≈ Comments Off on Branch Davidian David Koresh’s ’68 Chevrolet Camaro SS For Sale
Ghost Adventures’ Zak Bagans purchased the car in 2018 for $61,995. He housed it in his Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. Seeking to rotate his collection of oddities, he has offered up the car for sale. No, it’s not haunted.
David Koresh was the head Branch Davidian zealot who battled the FBI and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) in a 51-day standoff in 1993 in Waco, Texas. On April 19th, the government initiated a raid resulting in 4 ATF deaths and 79 Branch Davidians. Of the 79, 25 were children. Only nine members of the cult survived.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram called the Camaro “Armageddon’s Relic.” It was “very close to [Koresh’s] heart.” It has been theorized that Koresh intended it to be his getaway car. He had the V8 engine block engraved with “DAVIDES 427 GO GOD.” The etching was moved in a prior sale but has reportedly been restored. The car was trashed during the raid but has been resurrected into a classic—sans the evil (but not haunted) provenance.
The car’s VIN (vehicle identification number) is 124378L302009 and comes with a Texas car title showing Koresh’s ownership. Previously sold as-is in 2004 for $37,000 to Donald Feldpausch, the car was restored “as an investment.”
On July 6, at approximately 4 a.m., a bomb exploded destroying the Swahili/Hindi slab of granite of the Georgia Guidestones. Also known as America’s Stonehenge or Georgia’s Stonehenge, the 19’ 3” monument was a popular tourist attraction outside Elberton, Georgia, on Highway 77. The monument was deemed unsafe and was demolished later that day. Many questions still surround the structure.
In June 1979, a well-appointed man calling himself Robert C. Christian commissioned the structure from Joe Findley of the Elberton Granite Finishing Company. The construction costs are unknown; however, Findley reportedly exaggerated the estimate in hopes to dissuade Christian from building. It was to no avail.
The 20-year vision was to become a reality. A 5-acre plot was purchased on October 1, 1979, from Wayne Mullenix. The monument was unveiled on March 22, 1980. Four stones surrounded a capstone. Ten “guidelines” contained messages written in twelve different languages to instruct humans after some unknown catastrophic event, possibly nuclear war. The messages were controversial, even if intended for future generations. A legend was erected with reference to a possible time capsule buried underneath.
Many have theorized and postulated the origins of the “small group of loyal Americans who believed in God,” as the messages were not exclusively Christian. Slightly troubling was the admission that none of the members actually resided in Georgia. Mr. Christian claimed to have a great grandmother who did; however, this is unsubstantiated. According to local tales, only the manager of the local bank knew Mr. Christian’s true identity, and he never disclosed.
Ownership passed to Elberton County, which publicized the roadside attraction. The website Explore Georgia removed all mention of the monument on July 7, 2022.
The documentary film The Georgia Guidestones Movie was released in 2012. The film can be viewed on YouTube from http://guidestonesmovie.net/.
The guidestones are not without criticism. Online conspiracy theorists have attempted to link the messages to Satan, claiming them to be the ten commandments of the antichrist. Some have even speculated some New World Order involvement. It is doubtful that either are true.
What remains factual is that vandals have targeted the monument in the past. Graffiti was spray painted onto the slabs in 2008 and 2014. Security cameras were erected and caught the latest criminals. Video footage shows a silver sedan leaving the area shortly after the blast. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) are investigating. It is unfortunate that someone took it upon himself/herself to ruin an attraction that brought 20,000 annually to this rural community. The economic impact will be felt. It has not been reported if the structure will be replaced since it is probably cost prohibited. And that’s a shame.
Historic Designation for Jack Kerouac’s St. Petersburg Home
Beat pioneer Jack Kerouac lived in the Disston Heights home less than 2 years before he died. Located at 5169 10th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida, the home passed down via Probate to Kerouac’s third wife Stella’s brother’s son, John Sampas, Jr. It was quite the journey! William Kennedy (Ken) and Gina Burchenal purchased the 1750’ home for $360,000 in 2020. They prepared the application for historic designation, which was approved this month.
