It’s been one freaky year at TLU. Over the last twelve months, we’ve peered into the case files of grisly unsolved murders, investigated eerie encounters with the paranormal, and visited some of the strangest locations from around the world. While there’s a soft spot in our dark little hearts for every story we publish, some continue to keep us up at night. Here are the 13 creepiest stories from 2015.
23 PARENTS DESCRIBE THEIR KIDS’ CREEPY IMAGINARY FRIENDS
July, 2015 – Forget runny noses or messy diapers—the real nightmare to parenting is a spine-chilling encounter with your child’s imaginary friend. A mom asked Reddit users to share the scariest thing their children have ever said about their ghostly companions. Be prepared to keep the night light on after reading these creepy accounts. READ MORE
9 INCREDIBLE CORPSES THAT NEVER DECOMPOSED
August, 2015 – Death can be strangely beautiful. Yet there are some who refuse to leave the physical world. From frozen Arctic explorers to incorrupt saints, the preserved corpses of these long-lost souls have remained eerily intact for hundreds—sometimes thousands—of years. READ MORE
INSIDE THE DEMENTED MIND OF JOHN WAYNE GACY, JR.
- Photo Credit: Murderpedia
March, 2015 – John Wayne Gacy, Jr. seemed to lead the ideal suburban life in Des Plaines, Illinois—until he was convicted of slaughtering 33 young men. Venture down into the basement of America’s killer clown in this killer excerpt from Tim Cahill’s true crime exposé, Buried Dreams. READ MORE
9 SERIAL KILLERS AND THE SPECIFIC WAY THEY SELECTED THEIR VICTIMS
- Photo Credit: Murderpedia
November, 2015 – Sometimes all it took was an unlocked door … Secure your home before discovering how these vicious killers selected their victims. READ MORE
CARNIE KILLERS: THE MURDER TRIAL OF LOBSTER BOY
July, 2015 – While true crime writer Fred Rosen was investigating the murder of Grady Stiles—a.k.a. Lobster Boy—he received a video tape that changed the course of the trial forever. But not without a threat to his own life. READ MORE
UNDYING LOVE: CARL TANZLER’S MUMMIFIED DREAM GIRL
April, 2015 – Decaying flesh couldn’t keep this obsessed suitor from his one true love. Meet Carl Tanzler, a German émigré who preserved his sweetheart in plaster after her untimely death. READ MORE
LITTLE HOUSE OF MURDER: THE BLOODY BENDERS
February, 2015 – In the 1870s, Kansas was home to wholesome homesteaders—and a family of serial killers, known as The Bloody Benders. READ MORE
DOUBLY DISTURBING: THE MARCUS TWINS’ MYSTERIOUS SUICIDES
April, 2015 – Identical twins and doctors Stewart and Cyril Marcus did everything together … including dying in a most mysterious fashion. READ MORE
8 REAL HAUNTED HOUSES YOU CAN ACTUALLY VISIT
October, 2015 – From possessed plantations to the home of a grisly axe murder, take a spine-chilling tour of these real haunted houses across the country. READ MORE
THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND OF NEW YORK
- Photo Credit: Christopher Payne
February, 2015 – Off the coast of the Bronx lies the last unknown place in New York City. Set sail for North Brother, a deserted island of ruins in the midst of the Big Apple. READ MORE
THE GHOST WHO SOLVED HER OWN MURDER
March, 2015 – In 1897, Mary Jane Heaster was devastated by the mysterious death of her daughter Zona—that is, until Zona’s spirit appeared in the night to tell her she’d been strangled by her husband. Unearth the eerie tale of the Greenbrier Ghost, in which one woman’s murder is solved by messages from beyond the grave. READ MORE
PHANTOM KILLER: THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY OF THE TEXARKANA MURDERS
- Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
December, 2015 – In 1946, a sadistic killer dressed in a white gunny sack mask terrorized the small town of Texarkana at twilight. His brutal attacks are known as the Texarkana Moonlight Murders and they remain unsolved to this day. READ MORE
HOUSE OF DARKNESS: THE HAUNTING OF THE PERRON FAMILY
- Photo Credit: HorrorGalore
September, 2015 – In the winter of 1970, Roger and Carolyn Perron and their children moved into a quaint Rhode Island farmhouse. Little did they know, their dream home in the country was a cursed house of horrors. READ MORE
Photos (in order): Lillie Kate / Flickr; rv1865 / Flickr; Murderpedia; Murderpedia; The State Attorney's Office of Florida; Wikimedia Commons; THE TOPEKA-CAPITAL JOURNAL; The Airship; Shannon O'Toole / Flickr; Christopher Payne; Wikimedia Commons; Wikimedia Commons; Horror Galore