Description
In the 1970s Highgate Cemetery became the stuff of legends, with rumors of a vampire, bizarre occultic rituals, and a rivalry so wild it could’ve been lifted out of a horror novel.<br /><br />Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. <a href="https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate</a><br />Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. <a href="https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream</a><br />Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. <a href="https://weirddarkness.com/TV" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://weirddarkness.com/TV</a><br /><br />IN THIS EPISODE: Did a vampire stalk London’s Highgate cemetery in the 1970s? (Highgate Vampire: The Horror of the Dead) *** He was alone at home when firemen were called. The entire house was blazing... except for one room. The room that contained the corpse of J. Temple Thurston. (The Mysterious Death of J. Temple Thurston) *** A ghostly spirit brings comfort to a dying man’s grandchild. (A Comforting Nurse) *** Death comes to us all, but today children are shielded from the reality of death – only the stylized version they see in television and film. But years ago, when there was a death, it was a family affair – everyone of all ages participated in the funeral and grieving process. And some people coped with their grief by being artistic – such as writing a weird song called “The Hearse Song”. *** We all know people who love nature and the outdoors. Some will even have their own gardens and will talk to the flowers and plants, thinking it will help them thrive. But how would you react when you are sure the plants are talking back to you? (The Girl Who Talks To Trees) *** Mitchell Quy watched while the police looked for his missing wife; he even joined the search himself. No one ever expected that Mitchell was the one who had killed her. (He Murdered His Wife – Then Pretended To Look For Her) *** In 1986, the Tallmanns moved into what they thought was the ideal family home. They couldn’t have been more wrong. (Sharing Bunk Beds With Evil) *** A Weirdo family member shares how he has been stalked by a terrifying entity for many years. (The Sinister Caprine Creature) *** Not even the serial killer Dennis Nilsen himself can say exactly how many people he murdered. There were just too many. (Britain’s Kindly Killer) *** How is it possible for a man as powerful and prominent as a Supreme Court judge to disappear forever? It happened to the Big Apple’s Justice Joseph F. Crater. (The Most Missingest Man In New York)<br /><br />CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…<br />00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open<br />00:01:02.093 = Show Intro<br />00:04:02.672 = The Highgate Vampire: Horror of the Dead<br />00:23:39.363 = Britain’s Kindly Killer<br />00:28:17.248 = The Sinister Caprine Creature (submitted by a Weird Darkness listener)<br />00:35:52.742 = The Most Missingest Man in New York<br />00:57:29.340 = Sharing Bunk Beds With Evil<br />01:08:40.449 = He Murdered His Wife, Then Pretended To Look For Her<br />01:16:24.345 = A Comforting Nurse<br />01:21:15.168 = The Hearse Song<br />01:30:59.618 = The Girl Who Talks To Trees<br />01:33:45.924 = The Mysterious Death of J. Temple Thurston<br />01:46:52.727 = Show Close<br /><br />SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…<br />“The Sinister Caprine Creature” by Benji, submitted directly to <a href="http://www.weirddarkness.com/submit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.weirddarkness.com/submit</a><br />“The Most Missingest Man In New York” by Troy Taylor: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/u7hkxgk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://tinyurl.com/u7hkxgk</a><br />“The Highgate Vampire: Horror of the Dead”: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/tx3c5xt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://tinyurl.com/tx3c5xt</a><br />“Britain’s Kindly Killer” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: <a href="https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3khways3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3khways3</a><br />“Sharing Bunk Beds With Evil” by M.J. Steel: (website no longer exists)<br />“The Girl Who Talks To Trees” by an unknown author: (website no longer exists)<br />“The Mysterious Death of J. Temple Thurston” for Anomaly Info: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/svlkhh8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://tinyurl.com/svlkhh8</a><br />“He Murdered His Wife – Then Pretended To Look For Her” by William DeLong for All That’s Interesting:<a href="https://tinyurl.com/u2a68vn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://tinyurl.com/u2a68vn</a><br />“A Comforting Nurse” from Your Ghost Stories: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/r8jtq5s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://tinyurl.com/r8jtq5s</a><br />“The Hearse Song” story written by Troy Taylor: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/qum538g" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://tinyurl.com/qum538g</a><br />“The Hearse Song” music rendition by Rusty Cage from the album “GangStalkers”: <a href="https://amzn.to/2NSZrZW" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://amzn.to/2NSZrZW</a><br />“The Hearse Song” additional lyrics and music by Harley Poe: <a href="https://amzn.to/2xwF4HL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://amzn.to/2xwF4HL</a><br />Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =<br />(<i>Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.</i>)<br />= = = = =<br />"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46<br />= = = = =<br />WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.<br />= = = = =<br />Originally aired: September 18, 2018<br />SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/HighgateVampire<br />TRANSCRIPT: <a href="https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5xrfhjkw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5xrfhjkw</a>