Murder of Hester Vanauken

On News Years 1821 in Wantage, New Jersey Hester Vanauken, was at her sisters home. Her husband Wilhelmus would send a black boy to tell her to come home that he was near dying. She paid no attention as she knew it was a lie. He would send the boy again with the same message and as a response this time the Hester and her sister invited him to come over for dinner with them.

Wilhelmus would join his wife and sister-in-law for dinner. That night she would return home with him. That night she went to bed and he read a book. Three of the children were asleep and Hester's daughter and Wilhelmus's step daughter was out of the house. He would then find her sleeping in the bed and put out the fire and candle. This was when attempted to cut her throat with a double bladed knife.

She would wake up and nearly overpowered him as she tried to escape. Because he didn't succeed in cutting her throat he took a larger stick of wood and beat her on the head with it. He would then hit the back of her head with an andiron. It's unknown which blow killed her, but it was brutal.  

Wilhelmus would go to a neighbor to admit what he had done and ask the women to lay her out. He would go to another neighbor to do the same. He told both houses to bring their own light as there was none in the house. Wilhelmus would return to his home with the neighbors.

The neighbors came to a brutal scene with the walls and doors and floor covered in blood. She was nearly naked lying on her knees and face. Her body was covered in bruises, stab marks, and marks that looked as if she was stabbed with a fork. The knife laid half open on the floor, and the club had Hester's brains sticking to it. After the neighbors came one of the young children crept upon the scene of their murdered mother.

At the time Hester was 6 months pregnant. Wilhelmus starting from about 2 to 3 years before would frequently threaten to kill his wife and his stepdaughter. His step daughter was away from the home at the time and it was believed had she been home he probably would have killed her also. 

Wilhelmus would be prosecuted and set for execution. He would be executed on January 22, 1822.

SOURCES:

Death Penalty USA

Sussex County New Jersey Archives

The Hillsborough Recorder Jan. 31, 1821 pt.1

The Hillsborough Recorder Jan. 31, 1821 pt.2

Newbern Sentinel Feb. 10, 1821 pt.1

Newbern Sentinel Feb. 10, 1821 pt.2

Murder of Anne Noblett

 

On December 30, 1957, 17-year-old Anne Noblett went to dancing classes and rock and roll lessons at the Lourdes Hall in Harpenden, England.  It was just after 6 p.m. when she left to go home alone. She had gotten off of the bus at Cherry Tree Corner, Marshalls Heath, near Wheathampstead, and began her walk home. Another local girl passed by her as she was walking on the lane and this was the last time anyone saw her. She never made it to her home which was only a quarter of a mile away. 

No one had known what had happened to the teenager for a month. During that time there were inquires and searches for the girl. Her last bus ride was even reconstructed in order to help find the girl. Searches with hundreds of volunteers were done, but she still could not be found. It could have been that someone she knew offered to give a ride or someone abducted the girl.

On January 31, 1958, Anne's body would be found in dense woodland in Rose Grove Woods in Horn Hill by brothers and their dog. This area was seven miles away from her home. Her items were found nearby her body. It's believed that her body had been there for at most 2 weeks. 

It is believed that Anne was murdered within hours of her disappearance. Even though her body was clothed there was evidence that she had been redressed likely meaning she had been sexually assaulted. She was then strangled to death. Someone then deep froze her body as the temperatures were mild and there was no possibility of it happening naturally. They then carried her body to where it was found. 

Oddly enough if they had carried her only a few dozen more yards she would have been hidden better. The area she was laid on was considered a relatively open area of wood. There was also a disused cart tract near where her body was found that was inaccessible to cars and the closest tracks were half a mile away. Whoever carried her had to of been strong enough to carry her as there was no evidence of dragging.

Police searched all deep freezing machinery within a 30-mile radius of where her body was found. Farmhouses, buildings, outhouses, and factories were all searched.  There was no evidence of any of them had been used for her body. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Defrosting Cold Cases

The Daily Telegraph January 7, 1958

Evening Sentinel January 7, 1958

The Guardian January 23, 1958

The Guardian February 3, 1958

The Birmingham Post and Birmingham Post July 14, 1958

Watford Observer January 30, 2002
The Comet December 21, 2017

BBC April 29, 2018

UNIDENTIFIED: December 29, 1923 London, England

On December 29, 1923, a woman's body was found in the Chelsea Basin area in the Thames River in England. It was not stated what they thought the cause of death was or if they thought it was foul play. It was not known who she was and police took her fingerprints in hopes of helping identify her with them. This was a first, but however never gave fruit to her identity.

She would be misidentified by a man who had not seen his wife for 2 years. By the end of the month, a family member would tell him that they actually spoke to her recently and could not be Jane Doe.

It was found that the woman had the habit of staying at a common lodging house in Walham Green. The manager of the house however did not know the woman's name.

She was a woman around 45 to 50-years-old. She was well dressed and had a bag with when she was found. Inside the bag was a handkerchief with an M on it, a photo of a man cut out from a larger photo, She had two £1 notes, eight 10s. notes, and 4s in silver and copper.

SOURCES:

Daily Herald January 5, 1924

The Kensington News and West London Times January 11, 1923

Chelsea News January 18, 1924

Chelsea News January 25, 1924

MONSTERS: Tsurube Otoshi (Falling in Well Bucket)

 

"Nishioka no Tsurube-oroshi" (The Tsurube-Oroshi of Nishioka) from the Kokon Hyakumonogatari Hyōban written by Yamaoka Genrin, edited by Yamaoka Motoyoshi

Tsurube Otoshi (Falling in Well Bucket) is a yokai from Japan. It is a gigantic disembodied head of either a human, a tengu, or an oni and sometimes appears as fireball flames with facial features. Its size is the typical size of a human head to two meters in diameter. They live and spend most of their time in the tree tops preferring taller trees like pines, kayas, and other such conifers. The trees they live in are typically deep along paths in the forest and outside of towns where travelers are likely to be. The places they are known to be is the Wakayama Prefecture, the Kyoto Prefecture, the Shiga Prefecture, the Gifu Prefecture, and the Aichi Prefecture.

At night they wait in the treetops for unspecting creatures and travelers. When they need to eat they will quickly fall to the ground to trap their prey. This is how it got its name. They enjoy this kind of killing and let out a laugh as they hunt and eat their meal. Sometimes when they are not hungry they will come down and do the same crushing people to death for fun. Sometimes they don't use themselves, but large rocks or well buckets and enjoy the damage dealt. After they are done feeding and or having their fun they will slip back into the trees laughing and challenging others to pass underneath their tree.

