Robert the Doll

Hello everyone! I hope you're having a great start to 2020. 😁

You may have watched a film or two over the years that were inspired by the particular doll I am writing about today. He was the inspiration for several films and characters, but the most famous is Chucky in Childs Play. Recently there was a series of movies made about Robert himself which started with the film called Robert in 2015. 

You may have heard some of the stories in this post before, but I am going to share what I have found with you, so I hope you enjoy. 😊

Who is Robert? Where did he come from?

Robert the Doll. Image credit: Cayobo @ Flickr

Robert stands at around 40 inches tall and is stuffed with wood wool. He wears a sailor suit that was said to have once been worn by Gene as a child and has beady black eyes. He now has his own stuffed dog toy that sits on his lap in his case at the Fort East Martello Museum.

Robert was a gift to a young boy called Robert Eugene Otto, but he went by Gene for short. Robert was an ordinary-looking doll made of out cloth, but when he arrived at their home strange things started to happen.

There are two stories about how Robert ended up the property of Gene, and the stories go as follows:

1. The spookier story of the two is that Robert was a gift to the young boy from a servant that worked for his parents. Allegedly they mistreated her pretty badly, and to get her revenge she cursed the doll using voodoo and black magic to punish them.
   
2. The realistic and less spooky version is that his grandfather got the doll as a gift for Gene when he visited Germany. It has also been proven that the doll was actually made by the Steiff Company in Germany.

So, what were the strange things that started to happen when Robert arrived?

Strange Events

"He brought it everywhere, he talked about it in the first person as if he weren't a doll, he was Robert. As in the doll is a living entity."

The strange things started happening when Gene was 10 years old. One night he woke up to find Robert sat at the end of his bed staring at him.  His mother awoke to screams from her son's bedroom and the sound of furniture being overturned.

When she managed to get inside the room she found Gene curled up on his bed absolutely petrified. His room was a mess and Robert was still sitting at the bottom of his bed.

Genes' parents also noticed that he would speak to the doll, but they would hear a different voice replying. They also reported seeing Robert's expression changing, hearing him giggle, and that they witnessed him running up the stairs.

People also said that Gene's other toys were being mutilated by Robert and that he would blame any strange behaviour on the doll. Some suspected that Gene may have been blaming his own bad behaviour on the doll.

Robert remained with Gene when his parents passed away, when he got married, and when his wife Anne moved into the house. That is when Gene decided to give Robert his own room overlooking the street.

Not long after Anne asked Gene to move Robert into the attic, but apparently, Robert was not impressed at all. Then the neighbourhood kids reported seeing Robert at the window upstairs and said that he was mocking them. Gene checked the room and discovered that he was at the window. This happened multiple times when he was meant to be in the attic.

When Gene passed away in 1974 a new family moved into the house and their daughter found Robert in the attic.

At first, she was delighted to find the doll, but that soon changed when she realised he was alive and trying to hurt her. She also recalled Robert moving around the room on his own. She started having night terrors and finding her toys mutilated, and said that on several occasions Robert tried to kill her and the family dog.  

Scared for their safety, Robert was donated to the Fort East Martello Museum in 1994, and that is where he resides to this day.

Recent Events at the Museum

Robert the Doll at Fort East Martello Museum. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Since being at the museum he has had many visitors, and allegedly Robert still scares and taunts people to this day.

He dislikes having his photo taken, and there is a notice that visitors must ask permission before they take one. Many people have reported their cameras would stop working when they tried to get a photo, and then start working as soon as they left.

In addition to cameras not working in his presence, people also believed Robert to be the cause of:

• Car accidents
• Broken bones
• Job loss
• Divorce

As a result, the museum has received thousands of letters addressed to Robert apologising for upsetting him and asking for his forgiveness. Some people have even sent in boxes of candy.

Final Thoughts

As much as I would love the first story full of magic and voodoo to be true because it would explain everything and be pretty cool, I do think the more believable of the two stories is that his grandfather bought him the doll.

However, this doesn't explain why the young girl experienced almost the exact same things as Gene did when he was a boy. Is it purely coincidence or did she hear about Robert from other people that lived in the area when she moved in? 

What are your thoughts on Robert the Doll? Do you think he is cursed or this was all created by a mischevious young boy? Please share in the comments!

Today's case took place in Devon, England and has inspired murder mysteries by the likes of Charles Dickens. We will be looking at Constance Kent, who she was, and why she committed this crime in 1860.

Her Family

Constance was born on the 5th of February 1844 in Devon, England. Her parents were Samuel Saville Kent and Mary Ann Kent. The couple had ten children but five died at a young age. After Mary Ann gave birth to their tenth child she went insane.

Not long after this, Samuel hired Mary Drewe Pratt as a governess and housekeeper, but they fell in love.

After the death of his wife Mary Ann, Samuel got married to Mary Drewe and they had three more children. While she was pregnant with their fourth child their youngest, Francis, was murdered.

The Crime

On the 29th of June 1860, Francis was put to bed in the nursemaid's room. Elizabeth Gough was the nursemaid at the time and in the middle of the night, she woke up to find he was gone. She just assumed that he was with his mother and went back to sleep.

However, when she awoke again she realised he was still missing. By 8am she had alerted the family and there was a search underway to find the young boy.

