WAS SHE A WITCH, A FAIRY, A CHANGELING? The Horrifying True Story of the Bridget Cleary Murder

A religious Irish man murdered his wife in front of witnesses and showed no remorse — because he genuinely believed he was killing a fairy changeling while his real wife remained trapped in another realm. IN THIS EPISODE: I’ll share a chapter from the audiobook “Murderous Minds: Volume 4” that I had the privilege of narrating. It’s chapter one which tells the true story of murderer Michael Cleary. Plus, I’ll share the fictional horror story, “A Beginner’s Guide To Blood Portals” by Michael Squid. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Lead-In 00:00:35.234 = Show Open 00:02:01.002 = Murderous Michael Cleary 00:28:38.332 = ***A Beginner’s Guide to Blood Portals, Part 1 00:55:17.131 = ***A Beginner’s Guide to Blood Portals, Part 2 01:10:00.470 = ***A Beginner’s Guide to Blood Portals, Part 3 01:24:33.109 = Show Close *** = Begins immediately after inserted ad break SOURCES and RESOURCES: “Murderous Michael Cleary” by Ryan Becker and Kelley Gaines, from the audiobook “Murderous Minds, Volume 4”: https://amzn.to/2VCrjFC – you can also follow the link to hear another free sample of the audiobook. “A Beginner’s Guide To Blood Portals” by Michael Squid at Creepypasta.com: http://bit.ly/2VEqHiv ; Michael Squid’s official website: http://www.mrmichaelsquid.com =====(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.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: June 2021 EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/MichaelClearly ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. #WeirdDarkness #TrueCrime #BridgetCleary #IrishFolklore #ChangelingMurder #HistoricalTrueCrime #DarkHistory #WitchTrials #IrishLegends #VictorianCrime