Two Strangers, One Face: The 1903 Case That Made Fingerprints the Gold Standard

In 1903, a man arrived at Leavenworth Prison claiming he'd never been there before — but the staff found his exact double already serving a life sentence inside.READ MY DEEP-DIVE ARTICLE ON THIS STORY: https://weirddarkness.com/williamwest/In May 1903, a convict named Will West arrived at Leavenworth Prison in Kansas. The intake clerk was certain he'd seen this man before — and a search of prison records turned up a card for William West, a convicted murderer whose measurements and photograph were a near-perfect match. The problem? William West was already locked up inside Leavenworth, serving a life sentence. The two men had never met, weren't related, and had no idea the other existed. Their extraordinary resemblance would expose a fatal flaw in the world's leading criminal identification system — and help launch the forensic technique we still rely on today.IN THIS EPISODE: How do you convince people you are innocent of a crime committed by someone who looks exactly like you and even shares your name? It’s the strange story of William West and… William West. (Will The Real William West Please Step Forward) *** In November 1638, Dorothy Talby killed her three-year-old daughter. She admitted so when first arrested. But then she refused to say anything when brought before a judge. But then, what would you expect from a woman, which we all know is more easily persuaded by Satan to sin – and women were much more likely to be seduced by witchcraft. At least, that’s what people believed in the 17th century. (The Case of Dorothy Talbye) *** It’s understood and agreed to by most that while it is a lot of fun to think about, time travel is simply not possible – and will probably never be seeing as we’ve never met any time travelers. Or… maybe we have? (True Time-Travel Moments) *** Stories of shapeshifters seem to be told worldwide – and the Celtic nations are no different. We’ll look at a few shape-changing creatures from Ireland, Wales and Scotland. (Shape-Shifters Of The Celts)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Leavenworth Lookalikes00:01:59.171 = Show Intro00:04:01.126 = Two Strangers, One Face: Will The Real William West Please Step Forward00:18:16.969 = ***A Mother, A Murder, A Mental Illness, and Justice in 17th-Century New England00:25:32.536 = Who Sent Messages Dated Decades Ahead of Time? And How Did They Send Them?00:35:00.004 = Cold Hands00:39:21.083 = *** When Gods Became Beasts: Shapeshifting in Celtic Myth00:47:59.748 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES – and/or --- PRINT VERSION to READ or SHARE:“Will The Real William West Please Step Forward?” by Dean Jobb for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5y8wybsa), Martin Chalakoski for The Vintage News (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/th4ujesh), and Lee Ferran for ABC News (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/sa66vcwf)“A Mother, A Murder, A Mental Illness, and Justice in 17th-Century New England” by Romeo Vitelli for Providentia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yu54cyn8“Who Sent Messages Dated Decades Ahead of Time? And How Did They Send Them?” posted at Earth-Chronicles.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/hh8tbwcr“When Gods Became Beasts: Shapeshifting in Celtic Myth” by Zteve T. Evans for FolkloreThursday.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3m53e2h8=====(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 ©2026, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: May 12, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/TwoMenOneFaceABOUT 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 things strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold cases, conspiracy theories, and more. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “20 Best Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a blend of “Coast to Coast AM”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Unsolved Mysteries”, and “In Search Of”.DISCLAIMER: Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness, #TrueCrime, #ForensicScience, #CriminalHistory, #Doppelganger, #Fingerprints, #MysteryStory, #HistoricalMystery, #ColdCase, #TrueCrimeStory