A HAUNTING IN SANDTOWN – The Ghost of Mary Jane Reed

On the night of June 24th, 1948, seventeen-year-old switchboard operator Mary Jane Reed went out on a first date in Oregon, Illinois and was never seen alive again, and nearly eighty years later the little river town is still arguing over who killed her – and still reporting that she never quite left.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MaryJaneReedREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5n7bcv8zFEATURED STORIES 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 = The Foreboding00:00:40.145 = Show Open 00:03:09.286 = The Ghost Of Mary Jane Reed00:17:55.776 = The Pennsylvania Rain Man ***00:29:45.637 = The Survival Of Christie Downs00:38:06.795 = Nazca’s Three-Fingered Mummies ***00:42:54.737 = American Cannibals00:52:58.187 = Ground Into Mincemeat ***00:57:59.897 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES: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 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.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: March, 2022LIKE WHAT YOU’RE HEARING? WEIRD DARKNESS posts episodes 7 DAYS A WEEK! Listen FREE wherever you get podcasts or visit https://weirddarkness.com/listen. • Paranormal • True Crime • Ghosts • UFOs • Cryptids • Unexplained • Want even more? Become an OFFICIAL WEIRDO for commercial-free episodes, bonus episodes, weeknight live chats, audiobooks & more at https://WeirdDarkness.com/OFFICIAL