Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

A visitor touring an asylum encounters a serene white-haired woman who believes she is still aboard a doomed ocean liner — and the truth behind her delusion is far more heartbreaking than it first appears. | #RetroRadio #WeirdDarkness | EP0594

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Show Open
00:01:30.028 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Countess” (May 26, 1977)
00:45:11.826 = The Zero Hour, “The Price of Admission” (May 03, 1940) ***WD
01:02:36.228 = ABC Mystery Time, “Four Time Loser” (1957) ***WD
01:26:36.855 = Strange Adventure, “The Road To Rawhide” (1945) ***WD
01:29:50.123 = Appointment With Fear, “And The Deep Shuddered” (November 20, 1945) ***WD
01:55:33.788 = BBC Radio, “Red Letter Day” (1986-1987)
02:09:47.141 = Beyond The Green Door, “Mosley Searches For Schneider” (1966)
02:13:23.389 = The Black Book, “The Price of the Head” (February 02, 1952) ***WD
02:28:08.135 = Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, “The Ghost To Ghost Matter” (May 18, 1958) ***WD
02:51:45.567 = Box 13, “Double Mothers” (October 10, 1948)
03:18:40.326 = CBC Mystery Theater, “Two Little Punctures” (September 22, 1967) ***WD
03:45:43.706 = Chet Chetter’s Tales From The Morgue, “Elmer Vs. The Invaders” (1990-1992) ***WD
04:12:51.496 = The Clock, “The Millionaire” (October 11, 1955)
04:42:17.347 = 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.
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.
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CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRR0594

A mysterious figure in a wide-brimmed hat and trench coat has been appearing in bedrooms across the world for centuries — and scientists are uncovering disturbing patterns in who sees him and why.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

Take the Weird Darkness Survey: https://take.supersurvey.com/QGZCRXPVS

IN THIS EPISODE: Thousands of people across dozens of countries have reported waking paralyzed in the night, staring at the same featureless figure in a wide-brimmed hat standing in the corner of their room. The trail of documented evidence behind who he is — and where he came from — runs through classified government files, unexplained refugee deaths, and a common allergy medication sold at every pharmacy in America. (The Hat Man: Why Thousands See The Same Ominous Figure In Their Bedrooms) *** Scientists are strapping heart rate monitors on haunted house visitors, equipping them with skin conductance sensors, and running them through chainsaw-wielding pig-men in abandoned factories — and what they're finding about why humans deliberately seek out terror is reshaping how we understand fear, anxiety, therapy, and the human brain itself. Turns out the people walking voluntarily into the dark may be onto something the rest of us haven't figured out yet. (Fear For Fun: What Scientists Are Learning Inside America's Haunted Houses)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Short Announcement
00:00:20.531 = The Foreboding
00:02:19.899 = Show Open
00:04:08.301 = The Hat Man
00:27:25.805 = Fear For Fun, Part One ***
00:42:12.608 = Fear For Fun, Part Two ***
00:59:36.509 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
HELPFUL LINKS & RESOURCES…
https://WeirdDarkness.com/STORE = Tees, Mugs, Socks, Hoodies, Totes, Hats, Kidswear & More
https://WeirdDarkness.com/HOPE = Hope For Depression or Thoughts of Self-Harm
https://WeirdDarkness.com/NEWSLETTER = In-Depth Articles, Memes, Weird DarkNEWS, Videos & More
https://WeirdDarkness.com/AUDIOBOOKS = FREE Audiobooks Narrated By Darren Marlar
SOURCES and RESOURCES:THE HAT MAN: Why Thousands See the Same Shadow Figure in Their Bedrooms: https://weirddarkness.com/hat-man-shadow-person-science/
FEAR FOR FUN: What Scientists Are Learning Inside America's Haunted Houses: https://weirddarkness.com/haunted-house-fear-science/
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(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.)
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
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Originally aired: February 27, 2026
EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/HatMan
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: #WeirdDarkness 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.

A North Carolina mother vanished on a Christmas shopping trip in 2001 — and when she was finally found alive 24 years later, living just two and a half hours from home, the story got even stranger.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/missing-mom-found-alive-24-years

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

Sean McDermott had a spider problem, a box of matches, and a loveseat he couldn't care less about preserving.

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/spider-arson-mcdermott

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS

A séance predicted England's most haunted house would burn — and on February 27th, 1939, it did. A man who claimed aliens abducted him spent the rest of his short life trying to explain what happened, and never quite got there. Also: Barbra Streisand cloned her dead dog twice. February 27th is that kind of day. | The Morning Weird Darkness

*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*

WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.

EPISODE PAGE: https://WeirdDarkness.com/MWD20260227

NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of #WeirdDarkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.