The Devil Within

THE DEVIL WITHIN

The Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe: Baltimore's Most Famous Haunting

Episode Two | Edgar Allan Poe Series

Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore on October 7, 1849. Nearly two centuries later, some people insist he never really left.

Along the rain-soaked cobblestone streets of Fell's Point, stories persist of a pale, dark-haired figure wandering beneath streetlights before vanishing into the night. Inside an old Baltimore tavern, employees and patrons have reported unexplained disturbances attributed to a spirit they call Edgar. And at a modest brick house on North Amity Street, where Poe once struggled to survive as a young writer, visitors encounter a building whose history may be more haunting than any ghost story.

In this episode of The Devil Within, Branden Morgan returns to Baltimore to investigate the supernatural legends surrounding America's greatest master of the macabre, exploring the extraordinary ways a writer who spent his life contemplating death became one of the country's most enduring ghosts.

Our investigation begins at the Edgar Allan Poe House, where poverty, ambition, family tragedy, and literary genius converged during the 1830s. We then travel to Westminster Burying Ground, where a mysterious visitor dressed in black appeared for decades on Poe's birthday, leaving three red roses and a bottle of cognac beside his grave. Known only as the Poe Toaster, the stranger became one of Baltimore's most beloved unsolved mysteries.

From there, we venture into Fell's Point and the legendary Horse You Came In On Saloon, where local folklore claims Poe enjoyed one of his final drinks before his mysterious death. Today, the establishment is associated with reports of moving objects, unexplained activity, and the possibility that its most famous patron has never checked out.

But how much of Baltimore's haunted history can actually be verified? Are these genuine encounters with the supernatural, elaborate traditions passed down through generations, or the inevitable consequence of a city that refuses to let its most famous literary resident rest in peace?

Edgar Allan Poe spent his life writing about the dead refusing to remain dead. Perhaps his greatest trick was becoming one of them.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The House on Amity Street: Poe's early years in Baltimore, his family, his literary breakthrough, and the ghost stories surrounding his former home.

• The Poe Toaster: The mysterious stranger who visited Poe's grave every January 19th, leaving cognac and three red roses.

• The Ghosts of Fell's Point: Reports of a nineteenth-century figure wandering Baltimore's historic waterfront streets.

• The Horse You Came In On Saloon: The legendary tavern associated with Poe's final days and an alleged resident spirit named Edgar.

• History Versus Haunting: Why Poe's supernatural legacy continues to flourish nearly two centuries after his death.

COMING NEXT: THE WINCHESTER MYSTERY HOUSE

Our journey into America's haunted history continues in San Jose, California, where Sarah Winchester, widow of firearms heir William Wirt Winchester, spent decades transforming a modest farmhouse into an architectural labyrinth.

Staircases leading nowhere. Doors opening onto empty space. Rooms within rooms. And a persistent legend that Sarah Winchester believed herself haunted by the spirits of people killed by the rifle that made her family wealthy.

Was the Winchester Mystery House built to confuse the dead, or is the truth behind its construction even more fascinating than the ghost stories?

Find out next time on The Devil Within.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us for new investigations into true crime, paranormal phenomena, occult history, and the mysteries that continue to haunt us.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave a five-star rating and a written review. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners and keeps these stories alive.

Watch & Subscribe: Watch The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes, original videos, and exclusive content from across the Evio Universe.

Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for episode updates, historical mysteries, and behind-the-scenes content.

Have a Story to Tell? Send your paranormal experiences, true crime tips, and story suggestions to mailto:info@eviocreative.com.

The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production.

EPISODE KEYWORDS

Edgar Allan Poe, The Ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, Poe haunting, Edgar Allan Poe House, Baltimore ghosts, haunted Baltimore, Fell's Point, Poe Toaster, Poe's grave, Westminster Burying Ground, The Horse You Came In On Saloon, haunted taverns, paranormal investigations, American Gothic, literary ghosts, true ghost stories, The Devil Within, Branden Morgan, Evio Creative.
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THE DEVIL WITHIN

The Five Lost Days: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Episode One | Edgar Allan Poe Series

On September 27, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe boarded a steamship in Richmond, Virginia, with plans for the future and a woman he hoped to marry. Five days later, one of America's most celebrated masters of the macabre had seemingly vanished from the historical record.

When Poe resurfaced in Baltimore on October 3, he was delirious, gravely ill, and reportedly wearing clothes that weren't his own. He had been discovered outside a tavern serving as an election polling place, unable to explain where he'd been or what had happened to him. Four days later, at just forty years old, Edgar Allan Poe was dead.

Nearly two centuries later, the circumstances remain a mystery.

In this episode of The Devil Within, Branden Morgan investigates the strange final days of Edgar Allan Poe, exploring theories involving alcoholism, disease, robbery, and a sinister nineteenth-century election fraud scheme known as cooping, in which unsuspecting men were allegedly kidnapped, drugged, disguised, and forced to vote repeatedly.

