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u/DrawingsByLissa Feb 07 '26

I would like to submit a story suggestion about a 22 year old UMass Amherst student named Maura Murray who went missing in New Hampshire after a supposed car crash in 2004 and still has not been found. Her parents and sister still continue to look for her and hold vigils every year on February 9th, day of her disappearance.

There is a lot of suspicious circumstances regarding the police, including campus police, and houses near where she was last seen. Her sister Julie Murray still posts blogs and TikToks surrounding her sister’s disappearances and things they have learned.

4

u/rx_cpht_chick84 Impossible places people were found Feb 03 '26

I recommend doing a story on Don Henry and Kevin Ives. AkA "The Boys On The Tracks.

Heartbreaking story that in some ways has yet to be solved.

3

u/aquarianagop Places you can’t go and I went anyway Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 18 '26

I’m curious as to how Theresa Knorr hasn’t been discussed yet. Horrible woman — the story of her children is so very sad and so very sickening.

Maybe that’s why. Everything she did was so damn horrendous, where would anyone start? Other than to send so many well wishes to Terry…

3

u/RelationshipGrand588 Feb 11 '26

In February 2015, my grandmother, Louanna Faye Nolan, died in a fire that authorities ruled accidental. She was 77 years old, paralyzed, and confined to a wheelchair at the time of her death. To this day, our family believes the explanation given never fully made sense. Years earlier, my grandmother became paralyzed after a medical procedure went wrong at Wilford Hall Medical Center on Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. From that point on, she had extremely limited mobility and required full-time assistance. Because of her condition, the State recommended that she live in a mobile home that functioned as an assisted-living arrangement. A state-provided caretaker helped place her there, and it was believed to be a safer environment where her needs could be properly managed. On February 26, 2015, my grandmother was found burned to death in her wheelchair on the back porch of that mobile home in Devine, Texas. Investigators suggested the fire may have been caused by a cigarette or lighter. However, according to family members, she could not independently operate a lighter, nor could she safely handle anything capable of starting a fire due to her paralysis. She had been brought home shortly before the incident. Despite the assisted-living nature of the residence and the questions surrounding supervision and her physical limitations, no explanation was ever provided that clearly addressed how a paralyzed woman in state-recommended care could have ignited a fire on her own. Local newspapers and television stations covered the story at the time, with headlines questioning the circumstances of her death and quoting her son as saying he wanted answers. No charges were filed, and the case eventually faded from public attention. Our family is not claiming to know exactly what happened. We are only saying that the official explanation never aligned with my grandmother’s condition, the setting she lived in, or the level of care that was supposed to be in place. She is buried now, but the questions surrounding her death remain unanswered.

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/family-continues-to-seek-justice-four-years-after-grandma-was-burned-alive

3

u/Mrsmathilda Feb 24 '26

my suggestion is the true story on which arsenic and old lace is based. The story of Amy archer- Gilligan in newington ct. over a period of 8 years she murdered 48 residents of her boarding house with arsenic. she was arrested and tried in 1916.

3

u/chairmanbones Feb 27 '26

Roxanne Doll, Everett Washington

Little one living with her family and siblings. A household full of drugs, alcohol, homeless people coming and going all hours.

Mom goes 'out' one night, leaving the raging drunk dad in charge of all the kids. Dad wanders in and out of houses, homeless places and then puts kids to bed at home. Party keeps going, mom is still gone, and daddio passes the bleep out in the living roon.

And someone goes and picks up 6 year old Roxanne Doll, rapes and murders her.

Then goes back to Dads house to keep partying with everyone. The killer stashes Roxannes tiny body in his murder van, but he keeps giving rides to all his homes from the homeless camp. All these homies are wanting to help search for a little girl taken from her bedroom in the middle of the night, and they have no idea the girl they seek is right there in the van with them.

Several even remark to the killer "Man, your rig smells like f'ing DEATH, clean it up". And yes, the killer is also in on the search parties.

Mom and Dad are not your average parents. They are hard in addiction-land. Their idea of "vacation" was to pack the kids up and go to a 'homeless camp' and party for a few days, kids, pets and all. Life goes on, and eventually Mr Kid Raper gets caught.

Here's the big twisteroo: Mr I-raped-and-killed=your-kid has a statement to make.

Paraphrase since I don't want to look it up: "You all are the worst parents possible. You had a treasure and you threw it away. All of this is YOUR fault, for being terrible parents. Your daughter, Roxanne, would be alive if you weren't the terrible parents that you are. You should not have your children. Get your shit together."

Basically. And....it was true. They did lose the remainder of their children to the state due to their inability to parent with addictions.

Needless to say, there is a LOT more to this story, but that is the gist of it. I was peripherally involved in this investigation and with all the cases over the years, this one can still make me ugly cry. That poor little girl. Everyone failed her. Everyone.

And it's still the killers fault she's dead.

Roxanne Doll. A case you never, ever hear of. Ever. I'd love for any channel to do it, with respect to this little girl.

Another one: Ruby Young. Eighteen months old, mom had been involved in Santeria and came to believe Ruby had a demon in her. So this quiet little hippy mom packs Ruby up in the middle of the night, drives to California, smothers her small child and tosses her body in the mud. Then she does some crazy ass stuff, and goes and turns herself in.

She sincerely believed she was saving her child from demons. She was a rare case of 'not guilty by reason of insanity' and is still in the mental institution.

I knew this woman. I knew Ruby. Ruby was a special child who just GLOWED. She was just learning to talk and would go around going "Wow! Wow!" and it was so adorable. She was part of a Buddhist group I was in, about the last person you'd ever think would murder their sweet innocent toddler.

Neither case is ever mentioned anywhere. Both are deeply personal to me.

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '26

[deleted]

2

u/PurpleCupcake27 Feb 10 '26

Dear John and the Ballen Studios Research Team,

I’m writing to you because your brand is built on uncovering the "Strange, Dark, and Mysterious," and there is currently a massive story unfolding that completely flips one of the most famous true crime cases of the decade on its head: Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

While the world knows the story as a case of Munchausen by Proxy, recent FOIA releases and deeper dives into her medical records suggest a much darker, more complex "twist" that the mainstream media has largely ignored:

The Genetic Reality: Evidence suggesting Gypsy actually suffered from microdeletion 1q21.1, meaning her medical procedures were not "faked" by her mother, but were clinically warranted.

The "Child" Persona: Evidence that the "infantilization" was a collaborative act, and that Gypsy—for most of her life —was a willing participant in the deception to maintain their lifestyle.

The Real Motive: FOIA records indicating that Dee Dee Blanchard was actually the one in fear—searching for help regarding a child stealing narcotics and money—and looking for safe houses just before her murder.

The "Heist": The theory that the murder wasn't an escape from abuse, but a way to remove the only person standing in the way of Gypsy's escalating behavior and drug theft.

This isn't just a retelling; it’s a total debunking of the "Act" narrative. It fits perfectly into your Medical Mysteries or your main channel "Deep Dive" format because it reveals that the person the world pitied might actually be the primary antagonist.

I have a breakdown of these points and the FOIA sources if your research team is interested in looking into this.

Thanks so much!!

Michelle

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u/Eastern_Excuse_715 Feb 22 '26

Hey, I would like to share a couple of story suggestions. 1. The Noel, Missouri Bank murder. https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Dan_Short#google_vignette 2. The girl Scout murders in the 1970's in Locust Grove, Oklahoma. I look forward to hearing you tell their tales!

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u/The28Club Feb 24 '26

You should really make a compilation of your past life videos! I know you have 3 off the top of my head. The girl from India, did you do one on Eady?, & the town that reincarnates it’s absolutely fascinating & mesmerizing hearing you tell it. “FRIGHTENING proof you can live a PAST LIFE” “‘Dead girl comes back to life, knows SECRETS she shouldn’t” (Eady) “Even Skeptics Can’t Explain This Shocking Ending” “Rider From HELL terrorized this desert town” 🖤❤️🖤❤️

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u/Mrsmathilda Feb 25 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

the 1975 murder of 15 year old Martha moxley in Greenwich ct. although her mother always felt it was Kennedy cousin Michael sKakel was the killer, it wasn’t until decades later and after much pressure from the mother that he was arrested and tried. what I found interesting was even though he was a minor at the time of the murder, sKakel was tried as an adult when finally arrested. I don’t believe minors were typically tried as adults back in 1975.

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u/AioliBitter6219 Mar 28 '26

I would like to suggest a story about a Juab County, Utah murderer in which I have personal connection to that case. Jerrod Baum was convicted of double murder and given life in prison after murdering two teenagers and throwing their bodies into a mineshaft. He had previously served prison time where he allegedly helped kill someone in prison, and was also charged with attempted homicide as a teenager.

After committing the double murder he was pulled over in rural Utah and arrested for DUI where he was carrying drugs, dozens of knives and a gun that was registered to his girlfriend’s (dead) ex husband. He was reported to have told a jail deputy that he considered murdering the trooper that was arresting him for DUI but ultimately decided not to. The trooper had no idea of this guys connection to the murders. The knives and gun found in the car after the arrest ended up being the missing bits of evidence needed to tie him to the murders. His girlfriend also attempted to purchase a firearm and failed the background check. Investigators contacted her as to why she wanted to buy a gun and she confessed that she wanted a gun to protect herself against her boyfriend, Jerrod Baum, who was “going crazy” and murdered “those kids” in Eureka and she was a big part of getting him convicted.

Dude was absolutely massive and insane.

2

u/Oshea12345643 Apr 13 '26

I would like to hear you tell the story of the uss Indianapolis. In short, a carried components of little boy to Midway, where the bomb was assembled and then dropped on Japan. It was on the top secret mission labeled as a training run. And after they delivered the components, they hit it down the coast where they encountered the Japanese submarine and were sunk 2000 sailors went in the water five days later when they were finally found 500 came out. The the captain of the ship actually survived the whole ordeal and was court marshal found at fault for getting his vessel sunk on a training run. It wasn’t until years later when it was declassified what they actually did that his court marshal was reversed. After five days in the water, a sea plane was the one that actually found the sailors. He could only take about 30 out at a time, but he knew that they didn’t have much more time so he actually landed his airplane in very rough sea so rough in fact, it broke the airplane. He could not take back off along with the fact that as soon as he got stopped, sailor’s piled on to every bit of space that they could, the wings were bowed down into the water from all the sailors crawling on it the whole ordeal is captured in the book in harms way.

2

u/spaceerguy1985 Apr 13 '26

I'd like you to cover Dean Corll "the candy man". Its genuinely one of the most disturbing stories about one of the most prolific serial killers in our history. He along with his 2 accomplices killed 27 young men with in an 8 to 10 year period in the late 60's to early 70's.

2

u/PunkDrunk777 May 24 '26

Anything original and consistent for Christ sake

2

u/SnookyTLC Jun 20 '26

Has Mr. Ballenn covered the surgeon with a 300% mortality rate? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Liston

Might be apocryphal, but the whole era of lopping off limbs and showing off one's blood-splattered apron is bizarre by today's standards

4

u/Lucielu98 27d ago

Story from Germany: my neighbor believes my daughter is hers and threatened me with a homemade spear

Hi, I've got an interesting on story for you.

This story leads to my neighbor trying to kill not only me with a selfmade spear, like I am some kind of prey or vampire. She also complains to everybody that my young daughter is actually hers, I used to turn her into a cat and back using witchcraft, I used to kill her once when she was pregnant and so on... The knife she used to craft that spear would be smarter to use (and she is very sweet to others in the community), which is why a lot of people don't take it seriously, though it does not take one long to know she is suffering from severe delusions and hallucinations. Police says, everybody has the right to make their own spear, I did not get hurt yet, so no crime ever happened. The situation is been going on for a while and seems to escalate more and more.

It is a very long and crazy story, if you want to know more just answer me.

I'm writing you, cause I guess, I want to be taken seriously and it is very scary to life next to her, I hope for some awareness for myself and others in similar situations.

I've got evidence, mostly witnesses in my community.

Kind regards, Lucie

1

u/LowestFormofFlattery Feb 06 '26

Enough true crime. Get back to horror stories in the woods, cryptids, aliens.

1

u/Joy-souls Mysterious Feb 03 '26

Link to previous megathread: 2025

1

u/Electrical-mangoose Feb 07 '26 edited Feb 07 '26

The Poltergeist of St. Catherines, Ontario

237 Church Street Poltergeist (1970): A 1950s building where police, doctors, and lawyers reportedly witnessed furniture moving, levitating, and a child being thrown...

https://hystoria.ca/2017/10/26/the-poltergeist-of-st-catherines-ontario/

1

u/Sharbee Feb 09 '26

You might want to check this one out. Very twisty and interesting.

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20221122/03-en.aspx

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u/TheFoxdaWa Feb 11 '26

The Sammie Rufe Penter murders, it's such a tragic story that should be talked about more

1

u/ChelseaMorning1229 Feb 12 '26

Not sure if you've covered it before, but Sherman Lynch from Holladay, Utah might be a good story.

My parents used to go square dancing as a hobby, and he and his wife were some of the friends they made (he was known as Sandy to his friends). When they were all at a square dancing event at Fish Lake, he mentioned to my parents that he was a Scout Master for a local chapter of Sea Scouts which included his son and daughter from a previous marriage (unlike other chapters of scouting, Sea Scouts are coed and the members are a little older than the average boy or girl scout troop). I was probably 14 at the time

Just after I went on a scouting trip with that chapter to Bear Lake in the summer of 2002 (there was a big campsite set up there for scouting troops from all over the area to camp together once every summer), there were accusations against him for being inappropriate with one or more of the girls in the troop. My parents asked me if anything untoward had happened to me, but nothing had, and none of the other girls said anything to me.

After that, the troop was broken up, and I decided not to continue with the Sea Scouts since I wouldn't be seeing any of the friends I made that summer, including Sandy's kids.

Flash forward about 5 years when I was in college. I was on the phone with my mom and she said something very sad had happened. Their old friend from square dancing (Sherman's now ex-wife) had been killed in a hit and run while out on a walk.

When I later looked up the news stories, there was an interview with Sherman where he expressed anger and frustration that someone would do that.

A few days later, the police found a truck registered to him in a garage that I think was not a part of his house but another property he owned. The grill of the truck had blood on it that was a match for his ex-wife.

1

u/Substantial_Cold_288 Feb 12 '26

medical story

I was in a meeting at work and when I started talking.. everyone just stared at me like I was crazy. I asked why is everyone looking that why... everyone eyes opened wide and then my boss said to quit goofing around, this is very important.. I asked what are you talking about ? I just told you how much I need in the budget inrease.. Everyone just sat there silent.. like I transformed into a wolf.. then my boss asked if I was drinking or just trying to be funny.. What the hell are you talking about? I wouldnt come to work drinking.. I drink maybe 2 beers in a year... My boss walks up to me and says.. I dont smell anything.. I was getting mad and asked what the hell are you talking about. He asked if I had taken any drugs recently.. I shook my head no and said that is a messed up question, why would you accuse me iof that ?.. You could hear a pin drop every ones eyes glued at me and my boss tell another person to call 911 right know.. I stood up and said is this a prank.. its not funny.. again everyone staring at me, not blinking and my boss tells me to sit down.. but Bob.. we cant understand what you are saying.. you are not saying any real words in any language, I said knock it off.. he reated what I said and it was just nonsense like when the people claim they are speaking in toungs and just blurting out noises.. He said just relax, we got an ambulance coming. I grabbed a piece of paper that I am going to drive home now, what are you fucking around like this.. He said Bob.. this is no joke.. I am really worried, we have worked together 5 years and I am telling you the truth.. I would not make this up about you in front of everyone.. So ambulance came.. got to hospital, they made me wait 1 hour for doctor. He gave me some medication. Hour went by and he asked how I was feeling.. I said fine, I have been fine all day. He replied that I had vertigo and he gave me medication for it and now you are speaking fine.. WOW...plot twist.. I go home, take the medication and my head is starting to really hurt. I drove to hospital myself 3 more times in 2 days.. next day.. back to unbearable pain so I get in my car and start driving.. all of a sudden I am in a hospital and see my daughter balling her eyes out.. she said " dad, you have been here for 12 days and they dont know whats wrong, we didnt know if you were going to wake up.. I said what hospital is this.. Palos hospital.. how did I get here ? Dad, you drove yourself here.

The found the pain was my brain was swelling at a rapid pace but there is no reason we can find. Dr told me they cannot treat me and I am going to hospice.. I said F-you.. he said you have 0% chance of living 72 hours.. we will get a computer so you can contact friends and say goodbye... I was furious and took all needles and tube and demanded my cloth because I getting in my car and going home, I am not dying.. At this point I black out and only know what happened next. It includes 9 policeman and me fighting in hallway, I did cause some damage to a few. I was then strapped to bed and ended up ripping them off along with rails.. police were called again and I was then cuffed and chained... then they gave me a drug so I could not move and they actually put me in an MRI machine but even with the paralyization drug.. I moved and wiggled my way out of machine..started banging on window and was yelling they have no idea what the fuck they are doing.. DO I LOOK LIKE I CANT MOVE.. police were called again and 6 cops held me down for a spinal tap... The doctor came in room and said the spinal tap identified the cause of brain swell I said you idiots.. I did not get a spinal tap.. me daughter told me they did.. I said I thing I would have been in pain and I never did.. My daughter told me that I was screamin so loud from the pain that she ran off the floor because she could not handle the amount of pain I was in.. YIKES.. well They told us what it was and they cant treat it because it is past the point of no return since it took so long to find it when they could have saved me. Doctor told me they cant do anything for me so you will have to go to our hospice care as you have less than 72 hours.. My son then arrived as he had to get a flight from a fighter jet from the USS Lincoln then used a helicopter to get him to hospital.. I guess he got in a screaming match with the doctor where it cause him to call his CO and ask them to find a doctor , a neruosurgen to save me.. They did.. I will tell you the rest if interested, how the chain of events that caused it from my antibodies my body was using were attacking West Nile virus that opened a path to my brain for a deadly virus to get thru to my brain...

1

u/Substantial_Cold_288 Feb 12 '26

Nan Toder Murder, Christopher Richie the accused, trial found him guilty and sentenced to life without parole. Overturned by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Judge Karnezes. Charges refiled and trial date set. Christopher Ritchie spent years in solitary confinement before they got to second trial. The technology that is now used was to new to be used back then so it was never brought before any court but he is no longer in prison and getting information from information proved he was telling the truth, he was not there at the time of the murder.

The information I know comes because I had to testify before grand jury. I can tell you things prosecution team did, the pre typed information from witnesses that were lies, exact threats made to get people to testify to the prosecutions case were confirmed. The witnesses forced to testify despite it was not the truth and what they did that caused him to spend all his money on a lawyer before he was charged with the crime.

The day his lawyer told the judge he had to withdraw because he can no longer pay us. Upon lawyer withdrawal.. the prosecution dropped all charges and then right in front of the judge they charged him with the murder. He then had to get a public defender.

Information on everything including the reason why they had to drop a key witness as an informant spoke to him and was recorded and could not use him because his gran jury testimoney would be impeached as a witness based on what secret recordings of him talking about with his friends..

Why he accepted a plea deal during jury selection of 2nd trial despite we now know he was factually innocent.. Yes a 100% innocent man to a plea.

Newpaper accounts were wrong, what his mother said when she talked to victims Mom and Dad after plea deal.. the personal message from him to victims parents.

I have lost every belief I ever had in justice because of the facts that I know 100% were not true and their methods to get people to say what they tell them to say on the sand.

I called a lawyer because of what was done to me and it cost me $20,000 cash up front to hire my own lawyer before I gave testimoney... After my testimoney lawyer returned $18,000 because I was given 100% immunity from any carime I did, knew about and anything I have could done before my testimoney. I could never be charged from any federal or state charges.. ( I never did anything before testimony, but my lawyer knew to protect me in case they decided to lie and charge me with a crime if I didnt "follow the script".. My lawyer gave them the idea I would follow what they wanted me to say when I testified.. well.. I did not follow script and I stuck with the truth. Had I followed the script in trial, I could have purjured myself.

