Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

From a royal dance floor that turned into a fire trap to a man fined for driving 8 miles an hour, history really woke up confused on this day. | IT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE, JANUARY 28 | The Morning Weird Darkness

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/MWD20260128

#WeirdDarkness, #MorningWD, #DarrenMarlar, #MarlarInTheMorning, #MWD, #TrueHorror, #UnsolvedMysteries, #DarkHistory, #ThisDayInHistory, #GhostShip, #WitchTrials, #DyatlovPass, #ParanormalPodcast, #CreepyHistory, #HistoricalMysteries, #StrangeButTrue, #HorrorStories, #MysteryPodcast, #TrueCrime, #Paranormal

When a Connecticut farm couple nurses an injured extraterrestrial visitor back to health, they have no idea they're caught between a grateful guest from the stars and a government that wants to take him by force. | “The Meteorite” #RetroRadio EP0578

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Meteorite” (April 11, 1977) ***WD
00:44:41.589 = Nick Carter Master Detective, “Legend of Shakespeare’s Ghost” (December 30, 1945) ***WD
01:14:18.754 = Box 13, “Shanghaied” (September 26, 1948)
01:41:23.022 = CBC Mystery Theater, “The Wendigo” (June 01, 1968) ***WD
02:07:07.799 = The Clock, “Liz” (May 09, 1948) ***WD
02:32:48.141 = Creeps By Night, “Strange Burial of Alexander Jordan” (July 13, 1945)
03:02:18.635 = The Crime Club, “A Pitch In Time” (August 07, 1947) ***WD
03:32:19.786 = Danger Dr. Danfield, “Henry Comes Home” (October 13, 1946)
03:57:07.662 = The Devil and Mr. O, “Neanderthal” (September 04, 1971) ***WD
04:25:52.903 = The Diary of Fate, “Victor Wakeman” (June 29, 1948) ***WD
04:52:39.218 = Show Close

(ADU) = Air Date Unknown
(LQ) = Low Quality
***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing.
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library

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.
= = = = =
"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.
= = = = =#ParanormalRadio #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas #WeirdDarkness
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0578

A deep-sea oil executive discovers that delegating a catastrophic emergency to subordinates works best when someone actually answers the intercom.

IN THIS EPISODE: "The Engineer" by Frederick Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth (Infinity Science Fiction, February 1956)

MORE Stories Like This: https://www.auditoryanthology.com

=====Originally aired: January 27, 2026
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/TheEngineer
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.

When a French priest accused a shepherd of witchcraft and beat him with a stick, the shepherd sued for defamation—forcing a courtroom full of witnesses to testify about the song-requesting poltergeist that started the whole mess.

IN THIS EPISODE: A witch ends up in court – not as the defendant, but as the plaintiff! (The Litigating Witch Case) *** As you may have heard, nothing sells like sex and death. A Louisville brothel combined the two when someone dropped dead from poisoning. And the media absolutely loved it. (The Brothel Poisoning) *** While out jogging, Sherri Papini inexplicably disappeared. Twenty-two days later she returned home with a story so incredible it was hard to believe. In fact, some people still don’t believe her after all these years. (The Sherri Papini Mystery) *** When groups of sinister drones began hovering over homes in America’s Midwest, the FBI, US Air Force and 16 police forces set up a task force. But the drones vanished. And some wonder if they ever existed at all. (Attack of the Drones) 

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:38.910 = The Litigating Witch Case
00:15:46.767 = The Brothel Poisoning
00:33:04.490 = The Sherri Papini Mystery
00:39:51.635 = Otto’s (from a Weird Darkness listener)
00:47:13.187 = Attack of the Drones
01:00:11.043 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Litigating Witch Case” from Esoterx.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ktypnf2b
“The Brothel Poisoning” posted at Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3wn6vn74
“The Sheri Papini Mystery” posted at StrangeOutdoors.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/nesbr2yc
“Attack of the Drones” by Amelia Tait for TheGuardian.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yt3s8bb6
Background music by Nicolas Gasparini/Myuu: https://tinyurl.com/lnqpfs8=====(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 23, 2021
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/PoltergeistTrial
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 #Poltergeist #ParanormalHistory #TrueParanormal #GhostStory #Haunted #Supernatural #HistoricalMystery #FrenchHistory #CourtCase

When an unusually quiet night in the ER takes a terrifying turn, nurse Ally and her colleagues find themselves treating patients with injuries—and clothing—straight out of history, but as the chaos mounts, one chilling question remains: where did they come from?

IN THIS EPISODE: "Out of Time” by Keith Conrad

MORE Stories Like This: https://www.auditoryanthology.com

=====Originally aired: January 27, 2026
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/OutOfTime
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.