After an hour of searching a local farmer and shoemaker checked the disused servant toilet. When they lifted the lid they found a blanket covered in blood. They had found Francis' body.

When they picked his body up to move him his head almost fell off and his mouth appeared to be black as if he had been suffocated. 

At first, the main suspect was the nursemaid Elizabeth Gough. The local Superintendent believed that the child could not go missing without her knowing. His theory was that she was with her lover when Francis woke up and disturbed them, so they suffocated him and mutilated the body to hide the true cause of death.

Jonathon Whicher. Image credit: Wikipedia

Eventually, Scotland Yard joined the investigation and sent Detective Inspector Jonathon Whicher. He didn't agree with the Superintendent and suspected 16-year-old Constance. His theory was that she was jealous of the younger children, which made her commit the crime.

When she was put in front of magistrates there was not enough evidence to charge her, so Elizabeth Gough was charged with the murder.

The Confession

Constance spent time abroad at a convent in Brittany, and when she returned in 1863 she went to Brighton and joined a religious retreat. It was there that she confessed on April 25th 1865. She told Reverend Arthur Wagner that she murdered her stepbrother. She handed a noted over to the magistrates when she confessed to them. It stated:

"I, Constance Emile Kent, alone and unaided on the night of the 29th of June 1860, murdered at Road Hill House, Wiltshire one Francis Saville Kent. Before the deed, no one knew of my intention, nor after of my guilt; no one assisted me in the crime, nor in my evasion of discovery."

She said she murdered him because he was her stepmothers favourite, and she wasn't happy she had replaced her mother. 

Constance Kent. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Even after her admission of guilt people did not believe her, as parts of her story didn't match the facts. She said she had used a razor to kill the boy, but the wounds were caused by a knife. Francis also weighed 35 pounds and Constance said that she held him in one arm as she climbed out of the house before she killed him. She also said she thought the child was not dead, but he had almost been decapitated. 

Even though there were many anomalies in her stories, they were never brought up in court and she pleaded guilty. She was sentenced to death initially, but it was commuted to life because of her age at the time of the murder.

She spent 20 years in prison and was released at 41 years old. She moved to Australia to join her brother William and changed her name to Emily Kent. She lived in Australia until she died in 1944. She lived to be 100 years old and never recanted. 

Final Thoughts

Some believe that she never committed the murder and she was possibly covering for her brother or father.

William was equally resentful of their stepmother and at the time of the murder, he was 15 years old, and he would have been more capable of the murder. Some also believe her father could have been the killer, as he was a known adulterer and could've been sleeping with the nursemaid.

I think it is very possible she was covering for someone else the whole time. However, I am not sure why she decided to do it. The one thing that surprised me was that she never recanted even after her brother and father passed away.

What do you think of this case? Who do you think did it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The tale of Sawney Bean inspired Wes Craven's 1977 horror movie The Hills Have Eyes. The Hills Have Eyes earned 25 million dollars and there have been sequels and remakes since the original was released. The movie became a franchise and there are graphic novels and merchandise available too.

So, who was Sawney Bean? Sawney Bean was the leader of a clan in Scotland. His clan was a good size and it had 45 members in total. They were active in the 16th century and were executed for the mass killing and cannibalisation of around 1000 people.

It's not known if Sawney Bean ever existed as there is no documentation to prove it, but it's a well-known story in Edinburgh and has become part of the tourism.

Attention! The content of this article or section may seem obscene or offensive to some readers.

The Tale of Sawney Bean

Alexander "Sawney" Bean was born in East Lothian, Scotland. His father was a ditch-digger and Bean tried to follow in his father's footsteps. However, he lost interest in labour and realised it wasn't for him.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

He met and fell for a woman called Agnes Douglas who had been accused of being a witch by the locals. The couple left, began robbing and cannibalised one of their victims.

On their travels, they found a cave on the coast and decided to live there. In their 25 years living in the cave, they had 8 sons, 6 daughters, 18 grandsons and 14 granddaughters. Various grandchildren were products of incestuous intercourse between the children and their parents.

To feed their growing clan they would ambush people at night to rob them, and then take the bodies back to their cave to eat them.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The locals noticed people were disappearing and body parts were washing up on the coast. They would leave body parts to be found so the locals would blame it on a beast. This meant that they had no idea that the clan lived so close.

Several searches took place to find the person or animal responsible for the murders. They found the cave but they never searched the cave because they didn't believe anyone could live there. Some locals even believed it was a goblin-like creature. As a result, several innocent people were accused and killed, but the murders didn't stop.

They were discovered one night when they attacked a young married couple. Unfortunately for them he was skilled in combat and fought them off with a sword and pistol. His poor wife was not so lucky, and when she fell the clan attacked her.  Before they could finish off the husband a group of people from a fayre nearby appeared, and the clan had to flee.

Sawney Bean's Cave. Image credit: Mary and Angus Hogg

Now their existence was known they were hunted. 400 men with bloodhounds searched for the clan on behalf of the king. The eventually found the cave, and when they got inside they found a horrifying scene. They found human remains hung and dried, the cave reeked of decay, and there were barrels of pickled and salted body parts. They also found stolen goods which consisted of gold, silver, watches, rings and weapons. 

What Happened Then?

The ending of this chilling story has 2 versions, and it's unknown which of them is true. 