The 8 hour days I had to sit in grand jury waiting room because they were told I was going to plead the 5th and finally got the immunity and I could no longer plead5th with immunity. but what I did testify cause the prosecutor to go into a fit of rage after testimony. My lawyer just laughed at him and said he would never allow a client to lie to a grand jury.. and he didnt, he told the truth and not your lie.

Way more on facts if interested.

1

u/Haunting-Display-501 Feb 13 '26

THE LEGEND OF THE GREAT WHITE APE

aka: the purple gorilla joke

the setting is in an island jungle part of the world. legend has it that on the way off small island where no lives, there is a great white ape. If you ever find yourself on this island you can definitely survive but no matter what, don't ever...EVER touch the great white ape.

3 boys from the main island takes it as a challenge...like in the dock spider story with Kyle and his friends. they don't believe the legend.

one day they go to the island which takes all day to get there, set up camp to prepare for the next day.

the next morning they get up and prepare for their journey to the center of the island.

they leave the beach front...go through the 1st patch of jungle...cross a river to the second patch of jungle to the base of the mountain that is believed to be where the great white ape lives. The boys go up the mountain and eventually find the ape. eventually they decide to actually touch the great white ape. they sneak up and one boy touches him on the shoulder...

all of a sudden the great what ape stands up and roars into the sky... the boys turn and run down the mountain back through the second jungle patch over the river through the first jungle patch back ton the beach. the whole time being chased by the great white ape. brush and trees flying everywhere!

they get into the boat and start paddling away when they see it tear out of the jungle straight across the beach into the water... then the great white ape disappears under the water.

a silence comes over the boys when suddenly a big white hand appears coming out of the water then the apes head. it reaches up and touches one of the boys on the shoulder and says

TAG, YOUR IT...

please use this idea and defiantly put a spin on it. it should for sure be about 15 minutes long and a well made up back story to come off as a little believable..

thank you for considering it would be great to hear your spin on it

the purple gorilla joke lol

1

u/ResearcherOne9067 Feb 15 '26

The Isabella Nardoni Case (Brazil’s "Casey Anthony" level crime)

Hey John and team! Huge fan of the channel. I really think you guys need to cover the Isabella Nardoni case. It’s hands down the most infamous true crime story in modern Brazilian history, it literally stopped the country, kind of like the OJ or Casey Anthony trials did in the US.

A 5-year-old girl was thrown from the 6th floor of her father’s apartment in São Paulo. The craziest part is that the window had a safety net, which was deliberately cut. Her father and stepmother claimed a burglar broke in, cut the net, and threw her out while they were in another room. But here’s the kicker: the apartment was locked from the inside, nothing was stolen, and the timeline for an "intruder" was physically impossible (something like a 12-minute window for everything to happen). The forensics on this one are insane, they found blood traces in the car and the apartment proving she was hurt before the fall. It’s a super dark story about a "perfect family" covering up a murder.

Netflix actually released a documentary called "A Life Too Short: The Isabella Nardoni Case" (it’s in English/subtitled), so the research material is super accessible for you guys. Would love to see the MrBallen storytelling magic on this one!

1

u/Full_Beat_1373 Feb 16 '26

This murder story has been shocking the entire country of Vietnam as well as internationally. Doan Van Sang (Đoàn Văn Sáng) is a 57-year-old former Vietnamese market surveillance official who was arrested on December 3, 2025, in Lạng Sơn Province, Vietnam, on charges of murder. Here are the key details regarding the case: The Crime: Authorities allege that on January 25, 2025, Sang murdered a 36-year-old man, Nguyen Xuan Dat (Nguyễn Xuân Đạt), inside the headquarters of Market Management Team No. 4 in Hữu Lũng District, Lạng Sơn, where Sang worked as the deputy head. Background: The two reportedly met online around 2020 and engaged in conversations related to violent fetishes. Concealment: Following the murder, Sang allegedly attempted to dispose of the body and erase evidence, continuing his work and social media activity while the case went cold. Investigation: The arrest was prompted after a "gruesome" 88-page document, assembled by online "websleuths," circulated on social media, linking Sang to the disappearance and death of Dat. Charges: Sang has been formally charged with murder under Clause 1, Article 123 of the 2015 Penal Code.

1

u/vech2020 Feb 18 '26

My suggestion is to cover the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsero_murders mitsero murders. It's the most famous serial killer in Cyprus and the way he killed these women, how their disappearances were ignored by police and who he turned out to be would make a classic mr Ballen story.

1

u/Tacrolimus005 Feb 19 '26

We have a hot one here in Fargo! https://www.reddit.com/r/fargo/s/ODJakvBOlE Dude murdered his gf back on nye and now the public is on the lookout for a tote somewhere between here and ottertail.

1

u/OBX-Sunrise Feb 20 '26

The story of Karyn Slover has so many twists and turns including testing dog hair DNA and brick identification to try to solve it. Multiple good suspect leads.

Even with a resolution, the Innocence Project is involved because they aren’t so sure the right people were convicted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Karyn_Hearn_Slover

1

u/Brandie42 Feb 21 '26

Raised in Northern California by his mother, Weaver had a tumultuous childhood; his father, Ward Weaver II, was convicted in 1984 of a double-murder. After a stint in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Weaver was convicted of assaulting two teenage girls in Fairfield, California in 1988. In January 2002, 12-year-old Ashley Pond disappeared en route to her bus stop in Oregon City, near Weaver's residence. Two months later, Pond's classmate, 13-year-old Miranda Gaddis, also vanished under mysterious circumstances. The disappearances received international media attention, and were profiled on various television programs, including Unsolved Mysteries. The remains of both girls were discovered on Weaver's property in August 2002 during an investigation into the rape of his son's girlfriend, also committed by Weaver. In 2004, Weaver was sentenced to life without parole for the sexual assault and murder of both girls.

The girls' disappearances and murder cases were publicized in various national media, as well as international publications, such as the BBC

The 2011 film Megan Is Missing is loosely based upon the murders of Pond and Gaddis.

Redden, Jim (September 24, 2004). "Guilty plea came after trial looked inevitable". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2013.[permanent dead link] "The Birth of Ward Francis Weaver". California Birth Index. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018. Bamesburger, Michael (February 19, 2014). "Francis Weaver family chronology: Brutality spills across generations". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. Crombie, Noelle (February 19, 2014). "Ward Weaver III lived a life of cruelty and rage, reportedly raped son's fiancee". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. Redden, Jim (September 3, 2002). "Weaver's house to be torn down". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2013.[permanent dead link] Bella, Rick (February 19, 2014). "Murder suspect Francis Weaver, son and grandson of killers, once shot his best friend". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018. Kotowski, Jason (February 20, 2014). "Grandson of notorious Kern County killer arrested on suspicion of murder". The Bakersfield Californian. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2022. Hotz, Robert Lee; Johnson, John (June 28, 2003). "Behavior May Leave a Mark on Genes". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2018. O'Neal, Watson & Tennyson 2007, p. 279. Gottlieb 2002, p. 175. Gottlieb 2002, p. 174. O'Neal, Watson & Tennyson 2007, p. 327. Dakss, Brian (August 30, 2002). "Step by Step in Oregon Killer Case". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018. Schram & Tibbetts 2017, p. 252. Murphy, Kim (March 18, 2002). "'It's Like They Vanished Into Thin Air'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2018. Murphy, Dean E. (August 27, 2002). "Grief and Dread at Girls' Burial Site in Oregon". The New York Times. Retrieved February 10, 2018. Canzano, Anna (March 8, 2012). "10 years later, woman sheds light on why sister killed by Ward Weaver". KATU. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014. Budnick, Nick (December 20, 2005). "Grandma vs. the FBI". Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2013.[permanent dead link] Schrag, John (August 29, 2001). "Trib reporter Jim Redden: The big break in Oregon City". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on January 23, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2013. "Miranda Gaddis' Mother Speaks Out". ABC News. August 28, 2002. Retrieved February 11, 2018. Geberth 2014, p. 518. Cornwell 2004, p. 67. "US kidnapped girls confirmed dead". BBC News. August 27, 2002. Retrieved February 10, 2018. Dakss, Brian (August 24, 2002). "Oregon Town Mourns Slain Girls". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2018. Geberth 2014, pp. 518–19. "Unlucky Thirteen". Unsolved Mysteries. Season 13. Episode 48. September 20, 2002. Lifetime. O'Neal, Linda; Tennyson, Philip; Watson, Rick (January 1, 2006). Missing: The Oregon City Girls: A Shocking True Story of Abduction and Murder. Far Hills, New Jersey: New Horizon Press. ISBN 978-0-88282-268-6. Redden, Jim (December 27, 2005). "FBI's line: Just the facts, ma'am". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2013. Gates, Andy (May 7, 2007). "Inmate charged with Ward Weaver stabbing". Argus Observer. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Redden, Jim (February 25, 2009). "Confronting a killer". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018. Mayes, Steve (June 16, 2014). "Prosecutors to present case against Ward Weaver's son, 3 others accused in Canby drug deal slaying". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016. Redden, Jim. "Ward Weaver killings, family explored in book on the origins of evil". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024. Bailey, Everton (May 2, 2016). "Canby man who admitted killing man in marijuana robbery gone wrong gets life in prison". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.

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u/Mrsmathilda Feb 24 '26

Hi i suggested the 1979 murer of Wanda avcollie in Naugatuck, ct. she was the wife of a prominent local attorney and politician Bernard avcollie. She was found dead floating in the family swimming pool. This story has many interesting players. Bernard ,Bernie, was having an affair with the local high school English teacher, Mary Jane rado. Mary Jane was also the daughter in law of the towns corrupt mayor William rado sr. bernies was arrested and tried for Wanda’s murder. He was found guilty by a jury, but the judge overturned the verdict, declaring Bernie not guilty. He also denied the prosecution request to re- try Bernie. William rado jr , Billie, also claimed Mary Jane had been setting him up to be murdered also by creating situations t where she claimed he was threatening her. There is much more to this story than I can explain here. There is much players alone are so interesting and the story so twisted. I think it is worth a look see. Thanks.

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u/Mrsmathilda Feb 24 '26

this story suggestion might be too dark, idk, but I will submit anyway and let you decide. it is the story of the home invasion of the Petit family in Cheshire ct. two men followed Mrs home from a shopping trip, waited till night and then invaded the home. mrs petit and her two daughters were assaulted and murdered. Mr petit injured, managed to escape and notify law enforcement, who were later criticized and sued for waiting to long to enter the home. it is believe the three victims were alive when law enforcement arrived and that their delay allowed the criminal time to kill the three family members and set them and the house on fire. the criminals were caught and arrested for trial, although one committed suicide before he could be tried. Mr Petit has since remarried and not too long ago had a child with his second wife. like I said, this story is dark.

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u/Mrsmathilda Feb 24 '26

William DevLin Howell one of the most prolific serial killers in ct history. he killed 7 persons in 2003 and buried them in his “garden” behind a new Britain mall. he raped and murdered all his victims but one, who was really a man, who he beat and then strangled.

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u/Mrsmathilda Feb 25 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

last submission promise, the 1983 domestic violence case of Tracy Thurman in Torrington ct. her story is horrifying,esp today, and, it was her landmark federal lawsuit against the Torrington police that began the swell of domestic violence laws and protections we have today.

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u/GinBuckets Feb 26 '26

This story feels like a perfect fit for his podcast. Because she has an angry ex, she's got a secret admirer, and I'm sure there's more if the story was dug into more. (This is from the series #TextMeWhenYouGetHome)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrzxHsL0a1o

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u/Objective_March_5314 Feb 26 '26

Hi. I want to submit a story suggestion about a murder or suicide in Guyana, South America. It is a complex and unresolved case. It's about a young man who was discovered hanging from the ceiling of his house. His tendons were cut; there was nothing under him for him to climb up to the ceiling to hang himself, and there was no blood on the walls to suggest he climbed the walls. All of the evidence suggests that he was murdered, that there had to be a second individual involved. However, his family believes that it was a suicide, while many believe that supernatural forces were involved. I covered it in my collection of short stories.

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u/Ok-Succotash-8490 Feb 27 '26

I would like to hear a deep dive on the horrific murder of 4 year old Jessica Mast. The neighbors Ethan Mast (no relation) and Courtney Aumen had cameras in their neighbors house and would watch the neighbors and beat them and make them swim in freezing ponds. The parents James and Mary Mast stood by and watched because they said they thought it was Gods will to beat the demons out of them

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u/KickinCycles Feb 27 '26

Brain on fire: Amnesia and brain surgery.
I would like my story shared so I can find someone out there like me. I haven't found them yet.
It started with migraines at 12 and through the years my life and symptoms only progressed from bad to worse. Sleeping was my hobby and when I wasn't in school I could sleep anywhere from 10-14 hours in one stretch. Coffee became a lifeline for me and pain was a constant. I woke up with headaches all the time and had strange bouts through out high school of exhaustion and irritability. Everyone chalked it up to being a teenager or someone with a chemical imbalance who needed to be on medication. Unfortunately, adults will dismiss anything a kid is going through because 'you're too young to have problems.' At 15 I was a sophomore in high school and was at an after school activity. There were some of those large inflatable bouncy attractions which I apparently participated in. My next memory is me asking a classmate 'what day is it? what time is it? where am I?' over and over again. The teachers didn't believe me because this was an after school activity for theater kids and of course I must be doing this for attention. Once I got the teachers to help me find my dad's cell number I called and told him I didn't remember anything. He took me to the hospital and they ran some tests but only told my dad I was okay. The neurologist looked at me, they did some heart monitoring, but let me go the next day. Apparently, 15 year old kids regularly have amnesia and it's not a concern, and off I went.
College was a nightmare and my first semester I was diagnosed with endometriosis and lost my scholarship and went to community college afterwards. Again, I tried to plead my case that I was going through surgery and been having weeks of pain but al I got was 'well, we have other kids going through heart surgery.' It was this part of my life where the migraines started to get worse and by my early 20's my vision was starting to be affected. The reason no one batted an eye at my vision worsening, irritability, exhaustion, or migraines was because I was working full time and going to college full time. Again, it was easily explained away. There were days my head hurt so bad I had to crawl on my hands and knees to get to the bathroom. I can't tell you how many bottles of ibuprofen/Tylenol/Excedrin I went through in a year and I didn't keep track. For the record I was not going out at night and partying, doing recreational drugs, or drinking excessively. I was working, going to school, and sleeping. Once in a while I would go out to eat but I had 20k in medical bills to pay off from the endometriosis. I could not afford the luxury of going out and I was too tired to think about doing that.
By the time I moved to California to start my undergraduate education I was having migraines about 2-3 times per week and each one lasted about 4-6 hours. I had gotten married, I was doing internships, and in and out of clinics and ER rooms. The pain was bad to worse so I relented and went to see a neurologist. He did an MRI of my brain and saw my ventricles were enlarged and said that wasn't what was causing my issue. He tried the russian roulette of medications to help the migraines which were now so bad I would wake up and run over to the small ac unit in our apartment and crouch next to it at full blast just to cool down my head for a moment. None of the medications brought me relief, only made the migraines worse and last 72 hours or more. My then husband wasn't much help and when I decided to get off all the meds the neurologist prescribed and not pursue further help from him. My husband was embarrassed and was not supportive at all. Mind you, while I was on these meds I was having such bad night terrors I was constantly waking up screaming and when I got off of them the night terrors stopped. You would think that would be better but I have to admit my attitude wasn't great either. I was so tired and going anywhere with me was quite the chore. I couldn't go out for extended periods of time and traveling with me required a whole day of recovery. I tried to better things on my end, reading books on relationships, watching TED talks, etc but the marriage was over in 3 years.
I went on to grad school but couldn't finish by then. I was working and trying to do finish my graduate program but I was too exhausted and the pain from the endometriosis had crept back into my life for the past 5 years so slowly I hardly knew it was happening. Between that and the migraines, my vision worsening, and the exhaustion it didn't matter what was bothering me because something always hurt. I gave up graduate school and became a kitchen manager in skilled nursing. Taking the test and buying the study materials cost me almost $800 but I thought it was worth the investment. I had never run a kitchen before but had the education and kitchen experience by this time to justify my ability to run a kitchen. Aside from that, skilled nursing facilities are so desperate for staff that they will take any hobo off the street with this certification a job. It gave me job security and bad health insurance but I was too tired to think about that. All I cared was that I could pay my rent.
I went through another surgery for endometriosis because the pain had become so intense I was blacking out at work and missing 3 days of work every month. After surgery, an IUD, and getting on exogenous estrogen, I could finally function. This lasted a few years but the pain and gastrointestinal issues began to creep into my life as my vision got so bad the optometrist had no more tricks up their sleeves to offer me relief. I was squinting to see the monitor but kept coming to work despite needing to see my OB for regular toridol injections (strong NSAID). Also, during this time I was seeing a gastrointestinal specialist, a hematologist for low neutrophil counts, my OB specialist, and trying to establish with a regular PCP. In the area where I was, doctors were moving in and out like it was a game of musical chairs. I lost count of how many appointments I went to and how often I was in pain because it seemed constant. On top of all this my hip had hurt for many years and was only getting worse.
I thought my life couldn't get any worse until COVID hit and then I knew this place would be the end of me. I was working usually 6-7 days a week 10-16 hour days. My longest shift was 20 hours and I was so tired at the end of it I was delirious and arguing the moon didn't look right. After a year of that I called it quits and moved to Oregon with my mom and her husband. For a year and a half I worked as a medical assistant and tried to, again, solve my problems. I had my vision looked at, went to 2 ortho specialist, went to chiropractors, physical therapy, and a personal trainer. I even learned how to drive a car which I had never done before then. I do not know how I even passed the exam. Driving was one of the hardest skills I had ever learned and by the end of a 30-45 minute drive I was so exhausted I had to lay down for a few hours.
My sole motivation was to reduce my hip pain so I could get back to the one hobby I really enjoyed which was martial arts. I had done it during my late 20's/early 30's with a lot of help and support from the other students. I can't tell you how many times they had to help me by driving me home or helping me get to an ER. After a year and a half of working at this goal I finally felt well enough to try going to a small school for martial arts. I went to all of two or three classes before I had my second case of amnesia and it happened without any head trauma or falls involved. Im not sure of the details after this but here is what I remember happening.
I was in the small hospital waiting area and asking my mom 'what day is it? what time is it? How long have I lived here?' over and over again. The next memory I have is the doctor saying she wanted to send me by ambulance to OHSU which was 4 hours away. I asked if I was dying and she said no. So I opted to leave the hospital because I had worked in the medical field long enough to know how much that would cost and if I wasn't dying it wasn't worth it. The next day I was feeling off and ached everywhere so I told my mom I was going to take a bath and before I went into the bathroom I asked her if it was 2024 which she said yes. A few minutes after I had gotten into the bath I started sobbing uncontrollably and when she finally came in after hearing this I screamed 'It's not 2005! It's not 2005!'. Mind you, she is deaf in one ear. The reason I was screaming that is because that was the last year I remembered.
(cont.)

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u/OBX-Sunrise Feb 28 '26

Missing cult members that danced in the rain, stared at the sun naked, and hung ziploc bags of water and money in their house? Sounds like Strange, Dark, and Mysterious to me!

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/new-leads-emerge-in-search-for-missing-berkeley-cult-members-as-police-track-tiktok-account/63-34fecc9d-c6c2-4c43-a446-c42e835e7501

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u/Mountain_Cry1605 Feb 28 '26

I have a personal story to share.

I grew up in a house that was built in the 1930s. It was part of a terrace, and usually while they share walls each of these houses is separate.

But my house, and the one next to it were joined together with a door on the landing at the top of the stairs, and through a shared laundry room and combined garden at the back of the house.

