My Uncle, The Jesey Devil

IF YOU WERE TO CRACK a phone book in South Jersey and drag your finger along the pages in the "L" section, you'd find rows and rows of people named Leeds. And if you were to ring them up — one by one — and ask, sheepishly, if the person on the other end of the line knew anything about the Jersey Devil, you might hear claims of direct lineage, the kind of boasts made by folks with ancestors off the Mayflower or descended from European royalty.

Bill Sprouse, 39, has made that phone call and also has his own claim to stake. When he was 10 years old, the South Jersey native and author of "The Domestic Life of the Jersey Devil," was visiting his grandmother — his "BeBop," Helen Leeds — at her tiny house in Absecon when she told him, quite plainly, that he was related to the Jersey Devil.

The news did not immediately impress him.

"I kind of forgot about it for 10 or 15 years," he tells me as we drive down suburban backroads at the edge of the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Devil's backyard. "I think it's one of the weirdest things about growing up in this part of New Jersey. Somebody can tell you you're related to a monster and it won't seem like a very big deal."

Eventually, the story became Sprouse's back-pocket anecdote, the thing he'd pull out at parties and job interviews. "It wasn't until I left New Jersey — until I went to college and started mentioning that fact outside the local context," he says, "that I realized how crazy it is."

But there was something to it, this story. BeBop had some evidence.

Read Full Story: NJ.com

The Woman in Black cast fear they are being haunted by ghost

When the classic ghost story was performed at the Stephen Joseph theatre in Scarborough about 20 years ago there were reported sightings of a phantom sitting in the back row during rehearsals.

The apparition, dubbed Mabel in a Mac, was believed to be the spirit of a cleaning woman who fell to her death when the venue was an Odeon cinema.

Mabel was said to have been stealing money from the till and plunged over the balcony into the stalls while being chased by her manager.

The ghostly figure of a woman was also seen in a box at The Fortune Theatre in London during the play’s 26-year run in the West End. With The Woman In Black being revived in Scarborough by Sir Alan Ayckbourn, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph venue, its cast and crew fear Mabel has returned to haunt them.

Frightened staff have heard unexplained footsteps during rehearsals and believe they have felt the icy touch of Mabel.

Jason Mullen, duty manager of the Stephen Joseph, says the spooky events centre on the area of the McCarthy Auditorium where Mabel is said to have died many decades ago.

He said: “You feel her brush past you when you’re sitting in the back row alone and sometimes she prods you on the arm. Other funny things have happened as well, like boxes being moved around in one of the store rooms.

Read Full Story: Daily Express UK 

Ghost hunters find woman's body at haunted hospital in (video)

VICKSBURG, Miss. —A group of ghost hunters found the body of a missing woman Sunday at the old Kuhn Memorial State Hospital in the 1400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Vicksburg, police said.

Police Chief Walter Armstrong confirmed that the body is that of 69-year-old Sharon Wilson, who was reported missing. Wilson's attackers broke into her Drummond Street home and abducted her late Saturday night, police said.

Authorities said Raphael McCloud, 33, and his nephew, Akeem McCloud, 20, are facing charges.

The two men were pulled over by Leland police Sunday for reckless driving, authorities said. Vicksburg police were contacted after Leland police determined that the 2012 Nissan Murano the men were in had been stolen from Wilson, according to a news release. A gun that had been reported to Vicksburg police as stolen was found inside the car, authorities said.

Read Full Story: 16 WAPT News

'Haunted' house for rent in Liverpool listed on Rightmove.com

A house in Toxteth reportedly haunted by a 135-year-old poltergeist that has ‘lifted a woman out of her bed’ is up for rent.

Situated in Pickwick Street, potential tenants will need nerves of steel to arrange a viewing of the three-bedroom terraced property, in which there has been ‘significant paranormal activity’ reported by previous inhabitants - with one expert saying it is haunted by a poltergeist from the 1800s.

Social housing group, Plus Dane, who own the property, have confirmed reports of paranormal activity were first made in 2008 by the then residents.

On the market for £91 per week, anyone moving into the property will need to be aware of their potentially paranormal new roommates that they’ll share the house with - which an expert has described as a ‘violent spirit’ that previously lifted a former tenant out of her bed, and shook another house so much that the owner thought it was going to collapse.

Local paranormal expert Tom Slemen says that the ghost, known as the Pickwick Poltergeist, was first reported over 130 years ago.

He said: “There have been stories about a very unusual poltergeist on Pickwick Street that date back to the 1880s at least’ unusual in the fact that it seems to get around - most ghosts stick to haunting one property, but there are a rare few who flit from house to house, often in the same street, and the Pickwick Street Poltergeist is one of those.

“A landlady connected to the letting of Number 69, a Mrs Euphemia Nimlock, was also lifted out of her bed by the same violent spirit and, and another neighbour Ismael Jones (Number 70) was under the impression the house was going to collapse because of the vibrations.”

The listing describes the abode as: “3-bedroom terraced house in a popular location off Park Road, close to the Tesco Superstore. It has two singles and one double bedroom, rear yard, upstairs bathroom and two living rooms.”

