Monsters Among Us – S19 Ep51: Monsters, Myths & Murder: Hometown Legends 19, Part 1

Host: Derek Hayes
Date: October 7, 2025

Overview

In this highly anticipated, once-a-season event, host Derek Hayes curates listener-submitted hometown legends from across the United States. From classic ghost stories and regional cryptids to tales of true crime and uncanny mysteries, this season’s “Hometown Legends” finale features firsthand accounts, deep dives into the tales' origins, and thoughtful commentary from Derek and the Monsters Among Us team. The atmosphere is tactilely spooky, nostalgia-rich, and—as always—committed to "keeping it spooky."

Warning: Many stories involve tragic events (murder, suicide, abuse). Listener discretion is advised.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. The Glowing Tombstone – Leaton, Missouri

Caller: Sarah ([03:40])

• Legend: Mineral Creek Cemetery reportedly possesses a glowing tombstone for a young woman jilted at the altar, who allegedly died of heartbreak or suicide. Upon exhumation, the family found dirt under her fingernails, suggesting she was buried alive. Ripley’s Believe It or Not investigated and observed the glow, though subsequent stones glowed when the original was replaced.
• Scientific Theories: Stone composition reacting to daily temperature swings; reflections. Yet the glow persisted without external light.
• Cultural Impact: University pledges tried to steal the stone; gained nationwide attention.
• Sarah’s take: “I love, love, love this podcast. Keep it spooky.” ([05:36])

Derek’s Insight ([05:56]):

• “The legend of a glowing tombstone sounds unique, but it might not be as unusual as you might first suspect.”
• Similar legends exist in NE, TX, IN, MI, LA, and especially in Everett, MI—where railroad ghosts illuminate local grave markers.

Notable Segment:

• [07:59] – Derek plays a clip with eyewitness testimony and “actual video evidence” of glowing headstones in Michigan, available in the show notes.

2. Haunted Railroad Tracks – San Antonio, Texas

Caller: David ([12:47])

• Legend: The infamous “Ghost Tracks” supposedly feature the spirits of children killed in a (possibly apocryphal) school bus accident. Locals claim to experience invisible forces pushing their cars over the tracks—complete with child-sized handprints appearing on dusted bumpers.
• Skeptical TV Attempts: “Zak Bagans and Ghost Adventures, they tried to debunk the railroad tracks... But it is true.”
• Other San Antonio Legends: Donkey Lady of Upper White Road/Donkey Lady Bridge and the mourning woman of Halloween Creek.

Derek's Commentary ([15:20]):

• Area was recently re-graded, eliminating the physical aspect of the phenomenon. “That’s a bummer for sure… at this point, that’s about all we have, so it’s sad that it’s gone, but David, we sure do appreciate you keeping the legend alive.”

3. The Soaked Ghost of Ellis School – Elgin, Illinois

Caller: Vince ([17:58])

• Legend: “Emma Ellis,” a student, is said to haunt Ellis Middle School, wandering the halls soaking wet and making shoes squeak—despite the fact that the school never had a pool, and Emma was actually a real principal, not a drowned student.
• Personal Experience: Vince recounts numerous instances of unexplained noises, door openings, and the inability of staff to debunk the sounds—fueling the legend.
• Notable Quote: “Never did find an explanation... I’m chalking it up to a tulpa of some sort. After years and years of students telling and passing on this legend.” ([21:48])

Derek’s Reflection ([22:09]):

• “There was no pool at this school, yet the existence of that facility is pivotal to the ghost’s origin story... Maybe it's because it's fun to imagine more to the world than what we can see."

4. Little People Knockers – Orange County, California

Caller: Ali ([25:25])

• Legend: In the hills east of Chapman, teens would drive at night hoping for “little people” to knock on their car—a persistent legend paralleling Mexican duende lore.
• Cultural Note: “Once I got to high school, it was a thing people would do... drive out there... see if they could find the little people.”
• Personal Link: Ali references a friend who claims to have seen a gnome, and notes possible cross-cultural influences from Mexican folklore.

Derek’s Commentary ([28:50]):

• Ties legend to a previous call from John (Season 19, Ep. 46), featuring mysterious knocks on a minivan in the same region—all unexplained despite checking for physical causes.

5. Alice the Hanging Ghost – Johnson City, Tennessee

Caller: Greg ([32:59])

• Legend: The story of "Alice," a student who hung herself in her dorm at ETSU, commemorated by a supposed stained glass effigy of a hanging woman.
• Personal Tie: Greg’s family regularly visited the site for scares; later, he and a friend experienced unexplained noises, footsteps, and whispers inside the house where the glass now resides.
• Current Status: The window has been moved but reportedly remains a locus of paranormal activity. “It was scary as crap.” ([35:35])

Derek’s Research ([35:40]):

• Shares news clips on the window’s history, ties to railroad tycoon George L. Carter, and the window’s moves around campus.

