murderandmacabre-blog

[murderandmacabre-blog]

Truevine was a small tobacco farming community near Roanoke, Virginia. In 1899, George and Willie Muse were abducted while working in a field. The boys were both albino African Americans, their appearance was considered exotic and was exploited by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey's "Greatest Show on Earth." The boys were named "Eko and Iko," and were shown to be cannibals and Martians in the sideshow.

The boys' mother, Harriet Muse, stopped at nothing to have her sons returned to her. In 1927, she showed up to the circus to reclaim her sons. She had to argue with eight policemen and two Ringling Brothers lawyers, but she succeeded. Harriet was illiterate, so no one truly knew how she'd known her sons would be at the circus that day. She said that it had come to her in a dream.

The Muse brothers' initial years with the circus are said to have been traumatic. They were held captive, working without pay, were told their mother was dead, were continuously mocked in the media and no one ever questioned the boys having been kidnapped.

Although Harriet won a settlement from the circus, the boys decided to go back to the circus and were finally compensated for their work. George passed away in 1971, and Willie later passed in 2001. Their stories were told in a 2016 novel titled "Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest: A True Story of the Jim Crow South.” Film rights for the book are being negotiated by Paramount Pictures and Appian Way Productions.

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By September 2009, Mitrice Lavon Richardson had been a former honors student, she had earned a Bachelor of Arts degree for psychology, she worked as a model, an entertainer at a popular lesbian night club and had competed in a beauty pageant.

On September 16, 2009, Mitrice had gone to Geoffrey's restaurant in Malibu, but many people witnessed what they called bizarre behavior from Mitrice. Due to her behavior and the fact that she was unable to pay her $89 bill, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department were called to assess her situation. After the field sobriety test, it was determined that Mitrice was not intoxicated or under the influence of any drugs, however, she was arrested anyway for suspicion not to pay for a meal and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

Mitrice's phone, purse, and money were secured in her car and it was towed to a yard on the Pacific Coast Highway. When Mitrice's mother became aware of the situation, she told officers that she was worried about Mitrice's mental health. Despite her mother's concerns and the police's promise to not release her until later in the morning, Mitrice was released without her vehicle or personal effects at 12:28 a.m. on September 17, 2009.

Former KTLA anchorman Bill Smith reportedly saw Mitrice in his yard at 6:30 a.m. When he opened the window to ask if she was okay, she replied she was just "resting." Neighbors said they heard a woman's voice in the tennis court at Smith's home and that they had seen Mitrice attempting to enter and leaving Smith's residence with a man who frequented the home just days after Mitrice's initial disappearance. Neighbors also reported that they heard female screams from a vacant home around the time of the disappearance.

On August 9, 2010, Mitrice's naked, mummified remains were found on a creek bed in Malibu Canyon adjacent to a ranch known for producing pornography with direct access to the area Mitrice was discovered. A month earlier, searchers in the area found sexually and racially offensive graffiti on the walls of a culvert in the canyon. The paint was fresh and brushes had been left at the scene. Although residents reported of screams in the area after Mitrice disappeared, police ruled that there was no foul play in her death and had her body removed against the order of the coroner.

The Richardsons have filed several lawsuits against the L.A. County Sheriff's Department for releasing Mitrice from jail although she was struggling with bipolar disorder at the time. Mitrice's girlfriend of two years, Tessa Moon, denied that Mitrice had any mental health issues. The California Attorney General was asked to review the case, and in November 2015, after 500 pages of documents, it was announced that it found no grounds for criminal charges against the sheriff or his deputies. In January 2016, the Attorney General's office reversed itself, however by December 2016, they announced that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges again.

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Valentine's Day comes on February 14th each year. Most people celebrate this time with their significant others, often having dinners and exchanging candies and "I love you’s." Valentine's Day was even more to Harold and Iquilla Degree. In fact, February 14th, 2000 was set to be the couple's 12th wedding anniversary, but instead of enjoying what should have been a very happy day, they woke to an unimaginable fear. Their 9-year-old daughter, Asha Jaquilla Degree was nowhere to be found.

The Degree family lived in a rural subdivision of Shelby, North Carolina. The family led lives that some wouldn't dream of now, but back then the family didn't have too many fears about going to work and allowing Asha and her 10-year-old brother let themselves in the house after school. The family is sometimes seen as strict, centering their lives around family, school, and church. The Degrees did not have a home computer with internet access and Iquilla had spoken to Asha about "stranger danger" stating, "Every time you turned on the T.V., there was some pedophile who had lured somebody's child away, via the internet." Iquilla said that because of this, Asha was cautious and content within the limits set by her parents.

Asha Degree was deathly afraid of dogs and was her basketball team's star point guard. On February 12th, just two days before her disappearance, Asha fouled out of the game and her team lost. It was noted that Asha took this hard, crying with her teammates, but eventually seemed to get over it and watched her brother's game afterward. The events leading up to Asha's disappearance often have varying times, but the usual story is that on February 13th, the Degrees attended church and had dinner at Asha's aunt's house. The family returned home around 8 p.m. An hour later, the power went out due to a nearby car accident and came back on around 12:30, an hour after Harold arrived back home from work on February 14th. Shortly before Harold went to bed at 2:30 a.m., he checked Asha and O'Bryant's room and said that they were both there in bed. Sometime after this, O'Bryant recalled hearing Asha's bed squeak, however, this must have been common as he thought she may have been shifting positions, and he went back to sleep. It is believed that at that point, Asha had gotten out of bed and left the home with a backpack that included several sets of clothes and some personal items.

