In the midsts of the UK’s history of serial murderers, Peter Tobin is a man with a dark past. Convicted of the murder of three women across the UK, and an earlier brutal attack on two teenage girls, Tobin is currently serving three life sentences with a recommendation that he is never to be released. This is a man who traveled around the country, used up to 40 aliases to avoid detection and to avoid anyone discovering his previous crimes. Caught for murder at 60-years-old, authorities’ fear he has been operating for more than 40 years and could be responsible for many more deaths. Peter Tobin was in the Glasgow area at the time of the Bible John murders and known to frequent the Barrowland Ballroom where all three victims met their killer. His appearance at that time bears a striking resemblance to the artist’s impression of Bible John. He has connections to religion and he was jailed for burglary and forgery right at the time the Bible John murders stopped. Could Peter Tobin be Bible John?
I’m Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness.
SHOW OPEN=====
Welcome, Weirdos – I’m Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Here you’ll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained.
Coming up in this episode…
It is said that Saint Catherine Of Alexandria courageously confronted 50 pagan philosophers and was sentenced to death. But some wonder if she ever even existed. (Catherine of Alexandria)
Why are some people so afraid of black cats? Could there be a rational reason behind it, or is it silly made-up nonsense? (Black Cat Fears)
Would you be willing to buy a home that you knew was built on the site of a demolished, haunted mental asylum? One Detroit suburb is about to find out if people will. (Haunted Mental Asylum Sold for $1)
Three unsolved murders in the 1960s in Glasgow, Scotland terrorized those in the area. A killer was on the loose and they were calling him Bible John. (The Bible John Murders)
If you’re new here, welcome to the show! While you’re listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com for merchandise, my newsletter, enter contests, to connect with me on social media, plus, you can visit the Hope in the Darkness page if you’re struggling with depression or dark thoughts. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com.
Now.. bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the Weird Darkness!
STORY: BIBLE JOHN=====
The Bible John nickname was coined from the behavior of the only suspect in this case, a man who shared a taxi with the last victim and her sister who said his name was John and quoted from the Bible. Two previous murders of local woman had shocked the city and the longer the suspect remained at large the more frightened the residents became. There was no doubt these murders of women in the Glasgow area had been carried out by the same individual. All three were women and all three were strangled and beaten. Then all of a sudden, in 1969 the murders stopped, and the trail of the so-called Bible John went cold.
Glasgow is a vibrant city and the largest in Scotland. Situated on the River Clyde, is has its historic roots in shipbuilding and engineering. In the 1960’s, Glasgow was a social hub with its streets populated by bars and dancing halls. Weekends were about meeting friends, dancing and enjoying yourself.
The Barrowland Ballroom in the East End was a popular venue allowing for nights of fun and laughter. The Ballroom however soon became famous for a different reason, one of terror and fear as all three victims attended this Ballroom on the night of their murder giving rise to the notion that this where they met their killer.
Patricia Docker was a 25-year-old nurse out for a night of fun with her friends in February 1968. She never returned home and her body was found the next morning by an unsuspecting laborer on his way to work. She had told her parents she was going to a different ballroom that night, losing the police valuable time before they discovered her true whereabouts. When she was found, her clothes and handbag were missing and have never been recovered.
A year and a half later, Jemima McDonald aged 32 went for a night out at the Barrowland and again a young woman did not make it home. She was found days later in a derelict house by her own sister who by this time had become desperately worried about her and followed up on rumors from children that they had seen a body in the house.
Once again the beaten and strangled body of a young woman had been found with no clothes or belongings after a night out at the Barrowland Ballroom.
Just two months later, 29-year-old Helen Puttock enjoyed a night out with her sister in the East End of Glasgow in October 1969. They had met two men that night and shared a taxi home. After her sister left the taxi at her own house she waved off Helen fully expecting to see her the next day as arranged.
Helen never did arrive home and was found the next morning in the same manner as the previous two victims.
In Glasgow’s longest running and most high profile of unsolved crimes, the mystery of Bible John had the city whispering and questioning on who he could be. Despite a reported 50’000 statements being taken regarding the murders, no one has ever been caught and brought to trial for the crimes.
One theory on his identity has risen to the top and it firmly points to Peter Tobin being the mysterious Bible John killer of Glasgow.