But it then adds: “Please note previous tenants have advised us that they have experienced paranormal activity at the property.”

Read Full Story: Liverpool Echo

Did Google Maps capture spooky image at Haunted House for sale in New York (video)

With a price tag of US$105,000, a sprawling mansion up for sale in Upstate New York is considered a steal.

But a warning to prospective buyers who like their homes ghost-free: You may want to check out an image captured by Google Street View before signing on the dotted line.

A screenshot shows what appears to be three sets of white handprints on the third-floor windows of the 1880s Queen Anne-style home, located at 32 Church St. in Camden, N.Y.

Except for the possibility of an encounter with an apparition, the three-bedroom residence known as W.H. Dorrance House has a lot going for it. It’s listed on the U.S National Register of Historical Places, and features “gorgeous” stained glass and hardwood floors, not to mention a circular tower with a conical roof.


Read Full Video: CTV News Canada

Hospital worker takes Snapchat picture of 'dead girl' outside children's ward

Andrew Milburn was texting his girlfriend at Leeds General Infirmary on Friday night just before starting his night shift.

To prove he was at work, he sent her a Snapchat image of a corridor near the hospital's children's ward.

But the 21-year-old says he had no idea the picture that actually appeared on his phone showed a terrifying ghostly looking figure.

FREAKY: There was nothing in the corridor when Andrew took this snap – it only appeared in the photo.

Andrew said: "My girlfriend asked me to prove I was at work so I sent her a picture as I walked to my office.

"Unbeknown at the time it appears that I captured a ghost figure in the corridors.

"I have since put this picture on Facebook, it has received thousands of likes and comments and has been shared as far as America.

"It has also been shared on to paranormal investigator groups, many of which believe the picture is real."

To make matters even more spooky – Andrew said a number of his colleagues at the hospital have heard footsteps at the exact spot where the ghost can be seen.

He said: "There have been a few odd things.

Read Full Story: Daily Star UK 

Ghost Hunters claim Hampton's Historic James House is haunted

HAMPTON — The historic James House is suspected to be haunted, as bumps, door slams and even a mysterious laugh have been recorded by a local group of paranormal investigators.

“We think there’s definitely something going on in there,” said Willy Hassell, founder of Spirit Chasers Paranormal, the group of Hampton-based investigators who have looked at the Towle Farm house on six occasions since October.

Spooky visions have appeared at the 292-year-old Colonial before, said Skip Webb, president of the James House Association.

In 2001, a mysterious hymnal fell through a hole in the ceiling, he said, and neighbors have reported sightings of visions in windows in the past.

Hassell said he approached Webb about looking into the house for paranormal activity during the James House’s Fall Festival in 2014. 

Hassell and his team have been chasing ghosts across the country for about five years, and he said they’ve been successful in reaching spirits in the past.

Read Full Story: Seacoast Online

Man decides to spend 60 days in a Haunted French Lighthouse (video)

Many of us would refuse to spend just one night in a creepy location that's said to be haunted - but one brave adventurer is attempting endure 60 days somewhere spooky completely by himself.

Marc Pointud is set to stay in the 'haunted' lighthouse of Tévennec, which sits on a tiny isolated island off the coast of France near Brittany.

Battling loneliness and isolation, he will be the first inhabitant of the mysterious lighthouse in 100 years, which has a dark reputation for sending those that live there insane. 

Perched precariously on a tiny island off the coast of Brittany is the lighthouse of Tévennec, which is said to be haunted

Marc Pointud is bravely spending 60 days there, as part of a crowd-funded effort to raise awareness for the mysterious property.

The lighthouse was first lit in 1875, and the first lighthouse keeper, Henri Guezennec, was said to have gone insane from staying in the solitary dwelling.

There have subsequently been 23 guards, but no one has dared to live there since 1910.  

The tiny white building is perched on a small, jagged rock, often surrounded by crashing waves, which makes visiting extremely difficult.

Thankfully Mr Pointud is used to dangerous conditions at sea, having spent extended periods sailing.

He will live in the isolated lighthouse in solitary for 60 days, but says he is not afraid of ghosts

The lighthouse is said to have claimed the lives of previous lighthouse keepers who stayed on the property.

Read Full Story: Daily Mail UK

Monster hunter accidentaly photographs two UFO's over Loch Ness

Imagine going on a monster hunt and ending up finding a UFO

That’s pretty much what happened to Alan and Anna Betts when they visited Loch Ness from York.
They wanted to find Nessie, but when they took a picture of the loch, they saw a strange shape that we believe could actually be a couple of UFOs, hovering above the surface of the water.

Apparently their Akita dog, Yuka, sensed something was wrong and as any horror film buff knows, this means trouble.

Alan, 48, said he was usually very sceptical about UFOs but couldn’t offer an explanation for the spooky snaps.

Read Full Story: Metro UK

Is this a photo of a ghost of a legendary pirate ?

