“THE WITCHFINDER AND HIS WEIRD WOODEN BOX” and 4 More Creepy Paranormal Stories! #WeirdDarkness

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-In 00:01:42.103 = Show Open 00:03:33.891 = The Torture Mother, Part 1 00:17:39.437 = *** The Torture Mother, Part 2 00:38:39.253 = *** The Man In Room 1046 00:45:45.323 = My Mom’s Wake 00:51:06.802 = *** Little Blue 00:55:43.060 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES 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/4xcbkut7 Weird 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, 2019 EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirdarkness.com/TortureMother 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 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

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-seats WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #BizarreNews, #WeirdNews, #Tasmania, #Australia, #StrangeButTrue, #OddNews, #ViralNews, #WTFNews

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-In 00:01:05.190 = Show Open 00:02:45.849 = She Claimed To Be The Devil, And I Believed Her 00:45:03.961 = *** The Man Who Returned 01:19:22.525 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES 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/SheDevil 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 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

The legendary director's top-secret UFO film "Disclosure Day" has spawned wild conspiracy theories that actual extraterrestrials appear on screen — and the "evidence" is more entertaining than the movie will probably be. READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/spielberg-alien-film WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness. #WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #StevenSpielberg, #DisclosureDay, #UFO, #Aliens, #ConspiracyTheory, #UFODisclosure, #Extraterrestrial, #SciFiMovies

They answered expecting a familiar voice, but the person calling had been dead for hours, days, or even twenty years — and somehow, they still had something to say. IN THIS EPISODE: A female serial killer is described as a “sadistic killer” who reveled in her evil actions while pretending to cure people in her sanitarium. (The Horrors of Doctor Hazzard) *** In a very remote part of Mongolia one person made an incredible find. It’s a discovery that could easily turn our understanding of ancient history upside down. (Ancient Mystery In Mongolia) *** What would you do if you saw a flash of light down the hall of a nursing home? (Nursing Home Shuffler) *** When you dream of loved ones who have passed away, do you consider it just a dream – or is that deceased family member reaching out to speak to you? (Dreaming Of Grandmother) *** A college girl leaves campus in her car… never to be seen again. (The Chilling, Unexplained Disappearance of Maura Murray) *** True unexplained stories about prank phone calls and mysterious harassers have always been the bread and butter of horror movies. But what happens when an unnamed creep starts making scary prank calls in real life? What about a loved one calling you from the site of a train crash – where they died moments before calling you? A dead girlfriend sending you a private message on Facebook? Or an email from a deceased friend? CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Lead-In 00:00:40.137 = Show Open 00:02:19.913 = The Horrors of Doctor Hazzard 00:07:46.847 = Ancient Mystery in Mongolia 00:22:18.727 = *** Dreaming of Grandmother 00:26:55.854 = Maura Murray 00:34:40.451 = Nursing Home Shuffler 00:37:01.777 = *** Dead Train Passenger 00:47:24.628 = *** Redditors’ Creepy Calls 00:52:31.840 = The Fircrest Restricted Caller01:01:57.973 = *** Dean Koontz’s Warning From The Other Side 01:09:08.656 = Email From The Underworld 01:11:11.582 = Facebook Message From Dead Girlfriend 01:14:25.782 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Ancient Mystery in Mongolia” by Ellen Lloyd (link no longer available) “Nursing Home Shuffler” (link no longer available) “The Horrors of Doctor Hazzard” by Xavier Ortega: http://bit.ly/2WkKOU7 “Dreaming of Grandmother” written by Weirdo family member C.C., submitted at WeirdDarkness.com “The Chilling, Unexplained Disappearance of Maura Murray” by Catherine Phelan: http://bit.ly/2WCUh8C “Dead Train Passenger Calling” by Erin McCann for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/35ja28pf “Stalked By a Restricted Caller” by Jacob Shelton for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4kazrpuh “Email From The Underworld” by David Moye for the Huffington Post: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y5vxtyke “Facebook Message from Dead Girlfriend” by Adam Dodd for Bloody-Disgusting.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4z8msxmj “Creepy Phone Calls” by Aaron Edwards for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5c8etac5 “Dean Koontz’ Warning From The Other Side” by Jessika M. Thomas for Graveyard Shift:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/kj3fazsd =====(Over time...