When a plumber's death gives us bathroom slang and a pop star's pomade turns him into a human torch, you know it's going to be a weird morning. | IT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE, JANUARY 26 | The Morning Weird Darkness

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/MWD20260127

#WeirdDarkness #MorningWD #DarrenMarlar #MarlarInTheMorning #MWD #TrueCrime #DraculaKiller #VampireOfSacramento #RichardChase #CharlesStarkweather #MichaelJackson #GuyFawkes #GunpowderPlot #ThisDayInHistory #StrangeHistory #DarkHistory #SerialKiller #HistoricalDisasters #ParanormalPodcast #TrueCrimePodcast

A suburban husband who never wanted to attend a séance discovers he's the rarest kind of medium — and a dead Napoleonic soldier discovers he's the perfect host. | #RetroRadio EP0577

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Sensitive” (April 05, 1977) ***WD
00:45:09.178 = Dark Venture, “Miser” (December 09, 1946)
01:14:14.478 = The Weird Circle, “Tapestry Horse” (January 28, 1945)
01:41:55.787 = The Whistler, “Death Walks a Tight-Wire” (November 27, 1944) ***WD
02:11:38.801 = Witch’s Tale, “Suicide” (January 22, 1937) ***WD
02:36:54.262 = X Minus One, “The Last Martian” (August 07, 1956)
03:05:33.811 = Zero Hour, “Scream of the Hawk” (May 01, 1974) ***WD
03:22:49.720 = ABC Mystery Time, “Death Walked In” (1956-1957) ***WD
03:46:50.922 = Appointment With Fear, “The Speaking Clock” (April 13, 1944)
04:14:14.434 = BBC Radio 4, “The Almond Tree” (December 2010)
04:42:48.009 = The Black Book, “My Favorite Corpse” (February 24, 1952) ***WD
04:57:15.348 = Show Close

(ADU) = Air Date Unknown
(LQ) = Low Quality
***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode more listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing.
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library

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.
= = = = =
"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.
= = = = =#ParanormalRadio #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas #WeirdDarkness
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0577

In 1922, a French family was overjoyed when their missing toddler was found 250 miles away — until a headless body wearing her clothes was discovered near their farm. Are changelings and doppelgangers real? You might choose tobelieve so after hearing about the strange disappearance of Pauline Picard. 

IN THIS EPISODE: Are changelings and doppelgangers real? You might choose to believe so after hearing about the strange disappearance of Pauline Picard. (The Disappearing of Pauline Picard) *** Plus, we’ll look at a few true first-hand accounts of people who have come across doppelgangers – and for them, it was a frightening experience. (Stories of Real Doppelgangers) *** Dubbed "the Oddfather" for his peculiar mannerisms and longstanding history of bizarre behaviour, Gigante was either genuinely mentally ill or the perpetrator of the longest legal charade in New York's history. (The Oddfather) *** A man wearing a ski mask broke into the home, and kidnapped 13-year-old Jayme, but only after murdering both of her parents in cold blood. But why was it done? Even the kidnapper/murderer says he doesn’t know why he did it. (A Murder Without Motive, a Kidnapping Without Cause) *** UFO researcher Raymond Fowler has been investigating UFO sightings and supposed abduction cases since the 1960s – but in his new book he shares what might be the ultimate story of an alien abduction. (The Ultimate Alien Abduction)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:58.100 = The Disappearing of Pauline Picard
00:07:32.166 = Stories of Real Doppelgangers
00:25:29.623 = The Oddfather
00:35:03.706 = A Murder Without Motive, A Kidnapping Without Cause
00:43:50.621 = The Ultimate Alien Abduction
00:51:18.386 = Ghost Follower (from a Weird Darkness listener)
00:58:27.219 = Bigamy Excused
00:59:32.712 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Disappearing of Pauline Picard” by Addison Nugent for Ozy.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/dtk3pvks
“Stories of Real Doppelgangers” by Nathan Gibson for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y6a3hx7t
“The Oddfather” by Dr. Romeo Vitelli for Providentia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2wanyfwn
“A Murder Without Motive, a Kidnapping Without Cause” from The Scare Chamber: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7ksmerus
“Bigamy Excused” from Second Glance History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2zabd2sd
“The Ultimate Alien Abduction” by T.R. Swartz for SpectralVision.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/9d3cpphn=====(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 22, 2021
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/PaulinePicard
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 #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #PaulinePicard #ColdCase #MissingChild #DarkHistory #HistoricalMystery #CreepyHistory #TrueCrimeCommunity

Nearly thirty years after the alleged UFO crash in Varginha, Brazil, witnesses just gathered at the National Press Club to share testimony about creatures, military cover-ups, and a soldier's mysterious death — and for the first time, a neurosurgeon described standing four minutes with a captured being. #WeirdDarkNEWS

READ or SHARE:
https://weirddarkness.com/varginha-ufo-crash-brazil/

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #VarginhaUFO, #BrazilianRoswell, #UFODisclosure, #AlienEncounter, #MomentOfContact, #UAP, #UFOCrash, #Extraterrestrial

IT HAPPENED ON THIS DATE, JANUARY 26: This morning: television's first star had a wooden face, Cleveland's most famous lawman met his match in a phantom with a scalpel, and Winston Churchill found a very creative loophole during Prohibition. | The Morning Weird Darkness

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/MWD20260126

#WeirdDarkness #MorningWD #DarrenMarlar #MarlarInTheMorning #MWD #TrueCrime #UnsolvedMysteries #EliotNess #ClevelandTorsoMurderer #MadButcher #WinstonChurchill #Prohibition #HistoryOfTelevision #CullinanDiamond #DukesOfHazzard #ThisDayInHistory #StrangeHistory #TrueCrimePodcast #ParanormalPodcast #DarkHistory