The Narrabeen Man

  In Jan. of 2005, the skeletal remains of a man were found by contractors digging for electricity cables near the corners of Octavia St. and Ocean St. in Narrabeen, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was determined that the remains were around 4,000-years-old. The man would be named the Narrabeen Man.

He was a man between 30 to 40-years-old when he died. He was 183 cm (6ft) which was tall for an Aboriginal man at the time. He was likely not from a tribe in the Sydney area as he still had his two front teeth. 

He was found in a posture that was not like tribal ceremonial burial. He was found on his side with one arm across his head instead of lying on his front with his arms across the chest or by his sides. He also seemed to have been speared to death with several spears ends seemingly broken off in his vertebrae and near other body parts. It's possible he may have been killed in a ritual murder for a crime.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia

Northern Beaches

Academic

History of Sydney

INFANTICIDE: April 28, 1879, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Baby Jane Doe

 On April 28, 1879, the body of a 2-week old infant girl was found in the Milwaukee River in Wisconsin. She was drowned. She was buried in the Milwaukee County Almshouse and Poor Farm Cemetery in Wauwatosa. 

The Find a Grave states that the info was gleaned by Robert J. Felber from Milwaukee Co death records vol 13 page 363

SOURCES:

Find A Grave 

Suicide of Minnie Quay and her ghost

James and Mary Ann Quay moved to Forester, Michigan in 1852, they would own a tavern called "Quay". Their firstborn, Minnie, would be born in May of 1861, their second, James Jr., in 1870, and their youngest Charles in 1874. Forester was a bust lumbering town and had a busy ship port for the lumber. 

Like many of the people in Forester Minnie would also go see the ships. Like many of the girls in town, she fell in love with a sailor. It's unknown now as to who the sailor was, but no one in town approved of the relationship between the young girl and the sailor. People in town would often warn her about the relationship, and her mother would tell her that she would rather see her dead than with that man.

 In April of 1876, 14-year-old Minnie would be devastated by the news of her sailor's ship had gone down in the sea. She was greatly upset especially since she was never able to tell the sailor goodbye. Her parents had not allowed her to go see him before he left for the last time. 

A few days later on April 27, 1876, Minnie would walk through town to Lake Huron. She would then commit suicide by jumping off of the town pier into the icy waters. Her suicide was witnessed by her little brother and he alarmed others of what she did. Though they were quick to help Minnie's body would be found an hour later. 

It's said that her ghost haunts the beaches. She is seen crying mournfully waiting for her sailor to return back home.  Others state that she tries to beckon young girls to the water and try to drown them.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Find a Grave 

Lost in Michigan

Murder of Eliza Wilkinson

 On April 26, 1880, 9-year-old Eliza Wilkinson and her sister 16-year-old Elizabeth went around Derby, England selling comb boxes that their father, James, made. They left their home on 67 Bridge St. with 14 comb boxes they were selling for half a penny each. They would sell 12 of the 14 boxes and decided to take a box each.  About 11 a.m. they would make it to Green St. and Elizabeth gave her a comb box to sell on her own. Eliza would speak to a number of people and would be unsuccessful in selling the box. This was when Eliza went missing.

Elizabeth didn't know what happened to her young sister and would return home around 11 a.m.and asked her father if Eliza returned home. The girl did not. Elizabeth explained to her father that she was trying to sell hers on one side and Eliza on the other. Her father would send her and her younger brother, James, to look for Eliza again.

When they returned to look for her they asked residents if they had seen her. One woman would tell the two young children of their sister's fate. "A man has killed your sister." The children shocked made their way to Tan Yard and in the house of 28-year-old John Wakefield that he shared with his mother and brother was the police. Inside Eliza had been murdered. 

James would return home and tell him that a man has Eliza in his house. The two would head to where Eliza was. The father would see his daughter lying near the stairs inside in a puddle of blood.

John had Eliza come into the home and had slit her throat cutting it twice. Her death wouldn't have been sudden, she would have died between 5 to 10 minutes. Eliza had bruises on her knees it was unknown if this happened before the murder or during. One knee had fresh scratches though. She was not sexually assaulted.

