App Store

Google Play

Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

Step into an infinite world of stories

Listen and read

Ballen Studios


The Strange, Dark & Mysterious delivered in podcast format.

Follow the MrBallen Podcast on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish twice a week—every Monday and Thursday. Prime members can listen to new episodes 1-month early and all episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can listen ad-free in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.


MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

On a fall night in 1998, a woman walked into her kitchen after being out all day and tossed her keys onto the counter. She saw the light on her answering machine blinking, so she checked the message. At first, it just sounded like static noise, or maybe someone was breathing heavy. And she figured it was either a prank call or someone had just accidentally dialed her number. But then she heard screaming and crying and then it just went silent, and the message ended. For a moment, the woman just stood there, shocked. She tried calling the number back who had left the message, but it went straight to voicemail. Out of fear that this message she had been left potentially just captured the sound of someone being badly hurt, the woman called 911.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Murder on the Answering Machine (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

One of my former teammates from back when I was a Navy Seal had one of the most insane stories you will ever hear. He gave me permission to tell his story, so today I will share it with you all. 

Story names, previews & links to original YouTube video:

 • #1 -- "The City of Death" -- A Navy SEAL buys a 1 way ticket to Iraq (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uDkod_FIk • )

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The City of Death

In January of 2012, a police truck parked on a trail in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. A member of the K-9 Unit opened the door, and a police dog named Indiana Bones jumped out. Indy quickly caught a scent and led his handler to a mound of dirt just off the path. Indy pawed at the dirt and revealed the top of a plastic bag. The dog’s handler reached into the dirt with her gloved hands, pulled out the bag, looked inside, and saw two dismembered human feet and a hand. Indy’s discovery would launch an investigation that would lead two L.A. detectives into the most insane case they’d ever worked – a case that would involve everything from Mexican drug cartels to a Canadian cannibal.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Head for the Hills (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

Several years ago, prank videos were huge on YouTube. Basically, a Prank YouTube channel would go out in public, and they would do something to some unsuspecting person and they’d film it. And that video would get tons of views on YouTube. Well, during this prank heyday, there was one YouTube channel that pulled off a prank that really stood out amongst the thousands of others that were getting pumped out around this time. And the reason this particular prank stood out was because 1) it was masterfully planned, 2) it was brilliantly executed, and 3) most memorably, it had massive intended and unintended consequences – international scandal-level consequences. And amazingly, this story has yet to be converted into a major motion picture, so I would imagine that most of you have actually never heard of it.

Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video:

 • #1 -- "The Ingenues" -- A masterfully planned and brilliantly executed prank video would have massive consequences on an International scale (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roHIIpevnTE • )

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Ingenues

On a fall night in 1987, a young woman was walking down the middle of a dark street in a rural Kentucky town. She heard a car turn onto the street behind her, and it sounded like it was driving fast, so she quickly got onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, the car screeched to a stop just a few feet away from her. The car doors flew open, and before the young woman knew what was happening, someone grabbed her, lifted her off the ground, and threw her into the backseat. The car sped off, and the terrified young woman would soon find herself in the middle of a horrific nightmare that would haunt her for almost 20 years…

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of Their Own (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

This story is a fan favorite from MrBallen's Medical Mysteries.

On a hot September day in 1986, a family in Goiania, Brazil, suddenly begin feeling sick after a celebration. The symptoms are horrific: vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding. But one family member suspects something far worse. Her hunch soon leads to a devastating discovery.

Listen Now: Wondery.fm/MBMM

For 100s more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Medical Mysteries - "A Change in Fortune"

On a spring morning in 2017, a mother of three in Evansville, Indiana logged onto Facebook and noticed a story in her news feed that made her heart start to race. Just a couple of hours earlier, the body of a young woman was found in a field one town over – and police had no clue who the young woman was. The physical description was vague, but it matched all three of the woman’s daughters. So right away, she picked up her phone and began trying to reach them, to make sure each of them was okay. Her two youngest girls replied within minutes, but the oldest one of them did not. And with every minute that passed without a word from her oldest daughter, the woman became more and more frantic until she reached out to a friend of hers on the police force. And what she soon would learn, before the morning became afternoon, would change her family’s life forever... and change the course of two separate police investigations.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Shot in the Dark (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

Today’s podcast features 3 stories that involve people who were trapped – with “no way out.” 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 -- "Rush" -- One of the most heart-breaking cases in the UK (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xaLEHXC6Is) • #2 -- "Fans" -- Man is found where no one can hear you scream (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kODsF75lAJY • )
 • #1 -- "The Blue Door" -- A maintenance worker calls for help after what they find behind a blue "Exit" door (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKJTrTAA_Hc • )

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

No Way Out Vol. VI

In the fall of 2003, two detectives were in the middle of a year-long homicide case, involving the brutal murder of a 19 year-old girl. And for the first time, they finally felt like they had a viable suspect. But when they pulled up to the suspect’s house to conduct a second interview, the detectives quickly realized the house was abandoned and their suspect had just disappeared overnight. And when they tried to track this suspect down, they discovered something totally bizarre that would turn their case on its head. Their suspect – who they believed murdered an innocent teenager – had supposedly been dead for over ten years.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Stranger (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

Today’s podcast will feature 3 acts of pure evil. 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 -- "Obsessed" -- A rising star is confronted by a super fan (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFV6R9GgPy4 • )
 • #2 -- "Facebook Post" -- Although it's been deleted, there are still screenshots... (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqhmFvoSc34 • )
 • #1 -- "Murder Mystery Murder" -- There is a cottage on the water in Maryland called "Cottage 506", and this story is about that cottage's dark secret (Original YouTube link -- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH06K3kv0GY • )

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pure Evil

On a cold December night in 2013, a 59-year-old widow stood on stage at a square dance club in Arkansas, watching some of her closest friends dance together. The woman had owned and run the square dance club for years, and the people out on the floor were just like family to her. But as she listened to the music and called out different square dance steps, she didn’t notice that one of the dancers had their eyes fixed right on her. And the woman did not know that this dancer had become obsessed with her. In fact, the dancer had started losing sleep just thinking about the woman. And now the dancer had decided it was time to act, because they believed they would never find peace until the object of their obsession was dead.

For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen

If 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

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Square Dance of Death (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

Listen and read

Other podcasts you might like ...