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Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

A HAUNTING IN SANDTOWN: Mary Jane Reed's Murder and Her Ghost That Remains

Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, True Crime, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

Darren Marlar

True Crime, History, Society & Culture, Documentary, Science, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 April 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When a teenage girl and her lover were gunned down in 1948, the murders stunned a small Illinois town — and sparked a ghost story that refuses to die.

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version of #WeirdDarkness: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate

IN THIS EPISODE: In 2016, near the infamous Nazca Lines, an incredible find came to light – not gold or jewels, not remnants of pottery, but a tomb. But what was found within the tomb has raised more questions than answers, as the resident mummies appears not to be human… just humanoid. (The Nazca Three-Fingered Mummy) *** Once in a while you’ll hear of a horrible tragedy and the victim will be described as “ground into mincemeat”. In some case, this is not much of an exaggeration. (Ground Into Mincemeat) *** In 1983 Diane Downs shot her own children – Christie, Danny and Cheryl, in the backseat of the car. Miraculously, Christie Downs survived. (The Survival of Christie Downs) *** When it comes to demonic possession, it’s often chalked up to mental illness – but sometimes the events surrounding the possessed person are so bizarre and unexplainable, you are almost forced to believe in the supernatural. Such was the case with Don Decker. (The Pennsylvania Rain Man) *** Cannibalism – just the word itself is enough to creep you out. Fortunately, cases of it are usually distant, in some far-off, remote, jungle area, done by natives who have yet to discover civilization. At least, that’s what we like to believe. Unfortunately, it happens worldwide, nearer than you think. Like… in America. And in some cases, not so long ago. (American Cannibals) *** The death of a young girl and her boyfriend leave an Illinois town devastated… and it also left behind a lingering ghost. (The Ghost of Mary Jane Reed)

CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00.00.000 = Disclaimer and Lead-In
00:00:57.179 = Show Open (Coming Up In This Episode)
00:03:26.239 = The Ghost Of Mary Jane Reed
00:20:23.639 = The Pennsylvania Rain Man
00:32:10.973 = The Survival Of Christie Downs
00:41:20.126 = Nazca’s Three-Fingered Mummies
00:46:05.373 = American Cannibals
00:57:20.608 = Ground Into Mincemeat
01:02:19.802 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought

SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
Albert Fish episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/46rmaca3
“The Nazca Three-Fingered Mummy” from TheSchareChamber.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/364kxnar
“Ground Into Mincemeat” posted at StrangeAgo.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3rmddv3e
“The Pennsylvania Rain Man” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8bz5ez
“The Survival of Christie Downs” by Marco Margaritoff for All That’s Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p98ek5s
“The Ghost of Mary Jane Reed” from American Hauntings Ink: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/582z7w4j
“American Cannibals” from Ranker Crime: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8j83p4
=====
(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: March, 2022
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MaryJaneReed

Transcript

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0:00.0

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available on Kind of an audiobook narrated by Darren Marler. Find Dark Intrigues Book 1 by J. C. Moore, available on Kindle or as an audiobook narrated

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