Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/silly-string-florida-escort/

A 48-year-old woman transformed a children's party toy into a weapon at a motorcycle-themed bar, landing herself in jail after emptying an entire can on a masonry contractor.

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#FloridaWoman #SillyStringAttack #WeirdCrimes #TrueCrime #OnlyInFlorida

Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/human-bones-ritual-luggage-tampa-airport

A traveler returning to the US through Tampa International Airport was caught with suspected human skull fragments and bones wrapped in tinfoil, which they claimed were for ritual purposes.

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#TampaAirport #HumanRemains #AirportSecurity #WeirdDiscoveries #CustomsSeizure

From the chilling 1874 case that coined 'don't take candy from strangers' to Patty Hearst's transformation from heiress to bank robber, journey through true tales of kidnapping where victims outsmarted their captors, others never escaped, and some didn't want to. These are the abduction stories you've never heard—told by the survivors themselves and featuring cases of Stockholm Syndrome that challenge everything we think we know about survival.

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IN THIS EPISODE: “Don’t take candy from strangers” - that warning stemmed from a real kidnapping in 1874, made even more history-making by being the first kidnapping in U.S. history to demand money for the child’s safe return. (The First U.S. Kidnapping For Ransom) *** I’ll share true kidnapping stories told by the victims – stories you’ve never heard, because none of them made the evening news. (True Stories of Abduction) *** In some kidnapping cases, the victim outsmarts their abductor. We’ll look at a few quick-thinking abductees whose out-of-the-box thinking and determination to survive helped them to escape their captors. (They Outsmarted Their Kidnappers) *** In some cases of kidnapping, the victims have an opportunity to escape – but don’t. They even try to help those who abducted them in the first place. In many cases this indicates the victim is suffering from a terrifying type of brainwashing we’ve come to know as Stockholm Syndrome – and we’ll look at a few famous cases of it. (True Cases of Stockholm Syndrome) *** A beautiful California co-ed was kidnapped in 1974 - and two months later, she burst into a bank with a machine gun. We’ll look at how Stockholm Syndrome changed 19-year-old wealthy heiress Patty Hearst into a cold-blooded bank robber. (The Brainwashing of Patty Hearst)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = “The Kidnap” short story
00:03:31.725 = Show Intro
00:05:45.230 = First Kidnapping For Ransom
00:16:40.781 = True Stories of Abduction
00:39:23.473 = They Outsmarted Their Kidnappers
00:48:30.096 = True Cases of Stockholm Syndrome
01:04:14.878 = Brainwashing of Patty Hearst
01:19:59.744 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The First U.S. Kidnapping For Ransom” by Amanda Sedlak-Hevener for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/y2v2q93v
“True Stories of Abduction” by Amanda Sedlak-Hevener for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/yxgg53ez
“True Cases of Stockholm Syndrome” by Jonathan Sherman for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/y5m33n4c
“The Brainwashing of Patty Hearst” by Genevieve Carlton for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/y4d6kqhz
“They Outsmarted Their Kidnappers” by Cristina Sanza for Ranker.com: https://tinyurl.com/yxodhtot
The fictional short story I began the podcast with, “The Kidnap” is by Rajesh K.: https://tinyurl.com/yxn6xnpr
=====(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: September 22, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/kidnappings
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.
#TrueCrime #StockholmSyndrome #PattyHearst #KidnappingSurvivors #TrueCrimePodcast

Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/doordash-hostage-sweetwater/

A routine delivery to a Texas motel turned into a rescue operation when a DoorDash driver's instincts about an unusual order proved terrifyingly accurate.

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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#TrueCrime #DoorDashHero #TexasCrime #HostageRescue #CrimeNews

Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/zambia-witchcraft-trial-president-chameleon

A live chameleon in a bottle, mysterious white powder, and a political conspiracy led to Zambia's first presidential witchcraft trial.

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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#ZambiaWitchcraftTrial #AfricanPolitics2025 #WitchcraftAssassinationPlot #ChameleonRitual #TrueCrimeAfrica

Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

A man discovers that his favorite detective novels predict true crimes. Then he finds a book in the series that seems to indicate his own future. The novel tells of how his boss and his wife plan to kill him so they can marry. They discuss “How To Kill Rudy!” | #RetroRadio EP0518

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “How To Kill Rudy” (December 02, 1976)
00:44:55.201 = Philip Marlowe, “Bums Rush” (September 03, 1949)
01:14:08.227 = Danger Dr. Danfield, “Ghost in Merdock’s Swamp” (February 09, 1947) ***WD
01:40:10.714 = The Black Mass, “A Predicament” and “Tell-Tale Heart” (June 20, 1964) ***WD
02:09:09.901 = Beyond Midnight, “The Crystal Ball” (August 01, 1969)
02:37:59.715 = MindWebs, “Light Of Other Days” (June 03, 1979)
03:01:35.098 = It’s Murder, “Picture Wire Murder” (August 10, 1944) ***WD
03:15:01.948 = Mystery In The Air, “Horla” (August 21, 1947) ***WD
03:44:53.774 = Molle Mystery Theater, “Two Men in a Furnished Room” (November 28, 1947)
04:14:09.818 = The World Adventures Club, “Living Mummy” (1932) ***WD
04:27:25.090 = Murder at Midnight, “Dead Come Back” (November 19, 1946)
04:51:24.256 = 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.
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
= = = = =#ParanormalRadio #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0518

There’s something deeply unsettling about the idea that your dead neighbor might climb out of their grave at night and knock on your door. But for communities across Europe and America throughout history, this wasn’t just a scary story – it was a genuine fear that drove them to take drastic action.

