Decemystery 31: The Murder of Blair Adams

A picture of the man in question.

2018 has been a crazy year, and this month has celebrated many crazy mysteries. We've discussed everything from the mind boggling internet mystery that is Cicada 3301 to the legendary Voynich Manuscript. But, I've saved the best for last; a mystery so insane, so bizarre that it never fails to leave me speechless.

That mystery is the murder of Blair Adams.

Decemystery 30: The Kecksburg UFO Incident

Wooooosh.

Finally. At all long last. After an agonizingly long wait. The entry where I can legitimately talk about aliens without it being a joke. Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and girls. Men and women. It's time to dive into the Kecksburg UFO Incident.

Decemystery 29: The Disappearance of Hale Boggs

Boggs' portrait.

Ah, politicians. They’re controversial to be sure. That said, the story of House Majority Leader Hale Boggs is one-of-a-kind. And with that, I want to clarify something before we continue. While I could ramble on about Boggs’ achievements as House Majority leader, I don’t feel it necessary as politics isn’t the main focus of this entry. Rather, once the quick bio is out of the way for Boggs, we’re going to jump directly into his disappearance. If you want to know more about him as a politician, I suggest reading his Wikipedia page or simply Googling about him. That said, let’s dive in.

Decemystery 28: MV Joyita

The wreck of the MV Joyita.

The third and final ghost ship story I'm gonna cover this month. I was hesitant to cover this one as I wanted the Ourang Medan to be the ghost ship finale, but I'd say that the MV Joyita is a pretty good one to end on too.

Decemystery 27: Markovian Parallax Denigrate

Usenet storage. It's all I could find related to this mystery.

Usenet's history of mysteries wasn't just limited to bricks in the wall and being comfortably numb. It also included what may have been the first instance of internet spam; an incident that's simply known as the Markovian Parallax Denigrate.

Decemystery 26: Gary Devore

Stylish.

I repeatedly put this case off—even at one point scrapping it—because of its daunting nature. It's one that isn't really a mystery, so much as it is a conspiracy theory. But due to the overwhelmingly bizarre nature of the death and the weird circumstances behind it, I feel that the death of screenwriter Gary Devore is worthy of this miniseries. That said, this is, for the most part, a conspiracy theory plays out like something from the pages of an espionage novel.

Decemystery 25: The Jamison Family

A still frame from CCTV footage of the Jamisons packing their pickup before going somewhere.

Stories of entire families being murdered aren't exactly rare. Whether it's a family member snapping because of an undiagnosed mental disorder or a bitter rivalry with a neighbor hitting dangerously unsafe levels, there are plenty of cases out there where family lineage is cut short.

However, some of those cases seem to lack rhyme or reason for their occurrence. Some just seem to happen because some unseen force demands it. Why it happens, we may never know. One can only speculate until the day they too perish.

Then there are cases like the Jamison Family.

Decemystery Bonus Entry: SS Ourang Medan

A recreation—I think—of the Ourang Medan and her crew. You decide.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! To celebrate this most joyous time of the year, let's go explore what's quite easily the most bizarre ghost ship of them all: the SS Ourang Medan!

Decemystery 24: The Lead Mask Case

Ever wonder what it'd be like if Fifty Shades of Grey was a murder mystery? Neither do I, but The Lead Mask Case is probably close to it.

Decemystery 23: The Disappearance of Robert Levinson

Levinson as seen in 2010.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the United States’ premiere law enforcement agency. It's likely people both in and outside the US have heard of at least one of the agency’s directors; J. Edgar Hoover and Robert S. Mueller being two of the most well known for very separate reasons.

However, while those two men may be known for separate reasons, the agents themselves remain the same when trained and hired. The FBI, like the CIA and NSA, are comprised of some of the most skilled and rigorously tested and trained men and women bar none. This, coupled with a plethora of other things, makes the disappearance of Robert Levinson all the more peculiar—and heartbreaking.

Decemystery 22: The Highway of Tears

A billboard warning women to not hitchhike.

