‘TWAS THE MYSTERY BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Unsolved True Crime Cases From Christmases Past #WeirdDarkness #HolidayHorrors

2024/12/24

Weird Darkness: Stories of the Paranormal, Supernatural, Legends, Lore, Mysterious, Macabre, Unsolved

What happened in Warminster, England, on Christmas morning 1964?

Residents of Warminster, England, experienced strange sounds and phenomena, which they dubbed 'The Thing.' These included humming noises, roof disturbances, and unexplained events that continued into the new year, attracting UFO enthusiasts and making the town famous for its mysterious occurrences.

Why did Matilda Rooney's death in 1885 remain a mystery?

Matilda Rooney was found burned to ash in a perfectly circular hole in her kitchen floor on Christmas Eve 1885, with no other fire damage to the house. The fire's intensity, which incinerated her body without spreading, baffled investigators, leading to theories of spontaneous human combustion or the 'wick effect.'

What happened to Rhonda Hinson after her first office Christmas party in 1981?

Rhonda Hinson, a 19-year-old woman, was shot and killed with a high-powered rifle on her way home from her first office Christmas party. The bullet passed through her car and into her heart, and the case remains unsolved, with no clear motive or suspect identified.

What was the mystery surrounding Tracy Mertens' disappearance in 1994?

Tracy Mertens disappeared two days before Christmas 1994 after two men forced their way into her Birmingham flat. She was later found injured and died shortly after, but the men responsible were never identified, leaving her case unsolved.

Why did the disappearance of Patty Vaughn in 1996 remain unsolved?

Patty Vaughn vanished on Christmas Day 1996, leaving behind a recently cleaned van, traces of her blood, and a red work uniform. Investigators found blood in her home, suggesting foul play, but no clear suspect or motive was ever established, leaving her case unresolved.

What is the mystery behind the authorship of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'?

The poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' was originally published anonymously in 1823. While Clement Clarke Moore claimed authorship in 1844, some argue that Henry Livingston Jr. was the true author, based on linguistic evidence and family claims that Livingston read the poem to his children years before its publication.

What happened to Kevin Showalter on Christmas Eve 1973?

Kevin Showalter, a 20-year-old man, was killed by a hit-and-run driver while changing a flat tire on Christmas Eve 1973. The driver fled the scene, and despite investigations and a false confession, the case remains unsolved.

What was the outcome of the Christmas murder in Lockhart, Texas, in 1994?

In Lockhart, Texas, nurse Latricia White was found dead in her bed on December 27, 1994, and her boyfriend, Lee 'Dub' Wackerhagen, and his son Chance vanished. The case remains unsolved, with blood-stained Christmas presents found in a truck, but no clear answers about what happened to the missing father and son.

What happened to Nikole Betterson, who disappeared in 1977?

Two-year-old Nikole Betterson disappeared during a road trip to Las Vegas in 1977. Twenty years later, her father and stepmother confessed to her death but did not reveal what happened to her body, leaving her fate a mystery.

Chapters

In 1964, the quiet town of Warminster, England, experienced a series of strange events including unusual noises and unexplained phenomena in the sky, dubbed "The Thing." The events baffled investigators and captivated the world, with some speculating about military experiments or extraterrestrial visitors. The mystery remains unsolved, leaving Warminster with a unique place in UFO history.

Strange noises and events in Warminster, England on Christmas morning 1964.
Unexplained objects witnessed in the sky.
Theories involving military experiments or extraterrestrial activity.
The town's embrace of its mysterious past.

Shownotes Transcript

From an inexplicable force that turned a woman to ashes in her farmhouse, to strange phenomena that transformed a quiet English town into a UFO hotspot, these nine chilling Christmas mysteries continue to baffle investigators and haunt communities long after the holiday decorations were packed away.Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate)Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream)Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV)IN THIS EPISODE: A nurse was found dead in her bed - and her boyfriend and his nine-year-old son vanished, leaving behind only a truck full of bloodstained presents. (Christmas Murder in Lockhart) *** A little girl vanishes on a winter road trip to Las Vegas, and twenty Christmases later, a detective's search for answers leads to a desperate couple's final confession - but not to the truth about what really happened to two-year-old Nikole Betterson. (Nikole’s Christmas Farewell) *** Behind one of the most beloved Christmas poems ever written lies a centuries-old mystery: was "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" penned by a scholarly professor for his children, or did someone else create the story that shaped how we see Santa Claus? (‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas) *** When Patty Vaughan left her home on Christmas Day 1996, she left behind three children and a trail of mysterious clues - including an abandoned van, suspicious blood stains, and a red work uniform that would puzzle investigators for decades to come. (The Patty Vaughan Vanishing) *** When farmhand John Larson awoke to find soot on his pillow on Christmas morning 1885, he never imagined he'd discover his employer Patrick Rooney dead from smoke inhalation and his wife Matilda mysteriously burned to ash in a perfectly circular hole in their kitchen floor - with no other fire damage to the house. (Matilda Rooney’s Christmas Combustion) *** In the quiet town of New London, Connecticut, what began as a simple flat tire on Christmas Eve 1973 turned into one of the community's darkest mysteries when twenty-year-old Kevin Showalter was struck and killed by a driver who vanished into the night - leaving behind a grieving mother, whispers of a cover-up, and questions that would haunt the town for decades. (The Hit And Run Death of Kevin Showalter) *** A teenage girl's first office Christmas party should have been a celebration of new beginnings, but for Rhonda Hinson, it became her last night alive - and the start of a mystery that would puzzle investigators for over forty years. (Rhonda Hinson’s Only Office Christmas Party) *** A mother's quick errand turns into a decades-old mystery when Tracy Mertens vanishes from her Birmingham flat days before Christmas, leaving investigators with a yellow Ford Escort, two mysterious men, and questions that remain unanswered to this day. (The Tracy Mertens Mystery) *** On Christmas morning 1964, the quiet town of Warminster, England woke up to strange sounds that would mark the beginning of one of history's most puzzling mysteries - a series of unexplained events that would become known worldwide as 'The Thing. (The Warminster Christmas Thing)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open00:02:56.281 = Show Intro00:07:05.727 = The Warminster Christmas Thing00:14:09.612 = The Tracy Mertens Mystery00:18:03.950 = The Mystery of Matilda Rooney’s Christmas Combustion00:22:29.914 = Rhonda Hinson’s Only Office Christmas Party00:29:00.119 = Christmas Murder in Lockhart00:31:49.973 = The Holiday Hit-And-Run of Kevin Showalter00:35:21.077 = Nikole’s Christmas Farewell00:42:04.732 = The Patty Vaughan Vanishing00:45:28.112 = ‘Twas The Mystery Before Christmas00:51:31.637 = Show CloseOriginally aired: December 21, 2024SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/ChristmasMysteries

‘TWAS THE MYSTERY BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Unsolved True Crime Cases From Christmases Past #WeirdDarkness #HolidayHorrors 53:45 Share