#52: "Could Be Him, Could Be Anybody" — The Wrongful Trial of Brenton Butler, and the story behind "Murder on a Sunday Morning"

FUF #22 — Girls Just Wanna Recap! (And Other Stories)

We cover a lot of ground today! We’re diving into the latest Taylor Frankie Paul update—and it looks like the bachelors from her season are all gathering in LA. We also discuss the case of Aaron Spencer, a father arrested for murder after protecting his daughter, the recent death of Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Anthony Stewart Head, Eli McCann’s new book, and the Proctor text messages in the Karen Read case. Plus, we chat about recent Bigfoot sightings, a new podcast the sisters are loving, and the latest scary movie we’ve watched. And to top it all off, we share a personal story from a local connected to the Candy Cane Park murder. Brandi recap! Smiles, laughter, tears, and new friendships—plus a special guest appearance from a beloved fan! sources:  tiktok @stephwiththedeets Message us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2515661/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Spooky Darlings! If you have a creepy, strange, or cool story you would like to share email us at thespookydarlings@gmail.com. Follow us on instagram and TikTok @thespookydarlingspodcast for more! Peruse our merch store at https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/ [https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/]

#52: "Could Be Him, Could Be Anybody" — The Wrongful Trial of Brenton Butler, and the story behind "Murder on a Sunday Morning"

This week the Spooky Darlings cover a case of lazy, racist, and downright crooked police work. A woman is murdered at a Jacksonville hotel on a Sunday morning. Ninety minutes later, police have their suspect, a fifteen-year-old boy on his way to get a job application. His name is Brenton Butler, and his story, documented in the Oscar-winning film Murder on a Sunday Morning, is one of the most infuriating wrongful arrest cases in American history. Racial profiling, a coerced confession, zero physical evidence, and two public defenders who simply refused to let the system win. This week on the Spooky Darlings, we're telling it in full. Sources: PRIMARY SOURCES: De Lestrade, Jean-Xavier, director. Murder on a Sunday Morning. HBO America Undercover, 2001. Murder on a Sunday Morning." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_on_a_Sunday_Morning [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_on_a_Sunday_Morning]. Accessed 6 June 2026. "Brenton Butler Case." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenton_Butler_case [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenton_Butler_case]. Accessed 6 June 2026. CLOSE CAPTIONING FOR DRAMATIC READING IN EPISODE: https://subsaga.com/bbc/documentaries/factual/storyville/2011-2012/5-murder-on-a-sunday-morning.html [https://subsaga.com/bbc/documentaries/factual/storyville/2011-2012/5-murder-on-a-sunday-morning.html] CROSS-RACE EFFECT SOURCES: Horry, Ruth, et al. "The Cross-Race Effect in Eyewitness Identification." Visual Cognition, vol. 31, no. 1, 2023, pp. 1–18. Taylor & Francis Online, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13506285.2023.2288358 [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13506285.2023.2288358]. Available, John, et al. "Cross-Race Effect in Face Recognition." PubMed Central, National Institutes of Health, 2020, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067904/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067904/]. "Cross-Race Effect." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-race_effect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-race_effect]. Accessed 6 June 2026. Message us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2515661/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Spooky Darlings! If you have a creepy, strange, or cool story you would like to share email us at thespookydarlings@gmail.com. Follow us on instagram and TikTok @thespookydarlingspodcast for more! Peruse our merch store at https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/ [https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/]