One of my goals with this miniseries was to practice giving information without rambling and repeating myself over and over. So, when I went out and planned in what mysteries I'd do, I wanted a bit of a challenge with what I had. Some of them have been easier than others, while others have been a bit too much for me to tackle due to the amount of detail in them and me not being able to condense it well enough in my eyes. That said, I made sure to keep one of those that I viewed as being “too difficult”: the Highway of Tears.

Decemystery 21: The Infamous Beacon of Hate

A shortwave radio.

Mysteries come in all shapes in sizes. Sometimes, they’re ghost ships. Other times, they’re unsolved riddles. Then there are unsolved murders and disappearances. However, not all mysteries have some sort of malice behind them. Sometimes, they’re just weird things that happen or are found that nobody can explain the origin behind. Case in point: The Infamous Beacon of Hate.

Decemystery 20: James Dean and The Little Bastard

James Dean with his car, the Little Bastard.

When I put this miniseries together, I wanted to focus on more obscure or lesser known mysteries. However, things changed and I'm not one to (normally) pass up a request. That, combined with time restraints (caused partially by laziness) have made me bend the rules a bit. So fasten your seat belts. It's time we discuss legendary story of James Dean and the Little Bastard.

Decemystery 19: The Giant Shrimp in the Laundry Room

It's a shrimp.

This reads like a Weekly World News article, but without Hillary Clinton adopting an alien baby being involved in some capacity. Nonetheless, the Giant Shrimp in the Laundry Room is indeed a story that exists. It's also one that I think warrants being told due the vast majority of this miniseries being very serious in nature. Not all unsolved mysteries involve murder and disappearances. Some involve gigantic shrimp.

Decemystery 18: The Murder of Georgi Markov

A picture or Georgi Markov.

Poisoning dissidents of a government is nothing new. Just yesterday, I talked about Alexander Litvinenko, a man who was poisoned with Polonium-210. However, decades for that questionable death, there was another that took place in London: the murder (or assassination if you will) of Georgi Markov.

Decemystery 17: Pedro the Pygmy

Pictures and an X-ray of Pedro.

Stories of little people date back centuries—perhaps even millenia. Dwarves, gnomes, goblins, and elves of the small stature are common all across the world. Though in the way of them being real, that’s a bit harder to prove. The smallest human species, dubbed “Homo floresiensis” (nicknamed “Hobbit”) stood at a mere 3 feet, 7 inches and was discovered in Indonesia. It’s believed that Homo floresiensis lived up until around 60,000-100,000 years ago. Whether or not this little fellow survives as a possible Bigfoot relative, I can’t say, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there comes a day when someone claims to have seen a Littlefoot somewhere in Indonesia—if it hasn’t already happened.

But we aren’t here to discuss everyone’s favorite hairy ape-man. No, we’re here to ask a very simple question: is there a smaller relative to us humans out there? The answer can come in three flavors and all of them are acceptable: yes, no, and maybe. Regardless of your answer, the name of the game here is Pedro the Pygmy. So let’s dive in!

Decemystery 16: The Murder of Alexander Litvinenko

Litvinenko on his death bed.

Russia is an extremely touchy subject when it comes to just about anything and everything. Nowhere is that more evident than with their president: Vladimir Putin.

Putin has been heralded by some as a warrior and champion against globalism and the New World Order, and seen by others as a modern day Czar and one of the most brutal and terrifying figures in geopolitics. No matter how you see him, he's a controversial figure and one who's bound to insight some sort of argument on the internet.

What doesn't not matter is Putin's reputation in Russia itself. The public opinion of him there is extremely high—or so it seems. There are those who greatly dislike him for an array of reasons. For some, it's due to his handling of the Russian economy. For others, it's because he's something of a dictator in the eyes. Either way, Putin reacts as he only can. He silences his critics; a tactic that has been used on civilians and even FSB agents—the successor to the infamous KGB.

Enter Alexander Litvinenko.

Decemystery 15: The Inkerman and the Cerisoles

Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me!

Disappearances are nothing new. They happen for an array of reasons. Sometimes someone wishes to run away from the life they have and start anew; their previous life having been mired by misery and misfortune. Other times, the person (or persons) were the victim of foul play—or simply got lost and died to exposure or dehydration/starvation. Or the wildlife got them.

