The Dark Folio

Created by May
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

The Dark Folio — basically your creepy little coffee break. I share 15-20 minute stories about folklore, hauntings, and true crime that are spooky but still mostly PG. Perfect if you want something quick and eerie without the heavy gore or nightmares.

  1. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    Did you miss our Villisca Bonus Episode?

    Villisca Axe Murder House | True Crime Mystery & Phantom of the RailsIn 1912, eight people were brutally murdered in the Moore family home in Villisca, Iowa. But was this horrific crime an isolated tragedy—or part of a chilling pattern of axe murders across the Midwest?In this episode of The Dark Folio, we explore:The haunting details of the Villisca Axe Murder HouseSimilar murders in Monmouth, Ellsworth, Colorado Springs, Paola, and LafayetteTheories of a traveling “phantom killer” using the railroad to strike unseenNo one was ever convicted, but the coincidences suggest something darker — a serial killer moving along the rails, leaving terror in every small town he passed through.💌 Bonus content & early access: Subscribers to my free newsletter get this episode sent straight to their inbox before it’s released publicly. Sign up here: https://thedarkfoliopod.substack.com/In 1912, eight people were killed in the Villisca Axe Murders. Was this an isolated tragedy or the work of a phantom killer?Welcome to this subscribers-only bonus section of The Dark Folio. We are digging into the extra creepy details surrounding the Villisca Axe Murders that didn't make it into our main episode. We will look at the chilling coincidences connecting this tragedy to other unsolved crimes across the Midwest, turning a historical event into a complex true crime mystery.Many theories point to a phantom killer moving along the rail lines, striking small towns without a trace. While the Villisca Axe Murder House remains one of the most famous haunted houses in history, we focus on the evidence that suggests a serial predator was responsible for this and similar killings.Subscribe to The Dark Folio for your weekly creepy little coffee break, and let me know in the comments if you believe the railroad theory.#VilliscaAxeMurder #TrueCrime #HauntedHouses #SerialKiller #TheDarkFolio #HistoricCrimes #UnsolvedMysteries #CreepyHistory #PhantomKiller

  2. Sep 26

    The Mary Celeste: Why Did Everyone Abandon Ship?

    In 1872, the Mary Celeste was found sailing the Atlantic without a single person aboard—but the evidence suggests her captain, family, and crew didn't simply vanish. They left the ship. So what convinced ten people to abandon a vessel that was still capable of sailing? May opens the file on the real Mary Celeste mystery, the theories involving water, alcohol and a missing lifeboat, and the later legends that turned a maritime mystery into one of history's most famous ghost-ship stories.

  3. Sep 16

    The Bermuda Triangle: How a Mystery Became a Legend

    Ships vanished. Five Navy planes disappeared. And somewhere along the way, the Bermuda Triangle became one of the most famous unexplained mysteries in modern history. May opens the file on Flight 19, the USS Cyclops, the rise of the Bermuda Triangle legend, and the books, television shows, movies—and even board games—that made an entire generation wonder what was happening out there. Some mysteries remain. Others changed considerably in the retelling. So what actually happened—and how did three lines on a map become a legend? Music by Zapsplat

  4. Aug 25

    Monster File: The Hopkinsville Goblins — The Little Green Siege

    On August 21, 1955, a terrified family fled their farmhouse in Kelly, Kentucky, and arrived at the Hopkinsville Police Station with an unbelievable story. For hours, they claimed strange, small creatures with glowing eyes and long arms had surrounded their home. Gunfire didn't seem to stop them. They appeared at windows, moved around the property—and, perhaps most unsettling of all, seemed content simply to watch. The night became known as the Kelly-Hopkinsville Encounter, better known today as the story of the Hopkinsville Goblins. But what actually happened? In this Monster File, May returns to her home state of Kentucky to examine the witnesses, the police response, Project Blue Book, the great horned owl theory, and the strange legacy of a case that still hasn't completely gone away. Grab your coffee and get comfortable. It's time to open another file. The Dark Folio — where the shadows keep their records. Stay curious… and always stay a little dark.

  5. Aug 21 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: We are so close to 1,000 plays! (Thank You!)

    Hey my kindred spirits, it’s May, and welcome back to your creepy little coffee break. This week marks exactly one year since we opened the pages of The Dark Folio. Right now, we are sitting just 63 plays away from hitting 1,000 total downloads. If you’ve enjoyed our trips to Roopkund Lake or hunting the Beast of Bray Road, I have a tiny anniversary favor to ask. Pick your favorite past episode, hit share, and text it to one friend who loves a good ghost story or cryptid legend. Let’s cross that 1,000 mark together this week. Thank you for listening, and stay curious!!

  6. Aug 13

    Isabella's Curse: The White Lady of Belhurst Castle

    Every castle has its secrets. But Belhurst Castle, perched above the dark waters of Seneca Lake in upstate New York, has one that refuses to stay buried. She is Isabella — a beautiful opera singer who fled her old life for a forbidden love, only to meet her end in a tunnel meant to save her. Tonight, The Dark Folio revisits her story: the desperate escape, the collapsed passage, and the white-gowned figure still seen drifting across the castle grounds and along the lakeshore. Some legends fade. Isabella has not.

  7. Aug 3

    The Atlas Vampire: Stockholm's Most Chilling Unsolved Murder

    Hey everyone — just a quick heads-up before we begin. Today's story involves a real historical murder. Nothing is graphic, but it does deal with some dark themes, including violence and crime. If you're listening with younger kids, you may want to preview this one first. You know your family best. Description: In 1932, a woman was found dead in her Stockholm apartment — and the details were so disturbing that the press invented a monster to explain them. Her name was Lilly Lindeström, and nearly a century later, no one has ever been charged with her murder. Tonight, we open the file on the Atlas Vampire — one of Europe's darkest and most haunting cold cases. The Dark Folio is your creepy little coffee break — stories from the strange, the eerie, and the unexplained. Follow so you never miss a file.

  8. Jun 23

    The Enfield Horror: Illinois' Three-Legged Cryptid That Terrified a Town

    In April 1973, a quiet town in southern Illinois became the center of one of America's strangest cryptid encounters. When 10-year-old Greg Garrett claimed he was attacked by a mysterious creature, few believed him. But just thirty minutes later, Henry McDaniel opened his front door and came face-to-face with something he would never forget—a bizarre three-legged creature with glowing pink eyes that seemed to defy explanation. As sightings spread, strange tracks were discovered, armed search parties combed the woods, and investigators—including renowned cryptozoologist Loren Coleman—arrived in Enfield searching for answers. Was the Enfield Horror an escaped animal? A hoax? A mass misidentification? Or did residents of Enfield, Illinois, encounter something truly unknown? Join May as we open another file and explore one of the most unusual cryptid cases in American folklore. Stay curious... and stay a little dark.

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5
out of 5
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About

The Dark Folio — basically your creepy little coffee break. I share 15-20 minute stories about folklore, hauntings, and true crime that are spooky but still mostly PG. Perfect if you want something quick and eerie without the heavy gore or nightmares.

Information

  • Creator
    Created by May
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Created by May
  • Show Website
    The Dark Folio