On January 1, 1924, the burned/charred remains of a man were found in Des Moines, Iowa. His cause of death is not stated and there is little information in this case.
He was a white adult male pre-40-years-old. He had long black hair. The lower part of a pair of hip boots was found on the body.
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On December 31, 1959, 16-year-old Mary Flanagan overslept but told her parents she was going to work that afternoon. She would leave her home in Newham, England at lunchtime. She was never seen again after this. She was supposed to go to a New Year's Eve party her work was having.
Mary's family contacted her workplace, a local firm, to see if she had worked that day. It had turned out that even though Mary was pretending to leave each morning for work she was had not been there for 2 weeks. They had thought Mary was sick and that was why she wasn't showing up.
Her family thinks it's possible that she eloped with a possible fiance. They think that he may have been an Irish laborer who worked with the merchant Navy. His name was Tom with possible last names McGinty, McEntee, or McGuiness this man could not be located in the Merchant Navy though.
The night before the 31st Mary mentioned she was going to break up with her boyfriend. They had an argument over him lying to her. He had told her that he lived with a landlady when in fact it was his mother.
It's also possible that Mary was pregnant at the time and disappeared because of it. She was a Catholic and nay not know how to tell her family.
Mary is a white female and was 16-years-old at the time. She's 165 cm or 5'4". She has brown wavy hair and hazel eyes. She has an olive complexion.
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| Collin Campbell Ross |
On December 30, 1921, the body of a woman was found in Ravenglass in water. She had been dead for several months her head was completely skeletalized, but the rest of her body wasn't. This left her unrecognizable. There were no signs of violence and had been in the water for several months.
Sylvester Bell was from Canada but would settle with his first wife in Fairfax, Vermont. They would have several children together, but he would treat his wife cruelly. One day he locked her in a room in an attempt to kill her. Their son would break into the room and fight his father and pushed him on the bed which collapsed underneath him causing him unable to move and saving his wife from his wrath. He would be acquitted of the attempted murder. They would divorce.
He would soon move on to his next wife and would marry Emma Locke in 1887. Just like his first wife he would treat Emma in the same awful way. This would cause Emma to return to her home and stay away from him.
On December 26, 1889, 29-year-old Emma would return to their home to gather her things with constable Hull. Sylvester would tell him "I want Emma to live with me." He would then "help" Emma get her things all while trying to act pleasant and asking her to come back to live in their home.
Emma would walk past Sylvester and go upstairs. He would refuse to bring down her sewing machine. So constable Hull and Emma would bring it down. She would then go to a trunk and he would help her bring that down. He would then ask her to open the chest because he had something of his inside. This was when she noticed her rings missing from it. She asked him where they were and he claimed he didn't take them out. He would bring a paper out of his pocket with the rings inside and gave them to her anyway. She would put the rings on her fingers.
Emma would go back upstairs to gather more things and he would follow her up. Constable Hull would stay downstairs but rushed upstairs when he heard a gunshot. Sylvester was standing there composed with a sixshooter and Emma was standing there with blood on her face.
Hull would arrest Bell and take him downstairs. The doctor would be called and when he arrived Emma was lying face down on the floor still alive. She had been shot in the head. In her arms, she was tightly holding some of her son's toys. She would be unconscious, but alive for the next 28 minutes before dying. While the doctor was working on Emma Sylvester told him he shot her. He would ask if she would live.
The doctor would find that the bullet had gone all the way through her brain.
Sylvester would claim that he saw that Emma had found his gun and had it under her arm. He claimed he told her that she better behave. She was bent over when he went to grab for the gun and it went off when he grabbed it. He claimed he didn't mean to kill her.
This was not believed as he had a history of domestic assault. He had also attempted to kill his first wife. So his story of an accidental shooting was not ringing right. He had also mentioned that she wanted to live alone and wanted $500 from him and he wouldn't do it because it would cause him to go to the poorhouse, but would rather be there than for her to be dead. At the trial he would claim there was no motive for the murder, The jury did not believe him and found him guilty.
On Jan. 1, 1892, Sylvester would be set to hang. At 1:15 a crowd began to form in the neighborhood of the state prison, but only a few would see the execution. At 1:44 he would be taken from his cell and where he was having an earnest conversation with Chaplin Wassel.
At the gallows, Chaplin would give him a prayer. He stood up there pale and trembling for his fate. He would be allowed to speak for 34 minutes talking about his life and how he was innocent. He would stand bravely over the trap and say, " Gentlemen I am dying as a man; goodbye.". In 14 minutes he would be pronounced dead.
In several articles Sylvester's name was Stephen.
