Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

A 27-year-old who spent three years building AI at two of the industry's leading labs quit on a Tuesday and said the people he'd worked beside privately expect the technology could wipe us out within the decade. The man in charge of keeping Anthropic's AI in line replied in public that he was right about the fear. But how frightened should we really be?

SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/coxonwarning/

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.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL

The Wild West wasn’t all shootouts and saloons – but when danger came, it carved legends in blood, bullets, and bone.

EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/ToDieInTheOldWest

READ or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9b8rax

FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: The Wild West, where no matter how tough and rugged you might be, you can never defeat Old Man Death. And he was creative in how he dispensed his touch. (To Die In The Old West) *** Charles Howard Schmid Jr. charmed and befriended the teenagers of Tucson, Arizona in the 1960s — all while brutally murdering three young girls. (The Pied Piper of Tuscon) *** One of the lesser-known crytpids is something called the Hidebehind, a mysterious creature that stalked 19th-century lumberjacks, preying on those who let their guard down in the forest. (The Hidebehind) *** Brianna Maitland left her dishwashing job and was never seen alive again. Despite various theories and sightings, Brianna's disappearance continues to baffle investigators and haunt her family, who still hold out hope for answers and her safe return. (The Vanishing of Brianna Maitland) *** In 1906, explorer Robert Peary claimed to have discovered a mysterious island he named Crocker Land, but was it a genuine find, a calculated deception, or something even more bizarre? (The Myth of Crocker Island) *** Lyndia Morel's quiet drive home took a chilling turn when she encountered a mysterious craft and experienced a baffling episode of missing time. Was it a case of alien abduction? (The Lyndia Morel Incident) *** In May of 1963, a bizarre creature terrorized Centreville, Illinois, prompting over 50 calls to the police from alarmed residents. Descriptions ranged from a "half man, half woman" to a "half man, half horse." (The Centerville Monster)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00.00.000 = The Foreboding
00:01:31.179 = Show Open
00:04:10.280 = To Die In The Old West
00:19:01.581 = The Hidebehind ***
00:21:49.186 = The Pied Piper of Tuscon
00:26:56.983 = The Lyndia Morel Incident
00:41:06.311 = The Vanishing of Brianna Maitland ***
00:48:52.055 = The Myth of Crocker Island
00:56:42.239 = The Centerville Monster ***
00:58:30.243 = 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:
BOOK: “Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth” by Carol Rose:https://amzn.to/3VpnkKk
“To Die In The Old West” source: Quinn Armstrong, Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p884ck2
“The Hidebehind” source: Astonishing Legends: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4nj3h5en
“The Pied Piper of Tuscon” source: Bernadette Giocamazzo, All That’s Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4dzvmspf
“The Lyndia Morel Incident” source: Marcus Lowth, UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4v8yewbr
“The Vanishing of Brianna Maitland” by Troy Taylor (used with permission): https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2d6fbz5h
“The Myth of Crocker Island” source: Kaushik Patowary: Amusing Planet: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdz38sce
“The Centerville Monster” by Troy Taylor (used with permission): https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4h8wpeee
(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: May 29, 2024
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL

A forensic report found Gary Siders Sr. incompetent to stand trial and beyond restoring, the prosecutor stipulated to it without objection, and the same two lawyers who expect his case dismissed within weeks have now been appointed to defend Brandon Henderson.

SOURCES, LINKS, AND PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/SidersCase20260911

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.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL

The Pilton Super Opener opens a can in no time at all, and nobody at the company, least of all the man who designed it, can say where the can disappears to in the process.

EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/mitm-superopener

SOURCES and RESOURCES: “The Super Opener” by Michael Zuroy (“Worlds of If” Science Fiction magazine from August, 1958)

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

Midnight In The Macabre (MITM), originally aired: September 14, 2026

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL

During the Black Death, medieval Europeans bathed in vinegar, slept on rotting straw, dumped waste in the streets — and still couldn’t figure out why everyone was dying.
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HOUR ONE: During the bubonic plague in the early Middle-Ages, those who became sick and were even suspected of having the plague, were forced to relocate to a quarantined island – Poveglia Island. The gruesomeness that took place there still continues today, with the island being illegal to visit – and reportedly, very haunted. (Inside Black Plague Island) *** We look at some of the bathing – and lack thereof – that took place during the bubonic plague, as well as some of the beliefs they had about diet and how it might protect from contagion. Some of the ideas of what people thought could protect them from the disease are nothing short of shocking. (Living With The Black Death)
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HOUR TWO: About 80 years after the black plague began, a different plague came upon England – a fatal one that would cause you to almost instantly perspire to death. (Death By Sweat) *** Most everyone is familiar with the plague in Europe in the early 1400s – but in the early 1900s it struck again. This time in San Francisco. If you’ve not heard that before, it could be because the U.S. government tried to cover it up. (The Plague of San Francisco) *** Of all the imagery that comes to mind when hearing the words “bubonic plague” the most prevalent is most certainly that of the doctors – and the odd, bird-like masks they would wear. Why they dressed that way is interesting – but what the doctors did while wearing those suits and in their labs as they tried to battle the illness is absolutely horrifying. (Plague Doctors) *** And it probably comes as no surprise that something so deadly and horrific as the black plague would leave behind some residual paranormal energy – and boy is there a lot of it. (A Plague of Ghosts)
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SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: We look at some of the bathing – and lack thereof – that took place during the bubonic plague, as well as some of the beliefs they had about diet and how it might protect from contagion. Some of the ideas of what people thought could protect them from the disease are nothing short of shocking. (Living With The Black Death – CONTINUED) *** Europe just could not escape plagues of any kind – for example, the plague that made you, against your will, keep dancing until you dropped dead. (The Dance of Death)
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SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW:
“Inside Black Plague Island” by Cheryl Adams Richkoff for Graveyard Shift: https://tinyurl.com/v85y7k6
“Plague Doctors” by Melissa Sartore for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/rmap5d8
“Death By Sweat” by Melissa Sartore for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/vqpvgrz
“The Dance of Death” by Melissa Satore for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/u6kdwgp
“The Plague of San Francisco” by Melissa Brinks for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/sbaht69
“Living With The Black Death” by Genevieve Carlton for Ranker’s Weird History: https://tinyurl.com/tcbo9af,https://tinyurl.com/sfkjhrg; and Kellen Perry for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/u4bxkuf
“A Plague of Ghosts” by Erin Wisti for Graveyard Shift: https://tinyurl.com/tm2cxzr
==========(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for material I use whenever possible. If I have overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately. Some links 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®, WeirdDarkness© 2026
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