Phantoms and Monsters

Scared to Death?
Fortean / Alternative News: Hunt For Siberian Yeti, Strange Deaths and American Idol Ghost
New Knobby / Bigfoot Video...yeah, right!

Posted: 24 Mar 2011 09:09 PM PDT

The following story was forwarded to me a few days ago. Since then, I have talked to the writer in order to ease the guilt and worry that she still retains:

Hello Sir - your email was forwarded to me by a relative who thought you or your colleagues could help answer some questions regarding an incident I witnessed a few years ago. You have my permission to use this story but I do ask that my name be left out. Since I no longer live in the area where this occurred you may use those details. I would ask that you call me first. (NOTE: I did call and talk to the writer and was given permission to add other facts to her account...Lon).

It was the summer of 2004. At the time I was selling real estate in Warren County, Virginia but mostly in the Front Royal, Virginia area. The vicinity is known more for the Shenandoah Valley as well as it's history during the American Civil War. It seems that most of the older property has a story behind it and it's usually tied to the Civil War.

I moved there in 2000, not long after I graduated from college. Real estate sales was not my first choice for a career but I was doing well, so I decided to see how far I could go.

In March 2004 a house with many acres of farm property was listed for sale. The former resident had recently passed away and the family was selling it. From what I gathered, none of the relatives wanted to take over the property and it was decided that it be sold as soon as possible.

On the day I first toured the old place it was obvious that the previous owner took very good care of it. It was quite a nice house with a barn, a smokehouse and a large greenhouse. A nephew of the former owner accompanied me during the inspection. He assured me that there would be no attempts by any family member to impede a sale and that everything in the house was to be sold 'as is.' All furniture, appliances, tools, etc. were to be included in the sale. I explained to him that they would most likely realize more profit if the items were removed for sale in an auction but he insisted it must be sold 'as is' and that the buyer would be responsible for the contents. I thought this was quite odd, but I promised that I would do as the sellers wanted.

To my surprise, the property was listed for only 3 weeks. The overall housing market was starting to get very tight and large properties were difficult to sell. But, in fact, I made the sale to a couple from Washington D.C. who was the second party that showed interest. They made a counter-offer which was quickly accepted by the sellers. Everything went quite smooth though the day of settlement was a bit strange. The nephew and his sister were representing the sellers. Their demeanor was very distant and cold during the entire procedure. At one point, the buyers asked the nephew if there was any property in the house that he would like to keep. The nephew gave them a glaring look and told them that he 'didn't care if they burned it all.'

Several weeks later the new owners invited me for dinner in their new home. They were quite proud and wanted to tell me about the history of the place. It was once owned by a former British officer who had defected and fought with the colonists during the Revolutionary War. Later it become a working farm and remained so until the 1950's when it was purchased by a Baptist preacher and his wife. The couple was considered quite eccentric and the preacher never had a large congregation. The new owners were told by an attorney who lived nearby that the preacher held worship services in the barn because there was never a church. There were many rumors of strange rituals being performed during these services.

It was a very enjoyable evening and we agreed to get together again. I really did like this couple. They were very intelligent and quite polite. The husband worked for the Federal government and the wife was a pharmaceutical representative. They had grown tired of the urban lifestyle in Washington D.C. and wanted a home where they could relax. One thing I did notice was that much of the furniture and appliances left in the house remained and was being used by the new owners.

On the July 4th weekend, the couple invited me to join their cookout. My boyfriend was staying with me for the week so he decided to come along. I hadn't seen the couple in over a month and was very interested to know the life in their new home was going. When we arrived, instantly I knew something was wrong.

We started walking towards the back of the house and noticed that no one other than the couple were there. I asked if we were the first to arrive and was told that none of their friends accepted the invitation. We sat down in the lawn chairs and started to talk. They both looked worried though I didn't understand what was going on. I'm a very direct person so I asked if there was anything wrong. The wife looked at me and explained that none of their friends would come to the house anymore and that they had all had bad experiences when visiting. She started to get more specific and said that they thought the property was haunted. I tried not to laugh but the smile quickly came to my face. I looked back at both of them. They were deadly serious and not smiling.