Version 1:

This version tells how the clan were captured alive, and they put up no fight. They were taken to jail in chains and executed without trial. The clan showed no remorse for what they did.

Sawney and the other males had their genitalia removed and thrown into a fire. They then had their feet and hands severed and were left to bleed to death. Sawneys last words were:

"It isn't over, it will never be over."

Agnes and the girls watched the men die before they were burnt at the stake for their crimes.

Version 2:

In this version, the cave entrance was blown in using gunpowder. This left the Bean clan to suffocate inside with no way to escape.

Final Thoughts

Cannibalism is horrific but has been around since prehistoric times. However, this does not excuse what this clan did. This tale is gruesome from beginning to end, and I have never been one to enjoy movies that involve cannibalism, such as The Hills Have Eyes.

I had never heard of this tale before, but I found it very interesting to read about! Even though there is no proof the clan actually existed.

What do you think of this tale? Do you think it could be real or is it just a myth? Please let me know in the comments!

Who were Betty and Barney Hill?

Betty and Barney Hill were an American couple that lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Barney was an employee of the US Postal Service, and Betty was a social worker. They were an inter-racial couple, which at the time was uncommon in America. Their experience in 1961 was the first alien abduction to be publicised.

The Night of the Abduction

It happened on September 19th 1961 at around 10:30pm. The couple were travelling home from their trip to Niagra Falls and Montreal in Canada.

Niagra Falls. Image credit: Saffron Blaze Photography

While they were driving on the US Route 3 they saw a bright light. Betty said she thought it was a shooting star before realising it was moving oddly. As it moved closer to the car they decided to pull over to get a closer look at it. Betty used a pair of binoculars and saw that it was an "oddly shaped craft" with many lights. She also described the craft as 60 ft long, round, and it appeared to rotate constantly. 

Barney looked through the window of the craft using the binoculars and saw 8-11 humanoids in black uniforms and hats. This made him go into a blind panic and he wanted to get out of there right away. He thought they were going to be captured, so they got back into their car and drove away. 

They both reported hearing a rhythmic sound that they believed was following their car. They also said they experienced their senses dulling and a weird tingling sensation through their bodies.

When they regained consciousness they realised they had travelled 35 miles and had little to no memory of it. When they got home they also noticed it had taken them a lot longer than it should have.

They both experienced strange impulses like taking long showers to wash off the residue, even though they were not sure what happened.  They also noticed some of their belongings were different to how they remembered. Such as the strap on their binoculars had snapped, their watches never worked again, and odd shapes were found on the roof of their car similar to crop circles.

Betty reported their encounter on September 21st and had an interview with Major Paul Henderson. After their interview with Henderson, they were not believed and told they possibly misidentified the planet Jupiter.

Their Hypnosis Sessions

Betty started to read books about UFO's and had dreams about the encounter. Barney stated he believed he had some sort of mental block stopping him from remembering what happened that night. So the couple decided to try hypnosis to remember what happened. 

They started their sessions in January 1964 with Benjamin Simon, and they were both hypnotised separately. Barney went first, and to avoid them overhearing or discussing their memories he would reinstate their amnesia after each session.

Barney's Sessions

Barney went in first and he remembered that his binocular strap was broken when they were running back to their car. He also remembered having the urge to drive into the forest where they were met by 6 men. They told Barney not to fear them. He described them as resembling a human with black hair, grey skin, dark eyes and bluish lips. He also said they communicated mainly using telepathy.

He remembered being taken into the ship with Betty and then being separated. He was then laid on a table but kept his eye closed the whole time he was examined. He felt them examine his genitals, skin, eyes, ears and mouth. He also described them inserting a cylindrical object into his anus and then removing it quickly.

At the end of the examination, he remembered being escorted off the craft and being taken back to their car. There they both watched the ship as it left.

Betty's Sessions

When Betty had her session she became very emotional so it had to be ended. However, when Betty was able to complete the session she recalled being walked through the forest by 2 men. She remembered that Barney followed them but he was in a trance-like state. 

Once they entered the ship they were separated and that was when she was examined. They told her it was to see the differences between their kind and humans.

They examined her eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, and hands. They also took a strand of hair and fingernail clippings. When they were done she also remembered being escorted out of the ship and watching them leave.

Even after their sessions, they were not believed. However, they helped them both come to terms with what happened to them and accept their experience. Barney didn't embrace it like Betty did, but they began opening up and discussing it with family and friends.

Betty claimed she saw UFO's several times since her experience. She also became a well-renowned figure within the UFO community until her death in October 2004. Barney passed away February 1969 at 46 years of age of a cerebral haemorrhage. 

Refutations

Many people believe there are other explanations for what the Hills saw that night, and that they never encountered any aliens.

One theory is that the couple was experiencing hallucinations caused by stress as an inter-racial couple. Betty said this was untrue as they were a happy couple. 

There were also suggestions that Barney may have been influenced by an episode on a TV show called The Outer Limits, The Bellero Shield. When asked about this Betty said she had never heard of it.

Lastly locals to the area the abduction happened say there is an aircraft beacon that appeared and disappeared at the times the Hills say they saw the ship.

Final Thoughts

I am on the fence. I believe there must be life out there, but I don't know what I think of alien abductions. What are your thoughts on aliens and alien abductions? Do you believe they happen? Please share your thoughts below! 