A truck driver and motorist reported sightings that could have potentially been Asha between 3:45 and 4:15 a.m. walking along Highway 18 wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and white pants. The reports were made when they saw the news about Asha on television. Cell phones were not as common in 2000 and cell service was sometimes shaky at best, explaining why calls were not placed immediately and no one waited at the scene. The motorist noted that a storm was raging when he saw the girl, so he circled three times and she eventually ran into the woods and disappeared. The sightings are believed to be Asha as she was wearing something similar that night and both eyewitnesses saw the same clothing on her and both stories have her heading in the same direction.

At 5:45 a.m., Iquilla awoke to start drawing a bath for the children who were not able to bathe the night before due to the power outage. When she opened the door to the children's room, she found O'Bryant but no Asha. Not immediately expecting the worst, Iquilla checked the home, the family cars and then at Harold's suggestion, she called her mother-in-law's home next door. When she was notified Asha was not there, panic set in. Iquilla wasted no time in calling the police, who arrived on the scene at 6:40 a.m. An extensive search was conducted nearby, but there was no sign of Asha.

On February 15th,  just off the highway where Asha was seen running off, candy wrappers were found in a toolshed that a nearby business used. Along with these items, a pencil, marker and Mickey Mouse hairbow were found. All items were identified as Asha's. On February 16th, Iquilla noticed that some of Asha's favorite clothing was missing as well as her Tweety Bird purse. On August 3, 2001, a contractor found Asha's bookbag buried and wrapped in a plastic bag off Highway 18 about 26 miles from her home. A search of the area where the bookbag was found only turned up some animal bones and a pair of men's khaki pants.

In 2015, it was announced that Asha's disappearance was being re-examined and people were being re-interviewed. A $25,000 reward was also announced for any information that would lead to the conviction of the person or persons involved in Asha's disappearance. There is an additional $20,000 being offered by a community group. In May 2016, investigators announced that re-examination may have turned up a new lead. Asha may have been spotted getting into 1970's Lincoln Continental Mark IV or possibly a Ford Thunderbird. The car is described as dark green with rust around the wheel wells. In October 2018, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office appealed to the public, about two items of interest. A New Kids on the Block concert t-shirt and the book "McElligot's Pool" by Dr. Suess, which was borrowed from Fallston Middle School library early in the year 2000, just before Asha disappeared. These items are believed to be critical to solving the cold case.

Many theories surround Asha's case, but unfortunately, there are no answers. Though the Degrees were cleared as suspects in Asha's disappearance, some believe they may have had involvement. Some theorize that Asha ran away due to having an "abusive" or "strict" home. Some think that Asha just wanted an adventure. Some even believe Asha left on a whim and either fell victim to an opportunistic predator or was involved in a hit and run. Most popularly, one theory states that Asha was groomed and lured from her home by someone promising her something. Each theory has different details. Asha was possibly told she'd be doing something special for her parent's anniversary. Asha was upset about the loss of her basketball game. When the woman who owned the toolshed that Asha's belongings were found in was interviewed, she mentioned a photo of a little girl who could not be identified by Asha's family. Though this report is usually not stated as fact, some believe that Asha may have been lured by promises of making a new friend.

Whatever happened to Asha, it's clear the Degrees have not given up hope, hosting an annual walk to raise awareness. Pictures of Asha are still readily available in the Degree's home, both real and those showing how she might appear all these years later.

"I often wonder if I would recognize her if she walked by me today, the sound of her voice, the sound of her laugh," said O'Bryant in a Shelby Star interview in February 2018.

“I don’t know why you left, but it doesn’t matter. We just want you to come home,” Iquilla said in a message to the daughter she has not seen in nearly two decades. 

If you have any information in the disappearance of Asha Degree, please contact Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at 704-484-4822

[murderandmacabre-blog]

I’m going to be working on more Halloween related crimes, murders, disappearances and stuff for the time being. 

I got a little out of this blog for a bit and I'm working through the death of one of my rabbits yesterday, so hopefully I'll be posting more content regularly.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

On Halloween 1979, the unidentified body of a woman ranging from 15 to 30 years of age was found in a culvert off of Interstate 35 in Georgetown, TX. The woman was found completely nude except for a pair of orange socks. "Orange Socks" had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Her legs were unshaven, her toenails overgrown, she had a large number of insect bites and reportedly was suffering from salpingitis- an infection and inflammation of the fallopian tubes due to the previous contraction or gonorrhea. At the scene, a towel was found with the body, believed to be used in place of sanitary napkins. One of two matchbooks found at the scene was from a hotel in Henryetta, Oklahoma, which supported the theory that the victim had been a hitchhiker or drifter.

In 1982, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to killing Orange Socks, however, there were questions as to whether or not he would have been capable of the murder. At the time of Orange Socks' murder in Texas, Lucas had been working in Florida. He had also contradicted himself multiple times during the confession. In 1984, after his conviction, Lucas recanted his statement. There is no physical evidence that Henry Lee Lucas was involved in the killing, and it was estimated that to go from Florida to Oklahoma, then from Oklahoma to Texas and back to Florida, he would have to drive 70 miles per hour without stopping, which is considered unlikely. After recanting to the statement about killing Orange Socks, Lucas' sentence was reduced from the death penalty to life imprisonment.