Then there are instances of planes going missing. Engine failure or getting lost happens—and yet despite what the media lead you to believe, airline travel is still the safest way to travel. Regardless, the legendary disappearances of Flight 19 in the Bermuda Triangle and Amelia Earhart captivate and scare people to this very day.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum of normality is the disappearances of ships and/or their crew. I've always found ghost ships to be really dang creepy. Sailors spend their lives out at sea, navigating weather and the vast oceans. For all intents and purposes, their disappearances shouldn't happen easily. But they do, and they're easily some of the most unsettling unsolved mysteries out there. And as luck would have it, thanks to my friend Tyler, I have a few of them I want to go over this month. With any luck, I won't fall victim to my own random disappearance due to life getting in the way. That said, our first venture into this topic: the Inkerman and Cerisoles.

Decemystery 14: The Phantom Whistler of Lousiana

A portion of a newspaper article on the spooky whistler.

Ah, Louisiana. A place of culture and spirit. The home of Mardi Gras and The Big Easy. Beneath its cultural flare however, Louisiana has had a pretty rough history. Back in the 1910s, the state's most famous city—New Orleans—was terrorized by an axe wielding maniac who became known as “The Axeman of New Orleans”. That’s a story for another day though. For now, we’re taking a trip thirty years beyond that into the swell year of 1950. The Cold War was going on, the swell nature of the neighborhood was at an all-time high, and the Civil Rights movement was at the forefront of the news whenever the Soviet Union wasn’t threatening to nuke us into oblivion.

However, within the confines of Paradis, there was a little story that was about to be birthed. One that to this day remains a little gem in the cavalcade of unsolved mysteries. It is simply known as The Phantom Whistler of Louisiana.

Decemystery 13: Unfavorable Semicircle

The icon often associated with Unfavorable Semicircle.

This mystery is a modern day legend. By the standards of internet mysteries, Unfavorable Semicircle is topped only by Cicada 3301 in the way of cult followings and a fanbase dedicated to solving it. I personally am absolutely fascinated by this mystery simply because of the life it’s taken on. But let’s not waste time on the philosophical angles of internet mysteries. Let’s instead dive headfirst into this gem.

Decemystery 12: nasajim108

nasajim108's profile picture on YouTube.

YouTube is a hotbed for conspiracy videos. Go ahead and look up anything from Nibiru to New World Order and you’ll find a plethora of results. Whether they have hundreds of thousands of views or a few hundred, you’re guaranteed to go down a rabbit hole that’ll leave you awestruck. Now whether or not it’s something you feel enlightened by is a whole nother story entirely.

Decemystery 11: The Voynich Manuscript

Two pages from the Voynich Manuscript.

Ever read about something that made your head feel like it was attached to a helicopter's rotor blades? That's how I feel whenever I read about the Voynich Manuscript. A mystery that, for all intents and purposes, should be a provable hoax. After all, it's been decades and there hasn't been any sort of breakthrough in its undecipherable writings. The entire thing feels like something that was made to mess with people as some sort of elaborate prank.

That's where you, and many others, would be wrong. Maybe—but we'll get to that when we get to theories.

Decemystery 10: The Patomskiy Crater

Press C to Create Crater.

Russia is home to some very unusual mysteries. The Tunguska Event of of 1908 and the Dyatlov Pass Incident are probably two of the most famous; and both are stories I'll hopefully write about next year at some point. That said though, we’re here to talk about a significantly less malevolent mystery. One simply known as the Patomskiy Crater.

Decemystery 9: The Holy Shroud of Turin

Giorgio Armani's new clothing line is pretty heavenly.

Normally, I'd refrain from discussing any sort of religious mystery. Just like religion itself, they're a hotbed for arguments. However, due to the readership of this blog being roughly five or so people, I feel that I'm safe to discuss what has become known as The Shroud of Turin.

Decemystery 8: Cicada 3301

Often regarded as the most famous and confounding mystery to originate from the internet, 3301—better known as Cicada 3301—is a much more recent mystery, only dating back to 2012. It's one that I've been dying to talk about for a while for various reasons; not the least of it which being the extremely complex and elaborate nature of the puzzles. Anyways, let's get to it.

