People go missing every day, and often the cases are not connected. Sometimes these cases are not even reported and a person’s disappearance goes unnoticed. Then there are the cases we don’t really hear about because the media doesn’t report on them. So, what if we were to analyze missing person’s cases on our own? Could a number of disappearances somehow all be related to one another?

When college student Zachary Marr disappeared after leaving a Boston bar on February 13th, I couldn’t help but worry and wonder what happened to the young man. His body was eventually recovered from the Charles River on March 15, and foul play is not suspected by police. His case made many take notice of the amount of similar cases in the area, and the results are alarming.

An unsettling number of men have gone missing only to be found dead in Boston waters, presumed to have accidentally drowned. On the blog Cryptid Antiquarian, blogger Elise Soper pieced together at least ten other cases of men who have gone missing over the past 13 years in Boston, and noted that many of those individuals were found dead in bodies of water, like the Charles River or Boston Harbor. At least seven of the men vanished after leaving bars or parties, while the others simply just disappeared while doing errands or leaving work.

One young man—23-year-old Jonathan Dailey—went missing after hanging out with a buddy one night in 2012. His body was later discovered in the Charles River, tied and chained to a cinderblock.

Police ruled many of the deaths as accidental drownings. However, the alarming amount of men whose bodies were uncovered in water is not just limited to the New England area. Similar situations have also occurred in the Midwest, leaving some to believe there is an unidentified serial killer preying on vulnerable men.

When University of Minnesota student Christopher Jenkins went missing on Halloween in 2002, his body was discovered in the Mississippi River four months later. Police believed his death was an accident, or that he committed suicide. His family insisted that his death was not an accident, and a second autopsy proved that the position in which Jenkins’ body was found was inconsistent with an accidental drowning. The case was re-opened in 2006 and still has not been solved.

Sparked by Jenkins’ murder, retired NY police detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte began connecting numerous drowning deaths of men across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa. The pair studied evidence from cases dating back to the 1990s, and believe the deaths of at least 45 college males who drowned after leaving parties or bars are all connected.

The former detectives developed the Smiley Face Murder theory after they discovered a smiley-face symbol painted at a dozen of the drowning locations. The graffiti convinced the pair there is a gang of killers who are stalking men as they leave bars, murdering them and then staging their deaths as drownings.

While Gannon and Duarte are passionate about the Smiley Face Murder theory, the FBI insists that there is no evidence to support their claims. In 2010, the Center for Homicide Research released a statement outlining all of the reasons they believe the theory to be false. One reason being that the drowning deaths don’t actually “fit a serial killer motive.”

The Smiley Face Murder Theory may not be valid, but that doesn’t negate the fact that a large number of men are being found dead in bodies of water. The list of drownings extends across the pond where over 60 bodies have been found in canals in Manchester, England since 2007. Like the other drowning cases, most of those bodies were men who disappeared after leaving parties or bars.

The rise in drowning deaths between 2008 and 2015 prompted families and many others to suspect foul play. Eventually, the idea of a serial killer, dubbed the Manchester Pusher, came to light. It is theorized that the serial killer is targeting men at their most vulnerable state and pushing them into icy waters to drown.

Some pointed out particular drowning cases that seemed suspicious, like 18-year-old Souvik Pal. His body was found in a canal three weeks after he vanished leaving a bar on New Year’s Eve in 2012, and CCTV showed him accompanied by an unknown man.

In 2012, David Plunkett’s body was also discovered in a Manchester canal. His death was ruled an accident; however, Plunkett’s parents claimed their son called them before his death, and they heard him screaming in terror.

Manchester authorities insist there is no evidence of a serial killer. Detective Chief Inspector Pete Marsh explained many of the deaths as accidents due to alcohol, saying that the men simply put themselves at risk by placing themselves near the canals.

Mersey ferry Snowdrop at LAtchford locks on the Manchester Ship canal.
And that’s just it: in many of the cases a majority of these men did put themselves at risk. Several of the men disappeared after leaving parties, and many had been drinking. In the Boston cases it’s hard to ignore the fact that the city is surrounded by water. If these men were disoriented and inebriated at night, it’s easy to understand how they could accidentally fall into water.

