Many neighborhoods have at least one creepy house that has inspired ghost stories. That house in Los Feliz, located at 2475 Glendower Place, was the “Murder Mansion.” It received the ominous moniker because it was the scene of a… Read More ›
The community of Griswold, CT had forgotten about the old burying ground used by the Walton family in the 19thcentury until children playing near a gravel mine in 1990 found a couple of skulls that had become dislodged from some… Read More ›
Not All Vampires Wear Capes Some of history’s most depraved murderers have had a vampire-like fascination with blood. Some even believed they were an immortal bloodsucker. These killers include Friedrich Heinrich Karl “Fritz” Haarmann the “Vampire of Hanover,” Richard Trenton Chase the… Read More ›
Frances Glessner Lee (25 March 1878 – 27 January 1962) is best known as the creator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death that are miniature, detailed crime scene reconstructions of suspicious deaths. But Lee’s contribution to the modern era of… Read More ›
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Shark Week, I wanted to see if I could find a murder that involved this notorious predator. Per usual, Google did not disappoint. I’m a little sad that I had not heard this… Read More ›
A ‘murder bag’ or ‘detectives box’ is a kit used by crime scene investigators that contains protective gear and tools to recover evidence. The first steps in the creation of the ‘murder bag’ were made by 19th century medicolegal pioneers… Read More ›
A contractor tasked with constructing a new retaining wall for the Molly Corbin Enhancement Project at the West Point Cemetery disturbed Corbin’s burial in October of 2016. Captain Margaret “Molly” Corbin is the Revolutionary War hero who took over her… Read More ›
In February 2018, Dr. Caroline Wilkinson, forensic anthropologist and Director of the Faces Lab at Liverpool John Moores University, revealed her facial reconstruction of ‘Bella in the Wych Elm‘. The digital reconstruction shows the smiling face of a young woman… Read More ›
There is an area of land on the west side of the mouth of the Hampton River in Hampton Roads, VA that is known as Blackbeard’s Point. After Blackbeard was killed in battle in 1718, his head was placed on… Read More ›
In December of 1896, a group of anatomists and anthropologists from Washington, D.C. traveled to a sideshow in Atlanta to examine a mummy known as the San Diego Giant, purportedly the ancient desiccated corpse of one of the tallest men… Read More ›
On August 4, 1997, newspapers around the world announced the death of Jeanne Louise Calment, who died her home in Arles, France. She was not a political leader, a scientist, or a famous actress. Jean had the world’s longest (recorded)… Read More ›
Editor’s Note: I recently found out about a European, pagan tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice, a time when “the dead would have particularly good access to the living,” with ghost stories. Writers of mystery novels continued this tradition by… Read More ›
Editor’s Note: I recently found out about a European, pagan tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice, a time when “the dead would have particularly good access to the living,” with ghost stories. Writers of mystery novels continued this tradition by… Read More ›
Guides that lead ghost tours in New Orleans have a bounty of history and folklore to pull from when they escort tourists through the city telling tales of paranormal activity. One house that is a favorite on these macabre tours… Read More ›