Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

In 1835, a New York newspaper convinced thousands of readers that the moon teemed with bat-winged humanoids, walking beavers, and unicorns, creating the most successful media hoax in American history. The techniques that fooled Yale professors and missionaries nearly two centuries ago are the same ones being used to deceive you today, just wearing modern clothes and confirming what you already want to believe.

LINKS…
Sermon Transcript: https://weirddarkness.com/cotu-moonhoax1835
Moon Hoax episode of Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/1835moonhoax/

Hear previous #ChurchOfTheUndead messages at https://WeirdDarkness.com/Church
Darren Marlar is a licensed minister through the Universal Life Church: https://www.themonastery.org
“Church Of The Undead” theme music by Epidemic Sound
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness
Weird Darkness® and Church Of The Undead™ are trademarked. Copyright © 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.
#ChristianDiscernment #FalseProphets #WeirdDarkness #GreatMoonHoax

When security guards spotted children in Victorian clothing dancing in circles at midnight on a muddy construction site, they approached to investigate - only to watch the kids vanish into thin air, leaving no footprints in the mud where they'd been playing. And that’s just one ghostly incident on the A616 – Britain’s most haunted road.

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IN THIS EPISODE: It’s a stretch of road that only opened in 1988 to connect two existing roads, but it is known for being one of the deadliest roads in all of Britain… and one of the most haunted places in the world. The official designation is the A616… but most people know it as the Stocksbridge Bypass. (The Deadly Stocksbridge Bypass) *** 
Experiencing something strange is one thing. Experiencing two strange things in two different places might be called a coincidence. But when you experience three strange things in three different places, as Chet Guthrie did – you have to wonder if maybe the weirdness if following you around. (Three Events In Three Places of Really Weird Happenings) *** The Georgian Britains were obsessed with clean air, which was not surprising… because there was practically no clean air to obsess about. Even less-so in and around the cemeteries. (The Stench of Georgian Graveyards) *** A woman typically carries a baby for nine months before pregnancy. Sometimes a bit longer, sometimes a bit shorter, but that’s the average. Technology has made it possible for the baby to be born much sooner if complications were to arise, and still survive to be a healthy child. But we might have a new record on shortest pregnancy. One woman in Indonesia is claiming she gave birth after being pregnant for only one hour. (The One Hour Pregnancy) *** Heavy fog is commonplace in London, and in 1952 one particular fog rolled in for a full five days, hovering over the city. But when it finally dissipated, over 12,000 Londoners lay dead. (The Deadly Fog of 1952) *** A borrowed gun, romantically linked cousins, and a rigged jury – all the makings of a great murder trial in 1887 New Jersey. (A Mount Holly Tragedy) *** Here’s an idea on how to fight the black plague… throat lozenges… made from toad vomit! Hey, it was good enough for Isaac Newton! It was his own recipe! (Toad Vomit Lozenges)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:02:35.682 = Show Open
00:05:40.998 = The Deadly Stocksbridge Bypass
00:22:00.682 = Deadly Fog of 1952
00:28:20.798 = Stench of Georgian Graveyards
00:35:28.823 = The One Hour Pregnancy
00:39:30.093 = Three Events In Three Places of Really Weird Happenings
00:46:43.512 = A Mount Holly Tragedy
00:51:05.738 = Toad Vomit Lozenges
00:55:15.086 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “Dark Days of Georgian Britain” by James Hobson: https://amzn.to/2X5cKd6
VIDEO: Britain’s Most Haunted Road - Stocksbridge Bypass: https://tinyurl.com/y3epler8
“Toad Vomit Lozenges” by Laura Geggel for Live Science: https://tinyurl.com/y5dmuwy9
“Three Events In Three Places of Really Weird Happenings” by Chet Guthrie for Cleveland Banner: https://tinyurl.com/y5c2wxhc
“The Deadly Fog of 1952” from The Gypsy Thread: https://tinyurl.com/y3pr4mvx
“The One Hour Pregnancy” by Spooky at Oddity Central: https://tinyurl.com/yxd42hqz
“The Stench of Georgian Graveyards” by James Hobson from his book “Dark Days of Georgian Britain:https://tinyurl.com/y5485fkn
“A Mount Holly Tragedy” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder by Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/yxwqu7l5
“The Deadly Stocksbridge Bypass” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe: https://tinyurl.com/y6qj6ps2=====(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 08, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/StocksbridgeBypass
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.
#StocksbridgeBypass #HauntedRoadsUK #TrueGhostStories #BritishParanormal #PhantomChildren #PoliceGhostEncounter #UKGhosts #HauntedHighways #ParanormalInvestigation #WeirdDarkness