After he had murdered her he turned himself into the police. It's believed that it was a homicidal impulse that he had killed the girl. He would state that he was "tired of his life" was the reason he killed the girl. He was quiet about why he killed the girl though.

John was a quiet homebody. There is little information on his criminal past, but according to the book Deadly Derbyshire" Tales of Murder & Manslaughter c.1700–1900, in 1871 John was convicted of assaulting a young child.

John would be convicted and set to be executed. He was hanged on August 16, 1880.

SOURCES:

Murder Research

The Derby Mercury May 5, 1880

Birmingham Daily Post August 17, 1880

Deadly Derbyshire: Tales of Murder & Manslaughter c.1700–1900 by Scott Lomax Chapter 38

The Lancet, Volume 2; Volume 119 pg. 269

UNIDENTIFIED: April 23, 1910 Naco, Mexico John Doe

 On April 23, 1910, a man was found in Naco, Mexico. He had been beaten and shot to death that day.  The man was in his mid to late 40s. There is little information in this case.  

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

Murder of Samuel "Sam" Martin

 In the Spring of 1872, 20-year-old Sam Martin was murdered by 42-year-old York Lattimore (Lattimer) and 24-year-old Jerry Thompson in Rutherford County, North Carolina. It's unstated how Sam had been killed, but the motive for it was because of the rivalry for a white whore. All three men were intimate with her.

On April 18th the two had escaped jail with two other prisoners. They would be caught and tried for the murder. The two would be found guilty and executed on November 8, 1872.

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in North Carolina and South Carolina page 19

The New Berne Times April 19, 1872

Tri-Weekly Era May 9, 1872

Carolina Watchman October 10, 1872

Tri-Weekly Era November 18, 1872

STRANGE HISTORY: Aurora, Texas UFO

 

On April 17, 1897, around 6 a.m. early risers in Aurora, Texas were surprised by the sight of something crashing from the sky. The UFO was seen flying over the town and was only going twelve or ten miles per hour. It slowly started descending as if there was something was wrong with the machinery. It eventually hit Judge Proctors windmill in the north of town.

There were pieces of destruction for several acres. The windmill was demolished, the UFO was also demolished, and the judge's flower garden and water tank were destroyed from the crash.  

The only casualty was the lonely pilot of the ship. Even though he was badly mutilated it was obvious that he was not of this world. There were also papers from the wreckage in an unknown language that was similar to hieroglyphics. 

The next day they gave the spaceman they assumed to have been from Mars an Earthly funeral.

In the Aurora Cemetery the body of the "pilot" they then named Ned. In 1972 scientists wanted to dig up the body and investigate. The cemetery association blocked their requests because only the next of kin are allowed to give permission to exhumations. Even though there was no known next of kin or if Ned was a spaceman or even a poor animal casualty of the supposed crash. At this same time, the grave marker was stolen.

It's believed that the whole event may have been a hoax by the townspeople. They had previously had many tragedies happen in the town. The cotton fields were destroyed by a boll weevil infestation, a fire on the west side destroyed some building and killing some people, and a spotted fever that caused some to be quarantined. It didn't help that the railroad was 27 miles from Aurora. So it's possible that in threat of dying out caused the townspeople to create a hoax that would attract many to their small town.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia
Texas Hill Country
Roadside America
Mutual UFO Network
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Aurora Texas

Lovers of Cluj-Napoca

 

In 2013 a pair of skeletons known as the Lovers of Cluj-Napoca were uncovered by archeologists in a cemetery of a former Dominican convent in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The couple was buried facing each other and with their hands interlocked. It's believed that the two lived and died between 1450 to 1550 due to where they were located.

The couple was around 30-years-old. The male appears to have died from a fight or accident which left his sternum broken. This wound was possibly caused by a blow with a blunt instrument. It's also possible that he died from a broken hip instead. The cause of death for the female is unknown, but it could not have been suicide as she would not have been able to be buried in the consecrated ground if she had. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

The History Blog

The Huff Post April 22, 2013

INFANTICIDE: Murder of Richard Davis

 20-year-old Maria Davis with her friend Charlotte Bobbette 23-year-old  would leave Maria's son 15-month-old Richard on Brandon Hill in Clifton, England. Maria left him there to be found and taken care of by someone else. She didn't think that the cold and bitter night would kill her son.