The plantation was built in 1796 in Lousiana by General David Bradford, also known as "Whiskey David". A nickname he got due to his role in the Whiskey Rebellion. Originally the plantation was called Laurel Grove, and David lived alone for years until his family joined him after he was pardoned for his part in the Whiskey Rebellion.

Myrtles Plantation is a large house built in the traditional Creole-cottage style with 22 rooms across 2 floors, and it is surrounded by 600 acres of land. 

Throughout its history, Myrtles Plantation has survived the American Civil War, been through multiple ownership changes, became a bed and breakfast, and also then a tourist attraction as the Most Haunted House in America. It's also allegedly haunted by 12 ghosts, and today I am going to share some of the stories with you guys!

Image credit: Wikipedia/Bogdan Oporowski

The Legend of Chloe

The legend of Chloe is the most well known of the ghost stories told about Myrtles Plantation. Chloe was a servant for Sara and Clark Woodruff. The story tells the tale of Clark forcing Chloe into being his mistress. One day Chloe is caught eavesdropping on private conversations and as a punishment, one of her ears was removed and she began wearing a green turban.

Chloe decided to get revenge on the family and baked a cake laced with oleander leaves. Some believe that Chloe planned to nurse the sick back to health to regain her position in the family. However, if that was her plan it didn't work. After eating the cake Sara and two of her children passed away.

Chloe was then captured by the other slaves at the plantation and hung. They then dumped her body into the Mississippi River, possibly to avoid punishment themselves.

The story is sad but there is no actual proof that any of it happened. There is no record of the Woodruffs owning a slave called Chloe or Cloe, nor is there proof that Sara and her children died of poisoning. They all died after contracting yellow fever.

Regardless of there being no evidence to support this tale, people still believe a woman wearing a green turban wanders the plantation grounds.

The Haunted Mirror

Mirrors were usually covered in homes following a death, this was so the deceased's image didn't get trapped inside the mirror. However, there is one mirror in the plantation that appears to have been overlooked. It is said to hold the spirits of Sara and her 2 children. People have reported seeing them and their handprints in the mirror. 

Ghost Girl

A young girl has been seen at the plantation and is said to be the ghost of a young girl that died at the hands of a voodoo doctor in 1868. Legend has it that she appears in the room that she died in and practices voodoo on anybody staying there.

The Ghost of William Drew Winter

William Drew Winter is the only confirmed death to take place at the plantation. William was shot dead by a stranger on the front porch. Unfortunately, he only made it to the 17th step before he passed away. People say that his ghostly steps can still be heard and that they stop when they reach the 17th step.

Image credit: Mr Jason Hayes/Flickr

The Union Soldiers and Other Stories

The house is allegedly built on an Indian burial ground and visitors have reported seeing a young Native American Woman on the grounds. 

During the Civil War, the Plantation was looted of anything valuable, and one story is that it was robbed by Union Soldiers. As they were stealing from the plantation it's told that 3 of them were killed inside the house. 

There is also allegedly a bloodstain in the doorway of the Plantation that is roughly the size of a body. After many attempts to remove the stain, it would not budge.

Final Thoughts

Myrtles Plantation has been standing since 1796 and has been owned by many different people over the years. I honestly think a building with this much history could be haunted. I know there is proof of only one murder taking place, but I think that a lot of the stories could be true. 

What do you think? Do you believe in ghosts? Let me know down in the comments! Thank you for reading. 

The Axeman of New Orleans is an American serial killer that was active from May 1918 until October 1919. The killer was never caught for any of his attacks, and the murders are still unsolved to this date.

The Axeman's victims were attacked using an axe as the name implies. It would usually be an axe that belonged to the victims themselves and was usually left at the crime scene. They would break into the homes of their victims, kill the occupants inside, but never steal anything.

People began to notice that many of the victims were Italian immigrants or Italian-Americans, which made them think the attacks were hate crimes. It caused hysteria throughout New Orleans, especially among the Italian community. Eventually, people would start to believe that the Axeman was not human at all, and believed they were some sort of demon.

There have been a few theories as to why the Axeman committed their crimes, but nothing is known for sure. It's believed that the crimes were targeted against females as any males that were harmed had just got in the way during the attack. This is a possibility as some men were spared when the Axeman entered their homes, and only the women were attacked or murdered.

The less likely theory was that the killer was a huge jazz fan and was trying to promote the genre of music. This theory came about because of a letter sent to the press saying they would spare the lives of anyone playing jazz in their homes on the evening of March 19th 1919. On that evening the jazz halls were full and jazz bands were playing parties at homes throughout town.

Nobody was killed that night.

Then in October 1919, the spree ended just as abruptly and mysteriously as it had begun.

In the time they were active the Axeman attacked 12 people in total, and 6 of those victims died from their injuries.

Attention! The content of this article or section may seem obscene or offensive to some readers.

The Victims

Joseph and Catherine Maggio. Joseph was an Italian grocer that was murdered with his wife in their home with a straight razor.

Louis Besumer and Harriet Lowe. The couple was attacked with Besumer's hatchet. They were hit over the head and found in a pool of blood. 