Travelers are warned to not pass under the tall trees at night because the Tsurube Otoshi might get them. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Yokai

Yokai Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: December 27, 1953 Los Angeles, California John Doe

 On December 27, 1953, an off-duty Los Angeles Police Officer was hiking in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California when he discovered skeletal remains scattered along the hillside. He had died around a year before and there was no evidence of violence on the skull. A broken phonograph was found nearby. It was the type to be used for home recordings so police suspect it was a suicide note. It's also believed that he was not wearing his pants when he died. v

John Doe was a man between 50 to 60-years-old. He was 5'0". He was wearing a grey hat with the initials 'STW', grey trousers, a white nylon shirt, a red sports shirt, and brown Oxford shoes. He had a pocket comb, black plastic lead pencil, a gold wristwatch 'Gruen' brand, a silver scapular medal and chain, a pair of old bifocal glasses, and a pair of horn-rimmed eyeglasses.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Unidentified Wiki

Daily News December 28, 1953

Murder of Albert Lucia

 On December 24, 1883, 30-year-old Christian Reibling (white) was drinking with another man alcohol diluted with water. That Christmas morning they continued drinking a bottle of gin. At a livery stable in Lyndon, Illinois Christian would argue with 19-year-old Albert Lucia (white). It would result in Christian shooting and killing Albert.

Christian would be arrested. He would state that he could remember drinking the bottle of gin, but nothing after. He regretted what he had done and acknowledged he should not have been drinking with his pistol. If he was sober he would not have killed Albert as he had no reason to.

Christian would go to trial and would be found guilty and set to hang. He was to be the first hanging in Whiteside County.  Christian was accepting of his fate and felt remorseful for the killing. He believed that he would be accepted in heaven even for his crime because he was not in the right mind and had no actual malice towards Albert. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions Illinois, Indiana, Iowa Kentucky and Missouri pg 9

Genealogy Trails

Freeport Daily Bulletin May 16, 1884

Chicago Tribune May 16, 1844

UNIDENTIFIED: 1881 Tombstone, Arizona Teamster

 In 1881 a Teamster (similar job to today's truck drivers) was killed by the Apaches in Cochise, Arizona.

SOURCES:
Find A Grave

Tombstone Chamber of Commerce 

Murder of Luke Crawford

 On December 15, 1873, in Calhoun County, Georgia, Bill Roseman (black) killed Luke Crawford (black) by shooting him with a musket. Bill would claim that Luke owed him money. 

Bill would be tried and found guilty. He was hung on January 29, 1875. 

I could not find much information on this case. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Georgia page 18

INFANTICIDE: December 14, 1923 London, England Baby John Doe

 On December 14, 1923, the newborn body of a baby boy was found in the Regents Canal near Grove Road, Marylebone district in London, England. A man on the towpath next to the canal found the body in the canal. He was wrapped up in a piece of calico cloth. It's believed that the baby died from inattention at birth and was in the canal for around 17 days. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

MISSING: Nancy Anderson

 On December 13, 1958, 60-year-old Nancy Anderson had a dinner party with her neighbors at her home in Palmer, Washington. At 8 a.m. the next morning, a neighbor would bring her a newspaper but would find her front door open. Along with that, some lights were on, her purse was inside the dishes were still in the sink, and her dog was running loose. This was odd of her. There were several searches for her, but none turned her up. According to Black Diamond History Nanct had a habit of throwing trash into a nearby river and at the time it was high. It's possible that she may have accidentally fallen in, but there was no evidence of it. 

Nancy is a white female and was 60-year-old at the time. She was 5'4" and around 105 to 110 lbs. She had white hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a bright blue dress.

SOURCES:
NamUs
Black Diamond History

Murders of Zofia , Antoni, Bronisława, and Stefan Dolińska

 

At the beginning of the winter of 1923 in Poland 32-year-old Marianna Dolińska and other Roma families living in the Roma community near Antoniówka were suffering from hunger. It was a hard winter for them and members of the community began to steal food and animals from nearby farms to prevent starvation. 

In reaction, the State Police decided to stop the Roma who were stealing. One of the Roma that was arrested was Marianna's husband. This would leave her and their four children without help. Soon after his arrest, the camp was dispersed. For unknown reasons, the Dolińska family was rejected by the community. 

 Marianna and her children were left to wander around the forest and starve. Marianna's mentality was getting worse and believed that she and the children would starve to death and that was a slow and painful death. Instead of watching her children waste away, she decided to take their fate into her own hands. 

On the night of December 11, 1923, would hang her four children  6-month-old Zofia, 3-year-old Antoni, 5-year-old Bronisława, and 7-year-old Stefan. She would then go to the Rodam police and admit her crime. She would bring them to her children. A police photographer would take photographs of the scene. (These photographs are seen in most mentions of this case.) There was a 6-month investigation into the case because of Marianne's mental health. 

Marianna was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. She was suicidal at the time and planned to kill herself, but did not follow through. She was observed exhibiting frequent and violent mental changes. She had fits of rage and destructive behavior or would fall into a stupor for days. It was determined that she was a "neutral perpetrator" and had done it without awareness of the consequences at the time. By 1926 she suffered from manic-depressive disorder and was believed to have bipolar disorder.

She would die in 1928 and was buried in the hospital cemetery

Be aware that photos of the children are posted in each link below. It is a sad and horrible sight to see four children hanging from a tree. The photographs of the children are termed "Wreath of Children" and are falsely used to represent massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in 1943. Please be aware before looking up the case yourself and or clicking any of the links I've used.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia

Rzeczpospolita May 19, 2007

Interia Wydarzenia December 11, 2014

December 11, 1923 Sheffield, England Baby John Doe

 On December 11, 1923, the body of a newborn baby boy was found dead in the Endcliff Park boating dam in Sheffield, England.  He had been burned about the head and arms before he was placed in the water. It's not stated what his cause of death was.

SOURCES:

 

Unsolved Murders

INFANTICIDE: April 6, 1924 Sheldon, England Baby Jane Doe

 On April 6, 1924, the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a pond at Garretts Green in Sheldon, England.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

GHOSTS: Specter of Newby Hall

 

In 1963 Reverend Kenneth F. Lord would be taking pictures of the Church of Christ the Consoler on the grounds of Newby Hall in North Yorkshire, England. When the pictures were processed a strange figure would show up standing next to the altar.

The being was semi-transparent and was standing on the first step to the altar. It still towered over it however as it stood 9ft high. The figure was wearing a black robe that covered where its feet supposedly were and the hood was over the head. The hands are unseen and the face is covered in a white sheet with two depressions where the eyes are. The figure seems to look right at the camera. It's believed that this figure could have been a 16th-century monk wearing a white shroud over the face to mask leprosy or disfigurement.

