It’s generally agreed that ghosts, if they indeed exist, were once living, breathing human beings. And, unfortunately, human beings are more than capable of committing crime. So it may follow that ghosts also seek to transgress against their (former) fellow men. The following ten crimes were allegedly committed by paranormal entities. True ghostly perpetrators or just garden variety criminals trying to avoid punishment? You be the judge.

10 Celebrities Who Had A Terrifying Ghostly Experience

10 Ghost Indecent Exposure

Having sex in another person’s living room would definitely earn you a sentence for indecent exposure-and maybe for breaking and entering! Dianne Carlisle of Euclid Ohio claims that two ghosts are having sex in her home leaving her and her family members the unwilling voyeurs. She says that the ghosts are clearly copulating and she can even see “the lady’s high heeled shoes!”. Dianne is no stranger to ghostly apparitions. Her deceased sister contacted her via phone leaving her a message that simply said “I love you” and she has seen ghosts in mirrors and playing with her daughter, De’Onna. As for the phantom lovemakers, they were snapped in the act by Carlisle’s four year old granddaughter, Kimora, while the little girl was playing with a cell phone. Dianne is as astonished by the hanky panky going on in her living room as anyone saying: “I never seen anything like this…I mean, ghosts still have feelings? (They’re) having sex?” Carlisle says that the ghostly activity in her home has not lessened with time, but has actually increased.^[1]

9 Ghost Theft

You wouldn’t think a former police officer, charged with upholding the law, would be the one to commit massive theft but that’s what Joseph Hughes of Mount Gilead, Ohio was convicted of back in 2011. But did he do it or was it the work of something from the other side? Hughes claimed that the stolen goods found stockpiled in his basement, (including several air conditioners and a generator) were put there by a ghost. ‘It’s going to sound kind of ridiculous, but we believed that there was some kind of paranormal presence in the basement,’ Hughes said in court. ‘It sounds kind of ridiculous but there was evidence to support it.’ Though prosecutors were stunned by the creepy defense, they ultimately didn’t buy it and Hughes was found guilty of 18 of 20 charges.^[2]

8 Ghost Vandalization

Lisa and Phil Rigley of Clifton, Nottingham, were so angry about a serious of attacks on their vehicles that they set up some home cameras to catch the culprits in the act. But they got more than they bargained for: at about 1:30 a.m. on August 1st 2012, one of the cameras caught what looked like a child spirit in orb form, glowing white and wearing a hoodie, jumping over the roofs of their cars. The couple was shocked. Even skeptical Phil admitted: “I am cynical about ghosts because I don’t believe in them but this footage is strange.” Lisa added that she was “absolutely gobsmacked by this. I’ve got the footage here; it’s the image of a young child about four or five. It’s a ghost, it’s got to be.” Mrs. Rigley was especially convinced it was no ordinary child because their dog always barks if there are people around but did not wake the family that night. The Rigleys ultimately decided not to pursue the ghost for criminal damages after they could find no marks on the cars following the incident.^[3]

7 Ghost Harassment

Harassment of any kind is annoying enough, but to not even be able to see your bullies? One Saudi Arabian family though that was going too far-and actually took it all the way to court when they sued the “genie” irritating their household. The spectral harassment went on for some time with unruly spirits making life practically intolerable. Citing everything from threatening voicemails to the theft of their mobile phones, the family had had enough when the ghosts, in classic schoolyard fashion, began throwing stones at the children. The court gamely tried to verify the family’s claim of paranormal pestering “despite the difficulty” of bringing a harassment suit against the undead.^[4]

6 Ghost Disorderly Conduct

A teen nabbed in 2006 for swearing at officers and generally causing uproar had the unique defense that the foul-mouthed voice heard by the cops wasn’t his-but that of a disembodied pirate ghost. Thomas McGair, 18, of Glasgow Scotland blurted out “It wasn’t me, it was the pirate!” as he was being collared and charged. Sheriff Rajni Swanney was “intrigued” by the odd story and MGair’s lawyer, Andrew Kennedy, said in court that his client was “in a state of agitation because he claims he had just seen a ghost.” Though McGair admitted to a breach of the peace, he denies being under the influence of alcohol or drugs and maintains that a ghostly influence was to blame. When last heard from, his sentence had been deferred.^[5]

