THE REAL MURDER BEHIND 'WHEN A STRANGER CALLS': The Unsolved Case That Inspired the Urban Legend

In 1950, a teenage babysitter's frantic call to police was cut short by her brutal murder - a real-life horror that would evolve into one of America's most chilling urban legends and inspire countless retellings, including the classic horror-thriller film "When a Stranger Calls."

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IN THIS EPISODE: Joyce Vincent was a 38-year-old woman from London with a family and friends. So why did it take over two years for people to realize she had died? (No One Noticed She Was Dead) *** A castle in Scotland is so cursed that it has continued for several generations. (The Centuries Old Curse of Fyvie Castle) *** Year after year a 1950 photo from a German newspaper has continued to circulate amongst Ufologists and UFO enthusiasts. The story claims to show a short extraterrestrial humanoid standing next to two full-sized men. So why hasn’t Germany admitted to the photo’s validity? (The Little Green Man That Refused to Die) *** “The call is coming from inside the house.” These eight words have been uttered by countless children, and mark one of the most popular urban legends of all time. This legend, unfortunately, is rooted in a real unsolved murder case from 1950. (Who Killed Janett Christman)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In, “The Babysitter”
00:05:49.736 = Show Open
00:07:37.828 = Who Killed Jannett Chrisman?
00:22:16.562 = No One Noticed She Was Dead
00:27:59.594 = The Centuries Old Curse of Fyvie Castle
00:35:03.333 = The Little Green Man That Refused To Die
00:38:53.371 = Show Close

SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Babysitter Urban Legend” analysis by David Emery for Live About: https://tinyurl.com/y982kbmo
“Who Killed Janett Christman” by T.J. Greaney for Columbia Tribune: https://tinyurl.com/y8mbbhyq
“No One Noticed She Was Dead” by Kara Goldfarb for All That’s Interesting: https://tinyurl.com/ycwa7w8r
“The Centuries Old Curse of Fyvie Castle” by A. Sutherland for Ancient Pages: https://tinyurl.com/y7dch3qz
“The Little Green Man That Refused To Die” by Adam Gorightly for Chasing UFOs Blog: https://tinyurl.com/yaxm455z
=====(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: October 29, 2022
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/WhenAStrangerCalls
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.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is s