DiscoverMrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Author: Ballen Studios

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MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories is a true crime and mystery podcast that presents strange, dark and mysterious content delivered in story format. The program is hosted by John Allen a.k.a. MrBallen.

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417 Episodes
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This story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 344.In 1984, in a small city in northeastern China, a security guard stood outside of a warehouse, working an overnight shift. The guard heard a noise coming from some bushes nearby, but he didn’t think much about it. This was a safe town, and usually the hardest part of his job was staying awake. But suddenly, two thieves in ski masks emerged from the bushes, and rushed the guard. They grabbed him, and slammed his head against the outside wall of the warehouse, and the guard fell to the ground in a daze. One of the thieves quickly gagged the guard, bound his hands and feet, and said he needed to keep his mouth shut if he wanted to stay alive. Terrified, and struggling to keep his eyes open, the guard watched as the two thieves opened the warehouse door and ran inside. This robbery would shake the local community, but it was nothing in comparison to the horrific crimes it would set off, and the gruesome discovery the police would soon make on the outskirts of town. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Origins

Origins

2026-01-1530:431

Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories about how a single decision changed the lives of the people in these stories, as well as millions of others lives around the world. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "One Man’s Trash" -- A woman finds something in her husband's office trash can that would change their lives forever (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1qXHn2O7cY)#2 -- "Accidental Superstar" -- This person had a full blown "normal" career when something totally random made them an A list celebrity (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfcCindxhg)#1 -- "The Shiner" -- A man gets into a fight at a McDonald's the night before his big job interview (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXUyvt2tUGQ) You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Today, I’m going to tell two stories that highlight how the world around us – and even people’s own eyes – can play tricks on them. Sometimes, what people think they see isn't what's really going on at all. But once people have convinced themselves of something, it can be hard for them to change their minds... and that can lead them into deadly situations. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
One night in December of 2009, a man dug through a pile of papers and photo albums inside an RV parked in Texas. This man had recently bought the trailer after its previous owner had died, and it was full of junk that he was now trying to sort. As he rifled through documents, he stumbled on a stack of old notebooks. He opened one, and started reading – and as he did, he felt his heartbeat pick up. Because the notebooks were diaries – and they were full of handwritten rantings about demons, monsters, and a deal with the devil. But that wasn’t what really scared him. What really scared the man... was the writer’s horrifying confession. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 335.In 2011, a police officer spotted a woman on a busy street in Japan, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He looked at a photo on his phone, and then back at the woman, it was definitely her. He’d been tasked with finding this woman and bringing her back home, it was a pretty basic task, but he’d managed to complete it way faster than he thought he would. The officer rushed down the street, greeted the woman, and she confirmed she was the person he was looking for. He led her back to his car, drove her home, and that was that. But what the officer could not have possibly have imagined, was that locating this woman and bringing her home was about to unravel 25 years of unimaginable horrors – and lead to one of the most bizarre cases Japanese investigators had ever seen. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Unreal

Unreal

2026-01-0834:261

Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories that sound impossible – moments so unlikely, they shouldn’t exist… yet somehow, they do. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "Just a Bit Cramped" -- A horrifying accident that has a very unlikely outcome (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN512apbI8o)#2 -- "Scenic Route" -- A woman gets into a car accident on her way to work (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQMMgU2c69U)#1 -- "Out With a Bang" -- A funeral ends with a deafening roar (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6bh7mhT1Lk) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the early morning hours on a Saturday in 2013, a man dressed all in black hid in the shadows on a side street in downtown Antwerp, Belgium. The man had lost track of how long he’d even been there, but he didn’t care. He’d hide in the shadows for as long as he had to, waiting patiently for the right moment. Finally, he heard stumbling footsteps, and he felt a jolt of energy run through his body, and he crouched down, ready to lunge. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On the afternoon of September 30th, 1991, an investigator in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania walked carefully through a college chemistry lab – that was also a potential crime scene. The room was a complete mess, with construction debris all over the place and lab equipment strewn across the countertops. It was so cluttered that the investigator hardly knew where to begin. But then he noticed something laying on a nearby counter – it was a soiled rag with a handwritten note sitting next to it. And when he read the note, he gasped. Because he realized that he could be the next to die. You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on my YouTube channel, just called "MrBallen" - https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Vital Signs

