Dark Histories

Ben Cutmore

Fortnightly narratives on the unsolved and the unexplained, mysteries, historical true crime, touches of the paranormal and cultural peculiarities.

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255 episodes
Updated July 14

Episodes255

Newest first

Nov 5, 2017 · 1 hr
Terri Hoffman & The Black Lords
This week is a monster episode, detailing the life of Terri Hoffman, the leader of a cult called Conscious Development of Body Mind and Soul, who fought Black Lords in the spiritual realm and on the side, benefitted financially from a dozen mysterious deaths.For more in-depth show notes, including maps, links and full scripts for each episode, visit darkhistories.com
Oct 30, 2017 · 40 min
The Hinterkaifeck Murders
Working from contemporary German primary sources, this week we go in deep and take a look at the mysterious case of the Hinterkaifeck murders, a gruesome event from Germany in 1922, surrounded by suspicion and intrigue, but never solved. For more extensive show notes, including maps, links and scripts, visit http://darkhistories.com
Oct 22, 2017 · 37 min
The Clapham Wood Mystery: Satanism & The Occult
In this episode, we take a look at a mystery that is local to me, the dark and winding story of the satanic and occult practices rumoured to take place in the Clapham Wood area in Sussex, UK. Linked with strange disappearances, bizarre phenomena and more seriously, four mysterious deaths. For more extensive show notes, including maps, links and scripts, visit http://darkhistories.com
Oct 16, 2017 · 25 min
The Fire from Within: Spontaneous Human Combustion
In this episode, we dig into the history of Spontaneous Human Combustion and take a look at several historical cases dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, along with the theories of the times. We then jump forward and have a look at two modern cases, that of Mary Reeser in Florida, and Michael Faherty from Galway, Ireland. For more extensive show notes, including maps, links and scripts, visit http://darkhistories.com
Oct 8, 2017 · 37 min
Vampires: From Myth to Murder
This week, we detail the history of the Vampire, from screen to the dark myths and very real folklore of Eastern Europe. Vampires are a staple in horror fiction the world over, the charismatic lady-killer or seductive succubi, biting necks and sucking the blood of their victims as they sleep. Equally popular in pop culture as they are to horror fans, poring over black and white B-movies, the character of the vampire holds universal appeal and to most, even those not usually prone to scepticism,
Oct 2, 2017 · 27 min
The Devils Footprints of 1855
In February of 1855, Britain was deep in the midst of one of the coldest winters recorded. Minus temperatures were reported from January to March, the nights were long and the conditions severe. In the early morning of the 9th February, people across the rural, South West counties of England were waking up after another night of heavy snowfall. As they went about their daily chores, a steady rumbling begun to roll through the small villages and across the bleak farmlands. Rumours were spreading
Sep 24, 2017 · 25 min
Eilean Mor: The missing lighthouse keepers
On the 26th December 1900, a small ship approached the remote island of Eilean Mor. It was a small eruption of land, uninhabited aside from a small battery of 3 men, whose job was to operate and maintain the isles lighthouse. The relief vessel Hesperus was to bring supplies and rotate a fourth member of the Lighthouse team. As the ship closed in on the barren Isle, the sight of the lighthouse on the edge of a sheer cliff sprung out from a bleak landscape. Joseph Moore, the member of the lighthou
Sep 17, 2017 · 23 min
Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?
In 1943, four young boys, out poaching in Hagley Wood came across a large Wych Elm, a broad, spiderlike tree. One of the boys begun climbing the tree to look for birds eggs and upon reaching the topmost branches, looked down to find the tree was curiously hollow. Inside the inky blackness of the broad trunk there was no trace of any bird nests, instead, he saw a human skull staring blankly back at him.
Sep 10, 2017 · 28 min
Charles Walton: The Pitchfork Murder
On the night of February 14th, 1945. The body of Charles Walton was found on a farm in Lower Quinton, Warwickshire in England. His throat had been slashed open and the prongs of a pitchfork dug into the mud on either side of his neck, pinning the body to the ground. As leads on the case faded away, paranoia and superstition crept in, leading to theories of witchcraft and the occult, remnants of which linger still. For more extensive show notes, including maps, links and scripts, visit http://da
Sep 3, 2017 · 33 min
Zombies: A true story of Haitian Voodoo
In this episode, we explore the true stories of Zombies of Haitian Voodoo culture, from French colonial rule to an exhaustive search for the source of a compound which could scientifically prove the creation of zombies by Ethnobotanist, Wade Davis. Most of this story summarizes details from Davis' two books on the subject; "The Serpent and the Rainbow" and "Passage of Darkness" which I really highly recommend if you found this interesting. The first is a lighter read, whilst the second a little
Aug 27, 2017 · 29 min
Tamam Shud: the Somerton Man Mystery
For more extensive sIn this episode, we detail the mystery, researched from primary sources, of the Somerton Man, or as the case is widely and simply known, Tamam Shud.In 1948, the body of a man was found on Somerton beach, Adelaide, Australia. All identification marks had been removed from his clothing and to this day the man's identification and cause of death are unknown. The mystery goes even deeper, however, when a small scrap of paper is found in a pocket of the man's clothing, with the pr
Aug 13, 2017 · 47 min
The Dyatlov Pass Incident
Using legitimate research materials from both English and Russian sources, we tell the full story of one of the more strange cases in Russian and possibly the entire world. Still unexplained, though theories abound, this is the full story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident.
Aug 6, 2017 · 24 min
Burke & Hare: The West Port Murders
The story of William Burke and William Hare, two Irish men living in Edinburgh in 1827, who spied an opportunity to make money through murder. Now known as simply the Burke and Hare murders or The West Port Murders, this is dark history that took advantage of a very unique and grisly opportunity.For more extensive show notes, including maps, links and scripts, visit http://darkhistories.com
Jul 23, 2017 · 36 min
The Enfield Poltergeist Story
The true story of the Enfield Poltergeist. A historical haunting of a British family during the 1970s, the Enfield Poltergeist is still today Britains most famous haunting. This story would become the inspiration for several TV shows and also the film The Conjuring 2.
Jul 16, 2017 · 52 min
Jack the Ripper: The Whitechapel Murders
For our first ever episode, we go big with the complete story of Jack the Ripper, one of England most notorious ever killers and infamous all over the world. With only five canonical murders, he wasn't the most prolific serial killer in history, but his reign terrorised East London in 1888 and his identity has been a mystery ever since.

Dark Histories

Terri Hoffman & The Black Lords

The Hinterkaifeck Murders

The Clapham Wood Mystery: Satanism &amp; The Occult

The Fire from Within: Spontaneous Human Combustion

Vampires: From Myth to Murder

The Devils Footprints of 1855

Eilean Mor: The missing lighthouse keepers

Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?

Charles Walton: The Pitchfork Murder

Zombies: A true story of Haitian Voodoo

Tamam Shud: the Somerton Man Mystery

The Dyatlov Pass Incident

Burke & Hare: The West Port Murders

The Enfield Poltergeist Story

Jack the Ripper: The Whitechapel Murders

The Clapham Wood Mystery: Satanism & The Occult