Reverend Lord was confused by this figure as the church had no history of the paranormal. It was said the he was not the type of man who would pull a hoax at the time. 

Reverend Lord would then release the photo. It's believed that the photo was a hoax or possible double exposure. It's said that professionals at the time looked over the photograph and came to the conclusion that it wasn't so.

So was this a hoax or is there a harmless Specter at Newby Church?

SOURCES:

Burials and Beyond

Wikipedia

Ghosts Wiki

Urban Legendpedia

INFANTICIDE: December 7, 1923 Sheffield, England Baby Jane Doe

 On the morning of December 7, 1923, the body of a newborn girl was found at the Encliffe Park boating dam in Sheffield, England. There was evidence of animal activity on the body as she was missing her left leg under the knee, and left hand. She had been born alive but likely was asphyxiated. Her arms and head were shown to have been burned after death. She was then placed in the water.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Suspicious Death of Elsie Payne

  On December 7, 1923, 12-year-old Elsie Payne was out on an errand in Cardiff, Wales by one of her neighbors. Elsie was walking with a friend, 14-year-old Susie Phillips, but the two separated and Elsie proceeded down Iron St. Soon after at 8:40 pm Elsie would enter her aunt and uncle's shop on Clifton St. 

She was bleeding from the throat and said "A man asked me where Clifton Street was" before collapsing. By the time she was at the hospital she had lost too much blood and even though family members wanted to donate it was too late and she died before they could. 

There was a blood trail that led 103 years down the street across from some railings on the other side of the road in Iron St. off Clifton. Susie stated that she did not see anyone following them, and didn't notice anything when she left Elsie. 

It was stated that her injury likely was caused by a knife or piece of glass, but it was also possible that it was caused by falling on the railings or onto broken glass. The wound was up and forward. Another girl was injured similarly by slipping and landing on the railings on her chest. In several articles, it states there was no evidence of what had happened to her. 

It was believed however that she had been murdered as her last words mentioned of a man looking for directions. There seemed to be no evidence at the scene of the accident. 

One article claims that there were two witnesses of Elsie on Iron Street. One man, a painter, saw a man with his hand on a girl and ran away. This made the painter think the man had stolen something and chased after him, but lost him. The second witness stated that they saw a man and a girl and heard the girl screaming and running across the street thinking the man had hit her.

The family would receive a 3-page letter from a man claiming to kill the girl. He claimed he used a corkscrew, but evidence showed that she was not killed with one.

SOURCES:

Daily Mirror December 10, 1923

The Gloucestershire Echo December 11, 1923

The North Star December 21, 1923

Daily Mirror December 21, 1923

Evening Express December 31, 1923 

UNIDENTIFIED: Winter 1766 Barbecue, North Carolina Stranger

 In the winter of 1766, the body of a man was found frozen to death on the steps of the Barbecue Presbyterian Church in Barbeque, North Carolina. He was never identified so he was buried in the cemetery.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

December 5, 1933 Racine, Wisconsin Baby John Doe

  On December 5, 1933, an unknown baby boy was buried at the East Meadows Cemetery in Racine, Wisconsin. There is little information in this case.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED: December 2, 1838 Akron, Ohio Jane Doe

On December 2, 1838, an elderly woman would die in Akron, Ohio. She had died from consumption.

Jane Doe was a woman and was around 70-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

GHOSTS: Mandy the Doll

 

In 1991 a woman donated a doll to the Quesnel & District Museum in Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. She told them that she received it from her grandmother and it had been in a trunk for many years. The doll was fragile as it was around 100 years old and it gave her a weird feeling so she donated it immediately. 

The doll was named Mandy, and her first day there was surprising to the crew. Her photo was taken and was added to her collection. She was left in the lab overnight. In the morning The crew would find the lab in disarray as if a small child had a temper tantrum. She was given a lamb toy with her inside in her case and it was found outside of it later. 

It is said the Mandy gives off a feeling. She is also said to follow people with her eyes. 

Silvia Bowne, a medium, stated that the doll belonged to a set of twins. The Twins would unfortunately pass from polio. This would cause the mother to severely grieve her children and it was implanted in the doll this is the energy.

SOURCES:

Quesnel & District Museum

Murder of Eliza Mary Bowen

 In 1898 or 1899 Richard Wigley, a butcher, would meet Eliza Mary Bowen. In June of 1900, Eliza had gone to live in a man's home and while there became really close with Richard Wiggle. Eventually, he would procure lodgings for her in Shrewsbury, England. At the time the reason he gave was in order for Eliza to be able to have a place to mend her clothes and get her things together until she moved on to another place. By then 54/53-year-old Richard had been separated from his wife and would frequently visit 27/28-year-old Eliza. 

However, the 28-year-old  had left that home and moved back to the Red Lion Inn in Westbury. She was trying to break off things with Richard. It was said that they were still on friendly terms.

On November 30, 1901, Richard got up early and walked 10 miles from his home in Shrewsbury to The Lion Inn where Mary was. Eliza was a barmaid for the Inn and when Richard arrived he drank. She would serve him several glasses. 

He would eventually be seen with his arms around and Eliza cried out, "Man, what do you mean?" She would then ask a servant to fetch a policeman, but she successfully released herself from him so no one went to get an officer. 

She would then go and retrieve some wine. Richard would follow her and she would call for the servant to take the alcohol. Richard would place his left arm around her neck and with his right, he pulled out a knife he had hidden in his pocket to her neck. 

The other servant girl witnessed this and ran to get help. When she and a blacksmith got back to the hotel Eliza was on the doorstep with her throat bloodied. Richard would come out and say "I've done it, lads, for love." He may have left a note for Eliza's sister in the kitchen stating the same that he did it for love.

When the police came he stated the same thing that he had done it for love. When asked for his plead he stated " I don't know what I was doing that morning." To which the judge took as a plea of not guilty. During the trial, he was found guilty and was set for execution.

On March 18, 1902, 54-year-old Richard Wigley was executed. He showed penitence for the murder even stating he had no idea how he could have done it. He had eaten a good breakfast and walked steadily to the scaffold. 

SOURCES:

British Executions

Murder Research

Liver Pool Daily Post December 2, 1901

Western Gazette December 11, 1901

The Uttoxeter New Era, and General Advertiser December 11, 1901

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser February 18, 1902

The Wells Journal March 06, 1902

The Nottingham Evening Post March 18,1902

UNIDENTIFIED: November 24, 1910 South Fork Township, Iowa John Doe

Thanksgiving Day on November 24, 1910, a body was found in the brush along the highway on the Charles J. Murray farm in South Fork Township, Iowa. It was the body of a man whose remains were being feasted on by wild animals. Only a portion of his right leg was intact.