Top 10 Famous Real Ghosts

5 Ghost Assault

Sometimes a haunting is merely a pain in the emotional sense but sometimes it goes a bit further than that. A French family from Mentque-Nortbecourt said that ghosts in their home have escalated into full blown assault. One household member was injured so badly that he had to be hospitalized after being hit in the face by a flying chair and a soap tray to the back. A family friend visiting the house also had to seek medical attention after being hit by stones thrown by the petulant spirits. Local officials took the claims seriously enough to remove the family from their home, offering them temporary housing at a nearby campsite. The family says that they are currently working with an exorcist from a local church who has been visiting their house and attempting to cleanse it of the angry spooks.^[6]

4 Ghost Domestic Abuse

When an argument about family finances between Wisconsin man Michael West and his wife got out of control, she called the police and reported that West had beat, punched her in the face, and tried to strangle her. When police arrived at the couple’s home, they noticed that the woman was crying and that there appeared to be blood on the front of her shirt. When questioned, West initially claimed that his wife sustained injuries by repeatedly falling but later changed his story, claiming that “a ghost did it.” This explanation did not prove to be satisfactory to the arresting officers who charged West with strangulation, battery and disorderly conduct. After a struggle, West was transported to county lockup and his wife, one would hope, to therapy.^[7]

3 Ghost Kidnapping

This one is an example of crime happening to a criminal-and perhaps of cosmic karma. A burglar robbing a home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said that he was kidnapped and held against his will with no food or water for four days by a “supernatural figure”. Police official Abdul Marlik Hakim Johar confirmed that the homeowners arrived back from vacation and found the man, whose name was not released, in their home dehydrated and exhausted. He claimed that every time he tried to leave, the entity pushed him to the ground. An ambulance had to be called for the would-be pilferer who will surely think twice before attempting another breaking and entering.^[8]

2 Ghost Rape

This is an extremely sad and disturbing story. Apparently, between 2005 and 2009 over one hundred women in the Manitoba Mennonite colony of Bolivia have been reporting waking up to strange genital injuries, headaches, pain and pieces of rope tangled in their hair. They also found semen stains on their sheets. Sadly, the youngest of these victims was a three year old child. Local townspeople (largely isolated from wider communities and inexperienced with such crimes) first denied the women’s reports, dismissing them the products of overactive imaginations. But as the problems worsened, they turned to a supernatural explanation, claiming that demons were to blame for the sexual assaults. Even after the arrest of nine men in 2011 convicted of drugging and raping entire households, the community is still traumatized and seeking other answers. Some point to the fact that the violence continues to this day as proof that it is devils from another world, and not men of the community, to blame for these heinous crimes.^[9]

1 Ghost Murders

One can hardly imagine a bigger monster than a mother that kills her own children. Naiyana Patel of East Asheville North Carolina was arrested in late August 2011 for the murder of her two sweet and outgoing girls, 8- year-old Jiya and 4-year-old Piya. Worse, the murders were carried out in an extremely gruesome manner-with a hatchet. Patel’s husband, Lalo, made the grisly discovery when arrived home to find his wife hitting herself in the head with the hatchet and his children bloodied on the floor. He frantically called 911, but it was too late-Jiya was already dead and Piya would succumb to her injuries at a nearby hospital. According investigators, when asked about her motives for this senseless crime, Naiyana would only tell police that “the ghost killed her children”. She further added that she didn’t want to live and refused medical treatment for her self-inflicted injuries “It’s just a terrible, terrible incident that occurred, “said Lt. Wallace Welch, interim chief of police.^[10]

10 Murderers Haunted By Their Victim’s Ghost

About The Author: A.L. is a playwright and also the executive director of a historical museum in the United States. She has enjoyed the creepy, spooky and weird all her life.

The existence of the paranormal is a controversial subject. There’s been no reputable scientific evidence to support the existence of what we call supernatural, which leaves many people to believe that all allegations of hauntings and paranormal phenomena are fake and even baseless. Staunch believers, however, would disagree. Pointing to evidence they think wasn’t properly investigated, a plethora of personal experiences, and the history of spiritual beliefs all over the world.

While these two crowds are unlikely to agree about this subject, this list sets out to cover ten examples of famous supernatural places that everyone can agree seem fishy at best, be they long-running misconceptions, factually disproven occurrences, or elaborate hoaxes.