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A desperate publishing house receives a manuscript from an author who's been dead for two years - a first-person account of Hell that mysteriously cannot be copied, printed, or recorded by any earthly means. CBC’s Nightfall presents, “The Book of Hell!” | #RetroRadio EP0503

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Deathly-White Man” (October 27, 1976)
00:44:47.295 = Molle Mystery Theater, “Zelma’s Boy” (September 19, 1947)
01:14:02.184 = The Cisco Kid, “Mummy In The Desert” (April 21, 1953) ***WD
01:40:59.086 = Murder at Midnight, “Man With The Black Beard” (November 08, 1946)
02:07:00.921 = The Black Museum, “Gas Receipt” (January 29, 1952) ***WD
02:28:02.096 = Mysterious Traveler, “Big Brain” (March 14, 1950) ***WD (LQ)
02:57:55.222 = Mystery House, “Bases Loaded” (June 14, 1946) ***WD
03:23:56.542 = CBC Nightfall, “The Book of Hell” (July 23, 1982)
03:51:56.130 = Obsession, “Kiss of Kismet” (October 03, 1950) ***WD
04:14:22.652 = Origin of Superstition, “Crossing Your Fingers” (1935) ***WD
04:28:04.040 = Peril, “Curse of Ramses” (1953) ***WD
04:49:55.763 = 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/WDRR0503

Original Article: https://weirddarkness.com/ufo-hearing-september-2025/

Military veterans prepare to expose classified UAP encounters as Congress demands answers about decades of hidden UFO programs.
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#UFOHearing #UAPWhistleblower #PentagonUFO #UFODisclosure #MilitaryUFO #UFOCongress #September9UAP #AnnaPaulinaLuna #UFOTestimony #GovernmentUFO

“The Curse of the Bones” by Kieran Cryderman, age 6
“The Wedding Day” by Heidi Bauman-Smith, age 5
“The Thing In My Closet” by Carrick Wells, age 8
“Alien Alert” by Alora, age 9

Find more family-friendly frights and creepy games to play on our website at http://MicroTerrors.com!
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrors
Other stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaU
Other narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com
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Weird Darkness©, 2025
Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids™, 2025#ScaryStoriesForKids #StoriesForKids #KidsStories #HalloweenKids #MicroTerrors #HalloweenStories

Before Tolkien turned them into noble archers, medieval people believed elves were dangerous beings who shot invisible arrows that caused mental illness, stabbing pains, and livestock death.

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IN THIS EPISODE: Elves – they are portrayed as helpful and joyous when helping a shoemaker, or a jolly old man with a white beard at the north pole. But they are portrayed as evil in some other cultures – even claimed to be in league with the devil himself. And what do they have to do with Cain and Abel? We’ll look at the history of elves. (A History of Elves) *** There was a struggle, one of the men fell through a window to the street below, breaking his neck. A case that practically solved itself according to police. That is… until they began questioning those involved. Then it began to get very murky, and a bit bizarre. (The Strange Death of Thomas Farrant) *** Do you believe in vampires? If you are thinking of the undead, immortal, blood-sucking creatures of the night who speak with a Hungarian accent, then probably not. Or if you are thinking of the kind of vampires with pale skin and mussed hair that sparkle, then definitely not. But that doesn’t mean that vampires don’t exist. They in fact do roam the earth in human form, and I’ll tell you about them. (Are Vampires Real?) *** It’s the story of two Georges, one with his father’s name and one with not quite his father’s name, one legitimate, one illegitimate – with the latter being very good with elephants. I’ll tell you the odd life story of George Nyleve. (The Strange Story of George Nyleve) *** “Be quiet and give me the money in the cash drawer… This gun talks.” And with those words began a string of bank robberies conducted not by a gang of outlaws, or even a couple of bad men… but by one little old lady. (The Grandma Bandit)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In, “The Elves and the Shoemaker” by the Brothers Grimm
00:05:56.641 = Show Open
00:08:25.990 = A History of Elves
00:20:28.857 = Strange Death of Thomas Farrant
00:27:28.578 = Are Vampires Real?
00:34:46.136 = Strange Story of George Nyleve
00:44:09.835 = Grandma Bandit
00:48:40.342 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Elves and the Shoemaker” story was adapted from the Brothers Grimm by Margaret Hunt and posted at Kids Pages: https://tinyurl.com/y2rhxrlz
“A History of Elves” by Gemma Hollman for Just History Posts: https://tinyurl.com/y5dsfbgo
“The Strange Death of Thomas Farrant” by Les Hewitt for Historic Mysteries: https://tinyurl.com/y3w5yvrd
“Are Vampires Real?” by Stephen Wagner for Live About: https://tinyurl.com/y3qanbbs
“The Strange Story of George Nyleve” by William and Karen Ellis-Rees for London Overlooked: https://tinyurl.com/yynxc7od
“The Grandma Bandit” by Robert A. Waters for Kidnapping Murder and Mayhem: https://tinyurl.com/yxpyxd9x=====(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 27, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/DarkTruthAboutElves
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.
#ElvesHistory #MedievalElves #ElfMythology #GermanicFolklore #ElfShot #ElvesBeforeTolkien #NorseMythology #MedievalFolklore #ScandinavianFolklore #MythicalCreatures

