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CRY BABY: THE DEATH OF CAROLYN WASILEWSKI
In November 1954, fourteen-year-old Carolyn Wasilewski left her Baltimore home saying she planned to meet a friend and register for a dance class that evening, something she intended to handle on her own. She was known in her neighborhood as a spirited teen with a rebellious streak and was a member of a local group…
Come down the rabbit hole with me.
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THE NIGHT THE WORLD STOPPED WATCHING
She would’ve turned 64 today. But it was on August 31, 1997, Princess Diana’s life ended inside a Paris tunnel alongside Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul. In the hours that followed, the world was flooded with headlines, speculation, and grief. Many pointed to the relentless pursuit by photographers, but a formal investigation later ruled…
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HAM THE ASTROCHIMP
On this day back in 1961 the United States launched a chimpanzee into space. Ham the Astrochimp, whose name is short for Holloman Air Force Base where he completed his training, spent 18 months preparing for his mission with the Project Mercury program. He learned to operate controls and respond to flashing lights in an…
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AMITYVILLE ANTICS
The man who inspired The Amityville Horror, Ronald DeFeo Jr., was born on this day back in 1951. At 23-years-old he methodically took the lives of his parents and four younger siblings on November 13th, 1974. Among the dead were his father, Ronald DeFeo Sr., 43, mother, Louise DeFeo, also 43, sisters Dawn, 18, and…
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TYPHOID MARY
It was on this day back in 1907 when Mary Mallon a.k.a Typhoid Mary was sentenced into quarantine on North Brother Island for three years. Her crime? Mary was believed to have directly infected 51 people with typhoid (three of whom passed away) while she was working as a cook for affluent families in the…
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THE MYSTERY OF JOC-O-SOT’S BONES
So earlier this morning I was perusing the Cincinnati Enquirer archives when I come across this little blurb from the July 23, 1848 edition, which reads: “Quite a large crowd was collected in front of where the old mayor’s office used to be to see the basket of human bones that were taken from the…
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A CHRISTMAS EVE TRAGEDY
It was a cold Christmas Eve in 1945 when the Sodder family began their holiday festivities. The large, close-knit clan from West Virginia was enjoying their Christmas lights, food, and holiday cheer but in the early morning hours, tragedy struck. By 1am the better part of the family home was engulfed in flames. Parents George…
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ICE COLD IN THE SUNSHINE STATE: THE CASE OF TAMMY LYNN LEPPERT
One of my all time favorite films Scarface was released on this day back in 1983. But did you know there’s a missing persons case connected to the film that’s still unsolved? 18-year-old Tammy Lynn Leppert seemed destined for stardom; a model since childhood, the aspiring actress and uncredited extra in movies like Spring Break,…
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THE AUSTIN YOGURT SHOP MURDERS
December 7, 1991 residents of Austin, Texas awaken to the tragic news about four brutal murders at the “I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt” shop. The horrific discovery was made after firefighters were dispatched to extinguish a structure fire at the ICBIY. It was after midnight when the bodies of Eliza Thomas, 17, Jennifer Harbinson, 17, Sarah Harbinson,…
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THE PHANTOM OF OXFORD
70 years ago today, Ron Tammen disappeared without a trace, this event remains an enduring local mystery here in southwest Ohio to this day. Ronald Henry Tammen, Jr. was a thriving college student residing in Fisher Hall at Miami University in the quaint college town of Oxford, Ohio. By all appearances he seemed like a…
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JAKE LEG BLUES
Back in 1930, at the height of Prohibition, Cincinnati was ground zero for the Jamaican ginger epidemic. Jamaican ginger elixir also known as ‘Jake’ was a commonly used tincture available in pharmacies across the United States. It contained potent amounts of alcohol and when used in small doses, was a safe pain reliever. However with…
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THE MYSTERY IS ‘A-FOOT’
A human foot that was identified through genetic testing via a crowdfunding effort has been connected to a missing woman. The remains that were found in December 2021 consisted of a single women’s size 8 New Balance shoe that contained a human foot. The foot was discovered near the mouth of the Elwha River in…
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MY BLOODY VALENTINE
When you hear the word mayhem what do you think about, general chaos, the Allstate guy, Tommy Lee’s tattoo – all of the above? The American legal system defines mayhem as the criminal act of disabling, disfiguring or cutting off or making useless one of the members (leg, arm, hand, penis, foot, eye) of another…
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AGAINST HIS WISHES
After 240 years a man known as the “Irish Giant” will finally be removed from a display he never wanted to be a part of in the first place. In life, Charles Byrne stood 7 foot, 7 inches – hence his nickname. His height was attributed to an undiagnosed tumor of the pituitary gland which…
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THE TRADITION OF THE RIDERLESS HORSE
The formality and haunting beauty of a funeral where a riderless horse, with the backwards facing boots in the stirrups, is being led along as part of the procession is always a striking image. I am often intrigued about the sources of these many traditions and find this one, in particular, very touching if not…
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“OH MURDER, I AM SHOT!”: THE TRAGIC DEATH OF CLEMENT VALLANDIGHAM
Sometimes when you frequent an establishment you can take its historical significance for granted. It is especially easy to do in a picturesque, small town with great architecture and an idyllic main street to enjoy. I am reminded of this when visiting The Golden Lamb. While I’ve not been recently, this place has been our…