THE FAMILY ANNIHILATOR PHENOMENON: Shocking True Crime Cases That Defy Understanding
Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories
Darren Marlar
4.6 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 September 2025
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE for the ad-free version: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate
Take the WEIRD DARKNESS LISTENER SURVEY and help mold the future of the podcast: https://weirddarkness.com/survey
IN THIS EPISODE: Between the years 1925 and 1927, a young teenage girl named Eleonore Zugun from Romania, became the most closely observed, investigated and tested poltergeist victim of the 20th century. Her story is terrifying. (The Romanian Poltergeist Girl) *** When you become a celebrity, you expect certain individuals to go past being fans and into being fanatics. Even stalkers. It’s always been that way. Not even Clark Gable was spared – and one woman named Violet made his life a living nightmare. (Dear Mr. Gable) *** There is a rumor that Jacques Cousteau dove to the bottom of Lake Tahoe and filmed a creature but did not release the film saying that “The world was not yet ready for what’s down there”. What is at the bottom of Lake Tahoe? (The Lake Tahoe Monster) *** There is a type of mass murder that draws true-crime connoisseurs like no other… familicide, more often called family annihilation. It is a crime that has invoked horror and fascination in equal measures. (The Psychology of Family Annihilators)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:03:50.076 = Show Open
00:05:49.891 = The Psychology of Family Annihilators
00:29:28.433 = Dear Mr. Gable
00:43:21.286 = Romanian Poltergeist Girl
00:58:16.772 = Lake Tahoe Monster
01:11:18.883 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
“The Psychology of Family Annihilators” and “Family Annihilators Case Studies” by Fiona Guy for Crime Traveler: https://tinyurl.com/y3av5wxn, and Jody Allen for Stay At Home Mum: https://tinyurl.com/y2fuwnhh
“Dear Mr. Gable” is from Deranged LA Crimes: https://tinyurl.com/yyqletev, https://tinyurl.com/y4bou5s2
“The Romanian Poltergeist Girl” from Euro Paranormal: https://tinyurl.com/y59b7ojt
“The Lake Tahoe Monster” by Richard Freeman for Fortean Zoology: https://tinyurl.com/y4fxsdue
=====(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 14, 2020
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/FamilyAnnihilators
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 strongly advised.
#TrueCrime #Familicide #CriminalPsychology #TrueCrimeDocumentary #FamilyAnnihilator
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | We all know someone who struggles with depression, whether we're aware of it or not. |
| 0:04.1 | It's something those who suffer tend to deal with in silence, in the shadows. |
| 0:08.1 | But the organizations we are supporting with our annual overcoming the darkness fundraiser this month |
| 0:12.6 | are working to make it easier for those in the darkness to come into the light, |
| 0:16.7 | define help, and to learn they're not alone, that there are ways to overcome the darkness of |
| 0:21.4 | depression and live normal lives. I do this fundraiser only one month out of the year, as October |
| 0:27.7 | is the anniversary month for Weird Darkness. We launched in October 2015, it's National Depression |
| 0:32.9 | Awareness Month, and this month is spooky and dark, kind of like depression. If you'd like to make a donation |
| 0:38.3 | or learn more about the fundraiser or find hope for yourself or someone you know who struggles |
| 0:43.0 | with depression, visit weirddarkness.com slash hope. The fundraiser ends Halloween night at midnight. |
| 0:50.2 | Please give what you can. Weirdardarkness.com slash hope. |
| 0:54.5 | October is birthday month for Weird Darkness. |
| 0:57.1 | This year makes 10 years of doing the show. |
| 0:59.7 | But while it's our birthday, we want the gifts to go to those who help people who suffer from |
| 1:03.9 | depression, anxiety, or thoughts of suicide or self-harm. |
| 1:07.8 | That's what our annual overcoming the darkness campaign is all about. |
| 1:11.0 | It's the only fundraiser I have |
| 1:12.6 | all year long. You can bring hope |
| 1:14.7 | to those who are lost in the darkness |
| 1:16.5 | of depression. You can make a donation right now |
| 1:18.8 | at weirddarkness.com |
| 1:20.4 | slash hope. I'll close out the |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Darren Marlar, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Darren Marlar and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.