Thirty-eight years after her remains were found, Orange Socks’ and killer still remains unknown.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

Richard Chase killed six people in one month in Sacramento, CA. Also known as "The Vampire of Sacramento," Chase was an abused child, alcoholic and chronic drug abuser. Of course, those weren't the only problems of Richard Chase. By the age of 10, he exhibited all three parts of the Macdonald triad. As he aged, Chase developed hypochondria and started doing strange things such as holding an orange on his head because he believed he could absorb vitamin C into his brain via diffusion. Chase also complained that his heart would stop beating or that someone had stolen his pulmonary artery. Chase had shaved his head because he believed that his cranial bones had separated and were moving around. He would also capture, kill and disembowel animals to devour raw. Sometimes, Chase would mix a concoction of Coca-Cola with the organs in a blender. He believed that this would prevent his heart from shrinking. In 1976, after being involuntarily committed to a mental institution for injecting rabbit's blood directly into his veins, he was diagnosed as schizophrenic. During this time, he had caught two birds from a window, broke their necks and drank their blood. Chase also extracted blood from therapy dogs with stolen syringes.

On December 29, 1977, Richard Chase kicked off his killing spree with a drive-by shooting, killing 51-year-old Ambrose Griffin. Two weeks later, he attempted to enter the home of a woman, however her doors were locked. Chase later told detectives that locked doors were a sign that he was not welcome, however unlocked doors were an invitation. On January 23, 1977, Chase shot Teresa Wallin to death. He then had sex with her corpse as he stabbed her. Afterward, he removed some of her organs, cut off one of her nipples and drank her blood. He found dog feces in Wallin's yard, which he used to stuff down her throat before he left. Teresa Wallin was 3 months pregnant at the time of her death. On January 27, 1977, Chase entered the home of Evelyn Miroth. When he encountered Miroth's neighbor, Danny Meredith, he shot Meredith to death and took his wallet and car keys. After this attack, he moved to shooting Evelyn, her six year old son, Jason and her 22 month old nephew, David before engaging in necrophilia and cannibalism with Miroth. Richard Chase was startled when a visitor knocked on the door, and fled using Meredith's car, taking David's body with him. Police were alerted and found perfect shoe prints and handprints in Evelyn Miroth's blood at the scene. It didn't take long to arrest Richard Chase. When investigators arrived at this apartment, they found that the walls, floors, refrigerator and eating utensils had all been soaked in blood.

On May 8, 1979, a jury found Richard Chase guilty of 6 counts of first degree murder and rejected the idea the he was no guilty by way of insanity. He was sentenced to die in the gas chamber. Fellow inmates often tried to coax Richard Chase into suicide, as they seemed to fear him. On December 26, 1980, Richard Chase was found not breathing in his cell. An autopsy showed that he had died from an overdose of prescribed antidepressants he had saved up over the course of weeks.

The photo used in this post is related to an event in mid-1977, in which Chase was arrested on a Pyramid Lake, Nevada reservation. Police found that Chase was covered in blood and there was a bucket of blood in his truck. The blood was identified as that of a cow, and no charges were filed.

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*I don’t want to do trigger warnings on any post, but if I have to, this is the one I’m warning about. I’ve tagged the topics discussed here, so hopefully no one who has those tags blocked will be seeing this.* 

Junko Furuta was a high school girl and part-time employee after school. She was popular and good looking, however frowned upon by gangster-like teens because she did not smoke, drink alcohol or participate in drug usage. Hiroshi Miyano was a known school bully with connections to the Yakuza. It is said that he had a crush on Junko, but she made it clear that she was not interested. Aside from Junko, no one dared to oppose Miyano.

On November 25, 1988, Miyano and his friend Nobuharu Minato were wandering around Misato, intending to rob and rape women when they spotted Junko cycling home after work. Minato was ordered to kick Junko off her bicycle, and Miyano used this to look like an innocent bystander and gain Junko's trust by saying that he would walk her home. Of course, Miyano had no intent of doing that. Miyano took Junko to a nearby warehouse, announced his Yakuza connections and threatened to kill her as he raped her there and later in a nearby hotel. Afterward, Miyato called Minato and his two other friends, Jō Ogura and Yasushi Watanabe to brag about the rape. Ogura had asked Miyato to keep her, as this group has a history with gang rape.

All four boys threatened Junko that if she resisted, the Yakuza would have her family killed and that they knew where she lived because they found her address in a notebook inside her backpack. Junko was then taken to a home owned by Minato's parents.

On November 27, Junko's parents contacted the police about their missing daughter. In order to stall a manhunt, Junko's captors forced her to call her parents and tell them she ran away and was living with a friend. When Minato's parents were around, Junko had to pose as one of their girlfriends. They later stopped pretending that Junko was anyone's girlfriend when it became clear that Minato's parents would not contact police. When Minato's parents were asked why they did not intervene, they said they were aware of the Yakuza connections and that Minato was violent toward them.

Junko Furuta was held in the Minato residence for forty days, where at least one hundred people knew of her captivity. In that time, Junko had been raped over 400 times, beaten, staved, hanged from the ceiling and used as a punching bag, had barbells dropped on her stomach several times, was forced to eat live cockroaches and drink her own urine, forced to masturbate in front of them, had foreign objects inserted into her vagina and anus. The torture did not end there, the boys also shoved a still-lit lightbulb into her vagina, set off fireworks in her vagina, anus, mouth and ears, burnt her vagina with cigarettes and lighters, burnt her eyelids with hot wax and lights, tore off one of her nipples with pliers and pierced her breasts with sewing needles.

