If you are going out of the world, you must leave a mark upon, and to do so, you must consider scary and cryptic messages to be written on your tombstone. But sometimes there actually is a real story behind these mysterious tombstones “messages”. Well, if you are not those type of person, here are some on this list, who decided that rather than dictating “rest in peace” on their own graveyard, they must leave a remarkable message, either for tormenting the living or there has been actually a true, horrifying story behind their deaths, in some cases mysterious and creepy as well.
Eugene the Mummy
An unidentified black man’s body was found on side of the road in Sabina, Ohio 1929, after investigating for a while, police couldn’t identify the man neither anyone showed up in search of the unidentified man. The only address they found on him led to a vacant lot, and the closest neighbor to this lot was a man named Eugene, thus the authorities decided to name the dead man as Eugene.
The body was taken to the nearest funeral house and was preserved in hopes that someday his relatives, friends, or any close one will come looking, though, no one did. His remains quickly became a local attraction. It is estimated that a million and a half people came to visit him in the funeral home over the years.
“Eugene” became the target of pranksters as well, and was taken from the building a few times, but was always quickly recovered. In response to the frequent theft of his remains, the funeral home decided to finally bury him in 1964.
Teen Murdered By “Human Wolves”
The story may not actually refer to the werewolves, but the real story is sad than scary. Katherine Cross who was born in Oklahoma in 1899, died at an age of just 18 years on October 10, 1917. The reason for her death lead to many stories mainly because of what is written on her tombstone.
Many modern legends pertaining to the unusual epitaph, “Murdered by human wolves”, claims that her body was found shredded into pieces and she was killed by warewolves or Ku Klux Klan.
While the real story is totally different, Dr. A.H Yates was found responsible for her death, as he was performing “criminal operation” on Cross, lead to her death. Though it sounds like a medical accident or malpractice, the procedure was an abortion, and in those days abortions were extremely illegal. After Katherine went to receive one, the operation killed her as well as her fetus. Katherine remained for around for 4 days with Dr. Yates, and after she died the very same day she was taken back home.
The doctor was eventually released, charges dismissed, and the only satisfaction her parents got to have was the final few words that still show ominously on her gravestone.
The Baby Monster
The Baby Monster Tombstone is located in Saar Pioneer Cemetery in King County, Washington, and the internet has all sorts of weird and wonderful theories behind it. However, the simple fact is that ‘Monster,’ is simply the baby’s surname, believed to be from a German family. Baby Monster was buried by a man named John C. Monster, who was born in 1851 and died in 1890 at the age of 39, and therefore, given the circumstances, it’s more than likely John C. Monster is the baby’s father as they share the same stone.
In fact, his name is listed directly above the baby’s, a clue that is conveniently cropped from most of the photos of the Baby Monster tombstone. It is believed that John C Monster’s wife, Anna Marie Nelson Monster, who was born in 1861 and died at the age of 59 in 1920, is buried in the same cemetery, but in an unmarked grave.
Still, possibly just as disturbing, is that the baby was never given a name. This almost five months old child, never given an official name, was buried under the simple moniker “Baby.”
Lilly — A Victim of the Beast
In a quiet, unremarkable area in a Salt Lake City cemetery sits a gravestone bearing an epitaph so bizarre that for many years it has inspired rumors, speculation, curiosity, and fear in everyone who comes across its eerie message. Unlike other graves surrounding it, with common inscriptions as “Rest in Peace”, “In Loving Memory” etc., this particular tombstone reads “Victim of the Beast 666”.
While her tribute said she died of natural causes, her tombstone denotes her as a victim of the beast. It may allude to the fact that her husband, who she married at the age of 72, was detained in the past for criminal activities. The nearby area also saw many of Aleister Crowley’s adherents, so maybe he and his minions played into Gray’s demise.
Pressed to Death by Stones in Salem Witch Trials
Salem Witch trials in the early 1690s and got at least 20 people killed, mostly by hanging. Giles Corey, however, received a more painful death by pressing on the weights of stones, and his last words were “more weight”.
Before Giles was accused of witchcraft, his wife Martha Corey was accused too. She was a woman dedicated to the church, and not aware of the level of paranoia, denied calmly in such a way that the judges misunderstood her gesture for one of someone who has an evil plan that is successful so far.
Giles Corey’s execution was witnessed by all his neighbors, being crushed with stones, trying to convince him to admit to practicing black magic, and was devoted to the devil. Corey rather than confessing something he had not done, said: “more weights” to try and quicken his death. “More weight” is also one of his famous quotes, and it showed his willing sacrifice, which demonstrated that Corey was, in fact, not likely to be guilty of witchcraft.
The horrific memory of a mother
While mothers are supposed to leave a good memory of their unconditional love for the children. Mona Herold Vanni left a horrible memory with her children, a memory so horrific that none of her 3 children attended the funeral and agreed with Michael on creating this scathing tombstone for their little-loved parent.
As one of the children, Jackie tells it:
The sentiments on her grave barely covers the brutal treatment we each received. I got the worst as I looked and acted like my father who I never saw as a little child. He was killed in WWII.
While the grave of their father reads –
A Gay Vietnam Veteran
Even among tales about death, this story gets emotionally devastating, without featuring the name of the deceased, this one particular tombstone reads “A Gay Vietnam Veteran” followed by a very emotional message. Leonard Matlovich was a Vietnam War veteran, who purposely out himself to the military to fight their ban on gays, he is well-known for being openly gay man in America in 1970s, his photo even appeared on cover of an issue of Time magazine in September 1975. Matlovich received Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his services in military before being discharged for homosexual activity. He died in San Francisco in 1988 from various complications due to HIV/AIDS.
Tombstone of an Alive man
Jerry Bibb Balisok was a professional wrestler who was famous as the name of Mr. X. Balisok was a fugitive of FBI in charges of fraud, he is famously known for faking his own death.
He skipped his bail and vanished for around six months, investigation kept going on to locate the whereabouts of Jerry, but led to nothing, until one day when his mother picked up a copy of Life Magazine that revealed what happened to Jerry. The issue of the magazine listed the victims of the Jonestown Massacre, and Jerry Balisok’s picture appeared on it as one of the victims.
Little did everyone know, Jerry was alive. In 1990, a man by the name of Ricky A Wetta was arrested for attempted murder, and after the fingerprint check, it was discovered that he was really Jerry Bibb Balisok!
His capture made national headlines across America and drew national criticism towards the FBI investigators for not properly identifying the remains believed to be Balisok’s.
Balisok later died in prison, where he was serving another charges of sexual assult, he died of heart attack brought on by the heat within the prison.
Now that you have read some chilling messages written on tombstones, you might also like reading about “10 Chilling Messages Sent Moments before Death” or “10 Actors who Killed People in Real Life“. You might also find it interesting to read about “11 Famous People Who Mysteriously Disappeared and Never Found“.
