At 3:45 a.m. on a morning in 2003, police cars raced down a street in a small, sleepy English village. A Detective Inspector stepped out of his car and approached an old house that was connected to a butcher shop. The Detective Inspector was still in shock from the call he’d gotten – an 83 year-old man had been brutally murdered in his bedroom. This was just not something that ever happened in English villages like this. The inspector knocked on the door to the house, and things would only ...
Jan 20, 2025•38 min•Ep. 302
Today’s podcast will feature 2 stories that prove that money is the root of all evil. 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 -- "Loan Shark" -- Student takes drastic measures to pay off debt... (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rpQ3VP9-Mc ) #1 -- "Western Russian Farm An...
Jan 16, 2025•30 min•Ep. 301
This is a special bonus episode of our new format called, "You Can't" On a dark fall night in 2010, two detectives stood in the street in an upscale suburban neighborhood outside of Boston, Massachusetts. In the middle of the road – lit by their flashlights – lay the body of a teenage boy. These were two veteran detectives, but neither of them had ever seen the type of brutal violence that had been inflicted on this young man. His legs look shattered, his jeans had been shredded, and h...
Jan 14, 2025•31 min•Ep. 300
On Halloween night in 1957, a group of children ran towards a brand new house in a suburban neighborhood outside of Los Angeles, California. This house had some of the best decorations on the street, and the kids all hoped the house would have the best candy, too. One of the children knocked on the front door, and a middle-aged woman in a witch hat and her husband opened the door and told the kids how great all of their costumes looked. The wife handed out a huge handful of candy to each of them...
Jan 13, 2025•37 min•Ep. 299
Today’s podcast will feature 3 acts of pure evil. 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 -- "Obsessed" -- A rising star is confronted by a super fan (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFV6R9GgPy4 ) #2 -- "Facebook Post" -- Although it's been deleted, there are still scree...
Jan 09, 2025•33 min•Ep. 298
In the fall of 2003, two detectives were in the middle of a year-long homicide case, involving the brutal murder of a 19 year-old girl. And for the first time, they finally felt like they had a viable suspect. But when they pulled up to the suspect’s house to conduct a second interview, the detectives quickly realized the house was abandoned and their suspect had just disappeared overnight. And when they tried to track this suspect down, they discovered something totally bizarre that would turn ...
Jan 06, 2025•37 min•Ep. 297
Today’s podcast features 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 -- "Rush" -- One of the most heart-breaking cases in the UK (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xaLEHXC6Is ) #2 -- "Fans" -- Man is f...
Jan 02, 2025•29 min•Ep. 296
On a spring morning in 2017, a mother of three in Evansville, Indiana logged onto Facebook and noticed a story in her news feed that made her heart start to race. Just a couple of hours earlier, the body of a young woman was found in a field one town over – and police had no clue who the young woman was. The physical description was vague, but it matched all three of the woman’s daughters. So right away, she picked up her phone and began trying to reach them, to make sure each of them was okay. ...
Dec 30, 2024•35 min•Ep. 295
This story is a fan favorite from MrBallen's Medical Mysteries. On a hot September day in 1986, a family in Goiania, Brazil, suddenly begin feeling sick after a celebration. The symptoms are horrific: vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding. But one family member suspects something far worse. Her hunch soon leads to a devastating discovery. Listen Now: Wondery.fm/MBMM For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If ...
Dec 26, 2024•30 min•Ep. 294
On a fall night in 1987, a young woman was walking down the middle of a dark street in a rural Kentucky town. She heard a car turn onto the street behind her, and it sounded like it was driving fast, so she quickly got onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, the car screeched to a stop just a few feet away from her. The car doors flew open, and before the young woman knew what was happening, someone grabbed her, lifted her off the ground, and threw her into the backseat. The car sped off, and the...
Dec 23, 2024•37 min•Ep. 293
Several years ago, prank videos were huge on YouTube. Basically, a Prank YouTube channel would go out in public, and they would do something to some unsuspecting person and they’d film it. And that video would get tons of views on YouTube. Well, during this prank heyday, there was one YouTube channel that pulled off a prank that really stood out amongst the thousands of others that were getting pumped out around this time. And the reason this particular prank stood out was because 1) it was mast...
Dec 19, 2024•27 min•Ep. 292
In January of 2012, a police truck parked on a trail in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. A member of the K-9 Unit opened the door, and a police dog named Indiana Bones jumped out. Indy quickly caught a scent and led his handler to a mound of dirt just off the path. Indy pawed at the dirt and revealed the top of a plastic bag. The dog’s handler reached into the dirt with her gloved hands, pulled out the bag, looked inside, and saw two dismembered human feet and a hand. Indy’s discovery w...
Dec 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 291
One of my former teammates from back when I was a Navy Seal had one of the most insane stories you will ever hear. He gave me permission to tell his story, so today I will share it with you all. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube video: #1 -- "The City of Death" -- A Navy SEAL buys a 1 way ticket to Iraq (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uDkod_FIk ) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" --&nb...
Dec 12, 2024•34 min•Ep. 290
On a fall night in 1998, a woman walked into her kitchen after being out all day and tossed her keys onto the counter. She saw the light on her answering machine blinking, so she checked the message. At first, it just sounded like static noise, or maybe someone was breathing heavy. And she figured it was either a prank call or someone had just accidentally dialed her number. But then she heard screaming and crying and then it just went silent, and the message ended. For a moment, the woman just ...
Dec 09, 2024•41 min•Ep. 289
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And today’s podcast features 3 stories that demonstrate that. 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 Way" -- You'll never hear this song the same again (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsKSqWj3HpQ ) #2 -- "High Stakes" --...
