7 sinister urban legends

1. Device for self-beheading

A man beheaded himself using pretty tricky device specifically developed for this purpose. Sounds like the veriest nonsense or a plot of low budget horror film. Nonetheless, that’s the way it actually happened.  

In 2011 the wife of one of the citizens of Yorktown (Virginia, USA) turned her husband out of doors. He attached family trailer to his car and stuffed all his goods and chattels there. Then he drove off the house several districts away.. and set the trailer on fire. Heaven-sent police found the trailer on fire and the cast-off spouse locked in the car. There someone turned attention to wire that glanced around the man’s neck. It turned out it extended from the car window to the nearest tree about 10 meters away. Before policemen responded, the man hit the gas pedal and… lost his head.  

2. Ring and grave

Legend

It’s not even a legend, but a series of legends, a great many times used by the cinematography as well. They narrate about someone who was buried alive, but managed not only to dig himself/herself up, but also punish all villains, grow rich, find personal happiness, etc.  

True story is as follows

It was in Poland. After 6 years’ home life certain Martin Kasprzak decided that his fiancée Michelina Levandovska wasn’t good enough. Instead of letting her catch him red-handed in bed with more attractive girl, as any other man would do, Kasprzak arrived at more radical solution. He knocked his girlfriend senseless, tied her hands and feet with sticky tape, packed in a TV box and carried her away to a remote forest. There he buried the girl and went straightway to the nearest cash machine and withdrew all her money. 

Luckily for Michelinav Kasprzak had one unquestionable merit - he had an eye for jewelry and made a present of a ring with large genuine diamond to her betrothed when they engaged. Using this diamond she cut the tape around her hands and feet. After that she made a hole in the box with that brilliant and dug herself out through dirt and branches which the fiancé used to cover the grave.  

So, girls, when events trend towards engagement, demand a ring with huge brilliant for sure. Especially if your fiancé keeps a TV box for some reason. 

3. Cunning wife 

Legend

A man meets a woman of beauty beyond thought, they pitch a woo, then engagement… But after wedding the bridegroom got to know he had married… a witch. 

True story

Almost all the first year of married life Shriya and Bimal Patel lived in different cities- he was in Austin (Texas, USA), she - in Dubai (UAE). After reuniting the young wife confessed that she wanted to make husband’s day with massage with special oil and led him to the bath. All was taped - half-light, rose petals, candles were everywhere…

Naïve Bimal, probably, had been already sitting in the bath, when he felt that oil on his skin suspiciously stank of gasoline. Then he understood the candles were not for the purpose of romance at all… When fire burst into a blaze, the woman tore out of the bathroom and locked him. 

If Mr. Patel were more attentive, he would noticed that fire alarm system was providently switched off and water sprinklers were wrapped with plastic bags. She had planned it meticulously, but for some reason the idea of divorce didn’t come to her mind.

Without doubt, Shriya Patel was convicted for premeditated murder.  

4. Mad doc 

Legend

Insane doctors who go in for shredding dewy-eyed patients with all their might are characters of many urban legends and popular characters featuring in the squillion of scary films.  

You may face them in real life too.  

Glen Tucker was an awful cosmetic surgeon. Seemingly, he took some sadistic delight in deforming people. One patient’s treatment, who visited him with hand spasm complaint, ended with amputation. A woman, who came for breast implants, got Frankenstein-worthy square breast with scars. 

When complaints and legal actions amassed, the report of surgeon’s tragic death appeared who had allegedly drowned when boating. A year ago he was found in Florida, where he had managed to cripple a lot of patients. After this story had become known all over the country, Taker made a statement to newsmen: “If I ever feel driven into a corner and decide it is not worth to live, I’ll pass away, but not alone”. 

He kept his word. Several years ago he put a pistol to his head, after he had killed his wife and even a cat.  

5. Corpse in the swimming pool 

Legend

Stories of this sort are created to tell them in school changing rooms. Something like: a girl went for a swim and there a stiff one appeared and grabbed her leg!  

Truth

A child from Massachusetts went for a swim to a public swimming pool and caught the sight of something large on the surface of the water. It emerged it was the body of a woman who had been on the wanted list. By that time the body had been in the pool three days - in close proximity to unwitting and carelessly plashing kiddies. Perhaps, they did see her, but put her down for a swimmer who could hold her breath for a long time - besides, water sloshing may create an illusion of movement. 

The interesting point is… two different inspectors checked the water in the swimming pool over these three days! 

6. Dead Man’s party 

Legend

Any of the stories which end something like this: “And then it turned out he had been dead the whole time!” 

True story

By the time Robert Young and Mark Rubinson came to their friend Jeffrey Jarrett’s place, the latter had already been dead with OD. The condition of the friends was unknown, but they decided that Jarrett was overcome by drink. Expecting he was going to sleep himself sober, thick-and-thin friends stuffed the body into the backseat and took off for a night on the town.  

Since Jarret didn’t express interest to party continuation, Young and Rubinson left him “in piece” at the back seat as they whooped it up in four different bars and strip clubs. At a given time they ran out of money and “borrowed” Jarrett’s credit card. And then they decided to take the dull fish home, and went to have fun - needless to say - at his expense. And only in the morning one of them tumbled that Jarrett had been dead the whole time. 

Despite virtually good intentions the buddies were charged with abuse of corpse and theft.  

7. Collector 

Legend

Thanks to Hollywood, all of us know how a crazy neighbor murderer should look like - quite, polite, well-educated and anything but suspicious. 

True story

It’s the way a local historian and polyglot from Nizhni Novgorod Anatoly Moskvin looked like.  

His entire flat was stuffed with huge human-sized dolls. It’s quite strange per se, but the case was much worse. Under chiffon dresses and blond wigs police officers found 29 mummified corpses of girls and young women! 

Moskvin was a passionate collector, but stamps and coins didn’t bother him. He collected dead human bodies, which he dug out at the cemeteries of Nizhni Novgorod, Moscow and several regions of the largest country all over the world. Moreover, he didn’t take home any corpses. In some cases he opened a grave and if something was wrong he buried it back. 

So, if your beloved one or parents are discontented with the fact you take home some hardware or skittle away all money for hand-bags, remind them that your little hobby is not the worst one.