To support the notion that all of these cases were simply tragic accidents, information from the Center for Disease Control shows that nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male, and alcohol is involved in about 70% of those deaths. Men are also more likely to put themselves into dangerous situations when they are drunk.

When looking at these statistics, many of the drownings can be explained as accidental. But, there are a few cases that do seem to be the result of something sinister. Is it due to a serial killer, or a string of killers? Anything is possible. Does the evidence support any of those theories? No.

If anything, the strikingly high number of male drowning deaths should be a cautionary tale. People—both male and female—need to be more vigilant and careful when they go out. Stay with your group of friends and don’t stray. Don’t make yourself vulnerable and become just another statistic the next time you go out on the town.

Source: Blumhouse
http://www.blumhouse.com/2016/03/17/the-vanishing-men-mystery/

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It can be terrifying enough when a poltergeist makes its appearance in a household. Rocks thrown about, strange bangs on the walls, moving furniture, items disappearing and then reappearing, this is enough to set anyone on edge. However, when a poltergeist finds its voice and starts to talk, you know that events have decidedly taken a turn for the worse.

Poltergeist activity has been recorded throughout history and is probably the most prolific of all supernatural events. One of the earliest accounts was from around 500 C.E. when St. Germain, Bishop of Auxerre, was bothered by a spirit that battered the walls of a shelter the Bishop was spending the night in with showers of rocks. Another early case was the Bingen poltergeist, which comes from the Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda. This incident happened near Bingen in present-day Bavaria around 856-858 C.E. A farmer was plagued by a stone-throwing ghost who shook the walls of his house “as though the men of the place were striking it with hammers,” set crops on fire and also shouted obscenities and accusations at the farmer suggesting that he had slept with the daughter of his foremen. The poltergeist would follow the man around and fearful neighbors would refuse to allow him near their homes.

The Bishop of Mainz sent priests with holy relics who attested to hearing the poltergeist denouncing the farmer for adultery. When the priests sang hymns and sprinkled holy water, the poltergeist threw stones and cursed at them.

The Bingen poltergeist had many typical features of a poltergeist that are still repeated in modern times. The fact that this poltergeist could talk is something that has been seen in other cases, but nevertheless, it really doesn’t happen that often.


Poltergeist phenomenon is often placed in the same niche as ghosts and hauntings. The implication is that a poltergeist is a ghost, i.e. a human that has died and returned in spirit form.  There is no doubt that there are similarities between ghosts and poltergeist activity. However, a ghostly haunting often tends to have the visual element; for example, a glowing figure dressed in old fashioned clothes is seen walking down a hallway. A haunting also repeats in the same way on a regular basis, much like a recording that is played back over and over. In long-term ghostly hauntings, a ghost will usually ignore entreaties from the living and shows no sign of awareness of its surroundings.

Poltergeist activity, instead, operates in a completely different fashion. A poltergeist almost never makes an “appearance” and becomes visible, but as with ghostly hauntings, there are always exceptions. A poltergeist can do things such as move heavy furniture, instantaneously teleport objects, produce explosive sounds and disgusting odors, create rain inside a building, cause spontaneous fires and other things that seem to be outside of our current understanding of physics.

A poltergeist is extremely aware of its surroundings, and will often quickly respond to suggestions by observers and other external stimuli. This shows that there is some kind of “intelligence” behind its pranks and not just some random psychokinesis (PK). This intelligence, along with an ability to communicate, will manifest in a myriad of ways. Pieces of paper with strange messages appear; writing on the walls, children’s toys will be arranged to make words, and, perhaps the most shocking, they will sometimes start to speak out loud.

When a poltergeist achieves speech, it generally starts out as animal-like growls and whispers that slowly evolve into discernible words. Most poltergeists never reach this stage of their development, but once they do, a clear “personality” emerges from what were previously just random events.


