Spirit photography emerged in the mid-19th century, tapping into people’s desire to connect with deceased loved ones through eerie photographs that appeared to capture “ghosts.”

This movement began with photographers like William Mumler in post-Civil War America, who used tricks like double exposure to place ghostly images of the dead within portrait photos. For mourners, these images felt real and offered a sense of closure or connection beyond death.

Victorian England soon embraced spirit photography, blending it with the burgeoning spiritualism movement that suggested the dead stayed close by. Figures like Frederick A. Hudson created photos that purportedly showed spectral relatives, further embedding the idea of life after death.

However, these images also faced scrutiny; skeptics questioned the legitimacy of the photographs, while some spiritualists, like William Stainton Moses, believed genuine photographers existed. Today, they’re seen as little more than the worst kind of fraud.

Félicette, a black-and-white stray from Paris, made history on October 18, 1963, as the first (and only) cat sent into space. Weighing just five and a half pounds, she was chosen for her calm temperament among 14 cats trained by French scientists for space missions. Nicknamed “C 341” in training, Félicette was subjected to rigorous tests, including confinement and rocket simulations, as scientists observed her brain activity.

Launched in a Véronique AG1 rocket from Hammaguir, Algeria, Félicette experienced a brief 15-minute journey, reaching nearly 157 km above Earth. Upon her safe return, she was celebrated as “Astrocat,” although media initially referred to her as “Félix,” a male name.

Despite her groundbreaking flight, Félicette’s story faded, overshadowed by other space animals like Laika and Ham. However, in 2017, a successful campaign funded a statue honoring Félicette at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France.

Amanda Tusing was a 20-year-old woman living with her parents in Dell, Arkansas. She was petite and brunette, and was affectionally called “Mandy” by her loved ones. Amanda was described as “spunky” and she had the world by the tail.

Amanda was engaged to Matthew Ervin, and was already planning their wedding for June of 2001. She had ambitions of one day becoming a vet, while Matthew sold insurance after graduating from Arkansas State University. The couple were said to be inseparable.

It was around 11:30PM the 14th of June, 2000, Amanda left Matthew’s home in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to drive back to the home she shared with her parents in Dell, Arkansas.

Amanda had left in the middle of a heavy rainstorm, and she promised her fiancé that once she arrived, she would call him to tell him know she had gotten home safely.

The journey should have taken around an hour, but by 1:30AM, Matthew still hadn’t heard from Amanda. He called up her parents, Ed and Susan Tusing, and was informed that Amanda wasn’t there and that she had never arrived.

Fear immediately swept over Matthew, Ed and Susan. Matthew and Ed grabbed their respective car keys and began driving along Ark 18. This was the road Amanda would have driven along to get from his apartment to her parents’ home and they agreed that they would meet somewhere in the middle.

Around one mile west of Monette on Ark. 18, Matthew’s headlights illuminated the dark road, and he spotted Amanda’s black 1991 Grand Am pulled over to the side. She must have broken down, he thought, but when he pulled up alongside the car, he saw that it was empty and the keys were still in the ignition.

He opened up the door, to find that Amanda’s purse was on the passenger’s seat. Even more eerie, the window wipers had stopped mid-wipe. When he turned the key in the ignition, the car started perfectly. Amanda was nowhere to be seen, and there was no sign of a struggle…

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞:

Peter Kürten, also known as “The Vampire of Düsseldorf,” was a notorious German serial killer active in the late 1920s. He was born in 1883 in Cologne, and endured a traumatic childhood filled with abuse and violence, which he later cited as formative in his descent into criminality. His violent tendencies emerged at a young age, escalating to animal cruelty and sexual violence. By his early teens, Kürten was committing petty crimes and eventually escalated to brutal assaults and murders.

In the late 1920s, Kürten terrorized Düsseldorf with a series of horrifying crimes, including sexual assaults, attempted murders, and at least nine confirmed murders, although he claimed to have killed many more. His methods were exceptionally sadistic, often involving stabbing, strangulation, and even drinking his victims’ blood, which earned him his infamous “vampire” moniker. He instilled fear across Germany, and his unpredictability made him difficult for police to apprehend.

Kürten’s capture in 1930 came after he confided in his wife about his crimes, leading her to report him to the authorities. He showed no remorse and told police he found pleasure in instilling fear. He was convicted and sentenced to death.

Before his execution by guillotine, he said:

“Tell me… after my head is chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.”

This photograph is of Joe Metheny, a serial killer who claimed he made burgers out of his victims and sold them on his BBQ stand.

He was born into a troubled family environment and his childhood was marred by hardship. His father, an alcoholic, died when Metheny was just six years old, and his mother worked multiple jobs to support her six children. This contradicted Metheny’s later claims of neglect and foster care. Despite his assertions, his mother insisted he had a stable home life and that his upbringing was far from the troubled narrative he spun.