COULD this be the ghost of pirate Willy Wilcox?

This snap, captured by holidaymaker John Dyer in Polperro, appears to show a shadowy figure at the back of the cave where, legend has it, where the notorious smuggler is said to have died.

Folklore holds that Willy disappeared while hiding out in the area's labyrinthine caves and now his spirit walks among them.

Read Full Story: Cornish Guardian UK

Mysterious ghost light or ball lightning during good weather (video)

At around 4am in Zaporozhye in Southeast Ukraine, a mysterious ball of light appeared on the CCTV footage of a synagogue.

The strange orb was discovered by rabbi Michael Oishie who upon looking at the CCTV footage discovered that something was amiss. No wiser as to its origins, the rabbi then shared it on Facebook:

While we're absolutely stumped about what it could be, some have postured that the orb of light could be a UFO or ghost, others have suggested that it's a infrared light beam that's being fired at the camera.

While scientifically plausible the infrared option doesn't really correspond to the way the orb moves around the camera in three-dimensional space.

Instead the most likely explanation is that it is in fact an ultra-rare occurrence called 'ball lightning'.

Known throughout the ages as a common explanation for UFO sightings, ball lightning appears very occasionally during lightning storms and can appear in the form of a small glowing ball of plasma/electrical energy that lasts for up to tens of seconds.

They're almost never seen and impossible to measure as no one really knows how to recreate them in a laboratory environment.

Mystery solved? Sadly not as locals report that there was good weather the night of the event let alone a lightning storm.

Read Full Story: Huffington Post UK

Popular haunted house attraction admits that it really is haunted (video)

The 13th Floor Haunted House in San Antonio has become home to more than just actors and ghost props.

Alongside the actors dressed as spooky assailants, eerie audio cues and ghostly scenes that meet those who venture inside San Antonio's popular '13th Floor Haunted House' attraction lies a very real ghost story that has left even the building's own staff members running for the exit.

The peculiar mystery surrounds sightings of a strange young girl who has now appeared so often that many visitors have come to believe that she is actually part of the show.

"I have customers who will come out and say the best actor in the whole play is the little girl who jumped out at me," said general manager Greg Saylars. "These are actors who scare people for a living that were so scared that they quit their job and left."

In one incident actor Joden Lumbreras recalled hearing a child's playful laughter before turning to see a small girl standing in his work area. He had initially assumed her to be another one of the actors until the figure mysteriously disappeared when someone else entered the room.

The little girl has even shown up for the crew of a reality TV show that had been filming in the building. They had been investigating the basement when, upon leaving, they thanked Saylars for the "little actress in the white dress" that they assumed had been working there.

No known incidents involving a little girl in the building have ever been reported, but with a history stretching back 110 years the possibility always exists that something might have happened there.

To date nobody has been able to determine who the girl is or where she might have come from.



Read Full Story: KENS 5 San Antonio

Ghosts haunt a luxury rental building in Brooklyn, NY

Doormen have been quitting their jobs at a luxury rental building in Brooklyn that was once a hospital, sources said, spooked by eerie visions, sounds and even smells — sparking talk that the high-rise is haunted.

The 123 On The Park building on the southeast edge of Prospect Park was built on the site of the Caledonian Hospital, which closed in 2003.

After developers transformed the Flatbush building into a luxury rental and reopened its doors in July 2014, tales emerged of strange voices and mysterious footsteps — which are being blamed on the ghosts of former patients, sources told The Post.

At least three doormen have left in the past six months, according to a janitor who works in the building.

Aleksandra Scepanovic, managing director of Ideal Properties Group, confirmed that there has been high staff turnover at the building and said, “They’ve had issues renting.”

One doorman who still works there told a superintendent in a nearby building that On The Park “is a messed-up place to work because it’s haunted.”

“He said he was doing routine security walks in the basement and the back of the building, and every time he would go down there by himself, he would hear footsteps echoing around him,” the superintendent explained.

Read Full Story: New York Post

Unexplained object caught on video in Florida museum (video)

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - A mysterious sighting on surveillance video at a local attraction has staff and visitors wondering if the century-old building is haunted.

On two separate occasions in just the last weeks, an orb-shaped object has been spotted at the U.S. Space Walk Hall of Fame Museum on Pine Street in Titusville.

In both videos, the object quickly comes into the frame and within mere seconds, it disappears.

We can't explain it, nor can the fellas who put in the system for us," said Charlie Mars, president of the museum.

Mars says in both instances the lights and air conditioning were turned off, a reason he rules out that what the video shows is a glare or dust ball, like some staffers think it is.

"There are many items in here that were brought in by people who are no longer with us," said Mars. "They could be coming back to check on it."

He says this type of unexplainable activity is nothing new for the space museum, which just moved into a 100-year-old building after spending the last 10 years in a building on Main Street.

"We have had a number of things like that have occurred in the past 10 or 12 years that we didn't have an explanation for," said Mars.

Some wonder if the historic building, which once served as the original county records facility, is haunted.

Read Full Story: WKMG Local 6 Orlando