The Crimes of Burke and Hare By Douglas MacGowan Ironically, the duo known as the foremost of the 19th century’s Scottish grave-robbers were neither. William Burke and William Hare were natives of Ireland, and there is no evidence that any of the bodies they sold to an Edinburgh medical school were taken from cemeteries - but both eventually confessed to obtaining bodies by a more direct method: murder. Sep 11, 2019 • 4 min read
The Haunting of the Mackie House By Douglas MacGowan Like many houses in Scotland during the late 17th century, the house of Andrew Mackie in the Rerrick area of Kirkcudbrightshire would develop a reputation of being haunted. Aug 14, 2019 • 3 min read
The Sodder Family Mystery By Douglas MacGowan On December, 24, 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder family's home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, United States. George, Jennie, and four of their nine children escaped. The bodies of their five other children were never found. What happened to them? Aug 3, 2019 • 5 min read
The Festival of Samhain By Douglas MacGowan November 1st marks the annual and ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a celebration that marked the beginning of the new year and paid homage to the supernatural influences that inhabited the dark days of the coming winter. Jul 21, 2019 • 3 min read
The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe By Douglas MacGowan Considered the originator of the detective mystery story, Edgar Allan Poe’s final week was as mysterious as any of his tales. His 1849 death is shrouded in theories and puzzles and guesses but it has never been conclusively solved. Jul 6, 2019 • 3 min read
The Witchfinder – Matthew Hopkins By Douglas MacGowan Between 1644 and 1647, Matthew Hopkins traveled throughout England, examining suspected witches and various witnesses. He was successful in his own mind, finding more than 300 women guilty of associating with the devil and seeing them hanged because of it. Jun 20, 2019 • 4 min read
Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? By Douglas MacGowan In April of 1943, a group of young boys discovered the skull of a woman lodged inside a Wych Elm in Hagley Woods, West Midlands. She became known as "Bella" and after the discovery, graffiti asking "Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?" began to appear throughout the town. Jun 12, 2019 • 5 min read
