The Spy, The Witch, and the Wych Elm: An Unsolved Mystery

The Vampire's Desire: Sheltered From the Storm, Trapped With the Dead | #RetroRadio

Two travelers seek refuge from a thunderstorm in a forbidding old house — where a mad woman's laughter, a warning to stay away from the bookcase, and a corpse that crumbles at a touch are only the beginning of what waits in the dark. Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR [https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR] CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Return Engagement” (October 17, 1977) ***WD 00:45:14.749 = Harry Lime, “Too Many Colors” (August 03, 1951) 01:10:16.188 = Haunted Tales of the Supernatural, “The Lamp” (July 07, 1984) 01:35:55.862 = The Haunting Hour, “Ptolomey’s Grave” (April 14, 1945) ***WD 02:00:46.453 = Hermit’s Cave, “The Vampire’s Desire” (July 17, 1941) 02:25:28.357 = Mystery Is My Hobby, “Death Writes An Epitaph” (January 28, 1948) ***WD 02:51:08.798 = Sherlock Holmes, “The Grand Old Man” (December 21, 1946) 03:20:24.671 = House of Mystery, “Gift From The Dead” (August 03, 1947) ***WD 03:50:07.476 = Incredible But True, “Only A Miracle” (1950-1951) 03:53:45.337 = Inner Sanctum, “The Skull That Walked” (April 15, 1944) 04:21:32.456 = The Key, “Chicken” (1956) ***WD 04:45:52.876 = (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. CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0656

The Spy, The Witch, and the Wych Elm: An Unsolved Mystery

In the heart of Hagley Wood, a skeleton hidden inside a hollow tree sparked decades of eerie graffiti, whispered conspiracies, and chilling rumors that she may have been a WWII spy silenced forever. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and full transcript): https://weirddarkness.com/SpyWitchWych [https://weirddarkness.com/SpyWitchWych] FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Was a woman found dead in a wych elm tree in wartime England actually a WWII German spy? (Bella in the Wych Elm) *** Jonathan Reed couldn’t bear to be separated from his wife ... so he moved into her tomb. (Til Death Do Us Part) *** Dr. Milton Rokeach forced three men who all believed themselves to be the Messiah to live together for two years in an effort to bring them out of their irrationality. But what Rokeach learned had little to do with the men themselves. (The Three Christs of Ypsilanti) *** A bodiless voice torments a lone beachgoer camping out. (Spirit Voice on the Beach) *** Only months after the infamous ax murders in Villisca, Iowa - the quiet farm community of Payson, Illinois was shattered by its own terrifying murder case. (The Pfanschmidt Murders) *** In an effort to test one of his theories on social behavior, psychologist Muzafer Sherif released twenty-two 12-year-old boys into a sparsely supervised wilderness camp — and then covertly provoked them to fight each other. (The Robbers Cave Experiment) *** Witch hunts and trials. They didn’t end in Salem – they live on even today in Papua New Guinea. (Papua New Guinea Witchcraft) *** A man in Japan sees small, childlike ashen white aliens. (Childlike Aliens) *** How can a holy book such as the Christian bible bring bad