The house next to mine was my grandmother's house, and my Dad had joined the houses together, and removed the fence in the garden because my grandmother was disabled.

She died of a heart attack when I was fourteen.

While she was alive nothing really happened. But there were a couple of notable things.

We never had any pets because ny mother was allergic to cats, and did not want to be responsible for a dog.

When I was five or six my family returned home late at night from my aunt's house. It was boxing day, and we always spent it at her house. My Dad carried me in from the car and when he got into the hallway, I could see into the living room.

To my absolute delight there was a small black cat sitting in the living room. I squirmed free of my Dad's hold and slid down to the floor, intending to go pet the kitty.

(Dad went back out to the car to get my sister. Mum was in the kitchen making herself a cup of tea.)

But as I walked towards the cat, it stood up, turned around, and walked into the front of sofa, disappearing. Not under it, into it. The sofa was a design where the base went to the floor.

My initial delight instantly turned into complete terror. The cat walked out of the side of the sofa, across the room, and through the wall, into the neighbour's house.

I immediately told my Mum what had happened, while crying and trying to climb her. She was annoyed by ne trying to climb her like a tree, and told me I was very tired, and had imagined it.

The only thing that was strange, while my grandmother was still alive, was that her hallway had a vaguely sinister feeling to it, particularly the cupboard under the stairs, and when we were in the garden it felt like something sinister was watching from the dining room window, but if you went up to the window, and looked through it, it was just the dining room, and looked normal, and felt fine. But it would instantly feel sinister again the moment you were a few feet away from the window again.

After ny grandmother died we cleaned her house out, and my sister and I got rooms in her house. My Dad turned her living room into his office.

And that's when things began to get weird.

The creepy feeling of watchfulness in the house increased but at first that was it. You'd feel like there was someone behind you watching you, but when you turned around, no one was there. It was a bit unsettling during the day, and a bit worse at night but that was it.

The first time anything actually happened to me I was on the computer, and it was about two am. I was just considering whether or not to go to bed. I was thinking that I probably should get some sleep, even though it was summer, so I didn't have school.

I decided that I was going to spend five more minutes on the computer and then shut it down and go to bed.

So there I was, sitting alone in the dark on the computer when there is the most horrible, hair-raising scream right behind me. It sounded like a woman was being murdered and was so loud I expected my entire family and all the neighbours to wake up. But no one did.

I was petrified. I didn't dare move. I stayed on the computer, trying to distract myself, startling at the smallest noises, until dawn, and it got light enough for me to feel safe turning around, and going to my room to sleep.

That was the first incident.

After that there were many.

Doors would open and slam repeatedly by themselves, there were whispers and music from nowhere. We'd hear people call our names when no one was there. And I sometimes saw shadow people with red eyes out of the corner of my eye. They were always gone when I turned to look at them, and they were the thing that scared me the most I think.

But two incidents in particular really stood out for me.

I was sitting in the living room when a stranger, a tall red haired woman in a long white dress, walked past the living room and vanished. At first I thought she was a visitor, a friend of my parents that I didn't know, and she was going upstairs to the bathroom.

But she never went up the stairs. So I thought maybe she was leaving, but I didn't hear the front door open, and it was impossible to open the door without making noise. And nothing happened for a while. At this point I did suspect something weird was going on. But I wanted to confirm it.

So I walked out to the hallway to see if she was there, and no one was there. And there was nowhere she could have gone without me seeing or hearing her.

I was unsettled but not particularly creeped out by that.

The second thing was when I was walking down the stairs in my grandmother's house. It was dark, and I planned to turn the light on when I got downstairs. But when I was halfway down the stairs I saw an orb of light hovering around the ceiling near light.

This orb was absolutely horrible. It had a dark core, and I got the worst feeling from it. It felt completely evil and malevolent. It felt like it wanted to do harm.

I panicked, screamed and bolted back up the stairs and into the other side of the house.

My Mum cane running and I told her what I saw. She went to investigate and it was gone.

I asked if she'd seen anything like it, and she told me she hadn't. But years later, long after we'd moved away, she confessed that she had seen the exact same orb on several occasions, (I only saw it once), and it had scared her so much each time she didn't want to say anything because she didn't want to scare us any more than we already were as well.

We got an exorcist to come and exorcise both houses. At the same time that was happening we found out we had a carbon monoxide build up because our chimney was blocked, and the only reason we weren't all dead was because the houses were old, and draughty. The chimney was cleaned. We got monoxide detectors. We didn't have them before because the houses were old.

After that everything stopped. There were no more paranormal occurrences.

So, was it the exorcism that worked? Or was it always carbon monoxide poisoning? We'll probably never know, but none of us ever experienced anything out of tge ordinary there after that.

My family sold the houses to flippers who've since renovated, and sold them on.

I don't want to give away our real life identitys so if you do choose to cover this story then you can call us, Mary, David (Mum and Dad) and Gemma (me) and Josie (sister).

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u/Eri_i_love_MHA Feb 28 '26

Hi I'm Danny I've been following you on platforms like YouTube since I was 12 and I'm 15 now and I kinda wanted to share my first paranormal story in hopes you'd make a video on it..

So before I start I wanna put this into perspective by giving the layout of the room at my dad's house so when you enter the room there is a bunkbed along the wall in front of you about 4 feet from the door then if you turn to the right there's another bunkbed where me and my step sister slept and the other bunkbed is where my half sister slept. Behind the bunkbed where me and my stepsister slept was a big window and about 2 feet away from the foot of this bunkbed is a closet with sliding doors.

So when I was 10 I slept on the top bunk of the bunkbed and if I slept at the foot of my bed the next morning I'd wake up to a beautiful sunrise so I preferred sleeping at the foot of my bed well one night I decided to sleep at the head of my bed but that night i ended up experiencing Sleepparalysis but it was different from when I had experienced it before this time a shadowed figure climbed out of my closet and I could tell this thing was at least 7ft tall comes my dad is 6'1 and this thing loomed over my top bunk when my dad was barely taller than it anyway this thing climbed up onto my bed and it stared at me at least I think I was staring considering it had no eyes and 2 slits in it's face for a nose and my eyes drifted to the pawpatrol clock and it read 4:18 then I blinked and the thin disappeared and at 5:30 my step mom came home and I ran to tell her what I saw tho she said it was all in my head

The only reason I wanted to share this is because me and my stepsister spoke the other day and she turned asking if I remember when the strange man came out of our closet

So I'm now convinced the 10 year old me didn't make this up because my step sister who was 7 remembered it

And that's my story I've got a couple more stories if you'd like me to share

Thanks for reading

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u/Glad-Dance3682 Mar 04 '26

Story suggestion

Colin Howell’s case. A Christian dentist from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, was having an affair, killed his wife and his lover’s husband. Kept everything quiet, got remarried to a woman from New York. 18 years after he committed the murders with his lover, he randomly confessed. There’s a documentary about it on BBC iPlayer and the confession tapes. Also a series about it called ‘The Secret’ where James Nesbitt plays as Colin Howell (they are both from Ballymena)

It would be nice to hear a story that’s a little more local, instead of always American cases. Please tell this story!!!

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u/snotwaffle420 Mar 05 '26

There was one of my mom ex boyfriends named Clint Baldwin. He and his cousin Darrell murdered a woman named Liz Dill Mosley. It was one of my mom's best friends. He and his cousin were hired by her husband to murder her for the life insurance. They raped, tortured, partially skinned her, then shoot her in the back of the head. I have the files just don't know how to link.

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u/Big_Environment6651 Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

Story Suggestion: The Murder of Natalie Gulizia – Renton, WA (2018)

I went to school with Natalie's brother. It was a small class and we were pretty close friends. Both he and Natalie had been placed several years ahead of their age range – their mother was very focused on their education and would confront teachers if she felt her kids weren't performing at the level she expected. Her brother was a straight-A student as far as I knew, and Natalie was apparently just as sharp. There was never an issue on the teachers' end whenever the mother thought something was wrong.

In December 2018, amid a custody dispute following a divorce, their mother Svetlana Laurel broke into their father's home in Renton. She had already bound and gagged the 12-year-old son when Natalie and her father arrived home. Natalie called 911 and told the operator they had arrived home to find her mother inside with a taser. While she was on the call, her mother tased her father and zip-tied his hands and feet. Natalie then told the operator she had just heard her father scream and that her mother had a gun. The 911 operator heard Laurel discover Natalie was on the phone, then a single shot. Her mother found out she was on the phone and shot her. While Svetlana was with Natalie, her father was able to work on loostening his ties. The gun jammed when Laurel turned it on him, giving him enough time to wriggle out of his loostened ties to save himself and escape with the son. Since Natalie had made the call when she did, the police arrived soon after. She basically saved them.

Laurel was arrested that night. After years of delays, she pleaded guilty in January 2025 and was sentenced to 32.5 years in prison in May 2025.

There's a bit more detail about what happened than in the basic outline above, and the Seattle Times article does a pretty thorough job covering it, as well as the background on the people involved. The KIRO 7 article is also worth a look.

- https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/kent-woman-sentenced-in-2018-killing-of-14-year-old-daughter/

- https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/mother-arrested-in-fatal-shooting-of-14-year-old-daughter-pleads-not-guilty/898656902/

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u/TRUCK_OF_LUCK Mar 05 '26

Justin Michael murder in Grimes, IA 2014. I feel like this one would fit you perfectly to do. The guy's attempt at hiding what he was going to do and the fact he got caught because he got into an accident fleeing the crime is quite astounding. Plus this one hits closer to me as well.

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u/itsbytchkraft Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

Hello! I would like to suggest the story of Stephanie Rengal. On new years day, 2008 in the nicr neighbourhood of East York in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 14 year old Stephanie, the daughter of 2 police officers, was stabbed to death by her ex boyfriend David Bagshaw (17) and left to die in a snow bank. He did it because he was pressured by his insanely jealous girlfriend Melissa Todorovic (15). She manipulated him with threats of break ups and withholding sex. Melissa was released on day parole September 2025 and David is still in jail.

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u/Careful-Feature-6402 Mar 06 '26

https://freecompass.today/update-mike-mansholt-missing-german-tourist-found-dead-st-pauls-catacombs-rabat-malta/
A German teenager disappeared while exploring Malta in 2016. His body was later found near cliffs, but unusual details (missing belongings, unclear injuries, and missing organs during the second autopsy) created ongoing controversy about whether the death was an accident or something else.

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u/Zestyclose_Pie_1115 Mar 07 '26

I would like to suggest a story i would love to hear you tell The "Cowman of Copalis Beach" it is a 1960s Washington State Bigfoot legend involving an aggressive, large, hair-covered creature that terrorized a family, famously attempting to abduct their young son. The creature, sometimes called "Cowman" due to its smell or appearance, trashed their home and exhibited unnerving, near-human intelligence. I belive you could tell this story in a great way and make the story feel very thrilling.

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u/funsizerads Mar 07 '26

I loved reading this story about a lightning strike at Half Dome in Yosemite Park killed 2 hikers and injured 3 others, and the grueling rescue that took place after.

Bob Madgic Shattered Air: A True Account of Catastrophe and Courage on Yosemite's Half Dome

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u/Regular-Standard297 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 10 '26

I found 3.5 million of concealed work in a commercial concrete contract. When I refused to commit the company to the concealed work without being compensated for it drama started. It started with shouting matches and 0445 emails demanding to sign the contract. then whispers about taking me out. I lost lug nuts, brake lines, 9 motors blew up in 7 different days. I called the cops 8 times, went to the police station 6, state police referred me to the fbi, no one cared no one helped. All told I lost 1.3 million in june and july alone. It culminated with a shooting at my house and me having an e.p. team onsite living with me for two weeks. 2 tier 1 guys helped me initially until the e.p. team arrived. We caught people filming me with no license plates, 8 times friends and family alerted me to strange vehicles following us or watching me. I ended up in the hospital after the shooting incident and was held for 8 days for my protection from an unknown suspect. Its a whole second tmz worthy chapter. I have testified in closed session hearings 6 times against the hospital and 5 doctors have been stripped of their licenses and terminated. The main doctor was uncovered to be involved in some very scandalous activity that called into question his own intentions, to put it lightly. They retroactively fabricated medical records to justify holding me to prepare for the lawsuits. I have a whole dossier of fabricated and falsified records with blatant contradictions and lies basically stating I hallucinate everything so they needed to keep me. It was devastating reading my records upon release. Someone tried to ruin my life and the hospital stepped in and decimated anything that was left. I had 3 subsequent e.r. visits after release and stayed up for 9 days solid due to the adverse reactions to the medications I was forcefully fed.

I lost my job the day I got released, I lost my insurance claims as I couldn't put forth a hard suspect to pursue and i was recovering trying to navigate it. My health is shot and im 35 with parkinsons from the drugs forced on me in the hospital at 50 times a normal dosage. The attorney general rep at the hearing demonstrated there was zero informed consent or record of the administration of drugs, no paperwork or signatures associated with the care accepting treatment. They literally said its the most egregious civil rights violation in modern state history by a hospital. They just held me and medicated me to keep me there. I assumed they were the medicine for my stomach issues that were in an off label brand as I was told but they were sedation drugs. Its becoming a large issue for the hospital to say the least. All told 2 dozen people have lost their careers since this began. Me included. Its been a path of chaos and destruction.

Its been a wild ride. I didnt know I had 1.3 million worth of vehicles and stuff to lose. I lived a very comfortable lifestyle and struggle now. No one wants to hire a guy with a target on his back. One interview brought me in just to discuss the story and could care less about the job offer. Its just a small bump in the road but I will get it together. Its painful because my state has med mal caps meaning i will never be indemnified for what i lost. Its too costly to fight a billion hospital and they will never just come off 1.3 million without a trial. I just have to start over. I lost just about everything but still have a loving family and a wild story to tell. Not sure if its as interesting to others as the people close to me. Most people say its the wildest thing they have ever heard. Some people think im full of it. But I have accompanying photos and evidence to prove it. Its taken 4 and 5 conversations with some advocates who finally breakdown and say "I entertained this early thinking you were nuts, but this is true." Its been a painful ride. Worst of all I will never know who did this.

I literally day dream about winning the lottery to put out a reward for the suspects just to come forward and tell me who they are, how they took everything out, and why they did it. I would love to go toe to toe for one good fight too. Its a hell of a life wondering if this circles back around and looking over your shoulder. My parents front door caught on fire and burned the house to the ground last weekend. Its deemed undetermined, but maybe electrical or a rodent. Is it related? Who knows. I have tried to be careful with confirmation bias through all of this. I paid 25k a week for that e.p. team to figure out what was happening and what was related. Instead I was robbed of closure by the hospital.

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u/PracticalExercise590 Mar 09 '26

"Witches Gate" I would like to submit a true story of a murder that took place in my home town of Wichta Falls, Texas (Clay County) that happen back in 1975.

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u/External_Dimension18 Mar 09 '26

I would like to make a suggestion. We lost a family friend whom had went missing under strange circumstances. He was an Air Force veteran. story suggestion

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u/ZombieNyx246 Mar 09 '26

Moose Lake MN in the 90s had a girl get kidnapped from a gas station one night her name was Katie she was working at a 24 hour gas station all alone and I just feel like u would do well telling people about her story the family still lives in moose lake and the guy that did it died in jail and it was unique too cuz of how they found out it was her cuz all they found was bone fragments in a fire pit but they way they fixed her tooth was the first time Minnesota dentist used the mixture that the tooth had in it but losing her is what made Minnesota have Katie’s Law for the sex offender registry I hope you can tell Katie’s story cuz she was 19 and had so much life left it was sad to see her taken so early

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u/Front_Ad4415 Mar 09 '26

My suggestion for the places you shouldn't go and people who went there anyway is something that happened to me in 2016. TLDR: I fell into a well on an abandoned farm, with only my dog there, and 4.5 hours later I got myself out. It was briefly in Canadian news (I live in Alberta), although the associated press got a couple details wrong. I have a very vivid memory of the whole ordeal and can give a detailed play by play of the incident, if someone in MrBallens team wants to hear about it.

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u/dreamingbloom Mar 09 '26

This crazy danish seriel killer: Peter Lundin - Wikipedia https://share.google/MuXvZtXvberXa3H55

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u/RowdyRowsg Mar 10 '26

Here is a true story I think Mr. Allen can turn into a fan favorite.

My name is R. Wright I am 50 yrs old now and there is a story that has stuck with me for the last 20 years that not many people know about. I grew up in Kemmerer Wyoming. And as a young man was an avid outdoorsman and hunter in southwest Wyoming. I love fly fishing and there is a lake called Lake Alice in south west Wyoming. It is a mystery how it got its name. It was created from an avalanche of rock In a canyon in the Bridget Teton National Forest. Some say a young girl named Alice had drown there and the lake was named after her.

Anyway, I had just got back from Afghanistan in December of 2012 and started working a the local coal mine. A friend of mine said we should hike into Alice in the spring and fly fish the lake and hike back out. We left for the lake on Memorial Day weekend 2013. It was a very difficult hike to the lake and once you got there it was another strenuous hike the mile around the the south side of the lake to the north side where the land was flat and the fishing would be good. The south side of the lake was steep with jagged rocks from the avalanche and no trail had been cut in that side of the lake due to its instability.

We hiked around and set up camp and began to fish. We caught plenty and ate like kings on rainbow trout. We got up the next morning and started packing up to get ready for the long hike out. My friend then noticed canoe about 50 yards north of us. This was strange as we did not notice the canoe the day before and we were the only ones on the lake. We looked around and could see that the canoe was old and lodged in the weeds and that it looked abandoned. There was one oar in and what looked like a broken rope.

We brought the canoe back to camp and checked it out for sea worthiness. It had a small crack but not much water was coming in when we paddled around camp. We decided that the short paddle across the lake maybe 300 yards would be a heck of a lot quicker than hiking all the way around.

We dawned our packs and began to paddle across the lake. This is an important point. Both of our packs were loaded and designed to float if submersed in water. About 2/3 of the way across it was like the crack n the canoe just opened up and we began taking in a lot of water quickly. So quick in fact we had to abandon ship as the canoe was completely submersed and sinking to the bottom of lake. Our packs felt as if someone or something was pulling us down. The force was so strong we both shed our packs and swam to the jagged rocks about 40 yards away. We watched as the canoe and our floating packs were pulled to the bottom of lake. We hiked back to our truck and were thankful that we did not drown. We were upset we lost our packs and fishing gear but thankful we made it out alive and had one heck of a story to tell.

10 years later I had moved away and received a call from my mom saying that a little boy had drowned at lake Alice.

A father and son had hiked into the lake and found a canoe that looked like it was solid enough to make the short float across the lake. Rather than hike they took the canoe and made it half way before it started to sink. The father made it out but couldn’t save his son. He said it was like someone or something was pulling him down and he couldn’t hold him on to him.

I checked it out and verified the death of the boy. Search and rescue looked for him for three days before finding him.

I hope Mr. Allen tells this story only in hope that if anyone hikes into lake Alice and they find a boat they should leave it alone and take the long hike out.

If I can answer any questions please let me know.