One early case of a talking poltergeist happened in  Mâcon, France in 1612 when a Calvinist pastor named Francois Perreaud, (or Perrault), became the target of a very unsettling poltergeist. Perreaud’s poltergeist made its first appearance on September 19, 1612 when invisible hands started shaking bed curtains and tossing bed clothes onto the floor.

Eventually a voice that was “very distinct and understandable, although somewhat husky” was heard in the house. It sang, “Twenty-two pennies, twenty-two pennies,” then repeated the word, “Minister” several times.

Once the poltergeist began speaking, it would not stop. It recited the Ten Commandments, followed by the Our Father, the Apostles’ Creed, and other prayers. It also sang Psalms and recited accurate personal details about Perreaud’s family. The voice claimed that it was from the Pays de Vaud, which was at that time infamous for its witch hunts.

The voice told wild stories, made inappropriate jokes and often acted like a child and teased the maid. It was also able to expertly mimic the voices of various Mâcon residents. It also took on several different identities. At one time the voice claimed to be the valet of the original entity, who had left the house and was now in Chambery.

On November 25, the voice announced that it would no longer speak, but its antics in the form of throwing stones, tying knots in the mane and tail of Perreaud’s horse, and other typical poltergeist stunts, continued through until December when it finally disappeared forever.


The Bell Witch poltergeist in 1817 was very similar to the Mâcon poltergeist due to the fact that “the witch” was extremely talkative and could imitate the voices of people from the area. The poltergeist was said to speak at a nerve-racking pitch when displeased, while at other times it sang and talked in low musical tones.

As well, the poltergeist had the ability to change personalities in the middle of conversations with the Bells’ or their visitors. The witch had five distinct personalities, each with different voices and traits which made it easy for the family to separate the perpetrator of the moment. These voices were named “Black dog,” “Mathematics,” “Cypocryphy” and “Jerusalem.”

This ability to produce “different personalities” also shows up in other poltergeist cases, creating a belief that there are a number of different entities haunting a house.


When a poltergeist does find its voice it seems to take great delight in spinning wild tales of its identity and origin. It may at one time say it is the ghost of someone who died years before, only to change its tune later and profess to be the devil or a demon. Like the Bell Witch, the Shawville poltergeist (also known as the Dagg poltergeist), enjoyed entertaining visitors by telling obscene stories and conversely, singing hymns in an “angelic voice.”

The Shawville Poltergeist took place in the Ottawa Valley, Quebec in 1889 and centered on the farm and family of George Dagg. Much like the Bell witch, the Shawville poltergeist enjoyed the attention and would talk for hours. It would often give conflicting stories on what it was. Previously it said it was the devil, later, it claimed to be the spirit of an old man who had died 20 years earlier. When George asked it why it was bothering his family, it replied, “Just for fun.”

Compared to other poltergeist events, talking poltergeists seem to be in a category all by themselves. They may start out the same, annoying pranks, strange noises, showers of rocks and other debris, but then they seem to turn a corner and gain energy to a point where a consciousness and personality emerges.  The personality is much like a child or mentally challenged adult, but it is a personality nevertheless.

Both the Bell Witch and the Shawville poltergeist exhibit almost identical personality traits. Both were fond of using obscene language and taking on the roles of different characters. Both entities were never shy about talking for hours in front of multiple witnesses. In fact, they seemed to thrive on the attention. They also claimed the ability to travel instantaneously to far off locations, bringing back information that could be verified later.


It is interesting to consider that the poltergeist could be an elemental spirit rather than a human.  This could explain why poltergeists (especially the more energetic talking poltergeist) are resistant and very hostile, to attempts to get rid of them by using religious methods.  If a poltergeist is not a human spirit or a demon in a Christian, Jewish or Muslim tradition, attempts to use exorcism are pretty much useless.

Read this article in its entirety at Spectral Vision

Source: Spectral Vision
https://spectralvision.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/when-the-poltergeist-finds-its-voice/

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The existence of Bigfoot remains a mystery to most, but for 20-year cryptozoologist veteran researcher Thomas Marcum, the hunt for this elusive creature has become a passion.

