The Fake Raccoon Army That Caught Conspiracy Survey Trolls | #WeirdDarkNEWS

Five words from a faceless machine end Walter Hayes's career — and send him down a spiral where the only solution he can see is to be worth more dead than alive. Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “Sorry To Let You Go” (October 21, 1977) 00:45:08.893 = MindWebs, “Letters From Underneath The Earth” (January 24, 1983) 01:15:14.587 = Two On a Clue, “The Case of the Silent Witness” (October 03, 1944) ***WD 01:29:41.774 = Mystery In The Air, “Black Cat” (September 18, 1947) ***WD 01:55:27.900 = Molle’ Mystery Theater, “Creeper” (March 29, 1946) 02:24:33.240 = Mr. Keen, “The Missing Witnesses” (January 13, 1944) ***WD 02:52:57.583 = Murder at Midnight, “Ape Song” (April 13, 1947) ***WD 03:19:33.899 = Black Museum, “Auto Service Card” (March 28, 1952) ***WD 03:45:30.365 = Mysterious Traveler, “It’s Only Money” (January 08, 1952) 04:14:43.412 = Mystery House, “Death Passed My Window” (March 31, 1946) ***WD 04:40:59.457 = Night Beat, “Sanctuary” (June 22, 1951) 05:08:08.740 = 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. CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0658

Centuries ago, fear and superstition led to bizarre and cruel witch trials, where the accused faced impossible tests—from floating in water to being weighed against Bibles — that often sealed their grim fate. EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources and full transcript): https://weirddarkness.com/CondemnedAsAWitch FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: We’ve all heard of the Salem Witch Trials – but accusations of witchcraft took place everywhere, not just Massachusetts. But who were these individuals, and were they guilty of what they were convicted of and killed for? (People Killed As Witches) *** Of course, not all those charged with witchcraft died in the 1600s during the witch trial mania – some died much much later, like the 21st century. Yes, it still happens even today. (Modern Witch Killings) *** The ways witches were tested during the mass hysteria of the witch trials resulted in some bizarre and cruel ways to determine if someone was a witch. And I’d bet most all of us would be deemed witches if forced to take the tests today. (How To Test a Witch) *** But before we get into the people who were accused, the tactics used to test them or make them confess, and how many of them were killed, we’ll look at some of the misconceptions of the Salem Witch Trials that you probably think are true. (Salem Witch Trial Misconceptions) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding 00:01:00.501 = Show Open 00:03:00.571 = Salem Witch Trial Misconceptions 00:11:28.154 = People Killed As Witches *** 00:26:21.262 = How To Test a Witch 00:35:31.660 = Modern Witch Killings *** 00:47:41.080 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break LISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* SOURCES and RESOURCES: “Witch’s Brew” poem: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/n7p3j8us “Salem Witch Trial Misconceptions” by Tamar Altebarmakian for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/57ah3yw5 “How To Test a Witch” by Tamar Altebarmakian for Ranker’s Witchcraft: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/34vsfs9r “People Killed As Witches” by Laura Allan for Ranker’s History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3pejpv5c “Modern Witch Killings” by Greg Beneven for Ranker’s History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/rafzhksz (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.) WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. Originally aired: March 04, 2023

A Louisiana father shot seven of his own children and their cousin dead inside two Shreveport homes on the morning of April 19, 2026, then drove to his former Army mentor's doorstep to die. SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/elkins Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736 *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

Between March 6 and March 10, eight witnesses across Portage County reported the same thing — an upright figure, eight feet tall, moving through the river corridors east of Akron. SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/ohio-bigfoot-flap-2026 Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://pod.link/1078714736 *No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast* WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

A curving Mississippi lake road after sundown, a wedding present on the passenger seat, and a quiet island resort across the water where the ferryman takes fifty cents — exact change only. Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/OTR CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Island on Silvertree Lake” (October 19, 1977) 00:46:15.152 = Lights Out, “the Projective Mr. Drogan” (January 26, 1943) 01:15:39.621 = Lux Radio Theater, “Return of Peter Grimm” (February 13, 1939) 02:17:22.687 = Macabre, “Crystalline Man” (January 01, 1962) ***WD 02:45:43.599 = Philip Marlowe, “Bid For Freedom” (January 21, 1950) 03:14:29.567 = Results Inc, “Mummy’s Walk” (December 03, 1944) 03:42:38.776 = Black Mass, “Shidah And Kuziba” (October 16, 1973) ***WD 03:56:34.198 = Michael Shayne, “Date At Cliff House” (April 16, 1945) 04:26:13.554 = Beyond Midnight, “Marble Room” (September 26, 1969) ***WD 04:53:52.211 = 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. CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0657