SOURCES:
St. Albans Daily Messenger September 13, 1890
Argos and Patriot September 17, 1890
St. Albans Daily Messenger September 18, 1890
Vermont Pheonix Jan. 1, 1892
The Burlington Free Press Jan. 2, 1892
On December 25, 1883, 32-year-old Christian Reibling was drinking early for the holiday in Lyndon, Illinois. Already drunk he went to the general store of C.W. Parkhurst looking to buy more alcohol. He got mad when he was told that the store did not sell liquor anymore. This angered him and at the same time, 19-year-old Albert Lucia came into the store.
For some reason, his anger was focused on Albert. He would then threaten Albert with his pocket pistol and tell him to leave the store. Albert being the meek and harmless type of youth left the store and went to a livery stable owned by Constable G.R. Cady. It was probably to seek some protection.
Christian not knowing that the boy went to the livery stable went there also. He would then see Albert laying on a pile of blankets and would get angry again. He would threaten him and told him to leave.
Albert would state he did not have to get out unless Mr. Cady said so. Mr. Cady would stay silent and not request the boy to leave. Christian would then get his gun out and point it at Albert as he stood between him and the door. Telling him he had to leave.
An effort was done in trying to take the gun away, but a shot was fired and hit Albert in the leg. It would shatter the bone. Albert would not die automatically, but his wound would cause infection and Albert would die on Jan. 5, 1884.
He would admit that he did not remember the murder. That he had been drinking diluted alcohol the day before and a bottle of gin with a friend the day of. He stated that if he was in his right mind he would have not hurt the boy. At trial, he claimed that a smallpox sore he had in his head had helped cause him to murder the boy also. He said he regretted his actions that day. He would be found guilty and set to hang on May 16, 1884, in Morrison, Illinois.
Christian's last night was spent will no incident. He went to bed a little later. He was awake by the time the jailer came to his cell at 7 a.m. and stated that he slept very well that night. He was a little nervous and his stomach was upset. He didn't want the eggs and ham that was for breakfast, because he had no appetite. He did want coffee though of which he drank profusely. He would pray continuously that morning mostly in German.
He would then see Reverend T.E.V. Sweet and Reverend Edward Breen. Prayers were offered to him and he would pray and talk as he walked around. The Sherrif's daughter at one point offered an orange to him to which he ate, and he smoked two cigars.
At his request, the Sherrif and three members of the church choir would sing to him some religious songs. During the midst of this, he began to cry and he went back to his cell to conceal that he was crying while listening to them sing.
He said the crying wasn't because of regret, but because of the religious ecstasy, he had drifted away from. He felt that he had been forgiven for his sins. He was accepting of his fate but admitted that it was hard to face the gallows.
Around 150 people from the surrounding area came to see Christian hang. People were dressed in their Sunday best. Few who came were admitted into the enclosure, none of which were women. Though many women also came to watch the execution.
His last words were; "Well," he said smiling sadly and bowing to the crowd." I am sorry for what was done and don't have unkind feelings toward anybody, and hope they have none against me. I believe I will be saved, for Christ died for our sakes. I believe it just as firmly as I live. I hope I shall go to a better place and I believe I will be saved by Him." He would hesitatingly look at the sheriff and smiled. "And I want to thank the Sheriff Mr. Beach for his kindness. He had always treated me as a gentleman." He then looked at the deputy sheriff. "Mr. Cole has also been kind to me so has Mrs. Beach. Well, that's all I have to say, gentlemen."
Mr. Sweet would recite a prayer for Christian, when he finished the prayer he was hung at 2:06. He went straight down and struggled for an instant. He would be dead by 2:15 his neck was broken. The on-seers who were permitted to watch were civil, but those outsides tried to make their way in or were climbing trees so they could watch. None of the people there were relatives of his.
SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri pg 9
Quad-City Times May 16, 1884
Chicago Time May 16, 1884
Chicago Tribune May 17, 1884
In 1892 a Norwegian man was working on the railroad in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He was diagnosed with Typhoid in December. He would die from typhoid fever on December 23, 1892. His funeral was paid for by the city, but his name was unknown. His age is unstated but can be assumed to be an adult.
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| Shirime drawn by Yosa no Busa (1754) |
The story goes in Japan a samurai was walking down the road to Kyōto. Another man would call out to him telling him to wait. The cautious samurai asked "Who's there?" nervously. When he turned around he would spot the owner of the voice. It was a man who was stripping off his clothing and pointing his butt at him. Where the anus should have been a huge glittering eyeball opened up.
It's believed that he is a faceless ghost pulling pranks on unsuspecting people.
Haiku PoetYosa Buson liked the monster so much he included it in many of his yōkai paintings.
SOURCES:
Wikipedia
Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai 
On December 20, 1952, 35-year-old Odessa Meister left her home on Columbia Street in Cumberland, Maryland. She would board the Cumberland Transit Lines bus for work and be seen getting off the bus at the Celanese plant on McMullen Highway. Witnesses stated that she was seen approaching a car near the plant's gate after the driver honked the horn. After they talked for a few minutes she got into the car and was never seen alive again.