Dec 05, 2024•35 min•Ep. 288
On a cold December night in 2013, a 59-year-old widow stood on stage at a square dance club in Arkansas, watching some of her closest friends dance together. The woman had owned and run the square dance club for years, and the people out on the floor were just like family to her. But as she listened to the music and called out different square dance steps, she didn’t notice that one of the dancers had their eyes fixed right on her. And the woman did not know that this dancer had become obsessed ...
Dec 02, 2024•36 min•Ep. 287
Today’s story is a good old fashioned spooky story. It’s about a missing person in Taiwan, and it takes a totally bizarre turn, and I will say most of you will probably get the most thrill out of the “apartment scene.” You’ll know that scene when you get to it, and that’s towards the end of this podcast. So, make sure you stick around if you enjoy being spooked. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube video: #1 -- "An Unforgettable Fare" -- This story takes a wild turn, just w...
Nov 28, 2024•26 min•Ep. 286
On a summer morning in 2001, a woman in Alabama woke up in a cold sweat – like she’d just had a nightmare. But the woman knew what she saw while she was sleeping was not a bad dream – it was real. So she grabbed her phone and made a frantic call. Later that morning, police arrived at an old wooden house on the outskirts of a small rural town. They stepped inside, and they were absolutely shocked, because the woman really had led them to a horrifying crime scene. For 100s more stories like these,...
Nov 25, 2024•34 min•Ep. 285
Today’s podcast will feature 2 stories about ghost towns. 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 -- "Portlock" -- A ghost town with a very dark history (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2u2_q4tFp8 ) #1 -- "Ghost Town" -- A place so evil, it is illegal to go there&nb...
Nov 21, 2024•26 min•Ep. 284
On a Monday afternoon in 1986, medical staff at a clinic in San Antonio, Texas were starting to get worried, because their most respected nurse had not shown up for work and nobody could get a hold of her. So later that morning, two of the nurse’s colleagues drove down to her apartment. But when they got there, they found two notes taped to the door. They were messages from the nurse’s family, who had been looking for her since the day before. By the time the nurse’s family filed a missing perso...
Nov 18, 2024•34 min•Ep. 283
The crime at the center of today’s story is considered one of the most disturbing and heinous of all time. Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video: #1 -- "Clinical Lycanthropy" -- One of the most heinous crimes ever committed in the USA (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRzgmZiZn6U ) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen If you want to reach o...
Nov 14, 2024•36 min•Ep. 282
On a fall evening in 1996, a young detective sped through the streets of Tucson, Arizona towards an upscale country club. All he knew was that someone had reported an explosion in the area, but he didn’t know what had caused it. Minutes later, the detective pulled into the country club parking lot and as he got out of his car, it almost felt like he had stepped into a war zone. Car alarms were blaring, shattered glass covered the ground, and nearby he saw a car with its roof completely...
Nov 11, 2024•34 min•Ep. 281
Today’s podcast will feature 2 spooky stories about messages from beyond. 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 -- "Wrong Path Home" -- A news report about a missing woman has a frightening secret message (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdzzoB7jrQ ) #1 -- "Mother Know...
Nov 07, 2024•41 min•Ep. 280
On a Monday afternoon in December 2001, a pair of police officers walked in the side door of a big old farmhouse in the woods in Loudoun County, Virginia. They had just received a frantic 9-1-1 call from a man who said he had found his neighbor horrifically injured on the kitchen floor. The police officers crept through the house, peering cautiously around corners in case the attacker was still in the house. But other than the sound of their footsteps creaking on the hardwood, the home was ...
Nov 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 279
Today’s podcast will feature 3 medical horror stories. 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 -- "Honking Boy" -- A doctor rushes to help a boy who's having trouble breathing, what he finds is truly absurd (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRzdiHG3_eY ) #2 -- "Magic Elixir" -...
Oct 31, 2024•27 min•Ep. 278
In April 2009, in a crowded shopping center in broad daylight, a young woman was walking to her car, when suddenly a strange-looking man came out of some bushes and rushed toward her. The woman tried to get to her car and escape, but the man was too fast – he blocked her way and pulled out a gun. He put the gun to the woman’s head, and before she could even process what was happening, he fired. The woman fell to the ground and died. Then the man turned, calmly walked into the nearby wo...
Oct 28, 2024•34 min•Ep. 277
Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories that will make you wonder how many monsters you may have encountered in your life. 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 -- "Stumble" -- 3 people take pictures near a cliff (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCAXfw9MDxg ) #2 -- "Psy...
Oct 24, 2024•31 min•Ep. 276
This story is a fan favorite from MrBallen's Medical Mysteries. A boy in Minnesota is rushed to the emergency room with one of the worst food poisoning cases the doctors have ever seen. A short while later, a little girl shows up with the same illness. Soon, cases are popping up throughout the state, leaving some on the brink of death as doctors scramble to figure out why. Listen Now: Wondery.fm/MBMM For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -...
Oct 21, 2024•32 min•Ep. 275
In our lives, all of us have to make really difficult decisions from time to time. Sometimes we make the right call, and other times we don’t. Today’s story is about someone who did the latter, but really the story is about what this person did to try to fix their bad decision. Simply put, this story takes a totally unexpected turn, and unless you heard it before, there’s no way you’re going to see it coming Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video: #1 -- "Daydreamers" -- Th...
Oct 17, 2024•25 min•Ep. 274
On a summer night in 1980, the audience in New York’s world famous Metropolitan Opera House rose to their feet and applauded at the end of an international ballet performance. The dancers and musicians rushed backstage and congratulated each other on a great show, but one of the musicians was missing. Her prized violin sat on a chair in the orchestra pit. She had left it there during intermission of the ballet, and she had never come back. NYPD Detectives would soon descend on the Met, wher...
Oct 14, 2024•32 min•Ep. 273