A boy named Koichi Ihara was allegedly bullied into raping Junko Furuta, and when he left the home, he told his brother about the incident. His brother told their parents, who contacted police. When police arrived at the Minato home, they were told there was no girl inside and asked police if they wanted to look around. Police mistakenly believed that due to their openness, there must not be a girl inside the home. Both officers who did not search the home faced backlash in the community, and could have stopped Junko's torture at day sixteen. It's likely Junko would have recovered at that point. In December, Junko attempted to contact police, but was found out by Miyano. When they called back, he said it was a mistake, and as punishment Junko's legs were doused in lighter fluid and set on fire. In this instance, they also reportedly shoved a large bottle into her anus, which caused severe bleeding and she reportedly went into convulsions. During the trial, they stated they thought she was faking the seizure, and decided to set her on fire again. Somehow, Junko survived the injuries and continued to be raped and tortured. Junko asked her captors several times to kill her and get it over with already, but instead she was forced to sleep outside on a balcony in winter and shoved into a freezer. One of the captors reported that Junko's hands and legs were so badly damaged that it took her an hour to drag herself to the washroom. She eventually lost bladder and bowel control, and would be beaten for soiling the carpet. Junko also lost the ability to eat and drink and would vomit at any attempt, which she was also beaten for.

Junko's face became swollen and her body was so severely crippled, that she gave off a rotting smell that made the boys lose sexual interest in her. As a result, the boys then kidnapped and raped a 19-year-old woman who, much like Junko, was on her way home from work.

It is said that on January 4, 1989, the boys challenged Junko to a game of Mahjong, which she reportedly won and this enraged the boys, who in typical fashion, proceeded to torture her. They made Junko stand while they whipped her feet with a swinging stick. This made her fall into a stereo and go into a fit of convulsions again. Junko was bleeding profusely and pus was leaking from her burns. The boys taped her hands into plastic bags, taped at the wrist and continued to torture her by dropping an iron ball onto her stomach again and setting her on fire. This incident lasted two hours, and Junko tried to put out the fire but became unresponsive. Junko finally succumbed to her wounds and died.

Less than twenty four hours after Junko's death, Minato's brother called him and said that she appeared to be dead. The boys wrapped her body in blankets and shoved her into a travel bag. They then put her body into a 55 gallon drum and filled it with wet concrete. Around 8:00 p.m., they loaded the drum up and dropped it off into a cement truck in Tokyo.

On January 23, 1989, Miyano and Ogura were arrested for the rape of the 19-year-old woman. On March 29, both boys were interrogated as police had found women's underwear at their addresses. One of the officers led Miyano to thinking that he knew about the murder of Junko Furuta. Miyano thought that Ogura had confessed to the crime, so he told police where to find her body. This was puzzling for police, as they were actually asking about another murdered woman and her son. The police found the drum and identified Junko through fingerprints. The other boys and Minato's brother were arrested afterward.

Despite the severity of the crime, since the boys were juveniles, the court had sealed their identities. They later became known because journalists from the Shūkan Bunshun magazine discovered their identities and published them.

Miyano was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Miyano's mother reportedly sent Junko's family 500 million yen (425,000 USD) after selling her home. Minato was originally sentenced to three to four years in prison, but after appeal, he was sentenced with five to seven. Minato's brother and parents were not charged. Watanabe was also originally sentenced three to four years, but was also later sentenced to five to seven. Ogura seemed to go in and out of the system and assaulted a man after his release in 1999. He was sentenced to 7 years for the assault. Ogura's mother allegedly vandalized Junko's grave, stating that she had ruined her son's life. It was also reported the Ogura went through his father's savings, buying a number of luxury goods. That money was originally meant to go to Junko's family. Junko's family were dismayed by the light sentences, and won a civil suit against Minato's parents.

Junko's part-time employer, whom she worked for when she was kidnapped, presented her parents with the uniform Junko would have needed as a full-time employee. This uniform was placed inside her coffin. The location Junko's body was found in has since been developed into a park.

At Junko Furuta's funeral on April 2, 1989, her friend stated:

"Jun-chan, welcome back. I have never dreamed that we would see you again in this way. You must have been in so much pain ... so much suffering ... The happi we all made for the school festival looked really good on you. We will never forget you. I have heard that the headmaster has presented you with a graduation certificate. So we graduated together – all of us. Jun-chan, there is no more pain, no more suffering. Please rest in peace..."

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At around midnight on June 22, 1991, Charles Holden stopped at a fast food restaraunt after his shift at a local factory. As Charles was preparing to leave the parking lot, a stranger approached him and asked for a ride because he needed to get to the hospital as his sister was having a baby. Charles first told the hitcher that he couldn't and he only lived a few miles away, but then changed his mind and agreed to take the man a certain distance. Charles drove three miles down the highway before stopping at an intersection where he would usually turn to go home, and told the man that was as far as he could take him. When Charles said this, the man became enraged, attacked Charles and demanded his money and his truck. Charles then grabbed his keys and exited the truck, but the angry man raced toward him with a screwdriver. Defeated, Charles told the man he would take him wherever he wanted to go. As the man walked around to enter the passenger side of the truck, Charles sped off, and the man tried to chase after, but his attempt proved futile.