The Hulen, Kentucky resident has spent countless hours in the forest, taken hundreds of sighting reports and conducted hundreds of witness interviews. His tireless efforts to track the creature and to prove its existence hasn’t waned over the years, either. As the years pass, Marcum is driven more intensely to expand his knowledge about Bigfoot and to determine just exactly what is the legendary beast that supposedly roams the forest lands of North America, including the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains.

“Most people like a good mystery, and Bigfoot has been a mystery for a very long time,” Marcum said. “The mystery is like a large puzzle to me, and I just want to keep adding in the pieces, even the very small ones.”

For Marcum, the hunt for Bigfoot is much more than chasing a popular American legend. It’s about piecing together fragments of information pertaining to hidden and unknown animals, and proving there are creatures out there that are real and are just not myths.

“There are just so many questions about their behaviors and social structures that need to be answered,” Marcum said. “The curiosity and the desire to know more about Bigfoot is what keeps me going, and some answers are only going to come from doing actual field work.”

Marcum spends plenty of time in the woods conducting field work. He is closely attuned with the forest lands, and is educated and highly skilled in wilderness survival. Marcum’s passion for hunting Bigfoot is perhaps only matched by his deep love for nature. He’s an outdoor and wildlife enthusiast with many years of hunting and fishing experience. He’s a trained wildland fire fighter who has traversed the rugged landscape of the Appalachian Mountains, but he’s also a poet, photographer, videographer and author who has several books and films to his credit.

Marcum founded and heads up the crypto and paranormal research team known as “The Crypto Crew,” which is comprised of Bigfoot researchers and trackers from across the nation. His team stays actively involved in the study and documentation of Bigfoot along with other cryptozoology cases. They have received numerous awards for their fieldwork including Paranormal Awards.com’s Investigator of the Year, Researcher of the Year, Picture of the Year and Film of the Year.

Marcum is not only a researcher, but he directs, produces and edits films about Bigfoot and other paranormal fields of interest. He is a highly popular author on Amazon. His as well as his team’s accomplishments validate that Marcum and his “Crypto Crew” are serious researchers who have made beneficial contributions in the field of Cryptozoology, especially concerning the existence of Bigfoot.

“For the naysayers out there about what we do, you will always have them, and some are just not going to believe,” Marcum said. “If you would just get people to look at the overall body of evidence, I think they might see that there is something more to it.”

Cryptozoology is the study of unknown animals, and according to Marcum, the research field is much more than chasing legends — it’s educational and even helpful with safety and survival skills in the outdoors. He points to the return of the cougars in southeast Kentucky. Although they are not considered cryptid, they are in fact elusive, and many people have never encountered them.

“The more people know about these wild animals, the better they can be prepared if and when one crosses their path,” Marcum said. “One of the best things about community education is that we can share helpful tips about the great outdoors. When it comes to Bigfoot, community education helps establish dialogue and helps bring witnesses forward to tell about what they saw, and what we can learn from each other in this pursuit.”

There are many theories surrounding the identity of Bigfoot. Some researchers believe it to be more ape than man, and others believe it more man than ape. There are those who even think Bigfoot is an ancient Earth spirit or extraterrestrial. Marcum tends to be more academic and scientific in his identification.

“It’s not any type of missing link, in my opinion,” he said. “It’s all theory at this point, but in my broad opinion, Bigfoot is some type of primate — a very intelligent subhuman if you will.”

While Bigfoot’s existence is still discounted by scientists, and is considered to be folklore, more proof is surfacing every year through the work of such researchers like Marcum and his team that make the described large, hairy, simian-like creature more believable.

Individuals claiming to have seen Bigfoot describe it as muscular, bipedal, black or dark brown, with a pronounced brow ridge. Most Bigfoot sightings have taken place in the Pacific Northwest, but there have been numerous documented cases in central Appalachia as well. It is interesting to note that sightings have been documented and date back to Native American days when Columbus explored the new world. It was customary for Native Americans to pass down their history through stories, and some of these stories later related to the white man included accounts of a big, hairy creature in the forest lands.

