The Darker Side of Life Podcast

Happy New Year, listeners! What better way to jump into 2020 than to hear about the story of the Tromp family of Australia and their strange road trip. By all accounts, the Tromp family was a normal family. Mark and Jacoba lived and worked on the family farm in Silvan, Victoria with their three kids: Ella, Mitchell and Riana. But one day, the family suddenly fled their home, leaving behind phones,...

The plan to rob the bank was a simple one - go in, steal the cash, hurt no one and escape via the getaway car parked strategically in an alley. It should have been an easy job. But for Marshall Ratliff and his three accomplices, a shot through a window caused complications that would turn their easy plan into a complicated mess that took many lives and would become a legendary story in West Texas....

He had a hook for a hand. The call is coming from inside the house. Bloody Mary. Everyone grew up hearing urban legends. But where exactly do these stories come from? Are they true stories or folktales passed down through generations to warn us about something? Take a trip across the country with The Darker Side of Life to learn about top urban legends in several states and decide for yourself if...

It first happened in 1959, when a group of Russian hikers died under mysterious circumstances. Few people know that it happened again, in 1993. Seven hikers set out on a long trip near Lake Baikal, when suddenly 6 of them died mysteriously, violently, and at the same time. Even with a lone survivor to recap the details, the mystery remains. Today we discuss the Buryatia Incident, otherwise known a...

Who put Bella in the Wych Elm? We've been asking that same question 76 years after a group of boys from the skeletonized remains of a woman on the grounds of Hagley Estate in Hagley, Worcestershire, England. And then, a year after, strange graffiti starting popping up with a name for the unknown woman. The theories of what happened to Bella and her true identity run the spectrum from the supe...

"Ghost and goblins, spooks galore, scary witches at your door. Jack o' Lanterns shining bright, wishing you a haunting night." Happy Halloween from the girls of The Darker Side of Life!! Because it's the best day of the year, we have a bonus episode for all you guys! So turn off the lights, grab your candy corn, put out your pumpkin and listen to some spooky tales to get you in...

It all started as a normal day on the Bell farm. But when John Bell shot at a creature in one of his fields, things started changing. Soon, his family would experience a haunting like no other. He had unknowingly awoken a spirit - one who promised to haunt him and his family until John Bell was dead. This is the story of the Bell Witch of Adams, Tennessee

It was the OG of witch hunts in what would become the United States. Between January and October of 1692, hundreds of colonists in and around Salem Village and Salem Town were accused of one of the worst possible things you could be accused of: Witchcraft. There was no way to defend yourself as neighbors, friends and family pointed the finger at you and accused you of signing the Devil's book...

"Escape" with us while we "break out" some more stories (see what we did there?) about one of the most infamous prisons: Alcatraz. These stories have a paranormal twist you might not have seen coming. 

It was a prison on an island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. It held those who couldn't be held in other prisons. It's reputation for being inescapable was so large it was commonly referred to as "The Rock."  But that doesn't mean nobody ever tried. In 1946, a group of inmates almost did in what became known as the Battle of Alcatraz. And in 1962, three men did lea...

Lets get spooky. Come take a tour with us of what is thought to be one of the most haunted places in the United States: Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Once a tuberculosis hospital in Louisville, Kentucky during an outbreak of the “white plague”, Waverly Hills was not only a place to treat those suffering from the disease, but also a home for those who had to leave their life behind once they came to th...

Didn't get enough of aliens during Dana's story on Betty and Barney Hill? Well, you are in luck! Welcome to a Q&A session specifically for all you Earthlings out there wondering what is beyond our universe. Play along and let us know what you think with some of these out of this world questions. And as always, keep your eyes on the sky. You never know who is looking back. 

It started innocently enough; just a late-night drive home from a vacation down rural roads in New Hampshire. But for one couple, the night would prove to be unforgettable. They saw a bright light follow their car, stopped to look at it, and were soon back on the road to continue the drive home. But now, the couple felt physically and emotionally changed, and hours had passed when it should have b...

They come a-knockin' when you least expect it. You open your door to find kids standing on your doorstep or maybe they're outside your car. They ask to come in to use your phone or for a ride somewhere. It seems like a harmless request, right? They why do you feel terrified standing in front of these children? And what is wrong with their eyes? We're talking about the mysterious Bla...

If you didn't get enough in our Ice Mummies episode, join us as we unwrap a few more stories about mummies from around the world and through time. Also, "mummy soup" and "mummy paint." Yeah, you're going to want to listen to this. 

She was treated like royalty; dressed in the finest clothing, cared for, educated and well-fed. She was buried with riches and rare items on a mountain sacred to the ancient Peruvians. But although her life might have been a fortunate one, her death was not. Dana and Kristen discuss Peruvian ice mummies and the practice of capacocha - child human sacrifice. 

Welcome to the very first Darker Side of Life "Side Note" episode. Side Notes are smaller episodes that go along with the main story released the week before. You know when you're telling a story and think of something else cool? You might veer off into a "side note" conversation that, while fun, takes you away from the main story. So to give you all the darker side of lif...

Daniel LaPlante's crimes ran the gamut around towns in Massachusetts in the 1980s. Ranging from bizarre to horrifying, LaPlante terrorized families, messing with people's heads and leaving his mark where he went. He eventually escalated to events that would leave several victims in his wake. 

In 2003 and 2004, Terrance Williams and Felipe Santos went missing in separate incidents in a Southwest Florida city. It wasn't until their families persisted in the investigation when it was discovered their disappearances had a common connection - the last person to see them alive was a Naples police officer, who was later fired from the force after having lied to investigators about the ca...

In 1959, nine hikers were found dead in the Ural Mountains in Russia after they failed to return from their trek. We're still trying to figure out what exactly happened to them sixty years later. In part two of this fascinating and maddening story, Dana and Kristen take a deep dive into some of the theories surrounding this case. Everything from avalanches to yetis is on the table. Be sure to...

Sixty years ago, nine hikers embarked on a winter trek in the far northern Ural mountains in soviet Russia. They never returned home. When searches found the site, they were greeted not by the hikers, but by a mysterious and morbid scene that people are still trying to make sense of today. The bodies found were frozen a mile away from the tent, some barefoot and with only light clothing on and som...

The Darker Side of Life brings you a special kind of episode this week with not one, but two stories. In episode 4, Dana and Kristen explore two very different but equally intriguing tales coming out of Georgia while on their annual road trip. First up, Dana takes us back to the summer of 1887 in rural Georgia when the silence was disturbed by the sounds of one of the most heinous mass murders in...

Summerwind Mansion was meant to be a relaxing getaway in an idyllic location. It was anything but relaxing. Demonic music, hidden deeds and whispered names in dark rooms. Something was going bump in the night. Something was watching you. Those who saw the house should have run for the hills, but something was drawing people in and making them want to stay. Was it a simple case of wanting to restor...

Can an exorcism be botched? In 1974, Michael Taylor found out. After a 7-hour nonstop ordeal to cast out demons that had possessed him, he found out things didn't go as planned. This is the story of the exorcism of Michael Taylor and the horror that followed. 

Kristen and Dana jump down the rabbit hole to discuss the infamous Lizzie Borden and the "whacks" heard 'round the world. Step into the dark. Follow us on Instagram at darkersideoflifepodcast and make sure to email us your own stories and suggestions at  darkersideoflifepodcast@gmail.com.