“THE HICKS ROAD HORROR” and More True Strange Stories! #WeirdDarkness

Weird Darkness is narrated by professional full-time voice actor Darren Marlar. No A.I. voices are ever used in the show. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version with all artwork created for the YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycknd7s5 IN THIS EPISODE: In Victorian London, a grisly murder case involving Maria and Frederick Manning shocked society and caught the attention of Charles Dickens himself. What began as a love triangle turned into a chilling tale of greed, betrayal, and murder, culminating in a public execution that would challenge the very nature of capital punishment in Great Britain. (The Murderous Mannings) *** In 1720, amidst a perilous pirate attack on the Atlantic, a newborn's cry changed the course of destiny. Ocean-Born Mary, christened by buccaneers and gifted with a bolt of green silk, would grow from a maritime legend into a symbol of courage and resilience in colonial New England, her extraordinary birth weaving a tapestry of fact and fiction that continues to captivate imaginations centuries later. (A Pirate’s Godchild, Ocean-Born Mary) *** On the morning of June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates shocked the nation by drowning her five children, one by one, in the family bathtub. Years of untreated mental illness, compounded by religious fanaticism and postpartum psychosis, culminated in this unimaginable tragedy. Was it the work of a tortured mind, or something darker at play? (Did The Devil Make Her Do It?) *** Deep in the ancient folds of the Appalachian Mountains, where time seems to slow and shadows linger, legends have taken root for millennia. These peaks have become a breeding ground for supernatural tales that blend seamlessly with the landscape. The sheer age and untamed nature of Appalachia have given birth to a rich tapestry of myths, from the Mothman, to ghosts, to the Devil himself. (Modern Mythology and Ancient Appalachia) *** In the heart of Preston, Ladywell Street is infamous for a chilling spectral presence capable of shifting forms—from eerie footsteps to a blood-soaked apparition known as the Bannister Doll. Once a beautiful young woman, Dolly Bannister met a tragic death at the hands of her father, a punishment for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, her restless spirit seeks retribution, haunting the streets and striking fear into anyone who dares to cross her path. (The Haunting of Ladywell Street) *** In 1984, a sleepy English village became the unlikely stage for a mind-bending mystery when a schoolteacher's computer began receiving messages from a man claiming to be from 1546. As past and present collided through a BBC Micro, Ken Webster and his friends found themselves entangled in a web of Tudor English, future prophecies, and inexplicable phenomena that would challenge everything they thought they knew about time and technology. (Ctrl+Alt+1546: The Dodleston Messages Mystery) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Cold Open & Show Intro 00:06:14:000 = The Dodleston Messages Mystery 00:29:39.831 = The Pirate’s Godchild, Ocean-Born Mary 00:34:22.383 = The Murderous Mannings 00:45:21.991 = Modern Mythology and Ancient Appalachia 00:52:52.462 = Did The Devil Make Her Do It? 01:04:53.693 = The Haunting of Ladywell Street 01:08:28.296 = Show Close SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… BOOK: “The Vertical Plane” by Ken Webster: https://amzn.to/4drgdH4 “Ctrl+Alt+1546: The Dodleston Messages Mystery” source: Tony Walker, Medium: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3pf7strv “The Murderous Mannings” source: Alexa Baczak, Medium:

Weird Darkness is narrated by professional full-time voice actor Darren Marlar. No A.I. voices are ever used in the show. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112913114 IN THIS EPISODE: Hundreds of years after his death, the tomb of William Longespee was opened and what was found horrified the man who opened it… the skeleton of a black rat was found in the skull of Longespee – but that wasn’t the end of the story! (The Rat In Longespee’s Skull) *** Most people are superstitious to at least a tiny degree – avoiding walking under ladders, not opening umbrellas indoors, or having a tingle down the spine every Friday the 13th. Perhaps you have a favorite or “lucky” shirt to wear on special occasions – or a lucky pair of socks. Maybe you have to dress from left to right instead of the other way around. Superstitions may seem silly, but we seem to live with them everywhere – but your superstitions don’t hold a candle to the ones believed by those in the theater. Thespians on and off the stage have some pretty bizarre concepts about what is lucky and unlucky. (Strange Superstitions of the Stage) *** Viking sagas describe the ritual execution of blood eagle, in which victims were kept alive while their backs were sliced open so that their ribs, lungs, and intestines could be pulled out into the shape of bloody wings. The torture method was so grisly that some historians believe it never truly happened. We can only hope historians are correct, because the thought of someone going through it alive is unbelievably terrifying. (The Blood Eagle Viking Torture) *** Physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked the question "Where are they?" to express his surprise over the absence of any signs for the existence of other intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. Although many potential resolutions to this so-called “Fermi paradox” have been suggested over the years, there is still no consensus on which one, if any, is correct.  We’ll look at some of the theories as to where E.T. might be found. (Where Might E.T. Be Hiding?) *** Only once in the history of law enforcement and ufology has there been a case where a UFO incident turned into an actual criminal investigation. We’ll look at the Dechmont Woods Encounter. (The Criminal Investigation of a UFO Incident) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Cold Open and Show Intro 00:06:56.540 = The Criminal Investigation of a UFO Incident 00:28:52.627 = Where Might E.T. Be Hiding? 00:43:11.703 = The Blood Eagle Viking Torture 00:52:29.530 = Strange Superstitions of the Stage 01:11:38.823 = The Rat in Longespee’s Skull 01:23:19.578 = Show Close SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… BOOK: “The UFO Mystery Solved” by Steuart Campbell: https://amzn.to/3OsXXnI BOOK: “UFO Scotland – the Secret History of Scotland’s UFO Phenomenon” by Ron Halliday: https://amzn.to/3Y5nkiA “The Criminal Investigation of a UFO Incident” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/562ntr6z; and IAN at Mysterious Britain and Ireland:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8ty2n8 “Where Might E.T. Be Hiding?” by Ben Gazur for ListVerse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3yvx7adx “Strange Superstitions of the Stage” by Amanda Boisen for Ranker:

