All Episodes

January 4, 2025 46 mins
Two privileged young men, driven by arrogance and a twisted sense of superiority, plotted the 'perfect crime.’ But the brutal murder of Bobby Franks left behind a trail of evidence and ghost that refuses to rest.

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream
Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV

IN THIS EPISODE: Leopold and Loeb believed themselves to be more intelligent than everyone and planned to commit the perfect murder. But it would be their pride that brought them down in the end, and it would result in a ghost story! (Chicago’s Thrill Killers) *** A woman visiting her mother in the hospital takes an unexpected trip when stepping into the elevator. (Elevator Opens Into The Twilight Zone) *** Even 24 doors couldn't give Charles Lapham a way out of his seemingly-cursed life. (No Exit – The Lapham Patterson House) *** A nightmare is frightening, we can all agree on that. But what if you have a nightmare within a nightmare? One woman tells her terrifying story. (My Real Life Nightmare) *** Robert Berdella. Behind his friendly demeanor lurked a deadly obsession with torture and murder. (The Butcher of Kansas City)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open
00:01:20.621 = Show Intro
00:03:35.832 = Chicago’s Thrill Killers
00:27:15.062 = No Exit: The Lapham Patterson House
00:32:24.703 = Elevator Opens Into The Twilight Zone
00:35:04.127 = Robert Berdella: The Butcher of Kansas City
00:42:29.540 = My Nightmare (from a Weird Darkness listener)
00:44:18.455 = Show Close

SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“Chicago’s Thrill Killers” by Troy Taylor: http://bit.ly/32z2mLe
“Elevator Opens Into the Twilight Zone” by Lisa Gibson: http://bit.ly/2VURTHJ
“The Butcher of Kansas City” by Orrin Grey: http://bit.ly/30sRCwJ
“My Real Life Nightmare” by Alicia Zapata, submitted at http://www.WeirdDarkness.com
“No Exit – The Lapham Patterson House” by Jessica Ferri: http://bit.ly/2pCMety
Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.
= = = = =
(Over time links seen above 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: December 21, 2022
SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/GhostOfBobbyFranks
TRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3vb7hm8m
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.