Decemystery 7: The Boy in the Box

This case is the one that really got me into unsolved mysteries after many years of not having read about them. I can't say for certain what it was that intrigued me. What I can say for certain is that the photo of the Boy in the Box is one of the most unsettling photos I've ever seen and that I'm going to share it with you now to give you nightmares and/or break your heart.

This image has haunted me for years. I can't say for certain why, but it's always made me uneasy.

Decemystery 6: The Isdal Woman

Who are you?

There are no doubt more than a few unsolved murders that could be explained as Cold War espionage—and we'll be covering two with this miniseries. The first of those is probably the more blatantly obvious and less known of the two: the Isdal Woman.

Decemystery 5: The NASA Gargoyle

Brood with him, lads!

I was tempted to not include this mystery due to its similarity to Point Pleasant's legendary Mothman. But, I wanted the entries in this miniseries to be as diverse as possible, and the NASA Gargoyle was bizarre enough that leaving it out felt criminal.

Decemystery 4: Lost Boy Larry

There's no picture of “Larry”, so here's a picture of a CB Radio.

Hoaxes. They're nothing new. Balloon Boy, the Surgeon's Photo, and pretty much every Bigfoot corpse ever found. Horses are a staple of unsolved mysteries. Still, not every mystery that's accused of being a hoax is proven to be one. There always exists that realm of possibility that, against all odds, it's real.

That's where the story of Lost Boy Larry is unlike the vast majority of others in this miniseries. It's the only one that many have come to a solid, and agreeable, conclusion on. Mainly, that it's a hoax. But is it really a hoax?

Most likely.

Still, I wanted a really good example of a mystery that's likely to be a hoax, but isn't too far out there as to come across as blatantly fake (as you'll see on Christmas Day). So, let's dive into a canyon and see if we can't find the lost boy known as Larry.

Decemystery 3: The Georgia Guidestones

Illuminati confirmed...?

Conspiracy theories and unsolved mysteries go hand in hand like The Fourth of July and a barbeque. Examples of this include the assassination of former United States president, John F. Kennedy, any sort of supposed UFO crash (including one we'll be covering towards the tail end of the month), and today's mystery: the Georgia Guidestones.

Decemystery 2: The Atlas Vampire

Stories of vampires date back farther than I care to remember. Bloodsucking terrors of the night with large canines that can transform into bats. That said, they're merely works of fiction; stories meant to keep their reader awake at night shivering.

That's where stories like the Chupacabra rear their ugly head—presenting the exsanguinated corpses of cattle as its grisly prizes to unfortunate farmers. Whether or not those killings are the work of a mutant canine or alien is up for debate, though it's often agreed upon it isn't a vampire. After all, no humans were harmed.

And that's true. The Chupacabra hasn't claimed any humans—yet anyways. However, if we take a trip back to 1932 and go to Stockholm, Sweden, we'll find that there was one person who was ahead of his time. Someone who almost no doubt had some sort of obsession with vampires. They came and went in the snap of a finger and left behind arguably one of history's most unnerving unsolved murders.

They were simply known as the Atlas Vampire.

Decemystery 1: The Publius Enigma

"A spokesperson for Pink Floyd has issued the following statement: You have spotted the Pink Floyd Airship. Do not be alarmed. Pink Floyd have sent their airship to North America to deliver a message. The Pink Floyd Airship is headed towards a destination where all will be explained upon arrival. Pink Floyd will communicate."

The internet has provided the world with near infinite access to information. In spite of that, it’s also brought about its fair share of mysteries that, as you’ll see in coming days, can be just as mystifying as any unsolved murder or disappearance.

For the first mystery this month, we'll be doing a quick look over of the Publius Enigma.

Top 20 Worst Creepypastas: Part 2

This was meant to come out weeks ago. Life happens though. A special thanks to my friend James for editing this entry and the previous one by the way. You rock.

Top 20 Worst Creepypastas: Part 1

Creepypastas: the internet version of a campfire story. A genre that has skyrocketed numerous characters into the eye of prominence thanks to social media and new entertainment platforms such as YouTube, the creepypasta genre is abound with solid stories and absolutely dreadful ones. Today, I'm gonna go over twenty of my least favorite ones because I'm bored and don't want to write my book or a review. Instead, I feel like whining about stories more famous than me.

Movie Review: Amityville: The Awakening (2017)

The story of Amityville: The Awakening is one of repeated delays. Ever since it was announced back as Amityville: The Lost Tapes, I had the lowest of low expectations. A 2014 trailer didn't do it any favors, as the production values and overall feel to the film was lackluster to say the least.

As for the aforementioned delays, Awakening had at least three scheduled release dates between January of 2015 and April of 2017, each of which it never made. It wasn't until October of 2017, around the time Hurricane Harvey Weinstein struck Hollywood, that it was quietly released on Video-on-Demand to middling reviews.

I wasn't surprised to say the least and forgot about it not long after. That is, until a few weeks ago when I saw an opportunity to watch it with my girlfriend. Such an opportunity, especially after watching the Academy Award worthy likes of The Devil Inside, Slender Man, and Big Hero 6—which I only mention as it was incredible and I'll likely not review it until never. So, I did just that. I watched it with her.

And… I actually liked it.

Movie Review: One Missed Call (2008)

Yesterday, I reviewed 2014’s Ouija. In that review, I mentioned that that film is what happens when one begins to not challenge themselves with their craft; the slow, but steady downfall into beginning a cycle of the same song and dance. It's that downfall that progressively leads to one becoming less and less connected to what they create, until they eventually lose any and all connection with their craft.

It's at that point that they don't even try anymore, and the down spiral leads to works that don't resemble anything that could be considered acceptable by anyone with standards.

Case in point: One Missed Call.

Movie Review: Ouija (2014)

I was loosely conversing with a friend last night. He'd linked a trailer for a film called The Curse of La Llorona. In no uncertain terms, I think it looks rather bad. Very generic, jump scares, and so on. To make matters worse, this is from the guy who will take over The Conjuring series! The humanity!

Okay, I'll admit: I overreacted—big time. I mostly did so for show as I'm nothing if not an Oscar-worthy performer. Alas, I also went overboard with it and i must say, it wasn't my best moment. But, one thing stuck with me. My friend told me I was hard to please. This struck a chord with me as I like to think that I'm a very fair and reasonable individual.

Too bad my blog doesn't really reflect that and seems to be a lot of whining about bad movies. So, I'll change that now with today's film: Ouija.

Movie Review: Sinister II (2015)

I'm going to be honest: I went into Sinister II with expectations on par with those most would set for a new installment in the Saw franchise. Yet, amazingly, Sinister II managed to take those expectations and blow them deeper into the proverbial barrel that is the manufactured horror sequel; heartless, soulless, and complete garbage.

Movie Review: The Devil Inside (2012)

I sometimes ponder to myself if I'm capable of making it in this world; if I have a snowball's chance in hell to ever get a book published, let alone be seen as remotely successful.

Then I watch a film like The Devil Inside and realize that yeah, I have a pretty good chance to succeed in the end.

Movie Review: Extraterrestrial (2014)

On paper, Extraterrestrial probably seemed like a great idea. A slasher film with aliens? I'd pay to see that! Throw in the brains behind the Grave Encounters series, some attractive leads, and Michael Ironside in a small role, and you've really sold me! What could possibly go wrong!?

Simple, they made the movie.

Movie Review: Slender Man (2018)

The story of the Slender Man is a very simple one. Once upon a time, there was an art contest on the forums of Something Awful to create something scary. One man photoshopped a tall, faceless man in a stylish suit in the background of a picture with kids playing. From there, the legend of Slender Man—a being who takes those who see him away—was born.

Now, this was around the turn of the decade; well over five years ago. At the height of his popularity, Slender Man was an indomitable figure in the way of internet horror. The video game Slender: The Eight Pages was immensely popular and was everywhere on platforms such as YouTube. So, had Slender Man been released around 2013, it may have felt relevant and perhaps even gotten some leeway from critics.

However, this is Sony Pictures we’re dealing with. They're nothing if not late to the party.

Welcome!

I've made this blog for aimless ramblings and to occasionally post updates about a book I'm currently writing. Should you be interested in it, please follow this blog. I'm hoping to post updates and reviews on it.

Anyways, thanks for stopping by.