Charles rode around in the opposite direction of his home trying to shake off the experience he just had, and once he returned home, he observed the man from earlier lurking about his trailer. Charles drove away again to contact police from a payphone. A police officer escorted Charles back home to examine the trailer, however the stranger did not seem to be there and nothing was unlocked or tampered with. Worried about his mother, Charles asked the officer to check on her, she lived in the farmhouse just behind his trailer. When they arrived, they found the back door window busted and blood inside the home. When they went upstairs to the bedroom, they found Dorothy Donovan, Charles' mother, stabbed in the chest, arms and face. Nothing from the scene had been stolen, so a robbery motive was quickly ruled out. The only other idea the police had was that Charles was responsible and his story was too bizarre. Eventually, physical evidence at the scene ruled Charles out.

In January 2006, a man named Gilbert E. Cannon was arrested for the murder of Dorothy Donovan. When he confessed to police, he said that he had been high on cocaine that night. After Charles left him at the intersection, he walked along the road trying to find a place to sleep, however all of the homes had their lights on. Cannon claims he chose Dorothy's home because it was the only one without lights on inside. When he broke in, Dorothy woke up and he killed her to avoid being identified. He then verified that it was a coincidence that he had killed the mother of the man who he hitched a ride with and attacked that night.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

When you think of prolific criminals, you probably imagine menacing serial killers, but do you ever imagine a well-educated bank robber? 

Carl Gugasian started off by planning out mock bank robberies and on eight separate occasions, planned to commit his first real robbery. Gugasian robbed more than 50 banks in a 30 year time frame, meticulously planning his robberies by using topographical maps found in the library. Gugasian would look for banks in small towns, located close to wooded areas that provided easy access to the freeway. Gugasian was so meticulous that he would choose banks with late closing times in the fall and winter so that he could use the darkness as his cover. He would watch the bank for several days to note employee habits, then on a Friday night just before closing, he would strike. Gugasian typically wore a face mask that would resemble a horror film character, modified to be as terrifying as possible and to fit his face snugly as not to give away his skin color. He also dressed in bulky clothing and moved quickly and crab like so that his exact physical build and height weren't easy to distinguish. Gugasian's getaway included stashing a dirt bike in the woods, stash the evidence in a cache he would leave, then ride the dirt bike to an anonymous looking van, where he would load the bike into the van and make his getaway. Once the heat was down from the robbery, he would return to the cache and collect the money and the evidence of his crime. Despite his meticulous planning, Carl Gugasian was caught when two teenage boys were playing in the woods found his maps, masks, survival rations, weapons and ammo sealed in individual PVC pipes inside a concrete drainage pipe. Once caught, Gugasian decided to help the police by telling them of all his unsolved crimes, and reducing his initial one hundred fifteen year sentence down to only seventeen. In all of his robberies, Carl Gugasian only resorted to violence one time, shooting a bank manager in the abdomen after reacting to the robbery by leaning in toward Gugasian. The bank manager recovered from the shot.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

Taos is a small town in the north central region of New Mexico. Derived from the Taos language, the "place of red willows" has been home to celebrities such as Julia Roberts and Dennis Hopper. Taos is also home to an unexplained phenomena known simply as the "Taos Hum." Seemingly first reported in the 1990s, the hum was believed to be heard by at least 2% of the Taos population. Joe Mullins, a University of New Mexico professor, conducted some research, but after setting up sensitive equipment in the homes of these "hearers," no strange sounds or vibrations were detected. Probably the strangest part of the phenomena is that most people were reporting different sounds, a whir, a hum or even a buzzing sound. The fact that people were hearing different things suggested that maybe these experiences were subjective experiences rather than objective sounds. Theories suggest that the "Taos Hum" is being caused by heavy equipment, tinnitus and even animals.

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Cannibal Holocaust is a 1980 Italian found footage film directed by Ruggero Deodato. The film tells the story of a missing documentary crew who went to film cannibal tribes in the amazon and the rescue mission sent to find them. The film depicts graphic gore, sexual violence and real animal cruelty. Ten days after the film premiered in Milan, it was confiscated and director Ruggero Deodato was arrested and charged with obscenity. In January 1981, during the original run of the film in France, a magazine photo suggested that some of the deaths in the film were in fact real, and Deodato's charges were amended to include murder. The courts believed that the original film crew and the native actress featured in the infamous impalement scene were killed for the camera. To compound matters, the supposed deceased crew members had signed contracts that they would not appear in any type of media for one year following the film's release. To prove his innocence, Deodato had his supposedly deceased actors do a television interview. Deodato also explained the trick to create the impalement scene: the actress sat on a bicycle seat attached to an iron pole while she balanced a piece of balsa wood in her mouth and looked skyward. Deodato also showed the court photos of the actress interacting with the crew after the scene was shot. Although the idea that this was a snuff film was disproven, Deodato and some of the crew were convicted of obscenity and violence and received a four month suspended sentence. Deodato continued to fight the courts, and in 1984, the courts sided with Deodato, allowing the film a rating certificate of VM18, and the film was later re-released uncut.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

In some states, prisoners are receiving playing cards that law enforcement hopes will lead to information on unsolved murders, missing persons and wanted fugitives. Each card contains a photo, name, case information and the local Crime Stoppers number. Law enforcement hopes that by distributing these cards, more leads will come in on cold cases. These decks are similar to those distributed to U.S. troops in 2003 to help identify Saddam Hussein's government during the Iraq war. In Florida, Colorado, Connecticut and South Carolina, the cards have helped solved about 40 cases.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

The Heretic’s Fork was an invention of the Inquisition, created to torture witches and heretics. The device was placed between the breast bone and throat. A leather strap kept the forks in place while the victim hung upright. Any movement of the head would cause abrupt pain. Even if the victim tried to lean forward, death would not be instantaneous due to the design of the forks.