6. The Execution of Mary the Elephant – Irwin, Tennessee

Caller: Anonymous/Greg ([38:01])

• True Crime Legend: Mary the elephant killed her handler in 1916 after being provoked. Unable to kill her with rifles, authorities hung her from a crane—a story still haunting Irwin’s reputation as "the hanging elephant town."
• Derek’s Research ([40:15]):
  • Shares 2005 interviews with firsthand witnesses describing Mary's vengeful response to being stabbed behind the ear, and the grisly details of her death: “She slammed him down there so hard... that man's body splattered all over that gravel road.” ([41:41]), “The chain broke… people really scattered…” ([43:02])

7. The Haunted Party House – Park Forest, Illinois

Caller: Aaron ([44:35])

• Legend: The alternative scene’s “party house” had persistent hauntings: objects moving, weird feedback during band practice, random footsteps in an empty house.
• Creepiest Night: “We could feel someone up there. Clearly no one in sight... It’s too much. But yeah, that house was super haunted.” ([46:40])

8. Real-Life House of Horrors – Poughkeepsie, New York

Caller: Archer ([49:03])

• Local Legend Turned Fact: For decades, locals suspected James Nichols of foul play after his wife’s disappearance in 1985 and their son’s earlier mysterious drowning.
• Grisly Discovery: After Nichols’ death, a construction crew found his wife’s remains sealed in a secret room behind a bolted refrigerator, confirming long-held suspicions.
• Quote: “He would always say creepy things like, ‘You’re never gonna find her.’ But they had no proof… until they found her remains in a secret wall.” ([51:55])

9. Margaret Hollow – Tragic Legend of Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania

Caller: Natalie ([54:29])

• Ghost Story: The “Woman of Margaret Hollow” was said to have been murdered after becoming pregnant by a powerful man and thrown under a bridge. Her ghost is said to haunt the area, looking for her lover’s whereabouts.
• True Crime: Natalie’s grandfather actually helped discover Margaret Martin’s mutilated body as a boy in 1938. The victim’s story evolved into a staple of local folklore.
• Quote: “When my grandfather was a young boy, him and his friends… found her in the burlap sack under the bridge.” ([55:22])

Derek’s Note ([56:54]):

• Real story is even more gruesome and entirely unsolved.

10. Tall Betsy, the Lady in Black – Bradley County, Tennessee

Caller: Matthew ([58:29])

• Origin: Based on real 19th-century accounts of a tall, gloved woman frightening pedestrians. Became a “boogeyman” legend for children—“Get home before dark or Tall Betsy will get you.”
• Modern Impact: Businessman Allen Jones resurrected her as a Halloween mascot, organizing a block party that attracts 10,000+ trick-or-treaters. Tall Betsy is now memorialized in local culture, complete with rhyming legends.
• Quote: “If you linger till after 10, we want you to know you are a has been cause Betsy will tuck you under her arm… She will have you for breakfast. I do not jest.” ([62:31], poem recited by Derek)

11. Bigfoot in East Texas – Jefferson’s Marion Monster & The Caddo Critter

Caller: Pete ([64:34])

• Community Reputation: Jefferson, TX, touts itself as the “Bigfoot Capital of Texas,” home to the annual Texas Bigfoot Conference and both the Marion County Monster and Caddo Critter.
• Firsthand Experiences:
  • A local saw an upright “bear” (not a bear) run away on two legs at Graffiti Bridge ([65:38]).
  • Pete & wife, camping at Caddo Lake in April 2024, heard three unnervingly loud and deep “whoops” at night: “By the time she started recording, it didn’t do it again... It was pretty scary at the time. And I had heard a couple of other Bigfoot stories that happened there at the Caddo State Park." ([67:15])
• Orbs: Also mentions stories of orbs and other light phenomena in the woods nearby.

Derek’s Commentary ([70:14]):

• “That area is big on Bigfoot… enough to make me wonder what exactly is going on down there.”
• Plays a local journalist’s recollection of a Bigfoot sighting, tying in the area’s “Bigfoot fever.”

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Sarah (Missouri): “She was still there, but she had dirt under her fingernails. So since then, they say on certain days her tombstone glows.” ([04:05])
• David (San Antonio): “You can go outside the car and look at the bumper... there are handprints of children all in a line. And that cannot be debunked.” ([13:40])
• Vince (Elgin): “After this incident, we decided to try and ignore the noises, even though they never stopped, never did find an explanation…” ([21:38])
• Greg (ETSU): “There would be nothing lit on the house except a backlight on a stained glass window of a woman hanging. And it would scare the crap out of us.” ([33:43])
• Archer (Poughkeepsie): “He would always say creepy things like, ‘You're never gonna find her.’ But they had no proof that he was the one…” ([51:36])
• Matthew (Tennessee): “If you linger till after 10, we want you to know you are a has been. ‘Cause Betsy will tuck you under her arm and you can bet that is a cause for alarm…” ([62:31], poem)
• Pete (Jefferson, TX): “We heard the loudest, deepest whoop... it was pretty scary. You hear stories, but when you're there, with that lung capacity and volume, it's a whole different thing.” ([67:20])

Episode Structure & Flow

• Derek’s remarks weave together the stories, offering context, regional comparisons, and historical research.
• Listener calls are given room to tell their story in full, preserving the local tone and rumors.
• After each main segment, Derek returns with regional lore, scientific skepticism, or supplementary tales.
• Show Notes: Derek frequently refers listeners to supplementary media, videos, and primary articles on the Monsters Among Us website.

Engaging Elements

• Atmospheric Soundscapes: The episode features a custom soundscape recreating the unnerving isolation of the East Texas woods before a possible Bigfoot vocalization ([72:41]).
• Original Language: The summary preserves the unique voices, cultural flavor, and vivid storytelling of the original callers.
• Memorable, Chilling, and Sometimes Tragic: The tales range from classic folklore to verified murder cases, reflecting the wide variety of legends that persist in America’s small towns.

Conclusion

Part one of this two-part finale is a tapestry of American folklore: haunted cemeteries, phantom children, regional cryptids, and small-town tragedies—each interwoven with Derek’s signature blend of skepticism, enthusiasm, and respect for the unknown. The episode invites listeners to immerse themselves in the creepy, the unexplained, and the all-too-real, all while encouraging audience interaction and submission of local legends.

Don’t miss: Part Two of the Hometown Legends finale, dropping Thursday.

Keep it spooky.