He was shot with a .22 caliber bullet in the right temple. At first, it was believed it was suicide because he was not robbed but other evidence proved otherwise. He had been dragged and hidden where his body was found and no weapon was found.

The man was well dressed with several items on himself including an Elgin watch. The man's description and his items were put out into the newspaper and a possible lead came. a Ms. Gearheart of nearby Hopkinton came forward stating she had given the man the prayerbook he had.

He had stopped at her home on Labor Day which was September 5th and the same day as the Woodman World annual picnic in Hopkinton. The man was wearing the clothes he was found in and would ask for something to eat and she gave him food. They spoke while he was there. She either did not remember his name or did not give it. She did remember him telling her that he was walking to Dubuque to visit a nephew and was married but did not have children. Before he left she gave him the prayer book.'

This lead how however did not lead to his identification or his murderer.

John Doe was wearing a soft brown felt hat, a black and gray striped suit of durable material, and good shoes. He had $15, a large jack knife, an empty notebook, a prayer book, an Elgin pocket watch case numbered 138033 and a movement numbered 1024613, two medals with one marked "Whitcomb", several handkerchiefs, and a watch chain charm.

SOURCES:
Iowa Cold Cases

GHOSTS: La Sayona

 

La Sayona (Sack-Cloth Woman) is a ghostly woman who appears to men working in the jungle in Venezuela. She manifests when men talk to their coworkers about sex or about the women they left behind in their hometown. She appears as a beautiful woman or a specific woman that the man is thinking of. She is typically wearing a sack dress. She will lure them into the forests show a beast-like or rotting-like appearance and may have sex with the man and mangle and devour the man. She will then leave them for others to find. This young woman used to hold the name Casilda before her curse.

Casilda was the most beautiful girl in her small town on the plains of Venezuela. She would marry a great man and the two would have a baby boy. Even though her husband was caring and loving there was some doubt in Casilda's heart.

Casilda would bathe alone in the nearby river unknowing that a man was watching her do so. One day Casilda would catch the man staring at her. She would demand the man to leave. The man caught decided to lie to get out of the situation. "Your husband and mother are having an affair." 

This would enrage her and she would run back home. Seeing her husband sleeping with the baby in his arms filled her with rage at his betrayal. She would be blinded with rage and set the fire killing her family. While villagers could hear the screams and tried to help the father and son Casilda went to her mother's home. 

Her mother was sitting on the patio. Her mother not knowing what was going to happen saw her beautiful daughter. Unfortunately, it wasn't a pleasant visit as Casilda was determined to end those who wronged her. Casilda would use a machete striking her mother in the stomach. With her mother's last dying breath she would curse her "From now on Casilda you will have to avenge all women by killing their unfaithful husbands."

This was when Casilda became La Sayona.

SOURCES:

Villians Wiki

Urban Legendpedia

Moon Mausoleum

UNIDENTIFED: November 13, 1945 Porter County, Indiana

  On November 13, 1945a hunter would find the skeletal remains of a woman in the dense woods near Quakerdom School in Jackson Township about 1/2 mile south of S.E. 6.5 miles east of SR 49 and 1.5 miles west of La Porte county line. She was fully clothed laying on her back with her arms placed evenly along the sides, her legs lying straight with her feet together and her head resting on a tree root.  Near her body was a box of rotting clothing and a pocketbook.

There was no cause of death found other than she did not have any signs of violence on her bones. It was believed she may have been dead for 8 to 15 months. It's also believed with how she was positioned she did not die where she was found.

from articles at the time, it was believed that she was 30 to 45-years-old, but NamUs lists her as pre-60. She was 5'6" and around 135 to 150lbs.  She has brown hair and a gold tooth filling. She was wearing a red, blue, and grey tweed coat with a blue and red plaid lining, nylon stockings, size 8 1/2 black leather, and open-toed shoes with little wear. 

In the pasteboard box was a pair of canvas wedge-type shoes, a size 38 black dress with a zipper on the side and black, and a tan purse with a brass clasp containing a handkerchief. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Vidette-Messenger of Porter County November 13, 1945

The Star Press November 14, 1945

Linton Daily Citizen December 6, 1945

Tomb M12 and the Murdered Man

 

Credit Qian Wang

In 2002 an ancient cemetery was discovered in the Ningxia region of Northern China. 12 tombs would be excavated. The last one was M12, which featured an 18m2 burial chamber containing the remains of a man, a woman, and a child. The tomb was of a high-ranking family from 2,000 years before as they were buried with many grave goods, and of course, many of the goods were eventually robbed. 

The family however were not the only people buried at the tomb. A skeleton of a man in his 20's was found halfway down a looter's shaft. It was at first believed that the man was a looter who fell into the shaft and died. However, it was found that he was likely not a looter, and his death was not accidental.

The man had died between 640 to 680 AD and the family died around 700 years earlier. The looter's shaft had naturally filled in before his death. He had been slashed at and stabbed. He had 13 sharp force wounds on his bones, He had cut marks on the top of his head, the back of his skull, and ribs. The right side of his face was almost cut off. It's believed that the puncture in the ribs is what killed him.

 It's believed that after or during the brutal attack, he was thrown into the looter shaft, and was likely still alive. His right hand is still raised in a protective gesture over the right side of his face. A sword blade was found above him and may have been the or one of the murder weapons.

Buring his body may have done it in a way of "hiding in plain sight" type of concealment.

SOURCES:

Archeology

Ancient Orgins

News Network Archeology 

The Past January 14, 2022

The History Blog

UNIDENTIFIED: November 8, 1577 London, England Poor Unknown Woman

 On November 8, 1577, a poor woman died in the streets of London, England. Her name and where she was from was unknown, but some believed she may have been Welsh. She was buried in the Bedlam Burial Ground.

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

MISSING: John McInnis

 

On November 5, 1911, 54-year-old John McInnis was on a boat in Port Townsend Bay in Port Townsend, Washington. He was a police officer and was searching for deer poachers at the time. He and his boat were caught up in a bad storm and the next day his boat was found floating upside down inside Marrowstone Point. His body was never recovered. 

He had worked for the Sheriff's office for the last 4 years.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave
Doe Network

Officer Down Memorial Page

International Missing Persons Wiki

CRYPTIDS: Drekavac

 

Created Using Art Breeder

A Drekavac, Yeller, Drek, or Drekalo is a creature in Slavic Mythology (Serbia, and Bosnia). They are a boogeyman creature used to warn children. It is said that the Drekavac comes from Unbaptised children who've died. It usually resides in a graveyard or outside a home crying for salvation. They are usually solitary creatures, but are sometimes found in packs and will live together in a cave or tunnel.