[murderandmacabre-blog]

Andrei Chikatilo

was a Soviet serial killer who commited the sexual assault, murder and mutilation of at least 52 women and children between 1973 and 1990. In 1971, Chikatilo decided to switch careers and become a school teacher, and in May 1973, committed his first sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl, who he swam toward and groped. Months after the first incident, he assaulted another girl who he had locked in a classroom. He was not disciplined for these acts nor the reports of other teachers observing him fondling himself in the presence of his students. He left this teaching job quietly after the director of the school requested that he either leave voluntarily or be fired after increasing complaints. Chikatilo continued to serve as a school teacher, losing one job due to staff cutbacks and his last teaching job in 1981 due to molestation complaints by male and female students alike.

Andrei Chikatilo committed his first murder in 1978 on a 9-year-old girl named Yelena Zakotnova. She has been choked, stabbed three times and thrown into the Grushevka River. Chikatilo was linked to Yelena's murder in many ways. First, spots of blood were present near a home Chikatilo had secretly purchased. Neighbors noted that he had in fact been in the home on December 22nd, the day the murder occurred, and Yelena's rucksack was found on the opposite river bank down the street, indicating this was the location she'd been thrown in. Witnesses also gave a description of a man closely resembling Chikatilo and said they had seen him talking to Yelena at the bus stop. A man named Aleksandr Kravchenko, who had previously served a sentence for the rape and murder of a teenage girl, was arrested. Although Kravchenko had a solid alibi backed up by his neighbors, a false confession led to him being sentenced to death in 1979 and executed for the murder he did not commit in 1983. It is believed that due to the close call, Chikatilo did not commit another murder until 1981, when he lured 17-year-old Larisa Tkachenko to a nearby forest, telling her they were going to relax and drink vodka. When they reached the location, he threw Larisa to the ground and attempted to sexually assault her. He forced mud inside her mouth to muffle her screams and then battered and strangled her to death. He then mutilated her body using a stick and his own teeth as he did not have a knife with him for this encounter. Many of Chikatilo's victims had mutilated eye sockets, and his adult victims were often homeless or prostitues that he could easily lure away with false promises of alcohol or money. In 1984, Chikatilo was arrested for a theft and was sentenced to a year in prison. He was freed after serving just three months. Between this time and 1990, he continued to commit murders. On November 6, 1990, after murdering 22-year-old Svetlana Korostik, Chikatilo returned to a railway platform and was unknowingly observed by an undercover officer who saw him washing his face and hands in a nearby well. When approached, the officer noted that Chikatilo's coat had grass and soil stains on the elbows, he had a small red smear on his cheek and his finger seemed to have been severely wounded. The officer found him suspicious, asked for his papers and put Andrei Chikatilo in a report once he returned to his office, as he had no reason to arrest at that time. When Svetlana's body was found on the 13th of November, the officer surveying the area came forward with a list of suspicious people he saw and talked to that day. Chikatilo's name was in the report, and not only that, but his name was familiar to many of the officers. After checking with former and present employers, police were able to link him to certain areas when bodies were found and linked to the manhunt. On November 14, 1990, police placed Andrei Chikatilo under surveillance. They noted that he would approach women and young children at bus stops, engaging them in conversation. If the woman or child broke off the conversation, he would wait a few moments before engaging someone else in conversation. Six days after surveillance began, Chikatilo left his home with a large jar that he filled with beer from a local kiosk in a park. He wandered around, trying to make contact with many children that day. After exiting a cafe, he was arrested. Chikatilo told the police they were mistaken, but they also found further evidence on his finger, a human bite wound. His last victim had tried to fight him off, as the crime scene showed many signs that there was a ferocious struggle. Chikatilo's finger was said to be broken, and a fingernail had been completely bitten off, however he never sought medical help. On April 14, 1992, Chikatilo was brought to trial for 53 murders and five counts of sexual assault against minors that had occurred when he was a teacher. On October 14, 1992, Andrei Chikatilo was found guilty of the 5 counts of sexual assault and guilty of 52 of the 53 murders he was tried for. On October 15, 1992, Andrei Chikatilo was formally sentenced to death plus 86 years for the sexual assaults and 52 murders committed. Upon hearing the verdict, he kicked his bench across the cage and screamed abuse. When given the opportunity to make a speech about the verdict, Chikatilo chose to remain silent. He did try to lodge an appeal, but it was rejected in 1993. Chikatilo then filed an appeal for clemency with President Boris Yeltsin, however the final appeal was rejected in January 1994. On February 14, 1994, Andrei Chikatilo was removed from his cell and taken to a soundproof room where he was executed by a single gunshot behind the right ear.