Related: Top 10 Fake Spiritualists Who Were Caught In The Act

10 1677 Round Top Road, Harrisville

To many people, 1677 Round Top Road, Harrisville probably doesn’t ring any bells from that description alone. However, the house is very famous, largely due to a popular horror film based on it, but also because of Ed and Lorraine Warren, some of the most well-known—and in some circles most infamous—paranormal investigators of all time.

At first, this home may seem charming but is actually what The Conjuring is directly based on, a house thought to have been infested by the horrifyingly violent demon of an alleged witch named Bathsheba Sherman.

All of this certainly sounds quite scary, that is, until further research into the subject brings up many facts that suggest this story may be more of a dark fairytale. Leaving aside the fact that the Warrens aren’t as reputable as they seemed to begin with, things simply don’t add up. Bathsheba Sherman never lived on the property, only nearby, was never proven to be a witch nor evil, and the idea of her demon infesting the grounds was one thought up and spread by the Warrens, not the original owners, with no solid proof.

Furthermore, the original family lived on the property for a long decade. Their experiences are reported to have many inconsistencies with the Warrens’ account of the story and happenings at the house. And recent owners report no violent or terrifying events at the home, making the whole thing quite questionable.^[1]

9 Native American Burial Grounds

Not one place, but a group of places—or actually no place at all?

The “Indian Burial Ground” trope has been an infamously common element in horror films since its popular introduction attributed to the even more infamous “Amityville Horror,” another upcoming subject on our list. It has even been linked to the source of the haunting in Poltergeist, though definitely incorrect.

The idea is that places built on now destroyed burial grounds of Native American people contain vindictive spirits or even demons, seeking to destroy those who took their land from them and built structures over their dead.

Aside from being a Hollywood trope, the idea has become a popular misconception frequently applied to reality by those who don’t know better, something there are several problems with. Native Americans currently argue that the characterization of their spirits specifically, more so than any other nation or culture, is an incorrect and slightly antagonistic idea. Alongside that common opinion, the main fact is that there’s not really such a thing as an “Indian burial ground.”

Native American culture is diverse and split into many distinct sets of beliefs and practices, with no universal treatment for or concept of the dead. As such, the concept that all of them engaged in spiritual practices to be able to haunt and terrorize modern-day peoples is simply false.^[2]

8 Skinwalker Ranch

As the name of a very specific place UFO- and paranormal-enthusiasts will surely recognize, Skinwalker Ranch is said to be one of the United States’ most paranormally active places. Sightings, stories, and experiences range from allegations of the titular skinwalker, a shapeshifting, animalistic witch from Navajo culture, to ghosts, UFOs, government programs, cattle mutilation, crop circles, and a lot more.

The property—also known as the Sherman Ranch—is located in Utah and has become very infamous among skeptical circles. Even many believers simply find the accounts ridiculous.

To support that conclusion, the ranch was monitored for years. The people who lived there before the Shermans—the family from whom we learned about the property—did so for six decades. During the long time their family called the place home, they reported no unusual phenomena. Skinwalker Ranch was eventually sold to Robert Bigelow, a businessman with a passion for UFO investigations who owned it until 2016. Many people, however, believe the Shermans exploited Bigelow’s believing nature to sell the property using false or embellished claims.^[3]

7 Swamps

Swamps, bogs, marshes—these biomes have always been considered to have a spooky, imposing aura around them. Tales range from creepy ghosts to strange UFO activity from all around the world. However, the most unique example is the phenomenon known as will-o’-the-wisp or ignis fatuus.

Frequently referred to as ghost lights, will-o’-the-wisps have been documented for an extremely long time. They originate from old European folklore, particularly English accounts, though well known across Europe, albeit with different names all describing the same thing.

There are a variety of explanations for them—seeing strange lights in swampy areas at night—but the most well-accepted cause is that they’re a flame-like phosphorescence caused by gases emitting from decaying plants. Interestingly, even though we have scientific explanations, accounts of the occurrence are very rare compared to the numerous accounts from history, leaving scientists to wonder just what might be the reason for that.^[4]

6 Anson Highway

A once-popular topic in paranormal circles, the “Anson Light” captured many people’s imaginations when it was relevant. Described as a strange ghost light off the highway in Anson, Texas, it made news locally and was frequently discussed online.