American literary writer Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (simply called Jack) was an enigmatic traveler whose estate was valued at $91 when he died at the age of 47 from cirrhosis of the liver. His paralyzed mother, Gabrielle, remained in the home, along with Stella. When Gabrielle died, she left her estate to Stella, who died in 1990. Stella’s brother Sebastian was a lifelong friend of Jack’s. Her other brother John inherited her estate. Since then, Kerouac’s estate has only grown—upwards of $10 million dollars.
The Kerouacs initially resided in the home next door, 5155 10th Avenue N but bought the #5169 home, situated on a corner lot, in 1968. It’s a modest home. However, the architectural features were enough for the St. Pete City Council to vote 6-0 (with 2 members absent) to approve the application.
Although Jack and Stella did not have any children, Jack did have a daughter, Janet Michelle “Jan” Kerouac (1952-1996), for whom he had only seen twice. In fact, it wasn’t until Jan was 10 years old that Jack learned and tested as her biological father. This did not stop Jan from contesting Gabrielle’s will in an attempt to collect on the fortune. Her attempts failed when she also died at a young age.
The Burchenals do not reside at the home. It has been preserved and is open for special events by the operating non-profit 5169 10th Ave, LLC. Another non-profit, The Friends of Jack Kerouac, previously hosted events to help support the home. They no longer support the home, but they do sponsor an annual Tour de Kerouac bike tour, along with the self-walking and self-driving tours. The tours include Haslam’s Bookstore, a favorite haunt of Jack’s.
Haslam’s has been an institution in St. Pete.
Local legend is that Jack does in fact haunt the bookstore. Unfortunately, Haslam’s closed shortly into the pandemic and has not reopened—nor is it likely to.
Jack and Lucien.
One aspect of Jack’s life falls to the sideline. He was arrested as a material witness in a murder case. On August 13, 1944, Jack and fellow Beat Generation member Lucian Carr attempted to sail to France. They were kicked off the ship prior to its departure. They proceeded to spend the evening drinking, with Jack heading home before Carr. On his way, Jack met up with David Kammerer, an older man who had a complicated relationship with Carr. There is much speculation about the nature of the relationship, but what remains clear is that Kammerer followed Carr across the nation in a stalking manner. On that night, Carr and Kammerer ending up walking to Riverside Park in Manhattan. Something happened (Carr testified that Kammerer attempted to sexually assault him), and Carr stabbed Kammerer with his Boy Scout knife. Carr disposed of the bound body in the Hudson River. He ran to his Beat friends for help, and Jack obliged. After Carr confessed, both were arrested. Jack’s family refused to post bond. He spent 2 days in jail until his then girlfriend Edie Parker’s family posted bond on condition that they marry. The marriage was annulled a few years later. Carr spent 2 years in jail before being released. Kerouac turned the tragedy into two fictional stories. In total, Jack penned 15 novels and 4 short stories/novellas, with On the Road (1957) as his most famous.
If in St. Pete, take the Jack Kerouac driving tour. Even though Haslam’s is closed, park and walk around. It is a reminder that bookstores, and reading, are still popular. Who knows? Maybe Jack’s ghost will pull at the paper coverings on the extra-large windows. Let me know if he does.
Barbara and Patricia Grimes were huge Elvis Presley fans. They had already seen his new film Love Me Tender 11 times. On December 28, 1956, the sisters sat through two screenings before heading home. Somewhere along the way, they were abducted, never to be seen alive again. This is one of America’s unsolved murders: A gruesome double murder of two young females.
So much remains unknown about this case. Their nude and frozen remains were discovered on January 22, 1957. An unseasonably hot spell came over the Chicago, Illinois area causing the snow to melt, revealing the bodies. If not for the change in weather, their bodies may have lay for months or even years.
Photograph from crime scene
Coroners were unable to answer several questions regarding the cause of death. They remained at odds over several details. Ultimately, the deaths were listed as “murder, secondary shock.” They theorized that the sisters died shortly after their abduction. The stomach contents consisted of remnants eaten on December 28th. Although the cause was not ascertained, the medical experts eliminated other causes.
For instance, they sisters were not stabbed or physically injured. While Barbara had sexual intercourse prior to her death, she and Patricia were not sexually violated. They were killed at different location and dumped along German Church Road near Devil’s Creek. Date unknown.
Interviews reached into the thousands, with several individuals held for further questioning. Edward “Bennie” Bedwell, age 21, was a semi-literate drifter who possibly resembled Elvis. He confessed to killing the sisters with William Willingham, Jr. Bennie claimed that he and William fed the girls hot dogs and then beat them to death. Based on the evidence, his story did not hold up. He was released.