Vital Signs

2026-01-0132:45

Today’s podcast will feature 2 medical horror stories. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#2 -- "Injection Site" --  A man's worst nightmare begins when he experiences severe pain in his shoulder (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt5j9VFQotk)#1 -- "Clocked Out" -- After a man falls ill at work, doctors find that his condition is so rare that it has only been documented 3 times in the last century (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLfmex7hEQU) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On a chilly evening in early February 2010, a group of friends gathered around the table at a restaurant in a French ski resort. They had been out on the slopes all day and were warming up with mulled wine by the fire. A cell phone buzzed, and one of the friends looked down and frowned. They excused themselves and stepped away from the table to talk. When they came back, they were pale and their hands were shaking. The others asked what was wrong, but they just shook their head and grabbed their coat. They had to leave, right now. Someone they cared about very much needed their help. For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Family Values

Family Values

2025-12-2531:583

In today's story, a family uncovers a secret on a laptop. And after that, everything spirals completely out of control.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#1 -- "Family Values" -- Family uncovers a secret on a laptop (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlAFCb1rBA8) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
A young man was watching the local news while he ate breakfast one day in 2004, when a story about a savage murder came on. At first, the young man wasn’t paying close attention – the murder happened more than 100 miles away – but then a picture of the victim flashed across the screen. And the young man froze in shock. Slowly, he put down his spoon, abandoned his breakfast, and ran to his computer. He booted it up and started frantically searching through the chat logs of an old conversation. And after a few minutes, he found it. The young man printed the logs out, and called the police.  For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And today’s podcast features 3 stories that demonstrate that. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "Don’t Mess With Doug" -- They picked the WRONG house (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzMwI_KMjr8)#2 -- "The Ring" -- Something is trapped inside the box... (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK6MIl28b-8)#1 -- "Strange Calls" -- A fishing trip turns into a nightmare for 4 men (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0E0Br_PY28) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In the early morning hours of September 21st, 2009, a man woke up in his bed in New Orleans with a start, to the sound of metal clinking in the dark corner of his room. The man’s heart raced as he peered into the shadows. And then he gasped – because there was someone standing in the corner, staring at him. As the figure stepped forward, the clinking sound got louder. And the man realized this person was wrapped in heavy, metal chains. And suddenly, he understood. What he was seeing was a ghost – and he knew exactly who had murdered them. For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat

2025-12-1141:173

Today’s podcast will feature 2 totally unbelievable stories from the battlefield. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#2 -- "Last Stand" -- If there is the one war story everyone needs to hear at least once, it's this one... it is both absolutely horrific and utterly inspiring (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svkc8tA4bwU)#1 -- "Cloak & Dagger" -- There are many unbelievable stories that have come from WWII, but today's story might be the single-most influential event that happened in the entire war (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfc5_s5eYyQ) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On April 29, 2002, in the small town of Pataskala, Ohio, a social worker sat on the floor with a two-year-old girl. The little girl's mother had been murdered in their kitchen the night before, and police thought she might have witnessed the crime. The girl clutched a stuffed animal to her chest while the social worker asked her if anyone else had been in her house the night before. The girl nodded – and uttered a name that would turn her family's lives upside down. For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @MrBallen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
No Way Out Vol. VIII

No Way Out Vol. VIII

2025-12-0430:23

Today’s podcast features 4 stories that involve people who were trapped – with “no way out.” The audio from all four stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#4 -- "Frozen in Fear" -- A landlord makes a grisly discovery (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-OLxaEnFJc)#3 -- "Runaway" -- A student runs away, then a CCTV camera locates him (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ8EGOEc7uw)#2 -- "Balloon" -- A fun tourist attraction turns deadly (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCAXfw9MDxg)#1 -- "The Package" -- A recent story about the dangers of old elevators (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=242QjjilqIE) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Around 3:00 AM on September 5th, 1981, a woman drove through a housing development in Lakeland, Florida. She was with two of her friends, who had agreed to spend the night at her duplex. And this was a huge relief to the woman, because yesterday there’d been a violent murder in their neighborhood. So the woman was terrified at the thought of sleeping alone, and was really grateful that her friends were going to keep her company. As soon as she parked in front of her home, though – she froze. The front curtains were open, and through the window she could see a figure moving around inside her home. But before she could say or do anything – that figure yanked the curtains shut. For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nightmare Fuel

Nightmare Fuel

2025-11-2732:394

Today’s podcast will feature 3 horror stories that are just pure nightmare fuel. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast.Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos:#3 -- "Face" -- Mother & daughter want to help a lost child (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k402yukZAxE)#2 -- "Just Teeth" -- A gruesome discovery is made on a farm (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7BBtU-IJCE)#1 -- "Hell on High Water" -- This story has been told many times throughout history, but this original version is by the far the creepiest... because it really happened (Original YouTube link -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hZENhFWTmU) For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
On December 30, 2016, a woman sat down at her computer in her New Mexico home and pulled up the video feed from her surveillance system. Everyone in her neighborhood was terrified. There was a killer on the loose, and the police didn’t seem to have any idea who it could be – or what their motivation was. She scrolled back two days, and then started going through the footage frame by frame, looking for anything suspicious. For a while, nothing interesting happened. Her neighbor came home from a trip, and then some time passed, and then he left again. The woman was starting to think that what she was doing was pointless – when all of a sudden, in the corner of the screen – a dark figure appeared. For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallenIf you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Comments (713)

Full Metal Jackalope

Why they calling it an exclusive when I just watched it on YouTube

Jan 17th
Reply

Carl Bayly

stop saying literally

Jan 11th
Reply

Full Metal Jackalope

This isn’t exclusive I just watched this on YouTube

Jan 10th
Reply

Carl Bayly

stop saying literally

Dec 29th
Reply (2)

sheh

AirBrush's AI Watermark Remover quickly and easily removes watermarks, text, and logos while preserving video quality. https://airbrush.com/video-watermark-remover

Dec 23rd
Reply

Ernie lastname

ANY kind of animal? Really Jon? 🤪😆

Dec 19th
Reply

Carl Bayly

stop saying literally

Dec 12th
Reply (1)

Lori Casey Eckard

That first story had me laughing and shocked! That was great!

Dec 11th
Reply

Carl Bayly

where's the rest?

Dec 8th
Reply (1)

Marnee DeRider

The first story makes no sense to me. Did they not call in a construction or mining crew? why would standard first responders have any idea how to get him out?

Dec 1st
Reply

Diamond Hodges

mr.ballen is the best... 🔥🔥

Nov 26th
Reply

Carl Bayly

lame

Nov 22nd
Reply (1)

Ari

Edinburgh is eh-din-bruh

Nov 12th
Reply

Zoey perrin

my fav podcast

Nov 7th
Reply

L. Silvermain

Glad that last doctor could helped them and lessoned!

Nov 5th
Reply

L. Silvermain

That real sucks that it was a App that salved her sons dyanoice! Why are these doctors so lazy? That poor kid went for years having all these issues! if the doctors did there jobs then that boy could have grown up half his young life normal! Not in pain !

Nov 5th
Reply

L. Silvermain

👍🖤

Nov 5th
Reply

L. Silvermain

👍

Nov 4th
Reply

Kylie Neilson

Ok George was a major plot twist. Loved that.

Oct 30th
Reply

Kylie Neilson

This is so fucked up. I love horror and can watch a lot of true crime without being affected but this disturbed me.

Oct 30th
Reply
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