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Dark Histories

Dark Histories

By: Ben Cutmore
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Fortnightly narratives on the unsolved and the unexplained, mysteries, historical true crime, touches of the paranormal and cultural peculiarities.Copyright © Ben Cutmore . All rights reserved. World
Episodes
  • William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer

    William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer
    Jul 14 2026
    In the early twentieth century, Chicago was a city already familiar with violence and corruption, but in 1946, a new case hit the headlines that introduced a whole new level of shock and scandal to the hardened city residents. Savage murders, a message scrawled across the wall in lipstick at one of the scenes and the dismemberment of a young girl gave rise to a case that would in time become known as “The Lipstick Killer.” When seventeen-year-old William Heirens was arrested, authorities declared the mystery solved, but the reality was seemingly much, much different.SOURCES Dolores Kennedy (1991) William Heirens: His Day in Court. Bonus Books, Chicago, IL, USA. Freeman, Lucy (1977) Before I Kill More… . Pocket, London, UK. Rosewood, Jack & Walker, Dwayne (2016) William Heirens: The True Story of The Lipstick Killer. Createspace Independent Publishing. Foster Kennedy, Harry R. Hoffman, William H. Haines (1948) Psychiatric Study of William Heirens. 38 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 311 (1947-1948). Chicago Tribune (1945) Widow Is Found Slain In Home, Suitor Quizzed. Chicago Tribune, Wed 6 June 1945, p7. Chicago, IL. USA. Chicago Tribune (1945) Ex-WAVE Slain, Plea Written In Red On Wall. Chicago Tribune, Tues 11 Dec 1945, p1. Chicago, IL. USA. Chicago Tribune (1946) Child Stolen From Her Bed During Night. Chicago Tribune, Tues 8 Jan 1946, p1. Chicago, IL. USA. Chicago Tribune (1946) Degnan Child Slaying Unsolved After Four Month Enquiry. Chicago Tribune, Tues 7 May 1946, p16. Chicago, IL. USA. Chicago Tribune (1946) Student Seized In Fight After Revolver Fails. Chicago Tribune, Thurs 27 June 1946, p7. Chicago, IL. USA. Chicago Tribune (1946) FBI Reports Palm Print Matches Ransom Notes’. Chicago Tribune, Tues 2 July 1946, p7. Chicago, IL. USA. Chicago Tribune (1946) How Heirens Slew 3. Chicago Tribune, Tues 16 July 1946, p1. Chicago, IL. USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley

    The Miracle Cures of Doctor John Brinkley
    Jun 30 2026
    In an era when medicine was still finding its footing, John Romulous Brinkley built an empire on impossible cures, relentless ambition, and astonishing lack of a moral compass. In a shocking display of charm and manipulation, he managed to sell his patients on a cure for diseases they didn’t even know they had, frequently involving the surgical insertion of a goats testicle into their body. His rise to fame was inspired, and for a while, his power was almost unstoppable, until one man on a crusade took it upon himself to prove otherwise. SOURCES Brock, Pope (2008) Charlatan: The Fraudulent Life of John Brinkley. Orion Publishing, London, UK. Griffenhagen, George B. & Young, James (1959) Old English Patent Medicines in America. Contributions from The Museum of History and Technology: Paper 10. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers

    Folk Exorcism & The Cornish Ghost Layers
    Jun 15 2026
    The early modern period was a rocky time for religion across Europe, fundamental pinnings of everyday life were being questioned and changing, as the reformation shifted authority away from the church. Thoughts on death and the afterlife were turned upside down, and in villages across England, restless spirits were making a comeback. To confront these supernatural intruders, communities turned to their local clergy to carry out the practice of ghost-laying, an exorcism ritual that sought to bind and banish the dead. At least, that’s what Victorian authors would have liked to believe. Part religion, part folklore, and part fear, the subject of ghost-laying is fairly well complicated, and defining just how much of it is actually true, even more so. SOURCES Walsh, Brendan C. (2023) ‘He Could Raise and Lay Ghosts at His Will’: Victorian Folklorists and the Creation of Early Modern Clerical Ghost-Laying. Folklore, 134:3, 281-303, DOI: 10.1080/0015587X.2023.2187157 Bottrell, William (1870) Traditions & Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall. Beare & Son, Penzance, UK. Hawker, Robert Steven (1870) Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall. James C. Commin, Exeter, UK. Andrews, William (1898) The Church Treasury of History, Custom, Folk-Lore, etc. London, UK. Bond, Thomas (1823) Topographical and Historical Sketches of the Boroughs of East and West Looe, in the County of Cornwall. J. Nichols & Son, London, UK. Hunt, Robert (1865) Popular Romances of the West of England, Or, The Drolls, Traditions and Superstitions of Old Cornwall. John Camden Hotten, London, UK. Courtney, Margaret Anne (1973) Cornish Feasts & Folklore. EP Publishing Ltd. UK. ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
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All stars
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I enjoy listening to this podcast, the material is always interesting. So much diversity in the stories

Very Interesting

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The top podcast of its genre! Always look forward to the next one :) Kudos.

Absolutely Brilliant!

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