Horrifying History

She was a young actress and model who didn’t act or model.   She lived on the wrong side of town in an apartment she was about to be evicted from, because she couldn’t pay the rent.   Then she met a man thirty-six years older than her, whom she thought would fulfill all her dreams and help her live a stable life.   Fast forward a few years, and the woman was broke and at her breaking point.   She...

My name is Brenda. Welcome to Horrifying History, where you will hear about the unexplained and supernatural happenings that have stained the pages of history. It is said that a shadow-like entity has terrified people across different cultures, continents, and generations.   He goes by many names, but most know him as the Hat Man.   So settle in, and turn down the lights, my spooky friends.   You...

In the US state of Massachusetts, there is a place where the paranormal comes out to play.   This approximately 200 square mile or 51,780 square hectare plot of land is known for paranormal activity that includes UFO sightings, cryptid sightings, and ghostly encounters. So, get your compasses out, my spooky friends.   You are going to hear about a place that has been nicknamed the paranormal Disne...

Long ago, when I still wore pyjamas with mittens and slippers attached, I had a nightmare that I still remember clearly.   I went outside to see what my dad was up to and found him in our barnyard.   When I approached him, he told me to go back inside.   A monster was in the woods, and small children were its favourite food.   That’s when I heard thundering footsteps coming from the nearby forest....

Imagine it is the early 1800s, and you are in a penal colony.   The conditions were horrible, and you worked your fingers to the bone.   Would you try to escape for freedom?   If you would, what would you sacrifice for that freedom? For the men you are going to hear about today, that included cannibalism.   So, set the table, my spooky friends.   You are going to hear about two men who broke the f...

When someone famous dies, there are a lot of different emotions that a person can feel.   We feel upset because their work and public persona often intertwine with our life experience and identity.   We may feel a strong connection to them due to their work resonating with us or helping us through hard times.   It also reminds us of our mortality.   When we hear about a famous person’s death, it u...

People love treasure hunts for a variety of reasons.   Some use it as a way to explore their surroundings, and others use it as a way to bond with friends or family.   But let's be honest…the biggest reason is for a payday.   There is one alleged treasure that many know precisely where it is.   For more than two centuries, treasure seekers have gone to a small island off the coast of the Canadian...

In January of this year, I was invited to be a guest on the Family Plot podcast to talk about Ernest Hemingway.   After we had recorded their episode, we all started to talk about various subjects, including cults.   It was Family Plot who told me about a cult that existed near where I currently live and some of their dark deeds.   I had to learn more, and that resulted in today’s episode. So buck...

War brings out both the best and the worst in people.   It showcases the finest human qualities of idealism, courage, and self-sacrifice.   But it is also barbaric and, at times, futile.   When it looks like one side will win, many will do anything to gain victory. So get comfortable, my spooky friends.   You are about to hear how the Nazis’ tried to use the occult against their enemies in their a...

We took a deep dive into the Salem Witch Trials in our last two episodes.   We looked at not just what happened but how and why.   This story is not done yet, my spooky friends.   These trials brought pain, fear, and heartache to so many that it stained history.   These stains manifest themselves as the spirits of those who were falsely accused, and in some cases - as the spirits of those who did...

During the witch trials; everyone in Salem lived in fear, but some used this fear for their own advantage.  After all, if a person accused another of being a witch, and the accused was convicted - that person would be rewarded with the accused property.   Gossip was at an all time high, and while some were trying to continue living their everyday lives, others were looking at property maps to deci...

Life in the American state of Massachusetts during the 1600s was filled with challenges, hardships, and for some - opportunity.   Seeking religious freedom, many Puritans travelled over rough waters to create a new life in a little town outside Boston called Salem.   Once there, the Puritan’s lives revolved around family, work, and most of all - religion.   It was this along with colonial conflict...

