Latest news with #ThatGotDark
Buzz Feed
2 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Judy Garland's Death And Ted Bundy's Last-Meal
Do you love all things weird, dark, and creepy? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre! It's a scary good time you won't want to miss. Welcome to That Got Dark! I'm Crystal, and I have a habit of going down deep and dark rabbit holes, which maybe isn't recommended for a good night's sleep, but hey, I just can't help myself! Here's the thing: I love to share all the terrible, weird, and scary things I discover. So, every week, I'll gather the darkest and creepiest things I find on the internet (and beyond) to share just with you, my spooky-loving friend. So, tuck yourself in tight and get out that flashlight…it's about to get dark. So, here's something I wish I had never learned — a teenage TikToker in Florida, known for his "high-speed" driving videos, recklessly killed six innocent people while driving 151 mph. What's even worse is the fact that he was sentenced to only 12.5 years in prison, just two years for each death. Noah Galle, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, was driving a BMW M5 when he violently crashed into the back of an SUV carrying six farm workers. The impact forced the back of their vehicle forward several feet into the passenger compartment, killing everyone in the SUV. Galle was known on TikTok for regularly speeding and asking his followers to guess how fast he was driving. In January 2025, Galle entered a plea deal to avoid his case going to trial and received a reduced sentence of 12 years and 180 days in prison. Occasionally, I like to ask the BuzzFeed Community to tell me about the most mysterious, cult-like, bad-vibes towns in the United States they've ever been to. And you'd be shocked at how many responses I get each time (or maybe not). This week's spotlight: Island Pond, Vermont. 'My family and I visited friends there a few years ago. The town was very quiet and empty, which always creeps me out, but it wasn't that bad until we decided to go into a cafe that, I guess, was run by the same people as the Yellow Deli (which is run by the Twelve Tribes cult). The interior did not look like a cafe. It was an empty tarp-covered room, and they just had bread for sale, which the people I was with actually bought. I was so freaked out and thought they were going to get poisoned. Only one guy was working there, and he was creepy as hell and kept telling us to go to the Yellow Deli in Plymouth."—cwthree Wikipedia is like the Wild West. It's vast, lawless, and sometimes you can find some extremely weird (and horrifying) things out there. This week's spotlight: a medieval 'punishment' device called a scold's bridle. Used almost exclusively on women, this terrible mechanism was essentially an iron muzzle that went into your mouth and pressed down on your tongue, sometimes with a SPIKE, to prevent the wearer from talking. It was used to punish women whose speech or behavior was considered 'too offensive' or 'unruly' and was designed to inflict extreme pain and humiliation. You know, I would say it's hard to believe this thing was real, but then, humans (*cough cough* men) have been making diabolical devices for thousands of years, so… Judy Garland — Died: June 22, 1969, Cause of Death: Barbiturate overdose How she died: The iconic singer and movie star, who was just 47 years old at the time of her death, was found dead in her London townhouse by her fifth husband, Mickey Deans. Garland had a long history of substance abuse and struggled with addiction for much of her life, which was compounded by the pressures of fame, financial and career issues, as well as mental health challenges. Her death was ultimately ruled accidental. Companion (2025) What it's about: A weekend getaway at a remote cabin turns chaotic when one of the guests goes you should watch it: If you're in the mood for a less traditionally 'scary' horror film, Companion errs more on the side of sci-fi thriller bordering dark comedy. A good date night movie for those with a dark you can watch it: Streaming for free on Max or for rent for $5.99 on Fandango at Home. Ted Bundy Often remembered for the widespread media coverage of his trial and the self-proclaimed admiration of many women, Ted Bundy was a serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least 30 young women and girls in the '70s. However, many believe there may have been over 100 victims. After several years in prison, Bundy was executed by electric chair in January 1989. His last meal: Bundy declined to choose, so he was given the standard last meal provided at Florida State Prison: Steak cooked medium-rare, eggs over easy, hash browns, toast with butter and jelly, milk, and juice. Well, it's another dark AF week in the books. In the next issue, I'll talk about a man who died from eating a hot fishcake (seriously!), a missing person Wikipedia page that will haunt you, and an impressive body horror film from Norway. Until then, stay safe, keep the lights on, and I'll see you for another horrifying trip down the rabbit hole… Thirsty for more? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post just like this delivered directly to your inbox. It's a scary good time you won't want to miss.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
This Cemetery Groundskeeper Did An AMA That Went Viral
Do you love all things weird, dark, and creepy? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre! It's a scary good time you won't want to miss. Recently, Reddit user odd_fisch, a cemetery groundskeeper, did a very interesting AMA on r/CemeteryPorn (they also shared the really pretty photo below!). And, unsurprisingly, a lot of people had a lot of questions. Here are the best and top-voted questions and then the answers from odd_fisch: "What percentage of graves get visited?" —finalgirl08 "Do you have many regulars who visit a lot? To visit particular graves, or to take in the whole place, typically?" —turtle2turtle3turtle "How common is it for people to piss and shit on the graves of people they hated in life?" —Famous_Suspect6330 "Can share any particular incident or burial which made you laugh?" —OGadminOP "I volunteer in a previously abandoned cemetery. We have lots of cave-ins where caskets collapsed over time in the wooded sections. Do you experience this at yours? How do you handle it if so?" —isuzupup__ "When a headstone is broken or pushed over, who typically deals with that? Would it be you if you just happened upon it or would the family of the deceased have to ask for it to be fixed? I pick up headstones if I find them toppled or kicked over, and I always wondered who is supposed to do that since some of the ones I've picked up were seemingly like that for years, and no one picked them up. But I know I saw the groundskeepers. So I wasn't sure if it was a 'can't touch it till a report is made' type of situation or not." —Individual_Ad_6777 "Have you ever had any issues with visitors (living or ghosts, LOL)?" —DistinctBell3032 "How many high school metal bands have you caught trying to film music videos?" — GivemTheDDD "Any problems or accidents with the people having 'séances?'" —HanhnaH "I was in a graveyard with my daughter yesterday. We met an older gentleman who was mowing a section of the lawn/graves. He saw us walking and pointed to the stone a little ways away and said, 'That one's mine.' Being certain he wasn't a ghost, how often do families preplace a stone and do maintenance? I'm guessing his family of yesteryear is buried there. It was a tiny cemetery, under 20 rows." —fugensnot "Is your job well compensated?" —alwayssearching2012 "Have you ever seen a ghost in your cemetery before? I think that is the question that everybody wants to know the most." — International-Sea561 "Do you ever feel afraid, especially at night, or are you pretty comfortable being there?" —Wintermoon54 "Have you ever seen anyone ever accidentally fall into a grave?" —No_University6980 "What's the oldest grave there?" —Bleacherblonde "For those old sites, since no one is around anymore to help maintain them, do you guys get together and help those out a little more?" —Oy_theBrave "Do you have a list of your favorite headstones? What is it about them that makes them you're favorite?" —crapatthethriftstore "Have you ever been involved in an exhumation?" —genzgingee "Do you assist with burials (like, set up those things that lower the casket)? What are the requirements to become a cemetery groundskeeper?" —CHAIFE671 "I also work at a cemetery, primarily in the office, but I also help the grounds crew from time to time. What's the dumbest complaint you've heard about the way you keep your cemetery? For us, I'd probably say the lady who complained that our trees weren't trimmed pointy enough." —starwishes20 "Why do I see really old headstones with 'perpetual care' on them, yet they're cracked, toppled over, or broken? Doesn't perpetual care mean they paid so that if it ever broke, no matter how far into the future, it would be fixed? What happens when those old mausoleums start crumbling? Does anyone fix it, or will it just continue to fall apart? What if the mausoleum gets so bad that the coffin is exposed?" —Inevitable-Plenty203 "What do you do during a typical day?" —ImDeepState Finally, "What's your favorite part about the job?" —Queenielauren You can read the original AMA on Reddit. Want to read about more weird, dark, and creepy things? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre! It's a scary good time you won't want to miss.
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Buzz Feed
27 Terrible And Disturbing Things That Ruined My Day
Do you love all things weird, dark, and creepy? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post just like this delivered directly to your inbox. It's a scary good time you won't want to miss. In 2022, a man, Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta, used a samurai sword to decapitate his ex-girlfriend, Karino Castro, out in public in the middle of a neighborhood street. According to reports, "horrified witnesses" said they watched Castro "run for her life," as Landaeta chased her with the sword. Castro's grandmother called the killing a "public execution," while a family friend said that Castro's daughters "saw everything." Before killing Castro, Landaeta had sent threatening messages, including one of a ninja emoji and blood emojis while also threatening to take away their 18-month-old child as well as Castro's older daughter (from a previous relationship). Landaeta was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole. A 63-year-old man died a horrific death during a flight from Bangkok to Munich this month after experiencing a "medical emergency," and losing "liters of blood." According to witnesses, blood gushed out of his nose and mouth, with some of it even splattering onto the plane's walls. "It was absolute horror. Everyone was screaming," said a passenger. Although first aid measures were taken by the crew as well as a doctor on board, the passenger died on board, and the flight turned back to Bangkok. In the statement to People, the airline said it could not reveal specific information regarding the incident. Just last week, a severed leg was found on the subway tracks in the Bronx, New York. Initially, it was unknown where the leg came from, as it had been covered up by snow for some time, and was only discovered after crews began plowing the snow. However, it is now believed that it belonged to a (now-deceased) man who had been struck by a train. ABC 7 News reported, "The leg was discovered along the northbound No. 4 line between 167th and 170th streets in the Bronx, according to police. The body part has been turned over to the medical examiner to see if it belonged to the same person as suspected." Recently, a former funeral home owner in Colorado, Miles Harford, was arrested after being accused of hiding a woman's corpse in a hearse for two years, as well as allegedly hoarding the cremated remains of 30+ people. According to ABC News, "While searching the property, police opened the door of the hearse to a 'foul odor,' seeing the outline of the human body seemingly strapped to the gurney and covered by blankets, according to the arrest affidavit."Harford's funeral home has been closed since September 2022. In similar news, it was discovered that nearly 200 corpses were "abused" at a different Colorado funeral home for several years. Authorities had initially responded to a "stain" coming out of the front door when the gruesome discovery was made. According to ABC 7 News, "The affidavits describe how the bodies were strewn throughout the rooms and how Jon Hallford [the owner] was seen on surveillance video treating a body more like a sandbag than a former human being. They say that buckets had been placed under some bodies to collect the fluid. About 40 bodies had been stacked on top of each other and some were stored in storage totes, according to the affidavits, which note the 'unimaginable conditions' authorities worked in to remove the bodies while wearing protective equipment." These images of what looks like a chicken egg, but is actually some kind of horrible infection, apparently. (According to other Reddit users, it may actually be a "lash" egg, which is basically like a large pus infection that may or may not contain parts of egg): As the OP explained, "Reached in and had a minor brain malfunction when hand hit soft. And it stinks, some kind of horrible infection." A woman in Kansas City, Missouri was charged in the death of her 1-month-old child after allegedly placing the baby in an oven instead of the baby's crib. When authorities responded to the home (after a report of an infant not breathing), they found "an individual holding the 1-month-old who was unresponsive and had burn wounds." The baby was declared dead at the scene. The mother, Mariah Thomas, was charged on February 10 with endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, leading to the death of a child. She is set to be back in court on March 4 for arraignment. Back in 2018, a surgeon in the United Kingdom literally branded his initials onto the transplanted livers of some of his their consent. He used an argon beam — which is used to stop bleeding during operations — and signed "SB." The brandings were discovered after another surgeon saw the initials during a follow-up surgery on one of the patients. According to reports, the branding do not impair the liver's functions and do eventually disappear. However, the surgeon, Simon Bramhall, admitted to "two counts of assault by beating," and was given a 12-month community order and fined £10,000. This shockingly lifelike mummy of a little 2-year-old girl in Palermo, Sicily, who some people say appears to "open and close" her eyes. The girl, Rosalia Lombardo, who died in 1920 of the Spanish Flu, is amazingly mummified (thanks to embalming methods and chemicals). However, people often get creeped out because her eyes sometimes appear "open." The truth, however, is that it's just an optical illusion. According to the curator of the Capuchin Catacombs (where Rosalia is entombed), this illusion is caused by the light that filters in through the windows, which changes throughout the day. The curator, Dario Piombino-Mascali, also explained that the mummy had been moved slightly to make it easier to see her eyelids. "They are not completely closed, and indeed they have never been," he said. This nightmare-fueling image of an underwater shark statue at Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland: Earlier this month, a man in Pennsylvania, Justin Mohn, was accused of killing and beheading his own father and then showing his father's decapitated head on YouTube while also ranting about right-wing conspiracy theories. When police arrived at the Mohn's home, they found Justin's father, Michael Mohn, in a bathroom, decapitated, along with a machete and kitchen knife. Michael's head was also found inside a plastic bag, inside a cooking to NBC News, "Mohn was taken into custody about 100 miles away from the crime scene on suspicion of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and possessing an instrument of crime with intent." Meanwhile, in Florida, a man brutally killed his own father by bludgeoning him to death after learning his father "received the vaccine." Fox 11 News reported, "According to the arrest report, the woman who placed the 911 call said she could hear the suspect's father, Brian Mcgann Sr., screaming 'Stop you are killing me.'"The suspect, Brian Mcgann Jr., had run from the crime scene, but left a trail of blood from the home, which led police right to him. They found him with swollen hands, covered in blood. Back in 2014, a woman was critically injured, permanently disfigured, and nearly killed, after four teenagers threw a rock from an overpass onto Interstate 80 in Ohio. According to reports, the rock "smashed through the windshield and struck Sharon Budd, in the front passenger seat, in the face." Budd's injuries included a crushed skull, the loss of one of her eyes, and also having to undergo multiple brain surgeries. The teens, who went on a vandalism spree after the event, were later tried and given minimum prison sentences ranging from 11.5 months to 4.5 husband, Randy Budd, died by suicide in 2016. This photo of a type of clam known as a Geo Duck, which is, uhhhhh, quite a shocking thing to see. In January, a British base jumper died in Thailand after his parachute failed to open. The man, who was apparently an "experienced parachutist," had jumped from a 29-story apartment building and was there with friends who were filming the base jump. According to witnesses, they "reported seeing a person crash through a tree and fall to the ground." The BBC reported, "A Foreign Office spokesperson said, 'We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand.'"(Note: The image above is of another base jumper, not the man who died.) Lasth month, Reddit user CHCH5089, shared a horrifying video of their frail, nearly 80-year-old grandmother getting beat up by neighbors who were apparently operating a "glamping" site. The user explained, "This [sic] afternoon my grandmother (close to 80 years old) got punched and beat by her neighbor after confronting them of open burning garbage behind her home." According to Malay Mail, the grandmother had initially confronted the neighbors about the smoke that was drifting over to her property, and causing her to choke. After a "verbal argument," the suspect then rushed the old woman, punched her in the face several times, and then hit her on the back of the head as she tried to flee. The old woman reportedly suffered soft tissue was reported that police later arrested the suspect. The existence of "L'Inconnue de la Seine," ("The Unknown Woman of the Seine") — a 19th-century woman whose death mask became so popular it was widely used for art and CPR dolls. Sometime in the 1880s, a woman's body was pulled from the Seine River in Paris. According to Medium, "In an effort to determine her identity, her body was publicly displayed alongside others in a Paris morgue. She attracted many onlookers, but nobody who knew who she was. To her audience, she was simply a beautiful stranger. Her name would never be her burial, a mortuary worker was so taken by her beauty that he decided to capture it in a death mask. This death mask was repeated over and over again, eventually becoming an iconic art piece that people would hang in their homes and artists would fixate on. Her face would later become the inspiration for the CPR doll, Resusci Anne, still used today." Earlier this month, it was reported that, according to FDA, as many as 561 deaths had been connected to Philips brand sleep apnea machines. Millions of the breathing machines have been recalled because of reports that they were "blowing gas and pieces of foam into the users' airways." According to CBS News, "The FDA said that since April 2021, it has received more than 116,000 medical device reports of foam breaking down in Philips CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines and BiPAP sleep therapy devices." In 2011, a 15-year-old in Belleview, Florida, Seath Jackson, was lured to a home by his ex-girlfriend, Amber Wright, where a group of her friends (aged 15–20) brutally beat, shot, and killed the teen. They later burned his body in an attempt to "dispose of the evidence." Jackson's parents had reported him missing, but there wasn't a lead in the case until one of the perpetrators, Kyle Hooper, told his mother about the murder. The others, Amber Wright (Jackson's ex-girlfriend), Justin Soto, and Charlie Ely, were arrested along with Hooper and admitted to their parts of the crime. Amber's new boyfriend Michael Bargo, also part of the group, was eventually caught in another town. During interrogation, they all quickly turned on each 2012, all the defendants were sentenced to life in prison. Charlie Ely was released in 2020 after pleading to a lesser charge. Bargo was sentenced to death. Earlier this month in Sweden, a new water park, Oceana, "exploded" into a massive fire, ripping through many not-yet-opened waterslides. It was reported that at least three explosions "sent debris from nearby buildings scattering over the burning waterslides." Later, a human body was found inside the remnants of the fire at the water park. According to police, 12 people were also injured, and a nearby hotel and facilities were also evacuated. An official cause has not been given yet. In June 2014, 243 refugees, including women and children, disappeared while on a boat heading from Libya to Italy — the case has since been referred to as the "Ghost Boat." According to Eric Reidy, the lead reporter in Medium's series about the event, there are two main theories as to what happened. The first is that the boat sank and somehow left behind no evidence. The second theory is that the passengers are alive but imprisoned in Tunisia. Just last week, a 7-year-old girl from Indiana died in Florida after a large, five-foot hole she'd been digging at the beach collapsed. The girl, Sloan, had been digging the hole with her 9-year-old brother, Maddox, when they both got trapped in the sand. The children were on vacation with their parents. The beach reportedly does not have lifeguards, and it was unclear how exactly the children became trapped. However, several people nearby used their hands to try to free the children, and other rescuers used support boards to prevent the sand from collapsing siblings were taken to the hospital where Sloan later died. In ongoing scary plane news, a flight from San Francisco to Boston earlier this month had to divert to Denver because of an "issue" with the plane's wing — specifically that the wing was literally coming apart. And a passenger on board captured the drama in a video you can see here. Another passenger shared a photo of the wing on Reddit and asked the other users, "Sitting right on the wing and the noise after reaching altitude was much louder than normal. I opened the window to see the wing looking like this. How panicked should I be? Do I need to tell a flight crew member?"Flight attendants were indeed notified of the problem, and after landing, passengers were transferred to another plane that went on to land in Boston. These horrifying screenshots of a "mosquito plague" that's happening in Argentina right now: You can watch the full icky video here if you dare. Speaking of mosquitoes, in the 1950s, '60s, and even as late as the early '70s, kids would literally chase after trucks that sprayed DDT, a synthetic pesticide that was used in agriculture to kill mosquitoes. Apparently, kids did this because they liked to play in the thick fog it created. 🙃 According to the CDC, " Following exposure to high doses to DDT, human symptoms can include vomiting, tremors or shakiness, and seizures. Laboratory animal studies show DDT exposure can affect the liver and reproduction. DDT is a possible human carcinogen according to U.S. and International authorities."The United States banned the use of DDT in 1972. In 1961, a Soviet doctor, Leonid Rogozov, who was part of an Antarctic expedition, developed appendicitis and had to perform his own appendectomy without general anesthesia, i.e. he had to cut out his own appendix. It had taken their expedition 36 days to arrive at the station in Antarctica. The ship they'd traveled on wouldn't be back for a year, and because of weather conditions, they could not fly back home either. So, Rogozov — for fear of his appendix bursting at any time — decided he had to operate on opted to operate with just local anesthetic, no mirror (due to it being a hindrance), suffered heavy bleeding, and almost lost consciousness. The operation took roughly two hours, and he "returned to normal duties" just two weeks later. Finally, this upsetting image of the aftermath of a gender reveal party that someone came across while hiking. Wanna read more like this? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post just like this delivered directly to your inbox. It's a scary good time you won't want to miss.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
People Think There's A Serial Killer Loose In Texas Right Now — Here's Why
Are you into dark and creepy things? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post with topics just like this delivered directly to your inbox. Recently, rumors of a serial killer in Austin, Texas started gaining traction (again) when a teenage boy's body was pulled from the area's Lady Bird Lake on June 3. Although authorities claim the boy's death was not "suspicious," it was enough to make people in the area (and the internet) bring up the "Rainey Street Ripper" — a moniker that's been given by locals to a suspected killer in Austin. Here's the story: the past three years, 19 corpses have been found in Lady Bird Lake (which is actually a reservoir) in Austin, Texas. you should know that swimming has actually been banned in Lady Bird Lake since 1964. However, kayaking and paddleboarding are allowed. According to KVUE, the reservoir contains a lot of construction debris from old bridges, concrete, and rebar, as well as junk like shopping carts and even needles. Also, untreated water runoff from the city can pollute the reservoir with things like oil and gasoline. to My San Antonio, bodies have actually been found in Lady Bird Lake for a long, long time, dating back to when it was called "Town Lake" back in the '60s. what really shook locals, was that in 2022, a "cluster" of six bodies were found. The victims were Rocael Lopez, Ricky Parks, Amos Olatayo, Christopher Gutierrez, Kyle Thornton, and Josue Moreno. Interestingly, they reportedly all had similar features. in 2023, five more bodies were found, again, all men. It was reported that each had gone missing after having a night out on the nearby Rainey Street, which is a popular nightlife area with many bars, music venues, and food trucks. Related: Well, Well, Well, For The Second Time In 2 Weeks, People Are Letting JD Vance Know EXACTLY How They Feel About Him In Public moniker "Rainey Street Ripper" was given by locals to this believed serial killer because of Lady Bird Lake's proximity to Rainey Street. according to My San Antonio, the Austin Police Department has said, "There is no evidence to support that these deaths are suspicious in any way. The vast majority of the cases either involve someone suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, or a medical issue." locals have not been satisfied with the APD's statements, with many apparently "suspicious" of police. fact, there is a Facebook group, The Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer, which was created in February 2023 and has over 92,000 members. Related: This Dem Lawmaker Is Going Viral For His Extremely Shady Question To Secretary Kristi Noem former Austin resident (and YouTuber) Colin Browen believes the APD is "a very strange organization," and even started a petition in 2024, asking the APD to "acknowledge that the Austin drownings may not be accidents." The petition has over 6,000 signatures. In the petition, it states they are asking for: 1.) Install proper lighting, trail cameras, and safety barricades along Lady Bird Lake. 2.) Reopen cases that have been categorized as "accidents" and investigate them as "criminal incidents." to Browen's petition, none of the deaths that have been deemed "accidents" by police have been "thoroughly investigated as more than that — an 'accident.'" further says, "I have spoken to multiple family members of victims who believe that their loved ones were targeted and or murdered by a person or persons that is currently operating in the Austin city area. There is a belief amongst family members of victims that their loved ones were drugged before their deaths (another possibility that the APD refuses to acknowledge)." petition also highlights what Browen alleges are "inconsistent autopsy reports, misleading toxicology reports, unexplained injuries, unexplained routes of victim travel, and leads that were never properly investigated." more fuel to the suspicion fire, in the last few years, several young men have been found either beaten to near death or actually killed on a trail surrounding Lady Bird Lake that is poorly lit and has no surveillance cameras. The lack of lighting and security cameras is actually an issue that victims' friends and families have brought up to lawmakers many times. example, in 2018, 25-year-old Martin Gutierrez disappeared from that trail and was found a week later, dead, in Lady Bird Lake. According to his brother, Martin had "decided to go out with some friends on Rainey Street, and he never came back." 2019, 21-year-old Christian Pugh was found "barely alive" at Lady Bird Lake after having a night out with friends on Rainey Street days before. Although he was found on the opposite side of the lake (from Rainey Street) and his injuries were bad enough to put him in a coma, the APD said that he "fell from the bridge in a 'tragic accident.'" However, Pugh's family believes he was thrown into the lake from a nearby bridge. 2022, 29-year-old Joshua Crow had been riding his bike on that trail when he reportedly died from "blunt force trauma to the head and chest." According to his family, he'd been on his way to work at a bar on Rainey Street. February 2023, 30-year-old Jason John went missing after a night out with friends and was found dead in Lady Bird Lake eight days later. According to the autopsy reports, he was found "fully dressed with all his personal property, including his wallet and phone, in his pockets." His death, like the other ones, was ruled an accident by the police. then, in April 2023, 33-year-old Jonathan Honey was pulled from Lady Bird Lake. Joney had been in town for a bachelor party when he initially went missing on March 31. The medical examiner's office ruled that Honey died from drowning and that the death was accidental. What do you think? Is it possible there's a serial killer active in Austin, Texas? Are all of these deaths truly "accidental," or do you think authorities (or someone) need to investigate this high number of deaths further? Are you someone who lives in Austin and have thoughts about it? Sound off in the comments below. Do you like going down dark rabbit holes like this? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post with topics just like this delivered directly to your inbox. Also in In the News: This Conservative Said He Wears A Fake ICE Uniform For A Really, Really, Really Gross Reason Also in In the News: "Honestly Speechless At How Evil This Is": 26 Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Political Tweets Of The Week Also in In the News: "Let Them Eat Teslas": People At The "No Kings" Protests This Weekend Brought Signs That Were So Clever I'm Still Laughing About Them
Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Buzz Feed
Serial Killer Austin Texas
Are you into dark and creepy things? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post with topics just like this delivered directly to your inbox. Recently, rumors of a serial killer in Austin, Texas started gaining traction (again) when a teenage boy's body was pulled from the area's Lady Bird Lake on June 3. Although authorities claim the boy's death was not "suspicious," it was enough to make people in the area (and the internet) bring up the "Rainey Street Ripper" — a moniker that's been given by locals to a suspected killer in Austin. Here's the story: Over the past three years, 19 corpses have been found in Lady Bird Lake (which is actually a reservoir) in Austin, Texas. And you should know that swimming has actually been banned in Lady Bird Lake since 1964. However, kayaking and paddleboarding are allowed. According to KVUE, the reservoir contains a lot of construction debris from old bridges, concrete, and rebar, as well as junk like shopping carts and even needles. Also, untreated water runoff from the city can pollute the reservoir with things like oil and gasoline. According to My San Antonio, bodies have actually been found in Lady Bird Lake for a long, long time, dating back to when it was called "Town Lake" back in the '60s. But, what really shook locals, was that in 2022, a "cluster" of six bodies were found. The victims were Rocael Lopez, Ricky Parks, Amos Olatayo, Christopher Gutierrez, Kyle Thornton, and Josue Moreno. Interestingly, they reportedly all had similar features. Then, in 2023, five more bodies were found, again, all men. It was reported that each had gone missing after having a night out on the nearby Rainey Street, which is a popular nightlife area with many bars, music venues, and food trucks. The moniker "Rainey Street Ripper" was given by locals to this believed serial killer because of Lady Bird Lake's proximity to Rainey Street. However, according to My San Antonio, the Austin Police Department has said, "There is no evidence to support that these deaths are suspicious in any way. The vast majority of the cases either involve someone suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, or a medical issue." But locals have not been satisfied with the APD's statements, with many apparently "suspicious" of police. In fact, there is a Facebook group, The Lady Bird Lake Serial Killer, which was created in February 2023 and has over 92,000 members. And former Austin resident (and YouTuber) Colin Browen believes the APD is "a very strange organization," and even started a petition in 2024, asking the APD to "acknowledge that the Austin drownings may not be accidents." The petition has over 6,000 signatures. In the petition, it states they are asking for:1.) Install proper lighting, trail cameras, and safety barricades along Lady Bird Lake.2.) Reopen cases that have been categorized as "accidents" and investigate them as "criminal incidents." According to Browen's petition, none of the deaths that have been deemed "accidents" by police have been "thoroughly investigated as more than that — an 'accident.'" Browen further says, "I have spoken to multiple family members of victims who believe that their loved ones were targeted and or murdered by a person or persons that is currently operating in the Austin city area. There is a belief amongst family members of victims that their loved ones were drugged before their deaths (another possibility that the APD refuses to acknowledge)." The petition also highlights what Browen alleges are "inconsistent autopsy reports, misleading toxicology reports, unexplained injuries, unexplained routes of victim travel, and leads that were never properly investigated." Adding more fuel to the suspicion fire, in the last few years, several young men have been found either beaten to near death or actually killed on a trail surrounding Lady Bird Lake that is poorly lit and has no surveillance cameras. The lack of lighting and security cameras is actually an issue that victims' friends and families have brought up to lawmakers many times. For example, in 2018, 25-year-old Martin Gutierrez disappeared from that trail and was found a week later, dead, in Lady Bird Lake. According to his brother, Martin had "decided to go out with some friends on Rainey Street, and he never came back." In 2019, 21-year-old Christian Pugh was found "barely alive" at Lady Bird Lake after having a night out with friends on Rainey Street days before. Although he was found on the opposite side of the lake (from Rainey Street) and his injuries were bad enough to put him in a coma, the APD said that he "fell from the bridge in a 'tragic accident.'" However, Pugh's family believes he was thrown into the lake from a nearby bridge. In 2022, 29-year-old Joshua Crow had been riding his bike on that trail when he reportedly died from "blunt force trauma to the head and chest." According to his family, he'd been on his way to work at a bar on Rainey Street. In February 2023, 30-year-old Jason John went missing after a night out with friends and was found dead in Lady Bird Lake eight days later. According to the autopsy reports, he was found "fully dressed with all his personal property, including his wallet and phone, in his pockets." His death, like the other ones, was ruled an accident by the police. And then, in April 2023, 33-year-old Jonathan Honey was pulled from Lady Bird Lake. Joney had been in town for a bachelor party when he initially went missing on March 31. The medical examiner's office ruled that Honey died from drowning and that the death was accidental. What do you think? Is it possible there's a serial killer active in Austin, Texas? Are all of these deaths truly "accidental," or do you think authorities (or someone) need to investigate this high number of deaths further? Are you someone who lives in Austin and have thoughts about it? Sound off in the comments below. Do you like going down dark rabbit holes like this? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get a weekly post with topics just like this delivered directly to your inbox.