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Joan Risch

woke her children on the morning of October 24, 1961 to serve them breakfast. Her husband, Martin Risch, had gotten up earlier and left the home to catch a flight at 8 a.m. Martin was going to New York City on a business trip and had planned to stay in Manhattan overnight. After breakfast, Joan took her son, David, over to the neighbors home and left in her 1951 Chevrolet to take her daughter, Lillian, to a dentist appointment and a brief trip to the grocery store. Upon her return, Joan collected David from the Barker's home around 11:00 a.m. Some time afterward, a delivery man for a dry cleaning service came to the home to collect some of Martin's suits. He had entered the house to do so, and later reported there was nothing off about the home or Joan. After this visit, Joan slipped out of her more formal attire and opted for a blue house dress and white sneakers. The day goes on per usual. Joan makes the children lunch and puts David in his crib for a nap which typically lasts until 2 p.m. At 1 p.m., Barbara Barker brings her son, Douglas, over to play with Lillian as they are the same age. While there, they saw Joan coming in and out of the home to prune some plants and later return the shears to the garage. Just before 2 p.m., Joan came back outside and took Lillian and Douglas over to the Barker's yard, where they played on a swing set that obscured their view of the Risch home. At 2:15 p.m., Barbara sees Joan in her driveway wearing what she believes is her trench coat walking to the garage from her car, and she's carrying something red. Barbara assumed that Joan was just chasing one of the children and payed the incident no mind.

Some neighbors reported that they had seen an unfamiliar car in Joan's driveway, possibly a General Motors model, 1954 or 1955 year. The car was dirty and was blue and grey two-toned. One local even reported stopping for the car as it was backing out of the Risch driveway. At 3:40 p.m., Barbara sent Lillian back home as she wanted to take her children shopping. Barbara did not knock on the front door of the Risch home or call out to Joan, assuming she was still inside when she sent Lillian home. Barbara Barker returns home around 4:15 p.m. and Lillian tells her that "Mommy is gone and the kitchen is covered in red paint." When Barbara enters the home, David is still in his crib and crying due to being soiled. When Barbara entered the kitchen, she confirmed what Lillian had told her, only the red paint was definitely blood. Barbara calls the police at 4:33 p.m.

Police arrive on the scene about five minutes after Barbara's call. The scene in the kitchen reveals blood smears on the walls and an overturned table. The wastebasket that was usually underneath the sink was out in the middle of the floor and the contents were a liquor bottle that Joan and Martin had finished the night prior, some beer bottles from an unknown source and the handset of the wall-mount telephone that had been ripped loose. A telephone directory had been opened to the emergency number section, though no numbers had been written down. 911 was first made available in 1968. Three bloody fingerprints were there, but were not able to be identified as Joan's as she was absent. There was a roll of paper towels on the floor, and one looked like it had been used to wipe up some blood. On the floor were also some coveralls and underwear of David's, presumably to wipe up the blood. David's coveralls had been pressed hard to floor, as if a heavy weight, such as a body, had laid on them for a period of time. The trench coat that Barbara had reportedly seen Joan in was found inside the home, but it appeared Joan had opted to take a more plain cloth coat instead. Joan's pocketbook was left behind at the scene. Blood was also found on the first step of the stairway, and two more small drops were present at the top of the stairs. Eight drops of blood were found in the master bedroom, and one drop by the window of the children's room. A trail of blood led out from the kitchen into the driveway and ended at Joan's car. The car had three spots of blood. One spot was found on the right rear fender, a spot on the very center of the trunk and one spot was on the left side of the hood near the windshield. Investigators couldn't interpret why the blood was on the very center of the trunk of the car. The stains in the kitchen could have been from a struggle, but were more consistent with someone staggering about trying to support themselves after an injury. No one was sure where the bleeding had started, but all theories are supported by the evidence. Although there were large smears on the kitchen floor and droplets elsewhere, there were no footprints at the scene, suggesting whatever had happened, either someone was incredibly lucky or very careful. When the blood from the scene was tested, it was confirmed to likely be Joan's as she had type O blood. A chemist with the state police had revealed that despite appearances at the scene, only a mere half pint of blood had been shed, and would not indicate a serious injury. The first theory police formed was that Joan may have committed suicide, however a search of her home turned up no trace of Joan.

Martin Risch, the mailman and the milkman were all ruled out as suspects in Joan's disappearance as they were all somewhere else at the time Joan was last seen. Seemingly the only suspect was a man named Robert Foster with the National Park Service. Foster had been talking to people in the area about a historical project that included removing all structures in the area that were built after 1775. This project was the result of Congress designating an area as the Minute Man National Historical Park to recognize historical importance of the route that British troops took when they marched out of Boston on April 19, 1775. Records indicted that Foster had visited the Risch home on September 24, just a month before Joan disappeared. Neighbors that had spoke to Foster said that he seemed to overstay his welcome. When police spoke with Foster, he said that on October 24, he was in the area to meet with a property appraiser at 3 p.m. A supervisor verified his account and also vouched for two civil engineers who were working in the area, saying that they were in his office around the time that Joan was last seen.

It was later revealed that Joan had checked out at least 25 books from the local library during the summer of 1961. Most of these books dealt with the topic of murder or missing persons including a book titled "Into Thin Air," about a missing woman who leaves behind blood smears and a towel.

Reports had come in about a woman who had been walking down the street in similar clothing as Joan's. The woman reportedly had blood streaks running down her legs and appeared dazed.

Joan Risch had been very independant for a woman of her time. She had graduated with a degree in English Literature from Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA in 1952. She went on to work in publishing, climbing the ladder up to Editorial Assistant. In 1956, Joan married Martin and a year later, their daughter Lillian was born. Two years afterward, David came along. Although Joan has been described as a devoted mother, it has also been said that Joan was very ambitious and had an unfulfilling home life. Some reported that Joan had spoken of becoming a teacher once her children grew up a little more. Joan did not have the easiest upbringing, either. Her parents died when she was just 9 years old in what was later described as a suspicious fire. Afterward, she went to live with relatives who formally adopted her. At some point, Joan confessed to an acquaintance that she had been sexually abused as a child.