People simply did not understand why the strange, bright lights kept appearing out in the distance. Some brushed it off as strange but nothing to worry about, while others treated it as a bad omen. The issue was particularly popular in college circles, a scary, local phenomenon that has been around for years or, according to some, decades.

It makes sense, then, that the very mundane explanation comes from a handful of college students. After triangulating the area using iPhones, the local legend of a ghost mother looking for her missing child with a lantern quickly faded, giving rise to the fact that the lights are simply car headlights from a neighboring road.^[5]

5 Devil’s Tramping Ground

An ominous name with an equally ominous backstory, the Devil’s Tramping Ground is an area that’s one of the most famous reportedly haunted places in North Carolina. According to legend, the Devil himself walks around at night just as its eerie name would suggest.

While it may just seem like a random, scary idea from local folklore, there does seem to be some reasoning behind it. The Devil’s Tramping Ground is an area approximately 40 feet across where apparently no plants grow, animals don’t like to go near, and objects move or disappear after they’ve been placed.

The real explanation for all but the poorly documented third claim is simple: salt.

The ground is a natural though gradually receding salt lick, which is now only about 20 feet in diameter, causing some animals to avoid the spot since the naturally high salt content doesn’t allow grass to grow.^[6]

4 Excelsior Hotel

Jefferson’s Excelsior Hotel is something of a local tourist attraction. Many people visit the small establishment due to tales of a terrifying haunting and the fact that Steven Spielberg himself resided in the hotel for a night. Supposedly, it scared him to such an extent that it inspired the film Poltergeist.

The hotel, while imposing and perhaps a little eerie with a lovely vintage style, seems to be just what it’s primarily known as—a tourist attraction.

Steven Spielberg’s tales are purely anecdotal, if not deliberately embellished. However, the hotel seems to enjoy the spotlight and additional revenue, encouraging tourists from other states to come experience the alleged, largely baseless haunting themselves.^[7]

3 Frankenstein Castle

Venturing outside the United States for once, the Frankenstein Castle is one of Germany’s most famous haunted locations. A creepy, rundown castle, the birthplace of one Johann Konrad Dippel, an alleged alchemist and potion maker who ran immoral experiments—according to local lore.

As the name and story may suggest, many people believe that the castle and its creepy alchemist went on to inspire Mary Shelley’s famous novel, Frankenstein, about a similarly mad scientist experimenting on the dead just like Dippel supposedly did.

While the story is compelling, the accounts of Dippel are shaky at best, and the castle only really became a popular spot for paranormal enthusiasts after Shelley’s novel was released and became popular, leaving little room for more than an embellished tale.^[8]

2 Annabelle House

Annabelle the doll has also become a Hollywood star in recent years after her spotlight in The Conjuring universe, getting her own films and a lot of media attention. The doll in the film is based on a very real doll, currently in possession of the previously mentioned Warren family.

The tale in the movie is almost entirely inaccurate, of course, but what’s more damning is that the Warrens’ accounts aren’t a series of verifiable truths either.

The original family did not speak of a horrible haunting, simply scary but not extremely intense experiences that led them to call paranormal investigators. Ed and Lorraine Warren, however, turned the story from a simple haunting to a terrifyingly violent demon infestation, something that seems to be a pattern with them. As it stands, the account of a violent demon comes from them alone, while the original owners never spoke of something so nefarious, only giving the doll to the Warrens at their specific request.^[9]

1 Amityville Horror House

The Amityville Horror is a book written by Jay Anson, an American horror author. The novel aimed to describe the supernatural experiences of the Lutz family but has become incredibly controversial for its widely perceived untruthfulness.

Once considered America’s most famous haunted house, the Lutz family only stayed there for four weeks, describing horrible paranormal events, violent ghosts, or perhaps a demon. The tale was frequently connected to the case of Ronald DeFeo Jr.’s murder of his family, which occurred in the house.

While a horrifying event had certainly occurred, the paranormal accounts have been described by many who knew or were even part of the Lutz family as one thing—a hoax. George Lutz is frequently described as a showman by those who don’t believe his account of the story due to his monetizing of the events, book and movie deals, and seeking widespread publicity. Christopher Quarantino, who lived in the house as a child, claims his stepfather George deliberately amplified the paranormal events for his own gain and feels that their experiences were exploited by him.^[10]