She wouldn't be seen for almost a month. On Jan. 16, 1953, two high school boys found her body on McNamee's Hill in a pile of cardboard and Life Magazines. She was lying face down 60 yards down the hill and approximately 100 feet west of the extension of Leiper Street. Her eyeglasses and handkerchief were found 50 yards from her body leading down to her.
Odessa was beaten to death. She was hit about the head around 8 times with a blunt object like a tire tool or wrench. There was no sign of a struggle as her clothes seemed to be in good condition, but there was a bruise on the second finger of her right hand. It's believed that she was not beaten where she was found, but she did die there as blood was at the scene. Her stockings were not torn and would have been snagged on the brush in the area if she had walked there. It's likely her killer carried her unconscious body and dumped her there.
SOURCES:
Western Maryland's Historical Library
The Cumberland News Jan. 17, 1953
On Sunday, December 18, 1927, The bodies of 55-year-old Jim Dennifield, and his son 9-year-old John were found murdered in their Dacula, Georgia by a neighbor. When they were found the two hounds stayed with John laying with him as if trying to protect him from further harm.
It's possible that this happened on the Friday night before being found. Jim had quartered and fed his stock. His son was already preparing to go to bed when they were attacked. Jim was known to be distrustful of banks and was likely hiding money in his home. This is possibly why the killers/robbers followed the farmer home and took a cracked door as an opportunity.
Jim would fight the intruders and his son would hide under a lint pile in the adjoining room. The killer would hit Jim with an ax or similar weapon under the chin almost decapitating him and then crushed his head. The killers would drag out the 9-year-old and make him tell them where the money was hidden. He told them that the money was hidden under planks. They left no witnesses after they got the $500 (equivalent to$7,358 today). They killed the boy hacking him with the ax on a cot.
There were bloody fingerprints found at the scene. There was some on the mantle and on the door. Tracks lead to an abandoned sawmill near the home about 500 yards away. There was evidence of them leaving in a car.
I could only find the initial articles on this case on December 19th. I couldn't find if this case was solved or not.
SOURCES:
The Atlanta Constitution December 19, 1927 (Part 1) (Part 2)
The Orlando Sentinel December 19, 1927
The Knoxville Journal December 19, 1927
Johnson City Staff News December 19, 1927
17-year-old Jacob Redmon and his stepfather 35-year-old William "Harry" Harrison Johnson did not get along. Harry was known as being mean and had gotten in numerous fights and that did not exclude Jacob. Harry had threatened Jacob several times and told him to leave the house. In early December Harry would tell Jake he would kill him because he found Jake told the Saloon not to sell him any more alcohol.
He would tell Jacob that if he did not leave he would kill him. And on December 17, 1875, those words became true. That evening Jacob went to their home in Paris, Illinois and Harry was not happy to see him. Harry would grab whisky from the cupboard and would go straight to his room to get the large colt revolver that he'd only had for two weeks.
Jake was standing near the stove and his two little siblings and mother were also in the room. Harry would come to the room."Jake, I'll shoot your God damned heart out." Harry would point the gun at his stepson. This was when Harry would shoot Jake. The bullet would go through the collarbone.
Harry would immediately try to regret what he did. He would immediately tell Jake that he did not mean to shoot him. Jake did not believe him and would respond with "Yes you did. You did this on purpose." They would bring him to a bed. Jake's mom would go and get help leaving him with Harry. When she was gone Harry would go to the shed and hide the gun in some ashes. On the way out Harry would step on Jake's hand.
Jake was still alive when help came. He would repeatedly tell the physician that Harry shot him on purpose. That it was no accident like Harry was pretending. An Officer would soon show up and Harry would be arrested. Jake would soon die from his wound.
At the trial, Harry claimed he was not sane because of the effects of alcohol. He also claimed he only got the gun out to see if it was in working order. He also claimed that he had no issues with Jake, but at trial, several people contradicted this. Harry would be found guilty was set to be executed.
On June 23, 1867, he was executed. At the gallows, he still claimed that the murder was an accident, and he was innocent of the crime.
SOURCES:
Legal Executions in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri Pg 6
St. Louis Globe-Democrat June 24, 1867
Chicago Tribune June 24, 1867
The Andrew County Republican June 29, 1867
On December 14, 2019, a person walked their dogs in a wooded area in Hutchins, Texas just north of a mobile home park. It's believed that they died between 1939 to 1989.
He was an African American male between 20 to 75-years-old.
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| Photo by Noah Buscher |
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The Frær Mose Woman was found four feet beneath a Denmark bog in 1842. Only her foot, a well-preserved wool garment, and a shoe were found. It's not stated whether or not this was a recent death or historical at the time of discovery. There is no time window stated for when she lived and died.
