Urban Legend or Truth?
Hanged Accidentally
Charlotte, NC – In 1990, William Anthony Odem (15) and
his friends got permission to stage a haunted house in the basement of his
aunt’s home. The Halloween party
attraction was decorated with faux spider webs, plastic bats, gallows and more. The latter article of décor proved to be
deadly. While staging the gallows, the
noose tightened around Odem and he was strangled.
The teen was
pronounced dead the following day after being discovered laying in the webs and
bats meant frighten his intended guests.
Chicago, IL – Also in 1990, 17 year old Brian Jewell was
working for a haunted hayride. Each
night that the ride was open, Jewel would give a frightening speech to riders
as they passed by. One night in
particular, the driver of the tractor noticed that Jewel had not given his
nightly speech intended to send chills down the passenger’s spines.
Earlier that
Saturday, passengers were thrilled and Jewell was NOT harmed. The equipment is said to have been checked
REGULARLY and there was NO sign of foul play (after an autopsy was
completed). The noose used by Jewell was
not one that was to tighten. It remains a
mystery as to how Jewell was hanged, especially since his feet were touching
the ground.
Sparta, MI – In 2001, Caleb Rebh (14) was permitted to
volunteer as part of the entertainment for a haunted hayride. According to his mother, Rebh REALLY wanted
to work at the hayride. She had taken
her son to Alpine Ridge Farms in order to speak with the Bradly’s (the owners
of the farms) regarding a job for Rebh.
When told that they had all of the workers that they needed for the
evening, the young Caleb stated that he wanted to stay and did NOT need to be
paid, that he simply wanted to be a part of the festivities. Later that evening, his mother received a
call from him. Caleb told her that he
would indeed be used for the night and that he wanted “to be scarier to the passersby”.
Caleb began
the night working a post that hosted a coffin.
He really didn’t know what to do and simply yelled out “BOO” to the
people as they passed. At some point, he
was able to switch posts with another worker.
This is how he came to the post with a skeleton hanging from a
noose. Rebh decided that to up the
fright factor he would swing from the noose in place of the skeleton. Unfortunately, he underestimated his weight
and ability to prevent his own suffocation.
As he struggled
for air, guests and fellow workers stood by and watched believing that he was
acting while executing a Halloween prank.
Double Murder
Napa Valley, CA – Halloween Night 2004 began with three
[female] roommates passing out candy to trick-or-treaters and enjoying a fairly
laid back evening. Around 10:30pm, the
trio retreated to bed, only for one to be awakened later that night to screams
and the sound of glass breaking. The
startled woman ran from the house only to return later to her roommates stabbed
to death.
It was later
discovered that the murderer was the fiancé of one of the roommates who had
become insanely jealous of the trio’s friendship.
Ultimate Halloween Prank
Neighborhood kids came together and thought that it would
be great to get a dummy any behead it.
Well, Susan and John Buckley thought it would be even better to behead
THEIR MOTHER. The two did just that. When a group of trick-or-treaters figured out
that the beheaded “decoration” was a REAL PERSON, they notified police. The duo fled the home and the body was said
to be discovered…..half eaten.