Edward “Bennie” Bedwell with his motherWilliam Willingham, Jr.
Max Fleig, age 17, also confessed. Like Bennie, his story did not match up to the facts of the case. He, too, was released.
Walter Kranz was a 53-year-old steamfitter who had psychic abilities. He contacted the police after having a dream showing him how the girls were killed. He quickly became a person of interest. However, there wasn’t any evidence to detain him.
Years later, another individual came to light. Charles LeRoy Melquist was a 23-year-old stone worker. Two years after the disappearance and murder of the Grimes sisters, Melquist was arrested for killing Bonnie Leigh Scott, age 15. Melquist was not a master criminal. No, he was another inept criminal.
Bonnie was a sophomore at York Community High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school district includes Addison, where Bonnie lived. Bonnie’s parents were divorcing; therefore, she resided with her Aunt Jean and Uncle Robert Schwolow, along with their 15-year-old daughter Sue and grandmother Doris Hitchins. She was last at 6:30 pm on September 22, 1958. Melquist contacted police claiming to be a witness to Bonnie Leigh’s abduction.
Bonnie Leigh ScottCharles LeRoy Melquist
Bonnie’s nude and decapitated body was discovered on November 15, 1958. Police brought Melquist in for another voluntary interview. While he was with one group of detectives, police officers were executing a search warrant on his 1958 silver Chevrolet. They found enough evidence to charge him. Melquist wrote out a 7-page confession. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison but served only 11 years.
Bonnie’s body was dumped a few miles from where the Grimes sisters were found 2 years prior. Because of the location and broad similarities in the cases, people have theorized that Melquist may have gotten away with additional murders. Further, he did resemble Elvis—but that wasn’t difficult given Elvis’ popularity. To be clear, the basis for the connection is very thin and a stretch. A very long stretch.
Joseph and Lorretta Grimes died without knowing who committed these heinous murders. Sadly, the deaths of Barbara and Patricia were not the first instance of a child predeceasing Joseph and Lorretta. Older sister Leona Grimes Freck died at the age of 26 in 1954. Three children remained: Shirley, Theresa, and Joseph James.
Side note: There are a couple of pronounced errors online. The mother’s name is spelt Lorretta. There are 2 Rs. The other relates to Patricia’s age at the time of her murder. Patricia was born on December 31, 1943. She was 12 years old at the time she disappeared. Even though her remains were found in January the following year, her age is listed as 12. This is because coroners were unable to determined when she died but theorized based on her stomach contents that it was before her birthday. Further, there wasn’t any evidence to suggest that the girls were held captive.
This case is a reminder that there are many unsolved murders in America. In a 2019 NPR story, it was reported that there were 250,000 unsolved murders per year in America, with 6,000 added annually. The FBI estimates that 40% of homicides go unsolved. These are terrifying numbers!
Roberson and Co. of London’s tubes of Mummy Brown and a color chart.
During the 16th century, a new, transparent paint pigment hit the market. Called Mummy Brown (Caput Mortuum or Egyptian Brown), the pigment quickly became a favorite amongst artists who used it for shadows and flesh tones. The source of the paint wasn’t a real concern. See, the pigment was made from ground up Egyptian mummies—human and feline. If unavailable, corpses of slaves and criminals were ground up.
Roberson & Co. of London made the pigment and sold it in tubes. White pitch and myrrh were combined with the ground up Egyptian mummies. Since the mummies were embalmed, they also contained trace elements of ammonia and fat. Scholars state that the color fell between burnt umber and raw umber on the color scale. Over time, however, the paint cracked and faded. Further, the ammonia and fat affected other pigments. This was a restoration nightmare. You know, in addition to the obvious.
The 19th century Pre Raphaelite artists favored it. Some who were to have purchased a tube included Sir William Beechly, Edward Burne-Jones, and Eugene Delacroix. Once word of the ingredients surfaced some artists discarded. Famed author and nephew of Burne-Jones, Rudyard Kipling retold the story of when Burnes-Jones found out about the ingredients. He supposedly ceremoniously buried his tube in his garden.
