Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

The Static Growler: What's Hiding in the Signal?

Long ago, an ominous radio frequency would burst to life with mysterious static — and hidden inside were whispers and growls. They called the voice the Static Growler, and some say it could find its way inside your mind. | “The Static Growler… Or So It Seems” by Scott Donnelly #MicroTerrorsFind more family-friendly frights and creepy games to play on our website at http://MicroTerrors.com!Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/microterrorsOther stories, novels, and more from author Scott Donnelly: https://amzn.to/3LymHaUOther narrations, podcasts, and audiobooks from voice artist Darren Marlar: https://WeirdDarkness.com= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Weird Darkness©, 2026Micro Terrors: Scary Stories for Kids™, 2026#ScaryStoriesForKids #StoriesForKids #KidsStories #HalloweenKids #MicroTerrors #HalloweenStories #WeirdDarknesshttps://weirddarkness.com/StaticGrowler

Did a Voodoo Cult Commit Louisiana's Deadliest Ax Murders?

Between 1911 and 1912, entire families across Louisiana and Texas were slaughtered in their sleep with an ax — their bodies sometimes arranged in prayer, their blood drained into buckets, and cryptic messages scrawled on the walls. A 17-year-old girl confessed to 35 of the murders, claimed she belonged to a secret voodoo cult called the Church of Sacrifice — and then vanished into history.IN THIS EPISODE: A series of ax murders took place in Louisiana and Texas. Gruesome as they were, they began to horrify the public even more when they were admitted to by a teenaged voodoo priestess. Despite her confession though, a pair of authors say that there was someone else in the area at the time even more dangerous and who likely did most of the killing unbeknownst to even the voodoo priestess. That man is know simply as “The Man From The Train”. Plus, we’ll look a few more gruesome ax murders that took place in the 1800s.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:00:53.506 = Show Open00:02:28.706 = Voodoo Murders of Clementine Barabet00:17:52.092 = *** The Man From The Train00:33:05.318 = *** Ax Murders of the 1800s00:52:26.088 = Show CloseSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Voodoo Murders of Clementine Barnabet” (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2c5fcw) and “The Man From The Train” (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3fc77w4h) by Benjamin Welton for ListVerse“Axe Murders of the 1800s” by Elizabeth Yetter (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vjfc6dp6), and Josh Gotter (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/367wz7rd) for ListVerseBOOK: “The Man From The Train: Discovering America’s Most Elusive Serial Killer” by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James: https://amzn.to/3fiuHhMWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(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 ©2026, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: May 24, 2021EPISODE PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/VoodooCultABOUT 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.#WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #VoodooMurders #AxMurders #SerialKiller #CultMurders #LouisianaTrueCrime #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrimeHistory #OccultMurders

Gertrude Baniszewski | The Woman Who Charged Neighborhood Kids a Nickel to Watch Her Torture a Girl

In 1965, a carnival worker left his two daughters in the care of a struggling Indianapolis mother for $20 a week. What followed was one of the most horrific cases of torture and murder in American history — despite dozens of people knowing it was happening.IN THIS EPISODE: Gertrude Baniszewski – a woman whose evil ran so deep, it flowed through her children and their friends and displayed itself in the torture, mutilation and murder of a young girl. (Torture Mother) *** On January 2, 1935, a man who signed the guest register as “Roland T. Owen” checked into the President Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri – and never checked out. (The Man in Room 1046) *** If you ask a dying loved one to try and reach you from the other side when they finally pass away, don’t be surprised if they follow up on that promise. (My Mom’s Wake) *** The last cabin standing along the beach at Hunting Island State Park is a celebrity among locals and visitors as folks have taken to a love affair with the little blue cabin’s fight against nature over the past few years. Oh… and it also appears to be haunted. (Little Blue Ocean Cabin)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Lead-In00:01:42.103 = Show Open00:03:33.891 = The Torture Mother, Part 100:17:39.437 = *** The Torture Mother, Part 200:38:39.253 = *** The Man In Room 104600:45:45.323 = My Mom’s Wake00:51:06.802 = *** Little Blue00:55:43.060 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Man in Room 1046” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/2QJcZpW“My Mom’s Wake” by Pete Inesc: http://bit.ly/2EObXUE“Little Blue Ocean Cabin” posted at GhostsNGhouls.com (link no longer available)“The Torture Mother” posted at Murderpedia.org: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4xcbkut7Weird Darkness theme from Alibi Music Library= = = = =(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 ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: June 01, 2019EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirdarkness.com/TortureMotherABOUT 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.#WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #SylviaLikens #TortureMother #GertrudeBaniszewski #TrueCrimeHistory #IndianapolisTrue Crime #1960sCrime #TrueCrimeCommunity #MurderCase

Australian Mayor Has to Ask People to STOP EATING Toilet Seats

A Tasmanian mayor's routine trip to a public restroom turned into an official plea for citizens to stop snacking on the facilities.READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/tasmania-mayor-dont-eat-toilet-seatsWeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #BizarreNews, #WeirdNews, #Tasmania, #Australia, #StrangeButTrue, #OddNews, #ViralNews, #WTFNews

The Girl At The Bar Told Me That She Was Satan, I Believed Her

A disheveled stranger sat down next to me at a London bar and claimed to be the Devil. By the time she finished telling me the truth about Hell, I believed every word.IN THIS EPISODE: It’s the classic horror story, “The Man Who Returned” by Edmond Hamilton. Originally published in 1934, "The Man Who Returned" is an effective horror story.  Since first transmitting its sad and cynical realism from the pages of Weird Tales, it has been reprinted in numerous collections of stories from that magazine, as well as in a 1980 volume entitled “Fear! Fear! Fear!” *** I’ve pulled out what I hope you’ll agree is definitely worth the “creepy” part of creepypasta. It was found on Reddit, written by user AThousandRows. The original title of the story is “I Met Someone Who Claimed To Be The Devil... And I Believed Them.” CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:01:05.190 = Show Open00:02:45.849 = She Claimed To Be The Devil, And I Believed Her00:45:03.961 = *** The Man Who Returned01:19:22.525 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:“She Claimed To Be The Devil, And I Believed Her” by Redditor u/athousandrows: https://tinyurl.com/yc56prtr“The Man Who Returned” by Edmond Hamilton: https://tinyurl.com/y5dh2fl7=====(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 18, 2019 (The Man Who Returned); March 2021 (She Claimed To Be The Devil)EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/SheDevilABOUT 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.#WeirdDarkness #HorrorStories #Creepypasta #ScaryStories #Paranormal #TrueScary #HorrorPodcast #Supernatural #DarkStories #Macabre