They said that something tried to push people down the stairs and that a bad odor would permeate the living room for a few minutes then fade away. They also heard screaming sounds outside at night and thought it may have been coming from the barn. As well, they were both having dreams about dead bodies buried in the greenhouse and barn. I had never experienced anything paranormal while on the property so I simply dismissed it.

The day went by without an incident and, in fact, it was quite enjoyable. It was starting to get late and I needed to get up early the next morning so we thanked them for their hospitality and drove home. I really didn't think much about what I was told and quickly went to sleep that night.

The next morning I woke early and got myself together because I had several homes scheduled to show that day. I needed to first stop by the office so I could pick up the newest listings. When I arrived at the office, I noticed a police car in the parking lot. I walked into the office and was immediately approached by the office manager and told that the authorities wanted to talk to me.

I introduced myself to the police officers and asked what was going on. One of them handed me a photograph of the couple. They were lying on the ground, side-by-side and obviously dead. They were both very pale, like all the blood had been drained. I acknowledged that I had sold them the property and that we had socialized the previous day. He explained that their bodies were found by a police officer the previous night after a 911 call was placed and that they were found laying in the barn as seen in the photo. The only information I could provide was what they told me and that they thought the property was haunted.

The next day I was told that they both died from natural causes and that there would be no further investigation. That's all I was ever told and that's all I would ever find out. I asked a physician if it was possible that two people could be scared to death at the same time. The look he shot back at me was of utter bewilderment, which was followed by laughter. He said that it was practically impossible to scare a person to death, let alone two people at the same time.

Since that incident I moved to the west coast and no longer sell real estate. I know their deaths will haunt me for the rest of my life. I wouldn't feel so bad if I hadn't dismissed what they said so quickly and so out-of-hand. I feel that something on that property frightened them so bad that it resulted in their deaths. J.L.

NOTE: I had an associate check the circumstances described in the story. I told the writer that I was going to do this and she agreed just so her name was left out of the post. There was a death of a couple in the area at the time described. Since there was no investigation and the deaths were determined to be of natural causes the only information available is on the death certificate...Lon

Fortean / Alternative News: Hunt For Siberian Yeti, Strange Deaths and American Idol Ghost

Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:49 AM PDT

Official yeti probe planned after recent sightings

uk.news.yahoo - Government officials in Siberia are planning to set up a special research institute dedicated to the study of yetis following a number of recent mysterious sightings of the folkloric creature.

Hominology experts, who are lined up to lead the studies at Kemerovo University, are eager to prove their existence after people in remote parts of the region claim to have caught a glimpse of the elusive being.

According to 15 witness statements by Siberian locals in the Kemerovo region, 7-ft tall, hairy, manlike creatures have been spotted wandering the Mount Shoria wilderness, with one man even claiming to have saved a yeti from drowning in a river while hunting.

Villager, Afanasy Kiskorov in Tashtagol reportedly witnessed the yeti activity first-hand. He said: "Their bodies were covered in red-and-black fur and they could climb trees. The creature was screaming in fear after falling into a swollen mountain river."

Despite the alleged sightings, no photographic evidence as yet confirms the existence of the 'abominable snowmen.'

However, hair specimens, large footprints and huge branch shelters in forests have fuelled scientific belief to traces of the yetis, described as the 'Neanderthal ancestors of man.'

Officials of the Kemerovo administration in western Siberia have said that organising an institute or a scientific centre would be a logical continuation of research into the yeti.

Dr. Igor Burtsev, director of the International Center of Hominology, will join the brand new research unit if the plans go ahead. He said: "In Russia there are about 30 authoritative scientists who are engaged in studying the phenomenon of the abonimable snowman."

