THE DECHMONT WOODS ENCOUNTER: The True UFO Case Police Investigated As Criminal Assault

Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

In 1979, Scottish forestry worker Robert Taylor encountered a strange metallic craft in Dechmont Woods that physically attacked him — leaving behind torn clothing, mysterious ground markings, and enough evidence to convince police to open the only criminal investigation in UFO history.
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IN THIS EPISODE: Hundreds of years after his death, the tomb of William Longespee was opened and what was found horrified the man who opened it… the skeleton of a black rat was found in the skull of Longespee – but that wasn’t the end of the story! (The Rat In Longespee’s Skull) *** Most people are superstitious to at least a tiny degree – avoiding walking under ladders, not opening umbrellas indoors, or having a tingle down the spine every Friday the 13th. Perhaps you have a favorite or “lucky” shirt to wear on special occasions – or a lucky pair of socks. Maybe you have to dress from left to right instead of the other way around. Superstitions may seem silly, but we seem to live with them everywhere – but your superstitions don’t hold a candle to the ones believed by those in the theater. Thespians on and off the stage have some pretty bizarre concepts about what is lucky and unlucky. (Strange Superstitions of the Stage) *** Viking sagas describe the ritual execution of blood eagle, in which victims were kept alive while their backs were sliced open so that their ribs, lungs, and intestines could be pulled out into the shape of bloody wings. The torture method was so grisly that some historians believe it never truly happened. We can only hope historians are correct, because the thought of someone going through it alive is unbelievably terrifying. (The Blood Eagle Viking Torture) *** Physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked the question "Where are they?" to express his surprise over the absence of any signs for the existence of other intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. Although many potential resolutions to this so-called “Fermi paradox” have been suggested over the years, there is still no consensus on which one, if any, is correct. We’ll look at some of the theories as to where E.T. might be found. (Where Might E.T. Be Hiding?) *** Only once in the history of law enforcement and ufology has there been a case where a UFO incident turned into an actual criminal investigation. We’ll look at the Dechmont Woods Encounter. (The Criminal Investigation of a UFO Incident)
ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.
DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00:00.000 = Lead-In
00:03:10.670 = Show Open
00:06:19.431 = The Criminal Investigation of a UFO Incident
00:26:38.537 = Where Might E.T. Be Hiding?
00:41:00.439 = The Blood Eagle Viking Torture
00:48:25.986 = Strange Superstitions of the Stage
01:06:25.453 = The Rat in Longespee’s Skull
01:18:08.983 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
BOOK: “The UFO Mystery Solved” by Steuart Campbell: https://amzn.to/3OsXXnI
BOOK: “UFO Scotland – the Secret History of Scotland’s UFO Phenomenon” by Ron Halliday: https://amzn.to/3Y5nkiA
“The Criminal Investigation of a UFO Incident” by Marcus Lowth for UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/562ntr6z; and IAN at Mysterious Britain and Ireland:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8ty2n8
“Where Might E.T. Be Hiding?” by Ben Gazur for ListVerse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3yvx7adx
“Strange Superstitions of the Stage” by Amanda Boisen for Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/36y34m7b
“The Rat In Longespee’s Skull” posted at The Haunted Palace Blog: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yjdxecmn
“The Blood Eagle Viking Torture” by William DeLong for AllThatsInteresting.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckwkzew
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Originally aired: July 25, 2023
NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.
EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/DechmontUFO