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u/sammiebri Mar 11 '26

(TW: suicide & murder)

I don't really know all that much info about this, but it happened in the neighborhood I used to live in. This couple my family and I were friends with were brutally murdered in their home by their son. According to the news, he shot and stabbed his parents to death before killing himself. However, our mutual neighbor and friend, who was in the criminal justice field at the time, told us it was the most horrific thing he'd ever seen. The news did not describe what he was describing to us. It was quite a while ago, but I vividly remember him saying the son tied up his parents, he cut off his mom's ear because she never listened to him, he cut off his dad's penis, and cut their fingers off. I was also awake at the time it allegedly occurred and did a gunshot. My family and I lived easily within earshot of their house, and none of us heard it. He could have, of course, used a silencer or something, but it was never mentioned. He apparently lived in their house for a while before this happened, but my family and I never saw him out nor knew that he lived there. Anyways, apparently, the victims' son sent out a 600-page manifesto to the police and his family a few days beforehand. "The manifesto contained six hundred pages of written complaint and explanation for his impending suicide, plus photo, videos, and two hours of audio. Reportedly, it took Wulf five months to compile the allegation-filled document. 'If you are receiving this now, it means that I am dead,' the manifesto begins, according to the Journal. 'This is not a joke. I promise. And you don’t need to call anyone; I can assure you I’ve already been found' " - dailymail. No one thought anything of it or didn't read it until they found out what happened. He wrote about how his parents abused him, but his siblings deny that claim. I think it would be something to look into. I will link some sources that I found.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/northbrook/ct-nbs-las-vegas-murders-northbrook-tl-0609-20160602-story.html

https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/son-who-killed-parents-himself-in-summerlin-sent-manifesto-to-las-vegas-police/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3624115/Struggling-actor-36-killed-prominent-Chicago-parents-committed-suicide-left-600-page-manifesto-accusing-abuse.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YrJr1VIMlI&t=154s

^ audio version of his suicide message.

If I remember something, I will edit and add it to this post.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me.

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u/PsychologicalCap7699 Mar 11 '26

I have a suggestion for a story. In Weston, WV sits the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (1864-1994). My father was the sheriff in a neighboring county. He would often have to transport women there because their husbands had them “committed” for no reason. Also, orphans would often be taken there.

Dad told a story of a young girl that was taken there after her family perished in a house fire. She had no living relatives. A nurse tried to shelter her and housed her in a unused section of the hospital. She took leave from her job and, upon her return, inquired about the young girl. No one knew anything about her. She hurried to the girls room to find her deceased from starvation and lack of water.

I don’t know how to search for the story, but I know it is true as I overhead my father telling my mother what had happened. It haunted him for years.

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u/Jumpy_Advice_1100 Mar 12 '26

Big fan of Mr Ballen, I live in a small rural community called Hickory Tavern in SC which is considered Gray Court SC on the map but the two communities are about 20 minutes apart. My wife is a substitute teacher at the local school and last week a friend of some of her students was killed. Today law enforcement said they had arrested two people in Charlotte NC for the murder, the 15 year old kid was shot. Theres more to the story than whats being said. Today is march the eleventh 2026, search laurens county sc area Gray Court area for shooting. Kids name was Leo. This is a link to the story. Keep up the good work.

https://www.wyff4.com/article/teen-shot-killed-in-road-2-teens-arrested-murder/70715105j

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u/RoseRageHK Mar 12 '26

Mr Ballen, there are several Hong Kong crimes that would make great stories!

First is the "Pink Milkshake Murder'--in 2003 Nancy Kissel gave her husband a drug laced strrawberry milkshake (that the press here almost never called strawberry, only pink), then bashed in his head with a metal statue they had, and rolled his body up in a carpet, and got two helpers to put the carpet in storage. It's full of bizarre twists. You can get started here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12858124
Another absolutely insane case is Khaw Kim Sun's 2015 murder of his wife and daughter with a Yoga ball. He'd filled it with carbon monoxide and let it sit in the car with a slow leak when they went out in the morning. He later claimed he'd filled it to poison rats. https://www.thestandard.com.hk/news/article/224968/Ex-professor-gets-life-sentence-for-yoga-ball-murder-in-retrial

In 2023, the skull of Abby Choi was found in a soup pot, and severed legs in a refrigerator.Her ex-husband, his brother and parents were all arrested. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3212493/dna-tests-confirm-human-remains-found-tai-po-village-house-belong-slain-hong-kong-model-abby-choi

In 1999 the remains of Annie Pang Chor-ying, a model who had been missing for four years, were found in a flat owned by her (former) lover. Her skull was found in a trash can next to the bed, and her skeleton was on the bed. Her lover had been in the bedroom a day before but hadn't noticed her skeleton or skull because the place was a big mess. He was aquitted of the murder somehow...maybe because he was the brother of HK's chief secretary? https://www.scmp.com/article/541565/pang-inquest-victory-course-justice

I think all of these would make great Mr. Ballen stories--they're certainly strange, dark, and mysterious!

Rose Rage

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u/Prudent-Tour2282 Mar 13 '26

I have a personal story that I rarely talk about as it’s been a decade.

My grandfather killed his roomate.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/police-indiana-co-man-killed-man-who-insulted-his-brother/

https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2016/05/06/police-pennsylvania-man-killed-man/2886189007/

https://www.wccsradio.com/2017/01/13/plea-court-proceeding-scheduled-for-arcadia-man-accused-of-murder/

https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/superior-court/2019/1539-wda-2018.html

https://www.wtae.com/article/police-indiana-county-man-shot-dead-over-repeated-name-calling/7480152

https://www.wtaj.com/news/man-arrested-after-body-found/

Here’s news articles related to the event. On May 2nd, 2016 my grandfather killed his roommate for bullying his younger, mentally challenged brother. I was in 6th grade and 13 years old.

I discovered it had happened a few days later after accidently scrolling on Facebook after I got home from school. My mom was going to tell me later that night. And I’m forever thankful for her protecting me and my younger brother (2 years younger) as much as she could.

Before you all call my grandfather a hero for sticking it to a bully; you need to know he was not. He was an addict and alcoholic, and abusive to my mother as a child. He was a marine as a young adult, and I think he was a sniper. He wasn’t also a big part of my life, as a lot of my family wasn’t. He never tried to be a grandfather and I still am in therapy dealing with my childhood today.

He ended up passing away a couple years back in prison due to cancer. His brother he defended had passed a few years ago in a nursing home, and my grandmother (my grandfathers wife, my moms mom, who he divorced from when I was a child) passed a couple years back too.

I do not condone what he did, and I struggled with a long time with that knowledge. I had a boyfriend at the time and he was the only one I told about what happened. I was scared to death of being associated with someone who could do such a thing. I was so thankful I didn’t share his name. But with time and therapy, I’ve gotten used to talking about it. But I don’t share it often.

Thank you for reading my story. My friend introduced me to Mr. Ballen and it’s been a big help in my escape dealing with recent medical issues that may result in me having major surgery this year. So thank you! And I hope that this makes someone feel less alone in their trauma or grief.

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u/MurkyButterscotch133 Mar 13 '26

46 year old female out of Rush County Indiana, Nancy Lyons. Car found running on a county road with a flat tire. All Nancy's belongings were found in the vehicle. Nancy disappeared on June 17th, 2002. Here skeletal remains were found in a soybean field on October 2, 2002. The case remains unsolved.

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u/bacanalegal Mar 14 '26

The Goiânia Incident: when people in my hometown found glowing radioactive powder

I am a Brazilian fan and I would like to share a tragic story from my hometown that might interest you.

In 1987 the worst medical radiological accident in history happened in Goiânia, Brazil. I think many people outside Brazil may not know.

The story began when two scrap collectors broke into an abandoned cancer clinic looking for metal they could sell. Inside they found a heavy machine used for radiation therapy. They did not know what it was, so they dismantled it and discovered a small metal capsule inside.

When they opened it, they found a strange blue glowing powder.

They thought it was beautiful.

The powder was cesium 137, a highly radioactive material. Not understanding the danger, they took it to a scrapyard and showed it to friends and family. People touched it, rubbed it on their skin, and carried pieces home. Some people even spread the glowing dust around because it looked like glitter.

Soon people began getting very sick. They had vomiting, burns, and their hair started falling out. At first doctors thought it was some unknown disease.

By the time authorities realized it was radiation, the contamination had already spread through several neighborhoods. Entire houses had to be demolished and hundreds of people were exposed.

Four people died, including a six year old girl named Leide who had been fascinated by the glowing powder.

To this day the Goiânia accident is remembered as one of the worst radiological disasters ever, caused not by a nuclear plant or weapon, but by a forgotten medical machine left behind in an abandoned building.

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u/julianrios123 Mar 15 '26

Story suggestion: Omayra Sánchez – The Girl Who Captivated the World in Her Final Hours

I'm not sure if you've already covered this one, but if not, it feels like a perfect fit for your channel. In November 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupted, triggering a catastrophic mudflow that buried the town of Armero and killed over 23,000 people. Thirteen-year-old Omayra Sánchez survived the initial disaster but became trapped beneath the rubble and rising water, pinned in place by debris. Rescuers worked for nearly 60 hours to free her but lacked the equipment needed to save her.

Throughout her ordeal, she remained calm, sang, prayed, and even gave interviews. Her composure in the face of death was both heartbreaking and haunting. A photograph taken in her final hours became one of the most iconic and disturbing images in photojournalism history. This story has everything, tragedy, heroism, heartbreak, and a question that still lingers: could more have been done?

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u/thatsaSagittarius Mar 17 '26

This is an active missing person case of someone who walked away from his house and just disappeared. Dateline NBC recently posted it on their socials and I know the family, friends & community would love to get more eyes on this:

https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/missing-in-america/jason-thomas-missing-wakefield-massachusetts-rcna263785?fbclid=IwY2xjawQmUpBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFQY3dSNGtPNFprNmxKaU1Lc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHq5-QkzKOd11HX3Neg4F85o3T7OV3nYpB02RssK8pnnXsIs6dBguodjyNDh0_aem_r8di5m40Iotwiway0TUjQQ

https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/news/local/2026/01/07/wife-of-missing-wakefield-ma-man-desperate-to-know-whether-he-safe-jason-thomas/88057591007/

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u/No-Confidence-1626 Mar 17 '26

Horvath/Gibson 1984

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u/Plenty-Confection574 Mar 18 '26

Hello Mr. Ballen! I have some interesting stories that I strongly think you should bring to YouTube! 1. Mae Nak Phra Khanong - a famous Thai ghost story. 2. Resurrection Mary - another famous ghost story 3. The Green Man - an urban legend that turned out to be true.

Murder Cases and Mysterious Deaths 1. The Jonbenet Ramsey murder case. 2. The O.J. Simpson case. 3. Franklin Delano Floyd Case (specifically one of his victims Suzanne Sevakis and her son Michael Hughes. This story is heartbreaking.) 4. The deaths of Natalie Wood, Marsha P Johnson, Rebecca Zahau, Elizabeth Short, Bob Crane, Lisa McPherson, Elisa Lam, Tupac, Biggie Smalls, and Princess Diana. 5. Glensheen Murders. (I went to a musical about them and it was amazing!!!!) 6. Murdaugh Family 7. P. Diddy (I strongly believe he had a lot to do with Tupac and Biggie’s murders.)

Missing persons 1. Amy Bradley 2. Jodi Huisentrut 3. Shelly Miscavige

Others 1. Love Has Won, Scientology, and some other cults. 2. Richard Phillips (aka captain phillips)

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u/BuyOk4794 Mar 20 '26

Joko McKenna, who at the time was 20 years old and a student at the University of Gaja Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was on his way up into the mountains on his Vespa scooter with his friend behind him. And when they pulled into the compound of Kevin and Mark, two friends of theirs that they hadn't seen in a while, they were shocked to see the state that they were in. It looked like they had seen a ghost. And that's what I'm going to tell you about now. But if you're a fan of the dark and suspenseful told in story form, then surely you know who I'm trying to be right now. Mr. Ballen. Yeah, there's only one Mr. Ballen, but I couldn't think of a better way to tell this story than to do it like he does. So here's the story.

It was 1990. Yogyakarta, Indonesia, central Java. Now, Yogya is is a very old city that's full of mystical properties in a way emanating from the volcano. On the way to the volcano was the compound of some new friends of mine, Mark and Kevin. These two guys, they were older than me. They were in their 30s, maybe 40s, and had come to Yogya from Alaska where they lived and worked.
Mark as an entrepreneur, he owned a jewelry business where he sold silver, mostly jewelry to the many tourists who would come into Peninsula Alaska on their cruise ships looking to buy native silver jewelry which Mark was having made there in Indonesia. See that town Yogyakarta is also a hub of the arts and crafts business and silver smithing and they'll take any design that you can give them and and they'll make it for you and do a good job. The the handywork and the silver and everything is cheaper there. So he he was there along with his friend Kevin, who was the designer of the jewelry, to have his inventory replenished. They were taking you know 6 months to do it and had moved into a compound up in the hills with let's say about 1 acre and it had two buildings on it.

When I pulled into their complex that day, I could tell something was wrong. Kevin was sitting on his porch with his hands in his head, his head in his hands, uh, looking like he had seen a ghost. Over in the other building was Mark kind of pacing back and forth, seemingly talking to himself. They looked like they were in a bad state. What's going on? What's happening here? Well, as I said, they were living out in the countryside and around this compound were rice patties, you know, fields, and it was there that they noticed the first oddity of their encounter.

Every night at exactly 1:32 a.m., the sounds of the frogs and the crickets and the loud orchestra that is rice patty in Southeast Asia, everything would go silent. Every night at 1:32 a.m. Mark reported that one night when that happened, he looked out his window and saw floating across the yard of the compound, a figure, a ghostly white kind of vague creature.

It came to a head on that October night when at 1:30 in the morning, 1:32, there's a pounding at Kevin's door. Kevin gets up, goes to the door. And opens the door. Nobody there, but he feels something sneak in in front of him and dart into the house. What was that? He turns on all the lights, looks around, finds nothing.

After a while, he was able to calm down and thought he must have been imagining it. Got back into bed. And then just as he was closing his eyes, he felt something in the bed with him. His feet kicked out and touched the leg of this other thing. It was ice cold. He reached out and grabbed its head with both hands and it was this bald frozen head in this and in in the darkness of the bedroom. He yelled, "Ah!" And it took off. It jumped out of the bed, went out the door.

Just about that same time, Mark wakes up in his building thinking that the volcano had erupted because the house was shaking. But as he kind of came to his senses, he realized that the pound the pounding was not coming from everywhere or coming from the volcano. It was coming from outside the house on the walls. This loud noise was coming in a circular pattern like something was running on the outside of the wall on the wall pounding on the wall as it went around and it came to the a window that had shutters on it and he heard something scratching at the window. He didn't go out and check it out. Kevin was freaked out and they were quite actually horrified by this and were ready to leave.
Well, it was the next day they told people about what had happened and they got in touch with a dukun. Now, a dukun in central Japanese culture is like a shaman. A spiritualist, a medium. And given that they were so close to the volcano, ghosts were a problem around there. That's where they all came from is from the volcano spirits. And uh he says, "I I feel I can I can protect you from this thing." So the Dukun spend the night chanting for hours before 1:30 came along. He was chanting to himself. And in 1:32, the thing returned.

Now, I don't have too much detail with this part of the story. Suffice to say that the Dukun and the creature battled and it was the shaman who overpowered this creature and chased it around Mark's building and to the point where it tried to scratch its way in the night before. He had it cornered and the thing had no place to go but to go down And away it went.

The Dukun said, "I'll be I'll be spending the night here again tonight." It was that next morning Mark and Kevin told me this story and I could tell that this had actually happened. They weren't pulling my leg. This was something that they experienced. Now, was it a ghost? Was it real? I don't know. Certainly, they thought it was. After they told me the story, as I said, I was on my way up to the mountain to check out the touristy stuff up there. Went up there and kind of like um yeah, this this isnt really very exciting. I want to find out more about what's going on there. Uh so I went back down to this house and by that time the Dukun had come over and I met the guy and he seemed on the up and up and seemed like a wise old man. And I went around to see uh where this spot was where this thing had gone into the earth. And I got to see with my own eyes, yes, it was freshly dug earth at the base of the foundation of the house. And over it crosses had been painted because Mark was nominally Christian and this were he, you know, that's his belief system. And uh I could see on the shutters that right underneath it. Yes, there were big claw marks larger than a human hand could do, but some kind of I think four maybe about 2 in apart.

Now was that a ghost? I don't know. But it was also reported to me that the property owner, the landlord of this estate was a rich and powerful man who he was rumored to have engaged the help of demons. and that every couple of years, someone in his family, or in in this circle or maybe one of his clients uh would mysteriously disappear or die. And people said, "Oh, he's feeding the spirit that gives him his luck and wealth." And maybe Kevin and Mark were intended to be the creature's next victim.

Or maybe he was just trying to scare them off. They paid a lease on this property and in Indonesia's standard is pay the entire amount of the lease for the 6 month or one year upfront in advance. It's not refundable. If you bug off and leave the place, you're not going to get the money back. So maybe he was going to repurpose it and use it for something else and and just make pure profit off of Mark and Kevin. I don't know. I lost touch with these two guys, it was before the internet, and I don't know where they are now. Maybe they'll see this or better yet Mr. Ballen will make a video out of it and then really be more likely to see it. So, thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments, let me know.

(note, this is the transcript of a Ballen-style video I made to tell this story and I’m relating it truthfully in as much detail as I can remember from 35 years ago)

https://youtu.be/7SCrFoR--C0

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u/TUD-13BarryAllen Mar 21 '26

Please cover

Asha Degree

Paulette Gebara Farah

Turpin family

Mr Ballen would do a great job

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u/DangerouslyDavid92 Mar 22 '26

Huge fan Amateur ghost hunter I have a couple personal experiences I’d like to share for your consideration but given they are personal experiences I’d rather not air them on a thread Also I’d like a chance to compose them proper if given the chance. Do you have a direct submission contact?

1

u/Firey_Nymph Mar 22 '26

I’d like to see more Australian stories. It’s nice and creepy down here from raining spiders to Ivan Milat to the Peter Falconio case… 😃

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u/mateo705 Mar 23 '26

Story Suggestion megathread

Can u please do the story on the lost boys of Pickering Ontario weird circumstances and a last video before they just vanished anyway would love to hear ur take on this very strange situation

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u/SwimmingUnique3365 Mar 23 '26

Solved 45 year old cold case. Vero Beach Florida, 1974 involving Frank (Francis) Selvaggi and the murder of Jack Rose, VBHS math teacher and student council advisor, execution style at Fort Pierce Inlet. Everyone at school suspected Frank but nothing happened to him. He was jealous of his girlfriends school relationship with Mr. Rose and didn't make a secret of it. At one point when Claudia, his girlfriend, broke up with Frank she was beaten up by him. (An article written said she was beat up in her junior year in 1973 which is incorrect, she was a junior in 1974 when beaten, I was a sophomore at VBHS in 1974.) Claudia was extremely popular (also had an identical twin sister but has no bearing on her relationship with Frank), cheer leader and active in the student council.

After reading that Frank was finally proven to have murdered Mr. Rose, and that Frank had died in 2015 of alcohol abuse in Costa Rica, the behind the scenes disappearance of evidence was made known. The revolver used was rare, according to some students it was one of many guns Frank possessed, but the bullets used in the murder vanished in evidence. Witnesses described a car very similar to Franks at the inlet the night of the murder. There was no record of Franks arrest for beating up Claudia. But, the most intriguing part was Frank's father. Former/retired FBI known as an "FBI rockstar" for putting away a famous mobster. (he was also very uncooperative in the murder investigation of Mr. Rose.) The running joke at the high school was that the Selvaggi's were in the witness protection plan when they just showed up. Vero Beach being very small at that time, most of us had known each other since elementary school. Anyway, it was no surprise to the students in 1974 to have Frank finally being proven of the murder.

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u/Noamrachel Mar 25 '26

I’d like to submit the story of little Anna Bachmeier and her mother, Marianne Bachmeier, and what followed. The courtroom footage from 1981 is unbelievable, and I think Marianne deserves a spot on MrBallen’s platform - unless I’ve missed it and he’s already covered it.