Sometimes A Drekavac will come in different appearances such as an infant with a thin body and large head and animals. If it's in the form of an infant it's said that it's an omen for death and if it's in the form of an animal it's something like cattle disease.

Its scream is horrifying. They are usually asking for a baptism all night bothering the cemetery or the persons in a home. If it's screaming outside of a home at least one person in the home is going to die. The creature may fall on a person or allow its shadow to cross a person cursing them to die soon. Their fur is usually long in animal form and if stepped on it'll yelp in pain.

Sometimes a Drekavac will enter the dreams of those who wronged them and do the same. They will strangle the person as they sleep.

To avoid a Drekavac it would be wise to get a dog. Dogs are something that they fear. They also either cannot be in sunlight or dislike it. This is why it's usually heard at night. It's believed if you baptized the child then it would stop and move on.

They are usually solitary creatures, but are sometimes found in packs and will live together in a cave or tunnel.

SOURCES:

UNIDENTIFIED: November 1, 1872 Kings County, New York

On November 1, 1872, the body of a woman was found at the Navy Yard in Kings County, New York. He cause of death was drowning. There is little information in this case.

Jane Doe was around 35-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

INFANTICIDE: October 31, 1880 Floyd County, Indiana Baby Doe

 On October 31, 1880 the body of a very young infant (less than a year-old) was found floating in the Ohio River opposite of the hickory Mill in Floyd County, Indiana. The infant's head showed evidence that they  had died a violent death . The Infant would be buried the next day in New Albany's Fairview Cemetery. 

Since the infant was described as very young and not newborn it could be assumed that it was not. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED: Jo Daviess County, Illinois Jane Doe

 On October 25, 1874, the body of an elderly woman was found beneath the bridge that spans the Big Menominee about four miles south of Dunleith, Illinois. She must have been walking on the bridge at night and was struck and killed by the train that left Dunlieth at 7p.m. Her body had been mangled by the train. It's believed that "Her clothing denoted a person in the humble walks of life". 

She was believed to have been in her mid 60's. Her hair was grey. In her pockets was a string of prayer beads, and around her neck was a scapular.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED: October 18, 1986 Bowie Arizona Jane Doe

 On October 18, 1986 the cranium of a teenage girl was found by a park ranger in Bowie, Arizona. It's believed she died between 1936 to 1976.

Jane Doe was believed to be between 13 to 17-years-old.

SOURCES:
NamUs

UNIDENTIFIED: October 17, 1581 London, England Unknown Poor Woman

 On October 17, 1581, a poor woman was found dead in the streets of London, England. She had died from the plague and it was unknown who she was. She was buried in the Bedlam Burial Ground.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

GHOSTS: Crying Girl of 5 College St.

 

Image from Secret York

There is a haunted house at 5 College St. in York, England. According to legend in the Middle Ages, (1346 to 1353) a couple would contract the plague however their daughter did not. They and their daughter were bricked into the home. The girl would cry and beg saying she wasn't sick, and it seemed to be true, but no one wanted to risk it. Her parents would die from the plague, and unfortunately, the girl would starve to death.

It is said that the girl could be seen in the home crying. She is mostly seen in the upper part of the house. One sighting happened in the 1950s and two of the children in the home would see her crying on one of their beds.

SOURCES:
Secret York

Ghost Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: October 14, 1923 Boistfort, Belgium Jane Doe

 

On October 14, 1923, an unknown woman was found shot dead in the Sonian Forest near Boistfort, Belgium. Due to the items on her person, it was likely she was a foreigner from France or Italy. There is little information on this case. It's not stated whether or not her murder was solved.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Wikimedia

GHOSTS: Enenra

 

An Enenra as depicted in Toriyama Sekien's Konjaku Hyakki Shūi

The Enenra is a being in Japanese folklore or a yōkai, The Enenra shows up during large fires such as bonfires. It is made up of the wisps of smoke that would rise up to the skies from fire. These beings usually have human-like faces it doesn't do anything, but billow in the wind and appear as fragile fabric. It only appears to those that are calm and pure and are relaxing to watch.

The Enenra seems to be loosely based on a passage in Tsurezure gusa which describes the smoke rising from fires burned in the summer to keep mosquitoes away. Some have pointed out that the name is similar to Enma, the lord of hell and judge of the dead. It's suggested that the beings are actually spirits of the dead.

SOURCES:

Yokai

Wikipedia

Murder of Joseph Wilson at the Lintz Green Station

 On the night of October 7, 1911, it was a normal work night for 60-year-old Joseph Wilson. He was the station master at the Lintz Green Station un County Durnham, England. He would see off the last train around 11 p.m. that night. After it had left Joseph walked to his home 50 yards from the station. 

Someone would ambush the stationmaster on his doorstep. Sand would be thrown into his eyes and there was an attempt to gag him with a linen cloth. During a struggle, he would be shot in the chest. This would not automatically kill him, but he was unable to say who did. Four Miners who were on the last train weren't very far when they heard the gunshot.

By the time they arrived to Joseph's aid, his killer had disappeared unseen. His daughter was in the house and came out when she heard the sound. The miners and his daughter brought Joseph into his home and tried to help him. He seemed to have tried to talk but was unable to do so before he died. 

Police believed that the motive for the murder was a robbery. Though the day's takings weren't with him and he had brought them home earlier that day. 

The prime suspect in this case was 25-year-old Samuel Atkison. Samuel was a relief porter for railroad. Someone stated that they saw him at the station that night. Samuel said that he had went home after work and went for a walk around 7. He would be arrested and arraigned at the local Magistrats Court. At the trial there was no evidence against Samuel and this allowed him to be released. This case was never solved. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

True Crime Library

Unsolved Murder UK

The Times October 9, 1911

The Guardian October 13, 1911

UNIDENTIFIED: October 4, 1867 Fannin County, Texas Stranger

On October 4, 1867, a man was found wandering the yard of J.S. Donaldson in Fannin County, Texas. The man was very sick and incoherent and was unable to give his name before he died.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

URBAN LEGENDS: The Stare

 

Image created in Imagine AI Art Generator

This tale is of an almost empty subway and a woman unsettled by a deep stare. This Urban Legend goes back to 1947, but it's said that it went around for a long time before that. Similar stories have been said for years.