But Poe's story doesn't end with his death.

Twenty-six years after his burial, his remains were exhumed and relocated to a more prominent grave in Baltimore. What followed was a particularly disturbing legend: that scratches had been discovered inside his coffin, suggesting the man who famously wrote about the horrors of premature burial had himself been buried alive.

Is there any truth to the story, or did generations of admirers simply invent the perfect ending for America's greatest Gothic storyteller?

From Poe's unexplained disappearance to the macabre folklore surrounding his grave, The Five Lost Days explores the uncomfortable territory where documented history ends and legend begins.

Some mysteries remain unsolved. Others become immortal.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Poe's final departure from Richmond and his plans to marry Elmira Royster Shelton.

• The five missing days between September 27 and October 3, 1849.

• His mysterious discovery at a Baltimore polling place.

• The competing medical and criminal theories surrounding his death.

• The terrifying nineteenth-century practice of premature burial and the invention of safety coffins.

• Poe's 1875 exhumation and the legend of the scratches inside his coffin.

COMING NEXT: THE GHOST OF EDGAR ALLAN POE

Our investigation continues in Baltimore, where Poe's presence supposedly lingers nearly two centuries after his death. From his former home on Amity Street and the cemetery where he rests to the haunted taverns of Fell's Point, we explore the ghost stories, strange encounters, and enduring legends surrounding the man who made the macabre an American art form.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Listen & Follow: Follow The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episodes explore true crime, paranormal mysteries, occult history, and the darkest corners of the human experience.

Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave us a five-star rating and a written review. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners.

Watch & Subscribe: Visit the Evio Creative YouTube channel, subscribe, and turn on notifications for video episodes, original investigations, and more from across the Evio Universe.

Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for episode updates, historical mysteries, and behind-the-scenes content.

Have a Story to Tell? Send your paranormal encounters, true crime tips, and story suggestions to mailto:info@eviocreative.com.

The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production.

EPISODE KEYWORDS

Edgar Allan Poe, The Five Lost Days, Edgar Allan Poe death, Edgar Allan Poe mystery, Baltimore 1849, Poe's final days, premature burial, buried alive, Poe's grave, Poe exhumation, cooping, election fraud, Gothic literature, historical mysteries, true crime history, paranormal history, The Devil Within, Branden Morgan, Evio Creative.
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THE DEVIL'S LEDGER

Week of October 19, 2026 | Evio Creative

A Haunted Halloween, the Murdaugh Retrial, The Lexi CON & Crystal Lake

This week on The Devil's Ledger, we begin on a somber note, acknowledging the victims and families affected by the reported elementary school shooting in Bend, Oregon, and confronting America's ongoing epidemic of gun violence.

Then, in The Creepiest Thing I Heard This Week, a horrifying accident during a livestreamed church service in Ecuador raises unsettling questions about faith, fate, and one of the most improbable tragedies imaginable.

THIS WEEK ACROSS THE EVIO UNIVERSE:

THE DEVIL WITHIN | HAUNTED HALLOWEEN

October gets considerably darker as we investigate the mysterious death of Edgar Allan Poe and the five missing days before his final appearance in Baltimore. Then we travel to California's legendary Winchester Mystery House, where an eccentric heiress, an architectural labyrinth, and more than a century of ghost stories have created one of America's most fascinating haunted landmarks.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF | THE MURDAUGH RETRIAL

New developments in the Alex Murdaugh murder case raise questions about missing weapons, unrecovered clothing, a possible secret grand jury proceeding, and unidentified male DNA found beneath Maggie Murdaugh's fingernails. Could additional forensic testing change the course of the upcoming retrial?

THE SLIPPERY | INTRODUCING THE LEXI CON

From the creators of Scamanda, Nancy Moscatiello and Scott Eldridge introduce The Lexi CON, a multipart investigation into a Maryland woman's extraordinary medical claims, a community united by faith, and allegations of an elaborate deception that inspired thousands of dollars in donations.

Listen to The Slippery and The Lexi CON: https://linktr.ee/TheSlippery

THIS WEEK IN HORROR | CRYSTAL LAKE

We're returning to Camp Crystal Lake for Peacock's Friday the 13th origin series, starring Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees. Before Jason became horror royalty, his mother had a story of her own, and it wasn't particularly conducive to a pleasant summer vacation.

LISTEN, FOLLOW & JOIN THE EVIO UNIVERSE

• Listen & Follow: Subscribe to The Devil's Ledger, The Devil Within, Criminal Mischief, and The Slippery wherever you get your podcasts.

• Rate & Review: Leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps independent storytelling reach new audiences.

• Watch & Subscribe: Visit the Evio Creative YouTube channel, subscribe, and turn on notifications for new episodes, videos, and exclusive content.

• Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram.

• Have a Story or Tip? Email mailto:info@eviocreative.com.

Stay safe out there, protect the ones you love, and we'll see you this week across the Evio Universe.

The Devil's Ledger | An Evio Creative Production
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THE DEVIL’S AUDITION

Episode Three: The Body by the River

For more than twenty years, Valerie McDonald’s family lived without an answer.

Valerie disappeared from San Francisco in November 1980 after Michael Hennessey offered the aspiring actress a small role in a Dustin Hoffman movie—a movie that did not exist. Hennessey and John Gordon Abbott subsequently fled north toward Canada, where Hennessey was killed in a shootout with police. Valerie’s identification was reportedly found among the fugitives’ belongings, but Valerie herself seemed to have vanished.

Then came the discovery nobody initially understood.

On October 3, 1991, hunters found partial human remains near the Kettle River in Ferry County, Washington, roughly a mile from the Canadian border. The woman could not be identified and became a Jane Doe. For nearly another decade, two investigations continued independently: Valerie remained a missing woman in California while her unidentified remains waited in Washington.

In January 2001, dental records finally connected them.

The Kettle River Jane Doe was Valerie McDonald.

In the final episode of The Devil’s Audition, we follow Valerie home and confront the tantalizing geography of her case. Her remains were discovered near the Canadian border—the same general direction Hennessey and Abbott traveled after she vanished—but geography is not proof. No one has ever been convicted of Valerie’s murder.

We also return to Phillip Arthur Thompson, whose later conviction for the murder of twenty-one-year-old Betty Cloer established just how dangerous at least one man in Valerie’s orbit truly was, while still providing no legal answer to what happened to Valerie. TDW_Devil Audition_3

And finally, we reconsider the Satanic-cult theory that has followed this case for decades. Valerie reportedly described some activity around the Tower Apartments as Satanic, but there is no reliable evidence establishing that she was murdered in a Satanic ritual or sacrificed by a cult. The documented story may be considerably simpler—and considerably more frightening. TDW_Devil Audition_3

Valerie knew she was in danger. She was already leaving.

Then someone offered the aspiring actress exactly what she wanted: an audition.

LISTEN • WATCH • FOLLOW

Follow The Devil Within wherever you get your podcasts and leave a five-star rating and review. Watch and subscribe on the Evio Creative YouTube channel, with notifications turned on so you never miss a new story.

This is the conclusion of The Devil’s Audition. Thank you for spending these three episodes with Valerie McDonald and with us.

We’ll have an entirely new story next week. Stay tuned.
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THE DEVIL’S AUDITION

Episode Two: The Demons in North Beach

Seventeen days after Valerie McDonald disappeared from San Francisco, Michael Hennessey—the man who had lured her away with the promise of a role in a Dustin Hoffman movie—was dead. Hennessey and fellow ex-convict John Gordon Abbott had fled north to British Columbia, where a confrontation with the RCMP ended in gunfire. Abbott was captured, Hennessey was killed, and investigators reportedly found Valerie’s voter-registration and unemployment-benefit cards among their belongings. TDW_Devil Audition_2

This week on The Devil Within, we return to the Tower Apartments and the dangerous world Valerie had been trying to escape.

Before she vanished, Valerie told friends about large quantities of cocaine and what contemporary reports called “Satanistic” activities inside her building. In San Francisco—the birthplace of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan—the allegation carried particular weight. But there is no reliable evidence establishing that an organized Satanic cult operated from the Tower Apartments. What is documented is arguably more disturbing: Valerie was surrounded by men with serious criminal histories, including Phillip Arthur Thompson, who decades later would be convicted of the 1971 murder of Betty Cloer. TDW_Devil Audition_2 TDW_Devil Audition_2

Investigators also suspected Abbott, Hennessey and Thompson of participating in an ambitious criminal enterprise involving robbery, automatic weapons and cocaine trafficking. Valerie’s parents came to believe their daughter may have disappeared because she learned something about that operation, although that theory has never been proven. TDW_Devil Audition_2

Valerie had reportedly been threatened. She was frightened enough to move out. Then Hennessey arrived with the irresistible promise of a movie audition, and Valerie disappeared.

For eleven years, her family waited.

Then, on October 3, 1991, hunters discovered partial human remains near the Kettle River in Ferry County, Washington, hundreds of miles north of San Francisco and near the Canadian border.

Nobody knew who she was.

It would take another ten years before anyone realized whom they had found. TDW_Devil Audition_2

LISTEN • WATCH • FOLLOW

Follow The Devil Within wherever you get your podcasts and leave a five-star rating and review. Watch and subscribe on the Evio Creative YouTube channel, with notifications turned on, and follow @thedevilwithinpod for more from the Evio Universe.

The Devil’s Audition: The Devils in North Beach, on The Devil Within.
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