In 1993 Peter Tobin carried out an attack on two 14-year-old girls. After enticing them into his flat in Hampshire, he drugged and raped them, stabbing one and leaving them in the flat with the gas turned on for them to die.
He then went on the run, hiding out in Coventry, Brighton, and London but both girls survived the attack and he was tracked down and arrested. He pleaded guilty to the attacks and spent 10 years in prison. After being released in 2004 at 58 years old he returned to Scotland and settled in Paisley. In 2006, homeless he began visiting the soup kitchen held at St Patricks Roman Catholic Church in Anderston in Glasgow, eventually proving himself useful as a handyman for the church. It was here, under the false name of Pat McLaughlin, he met 23-year-old Polish student Angelika Kluk who was living in the house adjoined to the church.
On 24 September 2006 Angelika disappeared and five days later her battered body was found under the floorboards of the St Patricks Church. Last seen in the company of Tobin who had once again fled the area, police tracked him down and with overwhelming forensic evidence against him, he was convicted of her murder, receiving a life sentence with a recommendation he serve a minimum of 21 years.
Angelika Kluk had died a brutal death. She had been beaten, raped, tied up and stabbed 19 times before being dumped underground. Forensic scientists indicated she had been alive when placed in that space under the floorboards.
Psychologists and criminologists have long understood the development of those who kill and the murder of Angelika Kluk did not indicate this was Peter Tobin’s first murder. They knew he had done this before. It is very rare for a middle-aged man to suddenly commit a murder so brutal and detailed. This is a developed behavior and this type of murder generally starts at a younger age, around late teens to early twenties.
This suggests Peter Tobin may have been killing for 40 years. Police launched Operation Anagram to examine his past, his movements and his history and compare them with unsolved murders across the UK.
Their investigations led them to the bodies of two teenage girls, murdered by Peter Tobin and buried in the back garden of his former home. Peter Tobin was on the Violent and Sex Offenders Register, he moved around the country from place to place always giving a different name and rarely informing the authorities, as he was meant to do, of his whereabouts. He was free to roam and with false names, he was free of his past crimes.
In 2007 police began investigating Tobin under Operation Anagram for the disappearance of 15-year-old school girl Vicky Hamilton in 1991. Last seen in Bathgate, West Lothian waiting for a bus, Peter Tobin, it was found, lived less than a mile away.
Very soon after her disappearance, he had left the Bathgate area for Margate in Kent. Police launched a search of both houses. When police searched his house in Margate, they found the remains of Vicky Hamilton buried in the back garden. He had taken her body with him when he left the Bathgate area.
The knife used to kill Vicky was also found in his former home linking him directly to her murder. He was again charged and convicted of murder and given a second life sentence.
*****“Yet again you have shown yourself to be unfit to live in a decent society. It is hard for me to convey the loathing and revulsion that ordinary people will feel for what you have done.” – Judge in Vicky Hamilton murder trial.*****
Dinah McNicol was 18-years-old and in August 1991 she was hitch-hiking back from a music festival when she disappeared. In 2007 a second body was found in the garden of the house in Margate which was confirmed to be Dinah McNicol.
The post-mortem examination of both Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol revealed traces of the drug amitriptyline, the same drug Tobin used in the attack on the two girls in 1993.
In 2009 Tobin went on trial for the third time charged with the murder of Dinah McNicol. His defense offered no evidence and he was found guilty after less than 15 minutes of deliberation. A third life sentence followed with a recommendation that Peter Tobin should never be released.
In the continuing Operation Anagram investigation, police were particularly interested in Peter Tobin’s links to Glasgow and whether he could have been the killer who took three women’s lives in the 1960’s and who had been labeled Bible John.
Tobin has never been cooperative with police or criminologists looking into his case. He has reportedly bragged in prison that he has killed 48 people. He has refused most interviews and has not been forthcoming with police in information about his past and his movements over the years prior to the Angelika Kluk murder.
Tobin, it was discovered, has a long history of violence against women. After his convictions, his ex-wife came forward to tell of being raped and stabbed by Tobin and being left for dead. This is a man with little regard for women and a man who uses violence to achieve dominance and power.
Evidence from the original Bible John murders was examined, however, it was found not to be good enough quality for DNA samples to look for a match with Tobin. These crimes were committed in the late 60’s in Scotland when procedures, processes and available resources were not as advanced as they are today.