A young woman would get onto a subway. There were 5 rows of empty seats but the last row had 3 people sitting there. Uncomfortable with sitting completely by herself she sat across from the group. Two men sat on either side of a woman really close. She would begin to read her book. However, the woman between the two men would stare at her with unblinking eyes.

This would make her extremely uncomfortable. She had no clue why the woman was staring at her so much. At the next stop, a man would come onto the subway and sit next to the woman. Trying to ignore the stare the woman tried to read her book. The man would then nudge her and whisper in her ear, "If you know what's good for you, you'll get off at the next station with me".  Terrified she agreed because she knew people would be at the next stop. If he had any plans with her, she could get help.

When they got off the man breathed an air of relief. This confused the woman who thought she was going to be in trouble. "Thank God, I didn't mean to scare you, but I had to get you off." She stared at him confused. "The woman in the middle was dead and the two next to her were propping her up."

They would inform authorities of the three. At the next station, the two men were arrested.

SOURCES:

Gridlove

Snopes

MISSING: Nellie Margaret Tibbitt

 

On October 1, 1959, 26-year-old Nellie Tibbitts was last seen in Watsonville, California. She was driving her green and white four-door 1952 Plymouth that had black wall tires and simple Chrom hubcaps. Her vehicle would be found a few weeks after and there was no sign of her.

Nellie was from Illinois but moved to California as a child. 

Nellie is a white woman and was 24-years-old at the time. She's 5'4" and 135 lbs. She had brown hair and eyes. She has twisted fingernails on two fingers (hand unstated/unknown).

SOURCES:
NamUs
Charley Project

UNIDENTIFIE: September 28, 1942 Wilmington, Delaware John Doe

 On September 28, 1942, the skeleton of a man was found  Along the south bank of the Christiana River at Commerce in Wilmington, Deleware.  He had been dead for several months. 

John Doe was found with a belt around his waist, buckle with initial C. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

The Morning News September 29, 1942

UNIDENTIFIED: September 24, 1825 Natchez, Mississippi John Doe

On September 23, 1825, a man would arrive in Natchez, Mississippi on foot. He had a fiddle and a small bundle of clothes with him. The next morning the man would be found dead on a bench in the Market house. It was believed that he had died from some unknown disease. 

The man was believed to have been around 35-years-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

MISSING: Beverly Mastny

 

On September 21, 1953, 15-year-old Beverly Mastny was last seen in Broadview Heights, Ohio. a man would pick her up in front of her grandparent's home. She was never seen again.

Beverly is a white female and was 15-years-old at the time. She's 5'7" and 115 lbs. She has two-toned strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Ohio Attorney General

UNIDENTIFIED: September 20, 1927 Fredricksberg, Texas Jane Doe

 

On September 20, 1927, the body of a teenage girl was found in a shallow grave near Fredricksburg, Texas. The grave was 2ft long and 3 inches deep her body being crammed into the small pit. She was nude having been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. Items were burned nearby including her clothes.

There were reports that around 10 days before her body was discovered she may have been seen in town with two men in a small coupe. She may have stayed at a cabin with two men for a night and the next day the cabin was found bloodied. There had been reports that she had been seen with two soldiers. One Man stated that he saw the girl arguing with two soldiers on the side of the road.

A marksmanship scorecard found at the scene was believed to belong to one of the soldiers. A soldier matching the name was found and suspected. But the scorecard was found around 75 yards away from the girl and may not have anything to do with the crime. Three soldiers were arrested in suspicion of the crime. The two men who saw the girl with two men could not identify the scorecard owner or two other suspected soldiers as the two men. 

 There were also a lot of girls who were thought to have been her, but none of them panned out. No one was able to successfully identify the young girl

Jane Doe was a white female about 13-years-old. She had red hair that was bobbed. Tests were done to see if the hair was dyed, but it came back that it was natural. She was around 5'4". She wore a gold ring on her right pinky that was inset with a small red stone. Her clothes had been burned and only remained remnants of her undergarments. A black bag, a marksmanship scorecard, two handkerchiefs, and half a loaf of bread made in San Antonio was found near the body. A couple of miles toward Mason a bloody quilt was found it's unknown why they didn't burn this with other items. 

There was a black bag found near the scene, but it was later ruled out as having with the crime. A couple passing through the area had lost one of their pieces of luggage while going down the road several days before the girl's discovery.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Haunted Fredricksberg

McAllen Daily Press September 21, 1927

Corsicana Daily Sun September 21, 1927

The Austin American September 29, 1927

GHOSTS: Murkatta

 In Nepal, there is a ghost or ghost called the Murkatta. The ghost would wander around carrying its head under its arm. The ghost would look to take children's heads. In Kathmandu, Nepal, a festival is celebrated on the day of Ghode Jatra to scare away the Murkatta and protect children from its evil eyes.

The Murkatta is a ghost similar to La Lorna to scare kids into listening to their parents. In Saundarya's article, A Tale of Murkatta, the Headless Monster wrote about her experience with her family members using Murkatta.

SOURCES:

Association for Children's Literature in South Asia

Jane Wilson-Howarth

Wikipedia

Murder of Lena and Wilhelm Riedel

In 1888 36-year-old Charles Henry Riedel his wife 37-year-old  Lena and their son 7-year-old Wilhelm "Willie" moved to Wilmington, Delaware from Philadelphia. Charles was German and spoke broken English. Unbeknownst to those around him he was depressed due to a lack of work and prospective want. 

On the morning of September 17, 1887, both mother and child were sleeping in the same bed. Lena was sleeping on her back facing up and Wilhelm was on his side facing away from his mother. Charles would go up to both. He first shot at the wall twice, but neither woke up. He would then shoot Lena and then Wilhelm in the head.  Witnesses heard Lena moaning and saying "Willie". Even if she talked evidence showed that she did not move after being shot but could have lived up to 3 hours afterward. 

Charles tried to kill himself by shooting himself in the temple, but he failed. Later that morning he would go to his door and shout that he would shoot everyone. He would then yell at Mrs. Gottilieb Wachter to see what he had done upstairs. This scared her and she rushed to her husband who was working at the mill at the time. 

The two would return and enter the home. Upstairs they would see the bodies of the mother and child still in bed. He would then be asked what he had done by them. "Just what I said I would." When they left the house Charles locked the door behind him. This was when someone was sent to get an officer. 

Later that morning Officer Sherry and Gustave Kolock would go to the home. The front door to the house was locked so the back of the house to peer in to see Charles smoking. The officer wanted someone to distract Charles briefly as he snuck in through the back to arrest him. Gustave's brother did so as he joined the party. They did this  and Charles willingly went with the officer and only asked to get his money before leaving. It was $21.70 (Around $667) one of the $5 bills was stained with blood. He grabbed it from the mantel and left with the officers. As he was put in the carriage Charles stated "I shot my wife. I shot my child. I'll shoot everybody."

