“MAD SCIENTISTS AND IMPOSSIBLE EXPERIMENTS” and More Freaky True Stories! #WeirdDarkness #Darkives

From an inexplicable force that turned a woman to ashes in her farmhouse, to strange phenomena that transformed a quiet English town into a UFO hotspot, these chilling Christmas mysteries continue to baffle investigators and haunt communities long after the holiday decorations were packed away. IN THIS EPISODE: A nurse was found dead in her bed - and her boyfriend and his nine-year-old son vanished, leaving behind only a truck full of bloodstained presents. (Christmas Murder in Lockhart) *** A little girl vanishes on a winter road trip to Las Vegas, and twenty Christmases later, a detective's search for answers leads to a desperate couple's final confession - but not to the truth about what really happened to two-year-old Nikole Betterson. (Nikole’s Christmas Farewell) *** Behind one of the most beloved Christmas poems ever written lies a centuries-old mystery: was "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" penned by a scholarly professor for his children, or did someone else create the story that shaped how we see Santa Claus? (‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas) *** When Patty Vaughan left her home on Christmas Day 1996, she left behind three children and a trail of mysterious clues - including an abandoned van, suspicious blood stains, and a red work uniform that would puzzle investigators for decades to come. (The Patty Vaughan Vanishing) *** When farmhand John Larson awoke to find soot on his pillow on Christmas morning 1885, he never imagined he'd discover his employer Patrick Rooney dead from smoke inhalation and his wife Matilda mysteriously burned to ash in a perfectly circular hole in their kitchen floor - with no other fire damage to the house. (Matilda Rooney’s Christmas Combustion) *** In the quiet town of New London, Connecticut, what began as a simple flat tire on Christmas Eve 1973 turned into one of the community's darkest mysteries when twenty-year-old Kevin Showalter was struck and killed by a driver who vanished into the night - leaving behind a grieving mother, whispers of a cover-up, and questions that would haunt the town for decades. (The Hit And Run Death of Kevin Showalter) *** A teenage girl's first office Christmas party should have been a celebration of new beginnings, but for Rhonda Hinson, it became her last night alive - and the start of a mystery that would puzzle investigators for over forty years. (Rhonda Hinson’s Only Office Christmas Party) *** A mother's quick errand turns into a decades-old mystery when Tracy Mertens vanishes from her Birmingham flat days before Christmas, leaving investigators with a yellow Ford Escort, two mysterious men, and questions that remain unanswered to this day. (The Tracy Mertens Mystery) *** On Christmas morning 1964, the quiet town of Warminster, England woke up to strange sounds that would mark the beginning of one of history's most puzzling mysteries - a series of unexplained events that would become known worldwide as 'The Thing. (The Warminster Christmas Thing) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Cold Cases, Colder Nights 00:02:38.802 = Show Open 00:06:20.432 = The Warminster Christmas Thing 00:13:13.664 = *** The Tracy Mertens Mystery 00:17:10.974 = The Mystery of Matilda Rooney’s Christmas Combustion 00:21:36.666 = Rhonda Hinson’s Only Office Christmas Party 00:27:32.493 = *** Christmas Murder in Lockhart 00:30:24.890 = The Holiday Hit-And-Run of Kevin Showalter 00:33:56.238 = Nikole’s Christmas Farewell 00:38:20.096 = *** The Patty Vaughan Vanishing 00:41:44.518 = ‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas 00:47:49.521 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasMysteries

Matthew Klein woke up believing the nightmare was over. He walked into work with hope in his heart for the first time in days, convinced he had finally broken free from the darkness that had invaded his life. But hope is a fragile thing in Marshport — and the shadows that have been watching Matthew do not forgive so easily. There are rules to this game. Rules that were made clear. And those who break them will discover that consequences come in many forms. Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil #WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror

On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space — but two brothers in Italy had already recorded transmissions from Soviet spacecraft that were never supposed to exist. | #WDRadio WEEK OF DEC 07, 2025 ========== HOUR ONE: Did lost cosmonauts make it into space before Yuri Gagarin? (The Tombs in Space) *** Don't take a gift from Gracie Watson's grave... or her life-like statue might cry tears of blood. (Gracie’s Ghost) *** Did Bonnie Scott run away? Was she kidnapped? Murdered perhaps? All anyone knew was that no one had a clue where she was. She had simply disappeared without a trace. (The Murder of Bonnie Leigh Scott) *** A latchkey kid comes home to an empty house… or so they thought until they heard footsteps in another room. (The Laundry Room) ========== HOUR TWO: Just because the Ouija board is made by a board game manufacturer does not mean it should be treated like a toy – as many have discovered. *** The similar game, Charlie Charlie seems more innocent – but is so dangerous that in one school where children were playing it, they had to call in an exorcist. *** And you never know when playing any of these types of games what kind of spirit you might be inviting into our realm – but I can tell you this…. It’s never good. They might pretend to be good, but that’s far from the truth. And one particular demon has found notoriety through the Ouija board community, a demon you don’t want to risk opening a door for. It’s name is Zozo. ========== SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: People often encounter strange and frightening things when they experience sleep paralysis – but in one particular story, the horrors began well before going to bed. (Sleep Paralysis in Bangkok) *** Samuel Joselyn was buried in 1810 in a North Carolina cemetery.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Samuel was actually DEAD at the time of his burial! (Buried Alive in Wilmington) *** in 1894 Rosa Lochner was a witness to murder, but she had been deaf since birth and her spoken vocabulary was limited. So how could she testify against the accused? (Murder In Pantomime) *** A boy wakes to find his previously closed curtains now open – and the only explanation involves a previous resident of the house he’s now living in. (Strange Manifestations) *** Mention the word “Chupacabra” and most people will think of a strange, hairless dog-like animal. They are never described as having the ability to fly… until now. (Winged Chupacabras) *** These UFOs aren’t shiny metallic discs or cigar-shaped spaceships. They are humanoid – and they fly without the help of a jetpack, wings, cape or even a broom to sit on. And the sightings are still coming in all throughout Mexico. (The Flying Humanoids of Mexico) *** The North Carolina Cherokee have a story about how dangerous it can be even near a calm river – where the waters can suddenly foam and a giant beast can appear on the rocks. (James and the Giant Leech) *** Supernatural women, shadowy men, odd animal sightings, and more… they can all be found at late-night truck stops if you’re not careful. (Truck Stop Horror Stories) ========== SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW: “Charlie Charlie” https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ydpwych9, and “Ouija Boards” https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mzyfmweeby Jacob Shelton for Graveyard Shift “ZoZo the Ouija Board Demon” by Maggie Clendenin for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/xtc8x9pe “The Tombs in Space” posted at The Unredacted: http://ow.ly/nW5U30mwbWw “Gracie’s Ghost” by Gary Sweeney for The Line Up:

A teenage girl recovering from an illness begins hearing a disembodied voice begging to be let into a ruined building on the property. Her father and the family’s minister investigate the ruins to uncover the source of the voice. | “The Pleading Voice” from CBS Radio Mystery Theater | #RetroRadio EP0567 CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Pleading Voice” (March 10, 1977) ***WD 00:46:24.386 = Starlight Theater, “Man Hires Hit Man To Kill Him” (late 1940s) ***WD 01:14:04.441 = Sam Spade, “The Vendetta Caper” (March 30, 1951) 01:43:11.328 = The Sealed Book, “The Man With The Stolen Face” (July 15, 1945) ***WD 02:12:35.306 = The Shadow, “The Curse of Shiva” (December 01, 1940) ***WD 02:36:15.238 = Sleep No More, “The Bet Clerks Quest” (April 03, 1947) 03:05:36.141 = BBC Fresh Blood, “A Fare To Remember” (March 2006) 03:18:25.761 = Stay Tuned For Terror, “Lizzie Borden Took An Axe” (July 23, 1945) ***WD 03:31:23.249 = Strange Wills, “Death Is My Destiny” (November 23, 1946) 04:01:13.682 = Strange, “Captain Robinson” (1955) 04:14:58.876 = Suspense, “The Black Curtain” (December 02, 1943) 04:43:11.724 = 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. = = = = =#ParanormalRadio #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas #WeirdDarkness CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0567

A reporter arrives in a small country town investigating rumors that a man has returned from the dead. He uncovers that the supposedly resurrected man was actually murdered, and his daughter resurrected him via sorcery for vengeance. As the reporter digs deeper, he becomes entangled in a web of revenge and dark supernatural secrets. | “Lazarus Rising” from CBC’s Nightfall | #RetroRadio EP0566 CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Sign of the Four” (March 08, 1977) ***WD 00:45:30.804 = Mystery House, “A Case of Homicide” (ADU) ***WD 01:10:49.650 = CBC Nightfall, “Lazarus Rising” (November 12, 1982) 01:38:49.898 = Origin of Superstition, “Hat On a Bed” (1935) ***WD 01:52:27.483 = Peril, “Darkness Within” (1953) ***WD (LQ) 02:20:15.349 = Mystery Playhouse, “The Ghost With The Gun” (October 26, 1945) ***WD (LQ) 02:44:40.087 = Philip Morris Playhouse, “Four Hours to Kill” (May 13, 1949) ***WD 03:13:42.114 = Price of Fear, “Not Wanted On This Voyage” (1973-1983) ***WD 03:41:39.580 = Adventures of Ellery Queen, “One Diamond” (May 06, 1948) 04:11:09.637 = Quiet Please, “Calling All Souls” (October 31, 1948) 04:40:21.801 = Radio City Playhouse, “Legend of Teresa” (June 27, 1949) 05:08:42.147 = 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. = = = = =#ParanormalRadio #ScienceFiction #OldTimeRadio #OTR #OTRHorror #ClassicRadioShows #HorrorRadioShows #VintageRadioDramas #WeirdDarkness CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0566