The sister of the final victim, Helen Puttock, is the only person to have met and had a good look at the man believed to be Bible John. Jean McLachan shared a taxi home with her sister and a man understood to be her sisters killer. She gave police a detailed description which led to the now so well-known artist’s impression of the Bible John killer.
In 2010, Patrica Chambers came forward to give evidence that she was attacked and raped in Glasgow in 1968 when she was 15 years old. Patrica Chambers met a man at the Barrowland Nightclub in Glasgow who introduced himself as Jim McLaughlin. She set up a date with him and believes he spiked her drink. She was dragged into an alleyway with her attacker screaming obscenities at her.
She put up a fight firmly believing her life was in danger and her attacker stamped on her face, leaving scars she still has today, 42 years later. Passers-by came to her rescue and her attacker fled. She believes her attacker was Peter Tobin and she may have been one of his first victims.
The surname McLaughlin is a name known to have been used a number of times by Peter Tobin in the following years. The details of the attack and where she met her attacker match the pattern used by Bible John and she believes Peter Tobin was Bible John.
Detective Joe Jackson, who went on to become Head of Glasgow’s CID, was involved in the original hunt for Bible John and he saw the details of Peter Tobin on the news after the Angelika Kluk case. It struck him just how many similarities there were between Tobin and what they knew of the Bible John killer. Tobin looked like the Bible John e-fit; his modus operandi was the same, his lifestyle and movements around the UK and his interest in religion all link back to the Bible John murders.
Jacksons book Chasing Killers details the hunt for Bible John and the exhaustive effort of officers involved. For months they attended dance halls trying to catch a glimpse of Bible John, interviewing dancers and trying to find more leads in the case.
There are certainly a number of elements which match Peter Tobin with the Bible John identity and the murders of 1968-69:
• Tobin met his wife at the Barrowland Ballroom
• He was at the right age when he frequented the Ballroom to fit the profile of an emerging serial killer at 21 years of age
• Photographs of a younger Peter Tobin are strikingly similar to the artist’s impression of Bible John
• He was living in the Glasgow when the first two Bible John murders took place
• Tobin was a souvenir collector, he liked to take items from his victims and keep them such as jewelry and clothing. All victims of the Bible John murders where found without their handbags and personal belongings
• Just after the last victim, Helen Puttock was found, Tobin left the area moving to Brighton
• Soon after arriving in Brighton, Peter Tobin was jailed for burglary in forgery charges and at the same time, the Bible John killings stopped
Criminologist Professor David Wilson, who has studied both the cases of Peter Tobin and the Bible John murders, has stated he firmly believes Peter Tobin is Bible John, to the extent he has published a book with his findings; The Lost British Serial Killer.
For Professor Wilson there are too many coincidences and similarities between the crimes of Peter Tobin and the Bible John murders.
*****“I am as convinced as it’s able to be. As far as I am concerned the case is closed.” – Criminologist Professor David Wilson*****
However, while there are similarities between the cases and their identities, there are also differences. All the victims of Bible John were older than 25 years of age and Tobin is known for attacking younger girls in their teens and very early twenties. Furthermore, some have suggested the killings in Glasgow were not carried out by one man and this myth of Bible John may be inaccurate.
The description of Bible John and the subsequent artist’s impression came from the final victim’s sister. This applies to the final murder but there is no evidence for this to apply to the first two murders as there are no witnesses and no descriptions for the murders of Patrica Docker and Jemima McDonald. There have been alternative theories put forward for the identity of Bible John, one of which is that he was a police officer in Glasgow.
A theory that Bible John was the killer of all three women and was a serving Glasgow police officer is one suggested explanation for why he has evaded capture. According to retired police officer and author Paul Harrison, a local police officer was under suspicion by the investigating officer in the Bible John case, Joe Beattie, but he was ordered to shut down that line of inquiry by higher bosses.
Mr Harrison believes he has uncovered the name of this officer and has offered this information to the police. In his book, Dancing with the Devil – The Bible John Murders, Mr Harrison details his search for the truth about the identity of Bible John and he claims the killer was a serving police officer at the time of the murders.
He claims he knows the area this man now lives and is concerned he may have killed again. Paul Harrison was one of the first police officers in the UK to train with the FBI on criminal profiling techniques. His own research and investigation into the Bible John murders is extensive and provides some additional information to the case.
