

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.

A poor family in a remote Indian village claims a wandering sadhu cursed their house after being denied bread, and now fires erupt without warning or explanation in a home with no electricity.

READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/IndiaFirePoltergeist

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #MysteryFires, #SadhuCurse, #FirePoltergeist, #UnexplainedFires, #CursedHouse, #ParanormalIndia, #Poltergeist, #SpontaneousFires

More episodes, additional podcasts, books, original music, in-depth paranormal and true-crime articles, and much more at https://weirddarkness.com.