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version plus all of the artwork created for the YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112858063 CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:56.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Deadly Double” (March 23, 1975) 00:48:01.804 = Box 13, “Damsel In Distress” (November 14, 1948) 01:17:12.600 = Cabin B-13, “The Sleep of Death” (December 26, 1948) ***LowQuality 01:45:54.560 = Chet Chetter’s Tales from the Morgue, “The Bitter Pill” (1992) 02:17:34.501 = Cloak and Dagger, “Black Radio” (August 27, 1950) 02:48:04.227 = The Clock, “The Story of John Littlefield” (November 24, 1946) ***WD 03:13:38.955 = Confession, “Anna Carlson” (July 19, 1953) 03:44:49.451 = The Creaking Door, “Alive In His Grave” (ADU) ***WD 04:15:58.455 = Dark Fantasy, “Superstition Be Hanged” (March 23, 1942) 04:41:37.946 = Sounds of Darkness, “Perplexed Pilot” (September 22, 1967) 05:08:05.082 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode 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 = = = = = "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. = = = = =CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0218

Weird Darkness is narrated by professional full-time voice actor Darren Marlar. No A.I. voices are ever used in the show.  IN THIS EPISODE: Stephen King’s “The Man In The Black Suit” was originally published in the Halloween issue of The New Yorker in 1994 and subsequently won the 1995 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction and the 1996 O. Henry Award. The story was later included in Stephen King's 1997 collection Six Stories, as well as his 2002 collection Everything's Eventual which is where I am reading this from. SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… “The Man In The Black Suit” by Stephen King, from the book “Everything’s Eventual”: https://amzn.to/2QkaDlA, also available in the Stephen King anthology, “Six Stories”: https://amzn.to/33GrKkz. Weird 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 ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = = Originally aired: May 13, 2021 CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/manintheblacksuit

Weird Darkness is narrated by professional full-time voice actor Darren Marlar. No A.I. voices are ever used in the show. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycktys7v IN THIS EPISODE: Deep within the ancient limestone caves of Wookey Hole, a legendary witch once cast her dark curse over the nearby village, dooming all love to fail. Centuries later, the echoes of her magic still haunt the caverns, where eerie sounds and ghostly figures continue to baffle and terrify visitors. Is the petrified figure in the Witch’s Kitchen truly the stone remains of the cursed sorceress, or does her spirit linger, waiting for someone to break the spell? (The Witch of Wookey Hole) *** In 1954, off the coast of Australia, a routine flight turned into one of the most compelling UFO encounters in history. When Royal Australian Navy pilot Lieutenant O'Farrell reported two mysterious lights outpacing his Sea Fury aircraft, he couldn't have imagined that his sighting, confirmed by multiple radar operators on the ground, would become a cornerstone case in UFO research for decades to come. (The Sea Fury UFO Mystery) *** "When two boys unearth strange stone heads in their backyard, they unknowingly trigger a series of eerie events, from ghostly encounters to bizarre werewolf sightings. As archaeologists and paranormal investigators examine the Hexham Heads, rumors of ancient curses and supernatural forces grow—but are the objects truly cursed, or is it all just legend?" (The Hexham Heads) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Cold Open and Show Intro 00:04:42.949 = Horror of the Hexam Heads, Part 1 00:18:20.410 = Horror of the Hexam Heads, Part 2 00:35:12.703 = The Witch of Wookey Hole 00:54:27.134 = The Sea Fury UFO Mystery 01:02:34.521 = Show Outro SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… Episodes with “The Stone Tape Theory”: https://weirddarkness.com/?s=%22stone+tape+theory%22 Episodes with Sawney Bean stories: https://weirddarkness.com/?s=%22Sawney+Bean%22 BOOK: “Tales of the Hexham Heads” by Paul Screeton (Free PDF): https://bit.ly/47IaQCi “The Horror of the Hexam Heads” source: The Urban Prehistorian: https://bit.ly/3XVGokR, https://bit.ly/3zJOP9v,https://bit.ly/3XGQAMB, https://bit.ly/4gDKHZg “The Witch of Wookey Hole” sources: Lauren Dillon, HistoricMysteries.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mr3u7mjh; Chris Goodchild and Neil Morgan, Haunted History Chronicles: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3cb2tacc; Julia Banim and Josie O’Brien, The Mirror: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p85bt9t “The Sea Fury UFO Mystery” source: Marcus Lowth at UFO Insight: https://bit.ly/47DC6lr, and Bill Chalker at UFO Evidence: https://bit.ly/3MXqzUq Weird Darkness theme by Alibi...