He was found guilty and on August 10, 1888, Charles would be executed. He was welcoming the execution. One reporter would ask how Charles would feel if the governor would let him live a little longer. Charles would respond with "I will kill myself. I do not want to live this way. " He was religious but refused spiritual consolation. 

SOURCES:

Legal Executions in Deleware, The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Page 9

The Morning News September 19, 1887

Daily Republican September 21, 1887

Daily Republican May 16, 1888

The Morning News August 10, 1888

UNIDENTIFIED: September 14, 1902 Siskiyou County, California Jane Doe

 On September 14, 1902, two people would go on a hunting trip in Siskiyou County, California near Hornbrook. During the morning they passed by a basket but paid no attention to it thinking someone would come for it or was near. When they walked by again later seeing the basket there they investigated it. They would find items belonging to a woman, some clothing including a nightgown, a woman's purse with three one-cent pieces, and nickel and another purse having $ 1.50 in small change.

About 50 feet away was a tree. This would be where a gruesome discovery would happen. A woman's body was hanging from the tree but it was obviously not a suicide, but a brutal murder. The woman had a brutal death. It was obvious she fought for her life before her killer shot her in the right eye partially blowing away some of her skull. After her death, the killer would tie her to the large branch of the tree. She was found with one foot double under her and the other hanging down the hill. She was tied with a light rope.

It was obvious from the scene that the woman had greatly fought for her life. The area she was killed was trampled pieces of her clothing had were ripped from her. Her dress sleeves were torn off, her underclothing was disordered and her cape was ripped to shreds. Fur pieces from the cape were found some distance from where she was killed.

From the description of her clothes, she was seen in Hornbrook Around two weeks before she and a man were seen eating at Day's restaurant. The two were strangers to town and were also seen driving a span of yellow horses after the meal.

Jane Doe was between 40 and 45-years-old when she died.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave
Evening Sentinel September 24, 1902

Sarita

 

In September of 1996, the body of a teenage girl was found on the East face atop the 18,070 ft Andean peak in Sara Sara, Peru. She was discovered by Johan Reinhard, a senior researcher at Mountain Institute in West Virginia, and José Antonio Chavez, dean of archaeology at the Catholic University in Arequipa, Peru. It was found that the girl was a sacrifice 500 years ago for the Inca Gods including the sun moon and mountain. There was evidence that Sarita had been killed with a blow to the head. 

Sarita was a teenage girl around 14-years-old. She was slender and weighed 80 lbs at the time. She was healthy and her bones and teeth were strong. She had a well-balanced diet and had fasted the day before her death. 

She was found in the fetal position and placed on a platform along with three gold and silver statuettes and a small bundle of coca leaves, these were traditional offerings to the mountain gods. There were 7 more offerings with her, a seven-inch tall silver female statuette wrapped in textiles, one silver and gold male statuette, a female figurine, a llama carved out of spodylus shell, and on a nearby platform was one gold and one silver llama.

Because Sarita had been left on the sun-drenched east face of the mountain, her body had decomposed. Reinhard and his team moved the mummy to the snow-covered south face to freeze it before a 20-hour journey to the conservation laboratory at Catholic University, where Sarita will be preserved and eventually unwrapped.

SOURCES:
Archeology

PNAS

Crystal Links

UNIDENTIFIED: September 6, 1923 Bellevue, Michigan Unknown Boy

 

On September 6, 1923, at 4:15 a.m. a young man who was also stealing a train ride found the body of another young man stealing a train ride. He made the discovery and stated that he remembered seeing him boarding in Lansing at the freight yards, but did not see him after that. He was further back on the train and had seen the body notifying the train staff. The Eaton County Sheriff and coroner were called to view the body of a young man near the train tracks in Bellevue, Michigan. 

It was believed that the boy was a hobo who had died when he fell from the top of the train car when the train lurched. The automatic airbrakes set and brought the train to a sudden stop throwing the boy to the ground causing his death instantly. He had a broken neck, crushed ribs, broken hip, and a fatal wound from a gun. It was not a bullet that killed him, a loaded .22 caliber in his pocket had been pushed 6 inches into his chest from the impact. 

He was a white male around 17-years-old. He was 5'6" and 125 to 135lbs. He had light brown or sandy hair and blue eyes. He had 2 scars between the fifth and sixth intercostal spaces, and these scars may have been left from drainage tubes that were inserted, and 2 marks on his right arm indicating vaccination. His hands were soft but looked like he worked in a machine shop or garage with grime under his nails. 

He was wearing common blue overalls, blue workshirt, jacket, shoes, socks, and brown textured cap. His clothes were dirty. His pockets had no wallet or money and only a few items. He had a Chicago subway token and bullets. 

It's possible that he had recently become a hobo as his body did not show the signs of living that type of lifesyle. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Find a Grave Newspaper Article

Bellevue Historical Society

Battle Creek Enquirer September 8, 1923

GHOSTS: Baby Blue

 

Image made in Imagine AI Art Generator

Poor Baby Blue had no chance as his mother was crazy. She would kill the baby with a piece of mirror glass.  This was how Baby Blue became a legend. They similar to Bloody Mart can be called through a mirror. 

There are two different ways of calling baby blue.

In this one to start the ritual or game you should enter a bathroom and fog up the mirror with a friend. You can do this by breathing on it or using hot water. Once the mirror is fogged write "Baby Blue" on the mirror. Next, you turn the light off and wait around a minute. Then you should hold your arms like you would be carrying a baby. Your arms should feel the sensation of a baby in your arms. Hold them as if they are alive and there.

If you are doing this with a friend please hand the baby over carefully. If Baby Blue is dropped they will leave a scratch and if you intentionally drop them several times it won't end well. The mirror glass will explode killing you.

A second version of this legend has a slightly different ritual:

Enter the bathroom with the light already off. You will stand in front of the mirror and repeat "Baby Blue" or "Bloody Mary I killed your baby" 13 times. While doing this you should rock your arms back and forth like you are rocking a baby. After the 13th chant baby blue should appear in your arms and give you a scratch. 

Then you are supposed to do the opposite of the first way. You are to drop or flush it down the toilet the baby and turn on the lights and leave. If you keep the baby the mother would come back screaming "Give me my baby!" and attempt to kill you with a piece of glass. 