Some theories about Joan state that she likely staged a crime scene and vanished on her own, trying to flee her unfulfilling life. Other theories state that Joan may have been the woman reported walking along the street dazed and fell into a pit where there was construction. Unable to climb out of the pit, Joan was looked over and eventually buried. Other theories about Joan conclude she may have had amnesia or she was suffering from a mental break although she didn't have a history of mental illness and it was not present in her family. Some theorize Joan was secretly pregnant and had suffered from a miscarriage, explaining the blood running down the legs of the woman who was walking dazed near the construction zone. The most bizzare theory is that Joan once again, was secretly pregnant, however either tried to perform an abortion on herself or tried to have someone perform it on her, only to have the attempt botched and result in Joan's life. This theory would have to mean that Joan did more bleeding when she left and eventually bled out.

The reported sightings of Joan stopped almost immediately. No information after the initial investigation has surfaced. In 1996, Martin Risch told the Boston Globe, "I almost certainly think Joan is dead. She would have never left her family on her own."

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Catharine Lorre Baker, the only child of actor Peter Lorre, was approached by two men with the intent to abduct and kill her. When they found a photo of her sitting on her father’s lap among her identification, they let her go without incident. She did not realize that she had been approached  by the Hillside Stranglers until they were arrested, recalling the story and how they had been flashing LAPD badges when they approached her early in November 1977.  

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Dorian Corey was born in 1937 as Frederick Legg. She was an American drag performer and fashion designer. Corey appeared in "Wigstock" and Jennie Livingston's 1990 documentary, "Paris is Burning." Corey had graduated from the Parsons School of Design and had a knack for graphic design. Corey was in the Harlem drag ball scene and had eventually become a drag mother in her own family, "The House of Corey." 

In 1991, Corey explained to Joan Rivers, "You lend money to your friends—not very much money—and [give] advice…sometimes, if someone got evicted or whatever, you might take them in." 

Dorian Corey passed on August 29, 1993 of AIDS related complications at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan. Just two months after the death of Corey, Lois Taylor, a fellow drag queen and Corey's caretaker during her final days, entered the Harlem apartment with two men in search of Halloween costumes. Taylor had hoped to sell a fraction of Corey's wardrobe. Taylor and the men had spotted a musty green plaid garment bag folded over on the floor of a large closet in the apartment. 

Taylor was unable to pick the bag up, stating that she was only 135 pounds. She decided to check for a zipper on the bag. They were greeted by a horrible smell and Taylor decided to call police and not investigate the bag any further. 

When the police arrived, they peeled through the fabric of the bag and what they believed was taped wrapping of Naugahyde, a type of faux leather, and plastic. Detectives then revealed the partially mummified, purple and yellow body of a man in fetal position. The body showed a clear cause of death- a bullet hole to the head. 

Despite the decay, detectives were able to lift fingerprints from the body, which was revealed as belonging to Robert "Bobby" Worley. Worley had been a criminal who had served 3 years in prison for raping and assaulting a woman in 1963. Worley had been estranged from his family, but he had not been seen since the mid to late 60's. Detectives concluded that due to the body's last sighting and some pull-tabs from beer cans that were popular in the United States during the 60's and 70's that had been found with the body, that the murder had been committed at least 20 years earlier. 

A theory suggested that Corey was protecting the killer. In 1988, after the probable time of Worley's death, Corey moved from her apartment at 150th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue, to one ten blocks over on West 140th Street. The idea that the body was in the closet before Corey moved seemed more plausible than Corey lugging around a corpse from one place to another. This theory has since fallen out of favor. 

Another theory is that Worley was a burglar who broke into Corey's home and she had acted in self defense. Crime had run rampant in that area, and the theory would make sense as the likelihood that Corey would engage in violent crime seemed low. It's likely she owned a gun for protection. Jessie Torres, a friend of Corey's, admitted she had "a little .22" shortly after the news of the murder surfaced. 

Corey had also allegedly attached a note to Worley's body that stated, "This poor man broke into my home and was trying to rob me." The theory also suggests that Corey never alerted authorities of the incident as she was a black drag queen living in a poor, dangerous area in the 60's and 70's and had little chance of gaining sympathy from the police. 

The biggest theory, however, states that Corey and Worley had a rough romantic relationship. According to Lois Taylor, Corey wrote a short, third person story about a transgender woman who killed her lover after he browbeat her into having sex reassignment surgery. The story had been handwritten on a piece of paper that had yellowed with age and seemed at least loosely autobiographical. Corey had breast implants and possible took female hormones. 

Corey had also supposedly confessed to her friend Sally in a haze of AZT and morphine in her final days. According to Richard Mailman, who wrote the play titled "Dorian's Closet," says that Worley's brother had told police in an interview that Worley showed up at his home drunk one night going on and on about Corey. 

Mailman also speculates that Corey feared disposing of the body would be too conspicuous in Manhattan and had covered the body in baking soda and wrapped it tightly to neutralize odor. Decades worth of chemical reactions likely resulted in mummification. 

We likely will never know why the murder of Bobby Worley occurred or whether it was a crime of passion, a break-in or Corey covering for someone else. 

“Everybody wants to make an impression, some mark upon the world, then you think, you’ve made a mark on the world if you just get through it, and a few people remember your name…If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you.”