Going Dark Theatre

Key West, Florida, 1933 - Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos Mesa died in 1931 at the age of twenty-two. Carl Tanzler, the so-called doctor who was obsessed with her in life, continued his obsession after her death, visiting her every night in the tomb he built for her. But that was not enough, and his obsession becomes insanity and he removes her from the grave.

Key West, Florida, 1931 - In the island paradise of Key West, there lived a beautiful young Cuban woman named Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos Mesa. Abandoned by her husband after a miscarriage, she came under the obsessive eye of a supposed doctor named Carl Tanzler. Elena dying of tuberculosis is only the beginning of this disturbing tale.

The DelMarVa Peninsula, 1769-1829 - Patty Cannon may be the first female serial killer in the United States. She also led a gang that created a Reverse Underground Railroad for thirty years, selling free Black men, women, and children South into slavery. This episode separates the myth from the truth.

Germanton, North Carolina, 1929 - Two weeks before Christmas 1929, Charlie Lawson took his wife and their seven children to town, buying them all new clothes and then having a family photograph taken. By the end of Christmas Day 1929, all members of the Lawson family except one would be dead. The truth about why it happened remained hidden for 60 years.

Wilmington, Delaware, 1851-1972 - Imagine if Downton Abbey, inhabited by several generations of a wealthy family and their faithful servants, was a haunted house with a ghost in nearly every room. That is the tale of the the Rockwood Mansion, where members of the Shipley-Bringhurst family and their servants remain behind decades after their deaths.

In this special Halloween episode of the podcast, I talk about the history of All Hallow's Eve and then tell a tale of a terrifying haunting that occurred in a 19th century French chateau. Translated for the first time into English by Morgan Heussaff Zielinski, the diary of a true ghost story to chill you on Halloween.

Sussex County, Delaware, 1780-Present Day - Sussex County, Delaware, where I grew up, is a place filled with legendary superstitions. There are tales of spirit boards and witches killed by silver bullets, ghosts, and a creature known as the Burnt Swamp Monster, who continues to be seen to this day.

Pea Patch Island, Delaware, 1814-1865 - Fort Delaware is regarded as one of the most haunted places in the world, as I can attest from personal experience. Featured in my upcoming book of Delaware ghost stories, this island boasts a dark and cursed history that has left phantoms ready to tell their tales.

Fruita, Colorado, 1945 - A human head can remain conscious for twenty seconds after being decapitated, but did you know there was once a chicken who lived for eighteen months after being beheaded? Mike's tale is a prime example of truth being much stranger than fiction.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1758-1815 – When she was eighteen years old, Mary Lum married Stephen Girard, who would become one of the richest men ever to live in the United States. Mary is remembered primarily for being his wife, and for going insane. But what is the true story behind her madness?

St. Georges, Delaware, 1800's - I am currently writing a book on the ghost stories and legends of my home state of Delaware for The History Press. This is one of the state's most famous ghost stories, a spooky legend born from some of the most horrific chapters of Delaware's history.

Los Angeles, California, 1947 - Elizabeth Short wanted to either become a famous actress in Hollywood or marry a military man. Instead, she became famous as one of the most haunting murder victims in history. But who was she really? This is the story of her life, separating the truth from the myth.

Kansas City, Missouri, 1935 - A man checks into a hotel under the name Roland T. Owen. Over the next few days, hotel staff witness many strange and unsettling events, eventually finding the man dead. Who was he, and who killed him? This is an unsolved mystery that will keep you up at night.

Waidhofen, Germany, 1922 - During a snowy winter’s night, five members of the Gruber family and their maid were murdered one by one in the barn of an isolated farm. Investigators uncovered unsettling details that paint a haunting portrait of the family and the horror of their final hours.

Fall River, Massachusetts, 1893 - After the trial of Lizzie Borden ended in acquittal, what happened to those involved? This episode deals with the events following the trial, culminating in the deaths of Emma and Lizzie Borden in the twentieth century. Are we any closer to knowing the truth of what happened on August 4, 1892?

Fall River, Massacusetts, 1893 - The trial of Lizzie Borden enters its second week as the Prosecution rests its case. It is now up to the Defense team to prove Lizzie's innocence, and her older sister Emma Borden takes the stand as a star witness. The jury will decide the verdict in the trial of the century, but this tale is far from over.

Fall River, Massachusetts, 1893 - After spending nine months in jail, the trial of Lizzie Borden began on June 5, 1893. This episode, using words from the actual court transcripts, covers the first five days of the trial as the prosecution begins its case against Lizzie with several compelling witnesses.

Fall River, Massachusetts, 1892 - In the days following the murders of Abby and Andrew Borden, police observe many strange events. Finally, Lizzie Borden is arrested for the brutal slaying of her father and stepmother, setting the stage for the trial of the century.

Fall River, Massachussetts, 1892 - At 11:15am, Lizzie Borden discovers the body of her father Andrew, murdered with a hatchet. Family friends, doctors, and police flock to the house, and the corpse of Abby Borden is found upstairs. The investigation begins.