You should plug in the front sockets and ground them to frame or body so you can tell what's going on. With them not there it may be messing with the ground and causing feedback somehow. I have seen bad grounds on the front lights do very strange things.

Seems to be a flasher issue. with them disconnected, rake lights gone. The taillights appear to be working normal too. Update to come upon installation of new flasher(s)

Since the flashers have no power till it is applied, hazard button or turn signal, I am skeptical. Sounds like you got the hazard flasher out but hte question is, where and why is it getting power?

Well it seems I was mistaken about lights being still on. I was mistaking taillights for brakes after I took the flashers out, In my frustration, I was jumping to conclusions and had inadvertently left the taillights on.
Anyway, I have tail and brake lights. And since the turn signals were working, I can only conclude the 4 way flasher was the culprit.

Update upon installing new 4 way flasher