South Dakota
Henry Weston Smith
Smith lived in South Dakota during the height of the gold rush in the area, and chose to minister to the people rather than search for riches. One day, when walking out of town to give a sermon, he was murdered. His body was found on the side of the road by a traveler.
Excerpt:
Unfortunately, Smith was murdered as he walked to Crook City, his body found alongside the road by a local resident, the exact location no longer remembered. […] A theory, however, held that he was murdered by a person or persons representing the saloons, brothels, casinos, and other ‘vice dens’ of Deadwood, who feared that his preaching would cut into their income. (KEEP READING)
Tennessee
Bell Witch
The Bell Witch, often called “Kate,” was blamed for attacking the family of John Bell Sr. in 1817. The witch is said to have cursed the family, and gained notoriety across the country. At one point even Andrew Jackson himself went to investigate the witch, but was scared off.
Excerpt:
John Bell Sr., who made his living as a farmer, resided with his family in Adams, Tennessee in the early 1800s. According to folklore in 1817, his family came under attack by a witch.
In the 1894 book An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch, author Martin Van Buren Ingram claims that the poltergeist’s name was Kate, and that she frequently cursed the Bell family out loud. The activity centered on the Bells’ youngest daughter, Betsy, and worsened after she became engaged to one Joshua Gardner. (KEEP READING)
Texas
Genene Jones
Source: via The Line Up
Genene Jones was a pediatric nurse who was an infant serial killer in Texas. She injected toxic substances into infants, in order to heroically “save” the infants afterward. Oftentimes, however, the infants did not survive the injections. The hospital attempted to cover up Jones’ crimes, but she was eventually convicted of murder. She will be released from prison on 2018.
Excerpt:
She then took a position at a pediatric physician’s clinic in Kerrville, Texas, near San Antonio. It was here that she was charged with poisoning six children. The doctor in the office discovered puncture marks in a bottle of succinylcholine in the drug storage, where only she and Jones had access. Contents of the apparently full bottle were later found to be diluted. Succinylcholine is a powerful paralytic that causes temporary paralysis of all skeletal muscles, as well as those that control breathing. (KEEP READING)
Utah
Skinwalker Ranch
Source: Skinwalker Ranch.org
This creepy ranch has constantly been surrounded by numerous rumors and eerie stories. It is apparently a hot spot for UFO activity, among other things…
Excerpt:
The ranch, located in west Uintah County bordering the Ute Indian Reservation, was popularly dubbed the “UFO ranch” due to its ostensible 50-year history of odd events said to have taken place there. Knapp and Kelleher cite the 1974 book The Utah UFO Display: A Scientist’s Report by Frank Salisbury and Joseph “Junior” Hicks, which details an earlier investigation into alleged UFO sightings in the Uintah County region, as partial confirmation of their account. According to Kelleher and Knapp, they saw or investigated evidence of close to 100 incidents that include vanishing and mutilated cattle, sightings of unidentified flying objects or orbs, large animals with piercing red eyes that they say were not injured when struck by bullets, and invisible objects emitting destructive magnetic fields. (KEEP READING)
Vermont
Bennington Triangle
The Bennington Triangle is the “Bermuda Triangle” of Vermont. Dozens of people have journeyed through this area of the state, and have never been seen again.
Excerpt:
Between 1945 and 1950 five people disappeared in the Bennington area. The first occurred on November 12, 1945 when 74-year-old Middie Rivers disappeared while out hunting. Rivers was guiding a group of four hunters up the mountains. On the way back Rivers got ahead of the rest of the group and was never seen again. (KEEP READING)