Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

Between 1081 and 1903, roughly 20 Japanese Buddhist monks voluntarily endured a grueling three-year process of starvation and isolation — sealing themselves alive inside stone tombs in pursuit of becoming Buddha in their own bodies.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

Take the Weird Darkness Survey: https://take.supersurvey.com/QGZCRXPVS

IN THIS EPISODE: One of the greatest monsters ever to be brought to the screen was The Mummy, portrayed by Boris Karloff. We have, of course, seen numerous recreations of the creature since the original Universal film, but still, the image is grotesque and frightening no matter the incarnation. To see a mummy in real-life is that much more shocking. But real fear… real terror… would be if you yourself were to be mummified… while still alive. (To Be Mummified Alive) *** In the days that followed the rescue of 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault from the wreckage of the yacht called the Bluebelle, it would became clear that a storm hadn’t destroyed the ship, as the previously-rescued captain, Julian A. Harvey, had said earlier. A storm hadn’t killed everyone aboard… Harvey himself had. (The Final Voyage of the Bluebelle) *** When a loved one passes away, we sometimes wish we could speak to them one last time. Some people report they received phone calls or voicemails they believe are from their deceased loved ones. Sometimes they come through as eerie otherworldly static, while other times the ghostly caller is able to communicate one last message. We’ll share a few true stories from people who have received phone calls from the beyond. (Phone Calls From Beyond The Grave) *** If you buy a furnished home and move the furniture to clean the floor – and the furniture moves back on its own – you can be pretty sure you’ve just moved into a haunted house. That’s exactly what one family in Rockford, Illinois found out. (A Haunting on School Street) *** And I’ll end the episode with the story that I began it with – a short story by Louisa May Alcott called “Lost in a Pyramid”… or “The Mummy’s Curse”. A story that went pretty much unnoticed when it was originally published in 1869, but has had somewhat become undead since 1998 when it was rediscovered and is now considered an influential example of early “mummy’s curse” narratives.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Short Message
00:00:20.684 = The Foreboding
00:01:41.062 = Show Open
00:04:41.066 = The Final Voyage of the Bluebelle
00:18:32.491 = Phone Calls From Beyond the Grave ***
00:36:53.017 = A Haunting On School Street ***
00:43:39.779 = To Be Mummified Alive
00:50:44.908 = The Mummy’s Curse (Lost in a Pyramid) – fictional story ***
01:16:00.096 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
HELPFUL LINKS & RESOURCES…
https://WeirdDarkness.com/STORE = Tees, Mugs, Socks, Hoodies, Totes, Hats, Kidswear & More
https://WeirdDarkness.com/HOPE = Hope For Depression or Thoughts of Self-Harm
https://WeirdDarkness.com/NEWSLETTER = In-Depth Articles, Memes, Weird DarkNEWS, Videos & More
https://WeirdDarkness.com/AUDIOBOOKS = FREE Audiobooks Narrated By Darren Marlar
SOURCES and RESOURCES:“The Final Voyage of the Bluebelle” by Lucia for The Ghost In My Machine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/23utyhja
“Phone Calls From Beyond the Grave” by Amanda Ashley for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7bw36uh4
“A Haunting on School Street” by Kathi Kresol for Haunted Rockford: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/s3c76yeb
“To Be Mummified Alive’ by Bipin Dimri for Historic Mysteries: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/j89cukfe
“The Mummy’s Curse/Lost In a Pyramid” by Louisa May Alcott: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pwd9h3cb=====
(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.)
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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 ©2026, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: August 03, 2021
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MummifiedAlive
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: #WeirdDarkness 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.

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

A Gold Coast couple had their Lexus stolen by masked home invaders and got slapped with a $6,000 fine because the thief driving their stolen car couldn't be bothered to buckle up.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/stolen-car-seatbelt-fine

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

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

A small-time hustler gets more than he bargained for when a mysterious stranger who claims to be the devil offers him wealth, power, and everything he's ever wanted — all for a price he may not be willing to pay. | #RetroRadio #WeirdDarkness | EP0593

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Transmutations, Inc” (May 24, 1977)
00:45:44.565 = Theater 1030, “Two Little Punctures” (July 12, 1953) ***WD
01:12:45.315 = Two Thousand Plus, “Rocket And Skull” (October 10, 1951) ***WD
01:40:53.311 = The Unexpected, “The Winfield Diamond” (August 15, 1948)
01:55:42.086 = Nick Carter—Master Detective, “Death After Dark” (February 19, 1944) ***WD
02:24:57.782 = Dark Venture, “Coverup” (February 24, 1947)
02:54:44.664 = The Weird Circle, “Ancient Mariner” (January 22, 1944)
03:21:54.078 = The Whistler, “Lie or Consequences” (December 11, 1944)
03:50:20.605 = Witch’s Tale, “The Power of Lucifer” (December 07, 1937) ***WD
04:16:45.692 = X Minus One, “Surface Tension” (August 28, 1956)
04:44:39.577 = 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.
= = = = =
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0593

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

Cannock Chase, a 26-square-mile stretch of Staffordshire woodland already infamous for child murders and ghostly apparitions, has logged more paranormal sightings in the first eight weeks of 2026 than in all of 2025 combined.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/cannock-chase-bigfoot-2026

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

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

A tent sliced open from the inside, the man who witnessed the real exorcism that inspired The Exorcist, the silent film that invented horror, a 13-year-old reported missing who was already gone — and a $400 security deposit claimed on a van that had just been a bomb. It all happened on a February 26th sometime in the past. | The Morning Weird Darkness

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

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

EPISODE PAGE: https://WeirdDarkness.com/MWD20260226

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 #WeirdDarkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.

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

A Nordic alien connected to U.S. defense personnel delivered a chilling warning to author Whitley Strieber that he's never forgotten: never go to war with the Grays — because they'll never let you win, and they'll never let you stop fighting.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

IN THIS EPISODE: A towering figure with green eyes delivered a message about the Grays that defense officials didn’t want to discuss — and humanity wasn’t meant to hear. (NEVER GO TO WAR WITH THE GRAYS: Whitley Strieber’s Ominous Warning) *** A single-celled organism lurking in warm freshwater can enter your nose, travel to your brain, and kill you in five days — and it has a 97% fatality rate. (The Microscopic Monster That Eats Your Brain From the Inside Out) *** Lauren Canaday’s heart stopped for 24 minutes before EMTs brought her back, leaving her with an unsettling certainty that death was friendly and a complete transformation of everything she believed about life. (24 MINUTES IN THE AFTERLIFE: Woman Returns With Disturbing Message About Death)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding
00:01:38.656 = Show Open
00:03:05.036 = Don’t Go To War With The Grays
00:20:56.801 = The Brain-Eating Amoeba ***
00:40:24.318 = Twenty-Four Minutes In The Afterlife ***
00:59:06.503 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
HELPFUL LINKS & RESOURCES…
https://WeirdDarkness.com/STORE = Tees, Mugs, Socks, Hoodies, Totes, Hats, Kidswear & More
https://WeirdDarkness.com/HOPE = Hope For Depression or Thoughts of Self-Harm
https://WeirdDarkness.com/NEWSLETTER = In-Depth Articles, Memes, Weird DarkNEWS, Videos & More
https://WeirdDarkness.com/AUDIOBOOKS = FREE Audiobooks Narrated By Darren Marlar
PRINT VERSIONS to READ or SHARE:
Never Go To War With The Grays: https://weirddarkness.com/never-go-to-war-with-the-grays/
The Brain-Eating Amoeba: What Lives in the Water You Swim In: https://weirddarkness.com/brain-eating-amoeba-naegleria-fowleri/
Twenty-Four Minutes In The Afterlife: https://weirddarkness.com/woman-dead-24-minutes/
=====(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: February 25, 2026
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/NeverGoToWarWithTheGrays
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.

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

A Utah mother who self-published a book to help children cope with losing a parent is now on trial for allegedly poisoning the parent those children lost.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/grief-book-murder

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

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

A man allegedly shot his own father six times in the back, then drove to a casino — where he ended up naked, flipping off a cop, and under arrest.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/naked-casino-murderer

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

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

On this date, a Persian king was dethroned and executed by his own son — who had every brother killed to secure power and was himself dead of plague before the year ended — and that is just where February 25th gets started. | The Morning Weird Darkness

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

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

EPISODE PAGE: https://WeirdDarkness.com/MWD20260225

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 #WeirdDarkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.

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

A murderer who thought he'd gotten away with the perfect crime discovers — too late — that his victim had a plan of her own. | #RetroRadio #WeirdDarkness | EP0592

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Wine, Women, and Murder” (May 20, 1977) ***WD
00:45:46.094 = The Sealed Book “Murder Must Be Paid For” (August 05, 1945)
01:15:15.158 = The Shadow, “Joey’s Christmas story” (December 22, 1940) ***WD
01:44:18.098 = Sleep No More, “The Evening Primrose” (April 24, 1957)
02:13:10.886 = BBC Radio 4 Spine Chillers, “Eat Your Heart Out” (October 20, 2007)
02:27:01.031 = Stay Tuned For Terror, “The Bogey Man Will Get You” (October 01, 1945) ***WD
02:41:33.448 = Strange, “Hillbilly Feud” (1955) ***WD
02:55:51.451 = Suspense, “Finishing School” (December 30, 1943)
03:25:03.953 = Tales of the Frightened, “Chung Ling Soo” (December 16, 1957) ***WD
03:29:24.002 = Tales of Tomorrow, “The Other Now” (January 22, 1953)
03:59:18.311 = Tales From The Tomb, “Spirit Calling” (1960s)
04:03:52.173 = The Saint, “Missing Husband” (April 29, 1951)
04:32:42.285 = Theater Five, “June Seventeenth Where Are You?” (November 02, 1964)
04:53:50.007 = 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.
= = = = =
CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0592

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