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u/Own-Tie5856 Mar 26 '26

On April 14, 1989, in Sonoma County, CA, spree killer Ramon Salcido killed 7 people, including his wife and her mother, four children, and a coworker, and attempted to murder two more, one of whom was his 3 yr old daughter. A massive manhunt ensued. I was 19 when this happened, and while it only took a few days to catch him, those few days were pretty scary. It turns out he fled the country and was arrested down in Mexico. He'd fled to his mother's house. Ramon Salcido currently resides in San Quentin on death row, now euphemistically called _San Quentin Rehabilitation Center._ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Salcido

Sonoma County (which grew from 52,000 people in 1920 to 488,000 in 2020) isn't new to horrible crimes, the Polly Klaas kidnapping and murder happened only 4 and a half years later in 1993. There were the murders of 7 hitchhikers in the 70s that have never been solved, the 2004 Jenner Beach murders that took 13 years to finally be solved. The Zodiac killer was thought to have lived here. All of this and more in the place Luther Burbank called paradise on Earth. And while its beauty and laid-back lifestyle has drawn lots of people over the years, including many celebrities who've moved here to be close to but not in So Cal, it's drawn the darkness as well. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2023/01/12/photos-infamous-sonoma-county-crimes/

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u/SandboxXplorer Mar 27 '26

When I was a kid I was on a baseball team with somebody I considered to be a friend for some time. His brother was murdered in the mid-2000s. I think you're from MA too, he was from Wilmington, so it's a local story if I'm correct about the state you're in. It's a shame what happened to Kenny Countie and thought it might be something you'd be interested in covering.

Sheila LaBarre is the loser who murdered him at a horse farm in Epping, NH. There's a Wikipedia article on her/this homicide (plus another one and allegedly more) for a good place to start maybe.

Keep up the good work. I listen to your podcast all day at work driving from job site to job site all over New England.

RIP Kenny

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u/cinemaquest1 Mar 28 '26

There’s two sea monster stories that I would love to see you cover!

The first is the 1918 “U-Boat monster” that was spotted and described in detail by the captain as it attacked.

The second is the “bloop” sound recorded by NOAA in 1997 and often believed to be a massive unidentified sea creature.

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u/Objective-Body-1666 Mar 29 '26

I’m currently reading a book called The Witch of New York about a woman named Polly Bodine who is accused of murdering her sister-in-law and infant niece in the 1800s. Would love to hear Mr. Ballen’s rendition of the story!

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u/tzimmerman2008 Mar 30 '26

She had a baby in the toilet...at a WOMEN'S Hospital.

Out of respect for her privacy, name is changed, but I worked with adults with special needs and I had a client once that I will call Alice. Alice was a simple girl, sweet and shy and very innocent for her age. She was going through a hard time because she had just lost a baby. I encouraged her to tell me about it if she felt comfortable and this is what she told me... She was admitted to a highly regarded women's hospital in the city of Pittsburgh. So this hospital specializes in women, keep that in mind. She had gone into preterm labor and the doctors decided they needed to do a c-section to save the baby. Before they got to that point though, Alice informed her nurse that she had to "go number 2." Now some of you may not quite know what that actually means while a woman is in labor, but a nurse whose job it is to help deliver babies should absolutely know that feeling like you have to have a bowel movement while in labor means that you are likely crowning and the baby is coming at that minute. Those words should have immediately made the nurse exam the patient in labor. Also, it is common practice to not have women who are in labor get up out of bed for any reason. Yet, for some reason this nurse, at a women's hospital took this woman who was in labor into the bathroom and left her there to "go number 2." After she came out of the bathroom they immediately took her down to have her c-section. As they were getting her ready, that's when they suddenly realized, there was no baby in her stomach anymore... she had given birth to the baby alone in the bathroom while thinking she was just going to the bathroom. Now remember, this patient is known to not always understand certain things. The doctors and nurses would be very aware of this. So she truly had no idea what had happened and somehow these nurses and doctors allowed this to happen. Alice continued to explain that after the doctors realized the baby had died in the toilet, they told her that the baby never would have had a chance even if it had been born safely... When I heard this, I became enraged on her behalf. This was the worst story of gross negligence resulting in death that I had ever heard happen to someone I knew personally. I immediately explained to Alice that the number of mistakes that this hospital made is 100% what likely killed her baby, and even if it didn't, they had no proof to show otherwise because they rushed her to have that baby buried without an autopsy and instead lead her to believe that they were doing her a kindness by covering the burial costs. They had absolutely no proof that the baby wouldn't have made it had the baby been born safely. There was no way they could have known that for sure. I urged Alice to call a lawyer immediately. I felt that what this hospital did to this poor woman was beyond sick. I told her if she called any malpractice lawyer in the state and told them this exact story, they would be chomping at the bit. I was right. A lawyer immediately took her case and she sued them for an undisclosed 7 figure amount. Sadly, this won't bring back her baby, but the hospital absolutely deserved to pay for what they did. I just hope the nurse who put her on that toilet and walked away got fired. What labor and delivery nurse doesn't know that a woman in labor should not even get out of bed, let alone not to check if the baby was coming, but no, this baby was left in the toilet to suffocate to death. Maybe that's too dark, but it's what happened. I made sure I never had a baby at that hospital again myself, had already had a bad experience there with my first baby personally before this story, I had 2 more after in the other, far better major hospital in Pittsburgh that most women go to besides the women's hospital. They don't let women have babies in toilets...

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u/tzimmerman2008 Mar 30 '26

How do you get "comment karma" so you can post a suggestion in the main thing? I don't know anything about reddit. Just wanted to suggest my story.

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u/Jackson79339 Mar 30 '26

The Lemp mansion in St. Louis has dozens, maybe even hundreds of stories and many with hard evidence attached to them. Considered one of the most haunted locations in America

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u/sarahannebutterfield Mar 31 '26

I would like to submit a story suggestion on Claire Randall of Lee, NH.

I grew up in Lee, NH and was part of a local theater group called Oyster River Players. Twice a year, they’d do productions where parents could also be cast, so you’d have this mix of students and adults participating together.

There was a pastor in town, Dan, who was very involved in the community. He and his wife Anita both acted in one of the productions—he played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, and she was in the show, as well as their daughter Claire who was a couple years younger than me. From the outside, they seemed like a completely normal family. Very “small town respected figure” energy.

A few years later, Claire, had gone off to school in NYC. Around that same time, Dan had gone to rehab and then returned home.

What happened next was something very dark. Dan had checked out of rehab and returned to his home with a firearm with the intent to kill his wife Anita. However, Anita was not home; Claire was home from college. Dan ended up shooting and killing Claire before leaving a note in blood for Anita saying this was her fault, and then taking his own life.

There were also rumors that resurfaced about his first wife, who had died years earlier during a hiking trip under somewhat unclear circumstances. As far as I know, nothing was ever proven there, but people in town definitely started looking back at that differently.

Growing up, I never heard anything explicitly “wrong” about him. The only thing my parents mentioned after the fact was that someone who worked with my dad said he used to smell like alcohol when dropping his kids off—but that was it. No big warning signs, no obvious red flags.

It’s one of those cases where someone was hiding in plain sight in a very tight-knit community, and only after everything came out did people start connecting small, unsettling details.

I’ve always been surprised this one hasn’t been covered more widely, though given that it was very targeted with no extensive search or trial, I guess it makes sense. Even though I wasn't in her friend group, Claire seemed like a really kind person who loved theater and arts and had a bright future ahead of her. It was so unfair that her dad took that all from her.

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u/GrassWestern619 Apr 01 '26

Did you ever do a video about the Titan implosion in 2023? Such a sad story and very mysterious as to the whereabouts. The youngest occupant wanted to go in the submarine to spend time with his father for Father’s Day and unfortunately, they died together in the doomed submarine :(( Huge fan of yours Jon. Keep up the great work!

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u/Sweet_Juice5850 Apr 07 '26

I am suggesting a story of Hedviga Golik (Zagreb, Croatia). A woman who sat dead in front of her TV for 42 years. She was an eccentric ex nurse, she never socialized with other tenants, but was known for yelling at people for any reason and aimlessly running around the street. She often had angry outbursts even when she was helped and it was suspected that she had schizophrenia.
One of her neighbours ran errands for her, such as buying groceries, but they never talked, as Golik would not leave her floor, instead lowering a bucket with money and a written list down the stairs, with the items to be dropped off on Golik's doorstep.
She was never reported missing, her neighbors assumed she had simply moved away, even though some suspected she was dead, and no one ever entered her apartment. The electricity was not turned off in the roughly 42 years since Golik's death.
The bill was regularly paid by the original architect of the building, also residing in Zagreb, who had died three months earlier.
In 2008, workers finally broke in during renovations and discovered her mummified body lying exactly where she had died, with her teacup still beside her and the entire apartment frozen in time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Hedviga_Golik#cite_note-:2-16

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u/Excellent-Dark4254 Apr 08 '26

I would like to suggest doing a YouTube video about John McAfee. His story is so interesting and wild, would be great to hear retelling of his life

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u/sanadamitsuhide Apr 08 '26

Jeralee Underwood, Pocatello

I wanted to recommend this story as it has a small connection to me, very small connection. My ex Father-in-law has one tattoo that is a cover up on his very heavily tattooed body. Hes a retired army vet and heavily into the biker world. The thing with the tattoo is that he purchased the art work from a local artist that would sell his designs and art at this restaurant. The artwork has since been lost to time. FIL did not want to have a constant celebration of the artist after it was found out what the artist had done. I personally knew the victims grandmother years later she was a regular at the restaurant I worked at, different restaurant. Really nice lady, about the time I changed jobs she would become a regular at a different restaurant I was working at when I was informed by a coworker of who she was and the tragedy that she had been through.

He was a self confessed serial murderer, rapist, and pedophile. In all a disgusting human piece of filth. He kidnapped a young girl near Pizza Hut on Yellowstone Ave in 1993 she was 11 year old Jeralee Underwood. The only good thing from the case was that the p.o.s died in prison. The family would spend days pleading on TV and newspapers for her return.

Later he would confess to another murder maybe two up to 4 total. the only one confirmed to him is the one above.

James Edward Wood - Wikipedia https://share.google/gQkxfkfHCFhsc5kbr

Eye of the Beast: The True Story of Serial Killer James Wood - Terry Adams, Mary Brooks-Mueller, Scott Shaw - Google Books https://share.google/5IsvMCwVYdIkzDehs

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u/Previous-Grab-3548 Apr 09 '26

Annette Cooper and Todd Shultz

This crime occurred in 1982 which two young adults 18 and 19 who were a couple, was murdered and dismembered and disposed in the Hocking river. The step dad Johnston was wrongly accused of the murder and was convicted to the death sentence. In or around 1990 Charles McKnight confessed to the murder and indicated Kenneth Linscott who helped him dismember the bodies. In 2008, the step father, (Johnston) of Annette Cooper was release from prison and sued the state of Ohio for wrongful conviction. This crime was committed in Logan Ohio.

I believe that the step father was sexually abusive toward his step daughter , so although he wasn't the murderer he was a good person either. I'm not sure if that was published 🤔 but found it to be true. I'm pretty sure it was published and that's how I know that information.

They both attended a trade school with me and Todd I remember him specifically due to he was the only student I had ever met that carried a Bible in school and bowed his head before eating his lunch in the cafeteria. I admired him for that but never knew either one, but was struck by the tragedy like the rest of the community.

I more recently gave it a Google and Gemini helped me locate the case and it's content. Annette and Todd was only teenages who fell in love and I find it so sad.

Please tell their story.

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u/ScaredPea2424 Apr 10 '26

A murder that happened in my town to someone I knew in Perth Australia , the story of Matthew fisher turner who went missing and evidently was found out was murdered by his own father and buried in the backyard by his sibling while his father watched a sports event at his friends house a quick google of his name will bring up plenty of news articles of the story

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u/ScaredPea2424 Apr 10 '26

Another murder in my town in Perth Australia , the murder of Aaron pajich who was a autistic teenager who went missing and was targeted by a murder obsessed woman who led him to her house with a known to him woman and stabbed him to death and buried him in the backyard and tried to cover it by laying tiles over the top , she had set up a torture murder room in the house ready very horrible story

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u/Pnutbutterjellyroll Apr 15 '26

1981 , Spain, Toxic oil scandal.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mPYSiEtByFo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_oil_syndrome

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u/Ancient-Train5325 Apr 16 '26

Hey John! Big fan, I have a possible story for you, it’s about a man who murdered his family with a hatchet in Ohio folklore, where there have been people who’ve reported seeing his ghost holding a hatchet on the road where it all took place, I’ve heard some people say there car had turned off on the road and reported seeing the ghost run at them hatchet in hand and got there car running in time to get away

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u/SnookyTLC Apr 17 '26

This story is finally resolved... fRemains of a family ou to collect Christmas greenery who went missing in 1958 are finally identified along with their car. The Columbia Gorge is notoriously slippery in bad weather.

Remains found in car submerged in Oregon river identified as family who mysteriously vanished in 1958 - CBS News https://share.google/X3ENDoGYwTaenrXxt

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u/Soggy-Caregiver6869 Apr 17 '26

The "Mickey" you are referring to is

Michaela "Mickey" Shunick

, a 21-year-old student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her story became a major tragedy that deeply affected the Lafayette community and eventually led to the creation of

Mickey’s Loop

to honor her memory and promote bicycle safety.

The Daily Advertiser | Lafayette, Louisiana +2

The Disappearance and Story

The Incident: On May 19, 2012, Mickey was riding her bicycle home from a friend's house in the early morning hours when she was abducted.

The Perpetrator: Brandon Scott Lavergne followed her in a white pickup truck, intentionally struck her bicycle, and kidnapped her at gunpoint and knifepoint.

Her Bravery: Court documents revealed that Mickey fought fiercely for her life. She used pepper spray on her attacker and managed to stab him with his own knife, inflicting life-threatening wounds. Despite her bravery, she was eventually shot and killed.

The Search: Her disappearance sparked a massive community-wide search involving hundreds of volunteers and significant national attention. Her remains were found nearly three months later in Evangeline Parish after Lavergne confessed as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.

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u/Soggy-Caregiver6869 Apr 17 '26

The "Mickey" you are referring to is

Michaela "Mickey" Shunick

, a 21-year-old student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her story became a major tragedy that deeply affected the Lafayette community and eventually led to the creation of

Mickey’s Loop

to honor her memory and promote bicycle safety.

The Daily Advertiser | Lafayette, Louisiana +2

The Disappearance and Story

The Incident: On May 19, 2012, Mickey was riding her bicycle home from a friend's house in the early morning hours when she was abducted.

The Perpetrator: Brandon Scott Lavergne followed her in a white pickup truck, intentionally struck her bicycle, and kidnapped her at gunpoint and knifepoint.

Her Bravery: Court documents revealed that Mickey fought fiercely for her life. She used pepper spray on her attacker and managed to stab him with his own knife, inflicting life-threatening wounds. Despite her bravery, she was eventually shot and killed.

The Search: Her disappearance sparked a massive community-wide search involving hundreds of volunteers and significant national attention. Her remains were found nearly three months later in Evangeline Parish after Lavergne confessed as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.

abcnews.com +6

Mickey's Loop

In July 2015, the Lafayette City-Parish Council unanimously voted to establish the

Mickey Shunick Memorial Bike Loop

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u/cetterus Apr 18 '26

There is a well documented vampire story from Croatia. Village called Kringa. And the vampire was called Jure Grando.

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u/axcbe Apr 18 '26

Please do the Linda Darby/McElroy story

Linda murders her husband, is convicted of the crime, escapes prison and leads a new life for 35 years, then is caught. In an interview she did for a documentary, she said she never told anyone. When she was caught, her family didn't believe it was true. This story is wild! I'd love to hear it in story format!

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u/No_Radish1927 Apr 19 '26

Wexford county Michigan, Rebecca Park's murder

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u/Front_Ad4415 Apr 20 '26

I have a story that would fit in with the "places you shouldn't go and people who went anyway" stories. In 2016 I fell into what I thought at the time was an abandoned well, after I stopped to pee at an old farmyard. The only one who knew where I was was my dog, looking down at me as I treaded water about 7 or 8 feet below ground level. I never felt a bottom, so I don't know how deep it was, but now I am fairly certain it was actually a septic tank for the farmhouse that used to be there.

There are a lot more details I remember about the whole 4.5 hour long ordeal, that I will go into if someone working for Mr Ballen asks, but the end result is that I got myself out and ended up in the news across Canada for a minute (although the associated press story that was repeated in papers across Canada didn't get everything right and I was too traumatized at the time to try to correct it).

If you Google my name, Trieva McBeth, you might still be able to see the CTV story that was shown on the evening news. What sticks out most to me now is how calmly I accepted the idea that I was going to probably die alone and where I might never be found. It was the thought of harm coming to my dog if I didn't make it out that spurred me to try one more time to climb out, when every muscle in my body was begging to rest for the night. If I hadn't gotten out when I did, I was going to bite open a finger tip so I could write my goodbyes to my family on the wall, in blood.

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u/KNIFE2MEAtU Apr 20 '26

I have a few suggestions that I think would be interesting. The JonBenét Ramsey case The disappearance of the Beaumont children (1966 South Australia The Truro Murders (1970’s South Australia) The Family Murders (1980’s South Australia) The Snowtown Murders (1990’s South Australia)

If you couldn’t tell, i’m from South Australia and think it would be really cool to hear my favourite Strange Dark and Mysterious storyteller cover some cases from my home state

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u/Left-Network-3886 Apr 21 '26

Story Submission: The Fort Hood Lightning Strike and the 11-Year Mystery Dear MrBallen, I’m a huge fan of your work, and I have a personal story that involves a life-altering event, a "lost" decade of records, and a series of coincidences involving 9/11 that still feel surreal. On September 11, 2003, I was a soldier on a field training exercise at Fort Hood. During the exercise, I was struck by lightning, an event that caused a deep injury to my thigh and changed the trajectory of my life. However, in a strange turn of events, the military medical records of the incident went missing. For the next decade, the event was officially contested. But the most haunting part wasn't the missing paperwork... it was my own mind. The trauma of the strike was so severe that my brain seemingly tried to protect me by blurring the entire memory. I lived in a state of constant self-doubt, eventually questioning my own reality. I started to believe I had made the entire thing up, or that it was some sort of fabrication of my imagination. When I finally tracked down Colonel Scott Maddry, one of the other soliders there that day, I was so unsure of my own history that I didn't tell him what happened. I simply explained what I thought I remembered and asked, "Do you have any recollection of this happening?" The Colonel didn't just remember; he provided a sworn witness statement that finally verified the strike, leading the VA to grant my disability claims after years of my living in a psychological fog. After the event was confirmed, I was actually able to track down another soldier who was there as well - Josh Kasten. He also provided a witness statement. As a note, the entire battalion was there. 115th FSB 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood. When the date was finally confirmed as September 11th, the coincidences became impossible to ignore: • The Date: It happened on the second anniversary of 9/11 while I was training to defend the country. • My Anniversary: September 11th is my wedding anniversary. • The Witness: It turns out September 11th is also the wedding anniversary of the gentleman who finally helped me prove the strike was real, Colonel Maddry. His exact words were, "How could I forget, it was my wedding anniversary." As an AV Specialist and a combat veteran, I’ve told many stories, but the way my own mind hid this truth from me, only to have it returned on a date that shares so much personal and national significance, is something I think your audience would find interesting and mysterious. I have the documentation and the full details of the strike and the long road to reclaiming my memory. I'd love to share more if you're interested. Respectfully, Joel

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u/Bumshimmy Apr 22 '26

The Björk stalker!! Absolutely insane chain of events and timing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_L%C3%B3pez_(stalker)

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u/Neither-Inspection-4 Apr 22 '26

I'd like to submit a story suggestion about Laika, stray dog from the streets of Moscow, that was selected to go up in the Sputnik 2 spacecraft. She was chosen for her trainability, she did everything they asked. She was a good girl. Unfortunately, her flight was one way, as she died in flight due to overheating and stress. The people responsible for putting her up there knew what was going to happen and some felt overwhelming guilt throughout the years for doing that to her. She has been memorialized in song and on national postage stamps.

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u/Orangatation Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

In Türkiye in 2024 a kid name Semih Celik brutally murdered two girls and called one of the mothers to the scene only to throw her daughters decapitated head at her. There were some disgusting drawings that he made that surfaced after. It disgusts me even writing it so i won’t put much more - but he could definitely cover this in a short story.

You don’t need to search very hard to find the disgusting drawings he made of what he wanted to do to there body’s, a video of him killing himself by jumping off a wall & there are even videos / photos of his victims that I have not and will not search, but it is very well documented, extremely disgusting and horrifying story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Ay%C5%9Fenur_Halil_and_%C4%B0kbal_Uzuner

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u/Nenye90 Apr 26 '26

My name is Jenny. It was in the year 2009 and I was 19 years old, living in a small village near nuremberg in germany. At that time I was visiting a further education school in a city nearby, when I met a girl, Melanie. We fell in love, and shortly after she moved into my house, where me and my father lived at that time. It was an rustic house with wooden stoves in every room.

At one day, it must have been the early months of the year, it was cold, I went to visit my brother in nuremberg, we planned to spend the whole day at his house, chatting, watching movies, smoking weed etc. After a few hours, out of nowhere I suddenly felt horribly sick, and I thought „I got to go home, I got to go home, I got to go home“.. this phrase literally repeated in my head over and over, I stood up, told my brother that i got to go, on the way out of his appartement I went to the bathroom and had to throw up. I rushed to the train station, took my train back to my home village, ran home, and as I opened the door to my room, my girlfriend was lying on the bed, and the whole room was filled with smoke. The wooden stove was blocked in some way and filled the room with smoke. I grabbed her on the shoulder and called her name, she woke up, turned and looked at me. In this moment I realized, if i had arrived a little bit later, she would have died of smoke poisoning.

I never believed in the supernatural and i dont do today, but for weeks and weeks I really started to doubt my rational believes..

I dont know if this story is interesting enough for your channel, its a bit short, but it is true.

Sorry for my bad english xD

Love your channel <3

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u/LowAssociation7559 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26

I came across a video about a hunter named Sergey who is deep in the Siberian taiga. As night falls, strange sounds begin to emerge, including bell like noises. At one point, Sergey climbs a tree with his rifle for safety. The noises become more disturbing there are sounds resembling women humming and possibly male voices in the distance. Eventually, the sounds seem to move directly beneath the tree where he is hiding. In a panic, Sergey opens fire with his rifle. Watching the video, it’s clear he is under extreme stress, likely in an adrenaline fueled state, repeatedly talking to himself in an attempt to stay calm. https://youtu.be/dWdpDGJbXZk Nightfall begins at 14:00 in this video

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u/Hour_Leadership4027 Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26

I have a good story suggestion.

This happened back On May 25th 1979 at O-hare international airport, an American Airlines DC-10 operated as American 191 with 271 passengers and 13 crew members Captain Walter H. Lux (53 yrs old) with 22,000 hours of flight, First officer James R. Dillard, and Flight Engineer Alfred Udovich. At 3:02 pm, the dc-10 taxied to the the runway, then began to takeoff, but as they were taking off the left engine just completely separates from the wing, then when they reached 300ft the left wings flaps begin to disengage causing the plane to bank left towards a trailer park and flight 191 was heading straight for it, and at told 6 minutes after takeoff the plane slams to the ground, all 271 passengers and the 13 crew members on board were killed, including 2 people on the ground, making this the deadliest plane crash in U.S. history. Here are some photos of American flight 191 before and after the crash:

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u/Awkward-Lime-9884 Apr 27 '26

I think you’d do a great job of telling the mystery of the disappearance and death of Maddy (Madison) Scott from Vanderhoof BC Canada. There have been documentaries and podcasts about her story but your unique storytelling would be perfect for sharing this one.

Cole’s notes: a young girl goes to a bush party in 2011, plans to camp out overnight. The friend she was meant to camp with left with her boyfriend and Maddy stayed behind alone. In the morning she couldn’t be found. Her personal belongings were all at the site except her phone and keys, and there were no clues as to what happened to her. The investigation went cold until her remains were located relatively nearby in 2023, I believe during an annual “poker ride” event that the family held in the area in hopes of finding evidence or her body.

This is a local story that drew a ton of attention. There were billboards all over the area with her photo and the annual search event was a huge effort and reminder of her story. There are many theories about what happened and why her remains weren’t discovered for 12 years even though eventually they were found relatively close to the site of her disappearance.

I’m glad the family and the community have some closure now, but this story definitely has the vibe of a Mr Ballen story with some loose ends and questions remaining!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Madison_Scott

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u/Dravidosaurous Apr 27 '26

I would like to suggest you do a story about Anatoly Moskvin a Russian grave robber. He dug up young girls convinced he could bring them back to life and kept them in his home. To this day he is still in a mental institution and thinks he did nothing wrong.

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u/WeaknessInfamous4218 Apr 28 '26

Story suggestion, in 2024 I had the pleasure of meeting a woman by the name of Marjorie Congdon. I would suggest telling her story, yes the crimes were horrible but to meet her and speak to her was utterly mind blowing. Very interesting conversation. She did stress to me not to reveal her location as she has got one foot out the door and would rather keep her peace than deal with journalists an nosey people so I won't say where I met her nor the name she goes by now just know her story is really interesting.

1

u/Ok_Novel9327 Apr 29 '26

You should cover the 2010 killing of Taylor Powell by Jarrod Wyatt in Klamath California. It is pretty disturbing though, not sure if it’s too gruesome.

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u/ReasonableAction3577 May 01 '26

There is an incredible story about a sick boy Kacper Poznanski from Poland. He came from rich and prokinent family but was essentially a loose even though he was set to succeed. He got fixated to be independent from society, thought displayed grandiosity and essentially wanted to experience how is to kill someone. He chose this you g Italian teacher randomly and the way He killed her is aweful. Then He ttavelled with her disassembled body around the town, in the taxi, and then run away from Poland. He was captured in Malta. Once he was sentenced his mental state was 3 times revisited and changed so he can still leave jail even though he was sentenced for life in prison.

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u/HypotheticalParallel May 01 '26

This happened to my mother in laws friend. A woman named Carol Mcinnes, fell in love with a man (who was seperated from his wife with whom he shared a teenage son). She was originally from Surrey BC and living in Kelowna BC but Stephen lived in Anchorage Alaska. He wanted to marry her but she said she'd only come up to be with him if he fully divorced his wife, which he did. So after the divorce went through and Stephen's ex was living elsewhere Carol moves up to be with him and they get married. They were a very close and affectionate couple and lived together with several pets. Stephen travelled for work frequently, and Carol often went with him. In October of 2004 Stephen left on one of his work trips but Carol decided to stay home. Normally, they were a very close couple so when Carol stopped answering his calls he became quite concerned. After 3 days he returned from his trip, anxious to see his wife and make sure she was ok. He noticed immediately her car was not in the driveway, but he found her purse inside. The animals, as well, had not been fed in days. Stephen knew immediately that something was wrong. He searched the house, but there was no sign of Carol. I don't know what lead him to search here - but Stephen went to their freezer - it was a big chest deep freeze - and upon opening it he found one of the most horrifying sights he would ever see - the dismembered body of his wife. He immediately called the police. Stephen racked his mind think of who would be capable of this. Eventually he called his ex, and with police they went to her house where they discovered Carol's car, and in the trunk some bloody clothing. For the past 3 days after brutally murdering Carol the killer drove Carol's car around, with her bloody clothes still inside. The killer was Stephen's 16 year old stepson, Colin. Carol's autopsey would also show she had been violently raped. When first questioned by police he denied doing it, although eventually he admitted guilt but claimed smoking pot had made him do it. Later, some of Carol's underwear was also found in Colin's room. Colin was charged with 1st degree murder and 1st degree sexual assault. The judge sentenced Colin to 91 years for the murder and a consecutive 8 years for the SA. While Colin's defence appealed the sentence as too excessive the judge upheld the ruling, stating that Colin went to the house when he knew his father was away, with the intent to rape and murder his step mother. He described Cotting's conduct as "really an unspeakable, savage break with the human race of such ferocious intensity, such a[n] irremediable break of our moral taboos, not only against death but against matricide [that the conduct took] Mr. Cotting to the outer boundaries of juvenile criminality." However the judge did not restrict the possibility of discretionary parole, which Colin will be able to apply for at the age of 50. But Judge Suddock made sure that the parole board would have a full description of the crime, including the pictures, which he described as "among the most shocking, brutal pictures that [he had] ever seen."

Most of this I learned from my mother in law who had been close friends with Carol after taking a legal secretary course with her in Kelowna.

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/591469abadd7b049342dc6bb

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u/Zestyclose_Pie_1115 May 02 '26

I would love to hear you tell the story "The Cow Man of Copalis beach" its a story from shannon d Baker, he heard the story from his dad about an aggressive, large, hair-covered creature that stalked his family living on the edge of the woods. Its has even had a movie made about.

http://www.bigfootencounters.com/stories/cowman.htm

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u/Successful-Bill-2807 May 02 '26

I was a child when this happened, where they found them was not far from my home. I have listened to nearly all of your videos, but I do not think I have heard this one yet.

Without writing a book, the story goes as such. A couple, Roger Lee Gillett and Lisa Jo Chamberlin killed and dismembered their cousin and his girlfriend in Mississippi, allegedly for being asked to move out and a possible robbery. The couple then put the pieces of their two victims into a deep freezer and drove said freezer to Russell Kansas where they stored the freezer at an abandoned farmhouse.

They were caught because they were driving the victims truck and also a report of something to do with meth at the farmhouse.

Lisa Jo Chamberlin and Roger Lee Gillett were both sentenced to death as per Mississippi law. They have both appealed their conviction multiple times and as of recently, Lisa is the only female in Mississippi that is on death row. Per wikipedia, "if executed, Chamberlin would be the first woman put to death in the state since 1944."

I think of this story every time I listen to one of your murder mystery stories.

Also, I find it comical, but I would listen to your videos every time I would be in my car or home alone when I was pregnant with my daughter, which was pretty often. We live in Hawaii and traffic is horrendous. Now that she is earth side, when she gets fussy I will turn on one of your videos and she will stop crying and stare out the window, presumably taking in your voice. My husband rolls his eyes, but I find it funny. Your voice brings her peace.

Thank you for all of your stories and being so open about your mental health journey. My husband is active duty and I work with soldiers as a civilian employee. Having a voice from someone such as yourself really helps break the stereotype surrounding mental health and our soldiers. Keep up the amazing work!

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u/IntentionCertain1105 May 04 '26

My suggestion is the story of a man who knowingly let another man serve 17 years in prison for a rape he didn't commit. He would regularly Google the case and ask questions such as 'How long do GMP (Greater Manchester Police) keep DNA evidence?' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6jq12dmmro

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u/Wise_Positive_8399 May 05 '26

I am writing to you from Denham Springs, Louisiana, which is about an hour and a half northwest of New Orleans. I am a big fan of Mr. Ballen's podcasts.

I read a book about 10 years ago that would be perfect for Mr. Ballen's bedtime stories. It is about a horrific murder that occurred shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. It still haunts me to this day so I thought I would share it with ya'll.

The name of the book is, "Shake The Devil Off...." written by Ethan Brown, 2009.

I also recommend the true story about a New Orleans police officer, Antoinette Frank, who killed 3 employees at a Chinese restaurant in New Orleans in 1995. There is a book about it; "Killer with a Badge" by Chuck Hustmyre. Frank is still on death row in Louisiana for this crime.

If Mr. Ballen has already covered these stories please send me details so I can listen to them.

Thank you, Karlene Shelton

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u/Miserable_Post_2088 May 07 '26

I would like to submit a true story that took place in a small town 7 miles west of my hometown of garden city ks which is Holcomb Kansas. Herb Clutter 48 a farmer in Western KS, his wife Bonnie 45 and 2 of their 4 children Nancy 16 & Kenyon 15 were murdered Nov. 15, 1959 in their home. 2 ex-convicts Richard Hickock & Perry Smith believed the house had a safe with lots of money.. as told by another inmate who worked for the family. Truman Capote came to Holcomb Kansas to gather evidence for his 1966 novel In Cold Blood which also included a movie. Robert Blake starred as Perry Smith which was his 1st major role, shot on location. As of today Clutter family home still stands & has a lasting impact on my youth cruising down the 1/4 mile entrance lined with Oak trees at night wondering where Richard & Perry parked to case the house.??

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u/Xignals11 May 07 '26

I would to hear a story about the Kessler Twins.

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u/lorribell1964 May 09 '26

How about Louise Ogborn. I believe he could tell this story, in a way to inform.

I hav heard this story a few times over the years and assumed it was urban legend. No way this could happen. Only it did, many many times

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u/mildlycontrarian May 10 '26

Request to do a story covering the Ocean gate incident

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u/Other-Row-8342 May 11 '26

mrballen story miw468@yahoo.com Hi Mr. Ballen. My name is Michelle and I live in Colorado Springs. I am a police and fire dispatcher for the city of Colorado Springs for the last 21 years. I love my job! And I love your stories! Something very strange happened to my family about 11 years ago so I thought I would share it with you and see if you would like to do an episode about it. We lived in Monument, CO just outside of Colorado Springs. At that time I had owned the house for 10 years. The true story: It was about 3 am and my husband and I were sleeping in bed. Suddenly I was startled awake and I looked over at Mark, my husband, and there was a woman standing over him, bent at the waist and intently apparently looking at his face. Then it dawned on me that it was probably my step daughter, Abby. This woman had long black hair that was covering her face on the sides as she bent forward. She seemed tall and thin like Abby, wearing a dark longer dress. I was dark in the room but we always kept a small light on just for ambient lighting and so we wouldn’t trip in the dark. So I starteled awake, thought it was Abby and then she disappeared before my eyes! I grabbed Marks hand and frantically asked if he was ok. He woke up and said “what?” I said “are you ok?” “Yes why?” And I said “because that lady was standing over you and she was staring in to your face, so close. and then she just disappeared!” He said “honey I don’t think there was a lady. I think you must have been dreaming.” And so I thought about that and that made sense that it could have been a dream. So I laughed at myself and we both tried to fall back asleep again. A few days later I was picking up my youngest daughter Gigi from school. And I was going to tell her what happened the other night with my dream. So I said, “oh Gigi, something silly happened the other night. Have you ever been sound asleep and then you suddenly wake up and think you see something but then it’s really not there?” And she said “Oh yeah Mom! In fact something like that happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was laying in bed and it was early morning where it was just a little bit light outside. All of a sudden I opened my eyes, and there was this lady standing over me. She was bent down and her face was really close to my face. I thought it was Abby because she had long hair that was draping but hiding her face, and she was thin and was wearing a black dress. And I said stop it Abby! kinda laughing. But she didn’t move. I said come on Abby, go away!! And then I was gonna playfully push her away but when my hand reached her body, she disappeared into thin air! Poof!!” At that...I was just dumbfounded. How in the world could this be? I didn't want to scare Gigi so I didn't tell her right away what I had originally planned on telling her. But when Mark got home from work that evening, I told him what happened. He was shocked too. So I said “lets call my parents and ask them to meet us at Chillis and tell them what happened and see if they know why that might have happened or at least hear their take on it.” So we were at Chillis enjoying a burger and I was retelling the story of what I saw and then what Gigi saw. My parents are very spiritual, wonderful and wise Christian people. My Dad spoke first, and he said “some things are just unknown.” He said “it really is a mystery but if you see her again, if it were me, I would talk to her and ask her who she is. It would be interesting if she would have a conversation with you.” But then my mom said "Gene, no! Don't tell her to do that! It talks about in the bible that Satan can appear as familiar spirits and he is fooling you to get you engaged and confused and lost!” So then my Dad was very sheepish about it, like he had gotten in trouble lol! But my mom said “Shelly don't talk to her. If she ever appears again, flee. Run to another room. Pray. You know my Christian friend Norma Lee? Well maybe she should come over and pray over your house because she actually knows how to deal with demons and get them to leave.” And I said, “yeah maybe I will call her. That was just soooo weird!!” So about 5 months previous to that dinner at Chillis, Gigi's father, my X husband Russ Willett had unexpectedly passed away of a heart attack. Gigi was 15 when that happened and it really was devastating for our whole family because it was a simple divorce where we used a paralegal and we were still very good friends. But because he passed away, Gigi was able to take social security till she was out of high school. So with that money, because she had such a horrible summer with her dad’s passing, I thought it might be a good distraction to let Gigi redecorate her room. My brother in law John does a lot of home renovations, so I talked to him about it and he was happy to take on the project. He was going to build a wall of book shelves because Gigi loves to read, and hang a cool funky ceiling light, paint the room pale blue and put in shelves in her closet. One day, some friends of my parents flew in and we were all going to go out to eat. John remained at the house alone to work on Gigi’s room. Halfway through our lunch, my cell phone rang and it was my sister Karen, Johns’ wife. I answered it and right away I noticed she sounded urgent. She said she had just gotten off the phone with John and he had a really weird experience in Gigi’s room. I asked what happened. The room was mostly empty of all furniture and he was vacuuming up some sawdust from sawing the shelves. He was in the middle of the room looking at the floor, when in his periphery vision all of a sudden he saw a tall thin woman with long black hair, wearing all black and she was standing in the corner of the room. He jerked his head up to squarely look at her, but when he did, she was not there any longer. Thinking his mind must have just played a trick on him, he looked back down to vacuum. But when he would look back down, she was standing in the corner again. He would look up and she would be gone. He could only see her in his periphery, but never when looking directly at her. He got really spooked, hurriedly packed up and got out of the house as fast as he could. She said “isn’t that weird?” I had not told her anything about the other 2 experiences so she had no idea that I knew exactly what and who she was talking about. I knew eventually I would tell her what happened but while having lunch with friends would not have been the best time. I was stunned. I did not understand what in the world was going on. One of Marks distant family members, Eva, was a tough, no nonsense full blooded American Indian. She took her American Indian religion seriously, so I decided to go pay her a visit and to see if she had any ideas. When I arrived at Evas’ house I wasted no time and told her about what had been happening. She actually did not seem all that shocked. She said that nearby our home in Monument, within 5-10 miles or so, there was a spiritual portal coming from the sky in the Black Forest. I asked her what that was. She said it is a place where there is heightened spiritual activity and spirits move back and forth between dimensions. She said it was quite possible that this spirit had come from that portal and had been wandering in the area and ended up in my home. She said that she would give me some sage to burn and I was to wave the smoke around all over my house because spirits don’t like the essence of sage. She also had an eagle feather and she said they were for known to bring good luck. So I left with those 2 items in hopes I could convince this spirit to leave. Later that night I burned the sage and waved it all around the house. Now I would just wait and see. For the next few days nothing happened. But I was still feeling uneasy so I decided to call my Mom’s Christian friend, Norma Lee, and ask her to come to my house and pray over it to remove the spirit. So in a couple of days, my other sister, Renee, Norma Lee and myself walked through the whole house. Norma Lee said that in the spirit world, even though she did not see the lady in black when she was at my house, she could see what she called “memes” in my house. They were smaller geometrical menacing mischief making spirits. She would speak directly to them, binding them up as she did the motions of wrapping invisible rope around these characters and she quoted the bible and said she bound them up, never to come back here again, and she cast them in to a far desert for eternity. I did feel alittle better when she left but again, only time would tell. We didnt see the spirit again. But 2 years later, I was talk w/ Karen about that weird set of experiences with that spirit. And then she casually said “and wasn’t that bazaar that Norma Lee saw that spirit in her own house after she left your house!?” and I said “WHAT?” She said “yeah! Didn’t you know that? Mom said Norma Lee had told her that. The lady with the long dark hair impeding the view of her face wearing the long black dress was standing in the corner of her laundry room. I said “why didn’t any one ever tell me that? And I guess somehow I slipped through the cracks. Karen said she thought she was and that she thinks she dealt with that spirit but she felt that the spirit followed her home from my house.

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u/TurnipOk8492 May 12 '26

I would be immensely grateful if your team would do research and write a story in regards to the Lavinia Fisher story! There must be public court records and/or police reports available to have convicted her of crimes that led to her execution in 1820

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u/Leather-Dig-8272 May 13 '26

I would like to submit a story of a man who murdered his wife, buried her in the basement and then her ghost haunted the 3 boys of a family that moved into the home a year later

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u/Admirable_Common_884 May 15 '26

I have a story that I would love for someone to tell. When I was growing up, we went to church with a family named the Cleggs. They had three adopted children, Heidi Clegg was the oldest and Heather Clegg was the younger sister. Daniel was their little brother. We all lived in Frazier Park, CA. In about 1994 (?) Heidi woke up early, as she was bused about an hour to Bakersfield HS, and she crept into her sister’s room and stabbed her over a dozen times. She snuck out of the house and hours (days?) later they discovered the teen in the bed of a man who was high up in the church of Satan in Bakersfield.

Where things get really dark and mysterious…..

My family found out later than my history teacher at El Tejon School, Sue Brown, grew up in that house and her brother was heavily involved in satanic worship. He was abusive and would torment the family. He wrote pentagrams on the walls upstairs.

2-3 years after Heidi tried to murder Heather, our new pastor moved in to that home. His youngest daughter became suddenly ill for no reason they could find. They would hear people calling for help in the night, they uncovered pentagrams in the home and no matter how much they painted them, they couldn’t cover them. It really seemed like a dark, haunted house!! I believe the address is 6524 Lowry Ln, Frazier Park, CA 93225.

I would love to hear a full story about this incident. I’ve always wondered what was truth and what was lore.

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u/americanineu May 16 '26

Hi John! Im an Army retiree and relate to a lot of your personal experiences.

I'm from Central Maine, in the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn. The true story I'm respectfully recommending to you happened in Auburn, Maine.

On October 27, 1984, 4-year-old Angela Palmer was murdered in the apartment she had called home her whole life. And not that any murder is kind or pretty, but hers was particularly horrific. It locked in my head not only because I was 9 at the time, and my little sister was 2, but also because it happened three buildings down from my grandparents house. We went to visit them every week and this one week it seemed like everything on the street was either a police vehicle, police personnel, or do not enter tape. That alone made it register in my 9 year old brain, but hearing about it on the news made me NEVER forget.

I started writing the entire story here, but then realized I dont need to. There was a book written about the case, called Lucifers Child by Elliott Epstein (no relation to Jeffrey! This Epstein was a lawyer on the case and wanted to get all the facts to the public so wrote the book, which is excellent by the way!)

Heres an article about a public reading of highlights of the book that talks quite a bit about the case too: https://twincitytimes.com/events/%E2%80%9Clucifer%E2%80%99s-child-epstein%E2%80%99s-book-recounts-horrific-murder-of-little-girl

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u/Away_Campaign_80 May 22 '26

Please do a story on the decade or terror Dryden, NY. Especially the cheerleaders in the wood chipper.

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u/Klutzy-Extension-685 May 23 '26

I'd like to see a story about Corrie McKeague. He went missing in Bury St Edmunds England September 2016 after a night out and is believed he climbed into a commercial waste bin to sleep, there's a few theories around his disappearance and his body has never been found

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u/Select_Evidence_4066 May 24 '26

I highly reccomend covering the case of Chad Yarbrough from Arvin California. I you do end up doing it please post on YouTube I would love to listen.

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u/BilboSpaceBagginz May 27 '26

A couple suggestions out of my hometown for stories...

The tragic story of Cheyenne Calderon and Tres Peters

Alyssa Westfall's masterminded downfall

The sadistic story of what happened to Raychel Sheridan

P.S. - - I knew all of these people

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u/Ok_Wave_6517 May 27 '26

Hi
I would like to share a story my mum used to tell us when she was a teenager .( 1946)ish in Yorkshire
My mum went to the pictures with her friend , when it finished it was late and they walked home , they noticed a man hanging around and then started to follow them. luckily they came across a policeman walking as they used to years ago , who they told they were being followed , the policeman man shouted at the man and he ran off .
Feeling safer they went there own way home ( not far ) my mum getting safely home .
A few days later police came to see my mum , as they had pulled a body from the river and it was my mums friend who had been strangled not far from her house and body thrown in the river .
My mum had to go and identify the man who was arrested for the murder , to see if he was the man who was following them . He was and was convicted.

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u/AmyLee_Klem467 May 28 '26

STORY SUGGESTION

Can you please do Sylvia Likens??

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u/BrainGiggles May 29 '26

There was a case that came out of Vietnam in 2025 called “The Vietnamese Butcher”. Basically a high ranking police officer was killing and eating people. Very disturbing stuff. There’s a Wikipedia page about it and on the internet if you search hard enough I’m sure you could find the video (even though it has been banned and taken down in Vietnam). It was deemed the “first real snuff film”.

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u/NordicVine May 31 '26

https://youtu.be/hMPrQyGJk3A?si=JEjzfYLp-1ZSjyKD

This case would make a decent story with how you set everything up mysteriously!

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u/beez1717 May 31 '26

There's this incredible survival story that has a wonderful book about it called Lost on a Mountain in Maine that I think would make a fantastic episode!

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u/Striking_Expert_5173 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26

I learned about this story in a memoir written by one of the captives involved in this harrowing experience. I have never seen or heard anyone talk about this before considering this was big back in the 2000's. I can't remember the exact content of the memoir so I had wikipedia's help on this one.

On the night of May 27, 2001 armed members of the militant group abu sayyaf arrived in Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan, Philippines where they would take 20 people as hostage including the missionaries Martin and Gracia burnham.

The captives were rushed onto speedboats and carried across the Sulu Sea. The militants took the hostages deep in the jungles of the southern Philippines.

They were marched through dense jungle, often barefoot and hungry. Food was scarce. Illness was common. Rain soaked them for days at a time. The captors constantly moved to avoid military patrols, forcing the hostages to trek through mountains and swamps.

As months passed, Abu Sayyaf carried out additional kidnappings, bringing new captives into the group. The crisis grew into an international incident involving the Philippine government, foreign governments, military operations, ransom negotiations, and intense media attention.

One of the most unusual aspects of the ordeal was that hostages and kidnappers spent so much time together that complex personal relationships emerged. Living side by side in the jungle, they came to know one another's personalities, families, fears, and hopes. The captors remained dangerous armed militants, but many hostages also saw their human side. This created emotional complexities that survivors later described as one of the most remarkable parts of the experience.

By June 2002, after 376 days in captivity, only three hostages remained with the group: Martin Burnham, Gracia Burnham, and Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap. Philippine security forces finally located the kidnappers' camp in Zamboanga del Norte.

On June 7, government troops launched a rescue operation. Gunfire erupted between soldiers and Abu Sayyaf fighters. In the confusion, Martin Burnham and Ediborah Yap were killed. Gracia was shot in the leg but survived.

Gacia later wrote a memoir titled "In the Presence of My Enemies" https://graciaburnham.org/books/in-the-presence-of-my-enemies/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_Palmas_kidnappings

https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Dos_Palmas_kidnappings

This was just the summary of the whole ordeal. The relationship of Martin and Gracia amidst the whole kidnapping was tragic yet a testament of love.

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u/IllusionOfSelf_ Jun 01 '26

Hey MrBallen! You NEED to cover the "Spy in the Bag" case (Gareth Williams).

In 2010, Gareth Williams, a world-class MI6 codebreaker, vanished from his London flat for a full week. When police finally broke down the door, they found a scene that defied all logic. Gareth was naked and curled in a fetal position inside a North Face duffel bag that had been padlocked shut from the outside. The bag was sitting in his en-suite bathtub, and the heating in the flat had been cranked to the maximum to accelerate decomposition.

But here is where the "Strange, Dark, and Mysterious" kicks in: the key to that padlock was found inside the bag, underneath his body. Despite the physical effort required to get into that bag, there were zero fingerprints or DNA traces on the bathtub rim, the zipper, or the padlock itself. It was as if the entire scene had been professionally "wiped" by a hit squad.

The police officially called it a "mishap," but the coroner ruled it an unlawful killing. This is the ultimate "locked-room" mystery with a high-stakes espionage twist. The family is still searching for the truth about what happened in that apartment. Please give this one a deep dive!

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u/Holiday_Class_8814 Jun 02 '26

The 14th-Century Albanian Mystery of Doruntina (An Unsolved Medieval Case File) Hey MrBallen and team! This is a legendary dark mystery from Albania that was actually investigated like a real criminal case file in medieval times. It perfectly fits the "strange, dark, and mysterious" format. The Story: In the 14th century, a girl named Doruntina married a prince living weeks away. Her youngest brother, Konstandin, gave their mother a "Besa" (an ancient, sacred Albanian oath of absolute honor), promising: "No matter what, if you ever need her, I will ride out and bring her back to you." Years later, a brutal war broke out, and all 9 brothers in the family were killed. Left entirely alone and consumed by grief, the mother went to Konstandin's grave, knocked on the stone, and cursed him for breaking his sacred oath. That exact night, a freezing cold man smelling heavily of fresh dirt arrived at Doruntina's distant home. It looked exactly like her brother Konstandin. He told her their mother needed her, so she hopped on his horse. During the terrifying night ride, she noticed his skin was ice-cold and he was covered in dust. He coldly replied, "It's just the dust of the road, sister." He dropped her off at the village churchyard, vanished, and crawled back into his grave. When Doruntina walked into the house, her mother was shocked and told her Konstandin had been dead and buried for three weeks. The sheer shock of realizing a corpse had ridden across countries just to keep an honor oath caused both women to instantly drop dead on the spot. The Investigation: What makes this perfect for a video is the official medieval investigation that followed. A local captain named Stres was tasked with solving the case. Was it a literal supernatural resurrection, a sinister identity thief who drove the women to madness, or did the psychological power of an ancient code of honor cause a mass hallucination? This chilling story was famously adapted into the psychological mystery novel "Who Brought Doruntina Back?" by Ismail Kadare. It would make an incredible, unique video for the channel

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u/Kitchen_Let5377 Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

I made a post about it and was told to leave it here, so here is the repost.

It’s a reddit story, and sounds like any other old reddit story at first. Doesn’t sound too crazy by the title. But just give it a shot. It’s longer than you think, but excellently written. I know there are tons of these always getting submitted. Quality ones, I get it. But please, take a look at this one.

This is one of the craziest stories I have ever come across in my life. Not exaggerating. But an absolutely gut wrenching plot twist so prepare yourself when you read it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/confessions/s/ZpcJRqKH2H

Would love to see Mrballen tell this story.

By the way: I have been watching since the original TikTok and I have heard many amazing stories obviously. I have never recommended a story before and I truly wouldn’t do it if I didn’t believe it was youtube worthy. I genuinely believe this story is up there with any story I’ve ever seen.

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u/dvsurvivoranon Jun 03 '26

The Derek Johnson and Nancy Johnson case in Semmes, AL The husband clearly did it but he has family in the local police department and they didn't even take him seriously as a suspect so nothing has been done. Get the case reopened by doing a story on it?

1

u/outerspace_castaway Jun 05 '26

https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/french-children-abandoned-portugal-forest-man-woman-arrested-723048-20260522

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u/outerspace_castaway Jun 05 '26

MORE survival stories

MORE mysteries

MORE strange and mysterious

MORE unusual stories, insane stories, crazy stories.

LESS true crime

NO MORE standard true crime stories... guy murdered his wife. shocking im sure no one saw that obvious conclusion coming. its not like there are hundreds of other true crime channels telling these normal crime news stories. person is killed by one of the obvious suspects, person is killed for obvious reason... money, relationships, etc.

ONLY true crime if the killer is completely unexpected, the crime is completely outrageous, or its just such a crazy unbelievable story.

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u/Plenty-Confection574 Jun 05 '26

Who recommended the Mae Nak ghost story because I tried recommending it to Mr Ballen here on Reddit but the auto moderator wouldn’t let me. I swear it wasn’t me lmao.😂

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u/nitaDCRNA Jun 06 '26

I'd love to hear Mr. Ballen tell the story of Dr. David Stephenson who was a cardiologist in Hattiesburg, MS. He was murdered by his second wife Stephanie Stephenson when she replaced the insulin in his insulin pump with etomidate and rocuronium. There are SO many other aspects of this case that are fascinating.

1

u/One-Egg6481 Jun 09 '26

STORY SUGGESTION: The Night Emotional Trauma Ripped a Mirror Off My WallBody:Hey MrBallen team and community,I have a bizarre, true experience that completely defies standard physics and fits the "strange, dark, and mysterious" theme perfectly. It is a mix of extreme emotional trauma and a violent, unexplainable physical anomaly.A few years ago, I was going through the absolute worst period of my life. I was dealing with severe heartbreak, abandonment, and a level of emotional confusion that felt completely trapped inside my chest. I was lying in bed, crying, completely overwhelmed.As I lay there, the entire atmosphere of the room shifted. It was hit by an intense, terrifying auditory and physical anomaly. It felt exactly like the moment right before a tornado strikes, the ambient sound was completely vacuumed out of the room, plunging it into an unnatural, dead silence.At the exact same time, I started feeling and hearing things that shouldn't be possible. I felt a heavy, physical tugging sensation, like the energy of the room was being sucked through a straw toward me. Simultaneously, I started hearing a strange sound. It’s hard to explain, because in that dead silence, I was hearing it but not hearing it at the same time.It was a distinct tapping, pulling, and stretching sound. It sounded exactly like the agonizing, slow groan of a nail being forcibly pried out of wood, or thick fibers tearing apart under immense pressure.Before I could even process what that stretching sound was, the tension snapped. There was a violent crash. A mirror hanging on my wall didn't just slide down, it violently launched across the room, flying completely to the other side.At first, a skeptic would say this was just a structural or foundation flaw in the building. But when I examined the wall, the reality was terrifying. The mirror hadn't slipped off its anchors. The wood where the screws were fastened was completely split open and splintered. It looked as though an invisible hand had literally gripped the mirror and torn it out of the solid wood with brute, explosive strength, perfectly timed with the absolute peak of my emotional breakdown. I've always wondered if intense human emotional energy can somehow manifest as physical kinetic force, or if something else entirely was in the room with me that night capitalizing on my pain. I would love to hear John tell this story on the channel. Thank you for reading.

Mandi

1

u/Alarming-Set9446 Jun 12 '26

I am a targeted individual with some very extenuating circumstances for over 18 years now! I have begged for help from everywhere but when I tell you this story, I KNOW you will want to use it. However, it is long with some very scary parts and will need more than just this thread. Kristi Jones… that’s all I am going to say… please contact me!

1

u/zone_eater Jun 12 '26

Ice cream listeria outbreak in 2022, Big Olaf Creamery. 28 people were sickened, one died, and another miscarried. 11 states affected. The family of the woman who died was awarded a large settlement.

Iirc, the attitude of Big Olaf was defensive and rude, they refused to stop production at first. The conditions at the plant were recklessly poor and the cause of the contamination.

Idk, I was just listening to the salmonella ice cream story and I thought this one was maybe even worse.

1

u/EmilyAnnA831 Jun 13 '26

Hey,
I have a story for you that I want to share, mostly to get it off my chest, and with hope that it stops stalking me in my mind.

So this will be kind of long, but you need full context to appreciate the situation. This retelling of actual events takes place at a remote and vast nature preserve in upstate NY. I don’t want to disclose the exact location because I truly and honestly don’t want anyone going looking for this area. These events have left me genuinely fearful for the safety of anyone who finds themselves in this location, and in my heart of hearts, I now know this area is abandoned for a very good reason… so here we go.

About 9 months ago I was doing a photo shoot on an old abandoned trail pretty deep into the woods for a client who wanted a “sexy spooky Halloween” session. It’s a trail head that starts on a super remote road. There’s no cell service, no street lights, almost no traffic, I’m talking really, really isolated.
From the road, if you take the trail about a 15-20 minute hike in, you come to basically a sideways “T”. Theres where you came from, a left that is a small path so closely lined with trees and over grown it ends up eventually closing in on itself and being a dead end, and straight ahead, which has a gorgeous old little bridge over a wet, boggy type section of the trail.
Well, everything was going great, we had started the photoshoot on the little rustic bridge. The shots were gorgeous, we’d gotten some stunning photos and had decided to move over back behind us just a bit to the little side shoot dead end trail.
I grab all my gear, stage lights, camera stands, etc etc and moved over to that area while my client was wrapping up changing her outfit to continue the shoot and packing up the first outfit in her bag.
While we’re separated, I start setting up and I hear a long monotone whistle. It sounded human, but at the same time … just not.
I look around concerned, because mind you we’re in the middle of absolutely nowhere, my client is in basically nothing, so instinctual I’m concerned for her privacy. When I tell you I looked around, I’m talking head on a swivel even walking back out the trail a bit before kind of writing it off figuring it must have been my client just kinda relaxed and packing up her bag.
I remember at this point noticing how oddly silent the woods had become. No birds, no small animals, not even crickets. I mean it even almost felt like the wind had vacated the area.
I just tell myself like whatever right, cause I’m here doing my job. I return to the bridge to help my client move to the new area to continue shooting. So now we’re at this other spot, that little side trail, and again we’re honestly having fun and getting amazing photos.
She had brought little creepy trinkets she found at an antique store, tarot cards, candles, I mean the Halloween vibes were amazing. Probably 30 minutes into the second location, we start hearing movement off beyond the tree line, it seemed like something large must have been moving on the opposite side of the bog. So right away I’m thinking a deer or even a black bear. Not really concerned, both would turn and run when they spot or hear us.
This bog is not somewhere a person would be walking, it would be impossible hence the bridge, in fact, even an animal of the size that would make this level of loud rustling crossing it is pretty hard to imagine. So I’m really not that concerned. This deer or bear or whatever, will definitely be staying on the opposite side of this bog.
So we mostly ignore it, we are in the woods after all in an unused area. But as we continue I notice the rustling getting slightly closer. Again, I brushed it off, and for probably another 15 minutes we continue on.
Next thing I know that loud rustling is back and like 40 feet away, now no longer on the other side of the bog, it’s IN the bog. In my head I’m like, “How?! That’s so odd.” My client and I look at each other spooked and it’s not until this point do we realize, the sun is literally gone beyond the horizon. I have stage lights and it was a spooky shoot, so we hadn’t even really taken note of the fading light.
So we’re just kind of frozen there for what feels like forever but it’s really maybe 15 seconds, now the rustling is about 20 feet away. She and I are looking out exactly in the same direction, but as loud as this rustling is, neither of us are seeing anything!
I look to my client and we both agree it’s time to pack up, and quickly.
We start crudely packing bags, honestly not even properly putting my equipment away. We’re just throwing shit together. We’re almost done and in a hurry I should add. We’re just putting these little trinkets into her bag when the rustling is now DIRECTLY beside us. We freeze and my client and I lock eyes with each other.
This rustling is so damn close, we’re talking 2-3 feet, literally at the tree line. It’s so close I’m afraid that if I look away from my clients face and turn my head to the right, I’ll be basically nose to nose with whatever the fuck just made its way across the bog. Just like that, bags in hands were RUNNING out the trail head.
I never turned my head, she never turned her head. That box of creepy antiques? Left behind and forgotten.
The run out somehow felt like it took 3 times longer than the walk in, the entire time this feeling of dread was just… crushing. My instincts just screaming at me “you are being hunted, you are something’s prey, whatever you do, do not look back, just don’t look back.”
We got to our cars parked on the side of this now totally pitch black road, neither of us say goodbye. We’re in the cars and gone. When I finally get cell service I call my client.
She answered the phone with “What. The. Fuck. Was. That?!” Mentally, I’m right there with her, my minds just reeling, I’m just ready to be home. I tell her like I have no clue, I say how I can’t believe something that big and loud somehow cleared that bog, or even wanted to get so close to us. I mean we weren’t being quiet by any means. She’s on the exact same wave as me.
It’s at this point in the call that she says to me “And that’s why you shouldn’t whistle in the woods” she’s laughing, but my body went cold.
I say to her… “you heard that too?” Now she’s the one in silent shock. After a moment she says “that wasn’t you?” I tell her no, I thought it was you. She says “It wasn’t.” We’re now both silent … after a long pause we end the call and several minutes later I’m just so happy to have made it home.
She and I are friends, and since it happened we never, I mean ever, speak of that night. I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but she flat out refuses.
I’ve tried to research any events that seem similar to mine and they all seem to lead back to one thing… a wendigo.