Imagine for a moment that it is a beautiful July day.   You wake up excited, because today you are leaving on a road trip.   Over the last few days you packed up your motorhome, and all you need to do is fill up your gas tank before you get on your way.   But what if as soon as you drive away, that was the last time you would be seen again? So get ready my spooky friends.   You are about to hear t...

The late 1970s was a time of innocence in the American state of California.   Young girls and women could walk the streets or hitchhike without a concern for their own safety.   But this innocence and trust was shattered when five girls made the fatal mistake of accepting a ride from two men, who would later be known as “The Toolbox Killers”. So stop your work, and put away your tools my spooky fr...

When most people think about what a mother is; they are typically associated with concepts of love, nurturing, protection, and support.   But sadly, this is not always the truth.   Some mother’s are not loving or nurturing, and in the case of Mary Ann Cotton - she looked at her family with dollar signs in her eyes. So pull up a chair my spooky friends.   Today, you will be hearing the story of the...

People trust doctors for many different reasons.   For some, it is their perceived competence.   For others, it is due to their bedside manner.   But for most, it is their experience and history of fulfilled trust. Most doctor’s have your best interests in mind, but sadly - some do not.   In the case of Dr. Linda Hazzard; what was in her best interests was for her patients to die.   So open your m...

In 2016; a horror movie called “The Boy” was released.   It’s about a young woman named Greta, who was hired as a nanny for who she thinks is a little boy.   In reality, Greta’s employers want her to care for a life sized porcelain doll named Brahms.   This doll was a replacement for the couple’s real child, who died in a fire years before.   Soon strange things start occurring; and at the film’s...

Churches are supposed to be places of worship and faith, but there is one church located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that has the reputation of being a location of insanity and death. So get comfortable my spooky friends.   You are about to hear tale of a church that is not the sanctuary it should be, and about several more that maybe should consider doing a few exorcisms to make their groun...

In the town of Paulding in the U.S. state of Ohio, there is a jail that was designed to hold the most dangerous of criminals. Today, this place is not just a jail. It is a place soaked in human suffering, unspeakable cruelty, and restless spirits. So grab a flashlight and listen closely my spooky friends…today you will hearing tales of darkness, trauma, and terror that caused some who had died at...

Imagine for a moment that you meet your soulmate.   You tell your family that you are in love, and they do not take the news very well.   After finding out that your partner is from a lower station in life; they order you to break things off…but you don’t.   For Blanche Monnier; this was the beginning of her own personal living hell. So get comfortable my spooky friends; today you will hear Blanch...

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was built in 1926 in Los Angeles, California in the United States.   It houses three hundred rooms spread over twelve floors, and was the location for the very first Academy Awards ceremony.   It has been featured in countless tv shows and movies, and it has housed Hollywood elite for years.   With a history as long as this building has, it is no wonder that the Holly...

Let me set the scene…you receive a phone call that someone you love is near death.   You rush to their side, and they tell you they have to clear their conscious before they go.   This is when they tell you something that shocks you to your core.   So snuggle in my spooky friends…today we will be talking about deathbed confessions that left people wondering if they ever knew their loved ones at al...

Some criminals shock us with the audacity of their crimes.   Others surprise us with the stark contrast between their outward appearances, and the darkness they hold within.   Dellen Millard were both of these.   He was the heir of an aviation dynasty, but only cared about his dark ambitions.   His entitlement landed him behind bars for the rest of his life, but even so - he still plots new scheme...

All parents want their kids to get along, but the reality is that no siblings get along at all times.   Sibling rivalry is inevitable, but it isn’t necessarily bad.   It is through this that children learn how to deal with conflict even though parents want their kids to be close and get along all time.   But in the case of the Papin sisters; their closeness caused their lives to unravel in a way t...

On March 26, 1997; police received an anonymous tip that they needed to go to a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, which was an upperclass suburb in San Diego, California in the United States.   When they walked in, they were shocked to see thirty nine people dead from what appeared to be a mass suicide.   They soon discovered that these men and women were members of a religious cult, whose leader told t...