MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Fan Favorite - "The Shadow in the Doorway"

May 8, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the early hours of February 21, 2008, six-year-old Alyssa Oxley woke in her rural Nevada home to creaking floorboards and footsteps in the hallway outside her bedroom. Peering at the door crack, she saw a shadowy figure that vanished quickly, followed by a loud bang. Her stepfather, Ben Oxley, had been shot dead in his bed with a shotgun while asleep next to his wife, Melissa.

Family Setup and the Murder Night

Ben, 36, had gained sole custody of Alyssa a few years earlier after a bitter battle with his ex-wife, Dawn, whom he viewed as unstable due to her drinking, drug use, possible shady associates, and inability to hold a job. He had remarried Melissa about a year prior, and her teenage brother, Craig, had recently moved in after clashing with his mother's boyfriend. The household seemed stable; Alyssa had warmed to Melissa, and Ben cherished moments like their recent father-daughter dance.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

1 (00:06) **Alyssa's Terrifying Wake-Up** - Six-year-old girl hears creaks and footsteps, sees shadowy figure outside bedroom door before it vanishes and a loud bang echoes
2 (02:39) **Father-Daughter Dance Night** - Ben takes Alyssa to pre-Valentine's event at fairgrounds, highlighting their close bond after custody battle with ex-wife Dawn
3 (06:42) **Cozy Family Movie Night** - Ben, Melissa, Alyssa, and teen brother Craig watch film after dinner; all fall asleep on couch except Ben tucks Alyssa in
4 (08:07) **Bang Shatters the Night** - Melissa wakes at 3:30 AM to gunshot, finds front door open and Ben dead in bed from shotgun blast to head
5 (11:22) **Police Secure the Scene** - Officers find panicked Melissa with Alyssa, shaking Craig in bed; confirm Ben killed by #8 birdshot matching Craig's shells
6 (13:32) **Initial Interviews Begin** - Elges notes Melissa's lack of spatter/injuries despite proximity; Craig admits owning ammo but seems calm
7 (16:57) **Melissa's Station Interrogation** - She recounts night sincerely but can't explain no spatter; blames Dawn as enemy with dangerous circle

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Today's story is a fan favorite that was previously published as Episode 392.

In the early hours of Thursday, February 21st, 2008, a six-year-old girl woke to a creaking noise down the hallway outside her bedroom door. It was a blustery night in rural Nevada, so she figured it was just the wind bending frozen tree branches in the yard. But then another creaking noise filled the house, this time even closer to her bedroom. She pulled her covers tight around her and stared out through the crack in the door. An uneasy feeling settled over her as the light in the hallway shifted. She could almost see the outline of a person standing outside her room. She squinted, trying to make out a face, wondering if it was one of her parents checking in on her. But as quick as the shadow appeared, it vanished into thin air.

You can WATCH all new & exclusive MrBallen podcast episodes on 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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.