The women did not intend for Richard to die. Maria was a young widow and was desperate, her husband had died in Ireland around the time their son was born. She didn't believe she could have taken care of her child. Compared to London there was no Foundling Hospital in Bristol for Maria to bring Richard. She had tried to leave him at the work house, but had tried to do that before and was rejected. She may not have had relatives to step in and help.

The women would be set to hang on April 12, 1802. They knew that after their execution that their bodies were going to be handed over for dissection after their death like many criminals before and after their executions. They and their family pleaded for them to have a burial and not to be disected. Their pleas weren't heard and they were taken to the Medical School. The Medical School still have their bodies to this day. 

I couldn't find the date that Richard had died. 

SOURCES:

The Ipswich Journal April 17, 1802

The Morning Post  April 19, 1802

The Bury and Norwich Post April 21, 1802

Family History Directory

British Executions

Tumblr- Conor Houghton

Naomi Clifford

Capital Punishment UK Maria

Capital Punishment UK Charlotte

Murder of Alice "Mamie" Sterling

 

Alice Sterling was the 5th of 6 children of George and Alice Sterling. She was named after her mother and went by Mamie. Their home was on 47 Savin Hill in Boston, Massachusetts. Around the corner on Dorchester George ran a barbershop and a laundry agency. Little Alice was known as popular inside and outside of her home.

April 10, 1895, it started out like any other day for the Sterlings.No one was home, The two oldest daughters (20, 17) were in Boston, their oldest boy (14) was selling newspaper and the other son (9) was in school and Mrs. Sterling went to Everett to spend time with her mother and took the youngest with her. Which left Alice with her father. That day like many days his daughter, 8-year-old Alice, was playing outside the barbershop while he worked. Around 1 pm Alice's brothers came by the shop picked up Alice and the house key. The three would eat lunch and then drop her back off at the shop.

On this day Angus Gilbert, a close friend of Mr. Sterlings, came by the shop like he had done many times before. 

28-year-old Angus Gilbert was a native of Nova Scotia, in 1895 he was working as a chore man on the Emmons Estate of Dorchester. He would do things like chopping wood and carrying water in exchange for lodging in their barn that no longer had animals. At night he was an assistant station agent at the railroad depot.     

Angus had been friends with George for the last 5 years and was very fond of little Alice. When he would see young Alice he would often hold her on his knee and kiss her. He told Mr. Sterling he was fond of the young girl. Sometimes he would joke saying she would be his bride when she grew up. He would talk and visit with George and leave.

Alice was playing in front of the shop up until 3, and then she went to the corner to play. People had seen her around 4. No one had realized that Alice was missing. A search was done, and at 5 police were notified of her disappearance. When Alice didn't return back home by the next morning, the police were notified again. Officer Perkins would begin to investigate and found that Alice was taken.

Police knew that a man dressed in dark clothing was seen walking with Alice at the time of her disappearance. A woman would soon come forward stating she saw Angus with the girl and had even greeted the two when she saw them. Another woman stated that she saw Angus with a young girl that day. He would soon be arrested. 

On April 13th Angus was sleeping in his room he was arrested. The dirt cellar that was right beneath his room was searched and within hours a gruesome crime was discovered. There was a patch of loose dirt and when police officers stumbled upon a small foot. Alice's body was found and it was obvious she met a brutal end. She what seemed to be two wounds on her head one of which was from an Axe and they believed that she was sexually assaulted.

Nearby they found an Axe with a bloodstain and a piece of wood that was believed to have been used to hurt the girl. It was believed that when Alice was abducted that Angus brought him to the home the long way.

Angus would claim he had no knowledge of the crime. He stated that he was drunk on that Wednesday and had little knowledge of what he had done that day. He said he had remembered moments of the day and continued on like normal. He stated that he was the type of drunk to act normal, but have no idea what was going on. Like for example, he'd walk like he knew where he was going, but have no clue where he was. He was adamant that he did not walk away with the girl and he did not murder her that he would have remembered that if he did. 

 Angus would profess innocence till the end. It was suspected that even though there was so much evidence against him that he never admitted guilt for his sister's sake. Being prosecuted is one thing but admitting to it might have caused her even more grief.

On February 21, 1896, Angus would be executed for the murder. It would seem that he slept well, dressed, and ate a heavy breakfast. Shortly after 9 a.m., he would be taken from his cell. Religious services would be done to prepare him for the execution. At 10:49 he was hung until dead.

Angus D. Gilbert

SOURCES:

Murder by Gas Light

Boston Globe April 14, 1895

Boston Post April 14, 1895

Boston Post April 15, 1895

Fall River Evening Daily News  Feb. 6, 1896

The Boston Globe Feb. 20, 1896

The Saint Paul Globe Feb. 22, 1896

Murder of Catherine Didluke

 On April 9, 1959, the daughter of 63-year-old Catherine Didluke went to her home in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Catherine did not answer the door and her daughter worried about her contacting the police. Inside Catherine's body was found. Her home had been robbed and she had been beaten to death with at least 2 hammer blows to the head.

This case is still unsolved.

SOURCES:

Toronto Police Service

Edmonton Journal April 11, 1959

Toronto Sun April 5, 2021

UNIDENTIFIED: April 8, 1866 Evansville, Indiana Jane Doe

  On April 8, 1866, boys playing on Chesnut Street in Evansville, Indiana found toes sticking out of the dirt. Recent rain had washed away and revealed the body of a woman in a shallow grave. Her head was not found with the body. It was believed that she had been dead for at least 2 months. It was strange that she was undiscovered even buried where found because Chestnut St. was a busy street.

Her race was unknown. She was 5'6". She was wearing a nightgown.

In 1873 a Frederick J Smith who used the alias Meyer was indicted for the murder. He had lived in Evansville at the time, but moved by the time he was indicted. 

I'm not sure if she was identified articles would just refer to the woman as the headless woman. I'm not sure if he was convicted or not it just states he was indicted. It doesn't even state why he was suspected.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Evansville Daily Journal April 9, 1866

Seymore Times March 20, 1873

Fort Wayne Daily Gazette March 13, 1873

UNIDENTIFIED: August of 1904 Little Falls, Minnesota John Doe

  In April of 1904, Mrs. Philinda Crampton closed a pest house building she owned in Little Falls, Minnesota. There had not been a patient there since March and she had the building boarded up. In August her daughters discovered a body when they looked into a window to the backroom.  A coroner was called and they had to crawl through a window because the door was locked, likely how the deceased man had done. 

The man was on a cot with his shoes and stockings off and on the floor, and a hat believed to be his sat in a corner. The man was laying in a natural position on the cot with one arm lifted near his head. There were no signs of violence and it was believed the man had died around 4 months ahead. It's possible the man had gone to the pest house before for help and ended up passing from possibly a heart attack.

He was a man around 50-years-old. He had scanty hair that was reddish grey. His clothes were better than those worn by tramps. His trousers were dark and the coat bluish. In his clothing, an advertising card of a Duluth accident insurance company was found. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

MONSTERS: Leyak

 

Depictions of Rangda the Queen of the Leyak

The Leaks are humans practicing black magic in Bali and their mistress is the queen of Leyak Rangda. She is a widow-witch who plays prominent roles in public rituals. Her mask is kept in the village death temple during her temple festivals. It's said that both Demons and Leyaks follow Rangda. A Leyak cannot leave Bali.

Leyaks have cannibalistic behavior. They have the ability to change themselves into animals and fly. In normal form they are seen as a normal human during the day, at night their head and entrails break from their body and fly. In this form, they have a long tongue and large fangs.  They are said to haunt graveyards to feed on corpses. It is said that they also target pregnant women to suck their baby's blood. Sometimes they would possess people.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

History Collection

Cryptids

UNIDENTIFIED: April 3, 1946 Memphis Tennessee John Doe.

 On April 3, 1946, the skeletal remains of a man were found in the Wolf River at the foot of Poplar St In Memphis, Tennessee. He had been dead for several months. There is little information in this case. 

He was a white male around 50-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave