Hello! I’m Crystal, and I write the That Got Dark newsletter, BuzzFeed’s weekly roundup of all things creepy, macabre, and horrible AF. And if you looooove this kind of content, you should subscribe to get your weekly dopamine hit of the macabre delivered RIGHT to your inbox!
Here’s what the newsletter is covering this week:
1.
I recently came across the story of the Hexham Heads online, and the whole thing sounds like a horror movie. So, back in 1971, these two crude little stone carvings were dug up by some kids in a garden in Hexham, England.
Almost immediately, the family who found them was plagued by eerie disturbances — unexplained noises, poltergeist-like activity, and even sightings of a menacing, werewolf-like figure lurking around.
Unsurprisingly, the heads gained a reputation in paranormal circles, and they were even studied by archaeologists. Some researchers believe they were of Celtic origin, while others think they may have been made in more modern times. After being passed through private collectors and researchers for many years, the heads eventually became lost, and their current whereabouts are unknown.
2.
The mysterious and bizarre disappearance of Maura Murray on Feb. 9, 2004
Maura Murray was a 21-year-old nursing student who disappeared after her car crashed on a rural road in Haverhill, New Hampshire. Oddly, she had told her professors she’d be taking time off due to a death in the family, but her family later confirmed there had been no death.
After the crash, Murray declined assistance from a passerby and vanished without a trace by the time police arrived. Despite searches and heavy media attention, no trace of her has ever been found. The case remains unsolved and is considered suspicious.
Karl Patterson Schmidt, a respected herpetologist, was bitten in 1957 by a young boomslang snake he was examining. At first, he thought the bite wouldn’t be serious, so he skipped medical treatment and instead took notes on how his body reacted.
But the venom was devastating — it triggered unstoppable internal bleeding, making him vomit blood and bleed from his eyes, nose, and internal organs. By the next day, he collapsed at home, was rushed to the hospital, and was pronounced dead shortly after.
The popular musician — whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr. — died at the age of 59, after being found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a friend’s home in Los Angeles.
A coroner’s investigation later determined that his death was accidental, resulting from a drug overdose involving fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. The medical examiner also identified additional contributing factors, including cardiomyopathy, severe asthma, cigarette smoking, and recent PCP use.
5.
Finally, the story of Kenneth McDuff, a serial killer from Texas, who was caught and sentenced to death, then released on parole, and then recaptured after committing more murders.
In 1966, McDuff committed the “Broomstick Murders,” killing three teenagers, including one girl who was strangled with a broomstick — giving the case its name. He was sentenced to death, later reduced to life in prison, but paroled in 1989 despite warnings. After his release, he abducted and killed a young woman, and is suspected of other murders around that time, before being captured again in 1992. He was executed by lethal injection in 1998.
His last meal: Two T-bone steaks (well done) with all the fixings.
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