Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS & FEARS DAY | Hauntings, Hexes, and Hair-Raising Happenings!

From vengeful spirits and haunted houses to ghost trains, talking cats, and a lake monster with a taste for swimmers — these chilling tales will make you think twice before laughing off April Fools Day. IN THIS EPISODE: This episode was originally aired on April 1st, 2019. Many podcasts and YouTube channels today are taking advantage of the date on the calendar and playing practical jokes on their subscribers in celebration of All Fools Day. I admit, I was tempted to begin a story and then Rick-Roll you, but instead I thought it might be fun to bring some dark stories into today’s podcast that have a funny or amusing twist to them. Still creepy, but comical as well. I don’t believe any of these stories are true – but that doesn’t mean they’re not entertaining. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:21.425 = Bear Lake Monster 00:03:29.452 = Ghost On The Tracks 00:05:47.652 = I’m Coming Down Now 00:09:43.960 = Never Mind Them Watermelons 00:12:34.287 = Piece By Piece *** 00:15:07.559 = That Pesky Fellow 00:18:52.740 = The Black Cat’s Message 00:25:43.291 = The Skeleton 00:29:21.544 = Tommy Knockers *** 00:33:07.038 = Wait Until Emmet Comes 00:35:58.838 = You Can’t Get Out 00:37:32.993 = Turnabout Is Fair Play 00:41:38.576 = Show Close SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE… All stories in this episode were gathered and rewritten by S. E. Schlosser. You can find links to all of the books these stories are pulled from at https://amzn.to/43Gk6om [https://amzn.to/43Gk6om]. ===== (Over time links seen above 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: April 01, 2019 EPISODE PAGE (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/aprilfears

He Murdered His Best Friend — Then His Best Friend Came Back To Thank Him

“The Gift”: When Walter Powers helps his lover murder her wealthy husband, he thinks he's gotten away with the perfect crime — until the dead man shows up at his apartment that same night with a gift, a warning, and knowledge of secrets that no living person could possibly know. | #RetroRadio #WeirdDarkness | EP0616 CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Gift” (July 08, 1977) 00:45:40.701 = The Black Mass, “Moonlit Road” (November 30, 1970) ***WD01:18:07.702 = Beyond Midnight, “Hello Down There” (January 22, 1969) ***WD (LQ) 01:48:03.192 = MindWebs, “Kelle4rman’s Eyepiece” (March 07, 1977) 02:10:24.877 = Studio X, “Professor Goes For a Walk” (1956-57) 02:22:52.788 = Mystery In The Air, “Horla” (August 21, 1947) ***WD 02:52:44.613 = Molle Mystery Theater, “Beckoning Fair One” (June 05, 1945) ***WD 03:21:25.415 = Murder at Midnight, “Man With a Black Beard” (February 03, 1947) ***WD 03:46:45.257 = Black Museum, “A Pair of Spectacles” (January 27, 1951) ***WD 04:11:51.347 = Mysterious Traveler, “Behind The Locked Door” (November 06, 1951) 04:41:30.739 = Mystery House, “Well, Well, Another Body” (September 23, 1945) ***WD 05:07:28.032 = 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. 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 ©2026, Weird Darkness. CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0616

VALLEY OF THE HEADLESS MEN | The Nahanni Vanished 100 Years Ago – So Who Are People Seeing Now?

Deep in Canada's Northwest Territories, a remote valley holds a disturbing record: since 1908, at least 44 people have vanished or been found dead, some discovered without their heads. IN THIS EPISODE: Deep in Canada's Northwest Territories, a remote valley holds a disturbing record: since 1908, at least 44 people have vanished or been found dead, some discovered without their heads. And despite it being over a hundred years ago when it began – there are still sightings of strange men, odd encounters, missing people, and still… corpses being found, right through into the 21st century. Burned.. beheaded… and in some cases… fresh. PRINT VERSION (Original Article): https://weirddarkness.com/nahanni-valley-headless-men-canada/ [https://weirddarkness.com/nahanni-valley-headless-men-canada/] EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/ValleyOfHeadlessMen [https://weirddarkness.com/ValleyOfHeadlessMen] CHAPTERS (All Times Approximate – Add One Minute To Each For YouTube)… 00:00:00.000 = PART ONE: They Never Stopped Coming 00:04:25.883 = Show Open 00:05:59.272 = PART TWO: The People Who Were Never Found 00:19:26.630 = PART THREE: The Bodies That Shouldn’t Be There 00:42:52.965 = PART FOUR: Still Here After All These Years 00:56:46.346 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break =====(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: March 31, 2026 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.

Schools Are Running Hogwarts Style Sorting Ceremonies — The Numbers Are Hard to Deny

Pittsburgh middle schools sorted students into named houses with ceremonies, colors, and mottos — and the attendance and discipline numbers that followed are difficult to explain away. *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/hogwarts-house-system-real-schools/ [https://weirddarkness.com/hogwarts-house-system-real-schools/] WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

Spudnik-1: The Tentacled Space Creature That Turned Out to Be a Potato

A NASA astronaut posted a photo of something purple, egg-shaped, and sprouting tentacles that was floating aboard the International Space Station — and the explanation is simultaneously mundane and genuinely strange. *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/spudnik/ [https://weirddarkness.com/spudnik/] WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS