It’s our first spooky-season bonus episode, and we’re heading into the forests, wetlands, and winding roads of southern New Jersey.

For nearly three centuries, people have told stories about a creature said to live in the Pine Barrens. It has been described as a winged beast with hooves, a long tail, glowing eyes, and a horse-like head. Some know it as the Jersey Devil. Others call it the Leeds Devil—or simply the Devil in the Pine Barrens.

According to the best-known legend, the creature was born in the 1730s as the thirteenth child of a woman remembered as Mother Leeds. But the story did not stay in the past. In January 1909, reports of a strange winged figure, unexplained tracks, terrified animals, and eerie screams spread across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware—causing a regional panic and turning local folklore into a natio ...