Metheny joined the U.S. Army in 1973, where he claimed he served in Vietnam, developing a heroin addiction. However, his mother disputed this, stating he was stationed in Germany, and there’s no verified evidence of his involvement in Vietnam. Following his service, Metheny’s life spiralled into addiction, and he became entangled with Baltimore’s homeless community, spending most of his money on drugs and alcohol.

Metheny’s violent crimes began in 1994 when he murdered Cathy Ann Magaziner. He later admitted to 13 brutal murders involving young female victims addicted to drugs. His chilling confessions included desecrating bodies and disposing of remains. He also claimed that he turned the flesh of his victims into burgers and sold them at his BBQ stand.

In 1996, he attempted to kill Rita Kemper, who managed to escape and alert authorities, leading to his arrest. In 1998, Metheny was sentenced to life without parole after his initial death sentence was overturned. He died in his prison cell in 2017.

Ethan Stacy was born on 22 September, 2005, to parents Stephanie and Joe Stacey. His birth took place at Fort Stewart Army Base in Georgia, and afterward, the family relocated to Florida.

Ethan was a typical little boy, known for his fun-loving nature and his huge love for the Transformers. His father, Joe, reminisced: “He was the best little boy that you’d ever meet. He really was. He was a very loveable child, and that’s all he wanted, was to love on people all the time.”

His grandmother, Freida Stacy, described him as a loving little boy who was a go-getter and would have been able to achieve anything he set his mind to in life. Ethan was also fond of making people laugh and was known for the funny faces he liked to pull. Amber Llewellyn, a family friend, said: “Ethan was very loving, he loved hugs, and he was a funny kid. He would make you laugh just being himself. He was always happy, and he loved his daddy.”

Despite being just four-years-old, Ethan was already showing signs of intelligence. Joe recalled how he would show him how to do something, and he’d pick it up practically instantly. Joe stated: “He’s just a very intelligent boy.”

The marriage between Stephanie and Joe eventually came to an end in late 2009. Joe moved back to Richlands, Virginia, where he had grown up, while Stephanie relocated to Layton, Utah. Ethan went to live with his father after Joe was granted custody. According to the divorce papers, Joe had written: “The mother has abandoned the child, and I’m afraid the mother will come and take him, and I’ll never see him again.”

On April 28, 2010, the divorce was finalized, and subsequently, four-year-old Ethan was sent to live with Stephanie at her Layton Meadow apartment in Layton, Utah, but just for the summer. Though the custody dispute had resulted in this arrangement, Ethan didn’t really want to go. He loved living with his father in Richlands, Virginia. However, due to the court order, he had to spend the summer with his mother in Layton and the rest of his time with his father in Richlands.

In Layton, Stephanie had a new boyfriend, Nathan Sloop, who had been sending threatening and violent text messages to Joe before Ethan’s move. Joe recalled: “I had been threatened over the past six months by him.” The family believed that Stephanie didn’t actually want custody of Ethan; she simply wanted to hurt Joe. Freida commented: “It was like Ethan was just a pawn.”

On 10 May 2010, shortly after midnight, Stephanie called the police in Layton and reported that Ethan had disappeared from their apartment.

An investigation would reveal that in thee short time Ethan was living with his mother and Nathan, he had been living a nightmare…..

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞:

This photograph captured by Ronald L. Haeberle shows a South Vietnamese family moments before they were killed by the United States Army.

During the My Lai massacre, the United States Army committed the mass murder of unarmed civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. It was estimated that 504 people were killed, but that wasn’t all.

Many of the victims, including children, were gang raped and their bodies were mutilated. It was the largest massacre of civilians by the United States Army in the 20th century.

Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe shared a complex and iconic love story that captivated the world. They married in 1954, bringing together the celebrated baseball star and the world’s most famous actress. But their relationship was turbulent. DiMaggio, who sought a quiet, devoted wife, struggled with Marilyn’s fame and the attention she received. Their marriage lasted only nine months, though they remained close even after their divorce.

DiMaggio’s love for Marilyn endured long after their separation. In the years following her death in 1962, he was devastated. To honor her memory, he arranged for half a dozen red roses to be delivered to her crypt three times a week—a ritual he kept for twenty years. His devotion to Marilyn was unwavering; he never remarried, and it was clear she remained the love of his life.

DiMaggio’s final words, reportedly, were “I’ll finally get to see Marilyn.“

It was around 2:45AM on January 14, 2009, when Gilbert, Arizona, police received a distressing 911 call from a woman. She reported that her husband had strangled her and tried to sexually assault her. Rushing to the scene, police officers found the front door wide open, and moments later, a frantic woman emerged. She bore bloodstains on her forehead and in her hair, but when questioned about her injuries, she claimed the blood was her husband’s.