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

When homely police officer Bert discovers that his face is his worst enemy in the dating world, he decides the women who reject him deserve a fate worse than a bad date—and his handsome partner Charlie might be too distracted by his own infatuation to notice the pattern until it's too late. CBS Radio Mystery Theater presents, “Somebody Stop Me!” | #RetroRadio EP0502

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, ‘Somebody Stop Me” (October 22, 1976)
00:43:33.798 = Mystery Playhouse, “Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper” (February 27, 1945)
01:13:27.131 = Philip Morris Playhouse “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” (August 19, 1953) ***WD
01:37:04.450 = Adventures of Ellery Queen, “Armchair Detective” (March 27, 1946) ***WD (LQ)
02:07:30.863 = Quiet Please, “Symphony in D Minor” (September 13, 1948)
02:32:08.950 = Radio City Playhouse, “Hands of Dr. Otermole” (May 02, 1949)
03:01:16.022 = Hollywood Mystery Time, “Case of the Glowing Eyes” (May 20, 1943) ***WD
03:29:57.178 = Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, “Moon Gate” (1930) ***WD
03:30:57.709 = Sam Spade, “The Sure Thing Caper” (February 09, 1951)
03:59:09.797 = The Sealed Book, “I’ll Die Laughing” (May 27, 1945)
04:28:38.783 = The Shadow, “Isle of the Living Dead” (October 13, 1940)
04:53:36.419 = 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
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0502

Read the Article: https://weirddarkness.com/army-toxic-fog-experiments/

The US military secretly doused dozens of American cities with toxic chemical clouds during the Cold War, and residents are still dying from mysterious cancers decades later.
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#OperationLAC #ColdWarExperiments #GovernmentExperiments #PruittIgoe #ChemicalTesting #MilitaryExperiments #DeclassifiedDocuments #HumanExperimentation #USArmySecrets #ZincCadmiumSulfide

Read the article: https://weirddarkness.com/new-footage-robert-wadlow
Video Footage: Guinness World Records: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ZxWDwSInk

Recently discovered 1933 home movie footage (below) shows what really happened when the world's tallest man met a four-year-old girl on their shared birthday.

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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
#RobertWadlow #TallestManEver #FoundFootage #WorldsTallestPerson #GuinnessWorldRecords #MedicalMysteries #Gigantism #WeirdHistory #TrueStory #Documentary

When a mysterious elderly salesman arrives at his door claiming to sell encyclopedias, a lonely introvert discovers the book contains impossible knowledge about his life - including his date of death and the identity of the father he never knew. But the price of learning his true heritage will force him to make a choice between the quiet life he's always known or something darker than anything he could ever imagine.

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IN THIS EPISODE: It’s Thriller Thursday when I bring you a story of fiction. This time it’s a very dark story from Mark Lynch entitled, “The Encyclopaedia Salesman.” 

SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Encylclopedia Salesman” by Mark Lynch: https://www.creepypasta.com/the-encyclopaedia-salesman/
More stories from Mark Lynch: https://www.creepypasta.com/?s=mark+lynch, https://www.creepypasta.com/?s=woundlicker
Mark Lynch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089807263116
=====(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 04, 2025
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/EncyclopediaSalesman
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.
#weirddarkness #creepypasta #horrorstory #marklynch #cursedbook #supernaturalhorror #scarystories #horrorpodcast #demonstory #nosleep