MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Published by Ballen Studios
True Crime
All Podcasts
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories is a true crime and mystery podcast that presents strange, dark and mysterious content delivered in story format. The program is hosted by John Allen a.k.a. MrBallen. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes 7-days early and ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
One morning in early November 1888, an engineer drove a steam train through the woods outside Chantilly, France. Everything was business as usual, until he noticed ahead, next to the tracks, there were two maintenance workers waving at him and frantically pointing at something on the ground in front of the train. The driver squinted, and as soon as he saw what they were pointing at, he lunged for the brakes. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today's story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 324. On a cold winter day in 2013, police officers rushed through the dense woods outside of a small town in Kentucky. They weaved their way through the trees, keeping their eyes peeled, and finally, one of them shouted out. He saw what they were looking for in the distance. The other officers quickly followed him into a clearing, and there, they saw a man with a long gray beard sitting in a large self-made camp. It looked like the man had been living out in the woods for months. The officers stared at him, and they almost couldn’t believe it, because they had finally tracked down the man who they thought could help solve a murder that had taken place a year earlier in a town 150 miles away. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories about inventions you’ve definitely heard of, but I guarantee you’ve never heard the strange reasons they were actually used or why they were created. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "The Spectacle" -- In 1939, a bloodthirsty crowd gathered in France (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MpR4k3-edc ) #2 -- "A New Technology" -- A doctor's savage invention that helped save mother's lives during childbirth (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aviVsRAnMR8 ) #1 -- "Healing Hands" -- A doctor invents something that would change the medical industry forever (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad9hnxRPFkc ) You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today, we have three stories about people who have a lot of experience in a particular area. But their confidence is exactly the thing that causes them to make a disastrous mistake. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On a morning in 2012, a young man was looking out at his backyard in West Virginia. A few days of heavy rain had opened up a sinkhole in the garden, and he was trying to fill it in... when suddenly, he noticed something plastic. He knelt down and pulled a plastic grocery bag out of the mud. He opened it, and as soon as he looked inside, he dropped it and backed away. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Welcome back to the campfire. This story took place in Malaysia in the 1970s. And even though when you first hear it, it's almost going to sound like urban legend. But it's not. Be sure to WATCH this episode on my YouTube channel on Friday, July 24th! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories that involve people who were trapped – with “ no way out .” The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "Escalation" -- You'll never feel safe on an escalator again (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eHMOFfHKDw ) #2 -- "Volunteer" -- After a swimmer goes missing in a lake, a local man is called to help (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3rccx8oyEk ) #1 -- "The Messiest Place" -- A routine hospital stay turns into a disappearance no one can explain (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWsSQgn0h-0 ) You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today, we have three stories about people who went to great lengths to make themselves look good. But in each case, this completely backfired. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
One early morning in April 2012, a man hurried through some woods in coastal France. He lived nearby, and had seen a column of smoke coming from this area. So now he was there to make sure it wasn’t a brush fire or something. And when he finally found the source of the smoke, he relaxed. It was just the smoldering remains of a bonfire . But as he approached, he smelled something that wasn't just burnt wood. And when the man finally saw what was in the fire, he felt sick. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Tonight, I have two awesome stories to tell you. They are both of the strange variety. In both stories, we're going to talk about a tragedy, but it is not the tragedy that is the reason we remember these things. We remember these events, or we still talk about these events, because in both stories, there are elements that just nobody can fully explain. These are truly unexplained phenomena that are fascinating – that are terrifying – and I know you're going to love it. Be sure to WATCH this episode on my YouTube channel on Friday, July 17th! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today, I’m going to tell you the story of one of the most talked about mysteries on the internet. And I think part of the reason this story is so mysterious and so intriguing is because there’s this really unsettling audio recording that sort of confounds the whole mystery and really forces you to take a stance about what you think really happened. So, I’m going to tell you this story, and towards the end I’m going to play you that recording and you can decide what you think really happened. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In December 1988, a young woman was having coffee at her friend's house in the city of Tours, France. She excused herself to go to the bathroom, and when she opened the lid of the toilet, she saw two small, gold objects floating in the water. They looked like beads, or maybe broken pieces of jewelry. She leaned down to get a closer look – and then she realized what they actually were. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today's story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 315. On a day in 2001, a veteran homicide detective put on his gloves and stepped into a cluttered bedroom. He’d been working a murder case for months, but he still had no clear evidence pointing to any of his suspects. But a tip from an informant had led him to this bedroom, and he hoped he would find something useful. The detective searched the room, but nothing stood out to him amidst the mess – until he saw a piece of notebook paper sitting on a nightstand. On the paper was someone’s list of goals they wanted to accomplish in life. The detective scanned the list. Most of the goals on the list were pretty standard stuff, but one goal immediately jumped out at the detective. Because one of the things on the list the writer wanted to achieve was to “Kill somebody and get away with it.” You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today’s podcast will feature 2 stories that show we may not be alone in this universe. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #2 -- "Flying Solo" -- An Australian pilot vanishes over a strange area in a bizarre series of events (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KLTog6DltQ ) #1 -- "It Hovers" -- One of the most credible paranormal stories that proves we may not be alone in this universe (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcJA02_Im_k ) You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today, we have three stories about people who each have one big thing in their life that brings them a lot of happiness and purpose. But it also winds up being the thing that ruins their lives. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In December 1990, a worried father paced his kitchen, hoping his daughter would call. But the phone stayed silent, and an anxious pit formed in his stomach. He was worried his daughter was in trouble – and afraid that he, himself, had just accidentally done something to make things worse. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today's story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 311. On a morning in 2002, a man in Indianapolis, Indiana woke up in a cold sweat. His hands shook as he tried to block out the images he’d seen in his sleep, but he knew these images would not just go away – they would keep haunting him until he did something about it. He got out of bed and walked to his phone. He dialed 9-1-1 and said he needed to talk to a detective, because he was having dreams that showed him everything that had happened during a horrific murder all the way back in 1989. The dreams this man claimed to have would help reopen an unsolved murder case that had shocked Indianapolis thirteen years earlier. But these dreams would not answer the questions police had been wrestling with for years, and it would take them another decade to finally track down the killer. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today’s podcast will feature 2 stories that many people believe couldn't have happened by chance alone. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #2 -- "Bleeding Out" -- You couldn't have planned this even if you wanted to (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Zr0gqa1yk ) #1 -- "Three Hangings" -- This story might be one of the most compelling cases of divine intervention (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNDWVv-faiI ) You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today, we have two stories about some friends that just want to have a fun night out. But at some point during the evening, things take a disastrous turn. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In October 1999, a 911 dispatcher in Austin, Texas was nearing the end of a long night shift when a strange call came in. The man said his guts had blown out of his stomach. The dispatcher asked him to explain what happened, but all the caller would say was that he just woke up and his guts were coming out. He was holding them in with his hand. And he needed an ambulance... now . You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