The distraught woman was Marissa DeVault. An officer entered the residence and proceeded to the master bedroom, where he discovered 34-year-old Dale Harrell. Dale lay naked, face down on the floor, bleeding profusely from the head, and thrashing his arms and legs while moaning in pain. A blood-soaked pillow adorned the bed, and a blood-stained claw hammer rested on the bedside table.

Dale was urgently transported to the hospital, where medical professionals revealed the extensive damage to his shattered skull. Remarkably, he clung to life, requiring extensive surgical intervention.

Dale and Marissa’s story had its origins in their teenage years in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Though they lost touch, they reconnected in their twenties while both living in Phoenix. Marissa, who already had a child from a previous relationship and worked as an exotic dancer, found in Dale a promising partner who assumed a fatherly role for her daughter.

Initially, the case seemed straightforward, but detectives would soon learn it was anything but…

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞:

This was the last photograph that Anne Faber ever sent to her boyfriend while on a bike ride in Utrech, the Netherlands, on 29 September, 2017.

That evening, Anne failed to return home and her family promptly reported her missing. Shortly after snapping the above photograph, Anne was abducted and stabbed to death by a local sex offender identified only as Michael P.

Her body was recovered in a wooded area in a nature reserve in Zeewolde. Her killer was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

For 28 long and torturous years, Anthony Ray Hinton woke up in a cramped cell of 5 foot by 7 foot. From here, he saw 54 men be led to the electric chair. The following day, the air in death row would be thick with the smell of burnt flesh. Awaiting your death in the death chamber is a horrible fate for anybody but when you’re innocent of the crime that placed you there, it’s even worse..

When Hinton was 29-years-old, he was wrongfully convicted of murdering two fast food workers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vasona, who were shot dead during two separate incidents during armed robberies at their restaurants in Birmingham, Alabama. Hinton’s public defence attorney didn’t provide adequate counsel and even said to Hinton: “All of ya’ll blacks always say you didn’t do something.”

During his trial, his attorney hired a lousy ballistics expert with little to no experience and only one eye. The prosecution tore him apart, berating his poor eyesight and inability to use a microscope properly. Moreover, the jury completely disregarded the testimony of Hinton’s boss who claimed Hinton was at work during the murders.

Hinton was found guilty of both murders and was sentenced to death.

To add insult to injury, 16 years into his sentence, an Alabama court heard testimony from firearms experts that the revolver Hinton supposedly used to commit the murders could not be matched to evidence in either case and that the two murders couldn’t even be linked to each other. There were no fingerprints or evidence that indicated that the murders were perpetrated by the same person or even the same weapon. Nevertheless, with this persuasive and reliable testimony, the state refused to re-open the case. The prosecutor even wrote a self-published memoir in which he referred to Hinton as “evil personified” and a “rat bastard.”

13 years later, the court finally ordered a new trial for Hinton based on the testimony from firearms experts. On the 3rd of April, 2015, Hinton was finally released from prison and all charges against him were dropped. Hinton was the 152nd person to be exonerated from Death Row. He went on to write a memoir about his experience.

He later said: “The state of Alabama had ever intention of killing me for a crime I didn’t commit. They didn’t care whether I did it. They cared about the colour of my skin.”

On July 31, 1960, the body of an unidentified young girl, later known as “Little Miss Nobody,” was found in the Sand Wash Creek Bed near Congress, Arizona.

Estimated to be between five and seven years old, she had been deceased for about two weeks before her discovery. Attempts were evident at digging multiple graves before she was finally buried. In a possible effort to conceal her identity, her naturally brunette hair had been dyed auburn. She was found dressed in white shorts, a checked blouse, and sandals cut to fit her small feet. A small, bloody pocketknife lay nearby, but investigators couldn’t determine her cause of death. Despite a rigorous investigation, her identity remained a mystery.

The community rallied to give her a respectful burial, with locals raising funds, and a local florist and mortuary providing funeral services.

The Banda District of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India is marked by a deeply patriarchal culture, rife with domestic violence, child marriages and dowry demands. According to government statistics, a woman is abducted every 10 minutes and one is raped every 20 minutes in India.

As a result of the misogyny, Sampat Pal Devi developed the “Gulabi Gang.” They work together for justice for oppressed and abused women. They wear pink and carry a bamboo stick to use as a weapon if necessary.

“I don’t advocate violence, but there are times when that is the only way to fight. These are people for whom words and arguments are not enough,” Devi said.

An antique iron spiked dog collar from the 17th century. The collar has spikes to protect the dog’s throat from attacks by wild animals while out guarding the flock or helping their owner hunt.

These two cats, Bacon and Eggs, were born with a birth defect in their eyes which resulted in infections. To prevent further pain and infections, their eyes were removed by Maryland SPCA. Following their operation they were adopted together.