Weird Darkness is narrated by professional full-time voice actor Darren Marlar. No A.I. voices are ever used in the show. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version with all artwork created for the YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycknd7s5 IN THIS EPISODE: In Victorian London, a grisly murder case involving Maria and Frederick Manning shocked society and caught the attention of Charles Dickens himself. What began as a love triangle turned into a chilling tale of greed, betrayal, and murder, culminating in a public execution that would challenge the very nature of capital punishment in Great Britain. (The Murderous Mannings) *** In 1720, amidst a perilous pirate attack on the Atlantic, a newborn's cry changed the course of destiny. Ocean-Born Mary, christened by buccaneers and gifted with a bolt of green silk, would grow from a maritime legend into a symbol of courage and resilience in colonial New England, her extraordinary birth weaving a tapestry of fact and fiction that continues to captivate imaginations centuries later. (A Pirate’s Godchild, Ocean-Born Mary) *** On the morning of June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates shocked the nation by drowning her five children, one by one, in the family bathtub. Years of untreated mental illness, compounded by religious fanaticism and postpartum psychosis, culminated in this unimaginable tragedy. Was it the work of a tortured mind, or something darker at play? (Did The Devil Make Her Do It?) *** Deep in the ancient folds of the Appalachian Mountains, where time seems to slow and shadows linger, legends have taken root for millennia. These peaks have become a breeding ground for supernatural tales that blend seamlessly with the landscape. The sheer age and untamed nature of Appalachia have given birth to a rich tapestry of myths, from the Mothman, to ghosts, to the Devil himself. (Modern Mythology and Ancient Appalachia) *** In the heart of Preston, Ladywell Street is infamous for a chilling spectral presence capable of shifting forms—from eerie footsteps to a blood-soaked apparition known as the Bannister Doll. Once a beautiful young woman, Dolly Bannister met a tragic death at the hands of her father, a punishment for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, her restless spirit seeks retribution, haunting the streets and striking fear into anyone who dares to cross her path. (The Haunting of Ladywell Street) *** In 1984, a sleepy English village became the unlikely stage for a mind-bending mystery when a schoolteacher's computer began receiving messages from a man claiming to be from 1546. As past and present collided through a BBC Micro, Ken Webster and his friends found themselves entangled in a web of Tudor English, future prophecies, and inexplicable phenomena that would challenge everything they thought they knew about time and technology. (Ctrl+Alt+1546: The Dodleston Messages Mystery) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Cold Open & Show Intro 00:06:14:000 = The Dodleston Messages Mystery 00:29:39.831 = The Pirate’s Godchild, Ocean-Born Mary 00:34:22.383 = The Murderous Mannings 00:45:21.991 = Modern Mythology and Ancient Appalachia 00:52:52.462 = Did The Devil Make Her Do It? 01:04:53.693 = The Haunting of Ladywell Street 01:08:28.296 = Show Close SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… BOOK: “The Vertical Plane” by Ken Webster: https://amzn.to/4drgdH4 “Ctrl+Alt+1546: The Dodleston Messages Mystery” source: Tony Walker, Medium: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3pf7strv “The Murderous Mannings” source: Alexa Baczak, Medium: a href="https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8a6sta"...