Harrison makes a number of claims in his book including that the sister of the final victim was sure the man she met that night was a police officer. He also claims through interviews with people at the Ballroom, he has uncovered a number of witness statements which describe a man showing a police identification card who fits the description of the so-called Bible John.
Theories on the identity of Bible John have been rife, with speculation continuing today, over 40 years after the murders. Each year that passes is another year that the families of the victims do not have the answers on who cruelly and brutally took their loved ones away before their time.
Forensic science has developed greatly since the murders, however, the evidence collected at the time has not proved to be good enough quality to firmly rule in or out any suspect.
Peter Tobin is in prison, serving a sentence he is unlikely to ever be released from. While the circumstantial evidence pointing to him as the Bible John killer is great, no firm evidence linking him to the murders had been found, and therefore he is unlikely to ever be charged with the murders.
Someone out there knows the truth. Someone knows what happened on those three nights in Glasgow and someone knows who Bible John really is. Whether this is Peter Tobin it appears will never be revealed conclusively and it may be that the true identity of Bible John will forever remain an unknown and the murders of three young women will remain unsolved.
BREAK=====
Up next…
It is said that Saint Catherine Of Alexandria courageously confronted 50 pagan philosophers and was sentenced to death. But some wonder if she ever even existed. (Catherine of Alexandria)
Why are some people so afraid of black cats? Could there be a rational reason behind it, or is it silly made-up nonsense? (Black Cat Fears)
Those stories and more when Weird Darkness returns.
STORY: BLACK CAT=====
Today, it is difficult to imagine that black cats were once dreaded and persecuted. After all, some our favorite and most famous characters have been black cats, such as Felix the Cat, Snowball II of The Simpsons, and Sylvester the tuxedo kitty. However, the world sentiment about black cats has been mixed. Black cat superstition has been a real phenomenon throughout history, and this has led to many misguided notions about them, especially in Medieval Europe. Fortunately for the black cat, there have also been good black cat superstitions where people admire or even worship the feline.
Superstitions can be negative or positive, depending on the context. Although it’s speculation, the origin of black cat superstitions may stem from our prehistoric human ancestors. Early man had a big problem with cats. Many of them were much larger in size than they are now. Plus, they had voracious carnivorous appetites, even for humans. Because humans were not always at the top of the food chain, fear of cats was necessary for survival. If someone came into contact with a huge South American Smilodon – the saber toothed tiger – it was his fear that could help him to fight or run away.
This early fear of cats may have created a primal distrust of felines that most, but not all, of humankind has overcome as cats became smaller. Although nobody knows what color the Smilodon was, it was specifically black cats that became the primary target of negative superstitious beliefs.
During the Middle Ages, bad black cat superstitions took hold. Some people assigned sinister qualities to black cats. Normans and Germanic people believed that, like the black raven, a black cat was a sign that a death would soon occur. They thought that if a black cat crosses your path it was bad luck. The fears about black cats spread throughout Europe over time and, sadly, mass killings of black cats took place. Although certain areas of Europe, such as places in the UK, had some positive black cat superstitions, the black feline was often misunderstood and mistreated.
The Middle Ages, also called the Dark Ages, in Europe, was a time of many superstitions that resulted from early spiritual beliefs and a lack of scientific understanding about nature. The persecution of people accused of being witches is a clear example. People believed that witches and black cats worked together. Supposedly, the devil sent the black cat to assist in the witch’s evil deeds. Additionally, witches were able to turn themselves into black cats so that they could slink around in the shadows casting spells on unsuspecting people.
Innocent women (and some men) and black cats were persecuted unjustly. It is estimated that hundreds of thousand of people accused of being witches were killed across Europe (Scienceblogs.com). Additionally, black cats were being eradicated, and this was one contributing factor – coupled with other major environmental catalysts – that caused the mouse population to grow out of control. The mice spread a disease called the Bubonic Plague, and more than 25 million people died over the course of 5 years.
Later, English Puritans took their black cat superstition with them to America. Still very enmeshed in some unfounded beliefs, Puritans detested anything that was associated with witches or the devil. Their persecution of witches and cats continued through the Salem witch trials (and elsewhere) of America. Horrifically, they even killed black cats on Shrove Tuesdays, before Lent.
