SALEM’S MOST BRUTAL EXECUTION: The 1692 Death of Giles Corey | #WDRadio WEEK OF AUG 31, 2025
23When the Salem witch trials reached their peak of hysteria in 1692, 81-year-old Giles Corey became the only person in American history to receive a court-ordered execution by crushing, defiantly gasping "more weight" as stones were piled on his chest over two agonizing days. His gruesome death, carried out in a public pit where neighbors could watch, helped turn the tide against the witch trials as witnesses realized no true servant of Satan would endure such torture with such stubborn defiance.
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HOUR ONE: Like many desolate places, the Arctic has its share of ghost stories and haunted legends floating around the frigid, wild areas of its domain. It might be the frights rather than the cold that gives you goosebumps. (Ghostly Shivers of the Arctic Circle) ** You never know what might be lurking just out of sight – in the shadows, behind a door. I’ll share a few true stories that might make you double-check the locks at night and check the closet before going to bed. (Never Trust The Dark) ** When you think of the Salem Witch Trials, you typically think of women being burned at the stake, innocently accused of witchcraft. There are two incorrect assumption about that mental picture. First, most of the accused were hung, and none have been truly verified to be burned alive. And second, sorcery and Satan worship were not seen to be bound by gender, and so either a man, woman, boy, or girl could be a witch. And one of those unfortunate men was Giles Corey – but his punishment went beyond the norm, and into the gruesome. (The Most Dreadful Execution of The Salem Witch Trials)
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HOUR TWO: “The devil made me do it.” It’s an excuse that has been used so often by so many that it has lost its meaning, and its effectiveness. So only a fool or a madman would commit a horrible act and then try to blame it on the devil or a demon… unless, of course, that person truly believes that is exactly what happened to them. (A Demon Made Me Do It) ** The little Norwegian village of Bærum Verk still stands as an old foundry settlement, and is an active place, both as a place to work, and as a place to live – and as a place to keep living even after you’re dead. (The Most Haunted Village in Norway) ** There are more than a few stories from upright citizens around the world who claim to have seen tiny humans. I’m not talking about the diminutive human beings we used to classify as dwarves or midgets until we became more enlightened. I’m talking about short, maybe two-foot tall, perfectly proportioned people. (Big Stories About Little People)
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SUDDEN DEATH OVERTIME: When John and Eva were married they told their relatives that they planned to honeymoon on the Atlantic coast, but John had another plan, and it would not be his last deception. But it would be the first act in what ended up being a mystery that has still gone unsolved to this day. (The Lawrenceburg Shanty-Boat Mystery) ** Weirdo family member James Pierce brings a true story that he calls, “It Came Through the Screen Door”. ** A 5-year-old boy having the time of his life at a carnival suddenly goes missing – and when found later there is no evidence whatsoever as to how he got where he was, who took him there, or what happened to him before he was found. (The Disturbing Case of Little Stephen McKerron) *** Weirdo family member Joy Cruz remembers something her mother told her as a child… and it quite possibly saved her soul. (I’ve Seen The Devil)
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SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM TONIGHT’S SHOW:
“The Genesis of Geraldine” by David Jeremiah for Light Source: https://tinyurl.com/y7t7nuwx
“A Demon Made Me Do It” by Jacob Shelton for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/y2qedyjq, and Orrin Grey for The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/yb8e6z25
“The Most Haunted Village in Norway” from Moon Mausoleum: https://tinyurl.com/ya8nuxur
“The Lawrenceburg Shanty-Boat Mystery” by Robert Wilhelm for Murder By Gaslight: https://tinyurl.com/yyod3q3j
“Big Stories About Little People” by Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: https://tinyurl.com/ycql47wq
“It Came Through the Screen Door” by Weirdo family member James Pierce
“Ghostly Shivers of the Arctic Circle” by Jodi Smith for Ranker: https://tinyurl.com/yc9ymjyx
“The Most Dreadful Execution of The Salem Witch Trials” from Sometimes Interesting: https://tinyurl.com/y979qn8e, and Evan Corey for History: https://tinyurl.com/y7qt45kx
“I’ve Seen The Devil” by Joy Cruz for Weird Darkness: https://WeirdDarkness.com/submit
“The Disturbing Case of Little Stephen McKerron” from Strange Company: https://tinyurl.com/ydf4w6ce
“Never Trust the Dark” from The Line Up: https://tinyurl.com/y7bgdq5z
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"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46
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