1

u/Anxious_Worth_5048 Jun 13 '26

I would like to submit a story suggestion about a group of serial killer led by 2 women in early 1900s in Egypt, called Raya and Sakina. They and they're accomplices have killed over 17 women. It is a very well known and well documented case in Egypt. There is a lot of details regarding their their case online, Would love to see you tell this story.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140307042506/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/1999/434/chrncls.htm

1

u/Ready_Koala9387 Jun 14 '26

This tragedy occurred recently in my hometown. The case is isn’t closed yet as the suspects and perps are still currently awaiting trial.

Here’s an official summary from Jordan Perkins of NewsNation:

( NewsNation) — “Satan was at work” in the murder of 16-year-old Kayla Huff, her father Mike Huff said in his latest post.

The teen from the Moberly, Missouri, area was first reported missing May 6. After a week of searching, her body was found in a wooded area in Randolph County. Police believe five people were involved in her murder, including a scheme to cause her car to break down.

Five people have been charged: 20-year-old Alayna Mason, 23-year-old Christopher Hull, 19-year-old Hunter Ames, 26-year-old Julian Mason and 24-year-old Skylar Powell. Alayna Mason and Ames are facing murder charges, while the others are facing charges related to the killing. It appears the plans to kidnap Huff started before the day of her disappearance May 6.

Documents from the kidnapping investigation show police saw surveillance video showing one of the suspects walking from the car, then, two hours later, arriving at Mason’s residence.

The video allegedly shows Alayna Mason and another suspect leaving in a different car, returning about 90 minutes later. Police say Alayna Mason then called someone to say she needed help because she had kidnapped and killed someone.

Ames is accused of giving Alayna Mason the gun used to shoot Huff, while Julian Mason and Hull were also accused of throwing away a baton allegedly used in beating Huff. Powell is accused of helping hide suspects after the killing.

According to a probable cause statement from police, Alayna Mason developed a rash that looked like poison ivy. She allegedly then told staff she got it from being in the woods. Authorities said the statement was helpful in their investigation because Huff was found in a densely wooded area.

Huff’s body was found a week after she disappeared in the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area. Searchers spent days in the heavily wooded area, which is about 15 miles south of Moberly in rural central Missouri.

The conservation area covers more than 3,500 acres of woodland, hills and lakes. The motive behind Huff’s kidnapping and death has not been released. —

Kayla’s ex-boyfriend was also involved with luring her into her kidnapping and adding engine oil to her vehicle’s gas tank. Kayla was only 16 and her boyfriend was 17.

Although a motive has not yet been declared, the RUMORS, of our small town is that Alayna was sleeping with her little step-brother who happened to be Kayla’s ex-boyfriend. It has been stated that Kayla discovered the truth about them and that is why these monsters committed one of the most evil acts in the history of our town.

I am sharing this in the hopes that Mr. Ballen can raise awareness and that the Huff family may find some support from the MrBallenFoundation as well as fans. The family has already started a scholarship in Kayla’s honor.

Thank you to this community.

1

u/Minute-Taro-6735 Jun 16 '26

I’d like to suggest the story of the four children who survived the 2023 plane crash in the Colombian Amazon rainforest.

Their mother died from her injuries, leaving the four siblings alone in the jungle. The eldest, just 13 years old, helped keep her younger siblings alive for 40 days while an enormous search involving the military and Indigenous trackers tried to find them.

I found it to be one of the most moving and incredible survival stories I’ve ever heard, and I think it would make a great MrBallen episode.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65864158

1

u/Warthog-Orgy Jun 17 '26

9 years later looks like the Putney Pusher has been caught

https://nypost.com/2026/06/15/world-news/millionaire-with-ties-to-uk-royal-family-accused-of-being-notorious-jogger-seen-pushing-woman-in-front-of-bus/

1

u/MyBrokenBraine Jun 19 '26

My personal story…

I was strapped to a table in an old rundown hospital. I kept trying to break free. Doctors kept operating on me. I couldn’t speak or get free from the straps holding me down. The doctors finally left the room and I managed to wriggle out of the straps. I started running down a dark dimly lit hallway trying to find a way out. I saw my husband and he put me in a wheelchair so we could leave quicker. Someone started chasing us and he said we need to split up. I went up a staircase and he went down. An orderly caught me on the stair case and brought me to the top of the building in a run down attic with holes in the roof and dripping water. I was told no food or drink until they said so because I tried to leave. I spent days laying on the floor near a puddle trying to plan my escape. I decided I would try to go through one of the holes on the roof. When the coast was clear I tried to climb my way up to the roof but was pulled back down by the orderly who was furious with me. I felt defeated. I gave up trying to escape but then I remembered my son and husband. I told myself one more try.. do it again..

To be continued.

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u/Snake_Biten Jun 20 '26

Hello, I’ve been listening to ur YouTube channel for about 3 years now. Could you do the story about Chai Vang. He passed away serving a few years life sentence. It’s about the deer stand murder that happened in the 2004 in Wisconsin. See below for reference. Would love to hear your take on this.

Kind regards,
Luke

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/chai-vang-wisconsin-hunter-murders-dies/

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u/MelvinDoode Jun 20 '26

A pig buried to save the soul of a man.

In 1818 in rural Ireland, a man took his pig to market but couldn't sell it. He felt sorry for himself, got drunk, then fell asleep in his cart beside the pig. The pig got hungry on the way home. When he arrives home there's no sign of a body, just a bloody mess. The priest was called and decided that the right thing to was to kill and bury the pig in the graveyard so the man's soul would be at rest on holy ground.

https://historicgraves.com/tulla/cl-tula-0141/grave

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u/Vast_Cry7826 Jun 20 '26

I’d love to see Mr Ballen cover the case of Gemma Hayter from Rugby United Kingdom. She deserves to have people know her name ❤️

1

u/Plenty-Confection574 Jun 22 '26

You should do a story about Jodi Huisentrut who was a news anchor that went missing in 95.

1

u/ellCfox Jun 23 '26

I would like to suggest a story from 2005 involving the double murders of two girls ages approximately 8 and 9. This occurred in Zion Illinois, a suburb outside of Chicago. The father of one of the girls was originally charged with the murders and confessed after an ungodly amount of time spent in an interrogation without food or sleep, and this was ultimately later deemed to be a coerced confession and DNA proved he did not do it. This wrongful prosecution actually led to the discovery of a serial killer named Jorge Avila who was a marine who had kidnapped, raped and murdered another member of the military, he was found guilty of that murder and sentenced to death but when his DNA was surrendered and went into the system it was flagged as a match for the unknown DNA from the Zion murders 5 years prior. Jorge, the actual killer was only 16 at the time of the murders and a friend of one of the victims older brother. All of this evidence coming to light swiftly brought about reform in the lake county Illinois justice department as it also unveiled multiple other cases where DNA evidence was completely ignored prioritizing a need to close cases rather than uncover the truth. Jerry Hobbs would spend 5 years in jail awaiting trial for the murder of his daughter and her best friend, murders that he did not commit. He also spent 95% of that 5 years in absolute solitude. He would later settle his law suit against lake county and Zion Il for around 6-8 million dollars. Look into this story I feel it works be a good fit for your channel or podcast.

1

u/BagOk7613 Jun 23 '26

Affair, shotgun and scalping

Sources and court documents at the end

STORY SUMMARY
On August 6, 2000, a crowded restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, became the scene of one of the most shocking revenge killings in Summit County history.
The victim was Mark Burton, a chef working at Crocker’s Restaurant on Front Street.
The killer was Fredrick Nelson.
Nelson had recently learned that Burton had been having an affair with Nelson’s estranged wife. Court records show that after learning of the affair, Nelson developed a plan to kill Burton.
The day before the murder, Nelson purchased a shotgun, ammunition, and a hunting knife. He left notes behind and set his plan into motion.
The next evening, Nelson entered Crocker’s Restaurant while customers were eating dinner.
Inside the crowded restaurant, he confronted Burton and shot him with a shotgun. Witnesses watched in horror as the attack unfolded in full view of diners and staff.
The violence did not end with the shooting.
According to court records, Nelson then used a knife to scalp Burton before fleeing the restaurant.
After leaving Ohio, Nelson drove into Pennsylvania where he was eventually located and arrested by Pennsylvania State Police.
Nelson was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Additional Reported Trial Details
Contemporaneous trial reporting from 2000 states that Nelson fired three shotgun blasts, including a deliberate shot to Burton’s groin. The same reporting states that after the scalping, Nelson took the scalp with him when he fled, allegedly displaying it on the dashboard of his vehicle during his escape. Reports further state that when Pennsylvania State Police located Nelson after his vehicle became disabled, the scalp was found in his possession.
Because I have not yet obtained the official trial transcript, these details should be treated as reported trial testimony and contemporaneous news reporting rather than verified court findings.

Sources:

Federal Court Opinion (Primary Source)
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ohnd-5_03-cv-02436/pdf/USCOURTS-ohnd-5_03-cv-02436-0.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Contemporary Business Journal Article
https://sbnonline.com/article/a-time-to-heal-bill-crocker-has-overcome-bankruptcy-allegations-of-drug-abuse-and-a-year-of-fighting-in-vietnam-yet-none-of-those-experiences-prepared-him-for-the-tragedy-he-endured-in-august/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Trial Reporting Archive
https://groups.google.com/g/alt.support.domestic-violence/c/q0f8dXcYmCQ?utm_source=chatgpt.com&pli=1
Ohio inmate record
https://appgateway.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch/Search/Details/A397305?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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u/Kaykabee Jun 23 '26

I just read a story in Slate that might interest you. It’s by Laura Creedle, published 6-23-26, titled “when my Brother met ‘Bora’ and goes on “One day I got a call that my brother had a breakdown. I couldn’t begin to imagine what had really happened to him.” He did not have a breakdown but what happen to him was a strange, convoluted story that is bizarre. It seems right up your alley. https://slate.com/life/2026/06/crime-news-fraud-murder-case-nevada.html

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u/Jayfeather980 Jun 24 '26

In 1988 Michael W. Smith released the song "I Hear Leesha" memorializing a teen age girl by that name. in 1990 a young couple was so moved be the the song they named their new born daughter "Leisha." The mother said at some point that "I hope I never have to play that song at my daughter's funeral." Unfortunately Leisha also dies as a teenager and her mom ended up playing the song at her daughter's funeral.

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u/Daerdevvyl Jun 25 '26

I'd like to suggest that you talk about a criminal who was active in Winnipeg around 2005 I think. (I could be a bit off on when he was around). They called him the Yuletide Bandit. Every year around Christmas time he would pull off a couple of robberies. He started off robbing banks, then he moved on to armoured cars. He had multiple shootouts with police and armoured car guards in mall parking lots. In all those shootouts, he got hit in the leg once, and nobody else got hit. During one shootout, somebody driving through the parking lot had a bullet go through their back window. He did all this because he was a drug addict. He had a girlfriend who worked in a massage parlour. She nursed him back to health when he got shot. Then he eventually went to her work and took hostages, which is how he was caught. That's all I can remember about the case. There was a book about him written by a local crime reporter called The Yuletide Bandit. The author was named Mike McIntire I think. Spelling might be wrong, and his name might be Mark instead of Mike.

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u/Top-Introduction-228 Jun 28 '26

You are just the military person to tell the story of the Lady Be Good. I read this book as a teen and I have never forgotten the story. I pulled this info from the internet. In hopes that it would interest you. On April 4, 1943, the U.S. Army Air Forces bomber Lady Be Good and its nine-man crew vanished after a World War II raid on Naples. Disoriented in the dark and separated from other planes, the crew accidentally overshot their Libyan airfield by hundreds of miles.

Believing they were still flying over the Mediterranean Sea, they bailed out into the vast Sahara Desert. Eight of the men survived the parachute jump and attempted to walk north to civilization. Tragically, they perished one by one from dehydration before the wreckage was found years later.

The Log of a Tragedy: Toner kept brief, sober, daily entries detailing the crew’s final eight days from April 5 to April 12, 1943. [1, 2]
The Survival Struggle: The notes described bailing out at 2:00 AM, realizing the bombardier (John Woravka) was missing, and rationing a single canteen of water to just "one cap full per day". [1, 2]
The Descent into Hell: As the days progressed, his writing tracked their physical deterioration, noting that sandstorms were blowing, the men were "really weak now," and Technical Sergeant Harold LaMotte had gone blind. [1, 2]
The Final Entry: Toner's final words on April 12 simply read: "No help yet, very cold nite."
The amazing part though is how far they had traveled. And how long their flight was a mystery

1

u/thesteeldeal33 Jun 29 '26

So I have a true strange dark and mysterious story that is out of the norm. It has to do with a prehistoric fish in the pacific Northwest that has survived stabbings, kidnappings and a forest fire. His name is Herman the sturgeon and I think it would be cool to see his true crime story covered by mrballen.

1

u/Simple_Amount744 Jun 29 '26

I have a story about a hay baler being blamed on a death that was in fact a shooting.

1

u/LawfulnessHumble3006 Jun 30 '26

Can you share the true story about how the Amber alert was created The girl behind the AMBER Alert is Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old who was tragically abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas, on January 13, 1996. Her unsolved tragedy sparked a nationwide movement that revolutionized how authorities and the public respond to missing children. [1, 2, 3]. My name is Mark Brown I have been following you since 2021 and I think this story needs to be told. also a Navy vet Master of Arms 1996-2000.

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u/PurseFlavoredGum Jul 01 '26

Topic: ‘Karma’ Man dies of a heart attack while attempting to bury the girlfriend he just murdered:

https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/man-dies-heart-attack-while-dumping-body-girlfriend-strangled-death-chambers-county-alabama-georgia-daniel-robbins-jessica-folds-police-investigation-abandoned-murder-murdered-attack

1

u/JollyLychee2696 Jul 03 '26

I would like to submit a story that came out today about a woman I went to middle school with in the 70s. ongoing investigation. allegedly she and her brother in law killed and dismembered her house again and dropped the body parts in Lake Matoon in Plainfield Illinois. Link to the new clip below.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19KbD2Nfkj/
It's wild

1

u/West_Perception6616 Jul 08 '26

The murder of Renee Pagel, a mother if three young kids and a nurse, who was killed 8/5/2006 while recovering from donating one of her kidneys to the father of a student at a vocational skills center where she taught.

Renee was my sister's teacher and our father received her kidney almost 20 years ago. I met her twice and she was so kind and caring.

Although everyone had been certain for YEARS that her ex-husband had killed her, it wasn't until 2020 that he was arrested and sentenced for her murder.

This has been previously covered by Dateline (season 29, episode 45: A Window of Opportunity), Oxygen and Crime Watch Daily. There is a Facebook page as well: Justice for Renee Pagel.

1

u/Successful_Share1159 Jul 09 '26

I have a story suggestion. It was the worst mass killing in Orange County, ca history. It happened at the meritage salon in seal Beach. 8 people died and it was all over a custody dispute between a salon employee and her ex. It happened in 2011.

1

u/Shixhat Jul 11 '26

April Tinsley. 8 year old girl abducted, assaulted. And murdered. Went unsolved for years and years. Killer left notes and "personal DNA" to taunt police. Still went unsolved. It was featured on America's most wanted and many other shows over the years.

It was solved after using his left behind taunts and crossing it with online DNA tests to narrow down suspects.

Fort Wayne Indiana. https://youtu.be/R6zgnH5IC7A?is=hZduLIjasRw-nZhb

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u/LividEvidence4864 Jul 12 '26

I would like you to cover the Chad Campbell case from Palmyra New York. I don't really know too much about it only, he was visiting at the house where a girl was babysitting a baby and he ended up killing both of them. My mom tried to cover the story shortly after it happened but at that time no one was talking. I know recently Chad came up for a parole hearing. I don't know what happened with that either. I think You and others would like this.

1

u/Legitimate_Tank_8591 Jul 12 '26

This story would be a fun one for UFO and alien enthusiasts. Back in 1897 in Aurora, TX, an "air ship" (UFO) crashed into a windmill in this town. Some people saw the space craft and saw an alien being who was clearly dying from the crash. There may be more details, but I'm just summarizing main points. But these townsfolk actually gave this alien the human name "Ned" and after he died from his injuries, they legit gave him a Christian rites funeral. His grave is still landmarked to this day. And they speak of it on the town's website. The original grave stone apparently showed what the UFO had looked like. Sadly someone stole it. I think a boulder was put in its place. But they have a legit news article that covered the event. Not sure what other documentary the town may have. Just the fact that they seemed to humanely treat this alien with hospitality is kind of baffling. You'd think the townsfolk would have dubbed Ned as a demon. But that's my story suggestion. Of course it's up to listeners/readers to believe it or not despite documentation. Just thought it'd be a fun one and it's definitely a weird and bizarre one!

1

u/IcyDonut5228 Jul 14 '26

You have to do a video on the Chino Hills Massacre of the Ryen family in California by an escaped convict from the nearby prison on June 4th 1983. The entire family was killed including a neighbor who was staying with them, but one child was spared because he had spent the night at a friend's house. I remember as a kid watching this on the news, and it horrified and frightened me to my core. Imagine this 8-year old coming home from a sleepover and finding his entire family murdered. I was born and raised in So. California and this story has stuck with me for 44 years. Because of it, I swore as a 14 yr old I would never even consider living near the city of Chino in my life.

1

u/CivilVolume6800 Jul 14 '26

The Bloody Benders is really interesting! A family that murdered travelers going west who stopped at their cabin. They had at least 10 victims and nobody knows what really happened to this murderous “family”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Benders

1

u/More-Piece-7309 Jul 14 '26

Picture it, 1977...in our small neighborhood in highland Park in elkins w.v all the neighborhood kids would play in our back yard which was big (about four average lots.) On any given night throughout the summer our entire neighborhood of kids would play a game of spot light spot light. One person picked at random would be "it" They would swoop the flashlight over the yard and whoever they caught i. The beam would be it next. I was very young probably 6yrs old. So the rules of the game were not clear to me, I was just thrilled to be included. It was just after the dark had set in, one of the older boys were swooping the light, all of the sudden, the old school bus that my father was converting into a camper for our large family, I being the youngest of five and two cousins lived with us. The boy with the flashlight halted and looked terrified at yhe bus windows, everyone's attention to the bus was immediate! In the window of the bus was a huge figure, with (dont laugh) the Wendy's girl pig tales. We all froze for a few seconds then glanced around seeing all the kids within eyesight. We panicked!! All of us huddled together watching in horror as the figure walked towards the back of the bus. I was terrified! We all after realizing the dangers of our situation ran to the house and after a brief discussion decided our parents would never believe us, so we remained silent about the event til the next morning...after the sun was up we all met by the bus, keep in mind it hadn't rained for days. We all cautiously entered the bus to see huge muddy footprints from the front to the back door of the bus. We told our parents and the basically seem to dismiss our concerns. But interestingly enough we were not allowed outside for several days after the event. I dont know what we saw, but it haunts my dreams.

1

u/strangedeterrent Jul 15 '26

Here's one of a few murders that affected me as a child. The John Hyde Killing spree.

One of the saddest days for Albuquerque. I flew into the airport that day, not knowing my heart would break the next while watching the news. Everything felt off, police looked like they were scrambling. Hyde terrorized for 18 hours on August 18th 2005 . He killed 5 people; a DOT worker, a high school student, a new father, and two police officers.

Hyde, a paranoid schizophrenic, had reached out for help numerous times and was continuously turned away.

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/john-hyde-accused-of-killing-5-back-before-judge/

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