As a result, the black cat superstition was cemented in American history, and many people used this to justify the mistreatment of black cats. Eventually, the Halloween black cat was created to the detriment of real cats across the country. Both witches and black cats are commonly used today to enhance the fear factor of Halloween. However, black cats were not always considered bad luck. In some places, they were even worshipped.
When cats were domesticated in the Middle East and Egypt thousands of years ago, the felines took on a very special meaning. The Egyptian cat was black. It provided a life-saving service and was revered for its ability to keep royal food stocks safe from rats, mice, and other critters. They even had a cat goddess, Bastet, who was part cat, part woman. She would grant good fortune for those who housed cats.
Cats in Egypt were seen as an embodiment of gods, and they were worshipped. Thus, it was illegal to kill a cat, even accidentally, and the penalty was death. Egyptians’ love and respect for their black cats were so strong, that owners would often mummify their cats after death. The families would mourn their cats’ deaths as if a family member had died. And often, owners and their cats would be buried together.
There are other good black cat superstitions scattered throughout Europe. In England and other places, a black cat on a ship can be lucky. Pirates had mixed feelings about black cats. If the cat walked on and stayed on the ship, it was good luck. But if the cat walked on and then off again, the ship would sink. It was also good for the wives of fisherman out at sea to have black cats at home to provide good luck that would help the fisherman make a safe return home. Some cultures in Europe believed that if the black cat walked toward you it was bringing good luck, and if it walked away it was taking the luck away from you.
In Japan, they have positive superstitions about black cats and cats in general. They are symbols of good fortune and prosperity. The Maneki Neko cat statue sits inside almost all businesses with one paw up, waving in the good fortune. There are both white and black Maneki Nekos. Many young, single women in Japan own black cats, because they believe it will bring in many suitors.
What exactly is the origin of bad black cat superstition? As noted, during the Middle Ages and beyond, cats were hunted and eradicated because of beliefs, and those beliefs may have their roots in the fact that the black cat was worshipped in some places.
Many monotheistic religions were unaccepting of the polytheistic beliefs of other cultures and lands. Before Christianity became widespread, most people worshipped a pantheon of gods, some in the form of idols. However, once monotheism took hold, any deity not of God was considered to be of the devil. Thus, early Christians at one time believed Roman statues were embodied with evil spirits. Unfortunately, many of them went to great lengths to destroy Roman temples and their deity statues. According to The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Romans had a very high regard for cats and may have even revered them. It was the Romans who actually introduced the house cat to Britain. It is important to keep in mind that during a major part of history the Romans had close connections to Egypt and there was a sharing of cultures and ideas.
Egyptians were also polytheistic. They worshipped black cats and cat statue idols, and the worshippers believed gods dwelt within the cat. Is it possible that early Christianity made the association of the worship of black cats to worship of evil spirits, as in the case of Roman statues? And perhaps to the early church, if a black cat could contain a pagan god, then it could also contain a witch.
Even in our modern world some people fear the black cat. However, more people now understand that black cat superstition has no basis. Sadly, they still have a higher risk of mistreatment, especially around Halloween. If anyone has owned a black cat, they know that the color of its fur doesn’t make a difference in the personality or fortune the cat brings. If they respect it and give it lots of love and affection, it will bring them many years of good luck and joy.
STORY: CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA=====
Catherine of Alexandria belongs to the most famous saints. There were so many legends about her that some hagiographers (writers of biographies of saints) even doubted Catherine’s historical existence.
In her book The Cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in Early Medieval Europe, Christine Walsh writes about the young woman:
“As we have seen, the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria probably originated in oral traditions from the 4th-century Diocletianic Persecutions of Christians in Alexandria. There is no evidence that Katherine herself was a historical figure and she may well have been a composite drawn from memories of women persecuted for their faith…”
According to legend, Catherine (also called Saint Catherine of the Wheel) was born in Alexandria about 282 A.D., as the daughter of Constus, the governor of Egyptian Alexandria during the reign of the emperor Maximian (286–305). From a young age she devoted herself to study. She was a wealthy, educated young girl famous for her beauty. She learned about Christianity through her reading.
When the bloody persecutions began under Maxentius, Roman emperor (306 to 312), she went to the emperor and criticized him for his cruelty. Due to her strong protests against the persecution of Christians, the emperor gathered 50 of the best pagan philosophers and orators to argue with her, hoping that they would contradict her truly pro-Christian arguments, but Catherine (she was 18 years old at the time) won the debate.