"All of them will be integrated into this institute. The primary goal is to establish contact with one of the creatures."

Dr. Burtsev told Russian newspaper Itar Press after a yeti expedition last year: "I saw markers (half-broken branches) the creature uses to mark the controlled territory. In the woods I have found several artifacts to confirm my theory. I plan to find the Bigfoot's shelter and even try to contact the creature."

Speaking on 'Friday Night with Jonathan Ross' in 2009, British wildlife expert David Attenborough said he believed that there was very convincing evidence that yetis do exist.

The Administration of Kemerovo, the regional government, will announce its final decision on whether they will implement the research institute after it hosts an international conference on yetis later this year.

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Video: Japanese Coast Guard Ride Over Tsunami Waves

A Japanese Coast Guard video taken as the ship crosses several tsunami waves shows just how deceptive these waves can be when riding them out in the ocean. The front of the wave appears as a wall of water. It's frightening to behold on two levels. The first is the visceral sense of fear at seeing such a wall of water approaching.

We see that sea level itself has risen up on the other side of the tsunami wave and the ship gently settles into the what is now a new, but very sudden norm. That's where the more frightening of the realizations comes - that this new sea level rise is what was about to wash over the coastline of Japan.

Click for video

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Strange deaths associated with Thai hotel

calgarysun - A 59-year-old Edmontonian is now seventh on the list of mysterious deaths that have hit tourists passing through a Thailand hotel since January.

Bill Mah died Jan. 26 in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand of "suspected natural disease" after vacationing in the city for two weeks prior.

Friend and travel companion Ken Fraser told freelance journalist Andrew Drummond that although Mah was staying at the People Palace Hotel, he had used facilities, including the swimming pool, at the Downtown Inn — a common location between six other people who have died in the region since January.

"His death is a complete mystery. He seemed fit enough with no history of heart problems. We have not been told his cause of death. We only have an initial report," Fraser told Drummond.

Fraser said Mah has had no history of heart problems and in the seven weeks since his death, no toxicology reports have been returned.

"We have pressed the Canadian consul to try and get answers for us," said Fraser. "I know Bill used the facilities at the Downtown Inn because he asked me to go there with him but I had other things to do."

On Jan. 24, Mah began to feel sick, complaining of lack of sleep due to chest pains. He was taken to the local hospital where Fraser says he was kept for 24 hours and tested for signs of a heart attack.

"The tests all came back negative. On the morning of the 26th, the chest pains were less and the doctor diagnosed him with acid reflux and sent him home," Fraser told Drummond.

"That evening, when I checked on him, he was in bed sweating and saying that he was not feeling well again. Later when I called on him, he came to the door but before he could open it. I could hear him collapse on the other side. We had to kick the door in.

"We tried to revive him in vain. At the hospital he was pronounced dead 15 minutes after arrival."

Drummond reported that the Thailand Department for Disease Control said so far there are no links between the deaths of cases examined of people visiting Chiang Mai in January and February and no link to the Downtown Inn.

Chiang Mai Governor Pannada Disakul reportedly said the deaths were coincidental.

The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs told QMI Agency on Sunday that it is aware of the Canadian death.

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'American Idol' Top 11 contestants freaked out by ghosts in their mansion

TMZ is reporting the "American Idol" Top 11 contestants have left the mansion!

And it's because of "paranormal activity that sent the contestants over the edge." Supposedly, several of the "American Idol" contestants claim they "watched a bed sheet suddenly take on a life of its own and float down an empty hallway."

Some also reported lights flickering in the Beverly Hills house. And there was a spider infestation. And a leaky roof!

TMZ also reports the contestants moved out Monday and are now staying in an undisclosed location.

This is not the first time "Idol" contestants have complained of ghosts following them around. In 2009, "Idol" contestant Allison Iraheta said she heard growls.

Anoop Desai told ACCESS Hollywood that the "Idols" have named the ghost Phyllis.

"(She) is just a friendly troublemaker. She bangs around and keeps people awake. Allison hears something in her room every night. I don't know if someone's just creeping around in there or what."

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Another Tsunami Perspective

Here is how the waves looked in the port of Oirase Town, Aomori Prefecture, in a video taken from "wngad869," who barely manages to escape at the end:

Clcik for video

New Knobby / Bigfoot Video...yeah, right!

Posted: 24 Mar 2011 10:51 AM PDT

wcnc - Thursday morning, we got an email from a guy who said he shot some video of Bigfoot in Rutherford County. I, acting in my role as a responsible journalist, couldn't not call him.

The guy, a disabled Vietnam-era veteran from Fallston named Thomas Byers, told me Bigfoot crossed the road right in front of him. Byers and his friend Carolyn were driving to a cemetery to shoot some video when they saw something climbing up a road bank. Byers stopped the truck and got out the camera. Bigfoot looked at him. He threw up his hands and snarled. Then he took off into the brush.

Byers got four seconds of video. Blurry, dark video. He saw Bigfoot for a minute. Tops. The Sasquatch was around seven feet tall, 300 pounds, with yellow teeth. It left behind six-toed footprints. It gave off the stench of decay, and it also had something that's not found on most gorilla costumes. "It was very clear to both of us that it was a male," Byers said, fumbling around for the most polite words. "I mean, you could see, I don't want to say, trying to think, uh, you could see its private parts."

We've heard this story before. People have been talking about Bigfoot since the 1850's. They started seeing it a whole lot more after an article in December 1959's True magazine. The most famous Sasquatch sighting of all was caught on 16mm celluloid shot in northern California back in 1967. A few years ago, the owner of Charlotte's Morris Costume claimed he sold a gorilla suit to the man who made the filmstrip.

Then came Tim Peeler of Casar, who said he saw not just any Bigfoot, but Ben Knobby Knob, the decades-old Bigfoot who's, allegedly, indigenous to Cleveland County and those parts.

Byers saw the story on Peeler. He isn't sure if he saw Knobby. The thing he saw had long brown stringy hair, the shade of a winter deer, he said. Peeler's version had beautiful blonde hair. Byers was scared and awed. "It's the most amazin' thing I've ever seen," he said.

I looked through my Rolodex for a Bigfoot expert. I actually found one.

Mike Greene of Salisbury has been looking for Bigfoot for two decades. He just spent the night out in the Uwharrie National Forest looking for the Sasquatch. He came up empty. Didn't even see any deer, he said.

Greene said he saw Bigfoot once, about five years ago. He speaks confidently and intelligently about sasquatches, the same way an Audubon would speak about a Tennessee Warbler. I told him about the six toes. Uh oh, he said.

First of all, a Sasquatch would weigh more than 300 pounds, he said. It would probably only have five toes. The arms would swing more. The stride would be longer.

"It's a mincing walk," Greene said of the video, "like someone who can't see out of the suit."

The video quality is terrible. What it shows is something Greene calls a "Blob-squatch," or a blob that kind of looks like Bigfoot. The whole thing is, and Greene is willing to bet his reputation on this, a "lousy fake."

It's a matter of belief, then. The Bigfoot expert says it's not Bigfoot. The Bigfoot witnesses say it is. I emailed Byers to ask him to send the video to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, where Greene says a group of 250 other Sasquatch experts will mercilessly pick through every frame of video in search of the truth. Byers said all he wanted was for somebody to look at the video and see if what he saw was what he believed he saw.

Did we air the video? Yes. Do we know what's really on it? No. We are merely an objective conduit of images that either show science's most elusive discovery, or a guy in an ape suit. It's up to you to decide what you want to believe.

Click for video

NOTE: honestly, it looks to me like this guy dressed his girlfriend in an ape suit and told her to walk across the road....if you call that 'walking'. Lon

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