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On 5 March 1777, the body of a woman was found near a resting area in the woods near Burgwald, Hessen, Germany after the snow had faded away. It was believed that she had died several months from the cold. She was wearing a brown camisole, a headband with a veil attached, and men's shoes. She had $4 and a piece of bread, but there was nothing to identify her on her person.
She would be buried the next day in the churchyard in Oberrosphe,Marburg-Biedenkopf, Hessen, Germany.
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On December 8, 1959, 18-year-old Ruth Whitman was attacked soon after eating oranges. She was driven to Sand Creek Road in Colonie, New York. Her killer then would beat her and drag her through the bushed and dump her into a water-filled ditch. This would be where the poor girl would drown around 3 a.m. A school bus driver then would soon find her body at 8:20 a.m.
At the time her family was not alarmed that she did not return home that night. She would often stay with her fiance's mother at night. Her fiance at the time was not suspected and was working at the time of her murder. It was believed at the time that murderer had known Ruth.
SOURCES:
The Kingston Daily Freeman December 9, 1959
An elderly African American woman was part of a group of refugees that a man named John Horn rescued from Missouri in 1864. It was believed that she died from fright because she was afraid that Bushwacker would take her back to Missouri. She was living in a hut on what was called Thompson hill. She would die in Garnett Kansas and because she was without clothing she would be buried in John Horn's Army overcoat.
On December 5, 1947, 48-year-old Francis "Frank" Travis left for work from his home in Sanford, Maine. It's unknown what had happened to him, but his vehicle would be found abandoned in Ogunquit.
Frank is a white male and was 48-years-old at the time. He was 5'8" and 156 lbs. He had strawberry blonde hair and grey eyes. His hair was thinning on the top. He has a linear scar on the right side of his abdomen.
He was wearing a brown suit, brown overcoat, brown hat, reading glasses and a gold plated wristwatch with a leather strap.
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In April of 1874, 17-year-old Lizzie Roemer and 22-year-old Louis Alberti would marry. They would have 8 children together unfortunately in 1884 they would lose their son Louis and in early 1894 they would lose their infant daughter Caroline. In 1885 Lizzie would lose her 15-year-old sister Dorthea. These deaths would affect Lizzie in 1894.
In May of 1894, Lizzie would shortly move out of their home on 44th and Winnie St. in Galveston, Texas. It was decided she would stay with her parents because she had become occasionally violent and unbalanced. She would soon move back into the home though she was still not acting like herself.
On December 4, at 6:30 pm 1894 Lizzie would call 5 of the children to take a sip of wine, Wilehemia (14) stayed studying in another room. Emma (16), Ella (10), Lizzie (8), Dora (6), and Willie (4) would drink the wine.
She offered him some wine and he obliged. He noted that she used a different bottle than that of what the children had. He didn't think anything of it. One of the children would then tell their father that she had poisoned them. He reassured the child that she didn't. He would go back to work in his shop adjoining the home.
The children would soon complain of stomach cramps. From his shop, he could hear that the children were in great agony and rushed over to the home. When he came in Willie had collapsed to the floor and Lizzie was trying to bring him to the bed. He would confront the wife who was sitting quietly in a chair as her children were dying.
She told him that there was morphine in the wine and she was going to poison herself. Mr. Alberti would call for a doctor. He and Wilhemla would be crying and watching in terror as the children died one by one. Willie would die shortly after the doctor came at 7:30. Dora would die next and then Lizzie would die last. Emma was the only one to survive the poisoned wine. It was found out that she had told the children the previous Sunday that she was going to the city to buy poison to kill herself and them.
This whole time Mrs. Alberti was seen as indifferent. After her arrest, she stated that she had been ill for the last 8 months that brought her to do this. Even on the day of her children's funeral, she sat in her cell calmly and seemingly unremorseful. She did want to see her husband though. She expressed while imprisoned that her only regret was that all the children had not died and that she did not take the poison as intended and died also. She rejected the idea that she was insane and was willing to take the consequences for the murders. She would not give an answer to the reason why she wanted to kill the children and herself.
She threatened to starve herself to death and was threatened that they would inject the food if she would not eat. She would reluctantly eat the food provided. I couldn't find out what her punishment for the murders was, but she would die almost 3 years later on September 30, 1898.
SOURCES:
Austin-American Statesman December 5, 1894
The Galveston Daily News December 6, 1894
Weekly Clarion-Ledger December 13, 1894
In early December of 1873, a couple Mrs. Martha Ann and Thomas B. Cumpston experienced a strange occurrence at the Victoria Hotel in Bristol, England. They were staying at Clifton but wanted to proceed to Weston-super-mare in the morning.
They never expected to experience something terrifying that night.
The next day Annette's body would be found behind the Veterinary School near the Gare du Midi. The unknown man had raped and strangled the girl to death. Her murder will never be solved.
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