L’Interieur d’une Cuisine (1815), Temperantia (1872), The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon (1881-1898), and La Liberté quidant le people (Liberty Leading the People, 1830).
It is difficult to assess whether any of them actually used the paint. Experts believe Mummy Brown was used in L’Interieur d’une Cuisine, (Interior of a Kitchen, 1815) by Martin Drolling. Researchers speculate that Delacroix used Mummy Brown in La Liberté quidant le people (Liberty Leading the People, 1830) and Salone de la Paix at the Hotel de Ville (1854). As for Burne-Jones, researchers believe Temperantia (1872) and The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon (1881-1898) were painted with Mummy Brown.
Production ceased in the 1920-1930s with the last tubes selling in 1964. By that time, Roberson’s stated that interest in using the pigment had wain so much that one mummy could supply 20 years’ worth of tubes. The Egyptian mummy supply had dried up, as well.
There are better substitutes to Mummy Brown. For instance, Daniel Smith sells Bauxite Mummy.
Daniel Smith’s version, sans the ground up mummies.
Tulane University hosted 3 Super Bowl games: IV in 1970, VI in 1972, and IX in 1975. The crowds of 80,000+ people never knew that underneath the bleachers tucked in a storage room were two Egyptian mummies. Theirs was a lurid story.
George Robbins Gliddon (1809-1857) was the former US vice consul in Egypt. He fashioned himself an Egyptologist and assembled the “Gliddon’s Transparent Panorama of the Nile” exhibit that traveled the United States in the mid-1800s. The panorama was a beautifully illustrated painting that measured 900 feet long and 9 feet high. Gliddon was a master salesman and signed up subscribers who funded his traveling show. These subscribers attended mummy unwrapping parties, where Gliddon unwrapped a mummy and displayed any funerary items contained within the coffins.
While in Boston, Gliddon, who prided himself on his ability to translate hieroglyphics, misidentified one of the mummies. He claimed that the mummy contained in the case was a female of noble lineage. He claimed she was a high priestess or of that level. Unfortunately, upon the reveal, the mummy was most certainly a male. His erect penis had been carefully wrapped. Gliddon talked himself out of this uncomfortable situation and planned his exit from the field. He shortened his traveling itinerary, making New Orleans his final stop.
Flyer for Gliddon’s traveling show.
Gliddon arrived in March of 1852. He opened his show at Tulane University. He unwrapped the second mummy, that of a female, at what is now Gallier Hall. When the show closed, Gliddon donated the mummies to Tulane. He attempted to sell the vast panorama, even suggesting it be divided into 50-foot sections; however, it probably didn’t sell. There aren’t any records as to its fate. Thanks to Tulane’s football stadium’s demolition, we now know what happened to the two mummies.
Tulane’s former stadium was a popular venue. The Third Tulane Stadium, as it was known, was built in 1926 with a capacity of 35,000. Four expansions followed with capacity reaching 80,985 in 1955. On July 17, 1976, ZZ Top performed to a raucous audience which led to the university banning all concerts inside the stadium. (The ban remains in effect) The stadium became known as the Sugar Bowl, based on its form as resembling a sugar bowl lid, and the Queen of Southern Stadiums. Professional and college football teams played there up until 1979.
Sections of the stadium were declared unsafe, and demolition commenced on November 18, 1979. Demolition finished in June of 1980. It was during the early stages of demolition that the mummies were discovered ensconced in glass cases sitting above their coffins.
Images of the former Tulane University stadium.
The mummies were displayed initially in a museum at the university’s medical school. Next stop was the museum of natural history in Gibson Hall. That museum closed in 1955, and the mummies were placed into storage, underneath the stadium. Somehow, they ended up at a Charity Hospital museum and then to a physician’s home. (Not sure I would take them home) They were then placed back in storage until their discovery. They were kept in the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library basement until 1979, when they relocated to their final resting place: Dinwiddie Hall in the Department of Anthropology.
Tulane Museum of Anatomy and an image of the male priest.
University professors, along with graduate students, have learned a lot about the mummies. The male’s case had his name inscribed. It is often written as Djed-Thoth-iu-ef-ankh or “Thoth says that he will live.” He was a priest and “overseer of artisans” at the Temple of Amun in Thebes. He suffered from dental decay and spinal issues. He was around 50 when he died and was embalmed.