Source: Harlan Daily Enterprise
http://harlandaily.com/news/18569/marcums-pursuit-of-bigfoot-a-longtime-passion

- TALES FROM THE MOUTH OF MADNESS DEPARTMENT -

Paranormal Happenings in the Workplace

Most paranormal occurrences or psychic manifestations we hear or read about happen in homes.

But these incidents can occur anywhere—in open spaces, churches, hotels, factories, business offices, schools, cars, ships, even inside an airplane.

Here are several true stories of paranormal happenings in the work place or commercial establishments:

Strange deaths in a car accessories manufacturing firm

In the mid-'80s, Bobby, general manager of the well-known firm in Makati City, called me because of certain strange happenings in their factory.

Bobby said when one of their employees died in October they did not see anything strange about it.

"Then in November another employee in the same department also died. Still nothing so unusual from our point of view. In January, a third employee in the same department also died. "That's when I began to think something strange was going on... Do you think there is something supernatural [here]?"

"I don't know," I replied. "Did you do anything different before the incidents began?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, anything new that you did in the factory that you did not do before. Think of anything you did before October."

Bobby said, "There's nothing unusual I can think of except I had our old warehouse cleaned to give way to an executive parking area. That warehouse was not being used for a long time..."

"That's it! "I exclaimed. "That could explain the deaths of your employees."

"What do you mean?" asked Bobby. "What has that got to do with our employees dying?"

"Hard to explain to a very rational guy like you," I told Bobby, a graduate of the Asian Institute of Management like me.

I told him that since the warehouse was not used for a long time, it could have been inhabited by negative elemental creatures.

When the place was cleaned, the creatures were dislocated. Bobby asked me if I could visit his factory and see if I could provide some explanation, and how to prevent future deaths, if indeed there was some connection among the strange events.

I brought a blind exorcist from Sampaloc who was known to contact bad spirits and get rid of them using a medium. The famous novelist and magazine editor Celso Al Carunungan came along out of curiosity.

The exorcist put his medium in a trance and asked the spirit to enter her. It was learned that there were hundreds of negative engkantos inside the warehouse.
When asked if they killed the three employees, the spirit said yes and explained, through the medium, "Because they were making too much noise at night."

I asked Bobby if that was true. He said the employees worked near the warehouse and usually worked overtime. To keep themselves awake, they played stereo music very loudly. That must have disturbed the engkantos.  They were also angered by the destruction of their habitat.

The exorcist asked them to leave the place but they refused. A battle of wills took place, which looked weird and surreal for us onlookers. The exorcist said he would melt each one of them if they refused to leave. How one could melt a spirit, I could not comprehend.

Anyway, it took the whole afternoon before the exorcist finally "destroyed" all the so-called engkantos in the place.

Whether one believes this story or not, the fact remains that, after the exorcism, there were no more deaths in the factory, which eventually transferred to Quezon City.

Dead tycoon wants favorite desk back

I worked in a large, multinational company in Makati in the late '80s. When the famous son of the company founder died, a museum containing the history and family memorabilia was established within the building.

A company historian-curator was hired to oversee the museum and update the records. The tycoon had three sons, all of them educated in the United States. Each of them headed subsidiaries of the vast conglomerate.

One day, the youngest son noticed his father's beautiful narra desk was just displayed in the museum. He decided to use it as his desk and asked that it be transferred to his office.

I heard that employees started to experience ghostly manifestations in the son's room after that. When nobody was around, typewriters sounded like they were being used, paper clips flew from one desk to another and security guards noticed somebody going inside the private restroom of the son then disappearing.

The son did not believe in ghosts and considered reports of haunting merely the product of his employees' fertile imagination. When I was asked to check at the room without the son's knowledge, I noticed the center of the ghostly visits was the old man's desk.

I suggested that it be returned to the museum, as the old man apparently did not want it used by anybody else. The son, I was told, laughed at the suggestion.

The manifestations continued for some time until the son returned his father's desk.

Source: Asian Journal
http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=53&a=21606