PEARL BRYAN AND HER MISSING HEAD: The True Crime Case That Literally Haunts a Nightclub

Weird Darkness: Paranormal & True Crime Stories

In 1896, Pearl Bryan's headless body was found in Kentucky—but her missing head has never been recovered, and locals claim her ghost still haunts the infamous Bobby Mackey's nightclub where Satanic rituals may have cursed the ground.
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IN THIS EPISODE: Today, the name Marquis de Sade is immediately associated with immorality and sadistic sexuality. But does history bear out the disdain we have for him? (Does the Marquis de Sade Deserve The Hate?) *** Connie Converse wrote and performed trailblazing music in the 1950s, but one day in 1974, she drove off looking for a fresh start — and was never seen again. (The Strange Disappearance of Singer-Songwriter Connie Converse) *** Jack Pyle was a hermit and a recluse, living in a tiny shack – selling the fish he caught out of the river to supplement his income. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have money, which might’ve been the reason someone killed him. (Death of a Miser) *** Napoleon Bonaparte is known as one of the greatest military commanders in history, and his battles and ambitions changed the shape of Western Europe. But it seems that the only foe that could best this great man was small and fluffy. (Napoleon Versus The Bunnies) *** For centuries, bizarre physical conditions, strange health-based occurrences, and questionable treatments have gained widespread attention, only to be exposed as frauds. We’ll look at some of the strangest! (Medical Hoaxes) *** In 1896, 22-year-old schoolteacher Pearl Bryan was found dead. But after her killers were found, tried, and hanged, her story continued to fascinate the public even to the point of having folk songs sung about her. But it wasn’t her beauty that inspired the songwriters so much as it was that she was found without her head. (Pearl Bryan and Her Missing Head)
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 = Show Open
00:02:28.630 = Pearl Bryan And Her Missing Head
00:13:08.589 = Napoleon Versus The Bunnies
00:23:52.364 = Death of a Miser
00:29:46.342 = Does The Marquis de Sade Deserve the Hate?
00:38:27.301 = The Strange Disappearance of Singer-Songwriter Connie Converse
00:51:47.637 = Medical Hoaxes
01:04:05.579 = Show Close
SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…
ALBUM: “How Sad, How Lovely” by Connie Converse: https://amzn.to/3YV1Jdf
ALBUM: Connie Converse’s “Piano Songs”: https://amzn.to/3P1wObC
FILM: “We Lived Alone: The Connie Converse Documentary”: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3841606/
SONG” “Pearl Bryan” by Bradley Kincaid (released in January1929): https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pearlbryan
“Pearl Bryan and Her Missing Head” by Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://weirddarkness.com/archives/15765
“Death of a Miser” by Robert A. Waters for Kidnapping, Murder and Mayhem: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y2uyrycy
“Does the Marquis de Sade Deserve The Hate?” by Bipin Dimri for Historic Mysteries: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ye83efw5
“The Strange Disappearance of Singer-Songwriter Connie Converse” by Austin Harvey for All That’s Interesting:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/zkt5yaw2
“Napoleon Versus The Bunnies” by Gemma Hollman for Just History Posts: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p99eecn,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckskyet
“Medical Hoaxes” by Jennifer Lafferty for List Verse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8vvfam
=====(Over time links 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 have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: August 17, 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/pearlbryan
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