Initially, Gibbons, among others, believed that the female was Djed-Mut-iu-es-ankh; however, her skull is housed at Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania. At some unknown time, this 13.5-15.5-year-old female was placed inside the other’s case. Even though she is better preserved, little is known about her.
More has been discovered about George Gliddon. Some Edgar Allan Poe scholars have theorized that Gliddon was the inspiration for Doctor Ponnonner in Poe’s satirical short story “Some Words with a Mummy,” first published in April 1945. The main character procured a mummy and plans to unwrap it at his home in front a of few friends in the name of “scientific discovery.” The inept doctor instead revives the mummy they christen Allamistakeo. The story centers around Egyptian mummy mania that captured the imaginations of people in Europe and the United States.
Tragedy did not escape Gliddon in real life. He abandoned his research in Egyptology and shifted, instead, to proving polygenism, the belief that each race came from a distinct, individual source. (It is racist conjecture and shunned by science and scientific communities) Gliddon was in Panama in 1857 where he contracted Yellow Fever. He died before reaching the age of 50.
Ultimately, the Tulane mummies are more interesting. While visiting the university, I will attempt to visit them. I’ll post images if I am successful.
≈ Comments Off on The Great Potoo, Mother Nature’s Incredibly Spooky Bird
A great potoo with its mouth open.
Yes, the strange bird of epic memes is real. It is the great potoo, a nocturnal large-mouthed, large-eyed bird that emits the creepiest of moans.
The great potoo is a fascinating bird. It sits in camouflage for extended periods of time, which makes it difficult to spot. Young birds learn to sit quietly alongside their parents for hours. Even though their eyes are closed, they sense movement with their “magic eyes.” Despite the resemblance, they are not related to owls. They are closely aligned with frogmouths and nightjars. The seven species are located throughout Central America and Bolivia and Brazil.
Their large mouths scoop up insects and small birds. They’re called “monstrous nightbirds’; however, they’re kind of cool.
They appear in an Amazonian folktale.
In Ecuador, the Shuar people tell the story of a married man and wife who have a disagreement. The wife, Aóho, failed to make a satisfying dinner with the pumpkins. Her husband ran away in anger. He began to climb with Aóho following. She fell to the earth, scattering her pumpkins. Upon impact, she turned into a potoo. The husband turned into the moon. Every night when the moon appears in the sky, Aóho calls “aishirű, aishirű” (translated as “my husband, my husband”). Her calls can be heard throughout the night.
In 1990, director Tim Burton transformed the Carpenters Run neighborhood into a bizarre movie set for the film Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. Although the houses have aged and regressed back to the typical Florida décor, the neighborhood has attracted fans since. On September 11, 2020, Joey and Sharon Licalzi won a bidding war and paid $230,378 for the 3 bedroom/2 bath 1432 square foot home. They’ve transformed it back into the movie set and have opened Scissorland, a free museum.
Edward Scissorhands (1990) is a cult classic. Filmed on a $20 million dollar budget, it grossed $56 million in the U.S. and $86 million worldwide. Deemed one of Burton’s best (aren’t they all?), the film was a fantasy-romance hybrid that told the story of Edward, the man with scissor hands. The movie is currently streaming on Hulu.com.
Movie posters for the 1990 film.
Fast forward 30 years and you can see how the neighborhood changed. Gone are the pastel color exterior house paint and topiary scrubs. However, Joey and Sharon have started the transformation.
1-2. Street as it appeared in the movie.
The exterior is now a pastel blue, and the front yard is adorned with topiaries. The backyard is a whimsical playground. The original owner saved the mushroom wallpaper, which the couple reinstalled. They offer the home with the growing movie memorabilia as a free museum. Outdoor movie screenings will begin when the weather cools.
1. House as it was painted when sold in 2020. 2. The transformation. 3. Mushroom wallpaper. 4. The backyard.
The memorabilia are an eclectic collection. There’s a license plate that the residents had to place on their cars for filming. A pack of cigarettes supposedly belonging to Depp is on display, along with an endearing mannequin dressed as Depp’s character. The collection continues to grow.
Although reservations are not required, I encourage those wishing to visit make them. Remember, not only is the house a museum: the couple actually resides there. The address is 1774 Tinsmith Circle, Lutz, Pasco County, Florida.
The Haunted Librarian 
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