Anna Schneider. Attacked August 1918 when she was 8 months pregnant. She was beaten in the face repeatedly and was found by her husband. After the attack, she didn't remember anything about it but she gave birth to a healthy daughter.

Joseph Romano. He was an elderly man living with his nieces at the time of the attack. It happened August 1918 when the nieces heard noises coming from his room. When they entered his room to check they found him bleeding from 2 open wounds on his head. He would die from his injuries 2 days later.

Charles, Rosie and Mary Cortimiglia. The family were attacked at their home in March 1919. Their two-year-old daughter Mary died from a blow to the back of her neck, but Charles and his wife Rosie survived.

Steve Boca. Steve was attacked in his bedroom and hit over the head. He was knocked unconscious by the blow, but when he woke up he remembered nothing. He had suffered a serious head injury, and even though he fully recovered he never remembered what happened.

Sarah Kaumann. Attacked in her own home in September 1919. She was discovered by her neighbours when they broke in to check on her. She had a head injury and was missing some of her teeth. The weapon was found covered in blood on the front lawn. Sarah would go on to recover from her injuries but remember nothing.

Mike Pepitone. He was attacked in October 1919 in his bedroom. His wife heard the noises and woke up to find a man fleeing the scene. Mike had a serious head injury and was covered in blood. Unfortunately, Mike died of his injury, and this is the last of the Axeman's alleged murders.

The Suspects

The police questioned several suspects but no arrests were made due to a lack of clues and leads, which meant the killer was never caught. Even today nobody knows the true identity of the Axeman. 

One theory I found was by crime writer Colin Wilson, and he believed that the killer was a man called Joseph Momfre. They also stated that Mike Pepitone's widow shot Momfre dead and this is why the Axeman's spree ended so abruptly. However, there is no evidence to support this theory or any police record that proves the murder took place.

Final Thoughts

I find it crazy that there is still very little known about the killer after so many years. They don't know who actually committed these crimes, nor do they know the motivation behind them. We will probably never know the truth, but I find this case particularly interesting because of the mystery behind it. 

What do you think of the Axeman and their killing spree? Let me know in the comments.

Also please let me know if there are any unsolved cases you'd like me to cover on the blog! Thank you so much for reading.

The Silent Twins

June and Jennifer Gibbons were born on the 11th of April 1963. They were identical twins born in Aden in the Middle East to parents Gloria and Aubrey Gibbons. They moved to the UK with their family and lived in a small town in Wales.

Their Childhood

When the girls were young they would only communicate with each other and their younger sister Rose. They both had a speech impediment and were late speakers which made them hard to understand. This frustrated them so much they decided not to speak at all and it soon became a habit.

The twins were bullied relentlessly at school for being the only black children there, so the teachers started dismissing them 5 minutes early to avoid the bullies. The more they were bullied the less they spoke. This resulted in their speech becoming practically unintelligible to others, they became emotionless, and they would mirror each other's movements. For example, their walking would be synchronised, they would walk with their heads down, and whenever a person looked at them they would stop and only continue when they looked away.

This phenomenon is seen in twins a lot and is called Cryptophasia which means secret speech in Greek. It refers to the private languages used by children - especially twins - and is also known as twin talk or twin speak. Cryptophasia also includes mirrored actions and identical mannerisms.

Adolescence

At the age of 14, the girls were sent to different boarding schools in an effort to get them speaking to other people. Therapists had tried with no success and their parents felt this would help them out of their shells. However, when they were apart they became catatonic.

This only ended when the twins were reunited but they began to isolate themselves further and spent a lot of time in their room with Rose. They spent years together in their room creating plays with their dolls, giving them names, and even documenting their deaths. Eventually, they stopped talking to Rose when she got her own room.

One Christmas they were given matching red diaries and started writing. After studying a creative writing course together they went on to write several novels.

June wrote a story called Pepsi-Cola Addict that was set in an American high school about a teenager being seduced by a teacher. Jennifer wrote a novel called The Pugilist, a story about a physician that kills the family dog to use it's heart in a transplant to save their child's life. As you can see their novels were a bit on the strange side but they also wrote plays and short stories. 

As time went on the twins started to exhibit darker behaviour towards each other. On several occasions, they would fight and become extremely violent. Their fights would include scratching and strangling each other, and during one incident June tried to drown Jennifer. They both wrote regularly about their love-hate relationship in their diaries.

"Nobody suffers the way I do, not with a sister; with a husband, yes; with a wife, yes; with a child, yes, but this sister of mine, a dark shadow robbing me of sunlight, is my one and only torment."

In their teens, they met a couple of American boys and started to go out a lot. They would dabble in drinking alcohol, having sex, and experimenting with marijuana. They did this because it helped them relax and they would talk and laugh more. When the boys told them they were leaving they started to commit petty crimes like shoplifting, which slowly escalated to setting fires to buildings and vandalism. As a result of their behaviour, they were sent to Broadmoor Hospital at the age of 19.

Life at Broadmoor Hospital

Broadmoor Hospital. Credit: Andrew Smith

When they arrived at Broadmoor they wouldn't talk to anyone, so they were given tranquillisers weekly to help them communicate with people. They were kept separated and would only communicate by writing to each other. When they tried to room the twins together it resulted in fighting and they would have to be separated again. June admitted that after the fighting they still loved each other, and they would be upset when they were split up again.

