Ominous Origins

The Truly Upsetting Mystery of Jeanne Van Calck

Every so often I come across a case that's truly upsetting. I've covered the highway of tears and the Beaumont Children in the past, and those were really terrible, of course. This one though is just as bothersome. Jeanne Van Calck was just 8 years old at the time of her death in 1906. There are two aspects that makes this case upsetting, the first being that there isn't a whole lot known about it. It was a media sensation at the time, and a reported ten-thousand people attended her funeral in Belgium, but as for case specifics, I couldn't find much, meaning there isn't much of a chance of finding out what really happened. The other disturbing thing in the case was how her body was found. Delivered in a package akin to something a butcher might deliver beef in, Jeanne's body was found wrapped in paper and string, her legs missing.
The investigation was heavily criticized by the media, as they often are in high profile, unsolved cases. There were leads that were never followed, and there was never a solid lead in the entire investigation. So, if you have the stomach to hear all the details, feel free to listen to the entire episode. However, be warned, as I've said several times, it can be rather upsetting at times.
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Welcome to The Ominous Origins Podcast

If you like learning dark things about our history, this is the place for you. Join me every week as I release these short, digestible episodes that can easily slot into your weekly podcast rotation!
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Murder and Witchcraft | Charles Walton Murder Part 2

Part two, and the conclusion to the Charles Walton murder case is finally here! I mean, we can't really call it a true conclusion as it's an unsolved case. BUT, it marks the end of our look into it anyway. So what do we have this week? Well, we look at some suspects, and the potential witchcraft involved. Yeah, that caught your attention, didn't it?
While there was ever really only one suspect in Alfred Potter, he was never charged despite being caught red handed in several lies, misdirections, and peculiar behavior. However, there was never any substantial evidence or motive linking him to the crime, and so he was never charged for it. But why was he the main suspect? Well, there are many, many reasons including, but not limited to: he was the last person to see Walton alive, he was his employer, they may have had financial disputes, and many more. 
But what of the witchcraft? Well, interestingly enough, there's a weird, convoluted family tree that's going on that may link Walton to a murder roughly 75 years prior, and Walton shares the name of a local folklore character that has to do with a phantom dog. But, as always, if you want to know more, you'll just have to listen.
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Tools As Weapons: The Case of Charles Walton - Part 1

After a few episodes away from the usual stuff, we're back this week with yet another true crime mystery! Like most of the interesting cases out there, this one takes place in the past, in 1945 to be exact and involves an Englishman by the name of Charles Walton. The thing that makes this case interesting is that some believe it to have some witchcraft involved. While we don't explore that aspect in this episode, it will show up next week. However, the details of this case are also quite gruesome, in fact, it seems like it's been ripped from a horror movie.
The story goes that Walton, a 75 year old man, was working on a farm he'd worked at for the better part of a year when his niece discovered he hadn't come home that evening. He wasn't a party animal, and had very few friends, so him going out seemed unlikely. A small search party formed, and eventually his body was found in the field he'd last been seen working in. It was a devastating affair, especially for his niece, naturally. It was such a big case for the area that Scotland Yard got involved and a number of suspects began to prop up. But, for all the gory details, you'll just have to listen to the whole episode.
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Ominous Interviews | S.A. Bradley

This week is yet another special episode featuring maybe the most passionate horror fan in the world in S.A. Bradley. Bradley has a storied history in the world of horror, and his podcast, Hellbent For Horror, has made a fan our of Guillermo Del Toro. It's been nominated for several awards as well, and it's just a treat to listen to. Beyond the podcast, Bradley wrote and published a book back in 2018 called Screaming For Pleasure, which you can find online, or as he prefers it, ordering through a small local book store (and I agree!). In his book, which has become university curriculum, he details many aspects of what makes horror unique, not just in filmmaking, but as a cultural and societal influence as well.
I say it during the intro to the podcast, and near the end of the interview, but I can't say it enough: this man has such an unrivaled passion for horror, and the depth in which he takes his fascination is remarkable. The parallels he draws between cultural events, timelines, and allegory with real life is outstanding. He has the ability to take horror and turn it into real world history, and the results are truly special. Anybody with an interest in horror, movies, history, culture, or even anthropology needs to not just listen to this interview, but his library of work as well.
You can find S.A. Bradley online below:
Website: https://hellbentforhorror.com/
Hellbent for Horror (Podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/68xLebLSjI4Paw8vCK6063?si=f218d81fba1f471b
Screaming For Pleasure (Book, and where to find it at an independent store): https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780692193358
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hellbenthorror
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellbentforhorror/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellbentforhorror
 

Ominous Interviews | Hauntingly Krista

Krista, more affectionately known as HauntinglyKrista on social media is an Ontario based paranormal investigator who not only searches for the unknown in the province, but also travels around the continent to check out the spookiest of places. Her TikTok has blown up over the last few months, garnering over 82k followers since just December of 2021. Her rise on the platform is nothing short of amazing. Krista is a kind, passionate, and charming person, and her success is very deserved. 
Her stories and adventures over her lifetime are incredible and fascinating to listen to, and she was kind enough to share just some of those memories with me today. I highly suggest checking out all of her content, from TikTok to Instagram, and her Youtube as well. You certainly don't want to miss an upload!
So please, welcome HauntinglyKrista, and enjoy the interview!
Follow Krista at all the places below:
TikTok: @HauntinglyKrista
Instagram: @Hauntinglykrista
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5AK-QnWswbOqR3tN9_-9A
 

A Nice Glass of Jinn

No, we're not talking about the alcohol, so you can relax ya filthy animals! Geeze, the first mention of booze and you turn into a frat boy on Saturday night. No, we're talking about something much cooler and way older than the drink, gin. We're talking about the Jinn, a near pre-historic entity that features heavily in the Islamic, and pre-Islamic cultures and religion. What was once thought to be a heavenly body has been described as so much more, or less, depending on how you look at it. The Quran may even describe a certain Jinn the devil. 
Jinn's have always fascinated me. I wrote a book years ago called Necromancy... And Other Mystical Things that heavily featured a Jinn character. Of course there were a lot of creative liberties taken with the lore, and is a complete work of fiction and humor, sooo yeah. Regardless, I can't believe it took me this long to cover the topic. The Jinn is one of the oldest stories I can think of, in terms of modern religion anyway, which I guess doesn't make it all that old. Nevertheless, as you'll see upon listening, there are some very distinct parallels between the Jinn, the lore, and the religion and more western religions and stories. Funny how that works, eh?
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Nobody Puts Bella In a Wych Elm

Okay, somebody did, and that's the whole mystery here. Somebody stuffed the body of a woman in a wych elm tree in a field in England in the early 1940's. Yes, way back in the days of World War II, a single murder took hold of a county in England, despite what was going on around them. The story goes that 4 boys were out looking for birds nests in the woods on some private land when they stumbled across a skull lodged in the hollowed out trunk of a tree. Spooked, the boys made a blood pact (maybe some creative liberates taken on my part there) to never speak of what they'd found. 
Well, the youngest boy clearly didn't know the meaning of a blood pact and tattled to his parents. Naturally an investigation ensued and they boy who broke the blood pact was sacrificed to the old gods.... Of course I'm kidding, you think we'd be talking about an unsolved murder if a boy was openly sacrificed in the same breath? Anyway, the investigation lasted years, yet yielded nothing but theories, which are fun and all, but don't often lead to many arrests. The only odd thing that really stuck in this case is that some graffiti appeared a while after the body was found asking Who put Bella down the wych elm?
Theories ranged from witchcraft to espionage, and everything in between. But you'll just have to listen to find out more!
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