True Thanksgiving Horrors: Unsolved Murders, Cold Case Crimes & Mysterious Disappearances

Three young brothers vanish from their father's backyard on Thanksgiving Day, a hijacker parachutes into the night with $200,000 and is never seen again, and a grandfather's ghost story leads to the discovery of a 200-year-old mass murder — these are just some of the chilling mysteries that have turned America's day of gratitude into something far more sinister. From unsolved killings and baffling disappearances to haunted hotels and tragic shipwrecks, this episode explores the dark side of Thanksgiving that most families never discuss at the dinner table.IN THIS EPISODE: While the rest of Americans are at home with their families, eating turkey and enjoying annual celebrations-- Thanksgiving has a darker side. We may often overlook this truth because it is rarely discussed at the Thanksgiving table. Every Thanksgiving Day there are some tragic and mysterious incidents. Many of these unfathomably awful things are never explained. Whether it is murders, gory accidents or strange vanishings during the night–these true-life unexplained mysteries and horrendous crimes might make excellent dinner-table conversation… assuming you’re dining with other Weirdos like yourself. *** We’ll talk about the year we had two Thanksgivings in the United States. (The Year With Two Thanksgivings) *** A Weirdo family member shares a freaky true Thanksgiving story with an explosive ending! (Thanksgiving Explosion) *** Two brothers solve an almost 200-year-old murder mystery thanks to a Thanksgiving ghost story that was told to them by their grandfather. (Grandpa’s Thanksgiving Ghost Story) *** I’ll share a horrific Thanksgiving tale from the latter part of the nineteenth century. (Feast of Terror) *** The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego is one of the most beautiful hotels in the world – and some say the most haunted. (A Thanksgiving Ghost Story) *** On November 19, 1924, Hollywood movie producer Thomas Ince died after celebrating his 42nd birthday aboard a yacht belonging to infamous newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, but to this day, the exact circumstances of his death remain a mystery. Could this be why his ghost still wanders the movie studio that he founded? *** On the night of November 20, 1901, a young North Carolina woman named Nell Cropsey vanished from her family’s home in Elizabeth City. After a frantic search that lasted more than a month, Nell’s body was discovered floating in a nearby river. She had been brutally murdered – but by who? *** On November 23, 1910, American-born homeopathic physician and salesman Hawley Harvey Crippen (usually known simply as Dr. Crippen in crime annals) was hanged at Pentonville Prison in London for the murder of his wife, Cora. But was he really a murderer? *** While the holidays are usually a time of cheer and happiness, the people of Chicago learned of a Christmas-related tragedy on November 22, 1912 when the famed "Christmas Tree Ship" went down in a storm on Lake Michigan. The tragedy changed the face of the holidays for the people of Chicago in a very unexpected way. ***Plus the original short horror story “Black Friday” by horror master, Jason R. Davis!CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:01:25.429 = Show OpenTHANKSGIVING CRIMES & UNSOLVED MYSTERIES…00:05:07.769 = D.B. Cooper00:09:02.880 = Kelsey Berreth00:10:57.900 = Paul Knockel 00:12:06.532 = Nancy Bergeson00:14:28.168 = Maria Elizalde00:17:51.287 = Shane Montgomery00:22:36.826 = Murders In Miramar00:24:59.113 = Beth Barr00:28:03.928 = Cynthia Alonzo00:29:55.853 = The Blount Family00:32:26.710 = Tacoma’s Thanksgiving Shooting00:34:32.282 = Rapper Soulja Slim00:37:00.446 = Neshaminy Creek John Doe00:38:47.336 = Karen Marie Mitchell00:40:15.343 = The Game Warden Murder00:42:19.407 = The Skelton Brothers00:44:09.525 = Owens and HawleyMORE THANKSGIVING…00:46:45.294 = The Year With Two Thanksgivings00:54:24.306 = Thanksgiving Explosion01:00:49.426 = Grandpa’s Thanksgiving Story01:05:02.537 = Feast of Terror01:15:23.117 = A Thanksgiving Ghost Story01:21:28.418 = The Mysterious Death of Thomas Ince and the Haunting of Culver Studios01:36:45.101 = The Lingering Ghost of Nell Cropsey01:45:21.921 = The Strange Case of Dr. Crippen01:57:47.054 = The Christmas Tree Ship TragedyA FICTIONAL SCARE FOR THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING…02:05:33.347 = “Black Friday” by Jason R. Davis (short fictional holiday horror story)WRAPPING UP THIS TURKEY OF AN EPISODE…02:37:24.291 = A Special Thanks02:39:07.066 = Show CloseSOURCES and RESOURCES: https://weirddarkness.com/thanksgiving=====(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: November 2021, November 2022, November 2024ABOUT 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.#WeirdDarkness #ThanksgivingMysteries #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #DBCooper #ColdCases #GhostStories #MissingPersons #HolidayHorror #ParanormalPodcast