Even though the twins had been talking to others they were not released, and they spent a total of 12 years at Broadmoor. It wasn't until March 9th 1993 that the twins would be transferred to a lower security facility called Caswell Clinic. Allegedly before their transfer, Jennifer announced during a visit that the twins had decided she was going to die. 

While they were being transferred Jennifer said she felt unwell and she fell into what was described as a trance. When they arrived at Caswell Clinic she collapsed. Jennifer died in her sister's lap at only 29 years old. Her cause of death was sudden inflammation of the heart muscle. Her death is classed as a mystery as she was in good health at the time of her death, and no drugs or other substances were found in her system.

June was understandably grief-stricken by the death of her sister and wrote poems about her loss. However, it was reported that she also admitted feeling a sweet release. June wrote in her diary the night of her sister's death saying:

“Today my beloved twin sister Jennifer died. She is dead. Her heart stopped beating. She will never recognise me. Mom and Dad came to see her body. I kissed her stone-coloured face. I went hysterical with grief.”

June was released from Caswell Clinic a year after Jennifer's death and is now able to talk normally. She pursued her dreams of becoming a writer but unfortunately, it never took off. She now lives a quiet life close to her family in Wales. She visits her sisters grave regularly and wrote the following poem for her headstone:

"We once were two

We two made one

We no more two

Through life be one

Rest in peace"

The story of the 'Silent Twins' is commonly referred to as odd or creepy. Personally, I think it's a sad story about two sisters that struggled a lot from a young age with bullying and racism. Unfortunately, their relationship was unhealthy and would fluctuate between a deep love for one another and violent hatred.

Have you ever heard of the Silent Twins before? What is your opinion on their story? Please share below in the comments.

Image credit: Glen Bowman

A Brief History of Chillingham Castle

Chillingham Castle is located in Chillingham, Northumberland and was originally a monastery in the 12th century. The castle was in a very good place strategically, located between Scotland and England. Because of its location, it was used by King Edward I during his war against William Wallace and the Scottish military. 

Then in 1344, the castle was fortified and it is reported that some of the walls were made 10ft thick in places. In its long history the castle has been used as a stronghold, a royal residence, and during the second world war, it was even used as an army barracks. 

It has since been restored and some areas have been opened up to the public. Since the public has been able to visit there have been many reports of paranormal activity and ghost sightings. In this post, we are going to go over the most popular ghosts that have been seen at Chillingham Castle and their stories.

The White Lady

The White lady haunts the pantry area within the castle. The most documented sighting is from a footman that was guarding the silver in the pantry. He recalled being approached by a frail woman in white asking for a drink of water. As he turned to do so he remembered that the pantry was locked and nobody could possibly get inside. When he turned around again she had disappeared. 

It has been suggested that the reason why the white lady was seeking water was that she had been poisoned.

The Blue Boy

The Blue Boy is also known by the name The Radiant Boy, and he is the ghost that haunts the pink room in the castle. People have reported hearing a young child crying in fear at the stroke of midnight. Some say that he is a little boy dressed in blue surrounded by blue light, and others describe seeing a blue orb. 

It is thought that the manifestation is connected to the remains of a child found walled up inside the castle. The body was found while renovations were taking place, and the link was made because there were pieces of blue fabric found with the bones.

After the remains were found they were given a proper burial, and it appeared to have stopped the manifestations for a while. However, there have been new reports made by visitors saying they have seen a blue orb.

John Sage AKA John Dragfoot

Image credit: Derek Voller

The next ghost I am covering has the most gruesome story and he was called John Sage. John is described as a sadistic ex-soldier that became a torturer at the castle. He was also known as Dragfoot because of an injury he got when he took a spear to the leg. Even though his story is quite horrible there are no records that show John existed at all. Nonetheless, visitors have reported hearing Sage dragging his foot around the castle.

As mentioned above John became a torturer and he loved his work. He would take great pleasure in causing pain to others, and he would always try to find ways to improve his technique. His favourite way to torture prisoners was to put them into a cage and hang them over a fire.

Image credit: Glen Bowman

When the war of the Scots ended John gathered all of the adults and older children together and burnt them in the courtyard. He then gathered all of the young children together and hacked them with an axe.

John's downfall began when he accidentally strangled his girlfriend to death while they made love. When her father found out he threatened to gather an army to attack the castle, and he demanded that John is punished for what he did.

As a result, John was put to death and hung from a tree along the Devils Mile in front of a large crowd. His death was particularly gruesome, which you could say is fitting looking at his occupation. While he hung from the tree onlookers from the crowd started to cut off his toes, fingers, and even his testicles to keep as souvenirs (while he was still alive). 

Lady Mary Berkeley

Lady Mary Berkeley is a ghost that has been reported numerous times. Mary was married to Lord Grey of Wark and Chillingham, and sadly her husband ran off with her sister. When he left she was alone at the castle with their very young child. She waited there wandering the castle, hoping that he would return.

Visitors to the castle have reported hearing the rustle of her dress followed by a cold chill. People believe that this is Mary and that she still wanders the castle waiting for her husband to return to her.

Final Thoughts

I was both intrigued and saddened by these stories, especially when I read about The Blue Boy and Lady Mary Berkeley. Knowing that a little boy was found within the walls of the castle is sad enough, but reading the reports of a child crying really breaks my heart. It was the same when I read about Mary and the possibility that she is still waiting for her husband to return to her even in death.

