My Innocence Is RUINED After Learning These Disturbing Truths

Hello friends! I am Crystal and I write It Became Dark newsletter, BuzzFeed’s weekly recap of all things creepy, spooky, and scary AF. And if you love this type of content, subscriber!!!!!

What’s in the newsletter this week:

Warning: Graphic content, including murder stories, ahead.

1. Most of you are probably very familiar with this topic. JonBenét Ramsey caseBut what you may have forgotten (or never knew) is that it came to light around Christmas, and that she may have been murdered on Christmas Eve, in a house still sparkling with lights and wrapped gifts.

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On December 26, 1996, 6-year-old JonBenét was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado. He had suffered a blow to the head and had strangled to death, and a ransom note found inside the house quickly turned suspicion inward.

ZUMA Press, Inc. /Alamy

Over the years, the Ramsey family has endured intense public scrutiny, legal battles and decades of speculation as attention has focused on his parents, his brother and the possibility of intruders. Despite numerous investigations and renewed DNA tests, no one has ever been charged with her murder.

2. On Christmas Eve 2008, in the midst of the holidays, when houses were full, doors were open, and families gathered to celebrate, one of the darkest Christmas crimes in modern U.S. history unfolded. Covina, California.

That night, a man named Bruce Pardo showed up at his ex-father-in-law’s house. wearing Santa suit He opened fire on those inside, killing nine people, including his ex-wife. He also used a homemade flamethrower to set the house on fire, during which his costume caught fire and burned him badly.

Pardo fled the scene and was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his brother’s home. Investigators said the attack was linked to a recent divorce and serious financial problems.

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3. Spooky and tragic story Sodder ChildrenThe person who disappeared on Christmas Eve.

On December 24, 1945, the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia was destroyed by fire. Five of the 10 Sodder children managed to escape… and five disappeared. Authorities said the missing children, ages 5 to 14, died in the fire, but no remains were found and the fire was not hot enough to completely burn the bodies.

The parents, George and Jennie Sodder, never accepted this explanation and spent decades following leads, reporting sightings and publicly soliciting information. They both died before they could find out what happened to their children.

4. Weird Wikipedia page about something creepy christmas cat.

In Icelandic folklore, Christmas comes with a threat: If you don’t buy new clothes before the holiday, the Christmas Cat will eat you. Known as Jólakötturinn, this huge supernatural cat is said to roam the countryside at Christmas time, preying on people, especially children, who cannot afford new clothes as gifts.

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It’s a story rooted in ancient labor traditions, used to shame or intimidate people into working harder, making it less festive folklore and more of a reminder that some holiday traditions are built on fear, punishment, and the idea of ​​a deeply lousy motivation.

5. Celebrity Death Anniversary this week: George Michael died of heart disease on December 25, 2016.

The British pop star was 53 when she was found dead at her home in Goring-on-Thames, England, on Christmas Day. An inquest later ruled that he was dead natural causesdilated cardiomyopathy, especially with myocarditis.

The timing of his death carried an inevitable irony: Michael was killed by his former band Wham! It has been closely associated with the holiday season for decades due to the iconic Christmas song “Last Christmas”, which he recorded with. His death added a darker tone to the song’s legacy and the holiday season.

6. Finally, the story of murderer Charles Starkweather.

Normally I highlight the story and last meal of a serial killer, but this week’s article has a technical exception: starkweather He is classified as a serial killer rather than a serial killer. I’m including him because his crimes came to light during the holiday season.

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In late 1957 and early 1958, Starkweather, accompanied by his teenage girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate, killed 11 people, including Fugate’s family, in Nebraska and Wyoming just days before Christmas.

The spree ended when Starkweather was pulled over by a Wyoming state trooper after a series of sightings; While he was arrested without a fight, Fugate was detained separately. Starkweather was convicted and executed in Nebraska in 1959 at the age of 20; Fugate, however, later served time in prison before being paroled. The case shocked the country and inspired films such as: wastelands (1973).

His last meal: He refused the traditional steak dinner and asked for cold cuts instead.

Do you have a weird, creepy or shocking story you’d like to share? Maybe there’s a weird Wikipedia page you’d like to talk about? Tell me all about it at thatgotdark@buzzfeed.com; Who knows, maybe it will be included in future editions. It Became Dark!

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