Cryptid Crawl #23- Minnesota! Cryptids from the Land of 10,000 Lakes

Our 23rd stop on the Cryptid Crawl is The North Star State, Minnesota! This beautiful but cold land has a reputation for being nice. The lakes? Hmmm... Maybe not all of them. Join us as we head north to dig into the cryptic legends of the Land of 10,000 lakes, and just as many mysteries.  We explore a mystery that blurs the line between hoax and horror with the Minnesota Ice Man, then lean Into a creepy haunted lake with a story that will make you never want to swim again, and end with a river/lake monster with a history that goes waaaaayyyy back- not to mention a $50,000 dollar reward that nobody has claimed yet! Maybe it will be The Spooky Darlings that finally get the prize? Sources: https://scienceignored.fandom.com/wiki/Minnesota_Iceman?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://scienceignored.fandom.com/wiki/Minnesota_Iceman?utm_source=chatgpt.com] https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/unveiling-the-mystery-of-the-minnesota-iceman/?utm_source=chatgpt.com [https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/unveiling-the-mystery-of-the-minnesota-iceman/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/tetrapod-zoology/a-review-of-neanderthal-the-strange-saga-of-the-minnesota-iceman-part-1/ [https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/tetrapod-zoology/a-review-of-neanderthal-the-strange-saga-of-the-minnesota-iceman-part-1/] https://tetzoo.com/blog/2023/9/4/review-of-neanderthal-heuvelmans-2016 [https://tetzoo.com/blog/2023/9/4/review-of-neanderthal-heuvelmans-2016] Minnesota Historical Society Book of Days Almanac Visit Lake City MN — https://www.visitlakecity.org/pepie-the-lake-pepin-monster/ Star Tribune — https://www.startribune.com/lake-pepin-s-rumored-creature-may-be-folklore-come-to-date/267579381 Daily Yonder — https://dailyyonder.com/lake-pepin-monster-fires-up-peoples-imaginations-and-local-economy/2021/05/07/ Folk Bestiary — https://folkbestiary.com/minnesota/ Thieves River — https://thievesriver.com/blogs/articles/minnesota-cryptids-other-legendary-creatures Hangar 1 Publishing — https://hangar1publishing.com/blogs/cryptids/minnesota-cryptids Message us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2515661/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Spooky Darlings! If you have a creepy, strange, or cool story you would like to share email us at thespookydarlings@gmail.com. Follow us on instagram and TikTok @thespookydarlingspodcast for more! Peruse our merch store at https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/ [https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/]

#51: Buried Alive! The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping

In the summer of 1976, school bus driver Ed Ray was making what should have been an ordinary trip home. On board were 26 children returning from a day at summer school and eager to see their families. But that routine ride took a terrifying turn when three armed men in two vans carried out one of the most shocking kidnappings in American history. Trapped underground and facing impossible odds, the captives would be forced to rely on courage, determination, and the remarkable leadership of 14-year-old Mike Marshall. Join The Spooky Darlings as we unpack the Chowchilla bus kidnapping, the dramatic escape that captured the nation’s attention, and the lasting impact this extraordinary crime had on the survivors, their families, and the community for decades to come. Sources: HBO Chowchilla documentary 2023 The Chowchilla Kidnapping: Why Me? by Larry Park LA Times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Chowchilla_kidnapping [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Chowchilla_kidnapping] Message us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2515661/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Spooky Darlings! If you have a creepy, strange, or cool story you would like to share email us at thespookydarlings@gmail.com. Follow us on instagram and TikTok @thespookydarlingspodcast for more! Peruse our merch store at https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/ [https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/]

FUF #21 We're headed to Brandi!!!

We are headed to Brandi Carlile at the Gorge Amphitheater! We talk about J-hole Judge Nicholas Rowland, problematic prisoners Tony Carruthers and Ricky Wassenaar, and the extraordinary Erin Brockovich and her work with data centers. Don't forget the update onwhat we're watching and listening to — Catch up with us! And of course we would never skip out on essential updates on mormon wives and Vanderpump Villa! Sources: Tiktok: @Stephwiththedeets Message us! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2515661/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening to The Spooky Darlings! If you have a creepy, strange, or cool story you would like to share email us at thespookydarlings@gmail.com. Follow us on instagram and TikTok @thespookydarlingspodcast for more! Peruse our merch store at https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/ [https://thespookydarlings.printful.me/]