The story of John Sage is very interesting and violent, and even though there is no proof he actually existed it is still fascinating to think a man like that could be haunting the castle grounds.

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever experienced anything you couldn't explain? Please share your stories below! 😊I would also love to hear suggestions, so please tell me what you'd like to read about!

The Staircase

This Netflix show follows the author Michael Peterson as he was put on trial for the murder of his wife Kathleen. Even though Micheal insists she fell down the stairs and reported the accident himself, he becomes their number one suspect. 

We then follow him as he goes through his trial, and you see the impact it had on both him and his family. It was an emotional rollercoaster for me. I was so angry, disappointed, and I even cried. A lot. It was hard to watch sometimes, especially when his wife's sisters started to attack him for his sexuality and even using his fictional work against him. 

I don't want to ruin anything for anyone because I know some may not have watched it yet, but I highly recommend it if you enjoy this kind of thing. I for one enjoyed seeing the trial and the evidence being presented. It was upsetting to watch at times, but I think it's a normal reaction considering his circumstances.

Abducted in Plain Sight

This was absolutely unbelievable to watch. I put this on randomly and I had no idea what to expect. It's another show I would highly recommend because it gives you a real insight into the lengths some people will go to when they want something or someone. 

This show is about a family that is manipulated by a neighbour they think is their friend. What is the reason for this manipulation you might ask? Their daughter Jan. The neighbour was called Robert Berchtold and he took a liking to Jan when she was a young girl. His manipulation wasn't limited to Jan, as he would also sink his claws into her parents to get closer to her.

This has to be one of the craziest shows I have watched. It involves not one but two abductions, a mission to save an alien planet, threats, and affairs. It's crazy to watch and you won't believe what you are hearing. Trust me when I say this is shocking.

Murder Mountain

I watched this one with Ryan and we both enjoyed it. Ryan doesn't like watching anything about crime or murder, but he is interested in documentaries about the war on drugs. So, you could say this was a mix of the two and a good compromise. We really struggle to find things we'd both like to watch.

The show starts by telling you about Humboldt County, the marijuana industry, and the numerous missing person cases in the area. Throughout the series, they focus on the missing person case of Garret Rodriquez and how the investigation unraveled. You see interviews with his family, the 'outlaws' that live on Murder Mountain, Humboldt police, and the farmers that grow marijuana legally or illegally.

Again this show was frustrating because of the police and their negligence when it came to following leads for Garret's case. If you have seen it you know what I mean, but I'd recommend you check it out if you haven't yet!

Final Thoughts

I am thrilled that more and more true crime shows are becoming available on Netflix. It's great for someone like me that can't get enough of it! 

Have you watched any of these yourself? If so, what did you think? Or have you watched something recently that you thought was great? Let me know in the comments! 😊

Image credit: Wikipedia

The History of Borley Rectory

Borley Rectory was located in a small village called Borley in Essex. The rectory stood for less than 80 years and was built in 1862 opposite Borley Church. It was built for Reverend Henry Bull, his wife, and their 14 children when he became rector of the parish. It had 23 rooms and was said to have been built on the site of a 13th-century monastery.

The new rectory was built as the previous rectory was destroyed by a fire in 1841, and locals warned them that the site was haunted.

There is a story told about a nun and a monk that fell in love with each other and planned to elope. Unfortunately, their plan was unsuccessful and they were apprehended. They were both punished, the nun was walled up in the convent and the monk was beheaded. Locals say that this is the reason why their spirits haunt the area.

What is the game?

The Blue Whale Game began in Russia on social media. It consists of a series of tasks that are given to players by the administrators. The tasks are given over a 50 day period and start off seemingly harmless at first, but would slowly include self-harm and lead up to final challenge: suicide. 

The game itself is named after a phenomenon called cetacean stranding where whales and dolphins beach themselves and die.

The aim of this game is to break the spirit of the players and to encourage them to commit suicide.

Happy Valentines Day! The day of romance! The day of heart-shaped cards, bouquets of roses, and boxes of chocolate. Well, for most of the world it is. For me it means I get to write about couples that have killed together...as you do. 

There have been many crime loving couples over the years, and if I could write about all of them I would! However, I have chosen to share 3 couples with you that stood out to me for different reasons.

They are all wicked in their own way and their crimes equally as shocking. So without further ado, here are 3 killer couples that believed that couples that slay together, stay together. 

Attention! The content of this article or section may seem obscene or offensive to some readers.

Who was the Black Dahlia?

The Black Dahlia was the nickname given to Elizabeth Short, a young aspiring actress from Massachusetts. Some believe she had the name before her death due to her black hair and clothing, and others say it was given to her by the media. Elizabeth's body was found on January 15th, 1947 on a vacant lot in LA.

Attention! The content of this article or section may seem obscene or offensive to some readers.

Elizabeth's Early Life

Elizabeth Short was born on July 29th, 1924 and grew up in Medford, Massachusetts. She grew up with her father Cleo, mother Phoebe and four sisters. Her father built miniature golf courses for a living, but when Elizabeth was 6 years old her father lost all of their savings and the family had nothing. Shortly after this, her fathers abandoned car was found and it was believed he ended his own life. This meant that her family had to move into a small apartment, and Phoebe worked multiple jobs to get by.