She exposed the errors of the pagans and her brilliant eloquence convinced many of her adversaries, to declare themselves Christians. Unfortunately, they were at once put to death. Among those who had to die was also the Emperor’s wife Faustina, a high official named Porphyrius, and many of the soldiers of the guard.
Then, it was time to punish Catherine. She was tortured, scourged so cruelly and for so long, that her whole body was covered with wounds, from which the blood flowed in streams. The emperor ordered her to be imprisoned without food, so she would starve to death.
Aware of Catherine’s strength against torture, Maxentius tried to attract her with the promise of riches and fame and finally he proposed marriage to her, but he was rejected.
The furious emperor condemned Catherine to death on a spiked breaking wheel. The legend says that when she was fastened to the wheel, her bonds were miraculously loosed and the wheel itself broke, while its spikes flying off and killing some of the watchers. She was then beheaded.
Among many versions of Catherine’ s story there is one mentioning that a milk-like substance rather than blood flowed from her neck after beheading.
She died about 300 A.D. but some more exact versions say the death sentence was executed by beheading probably between 307 and 312.
The body had been for hundreds of years on Mount Sinai, probably transported there from Alexandria, when the Arabs, and after them the Turks invaded Egypt. There is an Orthodox monastery and a church, which pilgrims visit nonstop.
In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian ordered a monastery established in Catherine’s name. This monastery still exists today and is one of the oldest in the world.
The great cult of the Saint Catherine of Alexandria developed both in the Western and Orthodox Churches. In the West, she was considered one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (the patron saints against of diseases). Otherwise, she patron of many Catholic cities and associations, universities including the Paris Sorbonne; attorneys and notaries, librarians, printers, Christian philosophers, sinners, writers, married women, young girls, rope makers, scholars, people who work with wheels and several more.
Catherine is usually presented in the royal crown, with a martyr’s palm in her hand. Among her attributes are: an angel, a child Jesus, a palm branch, a circle on which she was broken, a crown in her hand, a cross, a book, a sword, a thunderbolt.
The worship of Catherine of Alexandria has its historical origins in the persecutions of Christians that took place in the Roman Empire right at the beginning of the fourth century. However, as previously stated there is no hard evidence that this young woman was a real historical figure.
Many believe she may have been a composite based on memories of different women who were persecuted for their religious beliefs.
BREAK=====
When Weird Darkness returns…
Would you be willing to buy a home that you knew was built on the site of a demolished, haunted mental asylum? One Detroit suburb is about to find out if people will. (Haunted Mental Asylum Sold for $1)
That story is up next.
STORY: HAUNTED ASYLUM=====
Abandoned homes and buildings occupy a special place in our folklore and collective psyche. Aside from being a mainstay of horror and fantasy tales, these architectural relics and sometimes supernatural hot spots remind us that all is impermanent, and that one day even our most hallowed and oft-visited places could someday fall into ruin. Sometimes, these abandoned locations are rumored to be haunted or cursed due their unfortunate or macabre histories. Abandoned and derelict hospitals, orphanages, and mental institutions are frequently the source of allegations of hauntings, curses, and paranormal phenomenon stemming from the belief that the spirits of wronged or tormented souls linger here in our Earthly realm in order to seek vengeance on us fleshies.
Let’s hope that’s not the case with the recently-sold Eloise Complex in Westland, Michigan just outside of Detroit. Detroit is full of old, abandoned buildings falling into utter disrepair, and the crumbling Eloise Complex is no exception. The site opened in 1894 and was named after Eloise Dickerson Davock, daughter of Detroit’s postmaster at the time, as there was a post office on the grounds. The complex initially served as public housing for the needy population in the area, but later added a hospital and mental asylum. By 1913, the complex had three distinct divisions: the Eloise Hospital, a mental asylum; the Eloise Infirmary, the “poorhouse;” and the Eloise Sanitarium, a tuberculosis hospital.