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IN THIS EPISODE: Throughout centuries, ordinary people became vampire slayers when mysterious deaths plagued their communities, armed with stakes, shovels, and a terrifying determination to stop the undead.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:03:27.944 = Show Open
00:05:32.271 = Part One: When Governments Hunted Vampires
00:21:37.443 = Part Two: Born To Hunt The Dead
00:38:00.129 = Part Three: The Science of Hunting Vampires
= Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
Real Vampire Slayers: https://weirddarkness.com/real-vampire-slayers/
=====(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: September 23, 2025
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/RealVampireSlayers
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.
#VampireHunters #RealVampires #TrueHistory #WeirdDarkness #VampirePanic
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.

On January 2, 1935, a young man checked into Kansas City's Hotel President under a fake name, insisting the maid leave his door unlocked while he sat alone in complete darkness. Three days later, he was found brutally tortured and murdered in Room 1046—and when someone mysteriously paid for his funeral with a note signed "Love forever, Louise," investigators realized they had no idea who the victim really was or who killed him.

Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/survey

IN THIS EPISODE: When Roland T. Owen signed in to rent a room at the Hotel President in Kansas City on the afternoon of January 2nd, 1935, it began a chain of strange and bizarre events and behavior that baffle mystery and crime enthusiasts even today. (The Horror in Room 1046) *** If you are planning a visit to the beautiful Banff Hotel in the Canadian Rockies you might discover that the rumor is true, it very much is haunted. (Room 873 at the Banff Hotel) *** Does the ghost of a shoemaker continue to reside in Winston-Salem, North Carolina? (The Little Red Man of Old Salem)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:42.353 = Horror In Room 1046
00:19:14.785 = Room 873 At The Banff Hotel
00:27:45.911 = House On The Hill
00:32:18.061 = Little Red Man of Old Salem
00:44:32.627 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“Room 873 at the Banff Hotel” by Joseph D. Kubal for Spooky Things Online: https://tinyurl.com/y4zvrsza
“House on the Hill” by Weirdo family member Mona Thompson
“The Horror In Room 1046” by Undine for Strange Company: https://tinyurl.com/y32x9gkm
“The Little Red Man of Old Salem” by Tim Bullard for the Camel City Dispatch: https://tinyurl.com/y55n97f8
=====(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: September 18, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/Room1046
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.
#Room1046 #UnsolvedTrueCrime #ColdCase1935 #KansasCityMystery #RolandTOwen

Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/woman-sells-soul-labubu-dolls

A 26-year-old Moscow woman signed away her eternal soul in blood for trendy collectibles, sparking condemnation from the Russian Orthodox Church.
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#LabubuDollSoulSelling #WomanSellsSoulForToys #RussianOrthodoxWarning #BloodContractForDolls #LabubuControversy

Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

When novelist Lyman Clinth retreats to an isolated cabin to finish his latest thriller, the jealous villain he's writing begins appearing outside the manuscript—with deadly intentions toward Lyman's wife. Now Lyman must convince Hazel the danger is real before his own creation completes a murder scene he never wrote! Hear the tale from the Hermit’s Cave! | #RetroRadio EP0517

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Now You See Them – Now You Don’t” (November 30, 1976)
00:46:28.646 = Hermit’s Cave, “The Author of Murder” (May 02, 1937)
01:12:48.884 = Mystery Is My Hobby, “Tom Torelli” (September 15, 1946)
01:36:35.666 = Sherlock Holmes, “Waltz of Death” (April 29, 1946) ***WD
02:03:53.913 = House of Mystery, “Haunters and Haunted” (June 13, 1945) ***WD
02:18:14.857 = Incredible But True, “Pray For Me” (1950-1951)
02:21:49.453 = Inner Sanctum, “I Walk In The Night” (February 26, 1946) ***WD (LQ)
02:47:37.899 = The Key, “The Cellar” (1956) ***WD
03:13:34.016 = Lights Out, “Death Robbery” (July 16, 1947) ***WD
03:42:34.966 = Lux Radio Theater, “The Big Clock” (November 22, 1948)
04:41:57.178 = Macabre, “Man In The Mirror” (November 27, 1961) ***WD
05:10:59.598 = 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.
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"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
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0517