In 1942 Phoebe received a letter from Cleo apologising for faking his death and leaving them, and said he was now living in California. In his letter, he asked to come home, but she refused to see him. At the age of 18, Elizabeth went to live with her father in California. However, she didn't stay long and due to their arguing, she moved out in 1943.

Elizabeth got herself a job near Lompoc on the Air Force Base and lived with her friends. She also lived with an Air Force Sergeant for a short period of time, but she moved out as he allegedly abused her. After leaving Lompoc she moved to Santa Barbara and it was here that she was arrested for underage drinking in a bar. The authorities tried to send her on her way back to Medford, but Elizabeth had other ideas and decided to go to Florida.

While in Florida she met a man called Major Matthew Michael Gordon Jr. She told her friends that he asked her to marry him by letter while he recovered from his injuries after a plane crash. However, before they could tie the knot he was sadly killed in a second plane crash in 1945.

In 1946 she relocated again to LA where she worked as a waitress. It's believed she wanted to become an actress. However, there is no evidence that she starred in any films while in LA.

The Murder

On January 15th, 1947 a body was found on a vacant lot in LA. The body was found by a woman and her child, and at first glance, they believed it was a discarded mannequin. Her body was pale, naked, and was severed into 2 pieces at the waist.

After further examination they discovered her blood had been drained, the body had been cleaned, and her face was slashed. The killer had sliced Elizabeth's mouth so she had a grin from ear to ear, also known as a Glasgow smile. She had cuts on her body, had been posed with her hands over her head, and her legs were apart.

After an autopsy had been performed they found superficial lacerations to her right forearm, left upper arm, and the left side of her chest. They found the cause of death to be hemorrhaging from the lacerations to her face and shock from the blows to the head and face. They also believed she had been tied down for days due to the rope marks on her wrists, neck, and ankles.

The Investigation

Image credit: Wikipedia

It was on January 21st that somebody contacted the editor of the newspaper The Examiner. They claimed they were the Black Dahlia's murderer and that they would be sending over "souvenirs of Beth Short".

An envelope arrived January 24th and the words had been created using newspaper clippings. The letter said:

"Here is the Dahlias belongings letter to follow."

The envelope contained some of Elizabeth's belongings, such as her birth certificate, business cards, photographs, and an address book. All of the items had been cleaned using gasoline just like Elizabeth's body. They were still able to pull some partial fingerprints off of the items, but they were unfortunately damaged in transit and could not be analysed. 

There were also reports of a handbag and shoe being found near the crime scene, but when they were recovered they had been cleaned with gasoline too.

The LAPD received many calls for Elizabeth's case, but the majority of them turned out to be hoaxes. They also received many more letters allegedly from the same person, but like the first, they had all been cleaned with gasoline and no prints could be lifted. 

Due to lack of evidence, this murder still remains one of the oldest cold cases in LA.

The Suspects

There have been many potential suspects and over 150 men were interviewed during the investigation. Even though so many men were interviewed the murderer was never found. There are many theories out there about who killed Elizabeth. Some of the men I feel could have been the actual murderer after researching the case are listed below:

Walter Bayley - He was a Los Angeles surgeon that lived very close to where Elizabeth's body was found. When he died in 1948 his widow claimed his mistress knew a secret about him, and that is why she was listed as his main beneficiary. Due to his medical background, many people believe he is a potential suspect. Some theories also suggest his secret was that he would perform abortions, which was illegal in the 1940s. The next theory is that his mistress killed Elizabeth, but there is no evidence support either theory.

George Hodel - Dr. Hodel was originally accused of sexually abusing his 14-year-old daughter when he became a suspect in the murder. The LAPD put Hodel under surveillance in 1950, and they installed 2 microphones into his home. In the recordings they heard a woman screaming, Hodel speaking to another person about killing a woman, and Hodel discussing the Black Dahlia murder. He was heard saying:

"Supposin' I did kill the Black Dahlia. They couldn't prove it now. They can't talk to me secretary now because she is dead."

Ed Burns - When Ed met Elizabeth they hit it off right away. He thought she was the girl of his dreams, and would give her money and listen to her stories. However, Elizabeth didn't show Ed off to her friends and it is believed this was because of his looks. Some people even described his features as rabbit-like. It's also believed that Elizabeth's stories and obsession with the Suzanne Degnan murder began to drive him crazy. He felt she idolised and loved the killer William Heirens more than she would ever love him, and this could be what drove him to kill her in the way he did. 

Ed committed suicide March 15th, 1947 exactly 2 months after the discovery of Elizabeth's body. He left a suicide note that said the following:

“To whom it may concern: I have waited for the police to capture me for the Black Dahlia killing, but have not. I am too much of a coward to turn myself in, so this is the best way out for me. I couldn’t help myself for that, or this. Sorry, Mary.”

There are many websites that share their thoughts and theories on what happened to Elizabeth Short. Most of my information came from BlackDahlia.web and blackdahliasolution.  They are very informative and go into more detail about the suspects and investigation. If you want to know more please check those links out!

Do you have any of your own theories about what happened to Elizabeth Short? Who do you think could have done this to her? 

Please share your thoughts with me below.