The Devil Within

SINS OF THE EARTH Act I: The Land | Episode One: Before There Was Jefferson The Devil Within — Hosted by Branden Morgan What if the darkest chapter in a town's history began centuries before the crime that made it infamous? In January 1988, fourteen-year-old Tommy Sullivan murdered his mother, Betty, before taking his own life in Jefferson Township, New Jersey. The tragedy became the foundation of The Devil Within, a story surrounded by allegations of Satanism, demonic influence, and questions that remain deeply unsettling nearly four decades later. Now, we're returning to where it all began. But this time, we're digging much deeper. In the premiere of Sins of the Earth, we travel back more than a billion years to explore the geological origins of the New Jersey Highlands, the ancient mountains rich with iron ore, and the rivers and forests that sustained generations of Lenape communities long before European settlement. As Dutch, English, and German settlers pushed into the region, the landscape began to change. Forests became fuel. Rivers became sources of power. Mountains became repositories of mineral wealth. And an emerging iron industry began transforming the land in ways that would outlast the people who built it. Inspired in part by Caroline Fraser's Murderland, this ambitious new investigation asks a provocative question: Could the environmental consequences of America's industrial past have influenced generations that followed? The connection remains unproven. But the history is real, and the questions deserve answers. Before there was Jefferson Township, before the Sullivan murders, before anyone imagined the darkness that would eventually descend upon this small New Jersey community, there was the land. And beneath it, there was iron. NEXT EPISODE: THE IRON BENEATH We follow the ironmasters, entrepreneurs, and laborers who transformed the Highlands into an emerging industrial powerhouse, building furnaces, forges, and entire communities around the wealth buried beneath the mountains. LISTEN. FOLLOW. JOIN THE INVESTIGATION. Listen & Follow: Subscribe to The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Don't miss a single chapter of Sins of the Earth. Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Leave us a five-star rating and a written review. Your support helps introduce The Devil Within to new listeners. Watch & Subscribe: Experience The Devil Within on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes and exclusive video content. Join the Conversation: Follow us on Instagram @thedevilwithinpod for episode updates, historical imagery, and behind-the-scenes material. Have a Story or a Tip? We're always interested in hearing from listeners, particularly those with firsthand knowledge of Jefferson Township and the history of the New Jersey Highlands. Contact us at mailto:[email protected]. The Devil Within is an Evio Creative production. The past is never quite as distant as we'd like to believe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE DEVIL'S LEDGER Week of November 9, 2026 America Has Spoken. The Ghosts Are Still Talking. And the Horror Never Stops. America has voted, the political landscape is shifting, and a new chapter in American history is beginning. But whether the newly elected can deliver on the promises that brought them to power remains to be seen. This week on The Devil's Ledger, Branden Morgan reflects on the election, the importance of empowering women, and the extraordinary responsibility that comes with public office. Then we turn our attention to the darker corners of the Evio Creative Universe, where abandoned amusement parks, industrial mysteries, murderous mothers, and homicidal governesses await. THE CREEPIEST THING I HEARD THIS WEEK Lake Shawnee Amusement Park: Where the Fun Never Dies Deep in the mountains of West Virginia sits an abandoned amusement park with a history considerably more disturbing than its rusting rides might suggest. Built on land associated with a bloody eighteenth-century frontier conflict and the deaths of several children, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park became the setting for additional tragedies during its years of operation. Today, visitors report ghostly children, unexplained laughter, and amusement park rides that seem to move on their own. Is something supernatural lingering among the abandoned attractions, or has a genuinely tragic history simply given rise to an exceptionally effective ghost story? Either way, this is one amusement park where you might want to skip the last ride. THE DEVIL WITHIN — SINS OF THE EARTH A New Investigation Begins Could the toxic legacy of America's iron and steel industries have contributed to the Golden Age of Serial Killers? Inspired by Caroline Fraser's Murderland, The Devil Within launches an ambitious new investigation into industrial contamination, environmental history, and the possible relationship between toxic exposure and violent behavior. Our journey begins in Jefferson Township, New Jersey, the community at the center of the original Devil Within investigation, where fourteen-year-old Tommy Sullivan committed an unimaginable act of violence in January 1988. What could the region's centuries-old industrial history tell us about the environment inherited by later generations? And could it help us understand a community associated with three murderers? The connections remain unproven, but the questions are worth investigating. Sins of the Earth begins this week on The Devil Within. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF — THE MOST HATED WOMAN IN AMERICA The Crimes of Lori Vallow-Daybell Carolyn Ossorio returns to the Criminal Mischief archives to revisit one of the most disturbing murder investigations in recent American history. Lori Vallow-Daybell's apocalyptic religious beliefs, increasingly bizarre behavior, and involvement in a series of horrific crimes culminated in the murders of her children, Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow. What followed was a shocking investigation involving religious extremism, manipulation, betrayal, and a mother whose actions horrified the nation. Revisit the investigation, the convictions, and the disturbing psychology behind the woman dubbed The Most Hated Woman in America. ON THE SLIPPERY — THE LEXICON The Hit Limited Series Continues Scot and Nancy continue their latest limited series, The LexiCON, exclusively on the Evio Creative Network. Haven't started listening yet? The first half of the season is already available to binge, making this the perfect opportunity to catch up before the next installment. THIS WEEK IN HORROR — VICTORIAN PSYCHO Good Manners. Bad Intentions. Very Sharp Objects. It's 1858, and a mysterious young governess named Winifred Notty has arrived at a remote gothic manor on the Yorkshire Moors. Her assignment? Educate the children of the wealthy Pounds family. Her problem? She's a psychopath. Starring Maika Monroe, Jason Isaacs, and Ruth Wilson, Victorian Psycho combines Victorian etiquette, gothic atmosphere, and murderous impulses into a deliciously twisted horror story. Because maintaining appearances is terribly important. Even when the bodies start disappearing. LISTEN. FOLLOW. JOIN THE EVIO UNIVERSE. Listen & Follow: Find The Devil's Ledger, The Devil Within, Criminal Mischief, and The Slippery on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Follow your favorites so you never miss an episode. Rate & Review: Enjoying our shows? Leave a five-star rating and a written review. It's one of the best ways to help independent podcasts reach new listeners. Watch & Subscribe: Visit the Evio Creative YouTube channel for video episodes, exclusive content, and more from across the network. Subscribe and turn on notifications. Join the Conversation: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for updates, behind-the-scenes material, and stories from the darker corners of history. Have a Story or a Tip? Send your paranormal experiences, true crime tips, or story suggestions to mailto:[email protected]. The Devil's Ledger is an Evio Creative production, hosted by Branden Morgan. Stay safe, stay dry, and start preparing for Thanksgiving. Ready or not, it's right around the damn corner. We'll catch up with you somewhere across the Evio Universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE DEVIL WITHIN HAUNTED HALLOWEEN Episode Six: The Queen of the Dead Marie Laveau, the Cities of the Dead, and the Supernatural Secrets of New Orleans In New Orleans, the dead have never been particularly interested in disappearing. Beneath the city's ancient oak trees and behind its wrought-iron cemetery gates, elaborate stone and marble tombs rise above the earth, forming miniature neighborhoods where generations of families share their final resting places. These extraordinary burial grounds, known as the Cities of the Dead, have become synonymous with one of America's most mysterious and spiritually fascinating cities. And among the thousands buried within them, one woman has inspired more superstition, fascination, and supernatural speculation than almost anyone else in Louisiana history. Her name was Marie Laveau. Known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Laveau was a free woman of color who acquired extraordinary influence in nineteenth-century Louisiana, a society defined by slavery, racial inequality, and deeply entrenched religious divisions. Revered as a healer and spiritual adviser, feared by those who misunderstood her practices, and rumored to possess powers beyond ordinary human understanding, Laveau became one of the most remarkable figures in American folklore. But her legend only grew after her death in 1881. In the final installment of Haunted Halloween, The Devil Within travels to New Orleans to investigate the woman behind the mythology, the spiritual traditions that shaped her reputation, and the extraordinary cemeteries where the living continue seeking assistance from the dead. We'll explore the origins of Louisiana Voodoo, the religious gatherings associated with Laveau near Bayou St. John, and the mysterious stories that followed her through the streets of nineteenth-century New Orleans. We'll also venture into St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, where a weathered family tomb traditionally associated with Marie Laveau has attracted generations of visitors carrying flowers, coins, and handwritten petitions. Some believed that marking three X's upon the tomb and making a wish could summon the Voodoo Queen's assistance from beyond the grave. And then there's the most extraordinary claim of all. What if Marie Laveau never really died? For decades after her death, stories circulated of a mysterious woman who looked remarkably like the Voodoo Queen, wandering the streets of New Orleans apparently untouched by time. Was she a supernatural apparition, or had confusion surrounding Laveau's daughter, who shared her name, created the illusion of immortality? From the devastating