SOURCES:

Scary for Kids

Urban Ledgendpedia Wiki

Amy's Crypt

Urban Legends and Horror

UNIDENTIFIED: Vilas County, Wisconsin Doe

 A partially damaged skull of a teenager was found in the archives and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The only identifying label was Vilas County SP 10278 and it's believed that the skull was given to the university around the mid-20th century. 

The skull is of unknown gender and race but is believed to belong to someone between 12 to 15-years-old.

SOURCES:

NamUs 

UNIDENTIFIED: August 30, 2013 La Paz County, Arizona Doe

 On August 30, 2013, on the banks of a river near Ehrenberg, Arizona a mandible was found. Gender could not be determined, but it's believed that they were between 18 to 55-years-old, and died between 1905 to 2005.

SOURCES:
NamUs

UNIDENTIFIED: August 27, 1863 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jane Doe

On August 27, 1863, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania an unknown woman would die. She would be buried at the Philadelphia Almshouse Cemetery.

Jane Doe is a white female around 30-year-old.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

UNIDENTIFIED: August 25, 1923 Raleigh, North Carolina John Doe

On August 25, 1923, the body of a man was found in a wooded area in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was believed that he had been dead for around a month before he was found. His cause of death is either unknown or unstated. 

John Doe was a black male about 45-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

MISSING: Diane Marie Webb

 

18-year-old Diane Webb lived with her family in San Bernadino, California until 1959. In March her family would move to Dolan Springs, Arizona, and Diane would stay. She would then stay with her 16-year-old boyfriend, Bennie Webb, who would soon become her husband.

At least one time that year she stayed with her family in Arizona for a week. During the visit, she told her parents she was pregnant and that she was going to marry. Her father disapproved of the relationship, but her younger brother and mother made it to the wedding in Indio, California. 

The wedding was the last time her family saw her, but they would receive letters for several months after her wedding. The last letter was mailed on August 22, 1959, for her little sister's birthday. It included handkerchiefs that she crocheted for her. 

A letter would then arrive to Diane's family from Bennie in late 1960. He had believed that she was with them in Dolan Springs, and this confused them. They would send a letter back asking what had happened and when she had left. 

On January 5, 1961, he responded back stating that he hadn't heard from or seen Diane in a very long time. That he had given her $100 and put her on a bus to Dolan Springs. He stated she wrote one letter to him after she left and stated she had a miscarriage. Bennie recommended they to talk to a friend of Diane's in California to see if she knew something.

In August of 1961 Diane or someone else using her name visited a dentist's office in California. This was the last possible sign of her. 

Diane's family suspects that her husband had done something to her. Her father went to Bennies hometown in New Mexico where Bennies brother was a police chief. He was searching to see if he can find information on Diane. Allegedly Bennies brother chased him out of town. 

Bennie is still alive, but is not cooperating with the police and refuses a polygraph. He allegedly never recalled marrying Diane, but their marriage certificate exists. This however seems suspicious but does not mean he is guilty. 

Diane is a white female and was 18-years-old at the time. She's 5'2" to 5'4" and 110 to 120lbs. She has brown hair and grey eyes. She was pregnant at the time but may have had a miscarriage, one of her breasts was larger than the other, she has freckles on the tip of her nose, and her ears are pierced. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Charley Project

International Missing Persons

UNIDENTIFIED: August 20, 1997 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada Jane Doe

 On August 20, 1997, a canoeist found a human skull on the Moose Jaw River just south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. The skull was exposed to the elements between 50 to 100 years. Meaning she may have died between 1890s to the 1940s.

The skull belonged to a preteen girl around 12-years-old. She may have possibly been white.

SOURCES:
Canadas Missing
Doe Network
Unidentified Wiki

MONSTERS: Kit Swamp Monster

 

On Thursday, August 18, 1875, Asa Grundy thought it was going to be a normal day in Kits Swamp, North Carolina. His five-year-old daughter was playing with a neighbor child in a corn crib while he was stripping fodder in the field. Then he heard the children screaming, the dogs barking, and his wife screaming. Asa stopped what he was doing and ran towards the edge of the cornfield where all the screaming was coming from. 

In front of him stood a monster that was carrying the children with one in each paw. The monster was heading towards the woods. When Asa appeared it surprised the monster making him pause for a second.

The father did what he thought fit as with all his strength he swung towards the monster. With a solid hit on the forehead, the monster fell to the ground and dropped both children. Before Asa could capture the thing it suddenly got up and ran into the woods with no trace of it being found.

Asa said that the beast had the face of a wanderoo, the body of a baboon and the arms and legs of a human. He claims that for the last few weeks a strange being had been preying upon poultry, garden vegetables and green corn in an alarming amount. 

The inhabitants of  Kits Swamp was now on edge as they kept an eye on the beast who was possibly after their children. Two particular residents were keeping a real close eye for the monster. The story goes that Eli Sparrow and Frank Hanson kept their eyes out for it determined to get it when they spot it.

The monster was lurking on the outside of a small clearing owned by Maria Harkley.  At this time Maria and her two young children were picking blackberries. The three men were sitting on a pine tree log watching as the Monster started approaching the young Maria's young boy who was 50 yards away from his mother. 

When the intruder was spotted the three men hid behind the log and kept an eye on the monster. They wanted to see what it was up to. The boy was now within range for the men to shoot if the monster came towards him. The men did not automatically shoot as they wanted to see the monsters intention, because they wanted to get it alive. But it became apparent that the monster wanted to kidnap the boy.  

When the monster came 10 feet of the boy and seemed to want to lunge at him they shot him towards his lower half. The monster fell, but the before the men could get to him it ran into the woods. It outran its hunters, but the blood trail helped them find it.

They pursued the monster for two hours before happening upon chaparral that was too thick to go through. They then saw an opening and Story volunteered to go through. It was small and dark for Story. He had eventually run into a plank that he had to remove and it let the light come in. This was when he made eye contact with the monster. 

The others followed after him. The monster seemed to have felt scared and trapped. It tried to defend itself sprung at Story and during the struggle, his gun went off. Which caused the creature to lose its life.

The three men brought it to town and many people had awwed at the monster. The skin of the monster was sent to Baltimore to be stuffed and put into an exhibit. It is unknown if it was really stuffed.

I only happened upon these articles and could not find out more about it. The story had to of been somewhat big at the time as a newspaper from London had an article about it. It is not known how much truth there is to the story.

If this story has any truth of this. Then it would mean that  Kits Swamp North Carolina had a Bigfoot-like creature terrorizing the town, and they had caught it. 

SOURCES:

Newbern Weekly Journal of Commerce August 21, 1875

Newbern Weekly Journal of Commerce September 11, 1875

The Times October 1, 1875