luck? One paranormal museum in West Virginia has the answer with an infamous display of the 666 Bible. (The 666 Bible) *** The people of Hannibal, Missouri in the late 1800s would remain appalled that one of their most prominent residents could be murdered without retribution. Even a $10,000 reward couldn’t bring justice. (The Stillwell Murder) *** A father takes his son to the ruins of an old, burned down building – and the boy sees something his father doesn’t. (The Old Factory Visit) *** “The Devil’s Advocate” - it’s a phrase that can be traced to the Roman Catholic Church that long had an actual official office for a person who was employed to be exactly that – an advocate for the devil. And he still works for the church even today. (The Devil’s Advocate) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding 00:00:51.758 = Show Open 00:03:56.427 = Was Bella In The Wych Elm a WWII Spy? 00:17:52.860 = Til Death Do Us Part *** 00:20:30.246 = The Three Christs of Ypsilanti 00:28:17.112 = Spirit Voice On The Beach 00:32:35.825 = The Pfanschmidt Murders of 1912 *** 00:41:38.517 = Devil’s Advocate 00:45:43.295 = The Robbers Cave Experiment 00:53:23.042 = Papua New Guinea Witchcraft *** 00:59:43.636 = Child Aliens 00:1:03:02.762 = The 666 Bible 01:08:44.469 = The Stillwell Murder *** 01:20:23.228 = The Old Factory Visit 01:25:09.988 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps [https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps] *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* SOURCES and RESOURCES: “Was Bella in the Wych Elm a WWII German Spy?” posted at The UnRedacted: https://tinyurl.com/wtxqr7l [https://tinyurl.com/wtxqr7l] “The Pfanschmidt Murders” by Troy Taylor for American Hauntings Ink: https://tinyurl.com/uolq6b8 [https://tinyurl.com/uolq6b8] “Spirit Voice on the Beach” by Berggraf38, posted at YourGhostStories.com: https://tinyurl.com/qngcm6l [https://tinyurl.com/qngcm6l] “The Three Christs of Ypsilanti” by Taig Spearman for All That’s Interesting: https://tinyurl.com/w9delgl [https://tinyurl.com/w9delgl] “The Robbers Cave Experiment” by Taig Spearman for All That’s Interesting: https://tinyurl.com/yx66lpob [https://tinyurl.com/yx66lpob] “Papua New Guinea Witchcraft” by Caleb Strom for Ancient Origins: https://tinyurl.com/rvpyyva [https://tinyurl.com/rvpyyva] “The Devil’s Advocate” by Ellen Lloyd for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/vluuhdg [https://tinyurl.com/vluuhdg] “Childlike Aliens” by Terry Larch for FreakLore.com: https://tinyurl.com/snrkrbm [https://tinyurl.com/snrkrbm] “The 666 Bible” by Theresa at Theresa’s Haunted History of the Tri-State: https://tinyurl.com/t8dlnez [https://tinyurl.com/t8dlnez] “The Stillwell Murder” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/yd4uupot [https://tinyurl.com/yd4uupot] “The Old Factory Visit” by Mike, posted at MyHauntedLifeToo.com: (link no longer available) “Til Death Do Us Part” by Jessica Ferri at The-Line-Up.com: https://the-line-up.com/mary-reed [https://the-line-up.com/mary-reed] (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.) WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. Originally aired: November 27, 2018

The Hattie Lane Trailer and the 14-Year-Old Who Weighed 35 Pounds | #WeirdDarkNEWS

A 911 call from a Wisconsin mobile home sent deputies to a fourteen-year-old girl who weighed thirty-five pounds and had not seen a doctor in five years. SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/stepmom-starves-daughter [https://weirddarkness.com/stepmom-starves-daughter] Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736 [https://pod.link/1078714736] *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

Katy Mother Vanished Six Weeks, Sent Uber Eats to Her Daughters | #WeirdDarkNEWS

Rayshawna Dowdell allegedly left her 11- and 6-year-old daughters alone in a cluttered Katy home for six weeks while ordering them meals from out of state. PRINT VERSION OF THIS STORY: https://weirddarkness.com/uber-eats-mom-katy [https://weirddarkness.com/uber-eats-mom-katy] Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736 [https://pod.link/1078714736] *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

The Devil Made Me Do It: Murderers Who Blamed Their Crimes on Demons

An English butcher murdered his wife the day his exorcism ended, the Son of Sam blamed his neighbor's dog, and a forked-tongued occultist who called himself Pazuzu buried bodies in his backyard — and every one of them swore it was the demon who did it. | #WDRadio May 10, 2026 ========== HOUR ONE: “The devil made me do it.” It’s an excuse that has been used so often by so many that it has lost its meaning, and its effectiveness. So only a fool or a madman would commit a horrible act and then try to blame it on the devil or a demon… unless, of course, that person truly believes that is exactly what happened to them. (A Demon Made Me Do It) *** The little Norwegian village of Bærum Verk still stands as an old foundry settlement, and is an active place, both as a place to work, and as a place to live – and as a place to keep living even after you’re dead. (The Most Haunted Village in Norway) *** There are more than a few stories from upright citizens around the world who claim to have seen tiny humans. I’m not talking about the diminutive human beings we used to classify as dwarves or midgets until we became more enlightened. I’m talking about short, maybe two-foot tall, perfectly proportioned people. (Big Stories About Little People) ========== HOUR TWO: Like many desolate places, the Arctic has its share of ghost stories [https://www.ranker.com/list/ghost-stories-from-antarctica/erin-mccann] and haunted legends floating around the frigid, wild areas of its domain. It might be the frights rather than the cold that gives you goosebumps. (Ghostly Shivers of the Arctic Circle) *** You never know what might be lurking just out of sight – in the shadows, behind a door. I’ll share a few true stories that might make you double-check the locks at night and check the closet before going to bed. (Never Trust The Dark) *** When you think of the Salem Witch Trials, you typically think of women being burned at the stake, innocently accused of witchcraft. There are two incorrect assumption about that mental picture. First, most of the accused were hung, and none have been truly verified to be burned alive. And second, sorcery and Satan worship were not seen to be bound by gender, and so either a man, woman, boy, or girl could be a witch. And one of those unfortunate men was Giles Corey – but his punishment went beyond the norm, and into the gruesome. (The Most Dreadful Execution of The Salem Witch Trials) ========== SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: When John and Eva were married they told their relatives that they planned to honeymoon on the Atlantic coast, but John had another plan, and it would not be his last deception. But it would be the first act in what ended up being a mystery that has still gone unsolved to this day. (The Lawrenceburg Shanty-Boat Mystery) *** Weirdo family member James Pierce brings a true story that he calls, “It Came Through the Screen Door”. *** A 5-year-old boy having the time of his life at a carnival suddenly goes missing – and when found later there is no evidence whatsoever as to how he got where he was, who took him there, or what happened to him before he was found. (The Disturbing Case of Little Stephen McKerron) *** Weirdo family member Joy Cruz remembers something her mother told her as a child… and it quite possibly saved her soul. (I’ve Seen The Devil) ========== SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW: “The Genesis of Geraldine” by David Jeremiah for Light Source: https://tinyurl.com/y7t7nuwx [https://tinyurl.com/y7t7nuwx] “A Demon Made Me Do It” by Jacob Shelton for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/y2qedyjq [https://tinyurl.com/y2qedyjq], and Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/yb8e6z25 [https://tinyurl.com/yb8e6z25] “The Most Haunted Village in Norway” from Moon Mausoleum: https://tinyurl.com/ya8nuxur [https://tinyurl.com/ya8nuxur] “The Lawrenceburg Shanty-Boat Mystery” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/yyod3q3j [https://tinyurl.com/yyod3q3j] “Big Stories About Little People” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: https://tinyurl.com/ycql47wq [https://tinyurl.com/ycql47wq] “It Came Through the Screen Door” by Weirdo family member James Pierce “Ghostly Shivers of the Arctic Circle” by Jodi Smith for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/yc9ymjyx [https://tinyurl.com/yc9ymjyx] “The Most Dreadful Execution of The Salem Witch Trials” from Sometimes Interesting: https://tinyurl.com/y979qn8e [https://tinyurl.com/y979qn8e], and Evan Corey for History: https://tinyurl.com/y7qt45kx [https://tinyurl.com/y7qt45kx] “I’ve Seen The Devil” by Joy Cruz for Weird Darkness: https://WeirdDarkness.com/submit [https://weirddarkness.com/submit] “The Disturbing Case of Little Stephen McKerron” from Strange Company: https://tinyurl.com/ydf4w6ce [https://tinyurl.com/ydf4w6ce] “Never Trust the Dark” from The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/y7bgdq5z [https://tinyurl.com/y7bgdq5z] ========== Join the Weird Darkness Syndicate: https://weirddarkness.com//syndicate [https://weirddarkness.com//syndicate] Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. Background music provided by Alibi Music Library, EpidemicSound and/or StoryBlocks with paid license. 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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.