yellow fever epidemics that filled New Orleans' cemeteries to the spiritual traditions that transformed death into an enduring part of the city's cultural identity, we separate documented history from supernatural legend to uncover the remarkable story of a woman whose influence survived long after her world disappeared. Was Marie Laveau truly capable of communicating with the dead, or was her greatest power the extraordinary influence she achieved among the living? More than 140 years after her death, the Voodoo Queen's legend remains very much alive. LISTEN, WATCH & JOIN THE CONVERSATION LISTEN & FOLLOW: Subscribe to The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Follow the show so you never miss another investigation into history's darker corners. RATE & REVIEW: Enjoying Haunted Halloween? Leave us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps new listeners discover the show and allows us to continue bringing these extraordinary stories to life. WATCH & SUBSCRIBE: Experience The Devil Within through cinematic imagery, historical photographs, and original visual storytelling on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes, exclusive content, and more from the Evio Creative network. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for haunting historical imagery, behind-the-scenes content, and more stories from the darker side of American history. HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? Have you experienced something unexplained, visited a haunted location, or uncovered a mystery you think deserves investigating? Send your stories, experiences, and tips to mailto:[email protected]. COMING NEXT: THE DEVIL RETURNS HOME With Haunted Halloween behind us, The Devil Within returns to the investigation that started it all. Jefferson Township, New Jersey. More than three decades ago, the murders of Tommy Sullivan and his mother, Betty, became the foundation of the very first season of The Devil Within, a case involving unimaginable violence, religious obsession, and questions that have haunted investigators and listeners ever since. Now, as another anniversary of the murders approaches, we're returning to New Jersey to reexamine the evidence and explore a possible new explanation for what happened inside the Sullivan home. An explanation that, if supported by the evidence, might extend far beyond one family. What if the same disturbing patterns could help explain dozens of other cases involving seemingly inexplicable acts of violence? And what if the answer we've been searching for has been hiding in plain sight all along? The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE DEVIL WITHIN HAUNTED HALLOWEEN Episode Five: The Ship That Never Reached Port The RMS Queen Mary — A Haunted Ocean Liner, a Wartime Tragedy, and the Ghosts Who Never Disembarked Once the most glamorous ocean liner in the world, the RMS Queen Mary carried Hollywood royalty, international celebrities, and wealthy travelers across the Atlantic in extraordinary luxury. Then came World War II, and the floating palace became something altogether different. On October 2, 1942, while transporting thousands of American soldiers toward Britain, the Queen Mary collided with the British warship HMS Curacoa. The smaller vessel broke apart and sank within minutes, leaving hundreds of sailors struggling in the freezing Atlantic. More than 300 men died. And the Queen Mary never stopped. Under wartime orders and the threat of German submarines, the enormous liner continued toward Scotland, leaving other vessels to rescue the survivors. It was one of the most devastating maritime accidents of the war, and only one chapter in the extraordinary history of a ship that would eventually acquire a reputation as one of the most haunted vessels in the world. In this installment of Haunted Halloween, The Devil Within travels to Long Beach, California, where the Queen Mary has remained permanently moored since 1967. Behind her elegant Art Deco interiors, grand staircases, and luxurious passenger cabins lies a collection of supernatural legends that have fascinated visitors and paranormal investigators for decades. We'll investigate the ghostly little girl known as Jackie, whose laughter and footsteps are allegedly heard near the ship's abandoned first-class swimming pool; the mysterious crewman said to haunt the machinery spaces near watertight Door 13; and the disturbing reputation of Room B340, where guests have reported unexplained knocking, strange disturbances, and the unmistakable sensation that someone—or something—is sharing their accommodations. But how much of the Queen Mary's haunted reputation can be traced to genuine historical tragedy, and how much belongs to the mythology that has accumulated around an aging ship? From her magnificent beginnings in 1930s Britain to her dangerous wartime service and eventual retirement on the California coast, we separate documented history from supernatural speculation to explore a vessel whose most terrifying stories may have nothing to do with ghosts. The Queen Mary completed her final voyage in 1967. But according to those who believe her stories, some of her passengers are still waiting to disembark. LISTEN, WATCH & JOIN THE CONVERSATION LISTEN & FOLLOW: Subscribe to The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show so you never miss another investigation into the darker corners of history. RATE & REVIEW: Enjoying Haunted Halloween? Leave us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps new listeners discover the show and keeps these stories coming. WATCH & SUBSCRIBE: Experience The Devil Within through cinematic imagery, historical photographs, and original visual storytelling on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes and exclusive content. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for haunting historical imagery, episode updates, and more mysteries from the darker side of American history. HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? Have you encountered something unexplained, visited a haunted location, or uncovered a mystery you think deserves investigating? Send your stories, experiences, and tips to mailto:[email protected]. COMING NEXT: THE QUEEN OF THE DEAD Our Haunted Halloween journey concludes in New Orleans, Louisiana, where elaborate aboveground tombs form the legendary Cities of the Dead, and one woman's extraordinary reputation has survived for more than a century. Her name was Marie Laveau. Known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Laveau became one of the most influential and mysterious spiritual figures in nineteenth-century Louisiana. Revered by some, feared by others, and rumored to possess extraordinary powers, her legend continued growing long after her death in 1881. Today, visitors still seek her assistance at a tomb traditionally associated with her remains in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Was Marie Laveau a supernatural practitioner whose influence survived the grave, or a remarkable woman whose life became something far greater than history could contain? The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE DEVIL WITHIN HAUNTED HALLOWEEN The Horseman Who Never Died Sleepy Hollow, New York — The True History Behind America's Most Famous Ghost A headless soldier. A midnight pursuit. A shattered pumpkin. And a legend that has haunted the Hudson Valley for more than two centuries. In this installment of Haunted Halloween, The Devil Within travels to Sleepy Hollow, New York, where the bloody history of the American Revolution collided with centuries of European folklore to create one of the most enduring supernatural legends in American history. According to local tradition, a Hessian soldier was decapitated by a cannonball during the Revolutionary War and buried without his head in the churchyard of the Old Dutch Church. Condemned to search for his missing remains, the spectral horseman supposedly rises from the grave each night, galloping through the surrounding countryside before disappearing at dawn. But was there ever a real Headless Horseman? In 1820, Washington Irving immortalized the legend in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, introducing readers to the superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, and the mischievous Brom Bones. Their romantic rivalry culminates in one of literature's most famous midnight encounters—and a disappearance that Irving deliberately left unresolved. This episode explores the genuine Revolutionary War violence that shaped the Hudson Valley, the history of the Old Dutch Church, and the literary genius who transformed a regional ghost story into an American cultural phenomenon. We'll investigate the mysterious Hessian soldier, the origins of Irving's supernatural imagination, and the tantalizing possibility that Ichabod Crane's terrifying encounter had a perfectly human explanation. Was the Headless Horseman a restless spirit searching for his severed head, or the creation of a clever storyteller who understood that the most terrifying monsters are sometimes the ones we invent ourselves? More than 200 years later, Sleepy Hollow is still searching for an answer. LISTEN, WATCH & JOIN THE CONVERSATION LISTEN & FOLLOW: Subscribe to The Devil Within on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Follow the show so you never miss another journey into the darker corners of history. RATE & REVIEW: Enjoying Haunted Halloween? Leave us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support helps new listeners discover the show and makes these investigations possible. WATCH & SUBSCRIBE: Experience The Devil Within through cinematic imagery, historical photographs, and original visual storytelling on the Evio Creative YouTube channel. Subscribe and turn on notifications for new episodes and exclusive content. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Follow @thedevilwithinpod on Instagram for episode updates, haunting historical images, and more stories from the darker side of American history. HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? Have you encountered something unexplained, visited a haunted location, or uncovered a mystery you think deserves investigating? Email us at mailto:[email protected]. COMING NEXT: THE SHIP THAT NEVER REACHED PORT Our Haunted Halloween journey continues aboard the legendary RMS Queen Mary, the magnificent ocean liner permanently moored in Long Beach, California. Once the floating palace of Hollywood royalty and international celebrities, the Queen Mary became a wartime troopship whose history includes a catastrophic collision that claimed hundreds of lives. Today, visitors report ghostly children, mysterious footsteps, and apparitions wandering her abandoned corridors. The Queen Mary completed her final voyage in 1967. But some believe not everyone aboard ever disembarked. The Devil Within is written and hosted by Branden Morgan. An Evio Creative production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices