They wore caps and gowns to celebrate the future — but before the night was over, some would lie dead in pools of blood, their dreams buried with them.
EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources):
https://weirddarkness.com/capsgownscasketsREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode:
https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4d8r6tb9FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Graduation is a special time in just about everyone’s life when they make their way from childhood, to adulthood. And while that step might be a bit scary for some, we all get past it – we have to. But what if there is something truly to be afraid of at your graduation? Like the possibility of being murdered? (Murdered During Graduation) *** Joseph McKinnon strangled his girlfriend Patricia Dent, then died while trying to bury her body in their garden. (Killed By Karma) *** When you die, do you know that you are dead? A new study says that maybe… yes. You might still be conscious enough to know you are dead even after your body ceases to live. But for how long? (When You Die, You Are Conscious Long Enough To Know It) *** The term Zodiac in true crime circles invokes images of serial murder, cryptograms and bragging letters in and around San Francisco. But the California Zodiac is not the only Zodiac out there. (A Tale of Two Zodiacs)
CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…
00:00.00.000 = Show Open
00:01:54.162 = Murdered During Graduation
00:13:33.644 = A Tale Of Two Zodiacs ***
00:35:21.731 = When You Die You Are Conscious Long Enough To Know It ***
00:44:27.121 = Killed By Karma
00:48:08.338 = Show Close
*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break
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https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*
SOURCES and RESOURCES:
“A Tale of Two Zodiacs” by Paul Drexler for Crime Traveller:
https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycknuxfd“Killed By Karma” by Kaleena Fraga for All That’s Interesting:
https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pzrdsmsy“When You Die, You Are Conscious Long Enough To Know It” by Matthew Lavelle for Ranker’s Graveyard Shift:
https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4kkcc9m7“Murdered During Graduation” by Mary Fetzer for ListVerse:
https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p92rn29(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.)
WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.
Originally aired: May, 2022
This episode of Weird Darkness, hosted by Darren Marlar, moves from a string of graduation celebrations that ended in murder to a comparison of the Korean and California Zodiac killers, a scientific claim that human consciousness lingers briefly after death, and the case of...