The asylum closed in 1979, while the hospital division closed in 1986. Since that time, the complex has fallen into decrepitude – as well as gaining the reputation of one of the most haunted places in Michigan. According to HauntedUSA.org, the Eloise Complex has been the site of many strange occurrences and gruesome discoveries over the years since its closing: ***Many a lost soul is said to haunt the grounds surrounding the four remaining buildings.Explorers were rumored to have discovered jars of human body parts, documents outlining strange medical procedures, and creepy snapshots of patients in the abandoned buildings that were torn down in the 1980s. More recently, a spectral woman wearing white has been rumored to be seen in the upper floors and on the roof of the old D building, which now houses government offices-though all but the first floor is off-limits to the public. Some have reported hearing strange moans, screams, and roars on the old grounds.***
A person who goes by the internet name of Nite Wolf told their own personal story about the area:
“I live in the downriver area of Michigan, but the asylum in which the story takes place is in Westland. The place was called Eloise, named after the founding physician’s daughter. The whole area of Westland had once been a city that housed not only the insane but also the poor who had terminal conditions and couldn’t afford to seek the more expensive care they needed. It is said that back in the early 20th century diseases such as TB were highly unresearched and caused the affected people to hehave in such a way they were thought to be insane.
By the time I was in my teenage ‘I want to be scared’ stage, there were only three dilapidated buildings left standing on the hospital side of Michigan Ave. The piggery, cannery and the train depot were left on the farm side of the avenue.
My friends and I were very taken with the buildings and had toured them many a late night. We always contained a sense of well being upon entering and though we had seen many cops patrolling the area, they had never seen us and were never caught.
Upon entering the first of the many steel doors in the back area of the Old Hospital building itself you could either go directly downstairs or directly up. We chose to go down first. In the ruined basement our flashlights played upon five-foot tall metal crib-like enclosures and a metal straight-backed chair with leather straps on the armrests and legs. Turning and immediate right you faced the morgue, complete with pull out drawers and metal table with leather padding.
One other room in the basement we found disturbing; we were never sure what it would have been called. The room was about 8 by 6 and along the left side there was a cell with a swinging door leaving just enough room to walk. Contained in the cell was a metal cot bolted to the wall and a place where the toilet had once been. When the cell door suddenly slammed behind me as I searched I quickly ran out.
My friends and I also searched the farm side of the area and entered first the piggery, complete with ton scale, meat hooks, and 10 x 10 coolers. The cannery had lost all resonance of its former use and looked as if it had most recently been a filer storage area.” Nite Wolf concluded by saying, “though now all but two of the buildings are gone forever the place still gives off an eerie feeling as you drive past the lone sentry, the smoke stack, on which is clearly printed ELOISE.”
Today, YouTube is full of videos of alleged ghost sightings and various supernatural goings-on at Eloise. Despite its horrific history, though, the site has now been purchased in order to make way for a mixed-use residential development for low-income seniors and families. Also included in the sale was the nearby potter’s field which houses the mortal remains of untold numbers of unidentified and indigent people. What could go wrong?
Wayne County assistant county executive Khalil Rahal told the Detroit Free Press that despite the complex’s haunted reputation, this new development happily continues the Detroit area’s recent trend of urban revitalization: ***This was once named as one of the most haunted places in the state of Michigan, and to go from that to seeing tens of millions of dollars of investment is another great indication that our county is on the comeback; really, not like we’ve seen in recent history. ****
Let’s just hope the tormented souls which may or may not haunt Eloise don’t mind their new neighbors too much. We all know what happens when homes are built on top of graveyards and burial mounds. Sinkholes. Sinkholes happen.
SHOW CLOSE=====
Thanks for listening. If you like the show, please share it with someone you know who loves the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do! You can email me anytime with your questions or comments at darren@weirddarkness.com. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find all of my social media, listen to free audiobooks I’ve narrated, visit the store for Weird Darkness t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, and more merchandise, sign up for monthly contests, find other podcasts that I host, and find the Hope in the Darkness page if you or someone you know is struggling with depression or dark thoughts. Also on the website, if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell, you can click on TELL YOUR STORY. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com.
All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true (unless stated otherwise) and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes.
“The Bible John Murders” by Fiona Guy for Crime Traveller
“Black Cat Fears” by Kimberly Lin for Historic Mysteries
“Catherine of Alexandria” by A. Sutherland for Ancient Pages
“Haunted Mental Asylum Sold for $1” by Brett Tingley for Mysterious Universe
WeirdDarkness® – is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, 2023.
Now that we’re coming out of the dark, I’ll leave you with a little light… “Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?” –Proverbs 20:6
And a final thought… “How well are you living out what you say you believe?”
I’m Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness.
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